Un-belly-vable!

My waistline finally reaches its horrifying circumference and that is 33 centimeters. Who says 33 cms. is horrifying? Me! That's my limit when it comes to waistline circumference, beyond that is totally unhealthy and unsexy, and nobody should argue with me because I said so and this is my blog! So zipper your mouths dumb minions or off with your heads! (Insane laughter voiceover at this point.)

Before I decide what (desperate) measure I must do to stop this unacceptable future disfigurement, let me assess first the cause(s) of this condition, as any competent nurse will do, so that I will be able to formulate my nursing diagnosis and come up with the most effective interventions.

Assessment: Mind is always preoccupied with food and mouth is constantly, perpetually, and unstoppably munching anything that comes along its way. Carbohydrate-based foods are often consumed. The couch is always the place of comfort and exercise is definitely an alien concept in the vocabulary. Pants are starting to feel tight. Feeling of "unsexiness" often persists lately.

Diagnosis: Risk for possessing a bulging belly related to the deposition of adipose tissue in the strategic place of the abdominal cavity

Back to the main topic which is my starting-to-bulge belly, my problem is that I can no longer find my six-packed abs. As if they really exist. But anyway, even though those abs were just imaginary, I don't want flabs of adipose tissue (scientific term for fats, just to make this ranting of mine a bit technical, lol!) to occupy the space intended for my imaginary abs either. So this means that I have to act right now before it's too late. But that means that I have to undergo a strict diet program, right? And a tiring exercise everyday to burn carbs! That means less fun. Torture!

Then the hell with this bulging belly! If people will be disgusted looking at my protruding belly in the future, then don't look! I don't care. For me, there's nothing like a bar of chocolate melting in my mouth, nothing like the tingling sensation of sweet soda running in my esophagus, and nothing like a cinnamon roll filling my sense of smell while my mouth starts to water. From now on, I'll just embrace the adage that "beauty is skin deep" and just go on with the habit of MUNCHING! Ha ha ha... Adios!

Just Enjoy The Show

May 2010 election is fast approaching and of course our running politicians for the different positions in the government are extremely busy that it made me wonder if they ever have time to blink. Election season in our country is, as ever before, like a fiesta. A raucous combination of colors, music, tag lines, promising speeches, and other gimmicks verging from seriousness to stupidity.

Lets start with colors. Using colors in campaign strategy is a good way of making an imprint to the minds of the people. It's all about association. Yellow, orange, green, blue, and all colors that Crayola could invent are now associated to a certain candidate or political party. Visual learning, such as the use of colors and shapes, are often used by kindergarten teachers in teaching kids effectively. It helps a lot in making a lesson retain in their mind. And this strategy is used by politicians in selling themselves to us since they know that we all act like kindergartens. Just kidding! (Naaah... not really.)

The music or better known as political jingles proliferating currently in the air are either exaggerated, absurd, funny, inspiring, or merely so so. One of these jingles that particularly caught my attention is the listeners if they have ever tried bathing in a sea of garbage? Or spending Christmas in the middle of the street? To answer the first one, I have never ever tried bathing in a sea of garbage and I have no plan to try it in the future either. Think of all the diseases you might get from those murky waters? About the second question, no I haven't tried spending Christmas in the street because you'll just end up with severed limbs (due to hit and run by reckless drivers) or with a hole in the belly (the favorite diversion of robbers, snatchers, addicts, etc.). Besides, with the current economic crisis, Christmas is treated like an ordinary day lately. Seriously, I know what the song is trying to convey. It is trying to ask us whether if we have ever experienced poverty in our existence in this cruel planet because the candidate who owns the jingle did (well, that's what he said). My God, do they still need to ask that? Here in the Philippines, we eat poverty for breakfast, problems for lunch, and misery for supper. And yeah, corrupt public leaders for dessert!

And then here comes the never ending barrage of promises. Promises so sweet to the ears like honey that it's nice to be drowned by them and get intoxicated.... until you developed political diabetes and die with bitterness that you were deceived by their treacherous tongues. Yeah, I may sound cynical but can you blame me for being so?

The forthcoming May 2010 election is very promising and historical. Promising in the sense that a lot of Filipinos, particularly the youth, are involving themselves in the campaign for an honest, peaceful, and conscience-driven election. Historical too because this election will the first time that COMELEC will be using automation for the counting of ballots. I just hope that there will be minimum technical problems with regards to the automation. Whatever will be the result of this election, lets just pray for the success of it. And with regards to the circus our politicians are putting up right now, throwing issues to one another and creating gimmicks here and there, all I could say is that just enjoy the show guys!

Concepcion and Delivery

I went to Concepcion, Iloilo for 4 days just this week for my delivery room assignment in their rural health unit's birthing center and the experience was great. From Iloilo City, I think it took me and my 5 classmates 2 or 3 hours travelling on a bus towards our destination. I love travelling to the northern part of Iloilo province since you would be able to see the coastal area on the right side and the plains and mountains on the left. It felt so liberating just looking outside the bus' window.

The municipality of Concepcion was a rural type of town. Farming and fishing were the main industries of the locals there. What I liked about the place was that the folks were warm and congenial. We were heading to our quarters after our arrival at their bus terminal when two natives I met along the way flashed me with a friendly smile. I think I'll enjoy my stay here, I said to myself.

When we reported to the town's rural health unit, we were introduced to the RHU staff by our clinical instructor, Sir Andrew, and they welcomed us with sincere smiles. Dr. Minguez was the rural health physician and she was a simple yet graceful woman in her early forties if I'm not mistaken. We then took a tour around the RHU building including its birthing facility which was just a small structure constructed at the right side of the main RHU building. There, we stationed the first three of us until evening.

Despite its reputation as a "living university of family planning" in the country because of its successful programs in reproductive health and population control, we still got nine cases of successful deliveries all in all in our 4 days of stay there. Maybe we were just lucky or maybe we just prayed too much because we badly needed the cases in order for us to complete our number of scrubs required for us to be able to graduate and take the board exam. Although giving birth is a messy and painful process, we really enjoyed our duty there. Giving life is a great miracle and assisting a mother in labor and in giving birth is a wonderful experience. My clinical exposure in Concepcion made me feel that I was a part of those miracles. It overshadowed my need to complete my scrubs because of the sense of fulfillment. The fulfillment of being a part of this great circle called LIFE.

E.R.

Emergency Room. My new area of assignment in my nursing clinical exposure for this year. I was supposed to be assigned in the female infectious ward but the assignment was dissolved for the reason that the risks are too high (as the name of the ward suggests). Our college is very concerned with the safety of its students. Ows? How touching! Anyway, I like the E.R. You'll never know what action and drama you'll gonna get. The adrenaline is most often high in the place but there are also times when it is like a silent room in which boredom suddenly lands on the E.R. people's shoulder. One time, during my previous assignments in the said area, I was pretending that I am George Clooney. All cameras were focused on me and I made up that I was in a medical drama series. A top-rating one. But when a bloody patient suddenly greeted us at the entrance and I suddenly froze to where I stood upon seeing it, the George Clooney persona in me instantly evaporated.

This is reality, I said to myself.

2010

Happy New Year!

It's a brand new year. I have no resolutions only realizations. Realizations of how blessed I was last year. I thank God for all the courage and strength he gave last year to face and overcome all of life's trials and tests. I thank him too for the great things I have and that includes my family, friends, my studies, and the new avenues of life I am starting to travel.

2010 is the year of the metallic tiger according to the Chinese calendar. That means I have to be tough this year like a metal in facing life's everyday struggles and brave, fearless and graceful like a tiger in everything I do.

Once again, a prosperous new year and be careful from all those firecrackers! God bless us all.

Happy Fiesta

Happy annual fiesta to all my fellow Maasinanons! Happy Jose Rizal day too! I hope you guys grooved with the beat of the bamboos yesterday 'cause Tultugan was fun. Ciao!

Christmas Thoughts

It's Christmas. I am happy and I don't know why. Maybe because of the festive air, the sight of the left-over foods prepared last night still plenty and looking inviting at the table, the beautiful Christmas decorations surrounding the house and the neighborhood, the cold breeze blowing on my face, or simply because of the thought that people right now are in the mood for generosity. Whatever the reason might be, what matters is I'm happy. At least for now.

I miss my mother and my brothers but I know that they miss me too most especially in this yuletide season. My mom called me last night and greeted me Merry Christmas and somehow I found it enough. They couldn't come to where I am now since they are missionary workers assigned to different places for the Lord, who's birthday we are celebrating today, and it's ok. What is important is that they are happy with what they are doing and that they are blessed everyday by the Creator.

Today is the supposed birthday of Jesus Christ although we know that Bible scholars and historians really don't have the authentic account of the exact date of his birth. Christmas was actually a pagan celebration in origin turned into a Christian event after the sprout of Catholicism in Rome to honor Christ. That was, until now. Because in this digital age, Santa Claus is the new star of Christmas, replacing Jesus Christ. You'll see the big bellied man with immaculate beard and red suit perpetually everywhere during Christmas. From decorations to greeting cards, from shirts to apparels, and from movies and to commercial ads. He is even drinking a bottle of Coke in one advertisement! What is saddening is that little kids are more familiar with Santa rather than Jesus, in fact, they associate Christmas with the former and with the gifts he bring. The icon of everlasting life was replaced by the icon of commercialization in this modern world. A very terrible deception.

I got to go. The foods on the table are beckoning me to come. Ha ha ha...

Happy nativity day Yeshua!

Poetry In Action

I had my completion duty this morning in the delivery room. It is called completion duty because it is a special scheduled duty, that means that it is not included in the regular rotation schedule our clinical coordinator gives us student nurses. Since I don't have any assignment in the delivery room this semester and graduation is fast approaching (and my delivery scrubs, 15 cases are needed, are not yet complete), I have no choice but to have my completion duty. Of course, to have a special schedule in the delivery room, we student nurses must pay. Two thousand pesos per day and we usually divide it into three since three students are needed per delivery cases for the assist, handle, and baby or cord care. Quite expensive but we have no choice because we really want to graduate this March 2010.

Having my duty in the delivery room is always been an adrenaline rush to me and likewise a wonder. Adrenaline rush because from the start of full crowning, that means that the baby's head is already bulging in the cervix, up to the complete expulsion of the baby, every tick of the clock is always an action, from monitoring to assiting the mother, just to ensure the safety of both mother and child. Birthing is also a wonder to me because it makes me ponder how life is created, the process of it is truly a miracle. It makes me appreciate the pain (the episiotomy and sometimes the laceration... ouch!) and sacrifices of mothers, especially of my mom.

One thing I like about the institution where I had my delivery scrubs is the policy of having the baby contact with the mother's skin for at least one hour. The rationale according to my clinical instructor is to establish a loving maternal-child rapport and for the baby to adapt faster to its new environment. Oh the smile of the mothers upon holding their babies close to their bossom. Truly a beautiful sight.

Well we had two delivery cases this morning and I'm happy because at least we went home not being zero. I thank God for giving me the opportunity to witness and participate in birthing cases. For me, birthing is like a poetry that is unique because it combines the beauty of agony, happiness, and ordinary miracle of life. From the wail of a sweating suffering delivering woman to the graceful movement of the baby during the mechanisms of labor up to its very first cry, everything in birthing is indeed a poetry in action.

Labor is not easy, it's painful, messy, and sometimes embarassing knowing that you are exposing your genitalia to the world. That's why I salute all the mothers out there. Hats off.

The Diary Of The Half-Deaf Man

Dear Diary,

2 weeks ago, I was infected with the notorious Staphylococcus pneumoniae which resulted to upper respiratory problems such as sore itchy throat and runny nose. The culprit, not contented with its colonization of my upper respiratory tract, descended further down to my lungs causing havoc to the said organs and produce flu like symptoms such as fever and generalized body malaise and eventually resulted to pneumonia.

At first, I didn't mind these for the reason that I was so busy with so many activities and I thought my immune defense is strong enough to do its job. But that was my fall because the infection ascended to my left ear causing otitis media or inflammation of the middle ear, giving me a feeling of fullness on the left side of my head and the inability to hear fully. Before things get worst, I consulted a physician and I was prescribed with Co-Amoxiclav (a combination of amoxicillin and clavunate acid), a mucolytic, and a decongestant.

Up to now, I still cannot hear fully or clearly and it irritates me. Why?

Because my friends tease me as "Romerei The Deaf".

Because I can't hear what people are whispering behind my back.

Because I can't enjoy listening to new music such as Alicia Key's The Element of Freedom album.

Because when an acquaintance of mine greeted me this morning in the mall with "Advance Merry Christmas Rom", all I could hear was a mumbling sound. I had to let him say it again before I understood what he was trying to say. It was very embarassing.

Because every time I lay at night in bed, I feel like I am swimming sidelying (in my left side of course), because of the pressure ringing in my left ear.

Because its the Yuletide season and I want to hear the carols, the fireworks, and the Christmas noise.

Because I just can't picture myself wearing a hearing aid. That is too "geriatric-ish"!

With this, my only wish this Christmas is for me to be cured and bring my hearing back to its normal level of functioning. And Santa, no hearing aid please.

Sincerely yours,
ROMEREI

Kapres vs Shrek, Bampiras vs Edward, Taong Lobos vs Jacob

The world is indeed changing in every tick of the clock. Change is the only thing constant in this world, they say. With this inevitable fact, it is saddening to realize that while the rest of the world, particularly the well-developed nations, are moving forward toward progress, we on the other hand are left behind with our obsolete technolgies and way of life.

Even in the paranormal world, change is also becoming more evident. And what is depressing is that only the mystic creatures, most of them are the antagonistic ones, of the first world countries are having the change of heart (and image too!). Let me enumerate them one by one and compare them with our own local paranormal creatures who are until now still haven't updated themselves with the latest trends:

1. While our kapres here are still smoking dried banana leaves (sometimes dried marijuana too but the number of plantations in our country just wont suffice their demands), still sport that long unshampooed hair and mustache and beard filled with lice, wear that caveman-cut piece of cloth (that is, if you can call it a cloth because it looks like a quilt of old rugs), and eat small children who happened to wander in their balete abode, the ogres of Europe on the other hand are becoming more refined and more hygienic in their ways. This started with the revolution led by the chivalric Shrek. Now European ogres are not only pleasant-looking but are also music lovers as they love to groove with Bahamen's Who Let The Dogs Out, Madonna's Like A Virgin, and emote to Stevie Wonder and the rest of the gang's That's What Friends Are For.

2. Blood sucking is no longer the sole business of the vampires of the Old and New World. They have recently diverted their attentions to literature by writing books, such as in the case of Lestat and Louise, fashion by wearing expensive designer's clothes, such as in the case of Daniel and Armand, and slaying other vampire menace (a noble humanitarian act) such as in the case of Blade. Aside from that, they have also mellowed, became more romantic, and invested much for their looks like what the metrosexual vampire Edward Cullen did. Now, most male vampires are like candies to the eyes of teenage girls who have no idea that their menstruation could be the fall of these handsome and irresistible creatures of the night. Meanwhile, our very own bampiras are still sleeping on old, rusty and mold-smelling coffins. They have no idea that they could live on classy and hi-tech condo units and act like members of the elite society. They're still confined in their dilapidated mansions which are now subject to demolition by the government. Their cousins, the mananaggals, still suffer the shame of flying with severed torsos and hanging insides. They still haven't find out how to fly "wholly" and therefore, save their dignity. Poor them.

3. Our taong lobos are currently suffering from rabies and scabbies outbreak. They were indignant upon hearing the masa saying that they now look like the common askals in the street which are known to eat shit (ews!). But jealousy sparked within the pack lately upon the release of the new Twilight Saga movie titled New Moon. The taong lobos, after watching the said blockbuster movie, were so envious upon seeing the well-sculpted body of the werewolf Jacob! They never knew that lycantrophy could be so sexy. The good thing is, most of the taong lobos are now in the gym doing crunches, cardio, and other forms of exercises that will help develop their biceps, triceps, chest, and of course, the six-packed abs! Thanks to Jacob!

4. The Philippine Association of Mangkukulams and Mangbabarangs (PAMM) are currently holding a convention at Mt. Pinatubo with the theme: Time For A Cool Change. The theme was inspired from the song Cool Change by the Little River Band which is a way for the said organization to address the challenge of recreating their image into something stylish, slick, and more wholesome to the masa. According to them, while they are living their hermitical life in ramshackle bahay kubo in remote areas, concocting horrible-smelling herbs and roots, using goo goo dolls made of rugs and rusty needles, and wearing tattered cheap clothes and sporting unwashed, fly away, and split-end filled hair, their counterparts in the US and most countries in Europe are enjoying the fame and popularity of being pretty college girls, fashionistas, and sex objects to bachelors. Examples are Prue, Piper, Phoebe, and Paige or the Charmed Ones, Willow of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and of course Sabrina the teenage witch. PAMM's current convention have Heidi Klum, Tyra Banks, and Vera Wang as one of the speakers in their line up. More power to the bruhas!

Despite of our local supernatural creatures' being jologs and outdated, some of them are trying their best to keep with the pace. Thanks to Imang, the kampanerang kuba, she made our supernatural kababayans proud. It's not only that Igor had changed his image, sounded like John Cusack, and released an animated film, Imang also took the challenge by starring on a telenovela in a primetime slot and transforming to Anne Curtis-like visage and body. Whew! Pinoys never really know the word "surrender" because we always strive to reach for our goals and be recognized. Now that Charice Pempengco and Arnel Pineda are making noise in the international scene, the kapres, bampiras, manananggals, taong lobos, and mangkukulams are aiming to make it global. Good luck guys!

Inventing A Hero, Heralding A Hero

Today is Bonifacio Day, the day marked red in our calendars to honor Andres Bonifacio, the Great Plebeian according to our local historians. The day students from elementary to college also celebrate since they will have more time to watch tv or go malling. But what do we really know about Bonifacio? Well, our teachers in elementary, particulary in the subject Sibika at Kultura, taught us over and over again the following things about the man:

He was born in Tondo, Manila.
He came from a poor family.
His father and mother died while he was still 14, forcing him to stop schooling and became the breadwinner for his younger brothers and sisters.
He made canes and paper fans, which he sold in the streets, for living.
Because of low income, he supplemented his studies through reading a lot and self-study.
He read Rizal's novels, Victor Hugo's Les Miserable, and the lives of the presidents.
He married Gregoria de Jesus.
He founded the Katipunan and presided the Tejeros Convention.
He was executed by Aguinaldo's men at Cavite.

These are the facts about Andres Bonifacio that long time ago, when I was still wearing my porontong and watching Voltes V and AstroBoy, I memorized by heart. But what if the things we know about Bonifacio were all bogus and were just fabricated by our early historians? What if the qualities and facts attributed to Bonifacio were all just invented?

American professor of history Glenn Anthony May wrote in his book titled Inventing A Hero: The Posthumous Re-creation of Andres Bonifacio that our historians have committed the crime of misleading the younger generation of Filipinos by reconstructing and cleaning Andres Bonifacio's image, making him an ideal hero which would eventually promote nationalism among Filipinos. He supported his claim by challenging the authenticity of Artigas and de los Santos' accounts about the Supremo's life in which the latter two indeed failed to prove their accounts as genuine since they haven't cited even a single source for their information.

If this is true, then who really was the man in whose statues we erected in our plazas? Sounds like very Da Vinci Code-ish, isn't it? This is the challenge for our present day historians: refute what May claimed Bonifacio was!

-oOo-

Speaking of heroes, our very own Efren Penaflorida was awarded by CNN as Hero of the Year for his dedication and passion to educate our unfortunate fellowmen through his mobile classroom which he called as "Kariton Klassroom". Efren is one of the unsung heroes which was recently noticed by international institutions such as CNN because of his selfless humanitrian act. His deeds are inspirations for other Filipinos, including yours truly. But sad to say, a lot of personalities as of the moment, most of them politicians, are now riding the band wagon of Penaflorida's success and popularity. Of course, the government will not be absent from the scene. Instantly, upon Penaflorida's arrival, they honored him the Order of Lakandula Award. If they have honored Penaflorida prior from heralding him as Hero of the Year by CNN, people won't give any color of malice to it. But now, I think it's too late. Philippine politics --- very lousy.

Senseless Killings

The Maguindanao massacre was a wanton act of violence done by men without a residue of conscience left to themselves. As innocent people's dead bodies were recovered, everyday increasing in number, it makes me ponder why people would kill mercilessly just for the sake of power. The political system of this country has already succumb to the quagmire of corruption, deception, and violence; I just hope that our justice system is not, that its integrity is still intact and that it is still an institution where justice, especially for those lives waisted in this heinous incidence, is served.

I condemned the violence that took place in Maguindanao. I hope that the government will make sure that justice will prevail. As for us concerned citizens of this country, we will never close our eys nor shut our mouths regarding this issue.

-oOo-

May the souls of those who passed away in this massacre rest in peace and may justice prevail.

"Iiiiiii....... Cheeeee...... Creeeyam..... Fooor.... Saaaa.... Leeee...."

Today marks the first day of our formal in-house review for the Nursing Licensure Exam. This is one of our school's programs in trying to enhance our examination performance in the much dreaded board exam. Although at first I have qualms about it, beacuse I think the school must focus first on improving its instructional method of the curriculum in the classrooms, I was eventually convinced that it is necessary at the end because there were some topics discussed during the first session of the review that were not taken in our regular classroom lectures (or maybe they were discussed in our classroom lectures but I wasn't just listening because my teachers were kinda boring... har har har).

Our first lecturer, his name was Mark, tackled about Community Health Nursing. He opened his lecture by introducing to us a secret "Latin chant" which according to him will help the chanter fulfill his heart's desire, in our case, to pass the board exam. And so we chanted together while holding each other's hands. The cryptic Latin phrase that our lecturer taught us sounds like this: "Iiiiii...... Cheeee..... Creeeyaaam.... Foooor..... Saaaa..... Leeeee....."

As I close my eyes, chanting the words, I was thinking what the phrase meant. When I looked at my right, I could even see mommy Liezl, one of my classmates that is close to me, teary-eyed! Everybody in the cinema (our venue was in SM City Digital Cinema 1) felt the surging of an unknown eerie force. Goosebumps crept all over our body. Suddenly, we felt that we became the center of the universe in the metaphysical world!

"Iiiii..... Cheeee..... Creeeeyam..... Foooooor..... Saaaa.... Leeeee....." On and on we chanted and hummed. Then it entered my mind. For Sa Le? Sounds like FOR SALE? I listened more attentively. Creeeyam? Hmmm.... Am I hearing the word CREAM here?

And then, all of a sudden, I was disconnected to the LIGHT because finally I realized that after all this time, all I was chanting was nothing but the phrase : ICE CREAM FOR SALE!

I was deceived! And we couldn't help but laugh to the max of our stupidity!

When we were all settled down, the lecture began. I was thinking it would be a boring lecture since Community Health Nursing (CHN) is a boring subject to most student nurses, but I was wrong. It turned out that our lecturer knew how to keep the lecture alive by throwing out jokes and likewise by "casting a curse" that if we won't listen and participate with him, we won't be able to pass the 2010 board exam until 2020, which we took seriously inspite of knowing that it was just a pure joke. "Lahat talaga ay gagawin n'yo ano para lang makapasa sa board exam kahit na patuwadin pa kayo?!" Exactly!

Our lecturer insisted that if he will say an important word or concept, we should repeat it loudly at the top of our lungs. At first, I was annoyed by it because I felt like I returned back to my elementary years but at the latter part of the lecture, I found out that listening to lectures or instructions and repeating the concepts over and over again helped me retain it without even exerting much effort. Another thing, Sir Mark, also used pnemonics to simplify and breakdown novel-like concepts of nursing and it work. By using pnemonics, memorization and even understanding complex ideas and knowledge in nursing were made easy. "That's why nursing is also an art because we find ways to make it easy and fun through innovations," remarked Sir Mark.

I also noticed while the review was going on that our lecturer was fond of letting us recite over and over again, from time to time, the line: "I can do it, I can make it, I will pass the board exam! And be the number one!" The line at the end had finally became a mantra in the whole cinema that I could even mumble it during my sleep. We were like little children in a pre-school class. We were like fools. But I know it was not foolishness. I can understand the principles behind it. It was the principle of the power of the spoken words, the principle of affirmation, the principle of centering, and the principle of attraction. The Bible taught us about it, ancient philosophers and great men relayed it to us, and even present philosophical scholars like Paulo Coehlo and Rhonda Byrne talked about it. So I bought it. I joined the chorus everytime Sir Mark let us say it aloud.

At the end of the lecture, we sat there for almost 8 hours and we didn't even noticed time passed us by so quickly, our brains were refreshed and discovered new techniques in studying. Our hearts too were filled with laughter with all the intellectual and nasty jokes our lecturer shared, and our spirits were strengthened with the conviction that we will be able to face the challenges of taking the board exam in the future with boldness and confidence. I just hope that this good experience we had will be sustained until the end of our in-house review. And I know that God will always be there for us.

P.S. Whenever we say something stupid and funny, our lecturer called us DUGYOT. At first I was thinking what dugyot mean and so I searched for it on the net. I found out that it was a Pinoy slang for poor hygiene practice. Ha ha ha! Si Sir MArk talaga, dugyot! Toinks!

Just A Thought

We often times ask ourselves, conciously and unconciously, of the purpose of our existence in this planet. And because we don't have the answers to this philosophical question directly, we usually resort to finding ourselves on avenues less traveled. Often times too, we get frustrated because we only get more lost in these winding roads. Confusing us more and leaving us bitter with life.

Lately, I have learned that we don't really find ourselves somewhere -- we create it! God has given us the power to design our beings both outwardly and inwardly, and he has given us the ability to define ourselves by granting us the freedom to choose the things that will define our very existence. Therefore, we are not bound by fate, we shape it. With this, it also follows that happiness depends on our own choosing. Misery only comes when one becomes tired of striving to be happy. I want to be happy, contented, and peaceful, and with perseverance, faith and hope, I know that sooner I will be.

Amen.

The Fury Of Mother Nature

The destruction caused by Typhoon Ondoy in the Philippines, particularly in the National Capital Region and most parts of Luzon, displayed the unrelenting fury of mother nature. The catastrophe was akin to what happened during the Ormoc flash flood that claimed thousands of lives. It was very devastating and horrifying that even those who survived the sudden rise of rain water are until still trying to pacify their hearts and minds up to now with regards to the trauma they experienced.

One of the most interesting facts about Typhoon Ondoy is that it poured down heavy rain for about nine hours which according to PAG-ASA was equivalent to the amount of rainfall received by a certain area for one month! For example in Quezon City, it poured down about 455 mm of rain in 24 hours, breaking the record of Hurricane Katrina which only brought 250 mm of rain in New Orleans.

As I watched the news on the tv, the scene of people carried away by the flood, of homeless families settling on gyms, schools, and other public facilities without sleeping mats, blankets, and food to eat, of individuals grieving for their lost properties and love ones, and of the destruction that costs millions, it really breaks my heart that all of these things happened. Don't we have handful of problems already to deserve this kind of tragedy? This is the question addressed to God that I guess is ranting in our minds right now.



Sometimes, when the tragedy is massive and the pain brought by that tragedy is too much for us to bear, it is easy for us to raise our heads and ask God WHY? We are so consumed with our miseries that we failed to acknowledge our contributions to the realization of these tragedies that come into our lives. Most of the time, we create our own disasters and Typhoon Ondoy is one of these. Typhoon Ondoy is the classic example of the catastrophies that will inflict destruction to mankind brought about by climate change. We are just reaping the deeds we sow, the harmfull things we do to mother earth. The small negligence we did, like throwing of candy wrappers and cigarette buts everywhere, and the massive things we performed, like illegal logging and convertion of virgin forest into agricultural and industrial lands, have finally brought us this. No one to blame but us, citizens of this abused planet.



Reactive: Let us help our fellow brothers and sisters in Luzon. Let us donate and contribute whatever we can. Whether in cash or in goods, all these things will at least help alleviate their sufferings right now. Let us help rebuild not just their homes but likewise their spirits, their lives. Through thick and thin, I know we Filipinos will be able to survive this disaster because it is always been our nature to help and hold on to one another in times of crisis. God is always there for us.



Proactive: One of the lessons that this experience taught us is the law of cause and effect. We have abused mother nature because of our ambition for industrialization, now the consequences of our actions have brought us harm. With the same mantra our environmentalists rant, I will say it again: Let us plant more trees, recycle, maintain cleanliness, use technologies that are ecofriendly, conserve energy, and advocate in saving and preserving nature. Let us not wait for another catastrophe such us Typhoon Ondoy to wake us up. Now is the time to act. Remember that an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.

O.R.

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to my first exposure in the operating room! Brace yourselves as you are about to witness the bloopers of a first-timer OR student nurse!

8:30 PM, The day before my exposure. I couldn't eat. I felt nervous. My palms were sweating with the thought of seeing the insides of a human being the next day. Gross.

9:41 PM. I watched some procedures in YouTube -- ExLap, Bone Traction, Apendectomy, etc. and one thing's for sure, they are all messy and gory.

12:01 AM, The fated day. My eyes were closed but my mind wouldn't left me to peace. I couldn't sleep. I had fears. What if I wouldn't be able to identify the right surgical instruments the surgeon will be asking for? What if I would mistakenly handle to him the Kelly instead of the Mayo? I heard rumors about mean doctors throwing the wrong instruments to the nurse who handed those things to them. Ouch!

2:00 AM. I was banging my head on the pillow. "Sleep, why has deserted me?"

3:00 AM. My consciousness finally drifted to oblivion. ZZZZZZZZZZ...

3:38.65 AM. I dreamed of eating a human brain topped with pineapple slices, mayonnaise and ketchup. In the dream, I was Hannibal Lecter's long lost son. Growl!!!

4:30 AM. The built-in circadian clock in my brain alarmed. Can I change the alarm tone the next time around? Huh!

4:42 AM. I took a bath but the nervousness was not washed away. It grew!

5:10 AM. Breakfast. I ate rice, hotdogs, and fried eggs. I also had a cup of coffee. No human brain, intestines, or liver in sight. Thank goodness.

6:oo AM. I was waiting for the jeepney. Two malnourished dogs were copulating at my side. A hillarious diversion!

7:05 AM. I arrived at Western Visayas Medical Center. My heart was pounding too loudly that I never heard the greetings of my colleagues. The drum in my chest sounded like the beat of war dance.

8:00 AM. The torture of waiting. Our clinical instuctor was alrady one hour late.

8:15 AM. Our clinical instructor arrived. There's someting about his smile, it kinda looked sinister.

8:17 AM. We entered the operating room. Welcome to the chamber of gore and messiness.

8:30 AM. "Mr. Macarse, you scrub now." That was my first cue. My God, I almost forgot the proper way of scrubbing. "Wait, is this the right glove or the left?" My neurons are disintegrating! My brain was trying to retrieve all of the principles of asepsis. System overload...

8:45 AM. Major operation. Exploratory Laparotomy. I was the instrument nurse.

Surgeon: "First knife..... second knife....." (Shit, my hands were shaking!)

Surgeon: "Kelly forceps...." Me: "Come again doc?" Clinical Instructor: "Hand it correctly mister or I will spank your hand!" (Pak! And he did.)

Slash... slash.... swish.... swish.... So that was how our insides looked like. Hmmm... Thank goodness I didn't faint but nobody knows that my legs were shaking underneath! Ha ha ha...

Me (Thinking): So this is how surgery looks like, exposing your insides to a bunch of people you don't actually know..... Letting a person who calls himself as the surgeon excavate your cavities while he hums to the tune of Lady Gaga's Poker Face..... And I don't even know why he hums that tune when the music playing on the background is The Verve's Freshmen.

10:15 A.M. Surgeon: "Lets close this and lets go grab some coffee and buns."

Me: "Hallelujah!" I was exhausted that after I took off my gloves, gown, and other protective apparels, I absent-mindedly took a seat at a nearby stretcher.

Clinical Instructor: "What are you doing mister? Get off your butt and scrub! You will going to assist in OR 4!"

Me: "Right away sir!"

Clinical Instructor: "And please, stop shaking like a vibrator!"

Me (Thinking): Grrrrrrrrrrr.....

The Saint Of Democracy

At 3:18 am, August 01, 2009, at the age of 76, the 11th President of the Republic of The Philippines, Corazon Cojuangco Aquino, died due to respiratory arrest complication brought about by colon cancer.

I was six years old when I often heard the name "Cory" from the lips of the adults particularly my parents. All I know back then was that she was famous since her favorite color which was yellow became the color of my upper school uniform in my kindergarten school. But aside from that, my young mind could no longer digest what the lady named "Cory" has done for our country.

I was in my elementary years when I got a full grasp of Cory's role, mission, and ordeals in restoring our debilitated country back to its former healthy shape. It was during these years that a lot of coup attempts surfaced and since my father was a military man, these issues were often brought up especially during meal time, though my father did not participated on such coup attempts. It was pity that I felt for Cory during those times of tribulations since how could a meek and soft-spoken woman retort to uniformed men with guns and tanks?

Corazon Aquino may not be the great president during her rule for the country's economy was still on the quagmire of impoverishment and the instability of the country's political system often created an air of insurgency. But in my humble opinion, who would be the right person to take the position of presidency during those dark times? I think the late former president Aquino was the one most fit since her integrity was untainted, her faith was firm, her honesty was unquestionable, and her love for the people and country was radiating. She served as the light of the country in its moment of gloom.

Cory, until her final moment, taught us that we don't have to resort to harshness and violence just to win the ideals we are fighting for. She taught us that the best way to win a battle is through humility, faith, and sincere love for others.

I am lucky I was able to live during Cory's time. At least I could share something to the future generations some tidbits about this heroine. If ever someone will ask me when I grow old what can I say about Corazon Aquino, I would say "She was the only woman, aside from my mother of course, that really exemplified the phrase GRACE UNDER PRESSURE."

I would like to pay tribute to the late Corazon Aquino, who fought for the freedom of this country, who lived her life for the Filipino people, and for unifying us all. She is indeed the saint of democracy.

This Is Not Your Television Drama Show

When will the drama ends? Whose heart shall be crushed to pieces? Will friendship stays the same? Or will it become a memory of the past?... Love... Lies... Desertion... Pain...

Childhood and MJ

I haven't read a children's book for a long time since the Harry Potter series until now. I have just finished reading The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke and well, the book was good. A kind of book that will help you pass through the night and drowse you to sleep and be a child again in your dreams, wandering in strange places you're not familiar with. Actually, I didn't have the intention to read the book, because aside from the fact that I have no time lately for leisure reading, the book reminds me of a painful memory. It was given to me as a gift by my ex. But that was already a long time ago, I guess it's time for me to move on so there it was, I flipped the pages and I read from cover to cover. I was surprised because I didn't feel anything at all upon perusing the book every night. Maybe I have moved on indeed. And I am happy.

The book by the way tackles about childhood. As a child, how we have often wished to grow and become adults faster. Why? Because we wanted to do things our own way without grown ups having a scrutinizing eye on us, telling us what and what not to do. We wanted to be independent, to have an autonomy in every aspect of our lives. We wanted to be the masters of our own decisions, of whatever path we choose to travel. But it is also very ironic that as adults, how we sometimes wish that we could go back to being a child and remain as one, just to escape all the hardships and perils we face everyday. We wanted to be free-spirited, carefree, naive, and innocent again. Free from all the worries that makes this world seem chaotic, harsh, and cold. Scipio and the Conte are the two charcters in the story that represents these contrasts: the struggle to gain independence and autonomy, and the longing of the innocence lost.

I think what Ms. Funke is trying to say in this story is that childhood is like a precious vessel that once broken, it could never be put back again into its original form. It's beauty is destroyed forever. So enjoy it while innocence still holds back the pieces of childhood together. For regrets is a bitter thing of the future.

-oOo-

I would like to pay tribute to Michael Jackson, the king of pop, the man who changed the face of pop music in the whole world, and the man who never enjoyed his childhood. May he rest in peace. His music and legacy will live forever. Amen.

A Letter From A Mama's Boy (In This Special Day for Mothers)

Dear Nay,

Words cannot express how deeply I am thankful for having you as my mother. You've been, since the beginning of my existence, the stirring force of my evolution. I am what I am now, a strong and good person, because of you.

Nay, thank you for being the firm pillar to support me in times of my weaknesses, failures, and frustrations. Thank you for believing in me when others started to loose their faith. You said that you will always be my number one fan and every time I think of that, it never fails to make me smile.

Thank you too nay for all of your sacrifices, for the tears and sweats you have shed for us. For me, they were like pearls suspended and glittering in the dark sky. You shall always be my inspiration, my strength, and my endless river of hope. Thank you for the love and for trying to bring me closer to the Creator who gave you to me. You are my superwoman nay!

I know I have said these phrases to you a millions times, but still my heart won't get tired to say these to you over and over again that "I LOVE YOU" and that "YOU SHALL ALWAYS BE IN MY MEMORY FOR AS LONG AS I LIVE".

Happy Mothers Day Nanay Carmen! God bless you always.

Jim