| Goodbyes... and... Hellos... | 5/12/2009 09:48:00 PM |
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These past few moths marked significant events in the life of my two high school barkada (bosom buddies)...
In March, C.P.'s mother passed away... She had started getting sick in August. She came for a CT scan in November. Coincidentally, I was the resident-on-duty.
The moment I saw the first images on screen, I knew it was terminal cancer
A few confusing months passed when she was diagnosed with something immunological/inflammatory rather than her final diagnosis cancer. She was in and out of the hospital.
As I was about to go on retreat, C.P. texted to say that she had died in Manila. I couldn't go to say my proper farewells though.
A week or so later, C.P. came by the hospital on her Mom's 9th day and showed me a miniature urn with her ashes as well as images of her wake on my friend's camera phone. It was then that I was struck with the reality that I will never see Tita A.P. in this life again.
Then, early this month, R.S. (well, I should now refer to her as R.S.-C.) got married. I was only able to go to her church wedding, real reasons only known to her and me. She had been jittery for a few months before the wedding, so I decided to have lunch with her and give her the encouragement not to be afraid to take the next step.
I think the short lunch worked as she raved about the fact that her fiance would adore my ideas about life and marriage.
A few days before the wedding, she texted to ask if I can do the reading at their nuptial mass. I agreed.
Then I realized that I did not have anything to wear (I was planning to not follow the color scheme as I was just attending, now I was going to read at the mass)!
Thus, I found myself using lunch break while on holiday duty to purchase my yellow dress and fancy shoes (with the help of a friend!) and dinner break to wash and dry my outfit.
It turned out well and I even got compliments for the dress.
I was misty-eyed at the wedding of this long-time friend (we started our friendship in 2nd grade), but I thankfully did not cry openly (hehehe... that would have ruined my make-up!). I am so happy to welcome my new friend-in-law, S.C.!
I guess this illustrates life as we know it... We say our hellos as well as our goodbyes... Yet the best way to do things is to live our now in the way that we should.
| Rural Service Project- Last Summer's Memories | 4/15/2008 05:08:00 AM |
I'm re-posting here my blog originally titled "Doctor In the Kitchen" for TBR 5 since it's exactly what I was up to last summer!
I wasn't officially part of the recent Rural Service Project in Sitio Ibo, Brgy. Pondol, Balamban , Cebu until the penultimate minute.... When I was asked to make room in my schedule to be part of the Rurals, my first reaction was "Ok......" When I was asked to take care of the kitchen, my reaction was "Hey wait a minute!..." Then I was also asked to take charge of the finances so I said "This is the job I really hate!!!!" Yet, I still went to the rurals....Now what was I thinking? My first rural service project was in the summer of '98 in Kibawe, Bukidnon. I enjoyed the experienced immensely, never mind the inconveniences. It's not only work but there was also a lot of "laag" galore! Friendships were formed too! Since then, I have been helping out in the rurals as my schedule would permit. April 2007 in Balamban also marked my first as a licensed physician....and my first as being totally in-charge of the kitchen...Incidentally, this also happened to have the most number of shall we say...."incidences"... The van got bumped into, the faucet had to be replaced, allergy attacks, toad invasion of the sleeping quarters, visits from the "tuko"(gecko) ..... ....And here's generalized view of my kitchen woes: perennially changed schedules, stored smelly garbage, dogs on the prowl, lack of time management, spoiled meat, leaking water dispenser, no refrigerator!, late food deliveries, "delivery multicab" a no show, "delivery tricycle" going around in circles, surpluses and unexpected expenditures, undercooked rice, overpriced fruits..... ...But nothing, absolutely nothing can top the fire from the leaking rubber hose connecting the gas tank to the stove.... and getting 1st degree flash burns while I was supervising 3 high schoolers! Will I ever volunteer to take part of the rurals again? Of course! My catering service is BOOMING!!!! These are my realizations:
Guardian angels exist! The damage to property and person from the fire could have been worse... We would have made headlines burning down the whole school!
My profession is still much needed in so many out of the way places.
The work of the home is something imbued with dignity...and inspite of all the difficulties that came my way during this rural service project, I have fallen in love with this work.... and perhaps in the not so far off future, i can dedicate my time and effort to it.
"Omnia in bonum" -> "All for the good", as St. Josemaria would say. This eventful 6 days of work and fun, difficulties and successes surely proves this point!
| Cherrylyn Revisited | 11/06/2007 11:42:00 AM |
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Here are some more pics of Cherrylyn, that little girl born blind from Sitio Ibo with the volunteers.
| RSP Oct'07 | 11/01/2007 04:30:00 AM |
I just came back from the year's second Rural Service Project to Sition Ibo, Barangay Pondol, Balamban, Cebu, (October 26-31) organized by Banilad Study Center. It was a whole lot of work and a whole lot of fun, too!
I was again assigned to oversee the administration (read: kitchen and house upkeep!), as expected. I got lots of help though from the other people assigned there as well. We had it easy this time thanks to the lovely resthouse we were staying in, with all the equipment we needed to run things smoothly.
Despite the rain (and getting wet, of course!), we were able to finish the septic tank for Sitio Ibo's public toilet, play games, read stories and teach the kids catechism (even had a party the last day!), hold livelihood classes for the mothers, have a one-day-only medical and dental clinic, go on an excursion to Binghay Marine Park, and explore the nearby river and go spelunking (just to the mouth of a nearby cave--people dindn't have flashlights!), and relax with our nightly get-togethers. We would also pray the rosary every afternoon at the chapel (kapilya) we had helped to construct last April. It became sort of our headquarters and where most of the activities were held as well due to the rains.
This will probably be the last rural service project for me, at least for the next four years, so I cherished the whole time I was there to work and relax. I think I have stored enough great memories though to last me the rest of my life!
| Rural Service Project Oct 2005 | 8/05/2007 05:52:00 PM |
A short account of the Rural Service Project I joined back in 2005.
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Set in Barangay Tingo on Olanggo Island, 11 souls braved the constant threat of possible bird flu contamination considering the start of bird migration season. As expected, and to our dismay, the bird sanctuary was off limits to us for any excursion purposes.
And so we set out doing home visits, teaching catechism to primary grades and intermediate grades, giving a leadership seminar at the local high school, cleaning up the chapel and keeping house (doing all the chores!) in a place called home for one week which had only one bathroom. And all that with time to spare for prayers and get-togethers!
I left them yesterday in their beach excursion and pondered the coming events of today: the medical-dental mission and the health and nutrition seminars.
The memories of those memorable days spent with unforgettable people: Mirzi, Bea, Grace V., Angelie, Lucille, EJ, Celeste, Bulai, Ivi, and Narsheen will forever be etched in my mind. And now I look forward to my next Rural Service Project, whenever it may be.
| Staying Single | 8/05/2007 05:41:00 PM |
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Here's another transferred entry from my old blog, dated September 8, 2005.
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I guess people can't seem to understand my decision to live my life in accordance to the way I know God wants me to. I still find it funny how some of my female classmates in med school who have never been in a relationship before would start lamenting about their biological clock running off. I shall never have that problem because I'm happy with the way my life is running. My silver birthday went well, yesterday, thank you very much. I was surrounded with family and friends, I had my tuna carbonara, a butter-butter birthday cake, ice cream, beehive cupcakes, a homemade card and a rose from friends I had recently met. I felt loved. Yes, you can feel love without having to have a guy around you or going out on a date. People sometimes forget that fact. I thank God for coming into my life in a special way a little over four years ago and making me feel his Love.
| As a Patient... | 8/05/2007 05:35:00 PM |
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Below is an old post from the first blog I kept through the Freindster social networking site. I decided to move it here (and another old post) since I plan to delete that blog in its entirety already. This is dated September 14, 2005, a week after my 25th birthday, and a few days afteer being confined at a private hospital for a day, diagnosed with the sometimes life-threatening dengue fever.
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This makes a good blog: my short hospital confinement. I’ll be back to my “work” 7:30am tomorrow, Philippine time, but there are some things I’ll keep with me from that stay. I’ll share 7 of them with you:
1) I realize that being cared for, you can help those who care for you become generous with their time.
2) You have to learn to be hurt in order to be helped.
3) Being sick, I felt the assurance that I will always be cared for, for the rest of my life, no matter what happens to me in the future.
4) Your visitors will serve to amuse you, so take care that you be pleasant with them.
5) Cheerfulness while being sick is possible: Just look at those bright flowers and the even brighter smiles of those caring for you.
6) Your illness serves to help you in one way or another. It’s up to you to find out how.
7) In such a confined space, you can let your heart expand by praying for those around you or not exactly around you. You have all the time in the world to do so.
| 7 Came for Homecoming '07 from STC-HS '97 | 7/30/2007 05:33:00 AM |
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The title of this blog sums it all up!
Yes, folks, out of the 200+ members of the 4 sections of St. Theresa's College-High School Class of 1997, for the Aluminum Homecoming, only 7 gals were die-hard enough to turn up... And I'm proud to be one of them, and the only representative of Section B (Well, at least all four sections had at least one representative)...
So, what were we up to? We decided not to attend the Eucharistic Celebration as it was already late when all of us were together. We had photo sessions 
Afterwards, since 4 of us didn't pay for the dinner, we went to Mango Square for more chika, snacks for some and dinner for the rest. We then headed back to STC, first for more pics (with St. Theresa's statue at the oval near Mango gate, then in front of the Suarez display->yes the pins, medals, nameplates, metal works).
We then saw the program participated in by all the batches... except for us! Yup, sort of embarassing but we did get ideas already for what we can come up with in 5 years time. Two of us left before the program ended. After the program, we finally got hold of the official photographer (He happened to be the same person who took our class photos, ever since.... Prep!!!!) for our official photo and also had a photo op with our former Math teacher.
We then bade goodbye to those who already had dinner at Mango Square which left three of us to enjoy the Cafe Laguna catered dinner
I guess the rest of my class missed a lot! We're hoping that come 2012, for our 15 year reunion, we could at least number around 1 section (50+), or better yet almost 200! But even if we number only 12 in 2012, I'm sure that it would still be a blast just like July 28, 2007 when only 7 turned up from STC-HS '97 for Homecoming '07!
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