Just Dropping By

Duty days are here again...

First Rotation: West Visayas State University Medical Center

Got to go! God bless us all.

The Phoenix Shall Rise Again

Broken (Once Again)

It hurts so bad to think that the people who gave you hope and inspiration are the ones who will take it back away from you. They gave you wings to fly only to shoot you down in return. This is what I am going through right now. This is what I feel. I almost returned my faith back towards life, but now, it's broken again to pieces. I do not know if I will be able to heal myself this time and make my spirit whole because the wound is just too deep that it penetrates my soul. I am confused and hurting as of the moment. The pain in my heart is killing me. But I am still clinging on to hope desperately for the sake of those people who still love me and believe in me.

God Is Dead?

I was six or seven when I started to notice that my mother often ordered me to settle when I became restless and playful every Holy Friday. I was also not allowed to shout, laugh loudly, and even go out from the house during this day of the year. When I innocently asked my mother why, she answered me saying: "Because today, evil spirits are roaming around, and they are so vicious that they will try to harm you if you will be noisy, fidgety, and if you will not stay here inside the house..."

"And why are evil spirits roaming today nay?" I inquired.

With a seemingly mortified face my mother replied, "Because today son, God is dead..."

My initial reaction upon hearing those words was of course shocked. I went to one corner and pondered on the thought that at that moment, God was not in heaven but buried underneath the earth. But what or who killed God? This was the next question hanging on my thought at that time but I didn't bother to ask more my nanay fearing that I might annoy her and she'll send me to bed for the afternoon siesta.

Of course when I turned into an adult later on, I found out that this idea is not true and often times very confusing and deceptive to children (and even to some grown ups). Jesus, the Son of God, died only once and the reason for his death on the cross of Calvary is to save us all. Jesus cannot be put into death again and again for the reason that he had already conquered death a long time ago when he resurrected from the grave on the third day after his death. Let us all erase this misconception from our kids' minds and likewise from ours too. Instead, let us implant into their hearts and minds that Jesus died thousands of years ago just to give us the chance to live forever.

Cold Mountain

The first time I came across with Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier, it was on the big screen. I watched the movie because I am a big fan of Nicole Kidman and Rene Zelweger. I find the movie good and the two mentioned actresses and Jude Law very convincing in portraying their characters. At the end, the movie made me melancholic and sad, but hell, it was really beautiful. Rene by the way, won her first Oscar as best actress in a supporting role for that movie.

The second time I came across with Cold Mountain was when I was looking for second hand books to be read at night, to drowse me to sleep, at a local bookstore. The book was sold cheap and since I already saw it's movie version, I bought it out of curiosity if the screen adaptation really tried to stick to the novel. And so it started every night, since I only read two or three chapters a night, that the lives of Inman, Ada and Ruby were unfold not in my eyes but in my imagination.

The setting of Cold Mountain was very rural and Frazier was very successful in conjuring the rural mood in his novel. The tall mountains, the lovely meadows, the lonely dirt roads, the slithering rivers, the vast farm fields, the mysterious twilight, and the plain folks and their traditional way of life all gave me the feeling of profound simplicity and serenity. But these was of course abstracted by the ongoing civil war happening in the land which added a feeling of anxiety and uneasiness both I think on the characters (especially Inman who was always haunted by the war scene he had witnessed) and the reader himself (I am talking about myself particularly).

Inman's travel toward home was like a metaphor of my own pilgrim towards self realization. The dangers he met along the way and the obstacles that tried to block him from returning home are like my struggles and battles that until now I still try to overcome. The gore and bloody wars he encountered are like my past that still haunts me to this very day. Inman's thought were focused on his beloved Ada, that is why, his determination to go on with life and his journey was so strong that only death could stop him. Likewise with myself, my determination of making myself whole and fulfilling my fate is what keeps me moving forward with positivity.

Ada and Ruby, the heroines of the story, were two opposite characters. Ada was educated and literate, Ruby was not. Ruby was a self-reliant, hardworking, and practical gal, Ada was otherwise. Ada was the artist, Ruby was the one who appreciates. Ada was sophisticated while Ruby was superstitious. The contrast between the two main female characters of the novel was quite obvious but it was amazing that the two were able to live together in harmony, supporting each other in the name of survival. Same so with ourselves, sometimes we contradict our very own selves that often confuse us. But then again, in the end, these contradictions inside us meet half way to come up with one unique idea, thought or opinion. And whatever ever it is, it is who we are. All in the name of self-preservation and realization.

Cold Mountain speaks about love lost, friendship, and the determination of the human soul. All in all, it was a very delightful read. Very poignant yet a masterpiece of beauty. I tried not to shed a tear up to the very end but unfortunately, I did.

A Nation Of Servants

Yeheeey! I passed my Pathophysiology and Nursing Care Mangement subject! All my fears are finally obliterated to dust! Thank you Lord. One more year and hopefully I'll be able to finish my schooling.

-oOo-

Just this week, Filipinos were enraged upon reading an article written by a Chinese journalist in a local magazine in Hong Kong that "maliciously" branded our country as a nation of servants and indirectly, a land grabber. Like the others, I was also infuriated by the harsh and discriminatory statement of the writer because first, Filipinos, especially our OFWs have a big contribution to the economy of the place (Hong Kong) and I am referring not just those domestic helpers but those skilled and professional Filipinos working in big companies there. Second, Chip Tsao (that's the name of the writer), have no right to call us indirectly as a "land grabber" because they ,the government of China, have not yet proven that the Spratly Islands really belong to them . Every neighboring countries (i.e. Vietnam and Malaysia) near the group of islands can claim it as their own since Spratly is geographically situated "between" these countries. And I think, unless the dispute about the different claims is settled, everyone can still insist that Spratly is their's.

On the other hand, this incident, the "mocking" of the Filipino race, is again a wake up call for the public leaders of this country to do something about the flight of our brothers and sisters into other countries just to find greener pasture for survival. It is time for our leaders to stop politicizing and instead, do their jobs by focusing more on finding ways to generate jobs here in our country so that the sending of our fellowmen to work for aliens will be put to a stop . And again, we must do something against poverty for this is the main cause why Filipinos opted to work as domestic helpers abroad (and often get mistreated) rather than die here because of hunger. It is a sad fact that we still rely greatly on the economy of others just to make our fragile economy survive. We can say that Chip Tsao is such a mean and arrogant person, a racist, and an idiot for the statements he wrote about us. But can we blame him totally for it? Don't you think that we have a part of this too for this is the image we try to impress on them? If we will not start acting today, doing things that will help alleviate poverty here in our country and not just by mere lip service, we will remain still as a people trying to serve others for compensation and survival and as a "nation of servants" in the eyes of the rest of the world.

What If's

What if Snow White wasn't really a super smooth, super fair-skinned maiden but a woman suffering from albinism and psoriasis?

What if the Seven Dwarves were not actually the dwarves we know in fairy tales or mythologies but some men suffering from pituitary gland malfunctioning?

What if Sleeping Beauty wasn't really in a stupor because of a witch's curse but in a coma after she accidentally stepped on a bar of soap on the bathroom floor, slid, and bumped her head on the wall?

What if Cinderella wasn't really the owner of the glass slippers but just claimed them as her own because she wanted to marry the prince so badly to instantly get rich?

What if Rapunzel's hair were not really that naturally ultra long but just mere fake extensions done in a salon just to impress the prince and lure him to her tower so that she could have some kinky moments with him?

What if Humpty Dumpty's fall was purposely done by his bestfriend because the latter got jealous after learning that his name wasn't included in the famous nursery rhyme?

What if Jack's magical beans were not really magical but some sort of mutated peas genetically modified by visiting alien lifeforms from Mars?

What if Little Mermaid's loss of voice wasn't really the sea witch's doing but a result of laryngeal cancer due to excessive and chronic smoking of an illegal seaweed?

What if Hansel and Gretel were really spoiled brats and that after eating the old hag's candy house pushed the poor old woman on the boiling cauldron and spreaded the news that she's a cannibal so that their mischief would not be discovered?

What if Rumpelstiltskin wasn't really interested in the Queen's baby but just suffering from attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder?

What if Little Red Riding Hood's grandma wasn't really swallowed by the wolf but that grandma was the wolf herself because she possess the ability of lycantrophy?

What if I'll just go to the kitchen right now and fix myself a supper so that my brain cells will stop disintegrating totally and stop all these delusional inquiries?

Yeah, I think I better should.

Email Metaphor

My first email, I created it when I was 18, was jimlynx@another.com. The name was the combination of my nickname "Jim" and of "Lynx" which is a specie of a wild ferocious cat and happens to be my codename when I was an officer of the Citizen Army Training (CAT) during my last year in high school. I kind of like the combination of the two because it represented my shy and covert personality; and the sleeping ferocious "inner me" which is ambitious, idealistic, tough, self-determined, and bold. I used it since then and eventually got tired of it when I entered my early twenties.

The next email I created and use for my fancy was when I reached twenty. The email was lestat(with numbers attached but sadly I have forgotten it)@yahoo.com. My "young adult" life was very turbulent at that time. I was starting to ask for the purpose of my existence at that point in my life and the "meaninglessness" of life ended by death suddenly had an impact on me that I suffered mild depression. It was also during that moment that I read Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles and the fictional character of the protagonist/villain Lestat charmed me that I used his name as a pseudonym for countless times before. Why? Beacuse I felt that we were the same during that time --- a philosopher, rebel, wanderer, heretic, and yes, a stupid brat.

I was 24 when I created my third email, van_helsing1980@yahoo.com. From vampire to vampire slayer email! Whew! The possible reason for this change was that I am done with my rebellion against the world, so now it's time to confront myself and ask the questions: "Who are you? Why are you still here? What is it that you really want?" It was like a war waged against my own self because the real me tried to evade this reality check questions. The real me during that time didn't want to get out from his comfort zone of surreal sphere. But it was time to face fate and so war happened and the sphere of fantasy was destroyed. Eventually, Van Helsing the slayer, killed Lestat the vampire in the end.

rbmacarse@yahoo.com, my current email add. This is the real me. The man that is now willing to face his destiny, whatever it is, with a courageous heart and an unshaken soul.

There you go, the evolution of my email address and the evolution of me. I never thought my emails and my personality has something to do with each other, not until I wrote this entry. Pretty deep huh? Ha ha ha...

P.S. I have an alternate email too that I forgot to mention that I am also using right now. It's ieremor_esracam@yahoo.com. It is still me, the only difference is that it's the "twisted me". Bwa ha ha ha... Ciao!

A Random Thought From A Nursing Student

I want to become a nurse someday, not just for the mere prospect of working abroad and earn dollars or euros but of course to serve humanity. "To serve humanity," a very cliche phrase that usually raises the eyebrows of others upon hearing this as a reason why one is taking up nursing. It's hypocrisy according to them because who in his or her right mind would invest thousands and thousands of money for nursing education just to end up wiping other people's drooling saliva? It may be true to some but this notion is totally unfair for those who really have the compassion and the sincerity to help and serve his/her fellow men.

It is quite sad to think that people nowadays view the nursing profession as a mere gateway for a greener pasture. The white cap nurses are wearing is now equated to the dollar sign. And it is more saddening to think that nursing education is very expensive in our present time that those who truly possess the innate quality of a genuine nurse cannot afford to be educated and thus establish themselves in this niche. That is why it is not surprising that one will encounter grumpy, snobbish, and unapproachable nurses in every hospital. I call them as pseudo-nurses in which they do have all the nursing knowledge swirling in their brains but do not have the true compassion and love for the unfortunates stirring in their heart. They could afford nursing education, but they couldn't buy the nursing spirit. I see them most of the time as I have my duty in clinical areas and it irritates me to see them destroying the integrity of this noble profession which was founded by the selfless progenitors of nursing.

Lastly, let us not forget that the core foundation of nursing is to care and heal the sick, and uphold and protect the human dignity even in the face of death. So for once, let us nurses and soon-to-be nurses act like one.

Beep! Beep!: The Jeepney Experience

Public Use Jeepney (PUJ) or simply known as dyip has been one of the national symbols of our country. For decades, after the American occupation era, the dyip has been an important means of transportation for Filipinos especially the masa, both in rural and urban places. The left-over of the US Military jeeps were transformed into flashy vehicles ready for public use and has now become our identity and part of our culture. As a Filipino myself, I couldn't imagine life here in the Philippines nowadays without the jeepneys. It seems like everything here in this country would stop, from education to economy, if all jeepneys would be eradicated from the streets.

I always ride on a jeepney when going to the city of Iloilo from my humble town Maasin especially on school days. Commuting on a dyip will give you a lot of experiences. Some of them are funny, some of them are exhilirating, some are irritating, and some are just plain boring.

During school season, I often don't get enough sleep for the reason that I study, make my assignments, and take some notes until early dawn (very diligent huh? lol). Because of this, I often make jeepneys as my siesta cribs until it take me to my destination. There was a time when I was too sleepy and my consciousness was starting to dispersed into oblivion when I unconciously banged my head to the head of the commuter next to me. I was so ashmed of the incident that I pretended that I was still sleeping even though at that time I was already fully awake. The picture that I saw in my mind at that very moment was that all eyes were looking at me especially the searing eyes of the person in which I bumped my head into. I was sweating but I really didn't care much, because I was pretty occupied acting sleeping.

There was also this one instance in which I took a nap while commuting and later, I suddenly woke up and catched my mouth open while the other passenger sitting across me was staring at me as if wanting to throw something on my half-gaped mouth. Again, to save myself from further embarassment, I just closed my mouth and pretended to be asleep again which of course I was not. I realized from then on that acting sleeping was not an easy task.

I really hate women with long hair who doesn't know how to keep them sitting ahead of me in a jeepney. The ordeal of a hair slapping at your face for 45 minutes (that's how long it takes to travel from my town to the city) is unbearable and I have experienced it several times already and it always makes my face red like a tomato. To deal with this matter, I usually ask the woman to keep her hair because if not, my vicious killer instinct would surely "unhair" her head, making her like Sigourney Weaver in Alien movies. How I love to play the extraterrestrial creature's part!

If there is one thing I really couldn't forget riding a jeepney, that is everytime it will speed up like rocket (that it will make your hair stand up to the tip!) and the driver is a reckless daredevil. The scary part is when it overtakes a vehicle with super speed and you'll see that another vehicle is fast approaching your way. One thing for sure: you would surely pray hard for your dear life especially when it happens that you are sitting in the front seat. A dear friend of mine once told me that the difference between a priest and a reckless driver is that everytime a priest delivers his sermon, people get drowsy and eventually sleep on their pews. Meanwhile, a reckless driver when driving fast (like a trip bound to hell), could effortlessly make his passengers call all the saints and angels in heaven like Armagedon is at hand! How ironic but true.

If ever there will come a time that I will leave this beloved country of mine for a reason I still don't know, jeepneys and the experience of riding these unique vehicles will surely a miss for me. You can never say "Para!" to taxis in New York anyway.

My Life

What would my life be without coffee?

It would be a life in a state of comatose.

What would my life be without music?

Dull and boring. Deaf. Catatonic.

What would my life be without books?

Somber. Dismal.

What would my life be without movies?

Problematic.

What would my life be without my studies?

Hopeless.

What would my life be without the problems and trials that come my way?

It's like watching a dull movie for eternity.

What would my life be without my enemies and detractors?

Weak and fragile. No drama!

What would my life be without my friends?

Miserable, sad, uneventful.

What would my life be without my siblings?

It's like a scattered jigsaw puzzle.

What would be my life without nanay?

A total void. Nothing.

Maasin

Many times have I been too far away from my hometown Maasin for a very long period of time and the memory of my beloved place always haunted me during those moments. Maasin, like Cagayan de Oro City (the place where I spent most of my childhood years), holds a very special spot in my heart, maybe because a lot of precious memories have I created in the said place. Life in Maasin is very simple and yet the things that I, or we Maasinanons (that's what we call ourselves), often do and see here are the things we really miss the most whenever we get too far away from our dear hometown. Things like...

Jogging in the morning and strolling in the afternoon around the plaza....

The statues of Andres Bonifacio and the soldier at the center of the poblacion...

Swimming in the muddy river...

The Town Fiesta...

The Tultugan Festival...

Taking a bath using the "bomba" or the hand water pump...

The noisy bustling during market day every Monday...

The shits of dogs that often greet you when walking along the narrow streets early in the morning...

The bamboos...

The carabaos...

Our family roots...

The flood during typhoons...

The fountain with the bust of a fish that only spills water from its mouth during special occasions (like fiesta, Christmas, New Year)...

Riding "trisikads"...

Drunkard neighbors...

Blue Fields...

Eating batchoy and pizza at Janken...

Squating at the sidewalk at night underneath the lampost, texting...

The "kadyos" and "monggo" dishes...

Going to the congested cemetary during All Souls Day...

Diving in the dam...

An of course, our dear friends, classmates, barkadas, and other acquaintances...

I know that there might be a possibility in the future that I will be once again taken away from my hometown because we never know what fate has instore for us, but I know that I will always come back from time to time to Maasin for the place has become a part of person, a part of my identity.

The Statue of Andres Bonifacio at the Poblacion Plaza and the Municipal Hall

The fountain with the fish bust

The Poblacion Public Market

One of the narrow streets of Maasin

The Murderer

Of all creatures in the animal kingdom, the cockroach is the only one that could awaken my killer instinct which I tried to repress deep in my subconscious mind. I have a lot of reasons why I love to assassinate cockroaches and to enumerate them here would mean that I have to glue my ass for an hour in the chair. But I think the two main reasons why I am so inhumane towards "cockroachkind" are the following --- First, they definitely look ummm... scary, like some loathsome extraterrestrial lifeforms crawling on your wall ready to launch at your face anytime and squirt at you that stinking smell that can make your stomach turn inside out (ews!). Second, because they carry germs! Remember that these filthy creatures feed, live, and crawl on decaying matters and it has been reported that they spread at least 33 kinds of bacteria, six kinds of parasitic worms, and at least seven other kinds of human pathogens. Think about that!

So every time I see a cockroach, any object at hand (usually a slipper or a broom) will serve as my weapon of destruction. Then..... SPLAT! End of his existence.

One time, I saw a cockroach and yes, I exterminate it. The action was like automatic and involuntary that seconds after I saw the filthy thing crawling on the floor, I just beheld it before me, squashed.

Unknown to me, my cousin saw at that time the thing that I had done to the insect. When she approached me, she asked, "Do you believe in reincarnation?"

"I don't know," my only answer.

"Ok, supposing that reincarnation is true, there is a possibility that that cockroach you killed is our very own grandma," she told me like someone who knows all the secret knowledge of the universe.

I looked back to the spot where the dead insect lied. My cousin did the same. Then, absent-mindedly I uttered: "Oh my God, I just murdered Lola Soting..."

The Seven Deadly Sins

My dear brothers and sisters, I exhort to you all to avoid these seven deadly sins that will corrupt your souls and will consume you to the eternal blazing fire of hell.....

LUXURIA or LUST. Avoid craving for those FHMs, Maxims, and Playboys! If you really can't avoid reading them, then read them with eyes closed.

GULA or GLUTTONY. Avoid eating too much imported foods especially those coming from China. Some of them (and you'll never know which) contains melamine and formaldehyde which will hasten your laying down to your coffin!

AVARITIA or GREED. Greed my dear brethrens is like lust and gluttony, a sin of excess accumulation of power. Now texting is a power too to communicate, but sometimes too much texting is.... costly and can cause carpal tunnel syndrome. Now I know (and you know too) what's the relationship with a costly vice to greed, but with carpal tunnel syndrome? I really don't have an idea.

ACEDIA or SLOTH. To all my dear friends, please do reply to my text messages if you have loads (and don't you guys dare lie that you don't have! Grrrr...) or else I can accuse you of being lazy bones and then the wrath of heaven will smite your cheeks and crush your teeth to dusts!

IRA or WRATH. My dear teachers and clinical instructors, please don't let your anger consume you if I am always late in your classes and clinical duties. You don't want to be barbecued in hell, don't you?

INVIDIA or ENVY. Do not envy Marian Rivera's sexy body; Angel Locsin's long, straight, shiny hair; Toni Gonzaga's pearly white teeth; Katrina Halili's prominent nose; and Keana Reeves' oversized boobs because the creation of these were all costly (you know what I mean) likewise their maintenance... and unfortunately you don't have the money. What I am trying to say is, stop watching too much television and reading too much showbiz oriented magazines. Aside from saving electricity consumption, you might also save some money for silicon later.

SUPERBIA or PRIDE. Some say that we must swallow our pride but in my case, I digest them..... And until now I still suffer from constipation. But brethrens you choose, constipation or damnation?

Be guided, be enlightened. Amen.

2009 And The Jigsaw Puzzle Pieces

It’s already 5 hours passed the new year and I am still here facing the computer. I cannot sleep. Maybe due to drinking of too much Coke… Or maybe I just can’t believe until now that it is already 2009. Well anyway, I am very glad that another year had passed and I am still healthy, kicking, and alive. And yes, very very blessed. I thank God for all the things that had happened to me last 2008 because it was such a wonderful year for me amidst of all the trials and testings and I give him all the glory for that.

I know this year will also be a beautiful and bountiful year for me. How do I know? Well, God said believe in the things that you want to happen and it will come true. That’s what faith is all about — believing in things not yet seen. So again, I am claiming this year as a prosperous year for me! Amen.

The entry of 2009 marks a new chapter in my life. I am already excited of what will going to happen next. It is like watching a soap opera. The only thing I am asking is that may God give me the strength to face all the tests (and defeats) that I will be encountering this year, the thankful heart that will anchor my feet to the ground despite of all the overwhelming victories, and the wisdom to know what is good and what is right.

My new year’s resolution for this year is still the same as last year and that is, “I shall make a better me.” The only difference this time is that I am doing it not just for myself but also for the others. 2008 made me realized that in order to complete one’s jigsaw puzzle, one must find the missing pieces on others. I am starting to find it now.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE AND CONTINUE TO SPREAD LOVE AND UNITY!

Happy Fiesta

Fiesta, the time for heaps and heaps of delicious foods and overflowing drinks and liquors. Everybody during this time just want to be full, drunk, and be merry. It has been a long tradition for Filipinos to celebrate the feast of either their patron saints or the foundation of their hometowns or baranggays, and no matter how bad the economy crisis is, Filipinos still find ways just to have a decent or even flamboyant celebration of their fiestas and that includes borrowing money from others. As what the old folks here often say, "One day of enjoyment, one year of torment." This saying often makes me laugh but I find it true. I know a lot of families here in our place having a hard time finding solutions to pay their debts after fiestas. That's how life balances everything here in the Philippines.

Fiestas are also moments where in cholesterol and alcohol levels soar up to the maximum but most of the time, a hypertensive like me couldn't really help but to munch on those enticing greasy and carbohydrate-rich food. Yeah, I know it's bad for me but should I just look at them drooling and torturing myself? As my former teacher in anatomy and physiology subject in college once said: "It doesn't matter if you die early as long as you die happy, smiling in your coffin." Well, maybe she's right but the last part, I have a doubt about it because until now, I have never seen a smiling corpse.

I know that we Filipinos need some time even just once a year to be jovial just to forget for a short moment all the problems our unfortunate third world country is facing, but sometimes I wonder if fiestas could really be a good instrument for this purpose or just another problem-producing event both for our pocket and for our health? Just asking.

Anyway, happy annual fiesta to my beloved hometown Maasin! And advance happy new year too! Let us look forward for a brighter life next year. God bless us all.

The Ultra-Amazing Super Jim

For years I have kept this secret in the deepest recesses of my soul. No breathing thing on this planet have I ever confided it for the reason that I wanted to protect those people I love from the curse of this secret. But unless I bare myself to the world, I will be forever caged in this clandestine that is starting to swallow my being. And so I decided, that it is now the ripe time for me to reveal this secret to all. The secret that yours truly is.......

................... none other than the ultra-amazing SUPER JIM!!! (Kabooooommmm!!!)

Yes dear friends, I am a superhero. And not just your typical superhero because I don't just stop a train that has lost control, or save a baby from a burning apartment building, or help an old woman get back her snatched purse from the filthy scoundrel, but I also do special things that will complete your day.

-oOo-

Are you having problem with those "medusas"? I am referring to those women who sit beside you in public use jeepnies and let their long unkempt dry hair slap your face while the PUJ takes speed to the point that your face reddens like that of a tomato? Well, have no fear, or should I say don't get mad, because SUPER JIM is here!

If I am in a good mood, I'll just talk with that woman in a nice way and ask her, "Excuse me miss, your hair have been slapping this person's face for almost a time now. And your shampoo doesn't even smell good, not to mention those split ends that are pricking his/her face like barb wires. So could you please, for the salvation of the whole world and your poor soul, keep your hair away from his/her visage?"

Now if I'm in a bad mood, I'll say nothing 'cause I'll just tie those hair without her knowing it, to the hand rail of the jeepney. There, that will keep those hair in place and eventually, the owner too! Har har har...

-oOo-

You're queuing in a long line for the ATM machine when suddenly, an impertinent moron from out of nowhere enters the queue ahead of you. You and the rest of those poor people lining after you are infuriated with this arrogant move to the point that your blood boils like a lava. Cool yourself, SUPER JIM comes to the rescue!

If I'm in a good mood, I'll just approach that person, look at him/her directly in the eye and ask whether he/she have had a Values Education subject before. If he/she will answer "yes", then I'll just remind him/her of the phrase that even my preschool cousin knows by heart that our values education teachers kept on repeating when we were still kids and that is: "Fall in line and wait for your turn!" If he/she will say "no" then I'll be glad to offer him my free good etiquette tutorial service. If ever he/she will answer "I forgot", God forbid me but I will just hit him/her in the face then I'll just said "Oops, I forgot my right manners and proper conduct. Sorry..."

Now, If I'm in a bad mood, I'll just step hard on whichever foot of his/her, and then push him/her on the side as he/she whimpers from pain. Then I'll just stand still as if nothing happened. If he/she will fight back, then it's time to use my Karate skills. Hiyaaaa..... If not, I'll just ignore the moron.

-oOo-

You see, your superhero here can do more aside from those things mentioned above. All you've got to do is shout for my name, as in shout to the point that your throat vibrates and dehydrates, and I will be surely there to help you. Don't worry, my service is free of charge, but I would say no if you'll offer me a cup of coffee and a pizza as a gratitude for my goodness. He he he...

Wait... I hear someone screaming my name for help. I think I'll just leave you here for the meantime my avid followers. I've got some saving to do. And by the way, before I go, for the sake of protecting my private life against those paparazzi, please lets keep this as a secret, okay? Thank you ever dearest confidants.

Up up and away!!!!!!

Christmas Lost, Christmas Redeemed

When I was small, Christmas was one of my favorite occasions every year aside of course from my birthday. The presents, the blinking lights, the cold breeze, the food, the jingles, and yes, the festive mood, all of this gave me the feeling of innocent bliss. And since Christmas only comes once a year, the long wait always added a feeling of thrill in me.

As I grew up, the spell that used to mesmerize me about Christmas started to wane. I think it all started with the onset of financial problems in our family that limited us from having a celebration that was well, fit for Christmas. You know, the kind of celebration kids always thought about -- lots of foods and gifts. I think during that time, that was during my elementary years, my parents were having a hard time with money due to hospitalization after hospitalization of my younger siblings. Christmas during those years were quite sad and cold because not even a simple lantern hanged on our house's front window.

The other thing that made me lost my interest in Christmas was upon learning that Santa Claus doesn't really exist. For years I had been living in the fantasy that Santa makes a list of little boys and girls' names all over the world and that he's checking it twice as what a certain Christmas jingle says so that those who have been good for the rest of the year will receive a gift from him. I thought that the Santa (should I put an "s" on the last letter?) that I always see in department stores during yuletide season waiting for kids to ask him for a picture taking was real. I later found out that that Santa was just for commercial promotion and that he worked as a security guard on the other days. Frustrating it was for me to learn the truth that the old stout man with immaculate beard and mustache and wearing red suit while saying "ho ho ho!" on his sleight pulled by flying reindeers was just a creation of adults' creative mind. But those were childhood days, innocence was still pure and undefiled. Days were we could be easily convinced about fantastical things without evidences. Sometimes I'd rather wish I just stayed that way, believing easily in things that were really fiction, rather than be awaken to the harsh and cruel reality of this world.

Lately, I joined our college's community extension service program and my first exposure to the community we are supporting was when we had our gift giving activity and medical mission for the indigents in that area. They say that Christmas time is a time for sharing because God himself gave his only begotten Son to us, Jesus Christ, in order to save the whole humanity. Well, The Nativity was really a beautiful story but I didn't get the real essence of it not until we went to Brgy. Tanao, Batad for the said activities I mentioned. It was the first time I did some humanitarian act and yes, it was a wonderful experience. I just want to emphasize on the thing about "sharing". I learned that to share not what you abundantly have but the one you have little of was amazing. It made me feel that a part of me went to the thing I shared and that part of me lifted that receiver's spirit because of the genuine smile I beheld on his/her face. Now I know what Jesus felt when he gave himself to us and with that, a new "magic" suddenly enchanted me about Christmas. It is the magic of self-giving, of unselfishness, of genuine fraternal love. I lost my faith on Christmas when I was kid, now Christmas has redeemed itself to me.

Merry Christmas everyone and let us continue to spread peace, love, and joy to the whole world! God bless us all.

-oOo-

"God, bless this food..."

Chibugan Time

Simple Christmas With Family & Relatives

My Cousins

The Reverse Effect

Last December 20, I went to Brgy. Tanao, Batad together with my fellow UICN-CES volunteers for our medical mission and gift giving activities. I decided to go there despite of the gloomy weather and the almost 3-hours travel for the "grand humanitarian purpose" that I will be able to touch and change other people's lives for the better. You know, the "hero thing" (and I have found out that we could! That is, if we will just do it).














When we reached our place of destination, I was very excited to start as soon as possible our first activity that I was able to consume 4 cups of chicken vermicelli soup and 6 pieces of pan de leche which was served to us by the locals there. I didn't even mind my tiredness from the three hours of travel! The warmth and congeniality of the people of Brgy. Tanao and the beautiful landscape of the place which was hilly on the other side and the sea and an island on the other (the island is still a part of the barangay) was enough to erase my fatigue.














And so the activity started. On that afternoon, the locals of Brgy. Tanao, especially the indigents, coming from the different far flanged sitios arrived. I could see that some of the indigents could not afford to buy at least cheap decent clothes basing on the faded and tattered clothes they wore. Some even walked the muddy road in going to the barangay's plaza where our gift giving program was held barefooted. A realization dawned upon me during that time that I am indeed far more blessed compared to these people. And it also made me feel guilty why I always complained of some petty things like not having a load for my cellphone or not having been into the cinema and watch a blockbuster movie for almost three months. Why am I giving importance to these irrelevants things when a lot of people doesn't even have a scoop of rice to eat? I suddenly asked myself indignantly.


















During our gift giving, most of the recipients wore a big smile on their faces. Others even danced out of sheer joy upon receiving their packages. A few cried out of gratitude. The scene was very touching that it suddenly changed my perspectives in life.


















On the second day of our stay there, we had our medical mission. The situation was still the same as that of the first day, people flooded hoping that they could avail of the free medical check up and likewise medicines for their illnesses. Everybody was wishing to be called first for the free check up afraid that they might not be called until the doctors will leave in the afternoon. Such an overwhelming effect of poverty I must say. Very saddening.














My trip to Brgy. Tanao, Batad was life-changing on my part. I went there on the purpose, as what I have stated earlier, to touch other people's lives. But in my stay there, something I didn't expect happened to me. That is, the people there touched my life also in a grand scale. The Batad exprience taught me that life is meaningless unless you share it with others. I never knew that a reverse effect would take place while I was there! I was..... amazed.

-oOo-

P.S. Oh by the way, I really enjoyed our caroling moments there...














...and I miss the linugaw...


















... and of course the gang!















God Bless!

Batad, Here I Come!

I'm going to Brgy. Tanao, Batad, Iloilo tomorrow for our medical mission and gift giving activity for the indigenous people of the said place. This is a actually a yearly activity of the University of Iloilo College of Nursing - Community Extension Service Program.

I applied to become a volunteer of CES last semester, and luckily I was accepted, so that I may be able to help in my own simple way those people in depressed areas who are unfortunate enough to have at least a comfortable way of living. This is my way of expressing my deep gratitude to God for blessing me with more than enough. This is also my way of stirring a revolution to change this hatred-driven world which is the revolution of love. Very grand yet possible. I know, I could be a channel of God's love and care. We can.

I'll be packing my things a moment from now then I'll head for Iloilo City. Our departure for Batad will be at 4 o'clock tomorrow. Batad, here I come! And may God bless our trip and activities there. Amen.

P.S. An article related to this titled Destination Batad was posted by yours truly on my other blog, wildnurse.blogspot.com, so kindly check it out. Thanks and God bless! Mwah.