a penny for your thoughts, a webpost for mine

Easy styling with the InStyler

2013-09-05T15:35:00.003+08:00

I subscribe to numerous online shopping sites, and most of my new email come from them, but I normally just scan through and delete the email. The sale of the InStyler rotating iron, though, caught my eye.

I first saw the InStyler rotating iron on Home Shopping Network. Every time I saw that feature, I would say, “wow that looks so easy!” The thing could curl or straighten your hair, too. But of course nothing on that show is cheap, with the InStyler costing a couple of thousand pesos, so I just brushed it off as “nice to watch, but not practical for me.”

See how it works by clicking on this link.

I saw the ad on Ensogo (now LivingSocial), and after much hemming and hawing, and because my brother's girlfriend asked me to buy something for her on the same site, I snapped up the deal too. And so far, I have not regretted it.

When I got home tired from work one evening, I saw the package waiting for me. I picked it up and headed to our room, where I quickly dressed up and opened the box. I was thinking, “Hey, the box is written in Spanish! Maybe that’s why it’s cheap!” and dreaded that the manual would also be in Spanish. Well, it was in English, thank goodness. :-)

The box contained the iron, a wide-toothed comb, a manual, a quick user guide, and a black nylon pouch. Well, at least this would be easy to slip into my luggage when I'm traveling.

The manual lists basic features/parts and instructions...

... while the user guide gives a few tricks to using the InStyler:

It’s auto-volt (can be plugged into 110 or 220 volts), and since I was too lazy to look for an adapter, I plugged the round ends to our 110 outlet and set the InStyler to work:

making pa-cute for the cam while
working with the InStyler

Tired as I was for the day, using this instantly buoyed my spirits. I was thinking, “Wow, it really is easy!” and was smiling while I tried out the different styles in the manual (curl, flip-out, flip-in, straight). The iron gave my hair instant volume, and I only had to use the wide-toothed comb to section my hair and comb it in place. And even though the weather was a bit warm, I put off tying my hair up so I could see how long the curl would last. Well – it lasted until my bath more than three hours later :-). Still, I was looking forward to using it the next day.

I wasn’t disappointed. I commuted to work, and the wind outside the jeepney blew my hair about my face and neck, but I easily put it back into place by simply combing through with my fingers. Except for a few (much fewer than had I just dried my hair with the electric fan) tuchang, my hair did not look buhaghag at all. Looks promising!

my hair "volumized"

All through the day, I kept checking myself in the mirror. Take note, though, that I loathe doing that even though I, too, have a little vanity in my five-foot body. I'm just not too comfortable being with other people who seem to have nothing better to do than preen in front of any reflective surface they come across with. But -- I couldn’t stop myself that day because I wanted to see if my hair was already all tikwas or not (yeah, right).

The good thing is, until I reached home, it was still in practically the same shape I had styled it to that morning. Thank goodness. So I can safely say that this one works for me. My hair looks softer and, though not as straight as rebonded hair, has that nice volume I like. I know, I know, it doesn't look like much, but trust me when I say this looks much better and softer than my usual hair (even without a "before" picture).

The downside

Let me tell you, though, that I still find it a bit difficult to tame the flipping ends of my hair at the back of my head. I really, really regret that I had it layered at a salon other than Jesi, who has taken such good care for my hair (so sulit for the expense). This other salon cut the shortest layers too short to my liking. Anyway, that’s another story, but as soon as I grow the layers out to a more reasonable length, I’ll have my hair at the back cut to just one length so that styling would be more uniform, especially for a non-expert like me.

Before I purchased the InStyler, I searched for reviews on the web. Of course there were mixed reviews. There were even reports of scams. Some also said that the cheaper ones are made in China. Heck, what isn't made in China? Well, I figured, this is just less than a thousand bucks so even if I get what I paid for, I would have enjoyed it for all its worth, without hurting my pockets too much.

There were also reviews about getting burned, and to tell the truth, you could get burned if you’re not careful because the backs of the brush and the rotating iron itself get hot. But hey, common sense, this is a heating device so of course you’d have to be careful – not only in touching it, but on whatever surface you put it on. Also, allow the device to cool a bit before putting it in the nylon pouch (again, that’s common sense). To be safe, always start at lowest temp, especially for fine hair like mine. This also makes it easier for the InStyler to cool down more easily.

You also have to take a little bit care with your hair getting caught in the barrel. The manual expressly states that you have to section your hair, and each section should not be wider than the barrel. Use the comb to set off the section you’re going to iron and make sure that your hair is at the center of the barrel. Getting some strands stuck at the ends of the barrel can become irritating, or painful, or discomfiting, depending on how much hair gets stuck, and it’s not easy extracting those strands – unless you want to cut them off and end up with unevenly layered hair in the process.

Subjecting your hair to heat a lot will also require you to condition and treat your hair often.

Online availability

This blog is not really an ad, but if any of you are interested, I saw at least five sites to date selling this at different prices:

P898 on Ensogo/LivingSocial (previously P3,000)

P745 on Deal Amigos (previously P1,300)

P780 on Deal Spot (previously P1,600)

P999 on Groupon (coming soon, previously P4,200)

P999 on MetroDeal (previously P2999)

As you can see, the most expensive “promo” is with MetroDeal. It's interesting to note, too, that they have different original prices - MetroDeal and Ensogo said the original price was at P3,000, Groupon says it's P4,200, while the other sites have their original prices pegged at less than half! Hmm...

Apparently, I had not done my research well because I bought mine at Ensogo and the other sites were cheaper and had free delivery. With Ensogo, my delivery cost P65. Then when the package arrived, I saw on the courier’s receipt that the delivery charge was just P55. Imagine that, pinagkakitaan pa ng Ensogo yung delivery charge?! It just so happened that I trust Ensogo na because I’ve bought a lot of times from them before, and the quality is usually good, but I’ve found that changes in their delivery for policies suck. But that’s another story (again).

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The InStyler may not work for others – different strokes for different folks. But for now, I will have to say I will use the InStyler for what it’s worth. That is, probably until my next rebonding session. :-)

Civil (Ob)Servant

2013-08-27T13:42:00.001+08:00

I remember two of my blogs (in fact I think they’re still posted online)… One was something I wrote around Christmas time, and it was inspired (what else was it) by my disgust with some of the “shenanigans” going on. It was like, “OMG. How utterly shameless of them! Kapalmuks!”

The other one, on the other hand, was inspired by a feeling of… I don’t actually know, but if I remember right, I was feeling somewhere at a “crossroads” of my life, and I was also getting fed up with questions on why I’m working in the Philippines, land of my birth, when others think I could actually be earning more slaving for foreign masters.

This time, I would like to share what I have learned so far, being a civil servant. For that matter, many of these, I’m sure people also learn in their own workplace.

1. I learned to be careful of speaking out on the subject of religion. Even in a predominantly Catholic country like the Philippines, there are so many other “religions” or at the very least, religious beliefs out there, so it’s not far-fetched that you may offend someone else. In fact, it’s getting kind of tricky refusing those who are pestering you to shift or adapt to their beliefs. I, for one, have always believed that one needs to respect other beliefs, therefore, I do not impose my own on them.

2. Now this is a sad fact when it comes to working for our government: the big bosses always have the right to utilize funds according to their own caprices. This is what they call, “discretionary.” This is soooooo frustrating especially when you’re expecting the office to disburse funds for some activities and they say that there’s no money, but there’s always some money for the big bosses’ activities, no matter how insignificant or irrelevant or unplanned they are.

3. Still, when you’re one of the bosses (though not as big as those in # 2), it is your right and your duty to use funds judiciously. Don’t let the system eat you! Don’t become one of those “big bosses” no matter how tempting it may be.

4. Sometimes someone you don’t like eventually ends up as your boss no matter how incompetent or unqualified that person seems to be (to you or to other people). Is this “what goes around, comes around?” In our government, bosses are always reshuffled, so it’s definitely a very big possibility that you’ll be ending up rubbing elbows with him/her soon.

5. When you are given the opportunity to become a boss (even if it’s not as big as those in # 2), enjoy the perks of being a boss, but never at the expense of others. Always remember that some good things never last, and you were put there for a reason. Treat your subordinates as you would like to be treated by your boss. You may even treat them as friends, but have the skill to discern who among them know better than to cross the supervisor-subordinate relationship (read: healthy respect, even if it’s just for the position).

6. If you’re a supervisor, lead by example! Learn the ropes; learn what your subordinates are doing so that you do not become totally dependent on them. Remember: you may not be a boss forever.

7. Have a private life, something that your staff isn’t privy to. This prevents you from becoming the subject of office gossip. And believe me, there’s plenty of that.

8. Even with “flexitime,” coming in early for work has its advantages. You avoid traffic. You have time to relax before everyone else. You may even have time to put on your makeup or curl your hair before the first clients come. Plus, you have the option to quit early once you've clocked the required number of hours, or extend your time a bit and get more done.

9. If you do come early, don’t look like you’re just watching the clock! Hide your packed up things, and don’t make a mad dash for the door once you see the clock hit your 8^th hour of work. Put in a few minutes more, appearing to be busy, and walk leisurely out when you finally think it’s okay to leave.

10. Some of the best and brightest minds work for the government. It's just a sad fact that our government employees are branded as corrupt, inefficient, lazy, et cetera. But workin inside gives you a chance to know that there are so many who have really studied and worked their way to the top, and you will marvel at those who have the credentials to get a job overseas that earns a lot more, but they opt to stay here to serve the people.

Have YOU ever worked for our government? What have you learned so far?

Trekking to see the Rafflesia in Barbaza, Antique

2013-08-24T17:52:00.000+08:00

It promised to be sunny when we arrived at the Iloilo airport in March 2012. My team (from the Central Office) of two photographers Kuya Jun and Sir Joe, and Marjun our videographer were on official duty to document a certain Rafflesia species reportedly blooming in the Panay mountains. This "Queen of Parasites" blooms in full for only a few days and time was thus of essence. So the four of us squeezed into the main cab of the pickup truck that fetched us, while our information officers Artem and David sat it out at the (covered) rear, and off we sped to Barbaza town in Antique, about four hours away.

I love going to Iloilo because I love the food. I wasn't disappointed when we stopped over at a seaside eatery to have our fill of seafood, especially fresh talaba (oysters). We also stopped at a fruit stand along the way to buy some bananas and watermelons.

yummy watermelons!

fresh seafood - and kuya jun and marjun are both obviously full

Finally, after acquiring an additional pickup truck, driving through alternating rain and sun, and paying a courtesy call at one of the field offices, our truck pulled into the parking lot of the compound owned by the family of Barbaza Mayor Faith Francisco. (We were to be accommodated in their home for the two nights that we would be staying in Barbaza.) The mayor, along with her municipal environmental and natural resources officer (MENRO) Emerson Ogatis, welcomed us and oriented us on what lay ahead.

Mayor Faith (in blue blouse and black shorts) and MENRO Emerson
welcoming and orienting us

That night, I packed my bag, complete with filled bladder (or hydration pack), and prayed really hard for good weather the next day. MENRO Emerson had warned of a five-hour trek, but assured us that the slope would be "gentle".

Being the only female in the group had its advantages, as I had a small guest room to myself with a bathroom right outside it, and so I was quick to get up early the next morning for my final preparations. Unfortunately, some hitches caused a few delays but finally we were on the road to that barangay further inland where we would literally take off on foot. About a 15-minute hike away, we came across Camp Eupre, a small mountain resort where snacks were served to our party.

By this time, we had been joined by personnel from our Culasi field office, media crew from the local GMA-7, mountaineer-biologists from Haribon, Dr. Renee Galang of the Philippine Spotted Deer Foundation, and Mayor Francisco herself. Galang was the discoverer of another Rafflesia species in another portion of the Panay mountain range. (See his site here.)

Does this look like a "gentle slope"?

After partaking of the snacks and making use of the pit stop, we (minus the Mayor) continued on our way. At first, I was one of those going fast on the trail, keeping up with the mountaineers. But soon I realized I was somewhere between getting left behind by the younger men and leaving some of my teammates behind (older, hehehe), so I slowed down to join the latter.

After about three hours of trekking almost consistently uphill, with the morning sun shining brightly over our heads.... boy, was I huffing and puffing! Breathless, sweating... Not to mention that I'd drunk almost all the contents of the bladder in my bag, and I had just been sipping it. Some of the trails were narrow and the loose soil made several areas slippery, but my trusty Tribu sandals never let me down. Actually, I preferred the dryness and heat rather than rain which would make it even more slippery... Or worse, bring out those limatiks (leeches). Shudder!

About an hour later, some locals chanced upon us. One of them, a lady, offered to carry my bag and jacket so I would feel lighter. Apparently, they were from the barangay which had jurisdiction over the rafflesia site and were headed home, so they were used to the trails.

Local folks assisting us. Manang has my backpack.

We walked again for another hour, stopping several times to catch our breath before reaching the top. The locals who were accompanying us were probably either inwardly laughing or being exasperated at how slow we were. We caught up with some of the other men from the other teams at one stop. They were joking about how even if they had the loveliest and sexiest wife waiting for them, newly bathed, at the end of the trail and they had to walk the trail each day just to get home, it would be useless as they would be bone-tired. Also, how they were going to sooooo suggest to the Mayor to have a zipline installed so everyone could have an easier time going back.

I gazed 360 degrees when we reached the top, or about 750 meters above sea level according to the Haribon guys. We were surrounded by a view of mountain ridges of the Panay mountain range, and beyond, the sea, while the cool mountain breeze whipped my hair across my face. Kuya Jun said he didn't like looking at mountains that looked barren or logged, but I said I appreciated seeing the ridges and the jagged slopes that were bared to my eyes.

Kuya Jun gazing at the panoramic view of Panay mountain range

But we were not done! We were now to go down -- at last, downhill! For about another hour, we trudged past the cogon grass slashing at our clothes, down to a more forested area, our local companions assisting us along the way. We let the excited voices of those who had arrived ahead lead us to the site.

There! We could spot a few reddish blooms of the Rafflesia speciosa on the sloping ground across the damp forest floor, with the teams milled about documenting the blooms and surrounding environment. Dr. Galang was busy observing a rotting bloom, and we listened and asked questions about this particular species and how it differed from the others.

Dr. Galang measuring a rotting Rafflesia flower (pic by Kuya Jun)

Mike of Haribon taking a pic of a Rafflesia in early blooming stage

He showed us other buds on the forest floor. They looked so inconspicuous, like plain forest litter, that you wouldn't probably notice them with your untrained eye and possibly just step on them. This was probably one of the reasons this flower is endangered.

The Rafflesia bud is inconspicuous on the forest floor

The rafflesia is an awesome flower. We let the biologists point out the other flowers, in varying stages of bloom. Personally I didn't think the full-bloom flower stank, as commonly believed. Rather, it was the one past blooming stage, or getting into decomposition stage, that smelled like carrion (that's why it's also called "the corpse flower") because the large hollow center could easily store stagnant water as well as trap some animals to death. This is one of its ways to reproduce -- the stink would actually attract some animals that would spread its pollen to other areas.

Two Rafflesia speciosa - the red one in almost full bloom (within 24 hours),
the other a few days past its full bloom stage (pic by Kuya Jun)

We couldn't leave without having our pictures taken with the large flower, so we each gingerly made our way down the slope, clinging to some vines, to pose beside the nearest blooming one - the one with almost all of its large petals open.

that's me trying to get near the (almost) full bloom

I'm not going into the other features and characteristics of this flower. That's easily available on the net, anyway. (You can start by clicking on this link on Philippine rafflesia.)

Dr. Galang measuring the blooming Rafflesia speciosa
with a caliper (pic by Kuya Jun)

<groan> we still have to go up there
and that guy was just RUNNING!

We felt like our grueling trek was rewarded when we saw this flower. We realized, after all, that we were some of a few individuals on earth who had actually seen a live specimen of the world's largest flower. (The environmental conditions they live in are so far hard to replicate in artificial surroundings, thus they cannot be easily bred.) Sure, there are many from those living in hinterlands or forested areas who can say that they're familiar with it, but the problem is, they take it for granted and do not appreciate the fact that these are an endangered species. All they know is that the flower stinks and they keep away from it.

Pretty soon, we were urged to go back. I felt like I was not alone in inwardly groaning when I realized that this time, what was previously downhill would mean uphill, and vice-versa. Short though the now-uphill trek would be, our legs were aching and we felt that we couldn't take one more step, but bravely we trekked on. We had no choice anyway or we'd be stuck there, miles from civilization! At the top, we gladly - albeit wearily - plunked down on the ground, snacked on some kakanin and gladly gulped water that the locals had brought for us.

time to rest and snack before heading back down

At this time, I kept on ribbing MENRO Emerson, feigning indignation at his promise of "a gentle slope." In fairness, though, the steepest was probably about 60 degrees. He invited us to stay at the local barangay so we could see the Rafflesia fully open the next day. But we had to decline because we had to document Bugang River in Pandan and the mangroves of Kalibo the following day. After that we had to head to Boracay Island to view the flight of the fruit bats, too. So we said our goodbyes to him, Dr. Galang, and the rest of the teams who were going to be left behind.

(Note: Good thing we didn't stay. The next morning, it was raining so hard that we would have been stranded up there and all our schedule would have been a-kilter.)

If it was a difficult trek to the site, then it was equally difficult going back down. By this time our limbs and joints were literally stiff, and anyone who has gone mountain trekking knows that the trek downhill is really bad on the knees as you would have to constantly "brake" with your feet to prevent a continuous slide down. Still, we were able to finish the return trip in almost three hours. Ugh!

Sir Joe and Marjun leading the way back down

We feasted on ice-cold water when we reached one of the communities back down, and when we reached Camp Eupre, we gladly drank the buko juice that the owner offered us.

I could have cried later upon seeing the pickup truck where we had left it parked further down in the more populated barangay. I wanted to shout "hooray!", but all I could do was climb wearily into the cab as we headed back to the Mayor's house. There, we ate an early dinner, and I took a refreshing bath before heading off to a deep sleep.

I knew that the next day, we would feel the punishing after-effects on our bodies, but that night, I thanked God that I was able to pay homage to a queen, parasitic though it may be.

P.S. The next day, we headed to Pandan, Antique to take pics of Bugang River, one of the country's cleanest rivers. (Picture this: it was raining so hard, but the waters remained green instead of turning into muddy brown.) Then we headed to Kalibo to document one of the mangrove ecotourism sites there with century-old mangrove trees. The following day, we hopped onto a ferry in Caticlan going to Boracay to try to catch a glimpse of the flying foxes (fruit bats) - but with the windy weather, we were disappointed. Still, we were able to squeeze in some time for R & R at the beach scene... as you can see from this pic:

enjoying my taho on Boracay beach

Buffet 101: Where food and drinks are really unli!

2013-08-18T17:57:00.001+08:00

Nerly and Ethel, my college buddies from UP, and I met up recently at the Buffet101 in MOA. Though a bit inconvenient for Ethel and me who had to brave and suffer the Friday afternoon jam on the MRT and LRT, MOA was convenient for Nerly who had to travel from Cavite and rush to the airport after our meet-up, to head back for France where she's settled now.

Despite the perceived hassle of the trip, I actually looked forward to the meet-up for two reasons: (1) the three of us hadn't been together for more than two decades; and (2) I had been hearing and reading good things about Buffet101 (including on TV's Ang Pinaka). Plus, as it turned out, it was Nerly's treat. That had to be the BEST reason, haha!

Buffet101 MOA is located along Seaside Boulevard at the back of SMX. It's next to that swinging boat ride that resembles Enchanted Kingdom's Anchors Away, and beyond the MOA Eye if you're coming from the music hall/IMAX area.

We hadn't made prior reservations, so being the one to arrive there first, I took the liberty of reserving a table for us. Then for future reference, I took this pic of the resto's rates, posted at the entrance.

still empty!

The waiting time allowed me the chance to freshen up, especially after that grueling LRT trip from Central Station to EDSA, where I was practically squished against the door the entire time. So I headed to the restroom, passing the still-empty places where the service crew were busy setting the tables, both dining and buffet. The evening buffet, by the way, starts at 5:30pm.

Finally, Ethel arrived and whiled away her time taking pictures of the scene behind the resto. Nerly herself arrived soon after, and after waiting patiently for her name to be called, we were led to our table that was just beside the buffet area. Yipee!

So off we went to get what we wanted, eating while we traded stories in between courses to catch up on each other's lives. By this time, the place was filling up with a good-sized crowd.

After scanning the buffet counters, this was what I decided to eat. My first course was the Japanese cuisine, where I feasted on different kinds of maki, some fresh sashimi, and of course, healthful miso soup.

For my second course, I took two slices of US ribs (i'm more into beef than pork, except for sisig), some mushrooms, and seafood chowder. As I was scouting the next counter, the crew was replenishing the baked oysters. I picked up three, then went to get a mango shake to wash everything down.

The ribs were okay, not really exceptional. As for the oysters, I wondered aloud (as a joke) if there was no red tide, or if the oysters weren't from Cavite which was affected by a recent oil spill. Ha! Who cares? I ate them all, anyway. ;-)

I wasn't quite sure I could eat more... I noticed, though, that in spite of the no leftovers policy, you can easily set aside plates with unfinished and unwanted food to the side of the table where the crew can promptly pick them up. Believe me, they're quick to retrieve those plates and glasses. I guess with that kind of crowd, you'd really need to restock those clean plates FAST. They just leave the utensils behind.

Then I decided to indulge my sweet tooth and headed over to the dessert station. Here's a collage of pics from that area:

I tell you, there were too many sweets to choose from, I think I became diabetic just looking at them!

I got creme brulee, brazo de mercedes, chocolate mousse, cream puff, and another thing with a cherry on top. I didn't even touch the pannacottas, the choco fondue section or ice cream! :-)

Well, the mousse looked like a small pot of soil with leaves growing out of it... I agreed with Ethel that we didn't like it that much. The cream puff was not puffy at all; it tasted like pudding to me. (Tinapayan's cream puff is sooo much better!) I made short work of the creme brulee, the brazo, and that cherry-topped thing, and with great self-control, stopped myself from getting second helpings from the overstocked dessert station. Really.

While Ethel and Nerly talked, I stood up to take some pics of the sections. Here's a hodgepodge of some of the areas. I couldn't take a pic of the other sections, there were too many people preventing me from taking decent enough shots.

main meal areas - i didn't get a taste of that sisig pizza, dang!

seafood and japanese sections

I decided to get a slice of sweet melon, plucked some cherries off the mixed fruit, helped myself to another mango shake, and headed back to our table.

After eating, I had a funny feeling in my tummy. Really, it felt so full and HARD to the touch! I think that's the first time I've felt that way in recent memory. Not the kind where you would want to run to the toilet, but the one where you feel so full and afraid to move. Nothing that a good burp and a walk couldn't cure, though. Or maybe I should have taken some tea instead.

Then, all too soon it seemed, Nerly, Ethel and I said our goodbyes before we parted ways for God-knows-how-many-years-before-we-see-each-other-again.

In truth, even though I like going on food trips, I usually don't like eat-all-you-can buffets because I think lugi ako especially with the no leftover policy. I mean, for the same price, I could dine a la carte and take home any leftover. I think eat-all-you-cans is best if you have someone really matakaw with you. :-)

What I like about Buffet101 is you get to pay for unlimited food and drinks. Even if I don't frequent eat-all-you-cans that much (especially on my own), I know that a lot of them offer only one round of drinks, and with a very limited choice (usually iced tea or softdrinks), if any. Here, you can choose from soda, fruit shakes, coffee, even wine and beer.

The ambience is also worth it. It feels like you're dining in a posh hotel, what with the lighting from those chandeliers and the interior decor. But unlike in a hotel resto, you can hear some of the crew singing "Happy Birthday" to some lucky - or unlucky - patrons.

By the way, I found this sign on the table, too, about discounts offered for those who like frequenting these buffets:

I haven't been to Vikings or Yakimix (Buffet101's sister company, from what I gather), but I've heard good things about them. I hope to verify for myself soon, hopefully.

For now, Buffet101 has another branch at Robinsons Magnolia. Since that's just one LRT-2 ride away from our place, I think I'd prefer going there next time. I wonder when that would be? :-)

You can click their FB account here: Buffet101 on Facebook.

Happy eating!

Giving in to vanity at Clara International

2013-08-17T20:07:00.001+08:00

I had my first facial treatment a couple of years back. I had warts removed from my face at Flawless, since they had an ongoing promo then. As it turns out, I should have asked and researched first. Kasi, the promo pala was for flat warts only, and each elevated wart and skin tag (yes, there are many kinds) cost extra PER PIECE, and they also charged extra for those located on the eyes, which I all had, so some promo it turned out to be! I had so many warts (isn't it amazing how many are like invisible to our untrained eyes?) They decided to just slather the anaesthesia cream over my entire face, which they covered with a plastic wrap, cutting out holes for my eyes and nose.

Then some time last year, I saw another promo for wart removal on the net, and I was interested because the place was familiar to me, I would pass by it every day going to work. This time, I knew better to call first and ask if the promo included other types of warts. (In fact, every time I saw an online promo at other clinics, I would call ahead and inquire first. They would usually just cover flat warts.) When this clinic said that the promo was for all types of warts, I had no second thoughts about availing of the promo.

And when I got to Clara International, whose clinic is located along Sunshine Boulevard Plaza in Quezon Avenue (that compound where you can find Clownz Comedy Bar, just past Delta if you’re coming from Quiapo going to Quezon Circle), I was impressed by their facilities. Not ultra modern looking, but clean and comfortable. Even their restrooms were clean, not the cubicle type but really a single room like you have at your house, with toilet paper, hand soap and dryer.

But what I really liked was the treatment rooms. Where at Flawless, clients lay down on single beds arranged beside each other (with no curtains except for some where I think they would treat those who needed a bit more privacy), like in a hospital’s ward or emergency room, at Clara, each client is treated in separate private rooms. They even have a buzzer for assistance from other staff. They also provide a garterized tube-like skirt-looking garment that you put on while undergoing treatment below the neck.

My attending aesthetician or nurse (sorry, I forgot her name) had very light hands – even with my larger skin tags, when she would warn me that it might hurt, I felt just a vague discomfort that soon went away. And despite the promo being just valid for one area (face, neck or chest), she cauterized all warts she could find on my neck, chest (even under my breasts), and even armpits. No peklat too!

The experience was really worth it so that when I received a text from them that they had ongoing promos on Deals4U, I took my chances again. This time, I availed of the Intense Diamond Exfoliation for P599. I had read a lot about microdermabrasion (that’s the technical term for this procedure, I guess), and I had never undergone a facial of any kind before, so I wanted to try this one.

I got there early, I think I was the first client there. My nurse was a different person this time. First she cleansed my face, then stroked the diamond peel wand across my face. It felt like the wand had something rough at the tip – this was the diamond dust, used to exfoliate the skin. At the same time, the wand would vacuum the exfoliated skin away from my face. For me, it felt soothing. I asked if it was whitening and she said that it only provided superficial lightening. I told her that it’s okay, I didn’t want to undergo whitening anyway because I enjoy outdoor activities and my work also requires me to go outdoors a lot.

After the exfoliation, she showed me a tissue paper with all the stuff she had removed from my face. She said it was a necessary procedure so they could show the clients what they had removed from the face. Ewness, so of course I didn't take a pic. Next time, maybe? heheh.

extracting my blackheads

The nurse then proceeded to extract my bigger blackheads. It wasn’t really that painful, just uncomfortable. She also warned me to expect a little pain because she was going to clean out a pimple at my temple – I didn’t even know I had any! But I didn’t feel much with it, just that she was removing something. My high pain tolerance really comes in handy sometimes. Afterwards, she showed me the removed blackheads. Again, no pic of this ewness. :-)

We were talking a lot of the time, and I learned that I had dry sensitive skin, although my t-zone was kinda oily. No surprise there, the blackheads are proof! She suggested for me to really make sure to use moisturizer, especially one with grape seed extract. She also suggested I get another kind of facial, the more complete one where I would undergo a more extensive facial massage, steaming to soften the impurities, and they would apply two kinds of masks to lessen the redness, because the promo did not include those. :-(

Then she wiped onto my face a cooling mask, and left me to allow some time for it to soak into my skin. Left to my own devices, I took the chance to take this picture, ha ha.

me with the mask

After removing the mask several minutes later, she wiped on some SPF cream, and reminded me NEVER to forget to use moisturizer and SPF. No worries there; moisturizer is always a part of my regimen (although I think I'll try other brands because I've been using Olay for quite some time now), and I assured her that SPF is one ingredient I always consider when buying products.

Then we were done. I dressed up and went to the restroom. With the lighting in there so much better than in the treatment room (where they use lamps for a better illumination of the area to be treated), I took an “after” picture. I liked the results. No redness and my face looks – and feels! – so fresh.

fresh after IDE

Now I’m worried. I have two other cheaper (P299 each) vouchers for a different clinic. I wonder if I would have the same experience? I know that there will be no private room this time, just like in Flawless. I’m no expert on skin care or treatments, too, so I don’t know if I got a good deal or not, but I know I liked the experience and the way the staff at Clara treated me.

I know facials make an improvement on your face if they’re done on a more regular basis, and they’re really recommended for someone like me who’s exposed daily to pollution. And I really liked how it made my face feel so rejuvenated, kinda like the feeling you get from having a body massage. So I think I’ll click on Clara’s promo at Deals4U again. :-)

On Facebook, look for their page ClaraInternational. They have another branch in Greenhills. Once you’re a client, they text or call you for ongoing promos.

a heavy-hearted "bye, Lila; hello, Manila"

2013-05-20T12:55:00.002+08:00

it's that time of the year again... nope, not Christmas, but summer time, when we are able to go to our province of Bohol, in that quaint little fourth-class municipality of simple, laid-back Lila which is about 28 kilometers from the provincial capital of Tagbilaran City. Lila is where my dad hails from, and ever since i can remember, it's where my brothers and i have spent our summers.

when we want to spend our vacations there, one week is simply not enough. first, we want to make the most of our transportation fare, which is no joke especially during the summer season where the province welcomes a LOT of tourists and a LOT of balikbayans because of the numerous fiestas during the merry month of May. second, and most importantly, bohol gives us our ultimate vacation high - a fantastic escape from the hustle and bustle of Manila.

but even though we try to go to Bohol annually (except when I'm on official business or when relatives from abroad bring my husband and me along to play their personal tourist guide), we can still never get enough of it - sun, sand, sea, everything!! my husband (half-Ilocano and half-Pampangueno by blood but raised to be pure Ilocano) has also adopted this province as his own, too!

so why do i love being in Bohol? let me count the ways.....

why i love being in bohol, and what i will miss:

the awesome sight of the starry starry night, reminding us of how tiny we are in the universe

the sound of leaves rustling in the breeze, and crickets greeting the silence of the streets at 8 PM (!!!! too early!!!)

the sight and sound of waves crashing on the shore

the opportunity to swim and snorkel in the sea (free of charge) that is clear enough underwater to provide good visibility for several meters

marveling at the sight of different fishes swimming past you, and the joy of watching real life Nemos (clown fish) weaving in and out of the gently swaying anemone

the feel of the wind ruffling your hair and whistling through your ears making the heat a lot more bearable while you ride in the overloaded jeepney that's zooming to cover more than 28 kilometers in about 30-40 minutes, and the ability to cover that distance because there's no traffic

jumping on and off tricycles and habal-habal to get to your (short-distance) destination, and catching the "last trip " to get to your (long-distance) destination, making your travel a (sort of) adventure

eating fresh fish and seaweed and preparing food with veggies picked fresh from the garden

..... and the list goes on and on!

when it's "back in manila" and what i WON'T miss nor look forward to:

the glow of the stars will be overshadowed by lit up billboards and towering high-rise buildings

the sound of rustling leaves and crashing waves will be replaced by the honking horns of traffic and shouts of tambays even past midnight

the clear waters of the sea will be replaced by black waters filled with floating trash, or else be prepared to travel quite some distance or shell out some cash to enjoy the sea or the sight of different fish in life-sized aquariums

the experience of riding in overloaded jeepneys and catching the "last trip" will be replaced by riding in commuter trains, buses or FX available for more hours of the day

commuting to the office or the nearest mall will take forever because of traffic

the option to escape the heat during the commute is by riding a taxi instead, driven by hoodlums who will try to short-change you with the fare

veggies will be sourced from the market or from the nearest suking grocery store, unless you have a big enough garden in your background

..... and the list goes on and on. :-(

...... so i really wonder, why does everyone want to be in congested, noisy, polluted manila?

i guess it's fine for people who want to be part of the busy life and the blinking lights. and there are apparently more job opportunities here.

the reasons why i love going to bohol ain't unique. they are echoed in many parts of the archipelago. but really, i'm just happy and thankful that a city girl like me can really have a place like lila, bohol to go to, not as a tourist, but where I can enjoy a stress-free,laid-back life from time to time, a place where I can feel at, and call, home.

(Note: This post was originally posted as a "Note" in my Facebook page.)

ayayay, IUI!

2011-05-23T14:30:00.000+08:00

(Note: This was originally posted as a "note" in my facebook account.)

how is it that every time i need serious medical attention, it always turns out to be a "difficult case"?

first was my bout with typhoid in 1993. i was said to be the first case of an antibiotic-resistant typhoid strain in manila; previous cases had only then been recorded in mandaluyong city, where it so happened that i was working. to make a long story short, my typhoid led me to emit fresh blood in my stool, and for the first 9 days i was in the hospital, "feverless" yet being transfused with blood, befuddling the docs, and subject for their discussion and debate. a collapse in the restroom on the 9th day, and on my dad's birthday no less, led to an exploratory laparotomy, an operation where they cut off around one foot of my small intestine which, my surgeon said, was showing signs of bleeding. then they just sewed up the two ends together. seven days later, i was free to go home, weighing only 75 pounds, with a huge 16-stitch scar running down my belly and 11 bags worth of blood running through my veins.

fast forward to 2011. i am in the women's health center of metropolitan hospital. i am here for a fertility work-up which i have been undergoing for how many years, under different OBs in different hospitals, since i've been married for 8 years and still with no kids to show as proof. :-) this time i am ready to undergo intrauterine insemination. prior to this day, i had been taking a combined fertility regimen of clomene for 5 days, and 3 shots of puregon on alternating days. i had also been undergoing transvaginal ultrasound so they could monitor my follicles and my uterine lining.

on day 1 of my ultrasound (day 10 of my cycle) i caught the sound of worry from my OB (a reproductive endocrinologist) that my lining wasn't thick enough. this fact is important because the lining needs to be thick enough for a fertilized ovum to implant and become a baby. but then, the ultrasound had been done prior to my puregon (estrogen) shot. ditto on day 2 (day 12 of my cycle), although the lining had thickened a bit. by this time i had partially shifted to a diet of soy milk, wheat bread, wheat cereal, apples since i had read on the internet that these were estrogen-rich foods. i had to reduce my white rice intake too. anyway, my OB also said that we could push through with the IUI on day 14 of my cycle because the thickening rate of the lining was going fine enough, and i already had mature follicles.

so this is day 3 of my ultrasound, or day 14 of my cycle. pank and i are early at the hospital. while waiting for the doctor, i ask pank to accompany me to the nearby chapel and pray. there, i see an image of sta. clara. sta. clara, sta. clara! we had danced in obando a few years ago... quite an experience! but we had not gone since... i stand up and touch her image and in my heart offer a small prayer seeking her help. beside her, so propitiously i think, stands an image of st. jude thaddeus -- our parish and personal patron! i touch him and offer a small prayer too.

back we go to the hospital for my ultrasound. my OB says my uterine lining is thick enough (the estrogen-rich foods could have worked!) also, one of the mature follicles is starting to decrease in size and there is already a little fluid in my cul-de-sac. she reassures me that it's fine, it means she wouldn't have to inject me with pregnyl for my follicle to rupture, saving me money. :-) but since it is about lunch time, she advises us to have lunch first, and return for pank to be able to provide his seed (environment-friendly ang term, palibhasa taga-DENR hahaha).

we have a hearty lunch at nearby shakey's.. i try their shirley temple (lemon soda with cherry syrup) and i like its bubbly taste, perfect for the saltiness of my bunch of lunch. then we go back to the hospital to nap at the plush leatherette-covered cushions of the sofas in the empty 5th floor lobby. at the appointed time, pank goes on exile to that mysterious room assigned for men... hahaha... and he emerges a few minutes later (ang bilis?!). he hands over his "produce" for semenalysis and for washing (when they prepare sperm for better chances of survival and fertilization, removing the "bad quality" sperm). this would, we had been told, take some time.

so we wait.

it is past 5pm. the nurse calls me and hands me the washed sperm in a small tube. she tapes the tube to my upper chest, telling me to cover it with my palm because it would need body heat. a bit later, my OB arrives with another female OB in tow. then they tell me to lie down and spread my legs, of course, and proceed to prod and poke into my nethers. (archaic ang dating, hehe..)

my husband and i are a bit worried when we hear the docs muttering how they are having a bit of difficulty because of how my cervix is positioned, added to the fact that i have a retroverted uterus. the catheter, soft as it is, is finding "resistance" and can not be easily pushed or guided into my uterus. they even need a hysterometer so they can better see how to guide the catheter in. by this time i am finding it uncomfortable, not really painful (i guess it's because of my high level of pain tolerance), while the docs ask time and again for this and that tool or whatever medical instrument or aid from the nurse.

i distract myself from the discomfort by reciting Psalm 23, which has never ceased to calm me every time i utter it, and by trying to read what is written in the lights overhead. from time to time i glance at my patiently waiting husband, who is standing beside me, and i smile to reassure him that i am okay even though it is as if i could feel that my tummy is being rearranged. uncomfortable, really.

i also think of how my mom once joked that it's just like what people do to breed pigs.. and i think, man, what an expensive way to have a kid... how impersonal, how clinical.. where's the sense of enjoying the act of making babies? haha. congress is debating about the RH bill and controlling the country's population.. fetuses are found stashed somewhere, babies are literally thrown away.. and here i am, with my legs spread and not enjoying it (oops.. censored!) just to have a baby!

some 25-30 minutes later (in what was supposed to be a 15-20 minute procedure) they finally say it is done... my OB is sweating, considering that the room's air conditioning has been turned up. but i have to remain lying down with a pillow under my butt for about 15 minutes more while my hubby settles the bill and arranges our things.

while the nurse cleans up the used medical aids, we chat.. she wishes me luck because two previous IUI patients had not had any... one was in her 30s, the other in her 40s... and i'm 39! she wishes i would break the chain, especially since i have an attentive husband who had gone through the whole preparation and procedure with me. the two previous patients were both married to seafarers, and had limited time for the whole thing. disheartening though the news is, i am determined to stay positive. she says one of the patients wants to dance at the obando fiesta, and we say that we had danced there before and were not able to return.

it is almost 7 pm. kami na ang nagsara ng women's health center sa aming pag-alis.(its office hours are at 9am-6pm.) luckily, at a hospital where hailing a taxicab is so difficult, one comes cruising in to let off some hospital visitors. we jump in. well, not literally, since i have to be reaalllly careful with my movements.

in the cab on the way home, we realize... it's may 18th. our wedding date is dec. 18th. what a nice date! how we pray that even though this is my first time to undergo the procedure, i would not have to repeat it (they say patients are given 2-3 maximum IUI procedures, and with no success, are then advised to try IVF.) i hope i have beginner's luck! first time lucky!

but i know, lucky actually means God willed it. and the clincher, because we realize it only as we reach home and sit down for dinner: may 18th is the feast day of sta. clara of obando, patron of those who request for a mate, or to bear children, especially female! and i had touched her statue that morning, and talked about the fiesta with the nurse, without realizing it!

♫ ♫

"Santa Clarang pinong-pino / Ako po ay bigyan mo / Ng asawang labintatlo / Sa gastos 'di magreklamo!"

"Santa Clarang pinong-pino / Ang pangako ko ay ganito / Pagdating ko sa Obando / Sasayaw ako ng pandanggo."

♫♫

Baby Myths

2010-02-21T12:53:00.000+08:00

I think this website's researchers oughtta do a little more research about baby myths here in the Philippines. Having babysat a lot of my cousins, nephews or nieces (since I don't have a babe of my own yet), I've been surprised by so many myths -- most likely do's and don'ts about babies, unsolicited advice most of the time.

4 Myths about Babies on Shine

9 Chic Shoe Rules - Fashion Beauty on Shine

2010-02-21T12:51:00.000+08:00

9 Chic Shoe Rules - Fashion Beauty on Shine

Nothing to lose indeed?

2009-12-14T21:04:00.004+08:00

My husband was found to have a tissue mass in his head. His condition confounded the attending physicians. One neurologist wanted immediate surgery to be able to perform a biopsy. So, we sought for a second opinion, which was actually an opinion from several doctors from one hospital – two neurologists, a neurosurgeon, and an otonasolaryngologist-surgeon, who also sought the opinion of more than one radiologist. Their verdict: "A difficult case."

Meanwhile, his officemates, some well-meaning friends & relatives told him to think back on where he had gone, places that may have some "supernatural beings" that he may have offended. This reminded him of a grassy site that he had visited one time, where he had been laughing boisterously with some workmates then later relieved himself at a horseradish tree. That same afternoon, his throat began to feel sore.

Hearing this story, he was told to offer something to the beings in that area. Despite being Catholics or Christians, the usual line would be "you won't lose anything." In Tagalog, “Wala namang mawawala sa iyo.”

Later this got me thinking. Do we really lose nothing when we believe in such things, when we attribute unexplainable illnesses or cures to these beings?

His officemates asked me if I believed in such. My husband would say the excuse, “She was raised in the city.” To this I would say, “It’s not that I don’t believe in such things. I just don’t know whether I should believe in them.”

But yes, I was raised in the city. Also, my mom belongs to a family of medical professionals. I haven’t heard anyone from my dad’s side of the family giving in to such beliefs either. The local albularyo or hilot, yes, for bodily aches and pains, but not in “mangkukulam” and the like. This is mainly the reason why I do not know if I would ever believe in such. Maybe, subconsciously, I was cut out to be a math major because math can be so dependable, because in math almost anything can be proven and, shall I say, predictable. Thus I often wonder (note the present tense) if people attribute certain cures to certain beings out of sheer coincidence.

Or maybe people got to attributing an unexplained illness, or one that doctors cannot supposedly cure, because we believe that God in His infinite goodness would never inflict such a punishment on His people. Man, after all, was created in His own image and likeness.

But if a patient with such an illness is cured after an “alay” or offering, will he give credit to the supernatural or to God who is the Divine Healer?

When I asked my husband this question, he said he will give credit to both. I told him this is impossible, you cannot serve two masters at the same time. You would have to believe that only one of them cured you; who would it be?

He told me that if he isn't cured after the offering, then he lost nothing. Actually he would have lost something… His time and effort. Not to mention all those stuff he would have to buy or look for to make the “offering.” But that’s beyond the point, I guess. Again I asked him, what if he does get cured?

I reminded him of the first commandment: "I am the Lord your God; you shall not have strange gods before Me." But if you believe that such beings, if they do exist, caused your illness and therefore, they are the ones who have the power to cure you, is that not tantamount to considering them as some sort of “god?”

If we resort to such “offerings,” is it because we have lost hope that God will cure us? Doesn’t it take away a little bit of something in what is supposed to be our unwavering faith in Him and in His power? Do we not believe that God gives each of us a cross to bear, but He will not give us a cross that we cannot bear? Do we cease to believe that everything happens for a reason? And aren’t our prayers enough?

But then perhaps non-Christians, or even agnostics or atheists, might say that praying to our God and making offerings to supernatural beings are just the same thing. It’s simply a matter of believing more in one party than in the other.

In the meantime, my husband would make the offering. I would say my prayers.

Bad habits to break

2009-11-01T21:15:00.000+08:00

This is a reprint of an article I read on Yahoo today. It kind of gets you thinking!
--------------------------------------------

"Someday," you say, "I'm going to get my health back on track, after this next project," or "when I get back from my cruise," or "when the kids get a little older" ... C'mon, you know your list of reasons -- or what I call EXCUSES -- better than I.

Look, if you're waiting for some magical day to appear, you just may be waiting forever. These days do not "show up"; you show up for THEM. I have identified five critical areas, bad habits that many people mindlessly follow. Do you realize that each and every day of your life that you do not reverse these dangerous trends, you get farther and farther from your ultimate goal of living a fulfilling life?

Take a look at each area, determine how you stack up, and then make the fix today:

1) Stealing from sleep: Studies show that a minimum of seven to nine hours of uninterrupted sleep (at night) are essential for health. Sleep is the time when your body repairs and recovers from all of the metabolic processes that your body performs every second. Sleep supports healthy weight management, raises growth hormone, and heals the adrenals. If you are watching TV, working on your PC, or otherwise stimulating yourself so that you are unable to go to sleep by 11 PM, then establish the Power Down Hour and turn to more relaxing activities like baths, light novels, or cuddling with a loved one (or pet!) at least an hour or two before bedtime. Then ... retrain yourself to sleep through the night.

2) Skipping breakfast: How many times do you find yourself dashing out the door to start your day, only to discover that you forgot to eat? Listen, your body has just "fasted" overnight, and in order to fuel yourself for the day (and lower stress hormones), you must eat a balanced meal that includes proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. Otherwise, your body will turn on itself for fuel, and it isn't fat but muscle that it's going to target ... which will cascade into a very nasty sequence of health consequences that will make you fat, old, and tired before your time.

3) Blowing off exercise: If you think you can manage your health and weight through dietary means alone, it won't work. Period. Exercise is crucial for stimulating proper physical and hormonal response necessary for building muscle and bone, burning fat, letting you sleep, keeping you young, giving you energy -- the list is endless. More important is the CORRECT type of exercise, which involves high-intensity interval training, along with resistance workouts. If you can't find 20-30 minutes a day to incorporate these exercises into your life (oh yeah, that is ALL you need, by the way), then you can kiss your health goodbye.

4) Noshing at night: Strapping on the feedbag in the evenings basically signals your body to hold off on burning existing fat stores, raises stress hormones before bedtime, and screws up your body's natural digestive processes at a time when it should be ready to shut down and repair. If you are eating in a hormonally-balanced way during your evening meal, there is absolutely no need to munch afterward.

5) Not counting your beverages: One of the craziest things I encounter in my work is the lack of consideration of high-calorie, high-sugar drinks in the diet. Yes, those healthy "Jumbo Juices," designer coffee slurpees (hey, they may as well be, given all the sugar in them), and those harmless little cocktails every night, especially those fruit-flavored martini and tequila drinks, can really pack on the pounds in a hurry. Make the switch to healthier options like iced green tea -- or, my favorite, Emergen-C -- for some sparkling mineral replacements that not only satisfy, but also fuel and nourish!

--------------------------

Yikes, yikes and yikes again!

1he One

2009-10-29T23:48:00.002+08:00

I never thought he would be The One. Of course, I may only think that way now (I mean, who knows what the future holds for anyone of us?) Nevertheless, I am thankful that I found him. Or, did he find me?

We started out as friends, and I suppose no one thought we would end up together. We had common friends. Ironically, he was then acting as a “middle man” between me and his friend who was then wooing me.

I was looking for options to learn how to drive and a mutual friend recommended him to me, to teach me while using my dad’s service vehicle instead of spending my bucks at a driving school. Most of the time, some of our friends would take a ride with us on the jeep; only occasionally would we be alone. Those times he would seek advice on whether he would return to his ex-girlfriend who seemed to be playing hard-to-get.

Anyway, I did learn the basics of driving. But till now, I don’t have my own license, not even a student’s license! But that’s another story, owing to my laziness to line up at the LTO.

Later, he probably realized that I was too good for him to let go, although if you’d ask him, he would say it’s the other way around. This was after his friend and I decided we would be much better off remaining as friends. And so he asked permission from his friend if he could court me, and he did… And after some time I decided to give a relationship with him a try. I think it was because of his dogged persistence, his “kakulitan.”

That was more than sixteen years ago.

We’ve been married for almost seven years now. (Don’t ask me about the seven-year itch, okay?) Through the ups and downs, every day I always see something to be grateful to the Lord for, especially for giving me my own “The One.”

He’s not perfect. But then, who is? Some even thought, even before we were married, that he was not good enough for me. (I suppose I should be flattered that they could think so highly of me.) Sadly, they had seemed to judge him by his appearance. No, he was not unkempt. On the contrary, he was – he is – a clean-shaven guy. And he is ever so tidy with his things, much more than I am.

They probably saw him then as this guy who did not have a job; they might have thought that he would just live off my hard-earned money (as if I had a lot of it.)

He had a sad, albeit interesting, life. I actually think it’s one for the books or one of those tearjerker drama anthologies you catch on primetime TV every now and then. He was the illegitimate son whose mom left him as a toddler to seek her fortune in another country where she married and died and was buried. She left him with almost no memories of her, not even a grave to visit during Mother’s or All Souls’ Day.

He grew up with his maternal relatives, probably seeking the care that can only be given by your own family, and this he found with his grandfather. He only got to have the closest thing to a father-son relationship with his dad when he was already in college. This was when his dad would give him money to pay the tuition and for his allowance, actually a pittance considering the amount he actually needed for bedspace and clothes and other living costs. To compensate, he had odd jobs, including powering a trike with his gams or looking for slops to feed the pigs.

He was forced to stop for a year out of, as he says, fear from some members of a fraternity who were forcing him to join them. But he returned, determined to finish college. His actual graduation was delayed as he failed to re-take a subject.

He swallowed his pride to ask his dad for money to undergo review classes and take the board exam. After the first review, he decided he was not ready for the exam and decided to undergo another review. As a math major, I would help him understand word problems and solve mathematical equations. Finally, when he took the board exam, he passed. First take. He may not have passed with flying marks, but one take was all it took for him. He was able to land jobs after some well-meaning relatives endorsed him to people they knew.

But they were non-permanent jobs, somehow irrelevant to the work he needed. It was difficult for him. He was willing to start at the bottom, but companies considered him “over-qualified” because he was a licensed engineer. So how could he get the needed work experience? Soon he was out of work, and settled for driving a “colorum” vehicle through the city’s major thoroughfares.

After nine years, I don’t know why, but we finally decided to get hitched. At that time, he was still out of a regular job. Other people probably thought he was an irresponsible guy, but I saw otherwise. I saw how hard he wanted to do something out of his life, despite growing up to be a virtual orphan. He was a decent guy (except when he would get really, really drunk, at which time he would be totally obnoxious and unrecognizable), and I guess my parents saw that too since they saw no cause to object to our relationship, much less our plans.

I probably availed of all loans available to me then, and we got married in the parish where we met and both served.

I remember one of my friends telling me that a guy without a job would be forced to get one once he got married. True enough, that was what happened. Or maybe my prayers were answered. He had a friend who took him in, and although it was laborious work, his industry and decency paid off. He now works as an engineer for a local telecommunications company.

He may not be earning as much as other engineers do, but I say, so what? (Well, maybe when we already have our own kid, I would be changing my tune.) Now he earns more than I do – what can you expect from a government employee – and pays many of the bills around the house. He is so much more adept in handling our expenses and savings, especially since he has no family to support, so unlike most wives who insist on handling their husband’s money, we agreed at the onset that I would leave him alone with his money as long as he provides for the both of us. I, on the other hand, use my own salary to help with other expenses, including my mom’s needs.

We are complementary opposites. My weaknesses are his strengths; his weaknesses are my strengths.

He believes he is poor in English communication. Well, that’s one thing I excel at, modesty aside. So, once in a while, I help him with some official communication. And when he speaks in English, I correct his grammar and explain his errors.

I thrive on “orderly chaos” or “chaotic order” (depends on how you look at it) with my things. He likes them neatly stacked.

I like diverse colors in my closet. He prefers his tops in safe neutrals. (I am slowly forcing a change in this preference by buying him clothes in different colors. I try so hard to convince him that he can carry them off.)

He plans and budgets his money, making him a good credit card owner. I am an impulsive buyer. Thus, I prefer being his supplementary cardholder. I also seldom bring my cards, and if I do use one I ask his permission first (since most of the time, it’s he who ends up paying the bills.)

He is practical in laying out furniture or other bric-a-brac. I carefully study angles, symmetry, color harmony, etc. We have thus learned to ask each other’s opinion first and try to come up with a compromise.

He thinks first before speaking and is calmer in dealing with people. I am more vocal. Yet, I am learning and trying my best to be more prudent in speaking, and reigning in my temper more.

There are some things that we would find agreement in. For one, both of us dislike cigarette smoke. Hooray! None of us in the house are smokers.

We hate lying down on the bed, especially at night, without having bathed and changed into our sleepwear. For that matter, if we feel lazy to change but want to lie down, we make sure the bed is covered.

None of us are keen on going out just for the heck of it. I mean, of course we do that once in a while, but not as a regular I’ll-raise-hell-if-we-don’t-get-out-this-week/month thing. We’re both so low maintenance, just being in each other’s company to watch TV or eating out occasionally or just talking to each other, catching up on our lives, is enough. How boring, you may think, but hey, we don’t want to bother ourselves with superficial things.

He was raised a Christian; I was raised as a Catholic. He “converted” when we were married. To this day, I explain Catholic beliefs, traditions and the like to him. It’s a good thing he believes in Him.

We both believe in not doing ill will to our neighbor. We both hate lies that destroy other people’s character. We both value family. I have grown up lucky to have a whole family, which, although not perfect, has been there for each other. He, who grew up in the custody of relatives, cherishes the family he has found in mine. He even calls my province as his own, more so than his real own province (get it?) and enjoys spending time with my paternal cousins who have, shall I say, treated him as a blood relative. (The death of his maternal grandfather a few years back has caused a painful estrangement with his own cousins.)

He has always treated my family as if they were his own, willingly extending a helping hand, whether to help hammer a nail in place or to reach into his pocket for some cash. Who could ask for more?

Nobody is perfect, not even my The One. But then, if you set out looking for someone who is perfect, I would just wish you good luck. But here’s a tip: the Lord will always give you what you deserve. Your “The One” may not be perfect in the eyes of others, but he may be perfect for you.

And then there was too much light

2009-09-12T23:31:00.006+08:00

A not so long time ago (I don't know how many years it's been) I came across an article in Reader's Digest on light pollution. It struck me then because, as an employee of a government agency that seeks to curb or monitor the amount of pollution in our environment, the article taught me that there is one pollution that we are not fully aware of, and quite different from the other forms of pollution that we know, especially environmental and sound (or noise).

And then, every time I would go to the countryside, night time would remind me of the article. Why? Because of the number of stars I'd see in the sky (except if there are any clouds). Now that's a sight I miss much in the city. It is always a sight to behold, the black sky dotted with stars that remind you how much there is to see out there… and the occasional falling star that streaks across.

Wikipedia describes light pollution as "excessive or obtrusive artificial light." There is even an organization called the "International Dark-Sky Association" that defines light pollution as "Any adverse effect of artificial light including sky glow, glare, light trespass, light clutter, decreased visibility at night, and energy waste."

The term light pollution hits me every time I pass by the highways at night. I don't know if reading the article or other similar ones have affected my thinking, but it is a blight seeing lighted billboards of varying sizes compete with the road lights and vehicle lamps. As if staring at white headlamps of the vehicle going at you in the opposite directions isn't annoying enough.

The term also comes across my mind when I see a ray of what seems to be a spotlight beaming from an unknown source towards the night sky. Any minute I would be expecting batman's sign up there.

Now, get my drift?

Light pollution is not a figment of the imagination, or not just a term that someone coined during an enlightened moment. It is very real, and what is worse is that it has been found to have an effect on our health. As if what we eat, breathe, listen to, read – practically everything – around us don't already do.

I'm not a doctor, or remotely connected to the medical field, but I agree that one effect on our health is the irritation we feel when light is obtrusive to us. Like, when we want to sleep with lights totally out but someone else in the room insists on reading way past our bedtime, needing a bright light.

I've also read somewhere that sleeping with lights on affects melatonin levels and thus, disrupts our circadian rhythms, that is, our biological functions.

Light pollution has been one, if not the, main reason why we in the city cannot see as many stars in the sky anymore. Of course, another reason could be the smog that blankets our atmosphere. But then, too much light coming from our half of the atmosphere practically overshadow the lights that the stars emit.

Be part of the solution!

Let us reduce light pollution. Let us reduce the number of lights we turn on at night, and the number of hours we leave them turned on. For those of us who leave a light on outdoors to deter criminals, let us switch to CFL lamps instead of incandescent bulbs (which is practically already banned in other countries.) In fact, let's use CFL's as much as possible.

It would also be another reason to reduce the number of billboards in the highway. (The number of reasons for this is increasing, such as the danger they pose when they distract motorists' attention, or on the general public during windy days.) These billboards use such strong lighting at night, especially the larger ones.

Turn off the lights when you sleep. If you're afraid of the dark, then perhaps you can leave a radio turned on softly to a sleep-inducing tune?

If you can afford to, install a light dimmer. It's also best to ensure that lights are not directed from the bottom up.

At night, turn down the brightness of your TV's, computer screens, etc.

At this point, let me share with you an article from National Geographic, written by Verlyn Klinkenborg and entitled "Our Vanishing Night."

If humans were truly at home under the light of the moon and stars, we would go in darkness happily, the midnight world as visible to us as it is to the vast number of nocturnal species on this planet. Instead, we are diurnal creatures, with eyes adapted to living in the sun's light. This is a basic evolutionary fact, even though most of us don't think of ourselves as diurnal beings any more than we think of ourselves as primates or mammals or Earthlings. Yet it's the only way to explain what we've done to the night: We've engineered it to receive us by filling it with light.

This kind of engineering is no different than damming a river. Its benefits come with consequences—called light pollution—whose effects scientists are only now beginning to study. Light pollution is largely the result of bad lighting design, which allows artificial light to shine outward and upward into the sky, where it's not wanted, instead of focusing it downward, where it is. Ill-designed lighting washes out the darkness of night and radically alters the light levels—and light rhythms—to which many forms of life, including ourselves, have adapted. Wherever human light spills into the natural world, some aspect of life—migration, reproduction, feeding—is affected.

For most of human history, the phrase "light pollution" would have made no sense. Imagine walking toward London on a moonlit night around 1800, when it was Earth's most populous city. Nearly a million people lived there, making do, as they always had, with candles and rushlights and torches and lanterns. Only a few houses were lit by gas, and there would be no public gaslights in the streets or squares for another seven years. From a few miles away, you would have been as likely to smell London as to see its dim collective glow.

Now most of humanity lives under intersecting domes of reflected, refracted light, of scattering rays from overlit cities and suburbs, from light-flooded highways and factories. Nearly all of nighttime Europe is a nebula of light, as is most of the United States and all of Japan. In the south Atlantic the glow from a single fishing fleet—squid fishermen luring their prey with metal halide lamps—can be seen from space, burning brighter, in fact, than Buenos Aires or Rio de Janeiro.

In most cities the sky looks as though it has been emptied of stars, leaving behind a vacant haze that mirrors our fear of the dark and resembles the urban glow of dystopian science fiction. We've grown so used to this pervasive orange haze that the original glory of an unlit night—dark enough for the planet Venus to throw shadows on Earth—is wholly beyond our experience, beyond memory almost. And yet above the city's pale ceiling lies the rest of the universe, utterly undiminished by the light we waste—a bright shoal of stars and planets and galaxies, shining in seemingly infinite darkness.

We've lit up the night as if it were an unoccupied country, when nothing could be further from the truth. Among mammals alone, the number of nocturnal species is astonishing. Light is a powerful biological force, and on many species it acts as a magnet, a process being studied by researchers such as Travis Longcore and Catherine Rich, co-founders of the Los Angeles-based Urban Wildlands Group. The effect is so powerful that scientists speak of songbirds and seabirds being "captured" by searchlights on land or by the light from gas flares on marine oil platforms, circling and circling in the thousands until they drop. Migrating at night, birds are apt to collide with brightly lit tall buildings; immature birds on their first journey suffer disproportionately.

Insects, of course, cluster around streetlights, and feeding at those insect clusters is now ingrained in the lives of many bat species. In some Swiss valleys the European lesser horseshoe bat began to vanish after streetlights were installed, perhaps because those valleys were suddenly filled with light-feeding pipistrelle bats. Other nocturnal mammals—including desert rodents, fruit bats, opossums, and badgers—forage more cautiously under the permanent full moon of light pollution because they've become easier targets for predators.

Some birds—blackbirds and nightingales, among others—sing at unnatural hours in the presence of artificial light. Scientists have determined that long artificial days—and artificially short nights—induce early breeding in a wide range of birds. And because a longer day allows for longer feeding, it can also affect migration schedules. One population of Bewick's swans wintering in England put on fat more rapidly than usual, priming them to begin their Siberian migration early. The problem, of course, is that migration, like most other aspects of bird behavior, is a precisely timed biological behavior. Leaving early may mean arriving too soon for nesting conditions to be right.

Nesting sea turtles, which show a natural predisposition for dark beaches, find fewer and fewer of them to nest on. Their hatchlings, which gravitate toward the brighter, more reflective sea horizon, find themselves confused by artificial lighting behind the beach. In Florida alone, hatchling losses number in the hundreds of thousands every year. Frogs and toads living near brightly lit highways suffer nocturnal light levels that are as much as a million times brighter than normal, throwing nearly every aspect of their behavior out of joint, including their nighttime breeding choruses.

Of all the pollutions we face, light pollution is perhaps the most easily remedied. Simple changes in lighting design and installation yield immediate changes in the amount of light spilled into the atmosphere and, often, immediate energy savings.

It was once thought that light pollution only affected astronomers, who need to see the night sky in all its glorious clarity. And, in fact, some of the earliest civic efforts to control light pollution—in Flagstaff, Arizona, half a century ago—were made to protect the view from Lowell Observatory, which sits high above that city. Flagstaff has tightened its regulations since then, and in 2001 it was declared the first International Dark Sky City. By now the effort to control light pollution has spread around the globe. More and more cities and even entire countries, such as the Czech Republic, have committed themselves to reducing unwanted glare.

Unlike astronomers, most of us may not need an undiminished view of the night sky for our work, but like most other creatures we do need darkness. Darkness is as essential to our biological welfare, to our internal clockwork, as light itself. The regular oscillation of waking and sleep in our lives—one of our circadian rhythms—is nothing less than a biological expression of the regular oscillation of light on Earth. So fundamental are these rhythms to our being that altering them is like altering gravity.

For the past century or so, we've been performing an open-ended experiment on ourselves, extending the day, shortening the night, and short-circuiting the human body's sensitive response to light. The consequences of our bright new world are more readily perceptible in less adaptable creatures living in the peripheral glow of our prosperity. But for humans, too, light pollution may take a biological toll. At least one new study has suggested a direct correlation between higher rates of breast cancer in women and the nighttime brightness of their neighborhoods.

In the end, humans are no less trapped by light pollution than the frogs in a pond near a brightly lit highway. Living in a glare of our own making, we have cut ourselves off from our evolutionary and cultural patrimony—the light of the stars and the rhythms of day and night. In a very real sense, light pollution causes us to lose sight of our true place in the universe, to forget the scale of our being, which is best measured against the dimensions of a deep night with the Milky Way—the edge of our galaxy—arching overhead.

Now let's learn to turn off some of the lights, shall we?

Why train?

2009-09-10T13:56:00.014+08:00

Previously, I wrote about how to maximize training gains. Now that I think about it, it seemed like I was putting the cart before the horse, because first of all, I should have written this article first!

Before one is able to maximize what he/she gets from training, one must first of all appreciate why training and other development programs are conducted in the first place.

According to Wikipedia, "Training refers to acquisition of knowledge, skills and competencies as a result of teaching vocational or practical skills and knowledge that relate to specific useful competencies." Training thus always aims to add to what someone already knows or is capable of doing. When one undergoes training, the horizon of his intellect and personality expands.

But training does so much more than expanding knowledge skills and competencies!

Training taps an organization's human resources so that organizational goals can be achieved. In our agency, this is the number one reason for coming up with development programs such as technical training.
Training is an opportunity to develop an employee's behavioral skills. It is personally interesting to observe human behavior during trainings – through his interaction with others as well as display of attitude before, during and after the training.
Training increases the productivity of an employee and the quality of his work. That is one actual goal of skills enhancement. When you are trained, it is expected that you will henceforth be able to deliver more results, with better quality.
Training promotes cooperation. This is displayed during group workshops, where every participant is expected to be enthusiastic in working with a team.
Training helps build a positive perception about the organization, as participants are exposed to their peers, subordinates and leaders. Interaction among the participants, especially if they are composed of our own employees and "outsiders," promotes a healthy relationship among all stakeholders of the environment.
Training boosts the morale of the workforce. It sends a signal that management is willing to invest in employees by enhancing their skills. Additionally, this creates a better corporate image.
Training helps develop leadership skills, motivation, loyalty, better attitudes and other aspects that successful workers and managers usually display.

Most of all, training helps develop the organization. Employees – whatever rank they may be – who are trained develop their decision-making and problem-solving skills in carrying out the policies of the organization they belong to.

It is thus disappointing to hear some employees' negative reactions when they are included in training programs. Some have a "been there, done that" attitude, while others think that, experts that they are, they no longer need training.

It is always a constant challenge for HR practitioners to pick the right training, trainer and trainees every time! It has been an uphill battle for the HRD Sections of the different offices under our agency to meet the needs of employees without training people for the sake of it, to meet quotas for accomplishment reports, or to spend budgets that we seem scared of losing.

On the other hand, it is also disappointing to know of some employees who seem over-eager to attend training, yet do not share their learnings to their colleagues nor utilize their skills in their designated tasks. This defeats the purpose of training in developing the organization.

There is a saying that, "The more we learn, the more we know that there is so much more to learn." Let us all remember that training is necessary to maintain the relevance of our skills, to help us come up with better approaches to or delivery in services. Let us never stop learning!

Get the most out of training!

2009-09-10T11:41:00.023+08:00

(This article was one I'd written for our newsletter in 2008.)

Human interventions such as training aim to increase an employee's knowledge, augment his skills, and influence a change in attitude, thereby improving efficiency in the workplace. Unfortunately, it is a sad fact that many employees have a lukewarm attitude towards training.

Now what's wrong with the following mindsets?

"Boss na ako. I'm supposed to be good at what I do so I don't need that training."
"Ano pa'ng silbi nyang training? That's all theoretical, while I have been practically doing it for years."
"I've already attended similar training X years ago."
"Attending that training is a waste of time. Busy ako. / May kliyente pa ako."
"Mas magaling pa ako / ikaw sa trainer na yan eh!"
"I'll attend this training because the certificates will add to my credentials / it will add to the 'Trainings Attended' list in my PDS."

Admit it, at one point in our lives, we have said or thought one or all of these lines!

As Ray LeBlond, a corporate communications director, said: "You learn something everyday if you pay attention." No matter what we think, there is always room for improvement. In fact, we may not be aware that on our own, we look for ways to improve ourselves. Simply reading the newspaper means we want to learn about the issues of the day. That's knowledge. Encoding a memo gives us the chance to be more familiar with the commands of MS-Word. That's skill. And stopping by that church on our way home even just for a short prayer says a lot about wanting to deepen our religious relationship with our God. That's attitude.

Training courses are an investment for both employer and employee. Sadly, many of us view training as a waste of our time, not considering the investment in time, money and effort that the office puts into organizing such training. We forget that training offers the best opportunity for self-improvement because of the timely and relevant information that lets us assess how we are doing in our jobs.

In the article Maximize your Gains from Training Courses (Philippine Star, April 6, 2008), Lee Jin Hwui offers seven keys to get the most out of the training courses we attend:

Key 1: Listen with an open mind. Listen to understand rather than criticize. The biologist Thomas Huxley said, "Sit down before fact as a little child…or you will learn nothing." Focus on the "aha's" and not on the "I know's." Do not be content that you already have those knowledge and skills, but evaluate yourself to see if you have been applying them.

Key 2: Participate 100%. Find ways for everyone to benefit: abide by house rules, ask intelligent questions at the appropriate moment, and be generous with sharing experiences, ideas and comments. Be enthusiastic! A participative class provides positive, on-the-spot feedback for the trainer and encourages him to be a better one.

Key 3: Take notes and record them. Write down key points and examples shared during the course, and make sure they can be retrieved easily. Afterwards, review your notes regularly to ensure maximum retention and thus be guided in your work.

Key 4: Network with others. If possible, sit beside people who are not from the same office you came with. Get to know others, make new friends, and widen your network of contacts. Also, sitting with other people has a psychological edge of keeping you mentally alert, making you more attentive to the discussion. Sitting with your friends gives temptation to chat, divides your attention, and distracts others as well.

Key 5: Adapt to your circumstances. While principles of knowledge and skills shared may be the same, applying them may be on what we call a "case to case basis". Adapt what you have learned to suit your own personality, style and circumstances, based on your own goals and strategies.

Key 6: Apply your new knowledge and skills. Yes, you have previously attended similar training, but how effectively have you applied and shared what you have learned? Confucius said: "I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand." Learning is useless without application; find ways to apply what you have learned. Whether you succeed or not in your goals, you can always revise your strategies based on lessons learned along the way.

Key 7: Share your new knowledge and skills. Do not be selfish with what you have learned, because the best way in ensuring success in your goals is to share your strategies, experiences, knowledge and skills with your friends and colleagues. Remember that not everyone has the opportunity to attend the training like you.

Finally, remember to objectively answer survey questionnaires handed out after the training. Unless asked for, do not let your judgment be clouded because the venue was too far or too small, ballpens were not provided, or the trainer was too jologs in his attire or had a provincial accent. Be constructive in your comments and suggestions as this helps the training organizers and facilitators in future activities. Who knows, someday one of the trainers could be you!

"There is nothing training cannot do. Nothing is above its reach. It can turn bad morals to good; it can destroy bad principles and recreate good ones; it can lift men to angelship." (Mark Twain)

Of hospital and hotel rooms

2009-09-10T09:21:00.019+08:00

(This is a reposting of one of my Friendster blogs posted in November 2008.)

I had a nasty bout with UTI very recently, and got confined for it… As such, checking into the hospital gave me a feeling of déjà vu over what had happened almost 15 years ago to the day. But then, that's another story.

After an almost two-hour wait at the emergency room where they processed my health card and called up my doc, I was finally wheeled into Room 315 with my husband, bags in hand, tagging behind the male nurse and me. The nurse said, "Here you are… It's just like checking into a hotel room." And I said, "Yes, except for the food."

Much later, I pondered on this exchange and thought more about the similarities and differences between hospital and hotel rooms. I think I can safely say that my two very different hospital stays in memory (my previous confinement was a traumatic 16-day stay while the recent one was a two-day I-did-not-feel-I-was-sick-at-all-except-for-the-IV-in-my-hand confinement) and hospital visits to the infirmed have given me enough to say on the experience. Of course, I consulted my retired-nurse mom for some of the other details. On the other hand, my work as a training manager entitles me to free [albeit official] stay in some hotel rooms in many parts of the country.

So, here it goes… And you're free to add to these light comparisons. Keep in mind though that I'm only talking about standard private hospital and hotel rooms, not executive suites!

Checking in

1. You can call for reservations at a hotel. Hospitals only allow reservations with instructions for admission from your doctor.

2. You can check into a hotel anytime you want, even at odd hours of the night. You can only do this at a hospital if you're an emergency case.

3. It takes eons to check into a hospital room: they ask for your healthcare details, preference, referring doctor and the list goes on and on. And of course, there's the deposit (if applicable). But you need only inform the hotel's front desk of your room preference and … voila! (Note: This goes true even for "non-peak" seasons. Yes, hospitals do have such.)

What you can find in your room

4. Sleeping accommodations in a hospital room are usually limited to single-size beds for the patient and one companion (sometimes). You'd be lucky to have a room where there's an extra chair/sofa that can act as an extra bed. Hotel rooms, on the other hand, have big-size beds, and can accommodate extra cots or mattresses for multiple sharing. You can end up sleeping on a mattress on the floor. Try doing that in a hospital room!

5. Hotel rooms usually have dressers, desks with drawers, nightstands, a comfy cushioned seat. Hospital rooms have dressers (sometimes), desks with drawers, IV stands, and uncomfortable guest chairs if any.

6. Each bed in a hotel room has its own linen (blanket, bedsheet, comforter) and comfy pillows. In a hospital room, only the patient often enjoys this. The companion has to provide his own pillow and blanket.

7. A hotel room's bathroom often has an extra towel to put on the floor, a bathtub or a really nice shower stall (or both), and granite sinks with working hot-and-cold faucets. A hospital room's bathroom has the standard sink, toilet and bath, a urinal or bedpan.

What to enjoy…and not

8. Enjoy the air conditioning in a hospital or hotel room without thinking of the electricity bill. If you're lucky, you also get to watch cable TV and listen to piped-in music to your heart's content.

9. Hotel rooms usually have free shampoo, soap, toothbrush and toothpaste, toilet paper and provide towels for your use. You can ask for more when you use up your supply as long as you extend your stay. Hospital kits include rubbing alcohol, cotton, bandage tape, plastic glass (graduated), sometimes a roll of toilet paper, toothbrush, toothpaste, thermometer. You can rarely ask for additional supply once you use up those in your kit.

10. Hotel rooms often provide complementary breakfast for overnight stays. Hospitals provide three meals a day, sometimes even snacks. These are usually for the patient (except for those with NPO diets), and sometimes there's additional for the companion.

11. You can order whatever you want from the hotel's menu, whether it's sinful or healthful fare. But if you're a hospital patient, and depending on your medical condition, you're limited to what the doctor orders for your diet. In my recent stay, I had a low-fat, low-salt diet. Ugh!

12. You can entertain visitors in your hotel room whenever you want. Hospitals have visiting hours.

Charges

13. Many hospitals and hotels charge extra if you bring extra electrical stuff into your room such as flat irons and cassette recorders. You can easily get away with blow dryers and cell phone chargers, though. (Some hotel rooms even provide the former for free.)

14. Hotel rooms with telephone units charge extra for each outgoing call you make, none for incoming ones. Hospitals do not charge for outgoing local calls, or at least set limits for the number of minutes you consume per call. Incoming calls are also free.

15. Hotels charge differently for each room category, and so with hospitals. But in hospitals, different room categories also call for different rates in professional and laboratory fees (among others), and provide different types of food!

16. Hospitals and hotels overcharge for small items like toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, etc. that you buy from their mini-stores.

Room Service

17. In a hotel, room service courteously asks you what you want. In a hospital, they poke your body and demand to know what you feel. They make you do what they want (sit up, turn in bed, etc.)

18. In a hotel, you call for room service when you want. In a hospital, nurses and doctors barge into your room when they want… even at odd hours of the night, waking you up even if it's only to ask how often you've peed or poo-pooed during the past hour.

19. Service staff clean up your sleeping and bathroom areas daily in both hospital and hotel rooms. In hotels, they usually do this when there's no one in the room. This is rarely the case in hospitals. (Of course, the room's occupant – the patient – usually has no time or ability to get out of the room!)

Checking out

20. In a hospital, someone regularly barges into your room to ask for deposit, especially if you aren't an HMO member/health cardholder. Come check-out time, there are too many items to settle: professional fees, medicines, et cetera. In hotels, you settle the bill when you check out. The usual additional fees only include anything you consumed from the bar or the kitchen/restaurant. Of course, you're charged extra if they find out that a towel or piece of linen is missing.

21. You walk out of a hotel with the concierge or bellhop wheeling out your things. If you're a hospital patient, you rarely get to walk out (which I did in my recent stay) because YOU are wheeled out – sitting like an invalid in a wheelchair!

Finally: when you stay in a hotel room, you're a GUEST. You're always right! When you stay in a hospital room, you're a PATIENT. And this is what you need to be during your confinement!

SRDs

2009-09-09T17:42:00.013+08:00

"A day of worry is more exhausting than a day of work." (John Lubbock)

"Wisdom is the reward you get for a lifetime of listening when you'd have preferred to talk." (Doug Larson)

Lately I've been having this feeling of uncertainty, as well as a certain lack of enthusiasm for my job. Work-related issues that had been cropping up in the past few months must have taken their toll on me, bringing about a certain amount of stress that must have been the main reason why I lost about ten pounds (if our weighing scale is that accurate) in about as many weeks, even without exercising.

I normally sleep deeply enough. In fact, when I'm tired and sleepy, I could curl up or stretch out my legs on the sofa and you'd see me off in dreamland already. But during those, shall we call them, "stress-related days" or SRDs, it seemed I couldn't sleep without having to wake up at least two or three times before my usual rousing time to prepare for the day. Worse, I couldn't get back to sleep for what seemed like an hour after those "disturbances!" Uninvited thoughts that would cause more stress would intrude into my sleepy brain… One thought would lead to another that my mind could not drive away!
But there were certain times during those SRDs that people would come and talk to me, seeking advice or plainly needing an ear to sympathetically (maybe) hear them out. It may have been some of those talks that added to the SRDs, but ironically, I would admit there was a certain relief from the experience.

I am no priest that would listen to confessions, but what was it about listening to other people's problems that seemed to lift from my own shoulders my own worries?

Was it because it was a reminder that no person has an exclusivity on problems, that whatever problems you may have, others may have the same or even worse ones?

Was it because it was sort of an affirmation that somehow, people still trust you enough to tell you their problems, whether they were looking for friendly advice or an ally in office causes or simply someone to vent their frustrations on?

I don't know if subliminally, this adds to my SRDs, but listening to other people drone on and on unexplainably feels like a soothing balm to me… I disagree with the quote "Every problem is just an opportunity waiting to be made of" because recently, I've been having bouts with forgetfulness. I believe more Charles Schulz when he said, "No problem is so formidable that you can't walk away from it." That is why most of the time, what people say to me in confidence is something I refuse to think about constantly so I would not feel the need to unburden myself on others, and thus break the chain of confidence.

Maybe I ought to keep in mind what Dale Carnegie said: "If you can't sleep, then get up and do something instead of lying there worrying. It's the worry that gets you, not the lack of sleep."

Then wouldn't my husband be the one who wouldn't get enough sleep…

Why I like my job

2009-08-02T22:53:00.082+08:00

I'm not writing this blog to try and convince myself or anyone else. I just want to share what it is about this job that I like. So, the title would give away how many reasons I have...

For those who don't know, I currently hold the position of Information System Analyst II for the Department of Environment and Natural Resources Region IV-A (CALABARZON - that's mainland Southern Tagalog region, covering the provinces of CAvite, LAguna, BAtangas, Rizal and QueZON), and designated as the chief of the Human Resources Development Section. I worked for more than six years for the private sector - the first three occupying different positions for a computer software consultancy, then as a Business Analyst for the Information Systems Department of a savings bank in Makati City. I actually liked my job there. But then, that's another story.

Now my dad used to be the Chief of the Administrative Division for where I work now before he retired. What I remembered from his job was that he was able to travel a lot. And, always wanting to learn, I was awed with that chance to go see other places, even if it was only in my own country. And, I've always been interested in nature and the environment.

But my dad, being one of those seemingly "rare" species of upright government employees, refused to help me land a job here while he was still working. Still, he encouraged me to take Civil Service eligibility exams, which I passed with flying colors (he actually bragged about them to his colleagues and our relatives). So, upon his retirement, that's when he endorsed my application... And I passed after going through a written exam about a job I barely knew, and a panel interview.

So my first job here was as Project Evaluation Officer I for the Planning and Management Division. I admit it was kind of a shock to see how limited resources where, seeing that I came from a bank. We would share computer units. Now I was used to having my own. Anyway, I'm sure I came off like something of a snob to my colleagues, heheh... But I learned to adjust. And I started travelling.

Limatik

But of course, the travels were not for leisure. They were mostly business. Being assigned to the Monitoring and Evaluation Section, we were the ones who would validate the projects. Oh, what an experience. I looked forward to trudging uphill to see reforestation areas, yet I hated doing this when everything was so damp because there was limatik (thin thread-like leeches) everywhere. I heard different tips on how to discourage them from sticking to your skin and sucking your blood, and how I listened, after hearing the stories like how a woman peed in the bushes and a limatik got into her nethers and BRED there!

One tip was that you use nylon support stockings - the thread would be so fine that the sharp proboscis (I think) of the limatik would not get through. Pants, even jeans, would be useless then. So another tip, which I followed, was to wear shorts, so that you could immediately see if a limatik was stuck to your skin and immediately peel it away. Actually, you couldn't just peel it away. This leech, when full (of your blood), would be fat enough and just drop away on its own. Otherwise, you'd have to burn it with a cigarette or lit matchstick or a blowtorch. Duh.

Another tip was to walk beside someone who was smoking a cigarette. Apparently, the limatik does not like a smoker. Unfortunately, neither do I. Pfft.

Yet another tip was to cover your legs and arms - basta the exposed skin where a limatik could easily attach itself - with soap. Bath soap would do fine. The rationale was that your skin would be too slippery for the limatik. Now I've tried this... But then every time we had to cross a stream, the water would wash off the soap so once we reached the bank on the other side, we would immediately cover our skin in soap again. It was like you took a bath, forgot to rinse off the soap, then put on your clothes.

And another tip that I absolutely followed was to be at the start of the line and walk fast. (This wasn't a problem for me; I'm a fast walker. Maybe this is because, being only 5' in height, I almost always have to catch up with everyone else who's taller.) Why? Because when you're at the start of the line, the limatik wouldn't be lying in wait to jump at you. Apparently, you would be the one to disturb them while they're resting and before they could say "Hey what wazzat?" you were already past them. So they wait in position for the next person and jump for their next bloody meal.

Limatik aside, being part of a monitoring team exposes you to the different projects, and to different people. Yey! Aside from that, every time a validating team arrives, the host office usually treats them well with good food, good company, and good accommodations. However, this is not to say that we always had good accommodations. Sometimes we would have to make do with a mat, or table tops, or chairs lined up beside each other. We would always bring a trusted malong that would serve as a blanket or a small tent to dress up in. But I didn't mind. As long as there's water for the loo and for my bath.

Travel

There may be no such thing as a free lunch, but free travel is what I have always enjoyed with the job. In a sense, it's free... for me. But of course, the government pays for it. Most of the time, I pay first then have the ticket reimbursed, that's why I always go for the cheaper fare. Also, it doesn't deplete our funds too much. Yup, I still think about giving Juan dela Cruz his money's worth.

As part of the Planning and Management Division, my travels were mostly limited to the Southern Tagalog Region. I usually went to the island provinces of MIMAROPA. Thus, to this day, I get queasy remembering the waves rocking the boat as it approached Romblon, and the shameful act of emptying my stomach's contents even before I reached the restroom. I remember the quaintness of Marinduque as I traveled around the island's six municipalities in three hours. I remember my frustration of not having been able to see much of Puerto Princesa City in Palawan. I remember the limatik and Mangyans of Mindoro. I remember most especially the underwater wonders of the Apo Reef of Sablayan.

But being chief of HRD, and for a while the concurrent chief of public affairs, I saw more of the mainland and many parts of the country. Of course, I would go around the provinces of Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Quezon and Rizal looking for venues for training, workshops, seminars, conferences, etc. And, since I report directly to the Regional Executive Director, I would be sent to attend other national gatherings as well.

Sights

How could I forget the vastness of Davao City? Or Leyte's two-kilometer love-bridge of San Juanico. I could not help but hear that famous line "I shall return" when I saw MacArthur's (and Carlos Romulo's) figures striding in Palo. I was awed by the calm waters of Balanan Lake near Dumaguete City, and could only stare and try to take pictures of those big trees that lined the city's version of Baywalk. I wondered if I was still in the Philippines as I passed through the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx). I gazed in reverence at the old churches of Miag-ao and Jaro in Iloilo.

I would never forget the experience I had at the Our Lady of Peñafrancia Church in Naga City, Camarines Sur. I had been attending a seminar sponsored by the National Anti-Poverty Commission, and with a couple of co-participants decided to go to the church for the first time on one night that we were free.

We got to the church, finding its doors open and welcoming. We got inside, and although my eyes saw some people, my mind registered nothing else but the altar. I dug into my bag for my camera (an instamatic -I had no digicam then) and shot a couple of pictures, dropped the cam back into my bag and knelt at one one of the pews to pray. My companions also knelt nearby to pray.

To my surprise, a nun approached me and asked for my camera. When I asked why, she said that Sr. ___ (I forgot the name, I wasn't familiar with it) did not like having her picture taken. Trying not to sound disrespectful, I told the nun that I did not know whom she was talking about. Then I learned that there was a healing session going on.. Apparently the other people inside the church were attending one, and Sr. __ was the healing nun. So i told the nun who approached me that I could not hand over the camera, and she said would I instead hand over the film. Once again I refused, saying that the film was not empty, and I had used it for other official shots. Giving in, the nun said that I should agree not to publicize or publish the picture of Sr. __ that I had taken. I agreed, saying, with all due respect, that I did not even know the healing nun.

But do you know what happened? When I had the film developed, I excitedly searched for my pictures of the church altar to show to my mom. Eerily, all the pics I had taken of the altar, at that only time that I ever gone to Peñafrancia, were all "black" on the negative.

Food

Do I need to expound that one of the best reasons to go to different places is to taste the food? And that the best time to enjoy them is when people offer them to you out of the goodness of their heart, to welcome you, or to send you off to your home or to your next destination? It doesn't matter that you are warned to be wary of what other people feed you... What matters is you have your own bottled water and that little pack of loperamide always with you.

People

And of course, I will always love meeting different people. I'm basically a shy person, but it's always interesting to know people, even though I forget many names, as well as observe people as they go about their lives in their own corners of the world.

Work

Yet it all boils down to WORK. Yes, I love working. The DENR allows me to learn so much about the environment, and share what I know with others.

The Philippine government is lousy and sucks in providing good working conditions and salaries to its bloated bureacracy. Government employees are collectively branded or seen as corrupt, lazy and inept. How unfair. Many of the brilliant minds this country needs are already in government. Many people I know (including me!) work hard for the money. They may not be squeaky clean, some unwittingly involved in a little hanky-panky, but corruption exists even in the private sector.

Working for the government offers a lot of opportunities, many of which are non-monetary. I may sound stupidly idealistic when I say that working for the government means I am serving my country.

But then, that's why I like my job.

Calamba or bust?

2009-07-31T15:31:00.016+08:00

I would have to say... This is probably one of those times when I would consider myself to be at a crossroad in my life. And all because of this impending transfer of our Regional Office to Calamba City, Laguna.

In case you don't know, the move is supposed to be in compliance with Executive Order No. 246 dated October 28, 2003 and signed into law by Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. The EO designates Calamba City in Laguna as the Regional Center for the CALABARZON Region or mainland Southern Tagalog, Region IV-A. (EO 682 was signed on NOv. 22, 2007, designating Calapan City in Oriental Mindoro as the Regional Center for MIMAROPA Region or island Southern Tagalog, Region IV-B.)

I would say that we were not too aware of the EO. There was talk of transferring the Regional Office to Calamba, but we didn't take this too seriously because the issue sort of cropped up only when our Regional Executive Directors happened to reside in Laguna. There was even a survey conducted on the issue and a refusal to transfer was the overwhelming response. After all, DENR Region IV (both mainland and island) was "born" in Metro Manila, during decentralization into regional offices. Naturally, most of the employees had established their lives in Metro Manila or in nearby Cavite. There were some who were residents of Laguna and would report to the Regional Office in Manila.

This setup was not unique to the DENR. Many national government agencies had their regional office IV in Metro Manila!

Then there was more pressure to transfer. As a token of compliance, we established a Satellite Office at the Calamba City Hall, manned by a few of our personnel, Laguna residents who found it convenient.

Later, a committee was formed to look for possible sites for the Regional Office to transfer to. The committee was not able to find one, as most were expensive or too cramped to accommodate us. We rejected suggestions for sites in Los Baños. We thought Calamba too far already, how much more for Los Baños, not to mention the additional traffic in its narrow streets especially around the UPLB area! After all, Calamba was the Regional Center, not Los Baños.

And now, this. All too soon we heard that one of our officials had found a transfer site: the upper three floors of a new building that was being constructed along the highway. Before we knew it, we learned that the contract had been signed and the finishing works were underway. Plans were being made for new tables and chairs; we were told not to bring any of our old tables and chairs to the new building.

Needless to say, many of the employees felt - nay, FEEL - betrayed. Panicked. Dismayed. Imagine the upheaval to be caused on our lives:

1. The additional transport costs, especially for those living farther north, such as in Quezon City, Valenzuela, Caloocan or even Bulacan. (I live in Manila, and the daily commute alone would cost me P200.)

2. The chaos on those who have young kids, who may have to be transferred in the middle of the schoolyear.

3. Additional costs on those who would have to rent a place if they opt not to do the commute. And how about those who cannot move their family to Laguna, and also rent a place in Manila? That's TWO rented places to maintain.

4. The pain of separation from loved ones. What about those who have someone at home to care for, especially those who have sick relatives who need their loving care and attention, or kids who need their guidance?

Would I rather commute? Imagine having to get up at around 5 AM just so I could avoid the traffic along the South Luzon Expressway. Imagine the traffic going home, especially now that the Skyway extension is being constructed, to be finished not within this year! This means I'd have to wake up while it's still dark, and go home when it's already dark. What about the rainy season, which render many roads unpassable, and the rides almost impossible to get?

Would I rather rent a place? I haven't experienced this during my student days, it seems almost laughable that I MIGHT be doing this in my professional life! That would mean not being at my mom's side as soon as she needs me... not being able to enjoy my niece's company as she grows naughtier and taller.. having less chances of getting pregnant because I would be apart from my husband five days (or nights) a week... Even though my work requires me to travel a lot, it's still a relief to know that at the end of the day, I could come home to the warmth of a family...

True, we would be leaving this seems-to-be-condemned-building that sways to the slightest tremor, this building that has been the Region's home for 20 years, this building that gives us an awesome view of Manila Bay and its golden sunset... this building that we swear at every time the elevator conks out and we have to trudge up the stairs to the 8th and 9th floors, we who are not getting any younger.. this building that is situated in a commercial district of Manila, quite accessible to nearby hotels and malls, churches and schools, and public rides to different destinations north and south... I suppose we should be glad that we would be moving to a newer building, one where we would be the first occupants, not like this one that has a history of its upper floors having been gutted by fire. This new building is, after all, along the highway, just along the bus route.

Should we be glad for this? Government is spending needlessly for our rental of no less than P300,000 monthly or a whopping P18million for five years, not to mention the finishing works, (which are, by the way, NOT deductible from our rent), the new tables and chairs (supposedly because the space could not accommodate our currently serviceable - and old - desks and chairs), the additional requests to make life a little bit easier for many of us who would be dislocated, the transfer costs that include rental of trucks, the safety of the documents (public documents!)...

To what end, when they say a new government center is being built in Eton City? Why not wait till then, so that by that time people would be more inclined and adjusted to the move, and we would not be inconvenienced by another transfer? P18million at a time when government is calling for austerity measures. And that is only the cost of the rental, compared to our current location where we are rent-free, because we OWN the building. What about utilities? Urgh.... P18million may be enough for us to construct our OWN, NEW building!

What is sad is... we had filed a petition with our Secretary bringing forth our grievances, our misgivings on the transfer. We had requested consideration. It seemed to have fallen on the deaf ears and indifferent hearts of those who would NOT be affected at all...

...who do not seem to care because they could easily buy their own cars or four-wheel drive vehicles to weed through bumpy roads and knee-high flash floods, or even the services of a helicopter if they wanted, or police escorts to weed through traffic...

...who do not seem to care because they could easily buy a house and lot wherever they wanted to reside, while we settle for "decent and safe dormitory-type accommodations"...

...who do not seem to care because they have their own drivers at their beck and call, unlike us who have to make do with standing up in crowded buses, wondering if our bags or pockets were being picked and we just couldn't feel it because it was too cramped...

Anyway, we at the employees union could only request for a shuttle service; accommodations; canteen; provision of relocation allowance; approval of a four-day workweek; and swapping of items or reassignment of personnel.

Yet with the latest development of a "status quo" for the MIMAROPA Region, who, admittedly was more agressive in going against their transfer to Calapan City, we in the CALABARZON Region could only wonder: If it was possible for them, why not for us? True, Calapan City is farther than Calamba City (you'd have to ride a bus to Batangas then ride a scheduled ferry to Calapan), but this does not mean there is less adjustment for us.

And we go on and on... With all the trumpeting that the EO is a "done deal" and that "the contract with the building is effective August 2009," we could only listen in dismay and hope that the move would be further delayed.. but delayed until when?

Is this a sign for me to move on, to transfer to another office or another agency in Manila even though I'm satisfied with my current job? I, after all, like working for the government, no matter how low the compensation or how disgusted I am with the seeming corruption. Is this a sign for me to heed my husband's insistence on applying for a job outside the country, for a chance at a "better" life (although I wouldn't consider it better if it only refers to monetary advantages.)

I'm tired of thinking... But the decision will eventually come.