I can now put behind me the nightmare that my pangga and I experienced a couple of weeks ago. Yep, we're both back together again. Yipee! I flew to Davao last week and stayed with her and her family for a few days.
It wasn't totally a negative experience. Something positive also came out of it. For my part, I realized how weak I was. I realized that there are many things I have to improve about myself. We both agreed that it is also important for us to flourish as individuals so that our relationship can also flourish. When two people can get too close to each other, when they become too preoccupied with each other, or too wrapped up in their relationship, they can neglect their individual selves. We understood that we need a balance of things. We have other areas too in our lives which we need to cherish, in addition to our relationship.
But the reason why what happened two weeks ago happened to us was not that we became too caught up in our relationship. It was the other way around. I neglected her, took our relationship for granted. Maybe I became too confident that she would always be there, that she would not go away no matter what happened. Josh Groban's song struck me at the right moment, "Now I've learned that love's not possession, and I've learned that love won't wait. And I've learned that love needs expression, but I've learned too late." Corny, but it's true.
I'm really glad to see Davao again. I missed the place, especially where my pangga used to live, in V. Mapa, and the places we went to whenever I was there. Now they live in a quiet subdivision somewhere in the south, not too far from the NCCC mall. You can catch the aroma of durian in many places in the city. It's peak season for the king of all fruits (hehe); there's an oversupply of it. I used to contest the idea of it being the king of all fruits. My favorite used to be the jackfruit (nangka), but that changed when I became accustomed to the taste of durian. Other fruits are merely sweet, flat. The durian on the other hand has a three-dimensional taste. It expands in your tongue, opens up portals to many dimensions of sweetness.
Tomorrow my family and I are heading off to Negros for the Kalag-kalag. I'll be behind the wheel probably for most of the road trip. I miss going on a road trip. I miss going to far away places, driving along farm lands and seeing mountains and trees and the sea. Thank God I was able to get a duplicate driver's license this afternoon. I lost my original one last week along with my wallet, when it slipped off my pocket inside a jeepney on my way home. Now I can drive legally. Pwede na ko dakpon og CITOM, without getting jailed.
Tomorrow is All Souls Day, and it will be exactly one year since I last saw a ghost in Sanke, my mother's home town. It was late at night and I was on my way to my lola's house. I was taking a leak behind some bamboo fence when all of a sudden I noticed that there was someone outside the house's gate. It was a child, and he or she was just walking. He or she was wearing a white shirt and I couldn't see his/her face. I walked towards him/her because I got curious that a child was still taking a stroll at that very late hour. But I already suspected that something was wrong with the picture. I already felt that it was a ghost, but I went ahead and tried to follow him/her. Sure enough, when I got to the gate, the child was nowhere in sight. Before me lay a vast area of land; the child could not have disappeared that quickly. They said that the child was probably telling me something, that he/she needed to be prayed. From that night on I've always prayed for him/her.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Thursday, October 18, 2007
How does one cope with loss?
How does one cope with loss? How does one "move on"? "Moving on..." There's a phrase that's very painful. How does one does it, when the person that one is compelled to move away from is one's everything?
You told me yesterday ga, that I will always have a special place in your heart. So easy to say. I scrutinized the tone of your voice, and in my paranoia I thought, "You said it with so much ease!" I ask ga, how many square meters of space will I occupy in your heart? Will it be a wide lot, or just a small area? Will I just be a portion of your heart from now on? Just a fragment of your memories?
But I told you, ga, that you won't just be a portion or a fragment of my heart. You won't occupy just an area. For you are my heart's and my life's very foundation... When you spoke those words to me many days ago ga, my world crumbled underneath me, and I fell headlong to an abyss, and I am still falling, falling, falling.
You kept on explaining to me, you kept on comforting me, and told me that you still cared for me, because if it were not so, you would have simply disappeared without a trace, without explaining further why you had to leave. Yes, I understood you ga, but I keep on forgetting. What were your reasons again? I remember it was something so complex. Can you perhaps explain it in simpler terms? I've grown tired of thinking, of trying to understand why this is happening. I've become a philosopher because of you. I have partially plumb the depths of my self. (The days are long ahead, and I have plenty of time to go deeper and deeper into my mind and soul, to drown in sorrow, to grieve, to be tormented each moment our memories come creeping back in, to go mad. I'm looking forward to countless sleepless nights, and when I do sleep, countless nightmares.) I haven't yet become a poet, though.
Can't you explain it in simpler terms ga? Perhaps you can say, that it's simply because you don't love me anymore?
Where will I find refuge? In alcohol? In friends? In caffeine? In family? In God? In reading? In writing? In some movies? In some music? In a scene? In a thought? In some sound? In conversations? In silence? In medications? In distractions? In physical exercise? In vanity? In long aimless walks? In stories? In poetry? In essays? In articles? In my studies? In our talks? In devotion to some ideal? In some necessary labor? In television? In the sea? In some strange place? In a voyage? In a crowd of strangers? In humor/comedy? In laughter? In a river of tears? In prayers? Where, ga, where?
You told me yesterday ga, that I will always have a special place in your heart. So easy to say. I scrutinized the tone of your voice, and in my paranoia I thought, "You said it with so much ease!" I ask ga, how many square meters of space will I occupy in your heart? Will it be a wide lot, or just a small area? Will I just be a portion of your heart from now on? Just a fragment of your memories?
But I told you, ga, that you won't just be a portion or a fragment of my heart. You won't occupy just an area. For you are my heart's and my life's very foundation... When you spoke those words to me many days ago ga, my world crumbled underneath me, and I fell headlong to an abyss, and I am still falling, falling, falling.
You kept on explaining to me, you kept on comforting me, and told me that you still cared for me, because if it were not so, you would have simply disappeared without a trace, without explaining further why you had to leave. Yes, I understood you ga, but I keep on forgetting. What were your reasons again? I remember it was something so complex. Can you perhaps explain it in simpler terms? I've grown tired of thinking, of trying to understand why this is happening. I've become a philosopher because of you. I have partially plumb the depths of my self. (The days are long ahead, and I have plenty of time to go deeper and deeper into my mind and soul, to drown in sorrow, to grieve, to be tormented each moment our memories come creeping back in, to go mad. I'm looking forward to countless sleepless nights, and when I do sleep, countless nightmares.) I haven't yet become a poet, though.
Can't you explain it in simpler terms ga? Perhaps you can say, that it's simply because you don't love me anymore?
Where will I find refuge? In alcohol? In friends? In caffeine? In family? In God? In reading? In writing? In some movies? In some music? In a scene? In a thought? In some sound? In conversations? In silence? In medications? In distractions? In physical exercise? In vanity? In long aimless walks? In stories? In poetry? In essays? In articles? In my studies? In our talks? In devotion to some ideal? In some necessary labor? In television? In the sea? In some strange place? In a voyage? In a crowd of strangers? In humor/comedy? In laughter? In a river of tears? In prayers? Where, ga, where?
Saturday, October 13, 2007
The unthinkable has happened
My pangga and I are in a crisis right now. I'm starting another blog because writing about it might help me cope with this extremely difficult time in our lives.
Days Without P
Days Without P
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Roger
During his first day at the Psychiatric Ward he felt anxious. Anxious, because, when he entered the male patients' room for the first time, he saw this man sitting on the ground, barefoot, his eyes closed, his body stooped, and his mouth drooling with saliva.
Upon entering the room you will immediately see to your right the bathing area. And this patient was sitting against the wall of this area.
My goodness, he thought, will I ever be able to handle this?
The next day, his anxiety rose a notch higher when his clinical instructor assigned him to Roger. Who was Roger?
He saw Roger's picture in the patient's chart.
My, oh, my, Roger is the person he saw sitting in the bathing area the day before. He dreaded him. He thought his case was the worse in the ward.
Every morning, he assisted Roger in taking a bath. Although Roger has cerebral palsy, he actually is responsive to instructions. When you instruct him to stand, he stands; when you tell him to take off his shirt, he does it.
Thus it was easy for him to assist Roger in his daily routine.
A few days later, he brought his iPod with him in the hospital.
After the bath, he sat Roger at the bed. "Roger," he said. "Would you like to listen to some music?"
He gave him one of the ear phones and switched on the player. The song Matud Nila played.
Matud nila, ako dili angay...
Outside the window, he saw the leaves of the trees moving with the wind.
Nga magmanggad sa imong gugma...
The noise outside the room was subdued.
Matud nila, ikaw dili malipay,
kay wa ako'y bahandi nga kanimo i-gasa.
Then he noticed Roger. Roger began to smile, and tried speak (sing?), though what came out of his mouth was something incomprehensible.
Gugmang putli, mao da'y pasalig;
Mao'y bahanding labaw sa bulawan.
Matud nila, ka-anugon lamang
sa imong gugma og parayig...
Dili malubad, kining pagbati,
bisan sa unsa nga katarungan,
kay unsa pa'y bili ni'ng kinabuhi,
kung sa gugma mo, hinikawan?
He shifted his gaze back outside the window, and observed again the movement of the leaves.
Upon entering the room you will immediately see to your right the bathing area. And this patient was sitting against the wall of this area.
My goodness, he thought, will I ever be able to handle this?
The next day, his anxiety rose a notch higher when his clinical instructor assigned him to Roger. Who was Roger?
He saw Roger's picture in the patient's chart.
My, oh, my, Roger is the person he saw sitting in the bathing area the day before. He dreaded him. He thought his case was the worse in the ward.
Every morning, he assisted Roger in taking a bath. Although Roger has cerebral palsy, he actually is responsive to instructions. When you instruct him to stand, he stands; when you tell him to take off his shirt, he does it.
Thus it was easy for him to assist Roger in his daily routine.
A few days later, he brought his iPod with him in the hospital.
After the bath, he sat Roger at the bed. "Roger," he said. "Would you like to listen to some music?"
He gave him one of the ear phones and switched on the player. The song Matud Nila played.
Matud nila, ako dili angay...
Outside the window, he saw the leaves of the trees moving with the wind.
Nga magmanggad sa imong gugma...
The noise outside the room was subdued.
Matud nila, ikaw dili malipay,
kay wa ako'y bahandi nga kanimo i-gasa.
Then he noticed Roger. Roger began to smile, and tried speak (sing?), though what came out of his mouth was something incomprehensible.
Gugmang putli, mao da'y pasalig;
Mao'y bahanding labaw sa bulawan.
Matud nila, ka-anugon lamang
sa imong gugma og parayig...
Dili malubad, kining pagbati,
bisan sa unsa nga katarungan,
kay unsa pa'y bili ni'ng kinabuhi,
kung sa gugma mo, hinikawan?
He shifted his gaze back outside the window, and observed again the movement of the leaves.
Thursday, September 06, 2007
Research proposal
Later today we will be presenting our research topic to a panel of clinical instructors.
Kulbaan ko and at the same time... excited? Hehehe...
I don't know why. Mura man gud og muatubang ka sa korte, kay it's like you have to present and defend your case in front of people, and you have to do your darnest best to convince the judges that your study is significant and viable.
Tandandandan...
Bahala na...
Our study, by the way, is all about emotional intelligence. We had interesting variables along with emotional intelligence, but because of time constraints, we simply focused on a less difficult variable.
Kulbaan ko and at the same time... excited? Hehehe...
I don't know why. Mura man gud og muatubang ka sa korte, kay it's like you have to present and defend your case in front of people, and you have to do your darnest best to convince the judges that your study is significant and viable.
Tandandandan...
Bahala na...
Our study, by the way, is all about emotional intelligence. We had interesting variables along with emotional intelligence, but because of time constraints, we simply focused on a less difficult variable.
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Research
I attended last Thursday the Regional Research Convention organized by the Philippine Nurses' Association, Cebu chapter. I must say I found it very interesting. I was even fascinated by the presentations of the different researchers from the different nursing schools here in Cebu (I wonder why they called in "regional" when only nursing schools in Cebu were in attendance). Almost all of the researchers were already professional nurses. Only a couple research work, I think, were products of undergraduates.
But it was, on the whole, very interesting and very informative. I find that I actually like the idea of doing research work. I didn't enjoy doing my thesis during my first course. It's only now, now that I see the whole purpose of research (somehow I didn't see the whole point back then), nursing research in particular, which is "to develop knowledge about issues of importance to the nursing profession" (Polit and Beck), that I see how wonderful it is. The technical side of research is indeed daunting. It can discourage you or bore you. It is tempting to think of it merely as a requirement for the course, and indeed many look at it that way. But if you understand its main purpose, you will begin to really appreciate it. One of the things that I noticed during the presentations at the convention was that all of the presentors talked with such enthusiastic, some even with animated, facial expressions. That's because research work is really intellectually stimulating and fulfilling. Intellectually stimulating because it engages your whole mind, because you are researching on a particular topic, problem or question that interests or excites you (It is silly, of course, to do research on a topic that you really don't care about), and fulfilling because you know that you are contributing something significant to the profession, whether to nursing practice, education, or administration.
I hope I can carry this interest after I graduate. I hope I can do research works later when I become a professional, with God's grace, of course.
But it was, on the whole, very interesting and very informative. I find that I actually like the idea of doing research work. I didn't enjoy doing my thesis during my first course. It's only now, now that I see the whole purpose of research (somehow I didn't see the whole point back then), nursing research in particular, which is "to develop knowledge about issues of importance to the nursing profession" (Polit and Beck), that I see how wonderful it is. The technical side of research is indeed daunting. It can discourage you or bore you. It is tempting to think of it merely as a requirement for the course, and indeed many look at it that way. But if you understand its main purpose, you will begin to really appreciate it. One of the things that I noticed during the presentations at the convention was that all of the presentors talked with such enthusiastic, some even with animated, facial expressions. That's because research work is really intellectually stimulating and fulfilling. Intellectually stimulating because it engages your whole mind, because you are researching on a particular topic, problem or question that interests or excites you (It is silly, of course, to do research on a topic that you really don't care about), and fulfilling because you know that you are contributing something significant to the profession, whether to nursing practice, education, or administration.
I hope I can carry this interest after I graduate. I hope I can do research works later when I become a professional, with God's grace, of course.
I have a royal blood
 | My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is: Reverend Lord Dante the Indecisive of New Scagglethorpe Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title |
Hmmm... peculiar indeed...
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Tough luck!
I left my BP apparatus in the ward! If I'll lose it it will be my second time around... Mahalun raba to... Naa pa jud to'y pangalan nako og cell number, kay akong gi-anticipate what if mawala nako to... og nawala jud... Maayo na lang unta kung gi-safe keep ra to sa staff nurses, or giuli sa student nurse nga nakakita...
So imbes mu-dive na unta ko sa akong katre kay wala pa ko'y tulog, kinahanglan na pud ko mag-ilis para balikun akong beloved BP app... sigh...
So imbes mu-dive na unta ko sa akong katre kay wala pa ko'y tulog, kinahanglan na pud ko mag-ilis para balikun akong beloved BP app... sigh...
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Makaluluoy
I just got back from my duty in Sotto. Kapuy jud magduty basta night shift. Especially kung priority patient imong patient kay every hour ang vital signs i-monitor.
Luoy kaayo siya. S/P debridement and evacuation of hematoma siya sa iyang right hip. Last week pa siya gi-operahan pero hangtud karon wala pa gihapon maayo iyang samad, kay hemophilic man pud siya. Occasionally mag-bleed iyang samad and sakit kaayo para niya. Wala gud siya'y tarong tulog ganiha tungod sa sakit. Musakit pa jud iyang kamot inig transfuse na sa cryoprecipitate. Dayon nag-chills pa jud siya human sa transfusion...
Taga-Manila siya unya gitransfer lang siya dire. Ang tanan expenses sa iyang tambal og hospitalization gitubag sa isa ka charitable organization sa America nga naga-tabang og mga hemophilic patients. In a way swerte siya, pero lisud pud kaayo ang iyang kahimtang. Maka-ingun jud ka nga swerte na kaayo ta nga wala ta'y sakit...
Luoy kaayo siya. S/P debridement and evacuation of hematoma siya sa iyang right hip. Last week pa siya gi-operahan pero hangtud karon wala pa gihapon maayo iyang samad, kay hemophilic man pud siya. Occasionally mag-bleed iyang samad and sakit kaayo para niya. Wala gud siya'y tarong tulog ganiha tungod sa sakit. Musakit pa jud iyang kamot inig transfuse na sa cryoprecipitate. Dayon nag-chills pa jud siya human sa transfusion...
Taga-Manila siya unya gitransfer lang siya dire. Ang tanan expenses sa iyang tambal og hospitalization gitubag sa isa ka charitable organization sa America nga naga-tabang og mga hemophilic patients. In a way swerte siya, pero lisud pud kaayo ang iyang kahimtang. Maka-ingun jud ka nga swerte na kaayo ta nga wala ta'y sakit...
Monday, July 16, 2007
Tired
This week we will be on duty at Ward VIII of Sotto. We're on the night shift.
Honestly, I'm tired of going on duty. I feel a bit drained. I feel I lack motivation. Kanindut unta kung naa ra ko sa balay, magbasa, maminaw og audiobook, o matulog. O mag-emote ba ron sa bintana, o maglingkud lang nga wala'y buhaton, o maghuna-huna lang og nothing in particular...
This morning I stayed with my lola in SouthGen (South General Hospital). Dugay na siya na-admit for brain tumor. Pero stable na siya karon. A student nurse was assigned to her to monitor her vital sings and give her blenderized food. He's very affable. Naka-ingun ko sa akong kaugalingon nga ingun ato unta tanan student nurses. Maayo siyang modelo sa usa ka nurse. Na-motivate pud ko sa akong part as a nursing student.
Pero I'm still tired. It's not a physical kind of tiredness. I just feel weak.
I haven't finished my patient's data; I haven't made my NCPs... I just wanna drink some warm milk and sleep... and wake up at around 7.
Honestly, I'm tired of going on duty. I feel a bit drained. I feel I lack motivation. Kanindut unta kung naa ra ko sa balay, magbasa, maminaw og audiobook, o matulog. O mag-emote ba ron sa bintana, o maglingkud lang nga wala'y buhaton, o maghuna-huna lang og nothing in particular...
This morning I stayed with my lola in SouthGen (South General Hospital). Dugay na siya na-admit for brain tumor. Pero stable na siya karon. A student nurse was assigned to her to monitor her vital sings and give her blenderized food. He's very affable. Naka-ingun ko sa akong kaugalingon nga ingun ato unta tanan student nurses. Maayo siyang modelo sa usa ka nurse. Na-motivate pud ko sa akong part as a nursing student.
Pero I'm still tired. It's not a physical kind of tiredness. I just feel weak.
I haven't finished my patient's data; I haven't made my NCPs... I just wanna drink some warm milk and sleep... and wake up at around 7.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
On being late
I really hate going to school late. Yet I've been late countless times, and countless times when I reached our classroom did I promise myself never to be late again...
But there's nothing worse than racing against time to reach your class while at the same time cramming for a quiz... It happened again this morning. I didn't study for our quiz last night. Instead I set the alarm clock at 3:30 in the morning and planned to study then, and slept. And I slept, and slept, and slept... Until 6:15! So in panic I ate breakfast, took a bath, and changed clothes in less than an hour. Then I asked my brother to drive the car for us... I took out my notes and read, desperately trying to absorb as much information as I can. At that hour the traffic was already bad, so my heart pumped like crazy while I read and checked the watch. It's one of the most unpleasant feelings you will ever experience as a nursing student.
I reached our school 30 minutes late! But God is so good (I prayed). I got there before our C.I. did. Lol.... And what's more, He guided me during the quiz. How else can I explain it? I was truly ill-prepared for the test, having read only 10% of my notes, and yet all the questions that came out were exactly the ones I focused on... Amazing! =)
And it has happened countless times... Countless times I thought I'm never going to make it on class on time; countless times I thought I'm going to fail in a test because I was too lazy to study the previous night or days, yet He has always guided me, saved me from my irresponsibility. He gave me countless chances to do better as a student. =)
But there's nothing worse than racing against time to reach your class while at the same time cramming for a quiz... It happened again this morning. I didn't study for our quiz last night. Instead I set the alarm clock at 3:30 in the morning and planned to study then, and slept. And I slept, and slept, and slept... Until 6:15! So in panic I ate breakfast, took a bath, and changed clothes in less than an hour. Then I asked my brother to drive the car for us... I took out my notes and read, desperately trying to absorb as much information as I can. At that hour the traffic was already bad, so my heart pumped like crazy while I read and checked the watch. It's one of the most unpleasant feelings you will ever experience as a nursing student.
I reached our school 30 minutes late! But God is so good (I prayed). I got there before our C.I. did. Lol.... And what's more, He guided me during the quiz. How else can I explain it? I was truly ill-prepared for the test, having read only 10% of my notes, and yet all the questions that came out were exactly the ones I focused on... Amazing! =)
And it has happened countless times... Countless times I thought I'm never going to make it on class on time; countless times I thought I'm going to fail in a test because I was too lazy to study the previous night or days, yet He has always guided me, saved me from my irresponsibility. He gave me countless chances to do better as a student. =)
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
Himantayon ba sab ka?
Aniay makalingaw nga blog nga bag-o ra nakong nadiskubre:
Himantayon: A True Story
It pokes fun at our tendency to commit grammatical errors when we speak our own dialect.
When you tune your ears to what people are talking about in public places, you will often hear very interesting and funny stuff. Sukad nga nakahibaw ko ani nga blog himantayon na kaayo ko. LOL...
Himantayon: A True Story
It pokes fun at our tendency to commit grammatical errors when we speak our own dialect.
When you tune your ears to what people are talking about in public places, you will often hear very interesting and funny stuff. Sukad nga nakahibaw ko ani nga blog himantayon na kaayo ko. LOL...
Monday, June 04, 2007
Og nakabalik nako sa Cebu...
Whew... I'm back in Cebu finally...
I got a brief fright early this evening while on the plane. We experienced a strong turbulence as we hovered over Davao. The skies were thick and cloudy. We could actually see lighting flashes outside our window. People only remember to make the sign of the cross when in danger hehe.
I almost missed my flight, too. The check-in counter was already closed when I got there. "Tan-awn sa nako sir ha, if pwede pa," the lady on the desk said when I handed her my ticket. I was thinking, "Ha?!!? What do you mean tan-awn sa nimo!? Dili pwede, I have to be on this flight... I have to be enrolled tomorrow morning..." Fortunately they let me in. I was racing towards the gate. It doesn't help when you have to pass metal detector machines that require you to take off your shoes and belt. I had to support my pants from falling because they were too loose... LOL. Kaya nga you use belts eh, to prevent your pants from falling off...
I think contact lenses must be one of the most tortuous tools ever invented by man. I became more and more convinced of this idea when I practiced putting them on this afternoon. I actually spent two hours trying to stick them to my eye balls! Tito Fred (my labidab's father) gave it to me as a gift. He's an optometrist. I swear, it's one of the most terrifying experience I've ever had in my life! Some people may find that very easy to do. Not me!!! In fact, it boggles my mind why contact lenses doesn't frighten most people. Seriously, I think it's one of the scariest thing humankind has ever invented. Imagine, you're sticking a foreign object to your eyeballs! Dili ba sensitive man kaayo ni atong mga mata? (Alright, now you can laugh.)
(One more hirit... Contact lenses are actually neat; once you have them on, that is. It is the act of putting them on that I find too terrifying. I think eye glasses are far more convenient than contact lenses.)
I'm off to school tomorrow to get enrolled. I hope I can finish it all at the end of the day. We have plenty of requirements to comply... On Wednesday and Thursday we will go on duty at a birthing home in Labangon. It would be great if we can finish all our DR cases during those two days.
I miss my pangga very much...
I got a brief fright early this evening while on the plane. We experienced a strong turbulence as we hovered over Davao. The skies were thick and cloudy. We could actually see lighting flashes outside our window. People only remember to make the sign of the cross when in danger hehe.
I almost missed my flight, too. The check-in counter was already closed when I got there. "Tan-awn sa nako sir ha, if pwede pa," the lady on the desk said when I handed her my ticket. I was thinking, "Ha?!!? What do you mean tan-awn sa nimo!? Dili pwede, I have to be on this flight... I have to be enrolled tomorrow morning..." Fortunately they let me in. I was racing towards the gate. It doesn't help when you have to pass metal detector machines that require you to take off your shoes and belt. I had to support my pants from falling because they were too loose... LOL. Kaya nga you use belts eh, to prevent your pants from falling off...
I think contact lenses must be one of the most tortuous tools ever invented by man. I became more and more convinced of this idea when I practiced putting them on this afternoon. I actually spent two hours trying to stick them to my eye balls! Tito Fred (my labidab's father) gave it to me as a gift. He's an optometrist. I swear, it's one of the most terrifying experience I've ever had in my life! Some people may find that very easy to do. Not me!!! In fact, it boggles my mind why contact lenses doesn't frighten most people. Seriously, I think it's one of the scariest thing humankind has ever invented. Imagine, you're sticking a foreign object to your eyeballs! Dili ba sensitive man kaayo ni atong mga mata? (Alright, now you can laugh.)
(One more hirit... Contact lenses are actually neat; once you have them on, that is. It is the act of putting them on that I find too terrifying. I think eye glasses are far more convenient than contact lenses.)
I'm off to school tomorrow to get enrolled. I hope I can finish it all at the end of the day. We have plenty of requirements to comply... On Wednesday and Thursday we will go on duty at a birthing home in Labangon. It would be great if we can finish all our DR cases during those two days.
I miss my pangga very much...
Saturday, May 26, 2007
End of the summer term, start of vacation
Our COPAR culminated yesterday with a variety show. That's all our COPAR has been about, actually, entertainment. We did do health teaching last Thursday; but that was about it. Nothing more substantial happened.
I guess they can't blame our batch. We were only given a limited amount of time.
But the previous batch were able to come up with activities that were more beneficial to the community despite the limited time period. They did workshops on small entrepreneurship. What a novel idea for a COPAR; not the usual stuff -- health teachings, bingo bonanzas, variety shows, cleaning campaigns and the like.
Tonight I'll be packing my bags because I'll be leaving tomorrow for Davao. Woohoo! I'm going to see my princess once again. We've been apart for almost 7 months, can you believe?
I guess they can't blame our batch. We were only given a limited amount of time.
But the previous batch were able to come up with activities that were more beneficial to the community despite the limited time period. They did workshops on small entrepreneurship. What a novel idea for a COPAR; not the usual stuff -- health teachings, bingo bonanzas, variety shows, cleaning campaigns and the like.
Tonight I'll be packing my bags because I'll be leaving tomorrow for Davao. Woohoo! I'm going to see my princess once again. We've been apart for almost 7 months, can you believe?
Thursday, May 17, 2007
COPAR
We will start our COPAR tomorrow at the Apas, Lahug area. We had our orientation this morning.
That leaves us with only a little more than a week for the community exposure, instead of the original two weeks (There were many interruptions this week; the elections, for one).
That's not enough time. I've heard our school's COPAR before lasted for about a month, and the students had to immerse themselves in the community; that means living with the people in the community for a particular period of time so that you actually get to feel what life is like in that community; you see and experience its problems. So you get a better idea what interventions you can use to address those problems.
We won't even be going on an immersion. How can you help the community that way?
Sige na lang...
So what we'll be doing on the first day is to assess the families in the area. Each of us have to interview two families. Then next week we'll be organizing different activities. For example, health teachings, feeding, some games (to simply entertain the people there hehe), etc. After that we'll prioritize all the problems of the families and choose one problem which is the most important and/or urgent. Then we will make a Family Nursing Care Plan, which we will submit as the final requirement of the course. After that? Wala na, murag dili ra ma-implement and FNCP... Ironic no?
That leaves us with only a little more than a week for the community exposure, instead of the original two weeks (There were many interruptions this week; the elections, for one).
That's not enough time. I've heard our school's COPAR before lasted for about a month, and the students had to immerse themselves in the community; that means living with the people in the community for a particular period of time so that you actually get to feel what life is like in that community; you see and experience its problems. So you get a better idea what interventions you can use to address those problems.
We won't even be going on an immersion. How can you help the community that way?
Sige na lang...
So what we'll be doing on the first day is to assess the families in the area. Each of us have to interview two families. Then next week we'll be organizing different activities. For example, health teachings, feeding, some games (to simply entertain the people there hehe), etc. After that we'll prioritize all the problems of the families and choose one problem which is the most important and/or urgent. Then we will make a Family Nursing Care Plan, which we will submit as the final requirement of the course. After that? Wala na, murag dili ra ma-implement and FNCP... Ironic no?
Friday, May 11, 2007
End of psych lecture
Our Psychia lecture is finally over. We had our culminating activity this afternoon. We danced. It was so much fun. We prepared for it for four days, practicing every afternoon after class at the university's main gym, under hellish heat. We learned samba and swing. It was an opportunity that threw itself at my feet; it further fueled my desire to learn ballroom dancing... (Skwela nya ta ga =) )
They applied make up on our faces! Yes, including the guys! Plus some lip gloss! And some hair spray and a handful of glittering silver dust!
This summer is surely memorable for me. In a sense, Ate Janice and I were alone, because we came from a different section, joining a completely new section, which was a fusion of three sections, actually (only two of us represented section S). But we met a lot of nice people. The grand daughter of the school's owner is certainly an interesting person. People either hate her or like her. I admit she certainly can get on your nerves sometimes (and with many people, she often does), but at least her personality is one of a kind. She's outspoken; she can command people's attention, and even respect. When they give an oral report, she and her husband always give an excellent reporting. They make the rest of the class feel uncomfortable, because our presentations often end up looking mediocre. We did not have any problems with the dance, because she and her husband took care of everything! They organized the whole thing, all we had to do was just dance! I guess that's a good thing, right? She was very particular to details, always making sure that things will go as smoothly as possible.
So I guess what I really want to say is that talagsa ra ka maka-encounter og mga tawo nga ingun ana. People who always go out of their shells, who often ruffles many people's feathers, occasionally offending some people here and there, but doing a good job in the end.
What's good is that she and her husband are a perfect match. She's demanding, domineering, impatient, outspoken, most of the time dead serious, but her husband is tolerant, yielding, easy-going and patient, oftentimes quiet, and have a great sense of humor. They achieve balance. They create a tandem that is, for lack of a better word, amusing to look at. They usually argue in front of us, but while mangugat na siya og murag makuratan naka sa tono sa iyang tingog, her husband always manages to give witty and funny rebuttals, and she just keeps silent and lets the issue go...
I'm glad that I am able to fairly adjust with the different folks we met this summer. If you're somewhat anti-social (I was, and perhaps still am a bit), here are some advice for you: Always smile; keep a pleasant demeanor when you're around people, especially when they're new acquaintances. As the adage goes: First impressions last. And always, always seek first to understand before you try to be understood (Steven Covey's 7 habits are very helpful). Keep your word or the promises you've kept with people. But these are not guarantees for making new friends.
Now I see the point for the dancing and the dressing up as lunatics and parading around the entire campus (we did those, too). We are going to do a culminating activity next semester in the Psych ward. I think the point is that it will prepare us for our work in the Psych ward, and it will help us bond better with our clients.
We also underwent a kind of psychotherapy this morning, as a class. It was meant to familiarize us with the process of psychotherapy, because we will do that, too, in the Psych ward. The C.I.s tried their best to make us cry (hehe); unfortunately they didn't succeed. I think you have to be a trained psychiatrist, or a psychiatric nurse, to be able to do psychotherapy successfully. If a nurse is not experienced, or has not the training, it won't work out the way it's supposed to. But I felt terrible because I had a cold, and so my eyes were always teary (I had to constantly use my hanky); it looked like I was crying! No way! =)
Next week we proceed to COPAR. We will join a different group for that. Here we go again...
They applied make up on our faces! Yes, including the guys! Plus some lip gloss! And some hair spray and a handful of glittering silver dust!
This summer is surely memorable for me. In a sense, Ate Janice and I were alone, because we came from a different section, joining a completely new section, which was a fusion of three sections, actually (only two of us represented section S). But we met a lot of nice people. The grand daughter of the school's owner is certainly an interesting person. People either hate her or like her. I admit she certainly can get on your nerves sometimes (and with many people, she often does), but at least her personality is one of a kind. She's outspoken; she can command people's attention, and even respect. When they give an oral report, she and her husband always give an excellent reporting. They make the rest of the class feel uncomfortable, because our presentations often end up looking mediocre. We did not have any problems with the dance, because she and her husband took care of everything! They organized the whole thing, all we had to do was just dance! I guess that's a good thing, right? She was very particular to details, always making sure that things will go as smoothly as possible.
So I guess what I really want to say is that talagsa ra ka maka-encounter og mga tawo nga ingun ana. People who always go out of their shells, who often ruffles many people's feathers, occasionally offending some people here and there, but doing a good job in the end.
What's good is that she and her husband are a perfect match. She's demanding, domineering, impatient, outspoken, most of the time dead serious, but her husband is tolerant, yielding, easy-going and patient, oftentimes quiet, and have a great sense of humor. They achieve balance. They create a tandem that is, for lack of a better word, amusing to look at. They usually argue in front of us, but while mangugat na siya og murag makuratan naka sa tono sa iyang tingog, her husband always manages to give witty and funny rebuttals, and she just keeps silent and lets the issue go...
I'm glad that I am able to fairly adjust with the different folks we met this summer. If you're somewhat anti-social (I was, and perhaps still am a bit), here are some advice for you: Always smile; keep a pleasant demeanor when you're around people, especially when they're new acquaintances. As the adage goes: First impressions last. And always, always seek first to understand before you try to be understood (Steven Covey's 7 habits are very helpful). Keep your word or the promises you've kept with people. But these are not guarantees for making new friends.
Now I see the point for the dancing and the dressing up as lunatics and parading around the entire campus (we did those, too). We are going to do a culminating activity next semester in the Psych ward. I think the point is that it will prepare us for our work in the Psych ward, and it will help us bond better with our clients.
We also underwent a kind of psychotherapy this morning, as a class. It was meant to familiarize us with the process of psychotherapy, because we will do that, too, in the Psych ward. The C.I.s tried their best to make us cry (hehe); unfortunately they didn't succeed. I think you have to be a trained psychiatrist, or a psychiatric nurse, to be able to do psychotherapy successfully. If a nurse is not experienced, or has not the training, it won't work out the way it's supposed to. But I felt terrible because I had a cold, and so my eyes were always teary (I had to constantly use my hanky); it looked like I was crying! No way! =)
Next week we proceed to COPAR. We will join a different group for that. Here we go again...
Friday, May 04, 2007
Psychia
We had our midterm exam in Psychia this morning. It was very difficult, but on the whole it was okay, I think. (I hope I passed.)
A few interesting things about our class this summer:
1. Our instructor is like a talking textbook. Maka-amaze iyang memory. He has paragraph-long definitions for every term! He expounds concepts and theories at great length and using the most precise words. Grabe. Bilib kaayo ko. But he's not boring; in fact his discussions are sometimes entertaining, as he often relates the concepts with real life.
The only catch is that he can't pronounce his words very well. They often sound funny. It irritates some of my classmates, though, because it makes him unintelligible.
2. The granddaughter of the school's owner, and her husband, is our classmate. I don't know why she occasionally becomes the subject of people's conversations. Perhaps because of her influence over the change of the females' school uniform from the old "yaya" look to the present all-white. Lol. I've heard a certain C.I. walked out of their class last year because of conflict with her. Me, I have no complaints. From what some of my classmates have observed, her personality seemed a bit domineering. My attitude is just to live and let live. Ingun nila nagdako daw siya sa States mao na'ng lahi iyang style.
3. One of the requirements for our finals is a dance presentation! I don't know what the heck that has got to do with psychiatric nursing. But my back is against the wall. Basta ibutang lang ko nila sa likud sa formation and tagaan lang ko nila og mask.
A few interesting things about our class this summer:
1. Our instructor is like a talking textbook. Maka-amaze iyang memory. He has paragraph-long definitions for every term! He expounds concepts and theories at great length and using the most precise words. Grabe. Bilib kaayo ko. But he's not boring; in fact his discussions are sometimes entertaining, as he often relates the concepts with real life.
The only catch is that he can't pronounce his words very well. They often sound funny. It irritates some of my classmates, though, because it makes him unintelligible.
2. The granddaughter of the school's owner, and her husband, is our classmate. I don't know why she occasionally becomes the subject of people's conversations. Perhaps because of her influence over the change of the females' school uniform from the old "yaya" look to the present all-white. Lol. I've heard a certain C.I. walked out of their class last year because of conflict with her. Me, I have no complaints. From what some of my classmates have observed, her personality seemed a bit domineering. My attitude is just to live and let live. Ingun nila nagdako daw siya sa States mao na'ng lahi iyang style.
3. One of the requirements for our finals is a dance presentation! I don't know what the heck that has got to do with psychiatric nursing. But my back is against the wall. Basta ibutang lang ko nila sa likud sa formation and tagaan lang ko nila og mask.
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Another blog
My new (experimental) blog is at hearingandseeing.wordpress.com. =)
I chose Wordpress because I had problems changing the template in Blogger. I'm still getting acquainted with Wordpress. They actually have a lot of nice features... But this is not an endorsement hehehe...
I chose Wordpress because I had problems changing the template in Blogger. I'm still getting acquainted with Wordpress. They actually have a lot of nice features... But this is not an endorsement hehehe...
Monday, April 23, 2007
Going commercial
Notice the ad to your right? Yep, I'm going commercial. Is that necessarily bad? :P Well, this just came to my mind when I see the number of visitors I get to this blog each day... :D Yes, I'm very vain, I *do* track my visitors. The title of this blog is very catchy that it lures people to clicking the link in search engines when they search any topic related to nursing... My blog usually pops up among the top sites. I have a catchy name for a blog, but nothing much (or nothing at all) when it comes to contents. Lol.
But I want to improve this blog. I'll try to make it more relevant to nursing. So I'll use a separate blog for stuff not related to nursing.
If you're looking for a great site about nursing in the Philippines (news, articles, exam tips), visit PinoyBSN. They also have loads of NCLEX and other exam questions you can practice answering. Plus, they have Gabbly Chat where you can interact with other nursing students and professionals in the country and abroad.
But I want to improve this blog. I'll try to make it more relevant to nursing. So I'll use a separate blog for stuff not related to nursing.
If you're looking for a great site about nursing in the Philippines (news, articles, exam tips), visit PinoyBSN. They also have loads of NCLEX and other exam questions you can practice answering. Plus, they have Gabbly Chat where you can interact with other nursing students and professionals in the country and abroad.
Friday, April 20, 2007
Dreading the dentist
I'll be going to the dentist tomorrow for tooth extraction. Why does it feel like going to your executioner?
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