Black Friday.

RIGHT - Shadee has fully recovered and grown, and is a menace to garden plants.

Once again, Americans are lining up early for their Black Friday Sale, the biggest sale of the year which occurs after the American Thanksgiving. By the way, Happy Thanksgiving to all my American relatives and friends.

In Manila, Christmas sales have been going on since the first days of October. The countdown to Christmas can be heard over radio and TV shows, and in commercials.

I've Christmas-shopped already while I was in the U.S. and Canada last October. I bought mostly clothes, since toys were difficult to pack or carry. My Ohio-based sister had tons of gifts for family back in P.I. and asked me to bring them home. Instead, I had them shipped through the "Balikbayan" door-to-door service. While at it, I also shipped my Total Gym machine.

I bought my Total Gym about eight or ten years ago. Chuck Norris' infomercials made me do it. Lately, the beauteous ex-wife of Billy Joel, Christine Brinkley, had joined Chuck in promoting the exercise machine.

Total Gym is a multi-exercise, lightweight, easy to use machine. It easily folds and slides under the bed, or can stand against a wall when not in use.

I'd used my Total Gym regularly, and in addition to my treadmill and rower, had provided me with complete gym experience in Toronto. Not to mention my thrice-weekly dance-exercise routines and daily walks with the dog, Shadow.

Being in Manila is a different thing. Here, I subsist on sugar and fat-loaded dinners and snacks taken throughout the day. There's rarely exercise time, and dancing becomes boring. And the dogs run around on their own. I attribute my lack of interest in exercise to the very hot, humid weather.

Back at the Health, Beauty and Spa Salon which I regularly go to, someone suggested enrolling at its Fitness Club. I figured instead of putting monthly money into it, I'd rather build my own "mini gym" at home. To start with I already have a professional punching bag hanging at the backyard.

Last October in Toronto, I lost about ten pounds in three weeks. Thanks to mostly vegetarian diet and no snacks.

When my Total Gym arrives in Manila, I hope to regain my exercise spirit. Also last Sunday, I found a manual treadmill for about 9,000 pesos, which I plan to purchase after Christmas when prices are expected to fall further.

Being firm and fit are great.