Procrastination is a part of my daily routine in Siargao. I’ll look at the mess in my room and think, “Oh, I really should sort that out. I’ll do it tomorrow.” Of course, “tomorrow” only arrives the day before or the day itself that I am leaving.

Tomorrow, I leave Siargao for a month and a half, maybe two. So, today, I’m packing things into a bag for Manila, or putting them away in boxes. It looks like I’m finally getting things done, except that what I am really doing is putting off biking and swimming for today.

Sigh…

Those three kilos I have to lose? I still have them on me. They refuse to leave.

Not that I’ve been trying very hard to lose them. Since I got back on the 12th of September, I’ve swum everyday, except for three days – maybe four, I’m not sure – during the first week. And then, again, today. I’ve also been distracted a lot while swimming and lost count of my laps a few times, so there may have been days when I swam less than the 1024 meters I usually do.

There was one day when I tried to do Bikram yoga on my own. I was bored out of my mind and couldn’t stop fidgeting and falling out of poses. This might have been because I wasn’t practicing in front of a mirror. I think watching oneself somehow helps quiet and focus the mind… Or I could just be a lazy bastard that needs the energy of others to do anything properly.

I also started biking again (consistently, from Sept. 22, after someone at a party remarked that I was “voluptuous”) and, since I discovered that the 6 km. mark is right at the end of our road, I’ve extended my ride from 10+km. to an even 12.

I resumed walking the dogs (on the 24th – including today!), after I realized that our neighbors towards the end of the road haven’t built anything so that the area is, more or less, deserted.

Which means that I can walk the dogs together, without any leash, without having to worry about them attacking anything or being followed by snarling mutts. I estimate that, from our place to the end of the road, it’s about 800 meters, and then I continue down to the beach to the end of the unfinished bridge.

If the tide is extra low, I cross over to the sandbars bared by the receding tides, so that the dogs can run and play as much as they like on wider, more open spaces. All in all, I’d say we walk about 1.5 to 2 km. every day.

Happy dogs. For more pictures, please click on THIS LINK.

That may sound like I’m doing a lot, except that I’ve also been eating a lot. First, a best girlfriend arrived and, of course, we had to wine and dine at every possible moment. And then there were my Siargao friends to catch up with, which required more wining and dining. And then a cafe opened, a restaurant opened, and one resort had a special one-night-only buffet… It was peak season on the island and there were fiestas and parties galore. Wining, dining, dining, wining, wining, dining. Too much. Too much. Too much.

Which will explain the tenacity of the three kilos. I hate them.

I suppose I’m still procrastinating. I lost the weight before so I think it’ll be a piece of cake to lose it again. Except that it’s never as simple or as easy as I thought it was, and constantly putting it off only makes it harder to get back on the right track.

My life would be so much simpler if only I liked salad.

Alas, it isn’t so.

Cebu, tomorrow (Sept. 30). Manila, on Thursday (Oct. 2).