Whenever I am asked what is my favorite season, I automatically answer "summer." Growing up, summer meant no school. It meant sleeping late and waking up late. It meant going to beaches and playing in the sand and shore, not just with my family but sometimes the entire clan and family friends as well. It meant playing out in the streets, patintero, monkey- monkey, taguan, tumbang preso, agawan base and water gun fights with friends from the village all day (and sometimes all night on those nights where power failures were all the rage). It meant biking and rollerblading around the village and hanging out in the neighborhood store. It meant going to video shops and renting out video tapes and laser discs of your favorite movies, inviting neigborhood kids over and having daily sleepovers. It even meant going to National Bookstore almost daily to buy books, sometimes just for the sake of buying. Summer, to me, meant freedom, adventure, enjoying your childhood and growing up.

But lately, summer doesn't mean much to me. For one, it just means it's time to bring out those bikinis and slather on some sunblock. But that's just it. Perhaps what broke it for me was a horrible four letter word: H-E-A-T!!!

Yes, un-buh-leev-able heat and its sidekick, humidity. It's been so hot that...

... I take more showers now.
... And because of this, my soap runs out quicker than it used to.
... And my facial wash too!
... I now hoard bottles upon bottles of C2 Green Tea in Peach, Iced Tea and Apple Flavor (3 bottles a day!)
... And started a fad among my officemates. The Mini-Stop store in our building profitted a lot from us!
... The turbo fan is on the whole day but all it blows out is hot air.
... Even with the airconditioning system, I don't sleep with a blanket anymore.
... Once in a while, I open our freezer and stick my head and arms inside the freezer. (Thank God, it doesn't smell like fish!)
... My hair is perpetually tied in a bun and my bangs are clipped on top of my head. Anything to keep my hair sticking to my nape and forehead.
... I don't like wearing jeans. The humidity makes the fabric stick to my skin.
... My mini- skirts are in constant rotation.
... So are my lingerie camisole tops.
... Driving with my windows down at midnight isn't as cool as it used to be (cool, meaning cold).
... We all now use the airconditioning system.
... And so, our eletricity bill has reached it's all time high in the five digit strata.


We've got one more month to go and I was told it was going to get worse! Now I wish the rainy season was near.

How I wish I could go back to Boracay for one last hurrah!