MANILA, Philippines?The gruelling grind of doing eight shows a week takes its toll on every performer, which makes taking a day off look particularly sweet. The guys and gals from ?Cats? were most especially exhausted, given the dance numbers they had to perform in the show.

So, how exactly did the ?cats? unwind on that one dayoff per week?

Family day

I?m probably the most boring one of all, opting to spend my day off with my family. This means that my daughter got to spend the day with me (we love our mani-pedis), and my husband took me out for dinner.

I did reserve one Monday night for a reunion with friends from high school, and a Master Class rehearsal with Cherie Gil (again, Brava!).

However, my cast mates are Aussies ... and many of them are stereotypically so. Think adventurous, nature-loving, physical.

Intramuros walking tour

Carlos Celdran doesn?t normally handle his walking tours on a Monday, but for the cast and crew of ?Cats,? he made an exception, for which we were all very grateful. He brought them around Intramuros where they were introduced to our history and culture. Those who went on tour came up to me the next day to laud Carlos for his grasp of Philippine history, and for how entertaining and interesting the tour was.

Heading down south

One cast member joked about this trip by saying: ?It will all fall into place.? Yes, that meant that he and a few others were heading to Laguna to visit Pagsanjan. Actually, throughout the entire Manila season, a few of the guys would head over for white-water rapids and rides on a canoe. They came home with bellies full of buko pie and full-blown sunburns.

Yet another bunch of ?cats? headed to Taal to visit ?the volcano within a lake within a volcano.? Sunburns and pony fur burns notwithstanding, the view was breathtaking and the scenery gorgeous. I don?t think anyone was able to swim in the lake?s waters?although it really didn?t matter.

A few others went for a more serene getaway, going scuba diving at Puerta Galera, a two-hour car ride and a one-hour boat ride away. One girl said that the dive was so beautiful, it replenished her soul. I have yet to see pictures of this particular trip.

Parties galore

I did speak of Tessa Valdes? major bash at her home, complete with pole dancing, fire twirling, Pinoy food and lots of kitty giveaways.

But there were other parties as well. Anton San Diego hosted an intimate dinner at Establishment for the ?cats? that he met in Adelaide during a publicity trip for the show. I wasn?t able to attend, but I did hear about incredible food and copious amounts of alcohol. The waiters kept topping up their champagne glasses. Wow, thank you, Anton, for taking great care of our wonderful friends.

Poker

I can?t exactly end this downtime article without a mention of our favorite pastime: poker. Every Thursday night, about 10 of us would gather by the Dusit Thani pool, bring out a couple of sets of poker chips and start a game. No, I never won (my best finish was fifth), but had a great time anyway. A couple of players who?d lose early would then jump in the pool for a swim.

I do hope that more shows come to the Philippines, if only so that we have more opportunities to share our Pinoy hospitality. The ?cats? that are leaving are bringing those wonderful memories with them. Many of them consider the Manila season their favorite, and hearing that makes me very proud.