flash back to 9 years prior...

just came home from our Alta Girls' Day Out with Ms. Tingle Bell, HTGOF, and Ms. Earth at the most Alta place in Metro Manila...where else buth Ayala Alabang...for this well known bazaar. the place was full of things to buy....things you need like food, clothes, things you don't need like clocks that project time, sosyal stirrers of kape, solar chargers, stuff you want to eat if you want to increase your BMI to 30, mga  ka-ek-ekan...gaya ng portable electric fans, accessories that make you look like royalty, custom made shoes, boxing glove massagers, basta things that encourage you to buy...buy...BUY!

so the  4 of us trotted off early in the morning to have a look at the merchandise and make ikot ikot...where they all bought stuff while I just looked around. haaaaaaay. the best way to not buy anything is to have nothing! AHAHAHAHA. i think i spent more money for food than the thing I bought...which was something for the hair na pwedeng idikit sa dog...na kinon-vince pa ako ng bongga ni HTGOF to buy kasi ang dami na niyang nabili at ako ay wala pa. AHAHAHAHAHA.

anyway, during the course of this shopping experience, I realized that even the rich are not immune to bargains. AHAHAHA. even if the bargains are not really bargains. like dun sa isang stall may buy one take one na P500 something...turns out sa ibang stalls, P250 pala talaga ang price niya. wahahahaha. and another thing I realized was that siguro naghihirap na talaga sa mundo na feeling ko nasa Divisoria ako sa dami ng tao sa isang sosyal na lugar.  buth then again, I realized I was indeed in Alta land 'cause everyone was speaking in US-accented English! IKR! AHAHAHAHA.

hay. Christmas is really just around the corner. and this year,as I am now part of the workforce....I am therefore tasked to buy all the gifts for my family...in behalf of  my mom and dad....and I feel a sense of impending doom. *echo* doom.doom.doooooom. and in the absence of kaperahan.... I just don't know how I'll manage with this impending...kagastusan...kagastusan...KAGASTUSAN (in pure caps lock for more!)

 my thoughts are once again lost as my computer automatically shut off...so, I'll let HTGOF tell you all about our funny adventures in Alta-land with her Louis Vuitton wallet and Queen Elizabeth necklace...buth before I end this blog, let me tell you about our cameo appearance...in a wedding video! AHAHAHAHAHA.

as we were passing by the sosyal church para bumalik sa car ni Ms. Tingle Bell narinig namin ang sound of  Pachelbel's Canon in D playing in the background...and HTGOF and I like the stalkers that we were, peered into the semi open door of the church to make silip some wedding going on amidst the biggest bazaar in the South. and for more...pag ikot namin sa may entrance ng church, ANO! the bride was there outside. Ohemgeeeee. At nagsimula na kami mag Ahihihihihihihi ni HTGOF while Ms. Tingle Bell and Ms. Earth were so mortified they left us alone to gape and gawk and wonder how this bride to be feels at that moment. yung tipong nasa labas ka na ng simbahan, naka-amba ng iladlad sa yo ang veil and for more....bubukas na ang pinto!!!!! ooooooooooooooh. sigh. sigh.siiiiiiiiiigh. after which narealize namin ni HTGOF na masyado na kaming nagstastare kaya inantay lang namin magsimula maglakad si Bazaar Bride Barbie at nagsimula muling mag Ahihihihihi sa likod niya sabay excuse me sa mga videographer. AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.and for more! may some ulan na nagaganap habang nangyayari lahat ito! AHAHAHAHA.

nakakaloka. life's funny moments. hope this week is filled with these for MORE....happiness!

happy forgetful hour

Everyday since I started working I always almost forget something important to bring with me or I totally forget to bring it. Minsan ok lang naman na maiwan...gaya ng candy, Med blue book, pantali sa buhok, etc. Then one day, I rode a jeep and mga 10 steps away from the sakayan...oooops. wala akong pambayad. dahil wala akong wallet. so i suddenly exclaim sa jeep na ...."Para po! PARAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! wala po akong wallet!" and hurriedly jumped down to run like the wind dahil malalate na ako. Then yesterday, when I was like half a meter from the mothership ay narealize ko na.."Shoooooooot! wala akong cellphone."  BOOOOOOOOOOO. at hindi ko na sya mababalikan IKR! dahil malalate ako. so, for the remainder of the day, I lived as if I were an office person in the 90's na walang telepono. Pero weird pala yun...kasi parang kalevel na ng damit ang cellphone. Since sa morning madalas akong nasa sarili kong room...wala akong matext na mga friends para ikwento ang aking mga crazy stories...umabot ako sa level na may dinudukot ako sa bulsa ko...and then! boo. wala nga pala akong telepono. Saaaaaaaaaaad. So I got through the day by telling myself that noong unang panahon ganoon sa mundo. walang cellphone cellphone. at walang mga txt! thus, began my amazing race to 5 pm.

Everyday din, since I started working, nafeel ko ang rush ng pag-aabang ng 5 pm. something I never ever looked forward to before kasi wala namang ganoon sa shore. AHAHAHAHAHA. parang pagpatak ng 5 or ng time na matapos namin lahat ng pts e meron kang time...to do....anything! tumunganga, matulog, manood ng tv, manggulo ng kapitbahay, kaibigan, etc. So when I suddenly go into carabao mode aka wallowing-in-self-pity-over-the-most-pathetic-things I think of life after 5.

at ngayon, ang aking life after 5 ay ang tumunganga sa tapat ng computer at magbasa ng wall. AHAHAHAHAHAHA.dahil may pasok ako bukas. buti nalang bukas...life after 2 lang! AHAHAHAHAHA.

pasko...paksiw...pasko...paksiw...

i can feel the start of kapaskuhan in the air...literally. in fairness, maginaw na sa umaga pag labas ng bahay! parang ref pagka nakalowest setting ng cool. abroad na abroad ang feeling...and then...you walk out to the road and get splattered with flying dust! for a dose of reality na...nasa Pilipinas ka! AHAHAHAHAHAHA.

tapos sa TV puro countdown to Christmas and then may mga christmas decor, christmas kape, christmas krushers from KFC, polar bear na sumasayaw sa tv at christmas themed commercials na ubod ng JINARTS! like this kid giving the poor boy with a parol instant noodles. a few days ago nung nasa jeep ako, may sumakay na little drummer boy as in batang G aka gusgusin with a little drum and dirty white envelopes na nanghihingi ng money. and then this lady gives him candy at ayaw niya! dahil gusto daw niya...PERA! kaloka. omg. at sya pa ang kumuha ng envelope niya at bumaba sa jeep na nanenega. AHAHAHAHA.

anyhoo, must read the new guidelines on DM again kasi nababangag na ako sa mga IFG, IGT, DM. in fairness, ngayon ko lang naeexperience magkaroon ng patients na ang FBS ay mga 6.3 at mga Hba1c na mga 8. I remember I had this patient before na may Hba1c of 21. at ayun, na-ER kasi nag DKA. and for more, newly diagnosed siya. iba rin pala kapag nakikita mo sila ng pwede pang maprevent mag ka DM. nakakatuwa naman din pala....ng slight. up until the fact na biglang mababasa mo ang protocol ng barko na bawal ang mga diabetic. automatic unfit. MAJOR MAJOR BOOOO. kawawa naman.

in other news, I was going through my news feed sa facebook at nakita ko ang isang string version ng Just the Way You Are by Bruno Mars. Then sa related video sa gilid, nakita ko yung isa kong pasyente sa clinic! Totoo pala ang sinasabi niyang nasa internet sila. HAHAHA. Si Sir CG aka classical guitarist ay isa sa mga naging pasyente ko at ang unang sabi niya sa akin pagpasok niya ng clinic ay...

Sir CG: Doktora! Ikakasal ka ba?
BOTD: Ha? *omg! mukha ba akong may singsing sa daliri ko? AHAHAHAHA. baka may sa nuno itong taong ito!*  hindi po. HAHAHAHAHA.bakit po?
Sir CG (sabay upo sa upuan): kasi po may string quartet po kami. bibigyan po namin kayo ng discount! may kilala ho ba kayong magpapaparty, ikakasal, magdedebut, etc.?
BOTD: Aaaaaaaah. Wala po eh.

And then after the PE he goes, dok, pag ikakasal ka na ha! kunin mo kami. bibigyan talaga kita ng discount! ito ang website namin. www.&@*(@(*$@.com, ano po pangalan niyo? ibibigay ko sa office namin. at ang tanging naisagot ko ay isang napakalakas na AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA.

first aid...

the past week has been a gloomy one for me. personally I blame it on day 14 aka hormonal overdrive while the ever-wise Ate Smoketh told me it stems from : dissatisfaction. and if you think about it, objectively (take note may keyword dapat dahil for sure there are a lot of little nitpicky things you can get irritated about in life), there is nothing to be dissatisfied about. I guess this dissatisfaction comes from being alone in a foreign land. AHOOOOOY. hahahaha.

gloominess actually started last monday. siguro totoo nga yung pamahiin na dapat laging masaya ang monday or else magiging nega ka the entire week. then I went into ministop near the mother ship only to find out that they have no panukli for my 15 peso purchase. then for some crazy reason my hormones took over and I got so nega over the fact that I have to be the one to remedy their problem of having no frickin change. AHAHAHA. sounds so pathetic when I type it out IKR! hindsight is indeed 20/20...too bad at that time...gumana ang myopia ko na 20/250! AHAHAHAHAHAHA. in short. negahan portion. suffice it to say na hanggang ngayon hindi pa ako ulit bumabalik sa ministop na iyon.

then the next day was a holiday and I was happy until natapos na ang time space warp bigla. after that wednesday sucked because there were just too many damn people leaving the Philippines to ride cruise ships and tankers that I got a little tired. hahaha. then the next day came and I went on leave to fix my Eth-eth-eth number and walked the streets of Ayala Land! like in the movies! hahahahaha. Friday came at last and though I was excited cause it was the weekend I felt sad kasi nga I miss being around my friends....and they were far away in the shore while I was onboard the mother ship!  separation anxiety level.

to help me through the week, I went online, chatted with friends, wrote haikus, read blogs, and facetimed (is there such a word?!?!?! ahahaha. ka-level ng spine-spell!) with Ate Smoketh and SAFM cause HTGOF still has jetlag. hahaha. and now for more, I facetimed again far, far, away with Ate Enjh and Ate Smoketh. Nothing like comic index friends/posi ranting receivers to get you through random bursts of jinarts brought about by the ups and downs of our profession and of course...life in general. AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.


and now I'm here blogging cause sayang ang oras at bawal pa makain ng time space warp. AHAHAHA. in my super short blog earlier from my phone I recounted this experience in the shrine where I saw our future selves...turns out...marami pala sila at hindi lang tatlo and for more...they're doctors too from the philippines who migrated somewhere else...and now, they were having a reunion. and what struck me is the fact that their being together is enough for them to burst into random bursts of kita-ngalangala level of laughter! ito yung literal na AHAHAHAHAHA. kabingihan level talo ang koryans! and their giddiness and laughter over all their random stories about their practice, of Pacquiao, their vacations, their children, their rants, though experienced separately in different lands pa for more....ay nagiging pinakanakakatawa in the midst of friends. I guess Pinoys are really experts in faking it till they make it. AHAHAHAHAHA.in fairness, SIU ok na ok ang faking it till they make it regarding happiness in life.

so this weekend is dedicated to that. to feel happy despite adversity. to appreciation of little things like the number of salons I pass by on the way to the mother ship and crazy names I've encountered. to watch happy movies like sound of music for the 100Mth time with your parents after seeing that reunion show in Oprah (which btw, reduced us to tears). to laugh and catch up with friends. to read and write blogs. to play with my dogs.to listen to really old songs pag sunday habang naglilinis sa bahay.to watch all my downloaded TV series and movies. to grocery and cook some super easy dish like lucky me pancit canton. AHAHAHAHAHAHA. and to make sure to keep all these little bits of happiness in one place for you to use at random times during the upcoming week ahead.

live from the shrine!

i am now blogging live from the shrine while safm and ate smoketh are busy typing away in their computers. haha. ate smoketh is busy doing hw. while safm is making a blog ahaha. and a table away are htgof, ate smoketh and my future selves when we are like 40s! and for more i'm shamelessly eavesdropping on their kwento! haha. wonder if we'll turn out like them haha. i am currently typing from my phone and i think magkakacarpal tunnel syndrome n ako sa kaliitan portion. so i will now stop dahil wala ng space

name dropping!

i have been feeling gloomy lately and so I took the advice of a dear friend and tried to be happy by faking it till i make it...and my source of glee for today's toxic day (where we examined almost 200 pts) are their names. I remember when I was in high school we read this essay in English class about how this British guy was amazed by the names Filipinos gave their kids...tuwang tuwa sya/ slash tawang tawa sa mga pangalang paulitulit gaya ng Junjun, Lengleng...at mga pangalang may H at some place like Jhunjhun! AHAHAHAHAHA. and today, I felt like British guy. Smiling to myself as I read out my patient's names. One of which was called Mr. Ocray....at totoo niyang pangalan iyan. Naisip ko pagkabasa ko ng pangalan niya...panalo ang pangalan niya...parang Mr. Clean, Mr. Suave...Mr. Ocray! wonder kung mahilig syang mag-okray! hahahahaha.

and then, for more entertainment, my other patient was named...Ginglebert! at sabi niya ang pangalan niya ay from that sikat na singer nung 60s yun daw karibal ni Tom Jones. So when I got home, I asked my dad kung sino karibal ni Tom Jones na may -bert sa dulo ng pangalan...at sabi niya aaaaaaaaah...Si Engelbert Humperdink. at dahil doon...naconclude ko na....may sensorineural hearing loss ang mommy ni Ginglebert!

then my other patient comes and his name is so hard to pronounce and to spell it's like Russian...like Thinje! and I was so tempted to ask him kung ano nickname niya..pero wala na kasing oras at ang dami pang kelangan tingnan. hehehehe.

so I go forth and examine patient after patient as I remember all the amazing names of people I've met in my lifetime...smiling to myself from time to time like a lunatic! I remember nung grade school we had these schoolmates who were named after chocolates like Hershey's, Kisses and Hugs.Someone was even named Anne Klein! As in first name niya ang Anne Klein. Then nung high school life was funnier...with my PE teacher being named Beth...with the surname Joven, and I met people who had amazing surnames like Cabag, Cagatan, Sampayan...and for more there were people named after cities like San Francisco...apelido niya ay Francisco at first name niya ay San. For mooooore!!!!! Then I went to UP and found that people didn't have that much crazy names there. the closest was my friend's sister who got married to a Ngo, but was previously an Oba. So ngayon....ayuuuuuuuuun! napapasmile ka talaga after. such small moments of glee. I then remembered this urban legend (though accdg to some sources may some katotohanan daw)  in med about this lady doctor who had King as her surname and was being courted by someone named Dr. Kong.At kahit ok na ok daw si Dr. Kong ay ayaw siya sagutin ni Dr. King...kasi ayaw niyang maging Dr. King-Kong. *cue in corny laughter at the corniness of this joke! IKR!*

and then as I was nearing the end of examination I came across one of the unforgettable surnames I'll see...kalevel ng bagonggahasa...was....Cinacsac! o dba? ahaha. at tawang tawa pa siya sabihin ang name niya sa akin. heehee. so at least dito kay patient may some art of med na naganap sa pagiinvestigate ko kung ok lang ba sa kanya ang apelido niya...to which he replied...e yun po ang bigay ng Diyos eh, kaya tinanggap ko po ng maluwag. Ahoooooooooy. 

 haay. sabi nga nila life is hard. so at times when you feel down it is important to find something that will keep you going...and for some strange reason today, despite the craziness...I was very much comforted by the funny names and their equally funny personalities. hahaha. so ngayon at least I feel a little bit lighter. 

and for more katatawanan pag-uwi ko, palabas sa some unknown obscure TV channel ang isang teenage girl na parang vj with the name....Bon Jovi. hahahahaha.

Sad,sad,sad

sabi nila, If you claim it...you will get it! So kanina, I claimed that today was going to be a great day! Then I went on to start my day...and looking back parang parehas lang naman siya ng normal na araw, ngunit ngayon, parang lahat nalang ng bagay ay nakakalungkot slash nakakairita. I tried texting my mom in the morning only to find out that wala na akong load. And then patients started arriving and I started interviewing them...at biglang pagbukas ng pinto...this African-American guy comes in and I am feeling all the blood rush to my head dahil kelangan kong i-English ang buong history and PE! at omg. pinakamahirap itranslate ang explanation kung paano masesense kung may hernia ka...kasi hindi niya alam ang hernia.

BOTD: Sir, have you had a hernia before?

Black Eyed Peas: What's a hernia? (in pure kain kain na english)

BOTD: What was that again sir?

Black Eyed Peas: I don't know what a hernia is. How will I know if I have one?

At nagsimula ng maghemorrhage ang utak ko. for BT STAT. pls extract blood for XM! ummm...aaah...It is when...you...aaah......you...*sheesh ano nga ba ang bumubukol?* feel a sensation of something falling in your ...*sheesh ano nga ba ang singit sa english?!?!?!* ..uummmm..GROIN! *THANK YOU LOOOOOOOORD!* 

after mga 20 minutes...natapos ko din siya i-examine. at pinakanapagod ako sa pagsasabi ng inhale, exhale. at for more, I was so tempted to test for fremiti para lang magamit ko ang sinasabi sa bates na "thirty three." 

Then nung hapon naman I was looking at patients who needed extra laboratory tests. May isa akong patient na itago natin sa pangalang...Mr. Clean...dahil ubod daw sya ng linis sa katawan. Then, his urinalysis shows pyuria of 10-15! and then Mr. Clean demands to know how in the world he has pyuria when he is the cleanest person in their house, their cabin in the boat, etc. At nainspire ako bigla ng aking mga shore experiences and I went on to explain that the bladder is like a drum of water....filled with wiwi! And when the drum is full of water and is stagnant, nagkakaroon ng germs,germs, GERMS!  in fairness, bumenta naman kay Mr. Clean at pumayag rin syang mag antibiotic.  grabe. 30 mins ding pagpapaliwanag yon tungkol sa drum at sa tubig, at sa ihi. 

Then afternoon came and I learned that I will not have dollar signs on my eyes because...becoth! I have no frickin EthEthEth/SSS number....SSS= sad,sad,sad. and then, I went home to find that there is no food. no FOOOOOOOOOD. I check my phone and see I have no signal.  I go on the internet and find that  my friends are offline. And so I am sad, sad,sad.

siiiiiiiiiiiiigh.

of weekends and upcoming rewards...

When I started clerkship, I realized one very important thing. Weekends are like those reward things you get in Survivor when you won a challenge (like immunity idol or necklace or something ayon kay SAFM!) Since then, I started cherishing every weekend off, every Sat or Sun where I can get time to sleep in, eat, sleep, watch tv, sleep, internet, sleep. AHAHAHA. 

Another thing I realized is that time is in hyper mode pagka weekend. Yung bang, pag gising mo...oooh 7 am. and then pagtingin mo ulit sa relo, sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesh. 12nn na. and then! and then! after what seems like an hour, you look again to see that 4 pm na...BIGLA. and then...before you know it, gabi na....and then...for more sadness...tapos na ang weekend. HAHAHAHA. parang kulang ang oras!

And now, I suddenly look at the clock and it is freaking 9 pm. IKR! hay...talk about blog imitating life. AHAHAHAHA. so, Pacquiao won another world title! my dad opened the TV really early today dahil ayon sa balita 8am daw ang start ng game. at dahil wise ako...ang binuksan ko ay facebook. ( where you will find not just updates buth comments about suot ng mga nanonood!)..so,I refreshed the home page every hour looking for people to post FB statuses related to the man of the hour. HAHA. at by mga 11 am pinagtatawanan ko ang tatay ko na sobrang glued sa TV, at hindi man lang makapag-CR kasi daw baka magstart na ang laban. IKR! OMG. what's up with pinoy males and boxing?!?!?! hahaha. and then updates started coming and before you know it...OOOH. panalo si pacquiao! and for more...hindi pa rin nagstastart ang telecast sa pinoy TV! AHAHAHAHA. at after nun, wala na akong pakialam kasi alam ko na panalo naman buth...biglang narinig ko ang lupang hinirang...na biglang...slang version!!!!! WTF? ahahaha. 

And then natulog ako at for more time space warps...biglang hapon na. Therefore, there is a new realization that thou shall not sleep at any  time the sun is up during the weekend for maximal weekend time! Ni hindi ko pa napapanood ang aking newly downloaded...*wait for it*...The Social Network! AHAHAHAHAHA. hay. sana parating weekend. para pwedeng magluto, mag-grocery, tumunganga, mag-abang kung may lumabas na number mo sa lotto...which btw, walang lumabas!!!!! at of course, magblog. ahahahaha.

Tomorrow is the start of another week. And for more, I will be starting the week alone because my friends from the shore who used to work in the clinic are now going back to the shore...and I am stuck with the dough boy! Time to grow up and bloom where I am currently planted...buth...what I'm looking forward to the most is the fact that...tomorrow is the 15th! WOOHOO! heeeheeheee. hopes for returns that will make my eyes go kaching-kaching! AHAHAHA.

sucky, spontaneous fun!

I was passing by the lotto stall near our house to see it semi-filled with people. As I was nearing, naisip kong...bakit hindi kaya ako tumaya? for fun. and so, my spontaneous moment for the day ay ang pagtaya sa Lotto 6/55...na parang...scantron! AHAHAHAHAHA. wonder if I will be able to buy the island after Saturday. heeheehee. and yes, evil twin HTGOF, we can share the island for more! :)

I am slowly getting used to what I'm doing right now...in fairness. Medyo nababawas bawasan ang jinarts mode. AHAHAHA. I realized how I missed being able to eat with my family  and listen to my mother's English...

Mom: Anak, mag-exercise ka naman! Ang dami mo ng cellulite! AS IN!

BOTD: Talaga? That sucks!

Mom: Sucks? Ano ibig sabihin ng that sucks?

BOTD: Ibig sabihin...nakakainis.

Mom: Oh! Bago yan ah! So pag sasabihin ko...nakakainis ka...pwede ko sabihin...SUCK YOU!

BOTD: AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. *hyperventilate* AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

Mom: Bakit ka natatawa? *taps foot*

BOTD: E kasi dapat...you suck! Ano ba yan! AHAHAHAHAAHA. *tears in eyes*

Mom: Aaaaaaaaaah. E pag gusto ko sabihin na...bakit ka ba naiinis sa akin...tama ba na...Why are you sucking me?

BOTD: ROFL. AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. *hyperventilatesx10* AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

Mom: Bakeeeeeeeeeeeet? Mali na naman? Sige nga...itranslate mo nga yan! Aber? *taps foot again*

BOTD: Teka...uhmmmm....aaaah... ano! Why are you irritated with me?

Mom: E asaan ang sucks doon? akala ko ba ang sucks ay ibig sabihin nakakainis?

BOTD: Mother. Expression lang yon. Hindi literal translation!

Mom: Hay. ang hirap hirap naman. Bakit nung high school ako, hindi naman sinabi ng teacher namin na ang ibig sabihin ng "that sucks" ay nakakainis naman.... ang hirap naman ng English. 

BOTD: AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

It is at these moments that I am glad to be home. :)

bartolina...

i wanted to write something profound today. buth my thoughts are running fast in my mind like that puddle of baha draining down the canal my umbrella got thrown into earlier. buti nalang nakuha ko ang payong amidst that pool of leptospire-infected water. and ngayon...abulia mode na naman ako.

so goodbye muna sa pagiging deep today. sleep is calling.  i wanted to write something long. about me forgetting things. about me prescribing fibrates for the first time. remembering that sa new world hindi pwedeng ikebs ang 1-3 pus cells at 2x elevated na transaminases. moving up sa level ng plants vs zombies. lonely life after 5. computer time=socializing time. facetime with my sisses. and thought bubbles inside thought bubbles.

solitary confinement. not a very happy place. :(

lessons from the sea...farers...

edited this kasi parehas na parehas pala ang intro ko sa last blog entry ko. haha.  aaaaaaaaand for more variation...I somehow survived my first week...abroad. AHAHAHA. feeling ko nasa abroad ako sa work ko dahil lahat ng nakakasalamuha ko ay mga mag-aabroad. I've met a sommelier, a violinist, chief cooks, waitresses, waiters, crew activity specialists, seamen, able seamen ( IKR! this is different from the ordinary seaman...in what manner, I wouldn't know!), messmen (na akalain mo...nagtratrabaho sa MESS HALL! AHAHAHAHA),  officers, bartenders, room assistants and realized....sobrang daming gustong umalis ng Pilipinas. OMG. at marami silang storyang pang MMK na minsan hindi mo gusto marinig pero they just blurt it out in the midst of your pagtatanong ng....nagkaroon na po ba kayo ng High Blood, Diabetes, Tuberculosis,naoperahan, napauwi sa mga rasong medikal, naospital, natahi, nagkaroon ng luslos? (all in one breath in rapid fire tagalog)

and suddenly ang patient kong Girl na Boy (GnB) ay sinabing...Dok, alam niyo po ba ang pelikulang In My Life?

Me:  *hingal hingal portion sa haba ng tanong while wondering if there is a point to this pampahaba ng interview* Opo.

GnB: Alam niyo po yung nangyari kay Lucky doon?

Me: Ano doon? yung may cancer? (Halatang alam na alam! I think...ANO! hahahaha)

GnB: Hindi po! Yung nasagasaan ng van? Na-ganoon po ako. Sa US din! Ang galing ko no?

at wala na akong nasabi kundi...

Me: Oo nga po. *ang galing niya nga!*

In fairness, clinic patients are a great source of  entertainment and small realizations. hahaha. They say yung mga pasahero daw ng cruise ship dalawang klase lang...either...matatanda na retirees or yung mga sobrang sikat at mayayaman (na walang magawa sa pera) AHAHAHA. Then, I remember seeing Violin Boy inside the PE room and then....pagpasok niya, I was like...OMG! may na-meet akong totoong nagvi-violin sa mga barko...like those orchestra people in Titanic! (na nung matanggap na madea-dead din sila ay tumugtog nalang literally to death!)  At ang una kong tanong sa kanya bago ang aking usual na page-examine ay...Sir! Sino ng artista nakita niyo sa barko? AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. He replied na marami na daw at hindi na niya maalala. Pero eto ka...sanay na daw si Violin Boy doon dahil...he used to play for the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra. Gustong gusto ko sumigaw ng sample a la Showtime....buth I remembered...magpapamedical pala siya at hindi mag-a-audition! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. .

Another thing I observed was that our patients ay parang mga pinsan ng mga blood donors sa Blood Bank. May questionnaire na sasagutan at ichecheck lang ang NO sa lahat. and then Wine Expert enters the room with her accomplished form na as predicted, puro NO ang nakalagay.  and THEN! I see her position sa ship...Sommelier ang lola! BONGGANG BONGGA...at! nung tinanong ko kung umiinom...ang sagot... ay hindi po. AHOOOOOOOOOOY. Tapos tinitigan ko. ginamitan ng CIA powers...and then...napalitan ng...konti po dok...kasi kelangan po naman marunong akong uminom ng konti kasi yung trabaho ko di po ba? O sya. sige na. Ok! at least honest ka na bigla. Hahaha.

haaaaaaay. everyday I get to examine around 40 patients who would like to board this giant cruise ship for more....MONEY! and I often ask them, hindi po ba kayo natatakot na magsink yung barko niyo? to which most of them reply...dok, malaki naman po yung barko...walang binatbat ang Super Ferry. and then they laugh like crazy...AHAHAHAHAHA. I also ask them kung kamusta sila pag asa barko sila, at ang kanilang walang mintis na sagot ay...malungkot po doktora...pero ang iniisip nalang namin lagi ay....PERA...PERA...PERA! (for more thought bubbles, this sounds so family! i feel like I'm in some medical show where the patient's mimic my issues and tissues in life!) sabay smile na parang nasa the buzz or in some cases smile na may some sliver of tears pooling in their eyes! ahoooy. at after that day that I tried to put some art of medicine chor-chor to minimize the monotony, I told myself...I will refrain from asking questions like those again. AHAHAHAHA.

and then for more nostalgia, I watched my downloaded version of In My Life with my mother a few hours ago...and found myself laughing and teary eyed again and feeling sad for the terrible state of this country where people have to leave so that their families can eat that same kind of frickin hotdog only the rich and famous can buy here. 

and now, moving on from that patriotic chorva that was my last paragraph...okay naman ang unang linggo ko. It was bittersweet. I am happy that I'm in a new world, where the crocs are nice, there is aircon in the hallways, you can wear heels to work and not develop blisters over blisters, there are no charts, you are off at 5 and you have your own time...and for more...makakaipon ka ng pera...but there is that moment after 10M essentially normal patients, when that patient arrives and suddenly tells you he/she has hypertension and diabetes and periods of chest pain, and then you feel that sudden rush of happiness and suddenly feel your mind on autopilot and then para ka ng possessed and you start talking about hba1c and lipid profiles  and ecgs, and exercise, diet, importance of compliance to meds etc like it's something hidden deep inside your brain...and suddenly I miss home...where patients are so abnormal they have at least 5 lines in their diagnoses. WAHAHAHA. Feeling ko OFW din ako. AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. 

buth! i think...ano. ahahaha. i need this time to miss it...and be away from it all...to learn new things like gamot sa singaw and things like Steacystoma multiforme (which are just some benign cysts all over one's body) ...for more!  

here's to more learning and exciting weeks ahead!

like! *thumbs up*

So, I survived...my first day of work. In a new place where there's aircon, and a table, and a computer, and absolutely NO CHARTS! ahahaha. Life beyond the shore indeed. Luckily for me, medyo konti today ang patients at may some adjustment period na naganap before the chaos that will surely welcome me with a bang tomorrow. Met new people but was ultimately glad to have people of my kind around. AHAHA. parang tribo. pero, I guess that was the most comforting part of being in a new place...knowing that someone there was thinking in the same way you were and can understand your crazy practices. Parang pag nakakita ka ng Pinoy abroad na nagtuturo ng bagay gamit ang nguso niya AHAHAHAHAHA. 

After work, met up with my friends from the shore who I always wish were like action figures I can put in my bag and talk to when the door to the room in the office is closed. AHAHAHAHAHA. parang autistic ang theme. As we pondered and exclaimed about the beauty of the friendship feature on facebook, I realized nagsisimula ng maging iba ang aming mga experiences. parang when you meet up with your high school friends, and all you can talk about is something medical, while they talk about something about life that is not medical...and then you realize...omg. hindi pala sila yung friends ko from PGH. siiiiiiiiiigh. *insert jinarts music* and for more a few weeks back you were once like them....and the stories you tell were something they experienced...and you wish with all your heart that they be able to experience this new craziness you're feeling kasi ang weird weird...and then...you know they wouldn't know kasi they're not with you. Haaaaaaaaaay. ang arte. SUKA ALL OVER. can't believe this kaartehan spouting from my utak. basta ang point ay for some reason, nakakatakot din pala na one day magkita kayo at wala na kayong pag-usapan ng mga friends mo. BUTH! Buth! with my crazy friends from the shore...I think...ANO! ahahaha. we will seldom have a hard time thinking of a topic to talk about cause there is always the "Sinong bading?" stories and our newest hobby...facetime...and facestalking together! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. 

its a doggie dog world...

just came home from a long day at the cemetery...and learned new things...like...bawal ang aso sa sementeryo. So, we prepared early for our yearly trip sa panteon and aside from the food, upuan, banig, atbp ay dinala namin muli si Dolly sa sementeryo. only to be stopped by the big policemen at the gate of the cemetery. Dahil bawal daw ang mga aso kasi baka daw mangagat ng tao! At nabaliw na ang mommy ko sa pageexplain na Dolly is the sweetesth dog ever in existence and she does not bark, bite or do anything except magpacute at magpose sa camera. AHAHAHAHAHA. so ayun, kinuhanan ng GMA news habang nakasabit sakin ang aso. OMG. after which we were ushered to the side and I calmly told kuya cameraman to just video the dog and not me. AHAHAHAHAHA. and then Dr. Tita comes and tells us that she has extensionitis powers and that we can smuggle Dolly inside basta nasa loob sya ng bag. so tinakpan sya ng nanay ko ng some bag at sinabihang...WAG KANG KAKAHOL! ahahahaahhaha.and so nakarating din ang aso sa panteon ng lolo ko. AHAHAHA. after which we covered her in a payong and made her tago. AHAHAHA. personally, i find it so absurd that they ban doggies sa sementeryo...parang 10 dogs ang naharang ng pulis at lahat sila mga sosyal na aso...pero yung babaeng nagbebenta ng colored sisiw pwede pumasok at yung mga gumagalang askal ay ok lang gumala. haaaaaaaaaaay nakerrrrrrrr. 

moving on...while walking to the cemetery, I see the common stalls around selling food, pizza, donuts, and ngayon ang bagong patok, ice scramble na mukhang malinis, and there is also that pink upright kabaong where you can take your pictures for free. IKR! buth I am still not sick enough to enter that pink kabaong so I passed on the picture taking. AHAHA. at ang mahal mahal ng mga pagkain sa sementeryo like a shawarma costs 50 frickin pesos! buti nalang may dala kaming pagkain...at lutuan. AHAHAHA.

so for the day, my mom was indisposed cause she was tasked to hide the dog and my pamangkins were hungry and now I discovered a new talent. COOKING HOTDOGS! ahahahaha. in fairness...sobrang gutom ng mga pamangkin ko, they were able to finish up 2 kilos of hotdogs in one sitting. OMG. AHAHAHAHA. the entire day... luto lang ako ng luto ng hotdog. at kain lang sila ng kain IKR. parang after, "ninang, luto ka pa hotdog....tita gusto ko pa ng hotdog...tita wala na bang hotdog?" So, I even had to go out and buy raw hotdog so that I can cook moooooooore hotdogs kasi gutom pa sila. AHAHAHAHAHA.

after stuffing ourselves with food, it was now time to pray...and I felt the changing times once again dahil kami na ng nanay ko ang naga-argue kung ang response ay have mercy on the souls of all in purgatory or have mercy on the souls in purgatory (for less kapaguran portion IKR!). ahaha.

anyhoo. after 8 hours of cooking, going around my  lolo and Tito J's panteon, we finally went home. and I immediately checked GMA to see if they were gonna show Dolly on TV with her hat! AHAHA. buti nalang...wala. dahil takot na takot akong makita siya sa TV na may label na...PASAWAY! ahahahahahaha.

and tomorrow is my first day of work. AHOOOOY. hope it will go well! weeee. feeling ko pasukan bukas at lumipat ako ng school...kind of like my first day in high school where my parents sent me off and then I went in...and saw....the Blairs and Serenas of Metro Manila. AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. and then for more katatawanan ay bumalik ako sa entrance ng school at sinabi ko sa magulang ko...OMG. hindi ko ata kaya. and then tinulak na ako ng nanay ko paloob and the rest is history dahil 4 years after I graduated from that institution armed with faith and impeccable English! AHAHAHAHA.