Mental Notes

I recall those days when I was much younger than now and thinking that cartoons will always be for me.  I even said to myself before that I will never prefer the shows adult watch over my favorite cartoons.  I guess I was wrong because I evolved. There was a change of preference in terms of the what I wanted to see or hear on TV.  I got over  my pretend phase.  Well, not really.  Watching actors on a show doesn't get me out of that zone.  I still like the life I don't lead.  Somehow, the real people seem better to watch than those whom I am used to.  I began watching TV shows that my dad watches.  I find them more exciting and the cartoons a bit of a bore. I was addicted to TV.  But these days, not so much.  Maybe because of lack of time.  I try to catch the news. And that was it.  However, when I was younger, I really spent the whole day in front of the television, even forgetting my daily chores and self-care (w...

No work day today.  Staycation for me.  Spent the whole day with Via and Papa.  Refused the invite to go over to her Lola's house.  The last time we were there, we had to get a taxi because no one (particularly my dad) to send us back here for reason that he might see my life partner again. This morning, I saw on Twitter the news that an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.2 hit Cebu and several other areas in Visayas.  This country once again experience another calamity. A few weeks ago, Zamboanga had destructive floods.  And weeks before that, there was a declaration of war in that same area. It was supposed to be local election day today.  The candidates probably should do something if they want to stand out in times of distress.

Well, not that far away.  I'm just here in the hospital, roughly 20minute drive from home... if I was riding my own car or a cab - an hour away if by jeepney.  The whole department is in Heart Center attending the Scientific Meeting and the rest of Manila is at home watching the college basketball championship.  And I am here, alone in the quarters transferring files from my phone to this netbook. It's better this way than being in the ultrasound room scanning patients.  I've done six of them this morning.  I'm planning to study right now but instead, opted to write while downloading.  Thank God for the internet and the new netbook.  For the first time, I've brought it here to work but not for work. If I'm really grateful, I'd put to good use and study or make my report today. I'm in the senior's bed, by the way.  That just means, I'm a bit of a lazy boss today.  Not helping the juniors in anyway.  It's their year to shine anyway. ...

Spent a night here in Pasay, Manila at Solaire (Resort and Casino) and realized that this is a bustling place in spite of being so far away from the rest of busy, crowded Manila. My parents have a penchant for gambling, particularly the slot machine.  My only objection was that everywhere here is a smoking area.  And being a nonsmoker that I am, I despise the stench of cigarette. I don't want my parents to inhale the smoke.  I believe it really is bad for the health. I have gambled before.  Last night, my parents called up our hotel room telling me that I would just have to call her on her phone if me and my brother (who was staying with Via and me in this room ... along with Nanny Vangie) wanted decided to join them downstairs.  She was willing to give us money last night.  My brother and I both said, No, thank you. I realized long before that it was really a big waste of money.  But of course, with my parents, if they enjoy it, they could do it...

Woke up very early today so that my daughter and I could leave early and join her grandparents for one whole day of yabadoo fun leaving her father home alone.  I knew all along that I wouldn't be able to complete any reading backlogs today but I was still hoping for a miracle. I am way behind at work. Work entails a lot of reading. If only they make us read books that I want to read. Feeling hopeless.

I was doing ultrasound on a 65-year old man awhile ago.  When it was my senior's turn to scan the patient, I sat down on the bench to take a break.  The patient's wife started conversing with me. Beforehand, I thought she was the mother of the patient because she had her hair almost completely gray in comparison to that of the patient.  But the patient was already old himself so I kind of presumed she was an older sister.  Later, I found out that she was more than ten years older than her husband. She was kind of telling me about her family.  I found out a couple of things. She was from a prominent Chinese family .  I couldn't tell because she was wearing her clothes like any ordinary person in the streets with her worn, simpleton clothes and even overused slip-ons. I couldn't have mistaken her coming from a well-to-do family.  However, she attested that she was related to the owners of Goldilocks and (now, non-existent) Joni's bakeshop, a husba...

Five years before I "met" my husband, I took a couple of tennis lessons from him.  He was also starting to be a tennis instructor back then.  We didn't make any good impression on each other because we didn't really end up together during that time. Five years later, when we were both "with" other people, we finally got together.  (No guilt here) We were about to marry those other people that same year when we met.  There was no intention to change our minds about our upcoming marriage to other people.  No intention even to change our hearts about it.  But, I guess, God has different plans for ALL FOUR OF US.  And I am very thankful that we met again JUST IN TIME. We didn't even slow down.  We charged to this head on.  I'm very thankful that this was not a big mistake.  In fact, it was the best decision for me - to take this adventure with him.  Truly, being with him has been very fulfilling.

The school director of my daughter's previous school just called me last night asking if I was still planning to re-enroll my turning-3-this-year daughter.  I told her the truth that my parents were the ones sponsoring my daughter the last school year, but this year, there won't be any more grandsponsors (since we moved out of their house) :D  And so I said that as of now, I have no budget for their school. But she told me that they could adjust the fees and classes for my Via.  I wonder how much adjustment she could make for my daughter. I tried enrolling my daughter to other schools for pre-primary classes.  I am at work almost all the time (7 days a week) and I have no more time to teach my daughter intensively as a mother ought to do.  I am kind of disappointed because this is the stage in which her brain is most "absorbent".   Unfortunately, those other more affordable schools don't accept students her age.  I told them that she has already ...

There are certain principles in life that we all follow whether we are aware of it or not.  Somehow, it is what we have in common with people who seem so different from us.  Sometimes, we agree on the same things even if we are coming from different walks of life. They are the unspoken laws on which we base our actions, our beliefs and most important of all, our judgments. Somehow, those who don't follow any of these principles are those who are easily swayed by anything that comes their way.  They don't have roots and therefore, are at risk to end up in very dangerous dead ends. The principle of knowing thyself works well for me.  Somehow, it may sound a bit self-centered.  It may seem that all I am preoccupied with is myself.  But it really isn't so.  I have to know who I am in order to improve who I am.  I have to know my strengths and weaknesses in order to put all my energy which is more beneficial for me.  If I work well, I work bet...

Nothing is absolute. We cannot say anything in absolute certainty.  Even the laws of nature does not apply at all times - even though according to my physics teacher, a "law" cannot be contested. I happen to run across Einstein's quotes in the paper today and realized that he was really in touch with the world around him (in contrast to stereotyped dorks who keep to themselves). "When you are courting a nice girl, an hour seems like a second.   When you are sitting on a red-hot cinder, a second seems like an hour.  That's relativity." "Two things are infinite. The universe and human stupidity. And I am not so sure about the universe." "The difference between a genius and stupidity is: Genius has its limits." What is true to you may not be true to others.  What is right with you may not be right for others.  It all depends on where we are coming from.  This is why it is ill-mannered of people to judge others by...

I work for the government with a contract of four years in this public institution.  Every year, we have to fill out a Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth.  You know what I wrote under assets?  I wrote down the following: my promise ring (given by my husband) which is probably worth around PHP500.00 Watch (given by my mother before I left their home) which is worth more than PHP10,000.00 The rest of my stuff, I left it at their house thinking it wasn't mine to take .   That is how much I'm worth: PHP 10,500.00 I didn't write down the other stuff who's ownership is under my name.  I'm thinking that anytime, it could be taken away from me by my parents (which I would readily give up to them).   The things I didn't work hard for are not mine. If there's anything that I'm working hard for right now is my family (my daughter and my husband).  But instead of belonging to me and claiming ownership, I belong to them.  I ...

That's what I think about this blog.  There's nothing here but words. I babble a lot, even in my mind so bear with me :)

Have you ever applied for something and got disapproved for any reason? Well, I have.  I was applying for a Globe Wifi Super Stick (???)  for the past few weeks in their Galleria branch.  Every time I wanted to follow up on my application, there was no answer from the phone line that they give me.  I had to go to their branch myself only to find out that my signatures are doubtful. I admit I have a problem recreating my signature. But I have given several government ID cards, payslip and even credit cards of three different banks and still, they don't believe I am responsible enough to be able to pay the monthly fees.  I even cited that I have postpaid lines from the two other networks for more than two years now.  And visas from several countries.  Isn't that credible enough?  Geeez!  (Hey, not bragging here... just trying to get my point across.) I asked if ever I had a previous stroke and my hand that created my signature had tremors...

I'm currently reading this book:  Who Moved My Cheese?  I've been hearing or "reading" about this book for sometime now and I am so glad that I got one from an online book seller. That meant I got a big discount out of a gem of a book. It was talking about each and everybody's "cheese"  that we go and look for in a "maze" called life.  I am so happy to have read the book (I'm still halfway through it,though).  I even shared about it with my life partner. I got the most important of it all - it's not the cheese that makes us happy but the journey of getting it. I guess most of us who still have the energy are happy to go for it.  But some of us who has grown tired of life doesn't even bother to go after a new cheese when they're stuck with the old one already.  Big lesson learned (which I'm going to make sure that my little one((S)) know about):  that a successful life is not measured by how much cheese you have enjoyed bu...

Whenever I see parents handling their children in a way I won't do to my own child, I feel so mad, helpless and frustrated.  I wouldn't be able to do anything nor dictate how parents should treat their children because basically, I can't intervene even if I wanted to.   I always wanted to believe that parents will do what is best for their kids but somehow, the things I see around me tells me otherwise.  I've seen and heard how parents can verbally abuse their child.  I cringe upon hearing them scold the child like they have committed a crime.  Children can only do minor damage, if there's any.  I don't see why parents have to reprimand them too harshly.  I can't say it is really the best way for them to learn a lesson. Awhile ago, while doing cranial ultrasound to a one-month old infant with her mother carrying her in her arms, the baby suddenly coughed (because apparently, she was also suffering of pneumonia), the mother instantly did physioth...

My kid does a lot of mimicry and echoes of words she hears. She's still in between babbling and speaking fluently. She can now say the following words among others: "Honey" "Mommy" "Daddy" "Mommy look!" "Come here!" "Coocake" (for cupcake) "Not a toy" "Dirty" "Ouch" "Turn off" and her favorite, "iPad" Tonight, as we were talking over the phone before she goes to sleep, she was able to tell me "Goodnight" and "I love you" in response to the same words I just uttered.   I know she doesn't mean it but still, it made me the happiest person at that moment.  

It must have been a long time since my last post here and so much have changed. I'm on my second year of residency.  Yes, they have promoted me.  And now I have juniors to fill in my busy shoes.  I am not the lowest creature in the department anymore.   When I say home, I mean the little apartment I share with my husband and my daughter.   The department is being "sanctioned" and everyone goes on every three days duty.  At first, I thought it was a great idea to lower my travel expenses but it seems that I'm increasing my food expenses instead.  I keep eating junk and drinking coffee to keep me awake! Work is relatively easy when you have a junior you can rely on and a senior to refer to if you don't know what to do.  There are so many things I need to learn.  I'm talking about academics.   Well, I need to learn a lot of other things too... to survive being an independent... dependent on my husband.   Well, need to go...