Blue Butterfly...

Ilocos Norte

2011-08-20T03:35:00.006+08:00

ILOCOS NORTE

Paoay Church
An old church/structure which is included in UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites. The best known earthquake Baroque church in the Philippines. The cornerstone was laid by the Augustinian missionaries in 1704 while the cornerstone of the belfry was laid in 1973. It is said that large coral stones were used for the level of the church structure and bricks were used for the upper levels. The walls were made by the coral blocks tree sap lumber and strucco-plastered bricks are 1.67 meters (more than 3 feet) thick and are supported by 24 massive buttresses of intricate design. The church was partially destroyed by earthquakes in 1706 and 1927. In the restoration, permanent columns were built to support the ceiling. Today, this uniquely beautiful church still stands, wowing tourist with its majectic structure or Oriental Gothic and Baroque influences.
The belfry stands a few meters from the church. As in other belfries of Ilocos churches, Katipuneros used the belfry as watch tower in the 1896 revolution and guerillas of World War II also used it to check out coming enemies.
Sinking tower

Kabigan Falls
The newest and definitely the favorite destination in Pagudpod is Kabigan Falls, where cool fresh water falls 120 feet into a natural basin where visitors can enjoy a refreshing swim. Protected throughout the day by tall trees abundantly growing in one of the few remaining virgin rainforests in the Philippines, once can freely enjoy a whole day’s treat with Mother Nature’s best.
Maira-Ira Beach
Also known as the Blue Lagoon, Maira-Ira Beach is still another of the many endowments richly bestowed upon Pagudpod is the pristine and crystal-like white sand at Maira-Ira Beach. Here. Nature lovers can have a lavish and refreshing encounter with the cool water.

Cape Bojoeador Lighthouse
Also known as Burgos Lighthouse, is a cultural heritage structure in Burgos, Ilocos Norte, that was established during the Spanish Colonial period in the Philippines. It was first lit on March 30, 1892 and is set high on Vigia de Nagparitan Hill overlooking the scenic Cape Bojeador where early galleons used to sail by. After over 100 years, it still functions as a welcoming beacon to the international ships that enter the Philippine Archipelago from the north and guide them safely away from the rocky coast of the town.
Kapurpurawan White Rock
Kapurpurawan itself is like a setting foot on a piece of chalk with smooth undulating patterns akin to the waves of the sea. This unique limestone formation was formed through both sedimentation and erosion by the surrounding forces of land, wind and sea. Locals claim that the upper beak part that looks like a Sphinx or head of a sleeping dragon changes every year through natural conditions.
Dos Hermanos Island
At the heart Barangay Balaoi are two identical mountains called the Dos Hermanos Island. Old folks say that in olden times, there were two brothers who were close to each other they vowed to remain together until death. One day, they went fishing and were still at sea when they were caught by a typhoon and drowned. Because of their loyalty to each other, and to serve as an inspiration to others, they were transformed into the two mountains prominently seen in the place.

Other tourist spots in Ilocos Norte are:
Marcos Museum , Giant Windmills , Saud Beach

My Research

2011-08-20T03:35:00.004+08:00

We were asked to make a report by our English teacher to be submitted for our midterm. I was a bit confuse as to what topic should I choose since there is she is not so strict about it. We can choose any topic that we want as long as we can at least make 20 pages for our findings. I was thinking about topics like, culture, drugs, abortion, health, and beauty at first but settled with travel destinations in the end since I know I can write more about it.
What I wrote is about the Top 10 Favorite Travel Destinations in the Philippines, its tourist spots and attractions. I believe that I'm comfortable with this niche. I chose Ilocos Norte, Manila, Cebu, Palawan, Boracay Island, Cagayan, Baguio, Davao, Camiguin Island, and Siargao Island.

Trip to Cebu

2011-08-07T15:18:00.001+08:00

It's been a while since the day I wrote on this blog. Haven't had the chance to do so. Probably I'm busy doing something else, but none the else, here I am again.

After 2 months of preparing for this trip, my sister Hya, together with his boyfriend, went to Cebu for a 3-day trip (Aug 3-5,2011). I had my flight earlier that theirs. I rode an Airphil 2P 381 departing at 6am. I waited for them in the Airport for 6 looong hours. And though I'm tired, I still managed to have a picture taken at the airport with my sister.

We checked in at Hotel Stella and started out itinerary for the day.

VALENTINES DAY IDEAS

2009-12-02T22:56:00.000+08:00

Surprise her by giving a piece of paper with the word â€œI love you" on it. This is the perfect first move to make her happy this day. This is so sweet and for sure she will love it.

Take a day off from work and spend this with your love. This day should be given importance because it only happens once a year.
Prepare some nice valentines cookie recipe in the shape of heart and I'm sure your partner will love it.

One of the fabulous ideas is to have a drive and a candle light dinner. Do not forget to present her a bouquet of red roses to express your love. You can add chocolates too. You can make a nice colorful card with your love notes on it, instead of buying. That is so sweet to do.

This is the day when words are not enough. Some action is also required to make the day different. One thing you can do is to give her a warm tight hug. Hold each other's hands and go for a short walk. Go back from the beginning and talk about how you meet each other. Laugh at each otherâ€™s story. Appreciate each other and read out romantic poems for your lover.

Let her know that she is not only special today, but everyday.
Go out for a date and indulge yourself into 3 star or 5 star hotel. You can implement smart trick for creating the mood for romance. Dim lights, romantic songs and a nice dress you give to her for this day.

And the last but not the least, give her a kiss showing how much she means to you.

What was expected?

1. Write a 100% UNIQUE article that is at least 275 words on any of the following topics:
To be eligible for payment, the article must be:
a) 100% ORIGINAL. Your article will be checked by Copyscape. If any portion of your article is copied from anywhere in the internet it will be detected and rejected.
b) Write in clear English. If you make too many grammatical mistakes your article will be rejected
c) At least 275 words.

Employer's Comment:
Good Article. Approved!

WHAT IS CRICKET?

2009-12-02T22:53:00.000+08:00

Cricket is very popular and it is widely regarded as the world's second most popular sport. Because of this, you can even play cricket games online.

But what is a cricket?

Cricket is basically a bat-and-ball team sport that is first documented as being played in southern England in 16th century. It had developed and had become the national sport of England in 18th century.

The expansion of the British Empire led to cricket being played overseas. In the mid-19th century, the first international matches were being held. Today, cricket has 104 member countries. The rules of the games are known as Laws of Cricket.

A cricket match is played in a cricket field. It is a ground which is grassy and is prepared by groundsmen whose jobs include rolling, leveling, mowing and fertilizing the surface. Field diameter is 140-160 yards or 130-150 m. The perimeter of the field is known as the boundary and this is sometimes painted and sometimes marked by a rope that encircles the outer edge of the field. The size of it is not specified but it is often oval. At the center of the field is a pitch.

Each team has eleven players on it. One of them is the bowler, another is the wicketkeeper and the other nine are called fielders. The wicketkeeper (or keeper) is nearly always a specialist but any of the fielders can be called upon to bowl.

The objective of the games is to score more runs than the other team and to completely dismiss the other team. In one form of cricket, winning the game is achieved by scoring the most runs, even if the opposition has not been completely dismissed. In another form, it is necessary to score the most runs and dismiss the opposition in order to win the match, which would otherwise be drawn.

In professional matches, there are 15 people on the field while a match is in play. Two of these are the umpires who regulate all on-field activity. Two are the batsmen, one of whom is the striker as he is facing the bowling; the other is called the non-striker. The roles of the batsmen are interchangeable as runs are scored and overs are completed.

Before play starts, the two team captains toss a coin to decide which team shall bat or bowl first. The captain who wins the toss makes his decision on the basis of tactical considerations which may include the current and expected field and weather conditions.

What was expected?

1. This task is to create a quality article (400 words or more) based on any of the topics / keywords below.

Make sure you use the keywords listed below. Use the keyword in the body of your article at least 3 times. Create a title for the article and include the keywords in your title.

Cricket
Cricket Games
Online Cricket Games
Free Cricket Games
Fun Cricket Games

The articles are to be used in promoting a cricket games site so if you choose to write about cricket in general please include in the article that you can play cricket games online.

In order to be accepted, your article should.

a) Be 100% original. All articles will be Copyscape checked and articles with any copied content will be rejected.
--Note: Using the internet for research is ok, just make sure the article is written in your own words.
b) Articles should make sense and be interesting or informative.
c) Be 400 words or more.
d) Written in clear English. Too many grammatical mistakes and your article will be rejected.

I was at first rejected for this article. Employer's comment shows that I don't pass the 400 words required. I disputed about it. After a day, he gave me the credit.

Delicious Holiday Fruit Basket

2009-12-02T22:50:00.000+08:00

Christmas is fast approaching. Many people are now looking for some gifts they can give to their love ones this Holiday season. I know there are lots of choices you can choose from, but I highly recommend you this Holiday Fruit Basket.

Fruit baskets are one good gift you can send to your friends to make them feel better or to make them get well. This also is a gift you can send to say happy birthday to someone. Fruit baskets are indeed, perfect for any occasions.

One thing you can give them this Holiday season is a very special and unique holiday fruit baskets. It is perfect for any group setting. This fantastic and incredible holiday fruit basket will surely make your holiday perfect.

This gift can be order through the internet. Most people donâ€™t have time to make it or probably, they do not know how to so they tend to go into a website to order from it. There are lots of sites wherein you can choose for different holiday fruit basket. But believe me, doing it by yourself is one great thing you can do. It is so easy to prepare and for sure your families and love ones will surely love your holiday fruit basket that comes up with a unique design.

Making your own holiday fruit basket is so easy to prepare. All you need is a basket and a wonderful selection of freshest and ripest fruits that are available in the orchard. There should be an assorted selection of crisp red delicious apples, succulent pears and juicy naval oranges. Delicious, wholesome and upscale, this holiday fruit basket does not disappoint!

To come up with a delightful holiday fruit basket, you need to be creative enough on what are the other stuffs you can put on it. You may want to place some add-ons on your holiday fruit basket. This include and not limited to, smoked salmon, fresh roasted mixed nuts, crackers, summer sausage, jams, sharp Vermont cheddar cheese, and some chocolates. For desert of fruit dipping, you can also put a delectable caramel dip, which you can buy in the market or make your own as well. Trust me, you can trust this design to convey any of your sentiments.

What is expected?

1. Write a quality article (375+ words) based on any of the following topics/keywords. (I chose holiday fruit basket)

Make sure you use the keyword listed exactly as it appears. Use the keyword in the body of your article at least 4 times. Create a title for the article and include the keyword in your title.

Employer's Comment: Nice unique Article. Approved!

Zhu Zhu Pets Hamsters Mr. Squiggles

2009-12-02T22:46:00.000+08:00

Zhu Zhu Pets have become to top gifts for 2009. There are four main hamster toys available for your kid to choose from. They come in different personalities, characteristics and color. Alongside with his hamster friends Chunk , Pipsqueek, and Num Nums, here he is, Zhu Zhu pet hamster Mr. Squiggles. So, when you are looking for a perfect gift this Christmas season, try to grab Mr. Squiggles now!

If you are a parent and wondering what the fuss is all about, then, just imagine a real hamster that plays around the house and runs too. Zhu Zhu pet hamster makes unique noises such as cooing and purring without the mess and making him the real interactive pet for kids. They would surely love it.

Mr. Squiggles is the favorite pet hamster of all and the most popular. It is the most top selling pet hamster in stores this year.
Mr Squiggles is the closest in coloring that any hamster toy can get. He is one furry light brown hamster any child can smile about. It has small splatters of white in his body and really looks like a real hamster especially with his bright pink nose and piercing black eyes.

Zhu Zhu Pets Mr Squiggles could quite easily be called â€œZoom Zoomâ€ as he is by far the greatest and nimblest hamster among others. Although all of the hamster toys have an affectionate and exploring mode, it is the exploring mode that really makes this particular fellow shine. Just give him a new battery and see for yourself. Once you give him plenty of space, he will literally zip around like a mad hamster explorer nosing into every nook and cranny in sight. Kids love to chase Mr. Squiggles around and from an on looking parent's view, you can't help but chuckle as that little furry critter runs circles around your hysterical child.

Mr Squiggles favorite accessory are action accessories, such as the hamster car and garage set, the surfboard, skate board and hamster wheel. These add-ons let him go crazy like no other pet hamster and express all of his unique sounds and capabilities he can show to your kids.

1) Write a unique article about Zhu Zhu Pets Hamsters. At least 250 words. The article must pass Copyscape and should be spellchecked.

Please choose one of the following keywords:
1. Zhu Zhu Pets Hamsters Mr. Squiggles
2. Zhu Zhu Pets Hamsters Num Nums
3. Zhu Zhu Pets Hamsters Pipsqueek
4. Zhu Zhu Pets Hamsters Chunk
5. Zhu Zhu Pets Hamsters Patches
6. Zhu Zhu Pets Hamsters Adventure Ball

Take a dice and randomly select one of the keywords above.

The article should provide a description of the selected hamster or the adventure ball. If you chose a hamster also add what it likes, what is its favorite accessory.

You can use search engines to find the information, but don't just copy.

Employer's Comment: APPROVED

my WorKs

2009-12-02T22:43:00.000+08:00

I signed up with a website that pays for article writing. Just want to share with you my works.

A GARDEN IN FULL BLOOM

Everybody loves to garden. We want to see growing ornamental plants or useful plants in our space or yards. Useful plants just like fruits, vegetables, herbs or leaf vegetables or for a variety of purposes like dyes and medicines. Ornamental plants are normally grown for their flowers or foliage or even in their overall appearance.

In our gardening, we need to consider first the design. We have to consider the space we have and how much plant can it accommodate. We should also think of the plant that we are going to use to make a gorgeous garden. We can choose among the variety of one plant, different plants or mixed planting. To propagate more plants, we may want to consider between the variety and the cultivar.

Varieties happen naturally. Most varieties will produce seed that grows a plant just like them. It only changes when done through adaptation, mutation and through cross-pollination. For instance, when a red flowering variety is discovered of a plant that has only been known to bloom pink.Variety names follow the species and are always italicized and lower case, for example, Callicarpa bodinieri. Cultivars don't occur naturally.

Cultivars usually do not grow true from seed and will need to be propagated by some means other than seed, like cuttings,grafting and repeated hybridization. However they are only considered a cultivar if the distinguishing characteristics that make them unique from the original plants are retained when they are propagated.

Another important tool in making a garden is the soil. We should choose the healthy one and fits on our plants.
Plants anything you can on the garden and make it standout. One way to do it is by defining. We can have the taller plants in between those flowers. This way, the height will be focused. Being consistent with the delineate areas can be done too. We can achieve this by planting the same style on it or color. Vines on the walls, fences and overhead structures also offer some protection and look great. And lastly, we can unify the design by repeating same color style in different areas of the garden.

We must take good care of our garden by taking off weeds on it everyday. And the best way to water plants is in the morning. Fertilize if necessary. Pests can be eradicated by making a soap solution but make sure to rinse it after. This is best heeded for fruit bearing trees and edible plants. Having several kinds of insects that are beneficial to your garden is a very good thing. Earthworms are best examples.

Enjoy you garden!

What was expected for this article?
1) Write a unique, original, interesting, informative article on any gardening topic.
- Article must be at least 400 words.
- Use proper US grammar and spelling.
- Article should have an attention grabbing title.
- Do not repeat keyword continuously - keyword density must be less than 2%.
- Article will need to pass copyscape and must not be copied from books or the Net.
Employer comment APPROVED

PAYPAL

2009-11-23T08:48:00.002+08:00

In my previous posts, I mentioned about having a Paypal when we are engage into “money on the internet” business.

So what is Paypal by the way? Is it free?

Here is what Paypal means according to Wikipedia

" PayPal is an e-commerce business allowing payments and money transfers to be made through the Internet. PayPal serves as an electronic alternative to traditional paper methods such as checks and money orders."

PayPal is a reliable, easier way to pay online and accept online payments. There is no charge to open a PayPal account and to transfer money from your bank account to your PayPal account.

A PayPal account can be funded with an electronic debit card or by a credit card. The recipient of a PayPal transfer can either request a check from PayPal, establish their own PayPal deposit account or request a transfer to their bank account.

There are fees in others case, such as:

Receiving payments from goods and services - purchases made by credit card through PayPal just like in Ebay may incur a "foreign transaction fee" if the seller is located in another country.

Receiving payments from friends and family made using a debit or credit card
Receiving a payment from someone in another country - The fee charged depend on the currency used, the payment option used, the country of the sender, the country of the recipient, the amount sent and the recipient's account type.

You can sign up for your own PayPal account too. CLICK HERE to get started.

Is this LOVE???

2009-10-26T23:57:00.004+08:00

The person meant for you is the person who'll stay even when there's no more reason to love you.. For in your nothingness, that person will find reasons enough to love you STILL.

I don't need someone who is so matured to stop my immaturity.

What i need is someone who can ride on my immaturity and maturely understands me..

Bob Ong's Philosophy in love:

"Kung dalawa ang mahal mo, piliin mo ang pangalawa.

Kasi di ka naman magmamahal ng iba kung mahal mo talaga yung una."

A heart made of ice doesn't need someone who has flamethrowers to melt the ice away.

But someone who patiently waits until the ice melts by itself.

If you are important to that person, that person will always find a way to make time for you with NO EXCUSES..

LOVE isn't about staying with someone because you don't want to get hurt. Its about staying because you are happy and there's no other place you would rather be.

I could fall for everyone who treats me special.. but i want to be assured that at the end of the day,

I will be on my way home to the one who treats me as his LIFE...

You know its love when someone made you find yourself saying "Just for you, I'm willing to be hurt again.."

I deserve to be happy... not on the arms of someone who keeps me waiting.. But in the arms of someone who will take me now, love me forever..and leave me never..

What could be nicer than seeing your loved one smile at you so sweetly for no reason?? What could be more flattering than hearing him/her say you look beautiful in whatever you wear?? What could be more heart warming than sharing with him/her an umbrella under the cold rain?? It's to hear him/her, "I've fallen in love with you more than i planned,, and now i know for sure... there's no way I'll ever let you go."

HYA

2009-10-21T08:31:00.002+08:00

Born in October 21,1987. Her name was derived from a Greek Word which means flower, HYACINTH.

Was born under the zodiac sign of Libra and defined as a CALM, PERFECTLY BALANCE, SWEET, GRACIOUS and CHARMING individual. You'll have a mental picture of a person who has that kind of disposition half the time. The other half of the time, she can be ANNOYING, QUARRELSOME, STUBBORN, RESTLESS, DEPRESSED and CONFUSED.

HYA is first up, then down. She swings one way, then another. Suddenly, like the scale's perfect balance!

It's heavenly! But there is always that period of weighing and dipping before the moment of heavenly balance is achieved.

These are the characteristics of this girl.. :) But nevertheless, she is a very good daughter and a great sister.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SIS! We love you! Enjoy your 22nd bday!

WAYS ON HOW TO BE THRIFTY

2009-10-21T08:26:00.002+08:00

My aunt one day visited in our house and talked about the ways she applied for her children for them to save money and became rich now. Here are some steps and strategies she used to say:

PRIORITIZE YOUR NEEDS INSTEAD OF WANTS.

--I guess the words explain what it needs to tell.
SPLURGE on the things that you really NEED but not on the things or stuffs you just LIKE.

USE TOILETRIES WISELY.

-- for example, in using a BODY SOAP, instead of scrubbing it into the loafer, why not scrub the soap directly in your body first? In this way, she said you can minimize your use on it.

-- FOR TOOTHPASTE – only put a PEA-SIZE of it.

-- FOR LAUNDRY SOAP – When doing the laundry, (handwashing), try to use the soap and put it in a soap container and scrub it on the clothes your washing. INSTEAD of soaking the soap in the laundry tub too. :)

-- When using COLOGNE or LOTION -- try to use those items that are not branded :)

-- USE TALC instead of FACE POWDER or FOUNDATION

WHEN IT COMES TO FOOD.

-- like MEAT or FISH - use extenders like veges to make the meat or fish plenty instead of cooking it alone by shredding the meat.

-- RICE -Make sure that you’re only cooking what it needs to be eaten so you can’t have “BAHAW”. In this way, you’re not gonna waste your time cooking fried rice in the morning. This saves cooking oil and effort as you see.

DO NOT INCURE in any DEBT.(with regard to things or money) just to avoid miscellaneous expenses

This is just few of the many tips she actually said. But i cant think of the others so far. Hope it helps you in some way though!

Enjoy saving! :)

BANGON PILIPINAS

2009-10-18T02:09:00.000+08:00

by RICO BLANCO

"Countless Filipinos have heroically gone out of their way to help our brothers and sisters in this time of need. This is just my humble contribution as a singer and musician. I hope, in my own little way, I can help raise additional funds they badly need, and perhaps give a little boost to their morale to help them get back on their feet again.

I am offering a completely new song, 'Bangon' as a free download on these websites: a million flames or rico blanco music. Hopefully it will also raise some badly needed funds through your donations. Warner Music Philippines is currently helping me set up a bank account to accomodate your cash donations as well as a Paypal account for those of you who wish to help from overseas.

For those who wish to donate now, you can text BANGON to 5677. I am waiving all royalties, the amount of which will go to our countrymen affected by the typhoons.

Please feel free to download the track, use it, and share with your friends to spread the message of hope to everyone.

Thank you for your kindness. God bless. Mabuhay ang Pilipinas!"

-- for the lyrics of the song, double click on the video to redirect you to the youtube site. Rico posted the lyrics there. Or click here to visit Rico Blanco website.
Thanks everyone! Mabuhay tayong mga pilipino!--

BACK in RAYMEN'S

2009-10-13T21:54:00.000+08:00

Just before I resigned last September 18, i got the chance to have my last team building with my team mates last Sept 12 and 13. Only 8 of us went there because others can't.. (For some reasons..whatever. hehe!)

Anyway, just want to share with you the pics we had during that time.

i looove GUIMARAS.

on our way to the island..

Lunch time

Picture for a cause..hahaha

Goodbye Raymen's..
Goodbye GUIMARAS

MY BATTLE (A piece from a friend's diary)

2009-10-10T01:04:00.001+08:00

Just want to share what happened to me in the past 4 weeks. I awoke up early on the morning of July 27 (Monday) not feeling well but I know that I have to get up because I will be traveling to Baguio for the next 6 - 7 hours. I didn’t tell anyone that I wasn’t feeling well, we just went on. When I reached Baguio, that was the time that I cannot tolerate the muscle pains anymore and the chills (I can usually tolerate the cold afternoon weather in Baguio but I can’t this time so that’s why I knew that something was wrong). I met a close friend (she’s Nay Eden, my mentor) there and I told her that I am not really feeling well. I was holding her arms while we’re roaming around Baguio because I can feel that I might collapse. My Nay Eden said that I have fever. So that’s the start of a month of a series of unprecedented scenarios.

I went back to Iloilo on July 28 not really feeling well that I went to work almost 4 hours late on that day’s shift. My fever went on and off for 2 weeks (July 27 – August 10). It would usually come every afternoon or night and I would know that I have a fever even if I can’t check my temperature because I was shivering. I would call my mom every hour for 2 weeks and tell her what I feel. Telling me to take medicines and going to a doctor was the most that she could do because I do not want her to come here and I didn’t want to go to Manila either because I felt so weak that time (I would just tell my mom, kaya ko pa..) I was still going to work these days because I thought that I just needed rest but every time I go to work, I would just go to the Clinic few times a day because I was shivering and my fever would come back. The doctor at the clinic gave me antibiotics (Co-amoxiclav) and he referred me to a specialist.

St. Paul’s Hospital was the first place that I thought of to have a consultation but they referred me to an EENT because I was complaining of a bump on my neck which appeared 4 days from the start of my fever. The EENT told me to have a chest X-ray and a PPD Test (these are tests for PTB or Pulmonary Tuberculosis, NOW THIS IS THE START OF MY SEEMINGLY NEVER ENDING LAB TESTS). My X-ray came out as negative of TB but the PPD Test turned out positive so the EENT referred me to an Internist. The EENT diagnosed me of having TB even if the test results are INCONSISTENT.

It was already August 4 when I consulted an Internist and he told me that he’s not convinced that I have TB so he asked me to have Urinalysis and CBC. The Urinalysis showed that I have UTI and the Blood Test has normal results so I was told to stop the antibiotics that the clinic doctor recommended and I was given other antibiotics (Ciprofloxacin) to cure the UTI. But since I was already suspected to have TB, the Internist advised me to have rest for 5 - 7 days while I’m under observation. Finally after 6 days (August 10) of taking the medicine, my fever stopped but I still felt weak. This was also the time that I noticed the rashes on my arms but they were not itchy or something that time; I thought that I was just allergic to the medicine. I didn’t go back to the doctor immediately to ask about the rashes because my neck badly aches especially when I’m in a vehicle so I just decided to see the internist again the next day and some of you might’ve seen me here in the office as I wanted to check on my agents.

These were the times that people are telling me to see an ‘albularyo’, telling me that the bump on my neck might be cancer and telling me that my lungs are getting weaker (I was born with weak lungs). I still struggled to be an optimist; I didn’t go to an ‘albularyo’ though I was tempted to but I knew I am willing to accept even if the bump turns out to be cancer. I realized also that I had to be strong for myself. I would go to a doctor alone even if I really felt so weak to stand up. There was one time that I was waiting for a jeep and I was really shivering on the road while waiting. It is true that you will find your real friends when you’re not in good shape. Thanks to all those people who cared.

A friend of mine from Manila (Ate Rachel) told me to spend a couple of days at their house so somebody would take care of me. Thanks to her, I had the most time of rest for 4 days.

Now going back to the rashes, the internist said that I have Viral Exanthem (it’s a viral infection just like measles). Unfortunately, there’s no cure for that. The doctor said that it would go away on its own after 1 week so that’s why I was again advised to rest for another week (August 17 – 21). He was thinking that the bump on my neck is because of that viral infection. I was contagious this time so I had to stay away from others (this is also the reason why I didn’t want to see my mom, I don’t want her to have the same ailment).

Eventually, my mom was able to convince me to go to Manila for further check up and for second opinion, as she’s so worried with my condition. We first went to Medical City and I was asked to have another X-ray, it’s for my neck this time. The result turned out normal again. The bump wasn’t seen in the neck X-ray. The next day, we went to St. Luke’s Hospital, the doctor said that I stop the antibiotics (Ciprofloxacin) because that might be the cause of the rashes. I was again required to have another set of lab tests and examination; ultrasound and my 2nd CBC. My fever came back this day, by the way. I was shivering all the way from Bulacan to St. Luke’s badly. My 2nd CBC showed that I have low white-blood cell count which confirmed that I have Viral Exanthem and the ultrasound in my neck showed that the bump on my neck are chains and chains of swollen lymph nodes but the doctors didn’t know what caused them.

For the 3rd time, I was referred to a different doctor. He’s the 6th doctor that I have consulted in 3 weeks. This time, the 5th doctor referred me to an Infectious Disease doctor who didn’t give me any prescription for there’s no cure for the infection. I was told to stop all my medications and observe if I’ll be having fever again. My rashes started to itch this time and it’s so annoying that I can’t sleep at night. This doctor said that if ever my fever comes back, it would only mean either of the 2 things he mentioned. Either it’s TB of my lymph nodes or lymphoma (cancer). My mom and I went home to our province so she could take care of me. She would all the time make me drink different juices every meal and I would just complain (ehehehe). Anyway, I went back to Iloilo on August 23 with coughs so I went back to the doctor the next day and was diagnosed with Tonsillopharyngitis (some kind of flu, the doctor said and my 3rd illness in just 4 weeks). Again, I was given medications for 7 days. He also asked me to have my 3rd CBC to check if my white-blood cell count has returned to normal. Fortunately, it did so I’m not contagious anymore.

I’m back to work since August 24, the fever hasn’t come back yet and I feel better everyday except for the coughs.

Thank you Boss Kev for encouraging me to go to Manila for check up. Thank you OM Mor for understanding my absence. Thank you Chills for taking care of my evals. Thank you clustermates for assisting my team. (Dxc, Irene, Belen and Ryan) Thank you to all the people who sent messages. Your messages are highly appreciated. GOD BLESS YOU GUYS! Thank You…

With what I thought is the end of a previous Chapter is just a ‘continuation’ of that Chapter that I didn’t want to remember or go back to anymore.
I didn’t expect this ‘comeback’ as I was making a full and positive recovery from last month. My appetite was and is enormous and I was feeling healthy as a horse until this.

My sickness continued its path this past week like a hurricane, SIMPLY UNPREDICTABLE and DESTRUCTIVE. Again, leaving everything in me somewhat devastated. It was a (physically) painful week for me.

It was September 1 when my sickness came ‘waltzing in’ to my life again slowly making my body weak from Day 1 to September 5. It gave its full force at the last part of this battle and that became the most physically (have to stress the word physically out..ehehehheh..coz the emotional pain is another story) painful day for me. ‘QUEER’** (adj. peculiar, odd) is the best word that I’d describe the sicknesses that happened to me as they occur in different events, forms and ways, totally unrelated to each other and would make the doctors in deep thought. (ehehehehe, exaggerating...)

Here is the story: MY 4th SICKNESS IN 5 WEEKS
3:00am of September 1, my team’s lunch break:
I was sleepy so I asked one of my friends to have coffee with me, he said ‘ok’ so we bought instant coffee. I enjoyed that warm, nice cup of coffee as it was my first cup of coffee after more than a month. I felt the effect of coffee a few hours when the muscles in my legs started to hurt but it was tolerable so I went on until the end of my shift. When I was finally home and have slept more than 2 hours, I was woken up by fever and chills and I noticed that I can barely move because the muscles all over my body are excruciatingly painful. The pain was more intense when I move but I still managed to get up and take medicine for body pains. There was no way for me to go to a doctor immediately because it’s really painful to move so I continued my sleep.
What added to my burden this day was that my head was aching and I was vomiting because of my eye problem. Fortunately, when I woke up again, I was not having fever anymore, my head doesn’t hurt anymore and the muscle pains have subsided. I was 4 hours late when I went to work because my muscles still hurt. I had to move slowly as any sudden movement would make me cry out for pain. I went straight to the Clinic when I reached the site. I was asked if I did any physical activity, if I have cough and colds, if it hurts to pee, and etc but I said ‘no’ to all of these. The doctor was thinking that I might just be having flu (trangkaso). For the 4th time, I was told to have CBC and urinalysis (waaaaahh, I’m not going to have these again…).

To my surprise, the fever didn’t come back for a couple of days so I told the doctor that I didn’t have my blood and urine test because I don’t have fever anymore. My muscles are still painful but I just take pain killers to take my mind off it. It surprised me more when I had a fever again on Saturday. The clinic nurse said that it’s possible that I have an electrolyte imbalance and low potassium level when I went there Saturday morning (September 5) after my shift. She told me that I might be having fever again because my eyes are getting red so she checked my temperature. It was 37.4 degrees. I was beginning to have chills during this time and my muscles were in great deal of pain again. The nurse was telling me to rest in the Clinic but I said that I’ll just go home. So there I went even if I was moving like a turtle. In the afternoon of last Saturday, I forced myself to go to the office because I forgot my laptop in the check-in counter and I had to endorse my agents who are going to have their Rest Day Overtime.
Every single move I made that day took heaps and heaps of effort that even composing a text message telling my mom what’s happening to me took a lot of effort because the muscles in my arms hurt when I move my thumb. I almost fell when I was adjusting to the pain of walking. The clinic was my first stop when I arrived at the office (the same nurse attended to me when I was there that morning) because I was shivering. The nurse checked my temperature and it was 38 degrees so she gave me medicine for my fever and told me to rest for a couple of hours there. I agreed. After an hour she checked my temperature again, it’s 38.7 this time. The nurse had to help me when I had to move, get up and walk. This tops the muscle pains that I had in 5 days; this was the worst of all. I told the nurse that I’ll just wait for the medicine to take effect and I told her that I had to leave in a couple of minutes because I had to check on something. She said ‘kaya mo n b?’….hmmmmm, ‘kakayanin’, I thought… Sunday was a good day for me as my muscle pains have subsided, they still hurt of course but the pain is bearable. Because I can’t think of anything to do yesterday, I traced all the muscles that hurt in my body (ahahahhaha). I planned to at least massage them. I found out that there are 24 points in my body that hurts, 9 in both of my arms and 15 in both of my legs. Well, that explains the walking difficulty (ahahha)..

Funny thing..I’m on a Gatorade and banana diet right now. (eheheheh)

Lesson learned?...careful of water therapy…(hahaha) ‘QUEER’ it is!

‘THE END, how I hope this is!

Let me tell you the story of the latest battle that I fought.
If you can remember from last time, I still have Tonsillopharyngitis. Well, this is the continuation of that Tonsillopharyngitis and my hospitalization. I went back to the doctor on September 8 because my fever won’t go away anymore since September 5 and it was always 38.7°C– 39°C accompanied by muscle pains and chills. I brought him my Typhidot and platelet count (my 4th blood test) results. Typhidot will show if you currently have and if you had Typhoid Fever before.

On the other hand, the platelet count with Na, K and Ca will of course show you the blood test result with electrolyte levels. I asked my mom if I had Typhoid Fever when I was young and she said ‘no’. My doctor read me the results of the tests and he said that the Typhidot shows that I had the said sickness before (….weird!) and my electrolyte levels are normal but a bit low in Potassium. He told me to rest for at least 3 days (September 9 – 11) and he gave me another set of antibiotics (Ciprofloxacin) aside from the antibiotics that I’m taking for the Tonsillopharyngitis (Clarithromycin). On the night of September 10, I took both antibiotics with Paracetamol for my burning fever and a few minutes after, I was itching all over my body that I can’t sleep. I also felt hungry, though I just ate 30 minutes ago, so I got up but felt so dizzy that I fell. I looked myself on the mirror and saw that my whole body especially my eyes are so red. I texted my doctor and told him that I’m probably allergic to Ciprofloxacin (which is really odd because I had that medication last month and nothing of this sort happened) and he said that if I really don’t feel well, I should better go to a hospital. So even if I really feel so dizzy, I packed my bag, changed my clothes, walked the stairs slowly and went to the hospital ALONE. My chest started to hurt on the way to the hospital. I didn’t know what to do but pray that I reach the hospital in time. When I reached the hospital, I heard one of the nurses say ‘para kang nag-beach’ (because I was so red). They immediately injected me with antihistamine and asked me to have, guess what, Urinalysis and CBC (my 5th blood test). They checked all my vital signs and I was burning with 40°C of fever. I still managed to text my doctor when I was already in the ER because I feel fine except for the chills. He, then, called the hospital and told the doctor in the ER (whom is a friend of him) to admit me because of suspected Typhoid Fever.
I specifically requested for the IV to be injected in my left hand so I could still text (eehehheheh, the nurses and I laughed when I said that). The nurses would come and go in to my room every 30 minutes that night checking my vital signs so I really didn’t get much sleep or rest. They were so worried because my blood pressure dropped down to 80/60 (80/50 sometimes), my fever was consistently 40° for more than 6 hours and my heartbeat was fast. One of the nurses took blood sample from me again (my 6th blood test) because the blood sample that they took earlier was for a different test (whew). I was fully aware of what’s happening I just couldn’t believe that they are happening because like I said I feel fine except for the shivers. The next day, one of the nurses went in to my room saying that they’ll be getting more blood samples from me again. I agreed, as if I have a freakin’ choice. She took a couple of amps of blood from my arterial veins near my hand and from my arm (they were the most painful of all the 8 blood tests). I didn’t know that they are still to take 3 more blood samples from me in the following days. Three doctors attended to my needs while I’m in that hospital, one is my doctor (the Internist), second is an Infectious Disease Doctor that my doctor recommended because he doesn’t know how to handle my sickness and third is a resident doctor of Saviour International Hospital.
They all come everyday to check on me and it is obvious that they are all worried, especially my doctor. Since I am allergic to the medicine that my doctor gave me, they changed my medication to Levofloxacin which we found out the next day that I am also allergic to so the redness and rashes of my body came back. Nice right?! Even if I’m already admitted to the hospital with all the doctors and the nurses taking care of me, my fever wouldn’t really go away that it was only on the 6th day of my confinement that it went away. Another painful experience that I had is they had to transfer the IV alternately from both of my hands almost everyday because my hands would swell every single time they put liquid antibiotics in my IV. If you see me right now, you would see the 5 dark scars on my hands because of the IV sites. It was excruciatingly painful every time they inject and push the needle inside my skin. I was glad when the Infectious Disease doctor ordered the nurses to remove my IV, as from him it was one of the causes of my fever which proved to be true the next day. It was my decision not to tell my mom everything that’s happening to me inside that hospital. I also wouldn’t complain to my parents of the pains that I feel while in the hospital because I know that would mean more worries for them and I do not want them to live in worries while I’m out of their sight. I told my mom not to come here in Iloilo to be with me in the hospital because, even if the doctors won’t tell me, I know I am contagious. She still insisted in coming here.
But the….
Good thing is she didn’t have to see me in pain of the lab tests that they are doing to me.

Good thing, she didn’t have to witness how it hurts every single time they take blood and inject needles in my skin.

Good thing, she didn’t have to see that I can’t eat sometimes because I just vomit what I eat.

Good thing, she didn’t have to see how painful it is every time they put antibiotics in my IV, it’s like electricity running through my veins.

Good thing, she didn’t have to be there to support me when I almost fall every time I stand up.

Good thing, she didn’t have to hear my breathing difficulty because of my coughs.

THAT’S ALL BECAUSE THEY WERE ALL DONE WHEN SHE CAME.

What made me stronger when I was there were the friends whom I know are praying for me, the friends who visited me and for the nurses who wouldn’t leave my side and listened to my complaints.

Thank you.
I got out of the hospital on September 18.
Thanks to Maxicare and Philhealth, I only paid little percentage of my piling hospital bill. (ehehehehhe)

I’m on the process of recovery right now. The scars on my hands are healing and the discolorations on my face are improving. I’m getting a lot of rest. I came back to work on the 28th.

Oh by the way, I was diagnosed with 3 sicknesses while in the hospital.

I won’t be here anymore sending this email if I didn’t make it to the hospital in time…I almost died because of Anaphylactic shock..