looks just like the sun today

cebu, the third time around

2009-11-06T22:00:00.023+08:00

It’s never too late to write about a trip. Or at least show pictures and point others to the right direction.

When in Cebu:

1. Light a candle at the Basilica Minore Del Santo Nino (Osmena Blvd).

2. Check out Magellan’s Cross (across from Cebu City Hall just a short walk from the Basilica) and chat up the ladies.

3. Stop and smell the roses . . . sold at the market.

4. Say a prayer at Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral and drop by the nearby Museum.

5. Walk to the Heritage of Cebu Monument in what used to be Plaza Parian.

6. Eat at STK Ta Bay! (Sugba Tula Kilaw). Try the Panga ng Tuna, the crabs and the baked scallops. (Orchid St, Capitol Site)

7. Visit UP in the Visayas - Cebu Campus. Wala lang. I’m making it a point to visit all the UP campuses. I went to UP Diliman, been to UP Manila, UP Baguio, UP Los Baños and the two campuses in Iloilo (Iloilo City and Tigbauan).

8. Spend some quiet time at the Apostolic Sisters of St. John walk up the Chinese Cemetery and marvel at the view of Cebu City below.

9. Visit Mactan Shrine and take a picture in front of Lapu-Lapu.

10. Buy pasalubong from the many shops there.

11. Chill at Ayala Mall. Have a cup at Bo's Coffee or get a sugar high from Leona's Cakes and Pastries.

12. Have dinner at Casa Verde. Brian’s Baby Back Ribs is to die for and the watermelon salad is good, too. (V. Ranudo Extension)

Have dinner at Larsian while trying hard to forget about the smoke stinging your eyes and how too much barbecued food is carcinogenic. (Located near Fuente Osmeña and Chong Hua Hospital)

If isaw, atay and barbecue is not your thing you can try Siomai sa Tisa along B. Rodriguez. Just around the corner from Larsian, you can order siomai to go or eat at the tables and chairs provided along the sidewalk. Come early, the siomai gets sold out very early in the evening.

(No pictures of the food. I wolfed them all down before I could even take a picture.)

tickets

2009-11-06T18:03:00.002+08:00

Raring to go back on the road again.

want vs need

2009-10-30T19:34:00.005+08:00

Things I WANT but don't NEED (right now)
1. Running shoes
There's a hole near the right toe of my current running shoes that almost lends credibility to my running efforts. Truth be told the hole is probably due more to poor shoe quality than the wear and tear of running. I think I'll postpone buying new shoes until I actually earn the mileage.

2. Earphones
The earphones that came with my iPod are almost 2 years old. More gray than white in color now it's exposed wirings have been taped over many times (with Micropore!). I can barely hear anything from the right earphone. I tend to compensate by increasing the volume which is probably bad for my left ear. I don't get to use them very often now since I have started running without music. However, I am looking forward to using them when I go on duty in the hospital. I'm over caffeinated and on an adrenalin high during my 24-hour hospital duties. When I do have to time for a nap I need to listen to soothing music that can lull me to sleep.

3. Laptop Sleeve
A nice laptop deserves a good laptop sleeve, one that allows me to just chuck the whole thing in my bag and not worry about damaging my laptop. My old sleeve is way too big for my (relatively) new laptop. It does not really offer that much protection. I need one that is light and fits like a glove.

4. ER Season 15 Box Set
Yes, DVDs of the full season 15. After going through season 1 to 14 since med school I'm determined to see the whole series to its end. I once considered going into Emergency Medicine but I decided I wanted more patient contact (and follow-up) than an ER stay of 24-48 hours can give.

5. Tree bookshelf
Just because it's so damn nice to look at. But I'll probably need a forest to shelve all of my books.

Tree Bookshelf from designer Shawn Soh.

Things I WANT and actually NEED
Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine 17th ed

I have the 16th ed all highlighted, bookmarked and covered with notations. That's not to say I have read the entire 2 volumes. I still need to get the updated 17th ed though. I actually have the pdf of the new edition but there's nothing like the feel and smell of a new book to inspire me to study.

Yup, that's all I really need right now (and maybe a little less rain so I can run).

goal updates

2009-10-28T12:08:00.000+08:00

Too much has happened that I haven't been able to write about.

There's the week-long Cebu-CDO-Camiguin trip, my camera breaking down, the tan-lines and getting really, really dark during rainy season.

There's letting go of my laid-back lifestyle of work/vacation to go into unemployment, to feeling really stupid during pre-residency and then being accepted to another residency program.

There's momentarily losing sight of my running goals as rainy weather put a lid on my running for July and August, and coming home bone-tired during my pre-residency in September (I actually fall asleep on the commute home).

But I'm back now.

I'm getting used to running on a treadmill. I've set new running goals for October and am on the brink of achieving them. I am glad that all the walking (and commuting) I did for pre-residency kept my weight down. At least after a full month with no runs I won't have to concern myself about additional weight wreaking havoc to my knees.

I have plans for a last vacation before I start my residency training in December.

It's nice to have goals.

maraming salamat po

2009-08-01T09:23:00.000+08:00

Whatever I write today will never be good enough. So I'm keeping it as simple as possible (but not simpler).

Rest In Peace President Corazon Aquino.

Maraming Salamat Po.

this is a rant / this is a rave

2009-07-28T03:24:00.000+08:00

Okay.

I was just in the worst traffic jam ever.

I just got home. A bus ride from Alabang to Batangas which usually takes 1 1/2 hours on a good day stretched to what seemed like infinity. I left Alabang at a little before 3 PM yesterday and arrived at Batangas at 2:40 AM today. My butt is numb from sitting in the bus for 11 hours and 43 minutes.

Contrary to what most people might think, the bus was not filled with impatient and grumbling passengers. I surprised even myself by not complaining. We were at a standstill most of the time, what use was complaining going to do anyway. It was just going to be a waste of energy.

I got some sleep on the bus. Most passengers did. Some ate their dinner and snacks on board. We listened to 80's music (mostly classic rock and pop), watched the news about PGMA's SONA, watched Pirates of the Caribbean (the first movie followed by the sequel) and was already half-way through the Curse of the Black Pearl when the DVD player just stalled. We then watched another film version of Tomb Raider 1 and 1/2 times (not the one with Angelina Jolie and with really bad acting). In between all these I was reading Haruki Murakami's Dance Dance Dance and would've finished the book if the bus lights weren't switched off late in the night.

I'm not feeling too tired right now, which is quite unfortunate as I can't get myself to fall asleep. I keep thinking about alternate travel experiences. If I was going the opposite direction I would've reached Ilocos Norte by then. On a different day I would've reached Bicol already. If I was on a boat instead I would've already reached Romblon. If I was in Cebu, I would've been in Camiguin already. If I was going to work, I would've already gone back and forth to Mindoro twice.

For most part of the bus ride, this was my view out the window. Not exactly a view to die for, but I'm really not complaining.

In truth, I will probably remember this as the shortest 12-hour trip I've ever had. In truth, this will probably be the best "worst traffic jam" I'll ever be in.

Going down the bus at the end of Diversion Road in Batangas I couldn't help but smile when the passengers thanked the driver and the conductor for a safe trip. We all laughed when one passenger quipped "sulit ang bayad". Truly, the bus fare we paid was all worth it.

last words

2009-07-27T08:02:00.006+08:00

July has not been extremely friendly to me.

I'm back in Manila. I took an exam without reviewing and walked away hitting myself on the head. I must have written the most disjointed essay I've ever written. It's shameful. Now, I'm down to contemplating Plan C in my medical career path. Unfortunately, it's appearing to be just like the weather - gloomy, overcast and gray.

I should not be getting worked up. Saturday night I bought five Smiley stress balls, four of which I gave to my equally depressed and directionless friends. The last one is for me.

her morning elegance

2009-06-29T12:00:00.000+08:00

Her Morning Elegance - Oren Lavie

Thanks to Aki for showing me this vid. Stop motion charms me no end.

I love it.

meant to travel

2009-06-05T09:18:00.002+08:00

I was at National Bookstore checking the travel section when the guy next to me caught my attention.

"You love to travel, too?" he asked. I smiled brightly and said yes.

"I'm planning to go to Australia," he continued, as he reached out to the Lonely Planet guide to Australia.

"Australia. Wow. Is this for work or vacation?" It was my turn to ask.

"Oh, I don't work."

And with that I was hooked.

Here was a very confident 25-year old businessman who was also an avid traveler. He talked about studying in Europe, ordering a gelato in Milan, the cold weather in Beijing and feeding needy children in South Africa.

All I could do was smile and ham it up. He was talking about previous travels while all I had to share was future travel plans - going to China with friends in a couple of years and plans to apply to Australia for further training. My recent islandhopping escapades and travel to HK and Macau certainly was not up to par. Nevertheless, we still had an enjoyable chat and we ended up exchanging contact information for possible "collaborations" in the future. (As a physician he thought I would be interested in his new anti-aging business venture, while his feeding the needy crusade was what piqued my interest).

We discussed the merits of the different travel guides (Let's Go, LP, Rough Guide, etc) - the no-ads stand of LP, the very specific travel info in Let's Go (how to order a gelato, recent political/economic development). I suggested he read Bill Bryson's In A Sunburned Country before he left for Australia although it wasn't available in the bookstore at the moment. In the end he chose to get a Let's Go guide to Australia.

More small talk then goodbye, with a "maybe we'll see each other in Australia", a handshake and a smile.

A conversation with a fellow traveler always leaves me buoyant. It's almost like I've actually done some traveling when all I've had was an eye-opening chat. And to put icing on this travel bug's cake the new edition (May 2009) of Lonely Planet Philippines is out now. I was fortunate enough to purchase it at it's initial price of Php 809 on the same day they increased it to Php 1,009.

What do you know, I am blessed.

I was meant to travel.

just doing their job

2009-06-04T16:58:00.000+08:00

Traffic was a little better today. It was kind of a lopsided day. It was human traffic that drained me.

It was still raining when I got off the bus at EDSA Central. As soon as I entered the building I got suckered into a conversation with a Chinese Amway sales agent. I'm not sure if he just did not understand what I was saying or if he just did not want to take no for an answer. For 15 minutes I went along and humored him. I took his card, gave a false number and hurried along.

Next stop I was accosted by a magazine saleswoman offering raffle tickets for a trip to Dubai. A few days before I had already filled up a raffle ticket for a trip to Australia that looked exactly the same as the Dubai ticket. I politely declined the offer and continued perusing the Asian Geographic Passport.

Walking across the mall I knew I was going to be a good target for a lot of sales agent. I had that "I'm lost" look on me, plus I was alone. I walked hurriedly along avoiding eye contact.

Barely walking a kilometer I must have said no to 7 sales agent already. Very politely, if I may add. You really can't harbor any bad feelings towards them. They are all just doing their job. I just wish that they wouldn't be so mean and demeaning sometimes.

manila traffic

2009-06-03T22:48:00.001+08:00

I will never get used to Metro Manila's traffic jams.

It took me 2 1/2 hours to commute from Quezon City to Bicutan tonight. It was not even raining hard and the bus I was on took the Skyway already. Two and a half hours - about the same amount of time it takes a mid-day bus to get from QC to Batangas.

I don't mind long bus rides if I'm traveling long distances. But to sit for hours in a bus that barely moves along EDSA is torture for me. I feel fortunate that I do not have to endure this torture everyday like the thousands of Metro Manila commuters.

After my 2 1/2 hour bus ride, standing in the rain waiting for yet another ride

Sitting sadly in the bus tonight I was reminded of what one tour guide said about Metro Manila traffic. We were in Hongkong that time on a city tour and Mr. Lee, our guide, was explaining that we might be a little late getting to our next destination on account of the rush hour traffic. I remember smiling and looking out the window as cars zipped past at 35 kph. That was rush hour traffic - cars just moving a little slower than the usual 80 kph.

Mr. Lee was right to say that Hongkong's traffic system is a little better than Manila's. He loved visiting the Philippines for vacations but had to shake his head at the Metro Manila traffic where you can sit in a bus, have a two-hour nap and not be afraid of missing your stop. When you wake up from the nap you're probably still in the same place anyway.

Even Lonely Planet's Tony Wheeler agrees that Manila's traffic jams are to be reckoned even beating out Bangkok. Although he does add that Shanghai still wins for the worst traffic jams (Tony Wheeler's World Worsts in The Titanic Awards).

I suppose there are still a couple of good things about traffic jams. I can attribute my love for walking to traffic since at times walking takes me to my destination faster than taking a jeepney. On occasions that I do need to take a jeepney the hour-long commutes present an opportunity for me to catch up on my reading. And of course, stuck in traffic one learns to appreciate the empty spaces and open roads of a provincial setting.

dream

2009-05-30T12:07:00.000+08:00

I love this:

"Well, I had a dream I was running further than I've ever ran before"

*smiles*

pandan island: rain or shine

2009-05-02T22:53:00.000+08:00

I usually plan my travels weeks before I leave. At the very least I know a little about my destination. Not this time. I received the message confirming the trip to Pandan Island the day before we were supposed to leave. I took a peek at my Lonely Planet guide, read the half-page entry, and that was it. I had no idea what the trip had in store for me.

On that same day I had just finished reading The Beach by Alex Garland. I still had all these images in my head of an isolated beach - the perfect getaway. I had to stop myself from daydreaming so I would not be disappointed if reality fell short of this paradise.

* * *

It had been raining the past few days with a low-pressure area forecast off the coast of Mindoro. It was drizzling when we got on the boat to Abra de Ilog in Occidental Mindoro. Our group was split in the middle with regards to the weather. The ladies were continuously begging the sun to come out with their sun dance while the men were praying for overcast skies.

It was well and good that we were initially rained in on the trip. The open bus ride to Sablayan (3 hours - P113) would have been insufferable if not for the rain. The highway was like a jigsaw puzzle with 50-meter stretches of asphalt road interspersed with kilometers of dirt road. The rain had spared us from suffocating heat and asthma-inducing clouds of dust.

We met our host (a friend of a friend of a friend) at Sablayan and was whisked by a tricycle to the water's edge where we took a fifteen minute boat ride to North Pandan island. It was still overcast but it had stopped raining for a while. The view that greeted us could well have been paradise.

We had a hut to ourselves with a sleeping space in the attic, enough food to last us for 3 days, beer and a whole island to explore. Rain or shine we were determined to have some fun.

A short walk on the powdery white sand brought us to a nice spot for a swim. Aside from the occasional snorkler or passing boat we had the spot all to ourselves. After hours of soaking up the seawater we headed into the heart of the island. A short trek through coconuts and forest trees brought us to a lagoon where the waves had carved small basins into the rocks and corals. We swam in tubs of bubbling sea water as it drizzled. Another shorter trek brought us to a tinier cove with a rock formation the locals called the Spanish Nose.

We took a different route going back to the hut. We walked over sand and sea grass, sharp rocks and corals. A slight misstep would have inevitably resulted into multiple abrasions and lacerations. I was glad I was wearing rubber sandals which prevented me from slipping. A friend was wearing 3-inch platform Havaianas, it was a wonder how she got through without a single scratch.

It was drizzling the whole time. The cooling effect tricked us into believing that the 40-minute trek back to the hut was effortless. As soon as we sat down, stomachs grumbled, muscles cramped and we all gave out sighs of relief.

The rest of our stay in Pandan Island was more chill time. The sun finally came out on our second day and we basked in its radiance. The water was clean and clear. Fish kept swimming in schools near the water's edge and we were on constant lookout for pawikan.

Not far from where we were staying foreign visitors in the island's resort sunbathed. Kids played in the sand while the grown-ups played volleyball. A French guy caught his breath near our hut before turning around to continue his morning run. And I had my third cup of coffee as I stretched on a bench reading a good book.

When it was time to go our host gave us an added treat and took us around the island by boat. The ride lasted only 10 minutes, but it was a good and satisfying 10 minutes. We passed all the now familiar places and then some: our small hut with the "No Trispassng" sign in front, the small lagoon, the Spanish Nose, underwater caves, the sandbar, the island's resort and the stretch of white sand where the sea turtles (pawikan) lay their eggs at night. Rain or shine we had enjoyed our short stay in Pandan Island.

The rest of the afternoon was spent singing our hearts out at videoke while waiting for the van to take us back to Mamburao.

Boat from Batangas to Abra de Ilog, Occ Mindoro (and vice versa) - P208 (+ P42 for an aircon upgrade)
Terminal Fee - P30
Van to Mamburao from Abra de Ilog (and vice versa) - P80
Tricycle to the Bus Station - P8/passenger
Bus to Sablayan - P113
Van to Mamburao from Sablayan - P230
Tricycle to Van Terminal P10
Contribution for food and lodging - P800

still running

2009-04-27T16:49:00.000+08:00

Since I started running (jogging? or whatever you can call this slow shuffling gait) I've hit several road blocks.

Being overweight and unfit I could not even run for 5 minutes straight in the beginning. I searched for a newbie running program and decided to aim for a 5 km (The Couch-to-5k Running Plan). Getting to 3 km was easy enough. But after that I hit my first wall.

I mixed it up a bit. I run to the beach, not minding if I made several stops on the way. I run on a treadmill. Pretty soon I was running my 5 km. It was like sweet victory since it was something I never thought I could do.

Then I hit another wall. I could not get past 5 km this time. For a month I was only running 5 km/run. I took a tiny break, a vacation, then suddenly I ran a 6 km without even knowing it.

Then I hit yet another wall. After 2 weeks of doing short quick runs (to the point of feeling nauseous at times) and running out of safe roads to run on I was afraid I would never run more than 6 km.

Then I run 8 km. It took me totally by surprise!

All in all, progress may be slow but I can't say I'm not doing good. Except for a few misses I'm pretty much on schedule. Even the weight loss (which was never the primary reason for my taking up running) was surprising. As it is, it seems that I will be running a 10 km sooner than I expected.

* * *

Last night I run my last 2 km under pouring rain. I thought it was just going to be a light drizzle so I kept on running. Then it started pouring really hard. I kept blinking as water dripped from my brow into my eyes. Since I was already wet I decided to finish my run. And finish it I did - with my fastest km (mile) to date =D

It's good to know that even with road blocks I'm not running out of motivation yet. I still think it would be great if I could run with someone else, though.

I do need someone to run with. It would make all this running even more enjoyable.

Is there any one in Batangas looking for a running partner? I'm a slow and plodding newbie who refuses to believe her hyperactive (asthmatic) lungs and airways are not suited for mid-distance runs.

all in a day's work

2009-04-19T21:57:00.000+08:00

Nights on duty:

A year-old baby arrives at the hospital - a referral from another hospital. She is febrile and weak-looking. She is severely dehydrated and is breathing with difficulty. Pneumonia. Within the minute she arrives she goes into a seizure. Right away you consider meningitis and then cerebral malaria. You admit the patient immediately slightly piqued that the referring hospital did not call or send an SMS about transferring the patient. After admitting the patient and sending the ambulance away an SMS arrives regarding the referral. You conveniently forget to reply as you go on with your other admissions.

Two patients arrive almost at the same time. Both hypertensive with systolic blood pressures over 220 (normal systolic BP is 120 and below). Motor intact, sensory intact, no change in sensorium, oriented to person, place and time. Not stroke. One is congested, you start diuresis to rid of the fluid overload and bring down the blood pressure. One is diabetic and on insulin, blood sugar is in the high 200's. You give another shot of insulin. You monitor each patient closely the whole night.

A pregnant woman arrives complaining of lumbosacral pains. She has just gone into labor. A check reveals her baby is okay, fetal heart tones are okay. The woman's blood pressure, however, isn't. At 230/160 she is in preeclampsia. You start her on Hydralazine, load Magnesium Sulfate and inform her OB-Gyne. Her blood pressure goes down a little. In two hours time you are holding her baby. She had undergone an emergency Cesarian Section. They were okay.

Another pregnant woman arrives. She has been having uterine contractions since that morning. It was her sixth pregnancy. You do an internal examination which reveals that her cervix is fully dilated. You admit her directly to the delivery room. She delivers her baby within 15 minutes. The NA stands beside you to catch the baby. Both of you cringe as you notice a pinkish round noodle-like thing come out of her anus after the baby is delivered. A worm - Ascaris by the looks of it. You put a side note on the chart beside your post delivery orders and remind yourself to inform the OB resident to give the patient a purgative on follow-up.

You finally get some rest before 3 in the morning. You lie down and try to fall asleep knowing full well that the adrenaline coursing through your veins is going to keep you awake. Twenty minutes later just as your were about to doze off a knock on the call room door jolts you back into wakefulness. There is another patient in the ER. A mother has just brought her eight year old son. He has been vomiting and having loose bowel movement since the night before. He looks on innocently and smiles at me as he stands straight in his blue and white striped pajamas. You advise the mother to have labs done in the morning (the med tech had gone home for the day). Even though febrile, the patient showed no signs of dehydration. His clinical picture was that of a urinary tract infection - not viral gastroenteritis, not intestinal amoebiaisis*. You prescribed an oral rehydration solution, an antipyretic and an antibiotic, said goodbye to the kid and went back to sleep.

Two hours later you are awoken by another patient for admission.

*Labs done the following day did reveal a urinary tract infection.

back to work

2009-04-12T08:30:00.000+08:00

I went on the trip alone. A colleague I usually go with had passed on work this month and was going home for a vacation.

I took an earlier trip. It was windy but the sea was flat and the sky was a clear blue. Another boat run almost parallel to the Baleno Otso before it veered a little to the left to head for Calapan. As the boat grew smaller in the distance I shifted in my seat and started reading.

"There is nothing nicer than doing nothing all day, then having a rest afterwards."

I agree. Take me away from the city any time. Take me away from the noise, the pollution, the congestion and anxiety. Give me space. Give me green trees and blue sky every day.

The boat docked at Abra in under two hours. I was lucky enough to get a ride on a passenger van that had gotten on the boat from Batangas.

I never get tired of the ride to the hospital. It is still a vision to see the clean green of rice paddies in the light of the setting sun. The coconuts frame the paddies in the distance. Only white cows and birds (egrets?) break the green sea.

Small towns always give me a warm and fuzzy feeling as I enter them. I always hope that this feeling of "home" is not replaced by a feeling of stalker creepiness. Small town people can be intrusive. They always know when somebody is new in town. In such a small place everyone knows what you've been up to.

After settling in and giving my dorm room a little clean-up I headed out to the hospital to chat up with the previous group of doctors. I had arrived just in time for a bon voyage party for two of them. After an unhealthy dinner of liempo and crispy pata we spent the rest of the night drinking and howling at each others videoke miscues.

I've never been much of a drinker. Occasions to drink don't come too often either. Recent R&R trips had me drinking more in a month than what I usually drink in a year.

At 2:30 in the morning I turned in earlier than the others. They would all be off in the morning while I was just going to start my work week. I made sure to hydrate and went straight to bed after I washed up.

I woke up early in the morning and run a 6k.

Reading:
Underwater To Get Out of the Rain: A Love Affair With The Sea (Trevor Norton)

reality check

2009-04-11T01:58:00.000+08:00

A few days after coming back from Cebu I am still experiencing what one can only call travel-withdrawal. I still feel the sun on my skin and the salty spray on my face as I rushed to welcome oncoming waves. I can still picture running at the beach. I can still hear the loud churning of the motor boat and the soft lull of the sea as we went island-hopping.

{I smile at strangers with beach-hangover as evidenced by the flip flops and board shorts they are still wearing in the city.}

I keep thinking I need a few more days of R&R after my week-long vacation to help ease me from vacation mode to work mode.

Tomorrow I will be traveling by sea again. The 2-hour ride to Mindoro will be my wake-up call.

Reality beckons. I shall welcome it.

motivation

2009-04-09T19:05:00.002+08:00

Maundy Thursday.

At midday, I was at Loyola Memorial Cemetery laying to rest my aunt’s sister-in-law. She had passed away due to complications of diabetes. At the funeral service I couldn’t help but shed a tear for the passing of a strong woman at such a young age of 53. Her own mother is the picture of health at 80. I cried as her 17-year old daughter said goodbye to her, describing her as their “home” – a place (person) where they were safe, provided for, comfortable and loved. With her passing the remaining family members needed to come together to rebuild a new home.

With each death in the family (there has been three for this month alone) my mortality haunts me.

I have enough motivation to keep me striving for health and fitness with my family history of hypertension, diabetes, coronary artery disease and cancer. I am glad that I’ve quit smoking and that I only drink occasionally. I suppose I’m also glad that even as I grow a year older in a couple of weeks my age cannot be considered a risk factor yet.

I’m lucky that I also have the added motivation of being a physician. If I want to continue to advise my patients to increase physical activity, reduce weight and eat right it would be hypocritical if I don’t do the same. I need to practice what I preach. I need to be the picture of health. My patients need to know and see the benefits of the advice that I offer.

By the age of 30 I’d like to be at my fittest, with a normal BMI, able to run a half marathon, able to swim a mile (or more), with updated immunizations, normal blood pressure and normal blood chemistry.

At this point I am confident it is not too hard to achieve.

R&R

2009-04-08T11:58:00.001+08:00

Cebu City and Bantayan Island
April 1 - 7, 2009

My last trip to Cebu was in August last year. For this trip I decided to stay longer.

After a nice dinner at STK (baked clams, grilled tangigue, mixed seafood and crab curry) a ride around the city revealed a very active bunch of graffiti artists.

In the morning, as the best friend headed for work I headed to McDonald's for breakfast. I sat in the roadside veranda trying to soak up the energy of the city. I read the local paper and calmly waited for things to happen Cebu-style.

On the weekend we started the trip to Bantayan Island.

On the early bus to Hagnaya: Thorntree discussions at Lonely Planet has called this ride as one of the craziest bus rides. I am almost grateful of the darkness before sunrise as I am spared of the scary cliffside view. The bus careens up and down the mountain road not even slowing down for blind curves. [Ceres bus ride: P80 - regular fare, ~3.5 hours]

First look at Sta. Fe: I was apprehensive at first about going to Bantayan Island just before the Holy Week. I was expecting a beach full of tourists on their holiday. I couldn't be more wrong. [Boat to Sta. Fe: P130 - ~1.5 hours]

Bantayan was wonderful. We stayed at Sta. Fe Beach Resort [aircon room for 3: P2000 - a really big room that could easily fit 5 or 6 persons, hot and cold shower]. After brunch we took a dip in Ogtong Cave, jumped the waves back at Sta. Fe and basically just soaked in the salty water. We had dinner at the D' Jungle [all you can eat for P300 with over 50 dishes to choose from]. After a long walk at the beach and divulging secrets over SMB we called it a night.

Sunrise at Sta. Fe looked like sunset everywhere else. We heard mass first thing the next morning (it was Palm Sunday), then took a habal-habal to Bantayan to buy seafood. We had chartered a boat to take us islandhopping.

We had earlier planned to go to Virgin Island but I'm glad we changed our plans and headed to Hilantaga-an (I think) instead. There were too many people at Virgin Island we wouldn't have enjoyed it.

Harry was our able cook and guide. We had an overabundance of scallops, shrimp, squid and tilapia for lunch all washed down with buko juice. [Islandhopping: P800; Snorkeling gear can be rented for another P100]

It was like we had the whole island cove to ourselves. The sand was white hot, the water was clear, it was so quiet you could speak at your normal voice and be heard a kilometer away.

Back at Sta. Fe I took a quick run around town. I couldn't help laughing when a sikad driver offered to give me a ride back to the resort in the middle of my run.

More pictures from Bantayan:

Flip Flops!

Late afternoon, taking a breather

Another sunrise at Sta. Fe.

Last look before we leave.

I don't think I would mind if I never went back to Boracay again. But I certainly would love to go back to Bantayan.

nike minus

2009-03-26T13:14:00.000+08:00

My iPod quit cold in the middle of my run last night. I'm not quite sure yet if it's the Nike+ sports kit that has a problem or if it's the iPod itself. I figured I was not running for the stats anyway. So I continued with my easy 5 km-run and forgot about time and pace.

I found out later on that the Nike + ipod system was still able to record my run. Goody!

In the end though, I was still frustrated with the system. I was not able to sync my run last night. This morning I found out that all my previous runs where deleted :( All records completely gone.

I think I need to start getting used to running without music from now on.

And until I figure out what's wrong, I think I'll be going back to logging runs using pen and paper.

home

2009-03-23T19:47:00.000+08:00

Home again, with so much to do and write. I don't know where to begin.

A. I have new-found respect for a colleague. I have always thought highly of her but this time she is my new role model for good patient care. I need to be reminded that doctors treat patients, not lab results, not side notes on charts.

B. I'm rethinking my choice for residency training. Having been assigned to the pedia department I'm starting to have difficulty managing IM patients. Pediatrics was always an option from the start, it's just that nobody thought I could handle children.

C. I went out one night with other co-residents, none of us on 24-hour duty. When we came back we were greeted by a truck unloading patients from an MVA. Just like that, the bottle of beer I drank disappeared from my system. A co-resident smiled as he waded through the bleeding patients. "This is ER medicine," he retorts. It really was ER medicine.

Head-on collision between a passenger van, an ambulance transferring a patient to our hospital and a ten-wheeler truck = a terrible, terrible accident.

D. These days I keep wondering what people do with money. My salary is pretty basic. I am able to live comfortably within budget. I do believe money offers a lot of opportunities for learning and travel. But just because money is not overflowing from your pockets does not mean you will lack for opportunities. Seriously, what do people do with money?

E. On that note, I have a colleague who was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. "More like titanium spoon", another colleague often interjects. He has a job, a 17M condo unit, a 2M SUV, beachfront property and still receives money from his parents. A former chief resident (when he decided to quit his residency training) with a 3.98 GPA in med school. And guess what. He's not happy.

F. Sometimes I think I'm stupid.

what is happening

2009-03-10T10:57:00.001+08:00

Two weeks post break-up, needing something to make me smile.
This definitely made me smile.

And seeing my four-year old cousin jump around and sing along made me smile wider.

Alphabeat sounds even better live!

drug for malaria loses potency

2009-03-02T12:27:00.002+08:00

Ok. I admit I'm pretty slow on reading up on developments in molecular biology and medicine. There is just too much literature at times that I can't help but feel overwhelmed. I'm so glad I have friends who can point me in the right direction. (Thanks Cat!)

I wish I could do a lot of the pointing myself, too.

* * *

In the International Herald Tribune, a month-old article warns about the developing resistance to artemisinin-based drugs. Working in Mindoro has definitely opened my eyes to this disease. I appreciate any new information I can get about treatment and management.

Malaria patients in the intensive care ward of the provincial hospital
in Battambang, Cambodia.(Thomas Fuller/International Herald Tribune)

Spread of malaria feared as drug loses potency

The recent studies show that artemisinin-based drugs are becoming less effective in removing the parasite from the bloodstream. While a few years ago it took the drugs 48 hours to clear the bloodstream of parasites, it now can take 120 hours.

Although this has only been noted in Tasanh located near the Thai border of Cambodia, it certainly heralds things to come. Malaria must be eradicated, eliminated before drug resistance spreads.

Artemisinin-based drugs such as artemether are used to treat Plasmodium falciparum-confirmed malaria. Falciparum is one of four types of malaria and is endemic in the Philippines. It is unfortunate that it also happens to be the most virulent.

In the Philippines, artemether is commonly used in combination with lumefantrine. Drug combinations allow for faster treatment and may slow transmission of the disease. It may also decrease the rate of developing drug resistance.

Read on the evidence of Artemisinin-resistant malaria in the The New England Journal of Medicine. Other articles on malaria are also in the same issue of NEJM (Dec 11, 2008).

more distractions

2009-03-01T11:47:00.001+08:00

Taking a peek at the list of books I've read so far (2009 Distractions on the side panel) I can't help but smile at the variety of the books. On any other day I would probably only read one out of the seven on the list (and that would be Douglas Coupland's JPod). Ever since I've tried reading different genres I find that I can pick up any book and just read. Reading may not always be as enjoyable as I would like. But I rest assured that after reading each book I've learned something new.

Having said that, the last batch of newly acquired books are a little up my alley this time.

China Syndrome:
The True Story of The 21st Century's First Great Epidemic
Karl Taro Greenfeld

Deep down I still want to be an epidemiologist. Plus, this hits closer to home than all the books on Ebola I've read.

From National Bookstore bargain bin - P200

The Principles of Running:
Practical Lessons from My First 100,000 Miles
Amby Burfoot

I do want to be a runner. But before I hit the ground running I would like to know more about what I'm getting myself into. I'm not as fit as I was a decade ago. I want to do running right and avoid injuries.

From Booksale - P 145

Piled Higher and Deeper: A Graduate Student Comic Strip Collection
Jorge Cham

The first of the grad student comic strip collection. It can be laugh-out-loud funny as it pokes fun at the trials and tribulations of being a grad student. At the same time it leaves you hopeful knowing that you are not alone :)

From Booksale - P70

The Poe Shadow
Matthew Pearl

His first book The Dante Club got me hooked. Although I was a bit disappointed at how it ended I'm willing to give Matthew Pearl another chance with The Poe Shadow.

National Bookstore - P150 (hardcover)

heartbreak music

2009-02-27T22:58:00.001+08:00

Walk Away
Ben Harper

Oh no- here comes that sun again.
And (that) means another day without you my friend.
And it hurts me to look into the mirror at myself.
And it hurts even more to have to be with somebody else.

And it's so hard to do and so easy to say.
But sometimes - sometimes,
you just have to walk away - walk away.

With so many people to love in my life, why do I worry about one?
But you put the happy in my ness, you put the good times into my fun.

And it's so hard to do and so easy to say.
But sometimes - sometimes,
you just have to walk away - walk away and head for the door.

We've tried the goodbye so many days.
We walk in the same direction so that we could never stray.
They say if you love somebody than you have got to set them free,
but I would rather be locked to you than live in this pain and misery.
They say time will make all this go away,
but it's time that has taken my tomorrows and turned them into yesterdays.
And once again that rising sun is droppin' on down
And once again, you my friend, are nowhere to be found.

And it's so hard to do and so easy to say.
But sometimes, sometimes you just have to walk away, walk away and head for the door.
You just walk away - walk away - walk away.
You just walk away, walk on, turn and head for the door.

for the 24th

shifting

2009-02-22T20:22:00.000+08:00

I just got back yesterday from another 10-day stint at a provincial hospital. As I lay in my bed completely maxed out all I could think about was that I was happy.

During my stay in the hospital I kept thinking I should keep a log of the cases I see. Common cases such as acute gastroenteritis, intestinal parasitism and pneumonia might not warrant too much attention. On the other hand, I certainly would like to look further into malaria, extensive PTB, TB meningitis, rabies infection, tetanus, sepsis, stroke and MI, and how to manage and recognize these diseases with limited resources.

X-rays and peripheral blood smears are readily available in the hospital. Ultrasounds can be scheduled or done on-call. Blood cultures are not available. For a 12-lead ECG you have to call private diagnostic centers in town for the technician to come to the hospital and do the ECG. Most of the time they are not available in the middle of the night. For a CT Scan you have to send the patient to Batangas. To get to Batangas the patient has to take a 40-minute drive, a 2 1/2-hour boat ride plus another 20-minute drive - a trip that not all of them might survive.

But I am not complaining. I cannot complain. At this point I am giving the best that I can give. It may not be the best care the patient can get elsewhere, but it is close to being the best they can get at that hospital.

People travel six to seven hours for a consultation. Some take a 4-hour trek down the mountain to bring their ailing children. You cannot blame these people for not coming to the hospital at the first sign of disease. You cannot blame them when they arrive at the hospital dehydrated, weak-looking or in cardiorespiratory distress. I know something has to be done to improve the health system. But at this point I am only capable of making do with the available resources.

This does not mean I am satisfied with what I'm doing. I know something more can and must be done. But I need to study more, train more and get more exposure to know what else can be done.

It is too early in my medical practice to make big changes. But it doesn't mean I'm not trying to make small changes.

Tired as I am, I'm looking forward to my provincial hospital shift next month.

Posted by lefthand at 8:22 PM

run/walk + music

2009-02-04T20:54:00.001+08:00

I had a bad run/walk day today.

I was only planning to play ball in the afternoon to loosen up but since the ball mysteriously disappeared from the garage I was forced to run instead.

I hadn't primed myself for a run so early in the day. After two days of not running my muscles were tight. I was starting to get bored with my usual "house" run and was planning to take a different route. But as I started with my warm-up walk I kept getting phone calls about a relative's medication changes. In the end I decided to forgo trying out the new route.

An hour after the cool down my knees started aching a bit. As if the bad run was not enough, I had to make the mistake of having an inadequate pre- and post-run stretching. I hate to wake up tomorrow with sore thighs and knees.

There is one good thing about today's run though. I found new music to run to!

For some weird reason Uh Huh Her's brand of indie electropop is just right for my easy runs.

Too bad I couldn't find good videos of the electropop and synthy album versions. Here is the acoustic version of "Common Reaction" and a stripped down version of "Say So" instead.

love your heart

2009-02-01T22:41:00.001+08:00

I may just be on week 3 of my running program but someday I'm going to run a marathon.

annuals

2009-01-31T18:00:00.000+08:00

I had no idea a couple of days doing annual physical exams for a company could be so tiring. I've seen more patients in one day before, but there's something about having to deal with all those stressed-out individuals in a hurry that is both emotionally and physically draining. Of course working from 7 am to 5 pm, with only a 20 minute lunch break could be one reason why I was so tired.

Here are just a few short notes:

1. I was correct to expect better dressed individuals there so I made it a point to dress up also.

2. With physical appearance a vital part of their business they also seemed more conscious about fitness and health.

3. I had expected that because of the stress level of meeting daily quotas and deadlines, more employees would be turning to smoking and drinking. As it turned out a greater number opted physical activity as stress busters. This included brisk walking, running, jogging, cycling and working out at the gym. I was surprised to note that most were involved in basic physical activities rather than more competitive sports.

4. As part of the OB-Gyne history I had to ask about recent sexual activity to determine if I could do a Pap smear. As the women themselves commented, corporate sex was "sex on schedule". That would be sex on a weekend or a Friday night when they didn't have to wake up early for work the next day.

5. The women higher up in the corporate ladder always wonder why I don't have an assistant helping me out when I'm doing Pap Smears.

6. Educated people ask educated questions.

7. Educated people who ask educated questions get comprehensive and educated answers.

8. Educated people take doctor's advice more seriously -- that is, if they think the advice suits them (read: convenient). Otherwise, they are as stubborn as a mule.

9. I've never had to explain as much about lifestyle modification as I had in two days. Same goes for the effects of coffee and tea.

10. Doctors aren't being intrusive if they ask too many questions. They just want to be sure they will give the patient the best possible care always.

happy heart

2009-01-26T21:32:00.000+08:00

The endorphin high of recent physical activities has been addicting. It's all I can do to stop from running/walking everyday. I know I have to take it slow.

This year I would like to find the focus and discipline that was missing for most parts of 2008. I have decided I am going to use running as a tool to regain them.

A few years back when I was still working in research, I found that with my efforts to increase efficiency by multitasking I was becoming easily distracted. I was efficient and always met deadlines, but the quality of my work declined as I started to lose attention to details. I could not concentrate on one task for long periods of time.

As a remedy I decided to take up a new hobby. It was something that required me to sit still for about an hour and do only one thing.

I painted stones.

One afternoon I picked smooth and flat stones at the beach near my workplace. I bought poster colors, a brush, a fine-tipped marker and varnish. I started turning the stones into whimsical animal families. I had blue porcupines, spotted toads, "ugly" stonefishes, blue and green groupers, bright red and yellow scaly fishes, furry orange tabby's, bespectacled owls, rainbow-colored snails and tiny ladybugs.

It was wonderful. If I cared enough about the quality of the outcome I had to stay put for an hour and do nothing else but paint. If I allowed myself to be distracted for even a minute the paint would drip, I would forget what details to add with a marker and the varnish would dry. I had the right chill out music playing and for an hour I was calm and focused.

It helped teach me to plan ahead also. If I didn't think things through I would end up waiting for 15 to 20 minutes doing nothing while paint dried on a single stone. It would've been a total waste of time. By planning which stones to paint, what colors to use first and which design to pen in I could work continuously.

Running may be totally different from painting but I think I'm going to get the same results with a happy heart and a healthy body as bonus :)

r/w

2009-01-24T23:10:00.000+08:00

Getting back to my run/walk routine after taking a break while working proved harder than I thought. I did have short 20 to 30-minute walks while I was in Mindoro. But I was walking with a friend most of the time and she wasn't very welcoming of the suggestion that we should walk with a quicker pace. We probably covered only around 2 1/2 kilometers for our half-hour walks.

While I was looking forward for the endorphin high of previous routines I wasn't exactly looking forward to the muscles aches that greeted me the morning after my first run.

Only on week 2 of my so-called beginner runner's program and I am faced with the sad realization that I have a bum left knee. On one end I blame it on all the weight I've gained, on the other end, I blame it on weak muscles that should have been enough to support my knee if only I had used them more.

I've always been on the heavy side but I used to be fitter. I miss being able to run or swim a mile and not feel achy afterwards. I miss being able to play tennis all afternoon and still have the energy to go out at night. I do feel better now that I've taken a step to becoming healthier and more active again. But I have to take things one day at a time so as not to be disheartened by what seems a very, very long road ahead.

Somebody please run with me.

first look

2009-01-13T20:08:00.000+08:00

When an opportunity to mix travel and work arose I jumped at it. I shrugged off comments about trying to find work closer to home. I let complaints about my not getting a permanent job fall on deaf ears. After five years of barely getting out of Quezon City I wanted some R&R and a chance to explore more of my country.

Day 1: It was a little after five in the morning when I took the10-minute drive to the pier. I had barely slept. My sleep-wake pattern was still a mess and I was unable to adjust it days before I was set to leave. I was planning to sleep through the 2 1/2-hour boat ride to Occidental Mindoro but the cold and windy morning woke me up. I was expecting some high waves as we hit the open sea but the ride was calm enough. I did not have a minute's worry.

The van ride to Mamburao took 40 minutes. The concrete road cut along the verdant greens of farms and rice paddies. There were stretches where only one lane was usable, the other lane was used for drying grains and corn. A good five minutes sometimes passed before the van came across another vehicle. The drive was both calming and revitalizing. It was truly a breath of fresh air compared to Manila.

The hospital is squat and white. At first glance it was almost intimidating. I had expected a rundown graying hospital. Instead I was greeted by a wedding-cake white building roughly a year old.

We got a tour when we arrived, meeting with other residents, getting introduced to the attendings. After a quick lunch we were taken to the Capitolio for a courtesy call with the governor. I sat down, smiled and tried to look professional as I introduced myself to the governor, vice governor and a mayor. As it turned out, someone I was going to work with happened to be the governor's nephew.

It's true what the Lonely Planet guide said. Mamburao is a dusty little town with a bad case of tricycle-itis. Tricycles are the primary mode of transport. There are few jeepneys. Like the vans, the jeepneys only seemed to operate to transport produce or to carry passengers over long distances. After the first ride through the town I was looking forward to exploring it on foot. Later in the day a group of doctors was going for a swim at a beach resort only 2 kilometers away from the hospital. Too tired to do anything but sleep, I declined the invitation to join them and just made a mental note to check it on a later date.

I slept soundly that night. I knew I needed all the energy a good eight hours of sleep would give me. The next day was going to be an entirely different day.

getting the groove of things

2009-01-13T10:24:00.000+08:00

Three days was enough for me to get the rhythm going -- that was one 24-hour duty, a from duty status and a day as the OPD officer. It was enough to get my eating right, enough for me to know the general lay of the hospital, and enough for me to know that in the next seven days I would see more cases of acute gastroenteritis, intestinal parasitism and malaria.

It's almost sad to admit that the major diseases I see everyday can be easily remedied by good hygiene and proper sanitation. This may seem a straightforward solution for disease prevention for other locals but I understand a lot of traditional beliefs may hinder the minorities into taking positive action for better health.

A case in point: Most minorities in the ward do not think taking a bath is necessary. On the contrary they avoid taking baths because it goes against their belief. Any illness is brought upon by actions that have angered gods or from the ill will of spirits. A plea for cleanliness and hygiene with a gift of a bar of soap may not always get the desired result. A family given soap to bathe with was found the next day still oily and grimy. Not even their faces had lightened with washing. As it turned out, instead of using the soap for bathing, the family had used the soap to wash clothing.

When you are up against decades of tradition it sometimes feels like you are fighting a losing battle. It makes you feel that for every step forward you take, you take not just two steps back, but three. And then a day comes when you do the morning rounds and find out one boy was actually given a bath. It erases all the frustrations and pushes you to take one more step forward, only to find that you're still two steps behind.

Coming to the hospital I didn't think I was going see so many malaria patients. By the end of ten days I would admit 4 patients with blood teeming with Plasmodium falciparum. There were already three others in the ward receiving treatment for it. These are just the pediatrics cases. Internal Medicine had it's own share of malaria cases. If in urban Manila, Dengue was the disease to rule out for every febrile, flu-ey patient, in rural Mindoro Malaria was what I had to watch out for. I had no idea they saw so many cases. Although most patients came from far away towns I still felt unsafe without prophylaxis.

On a lighter more hopeful note, the workload in the hospital isn't all that heavy for the most part. I enjoyed walking trips to the center of the town and a short tricycle ride to the beach. I hadn't taken a camera with me since I wanted to focus more on the work part of the trip. But standing on the powdery white sand beach at Tayamaan watching two kids tumble into the water as the sun set I could not resist the urge to capture the moment with my phone camera.

Sometimes, life's a beach. All you have to do is breathe deeply.

is this really what I want to do?

2009-01-10T00:19:00.003+08:00

January 5:
I took a jeepney ride, two bus rides and a taxi to get to "work". I saw over a dozen patients in the few hours I was at the clinic. I kept asking myself is this what I really want to do?

Realization 1 - It turns out that sometimes responding when patients flirt with you actually makes for a more productive consult. It probably makes your patient's day also.

January 6:
I was staying at an uncle's place so I spent the whole morning playing with my 4-year old cousin. She was so lithe and tiny, like a graceful ballerina or an agile gymnast. It was a wonder to watch her tumble around, dance on tiptoe, do cartwheels, then swing around a bar.

I was such a klutz compared to her horsing around the treadmill and falling down. I have an abrasion on my left knee to show for it.

January 7:
Clinic duty again. 26 patients plus a couple of follow-ups. It's funny because today I actually enjoyed being there. I enjoyed spending time with my patients, it makes me feel I actually made a difference.

Which reminds me, the best times are when a patient asks for your card and clinic sched because they want to make sure that when they come back you're the one who gets to see them again. I almost felt sad when I had to reply I was just relieving for a fellow doctor for a couple of days and won't be back in the clinic again.

Realization 2 - Good doctor-patient rapport does go a long way. It sure made my day.

Now imagine the high I felt when as an intern a patient asked about the consultation hours at my clinic. How do you say Ma'am, I just see patients here at the OPD under the supervision of a resident since I'm only an intern politely and without causing embarrassment?

All in all, it was a good day.

going home

2009-01-05T23:25:00.001+08:00

After spending half of my life away from home living in dorms/apartments for school or for work I am back at home.

I finally finished moving all my stuff from my apartment to my grandmother's house. My contract ended (after being extended). I feel sad. Like it's somehow a defeat. Like this going home somehow signifies a loss of independence.

Whatever. Life goes on.

what to read

2009-01-03T12:19:00.000+08:00

Somebody tell me what to read next. For this year I have started reading books I normally would not read.

I'm not the kind of person who would read on business/customer service,self-help or inspirational books. Either they never appealed to me (too cynical) or I never had need to read them before (I didn't think I was going to set up a business before). But lately I'm trying to figure out why other people read the books that they read. I'm trying to find out how all the supposed "words of wisdom" from these books make other people act like they do.

I need better people skills. Socializing has never been easy for me. When I'm tired at work I don't get crabby or cranky. I clam up. I may still be able to smile but I highly doubt that I sufficiently advise my patients when I'm tired. Maybe knowing a bit about why people behave like they do will help me develop into a better communicator. This would certainly be a plus for me as a physician and would also help me in running our group's small business.

I have more then a hundred books on my to-be-read pile but I can't figure out what to read next. Somebody tell me what to read :)

Currently reading: Baha'i Book of Prayers and Other Selected Writings

moving forward in 2009

2009-01-01T21:06:00.002+08:00

2008 was the year I slacked. Big time.

A venture which was supposed to be a lateral move proved to be a step back.

My midyear indecision has caused me too much embarrassment on one end and almost a year's delay in personal and professional growth on the other end.

I did build new partnerships, new relationships. I did rebuild old friendships. But I still made the mistake of looking up to the wrong people. I made the mistake of putting value on something that was almost worthless.

This year, there is no room for mistake.

This year, I am moving forward.

This year, I am actually going to work hard. And with working hard I vow to play even harder.

It begins today.

2008 books

2008-12-31T10:55:00.000+08:00

Last year, with the all the toxicities of hospital work, I must have read only a dozen books. This year I decided to take the 50-book challenge. I ended up reading 65 books (and still counting), not my all time high but still a lot compared to last year. I think I have to up the ante for next year.

Books I've read in 2008 (faves for the year in bold).
1. For One More Day - Mitch Albom
2. The Key - Junichiro Tanizaki
3. Final Epidemic - Earl Merkel
4. Love, Etc - Julian Barnes
5. The Europeans - Henry James
6. Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman - Haruki Murakami
7. The Bookseller of Kabul - Asne Seierstad
8. Burning Bright - John Steinbeck
9. In Praise of Shadows - Junichiro Tanizaki
10. Vita Brevis - Jostein Gaarder
11. 1984 - George Orwell
12. Factotum - Charles Bukowski
13. Kafka on the Shore - Haruki Murakami
14. The Relation of My Imprisonment - Russell Banks
15. Knots - R. D. Laing
16. The Blue Girl - Charles De Lint
17. I'm A Stranger Here Myself - Bill Bryson
18. Diary Of A Bad Year - J. M. Coetzee
19. Kitchen - Banana Yoshimoto
20. New Japanese Voices: The Best Contemporary Fiction From Japan - (ed) Helen Mitsios
21. The Wanting Seed - Anthony Burgess
22. After Dark - Haruki Murakami
23. A Verse To Beasts - Nick Bantock
24. A Long Way Down - Nick Hornby
25. Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
26. The Meaning Of It All: Thoughts of a Citizen Scientist - Richard Feynman
27. The Wolves in the Walls - Neil Gaiman
28. Reasons to Live - Amy Hempel
29. The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency - Alexander McCall Smith
30. Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah - Carlo Vergara
31. New Spring: The Novel - Robert Jordan
32. The Eyre Affair - Jasper Fforde
33. A Wrinkle in Time - Madeline L'Engle
34. Take the Cannoli - Sarah Vowell
35. Gut Symmetries - Jeanette Winterson
36. The Brooklyn Follies - Paul Auster
37. The Life of a Cell - Lewis Thomas
38. Tears of a Giraffe - Alexander McCall Smith
39. Lullaby - Chuck Palahniuk
40. Blind Submission - Debra Ginsberg
41. Drawn and Quarterly Showcase Three
42. Next - Michael Crichton
43. Goodbye Lemon - Adam Davies
44. Short Cuts - Raymond Carver
45. The Dharma Bums - Jack Kerouac
46. Drinking, Smoking and Screwing - (ed) Sara Nickles
47. Unlikely Destinations: The Lonely Planet Story - Tony and Maureen Wheeler
48. Apathy and Other Small Victories - Paul Nielan
49. The Men Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat - Oliver Sacks
50. Animal Farm - George Orwell
51. The Kindness of Strangers - Mike McIntyre
52. Hardboiled and Hard Luck - Banana Yoshimoto
53. Happy New Year, Charlie Brown - Charles M. Schulz
54. The Gum Thief - Douglas Coupland
55. The Painted Word - Tom Wolfe
56. The Coma - Alex Garland
57. The Neon Bible - John Kennedy Toole
58. Tales of My Melancholy Whores - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
59. A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
60. The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs! - Jon Scieszka
61. The PowerBook - Jeanette Winterson
62. The Final Solution: A Story of Detection - Michael Chabon
63. Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress - Dai Sijie
64. Side Effects - Woody Allen
65. The Camera My Mother Gave Me - Susannah Kaysen

Currently Reading:
Seeing - Jose Saramago
Good Omens - Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman

holiday rundown

2008-12-30T21:04:00.001+08:00

This December, I have been doing a lot of walking. With all the pounds I still seem to be gaining this holiday season despite the increase in activity I have been thinking of ways to make a healthy comeback.

I started with making Christmas resolutions. I can't seem to stick with my New Year's resolutions, maybe resolutions made on Christmas will.

December 24 - after learning about Kimiko Date's comeback and watching a few matches on youtube, I started making plans.

December 25 - Christmas day saw me playing basketball, something I haven't done in over a year. I was expecting to get sore muscles the next day but I was still pretty okay.

December 26 - I begged for new running shoes from family so I can take up running again. At the mall, the running shoes in stock were not suited for someone flat-footed like me. It was a bummer. On top of that I had to go back to QC afterwards. The 2 1/2-hour bus ride I usually take back to the metro stretched to 4 hours because of all the traffic.

December 27 - Back in QC I had to wake up at 5 in the morning to get to work. It was a slow day, from 7 am to 12 noon I only had to see 6 patients. In contrast to working in government-run hospitals and health centers I had the luxury to spend as much time as I wanted with my patients in the HMO clinic. It was such a breath of fresh air. Sadly, I didn't get my paycheck.

December 28 - I got lucky and was finally able to get new running shoes.

December 29 - I'm sticking to my Christmas resolution. I was not able to run but I was able to play ball for about an hour. It felt good to be sweating again.

December 30 - Family reunion. As the designated "babysitter" I was on my feet the whole time running after my two-year old cousins. Salad made from fresh produce from the farm was as good as ever. The freshly-brewed coffee was even better.

Now I wonder what's in store for the last day of the year? If I can't run, I'll definitely do some walking.

Happy Holidays everyone!!!

christmas cheer

2008-12-24T21:28:00.008+08:00

Waking up this morning I concluded that I hate Christmas.

No, I haven't been grumpy about Christmas at all. I'm not Scrooge going "Bah, Humbug!" every time someone tries to spread holiday cheer. But for some reason, I found out it's just not my thing.

My blase attitude became a little cheerier when I learned about Kimiko Date's tennis comeback (Kimiko rises again from the WTA Tour News). I learned about this a little late but it's still good news for me. Enough to make me happy this Christmas. (Merry Christmas to me, yahoo!)

Return Date: Kimiko Date to make a comeback from Tennis.com

I used to play tennis and was good enough in the beginning. I was the girl who had perfect form, a single-handed backhand and who chose to play singles while everyone else was playing doubles.

I remember one of the best games I played when I was starting out. I lost. One of the girls who beat me in doubles ended up winning both the singles and doubles title in the Palarong Pambansa so it wasn't really that bad.

Anyway, at the height of my obsession with tennis Kimiko Date was my idol. It's nice to know that after 12 years into retirement she's making a comeback.

I think 2009 will be a better year for me.

----
Another day, another chance to be healthy.

lantern parade

2008-12-17T23:20:00.001+08:00

UP Diliman

To be young and healthy without a care in the world . . . except

Patalsikin si Gloria/Oust Gloria/GMA must go
Junk VFA
Stop Campus Repression
Defend OSR
Give us back our tambayans
No Lab Fees

and a whole litany of demands fed to the audience in between cries of "Iskolar ng Bayan ngayon ay lumalaban!"

I wasn't able to watch the fireworks after the parade. I'm still glad I was there. This time as a viewer and not a participant. Ang bilis lumipas ng mga taon. The last time I took part in the Lantern Parade was my senior year in college. That was eight years ago.

Oh, to be young and healthy without a care in the world . . .

december weather

2008-12-15T19:02:00.005+08:00

December weather is not agreeing with me. It's not cold enough to be pleasant but my sinuses have definitely sensed the decrease in temperature.

Every morning I wake up sneezing. The buzz given by the antihistamine/decongestant I have to take everyday is not the warm and fuzzy kind. I wake up every morning with a feeling that I'm never fully awake.

Today after all the excitement of meeting friends over the weekend I had the makings of an asthma attack. I had used up all of the 200 actuations from my inhaler and was forced to take the only asthma medication I had on hand - a 2 mg Salbutamol tablet. I haven't taken oral medications for my asthma in a while. I'm sure it made me breathe easier, but I truly hate the side effects. Of course, I'm sure the morning coffee I had with the Salbutamol added to the palpitations and tremors I felt afterwards. I just wasn't expecting it to be that bad.

The last time I remember having systemic effects from my asthma medications was when I was in grade school. I remember having to change meds often because I was having tremors and they were a mighty nuisance during piano practice. I switched to the inhaler as soon as I could figure out how to use them.

I feel so lame having an asthma attack in December, having to stay in the whole night while every one else is out doing Christmas shopping. Not that I have moolah for Christmas shopping. It's still a bummer.

I'm no Scrooge, but Christmas was just never my thing.

Reading: A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens (seriously!)
Listening to: You're No Rock and Roll Fun by Sleater-Kinney

medical mission numbers

2008-12-11T17:13:00.004+08:00

5 hours on the road
8 hours to do the job
3 MDs
4 DNDs
3 RNs
280 patients

TOTAL: A GOOD DAY AT WORK

wasting time is relative

2008-11-27T12:08:00.007+08:00

Okay, I changed my mind. The geeks of The Big Bang Theory are not only making fun of each other anymore. They are now making fun of non-geeks like us who don't have double PhDs (a Master's Degree doesn't count but I wonder if an MD does). To them they are normal. We, unfortunately, fall way below their standards. That's just putting it lightly. Bluntly, we are stupid.

Doesn't really stop the show from being funny, though. LOL!

On another note, I was on the phone with my bestfriend last night. I told her I was actually considering getting a PhD instead of entering a residency program.

She was indignant. She yammered about what I could possibly do with a PhD and that I was just going to waste my time getting one. All these from someone who just finished her Master's Degree and is planning to get an MD-PhD.

Somebody please tell me, when did getting a PhD start becoming a waste of time?

This time I admit, I don't get it.

the big bang theory

2008-11-26T13:45:00.008+08:00

I first heard about this sitcom from a Multiply contact. Initially, I was apprehensive about watching it. I was afraid it was going to be replete of geeky stereotypes and will be downright demeaning.

Well, the show is indeed full of geeky stereotypes. What's fun about it is these geeks have FUN being geeks. They poke fun at each others mistakes and shower insults on incorrect equations. They play their video games, discuss gastronomic redundancies, play around with sending electronic signals around the planet and generally enjoy themselves. After listening to the witty and brainy banter you actually feel that you've raised your IQ a few points. In the end you find that you're not laughing at them because they are geeks. You're laughing at them because they're laughing at themselves. They are in reality laughing with us as we laugh at them. Even geeks have a sense of humor.

Oh, for crying out loud. Just watch it. If you're not laughing after one episode, you probably just didn't get it.

Catch more of The Big Bang Theory here.

sunday

2008-11-23T08:47:00.004+08:00

Only sadists wake up at 5 am on a Sunday morning to hear mass at 6. Today, I was one of them, along with a churchful of people it seems.

Today, I celebrate with my cousin Sabrina as the Catholic church welcomes her on her christening.

Happy birthday to my late grandfather, too!

all in the family

2008-11-22T17:02:00.007+08:00

I talked to my Dad after almost a year of not finding the time to call.

When he asked I told him that I used to smoke but quit 6 years ago just before I entered med school. He still smokes, as much as a pack a day I suppose.

We're both big on coffee. He drinks two pots a day. I told him I'm trying to cut down so I can sleep better. He chuckled as he said coffee doesn't really keep him awake anymore.

His late night ritual: smoke a cigarette, drink a nice cup of coffee and then go to bed.

Minus the cigarette, this apple does not fall far from the tree.

Share a cup with me.

surgery

2008-11-21T14:44:00.000+08:00

Behind the drapes as an anesthesiology intern

Surgery and Anesthesiology may not be my cup of tea (or coffee!) but right now I'm really missing the hospital.

tricycle

2008-11-19T20:44:00.004+08:00

Sabi ng driver: Forty pesos na po ang tricyle papuntang Don Ramos.

Sabi ko: Sige, maglalakad na lang ako.

snapshot

2008-11-16T19:25:00.011+08:00

Picture this:

I am in a bus one Sunday afternoon.

The dashboard is decked in bright green Hello Kitty curtains and the windows are shaded by grimy red ones.

I keep wondering if I look scary or at least intimidating because the man sitting beside me sits half a feet away. He must be a painter of sorts judging by the look of his paint-splotched jeans. I can hear him singing. REM is playing on the bus’ radio and he looks the other way as he sings Everybody Hurts.

I keep reading Paul Neilan’s Apathy and Other Small Victories. Shane, the novel’s protagonist, thinks people are like punchlines. I look up from reading and think this bus is a joke.

It starts raining when we get to Turbina. I take a picture through the bus window as we pass the station. Rain on a sunny mid-afternoon - it's there one minute, the next minute it's gone. I am reminded of people as punchlines as the bus squeaks tiredly along.

pay day weekend

2008-11-15T18:38:00.010+08:00

I deferred going home to the province today. I woke up late and had to do a few errands. Lately, it's been alternating days of waking up early and waking up late. It's been alternating days of being productive and unproductive as well.

I went to Cubao in the afternoon to have some repair work done on my mobile phone. The jeepney from Kalayaan stopped in front of AliMall. I had a late lunch and proceeded to the second level to have my phone fixed. Renovations where still ongoing at AliMall and there really wasn't a lot to see. I walked through, crossed the street and headed to Gateway.

Just like during Halloween Gateway was cashing in on the Holiday spirit. Halloween saw witches and broomsticks and men walking on stilts. This coming season we are to expect a white Christmas. Santa Claus was already there. Interesting enough instead of little kids sitting on his knee, grown-up women were lining up to take pictures with him.

I forgot that it was a pay day weekend. There were so many people milling around Gateway and too many employees in business suits handing out brochures for rent-to-own apartments and newly built houses in subdivisions far, far away.

I checked the cinema at the top floor just in case there was something I wanted to see but there wasn't anything I was remotely interested in. Why is it that there is never something nice on when I have all the time in the world to watch? Stupid question, I know.

No tickets to buy at the cinema: all the time in the world but nothing to see.

I went to FullyBooked instead where I was glad to see so many people for a change. Even though the majority of the book shoppers where reaching for Twilight I was still happy at the thought of so many people reading.

I don't think I have ever bought a book at that FullyBooked branch though. I love going through the new titles there. I enjoy comparing prices and book covers of different editions. I carefully weigh in my hand the hardcovers of my favorite books. But I've never bought a book there before. They do have a good selection but at the moment I really can't afford to buy new books there.

From there I walked to Farmer's Plaza and went straight down to the lower ground to Booksale where I was sure I could afford a couple of used books. After almost an hour of going through the new stocks I did come out happy.

I finally have a copy of The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat by Oliver Sacks. I have been looking for it a long time and at P40 it was definitely a steal. I also finally decided to try reading Kathy Acker. Her novel My Mother: Demonology may not be the best place to start but the chances of coming across a Kathy Acker book at other bookstores is almost close to nil so I got it.

This is becoming more of a book blog than a travel blog, not that it's a bad thing. But it really does seem that I have to put going on the road aside for a while to hit the books instead. In truth, I shouldn't be out buying new books. I should be getting out my medical textbooks and burning the midnight oil again.

I've been on vacation long enough. I need to start working again. I know I've got a long road ahead of me so I better start preparing.

Next time it's a pay day weekend I'm going to have money in my pocket.

walking the backpack

2008-11-12T23:36:00.022+08:00

My backpack has been sitting forlornly on the floor. Relatively new at three months old it has been to and from Batangas, gone around Metro Manila, spent a few days at Cebu, got covered in white sand in Bohol and jostled around by Chinese in Hong Kong. But in the last couple of weeks it has only seen the inside of my apartment. Today I decided to take it out for a short walk.

I was on my way to UP Village again. I was broke and was planning to consign a few books to sell at a bookshop there. Walking the backpack came in handy as the books fit snugly inside. Late in the afternoon children were already out in the street playing.

There were toys strewn all over the road in front of a pre-school at Matahimik.

A few steps away a paper cup lay on the gravel. I pondered over whether it was some adult's litter or some little kid's toy.

Walking along I myself felt like a kid curious to learn why someone smashed a hole in the wall

A block away I silently praised the paint job that gave the gates' texture . . .

. . . and wondered why I had never heard mass at Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish Church

I marveled at the fresh bright greens at Mahusay . . .

. . . and ended up at the bookshop where a group of artists where having a forum.

After perusing the new titles I went home happy carrying a 1948 edition of The Divine Comedy of Dante Alighieri, translated by Lawrence Grant White, with engravings by Gustave Dore.

Still a productive afternoon, I'd say.

terminal

2008-11-11T22:23:00.010+08:00

I love riding on buses and trains. I love the feel of being in perpetual motion. I love passing on bridges and going through tunnels. I love the play of light and dark coming through the windows. I love the colorful characters I share a seat with.

But I am not a fan of waiting. Buses and trains never seem to leave the terminal on time. I always lament over wasting the better part of an hour waiting when I could already be some place else.

On the other hand, waiting in airports is another matter entirely. With longer lines and longer waiting time one would expect me to absolutely hate it. I don’t. I love it.

There is something in the air in airports. There is a buzz that makes me feel that I’m already moving even though I’m sitting still. There is that excitement within that connotes that the journey doesn’t start when I hop on the plane. It has started the moment I left home. Waiting in the airport is already part of the journey.

Though for most parts I am at airports for domestic flights the buzz, the excitement is not diminished. And in every new flight the buzz is amplified.

Arriving at Hong Kong International Airport, we were debating whether to take the airport express or the train to the city.

Rows and rows of empty blue seats to choose from – I could change my seat every five minutes and I still wouldn’t run out of a place to sit down

I fell in love with the shadows made by the afternoon sun filtering in through the windows

Having a book to read is a good idea, but who needs reading material when there’s a whole airport to see

katipunan

2008-11-08T23:55:00.001+08:00

I had nothing to do the whole day. I didn’t want to stay indoors. It wasn’t exactly the best time to be cooped up especially after getting the unfortunate news of non-acceptance in my hospital of choice. So after the midday rain I ventured to my old college grounds in Katipunan.

I started walking at the corner of Rosa Alvero. During my last two years in college I had stayed in an apartment building on the same street. I used to satisfy my sweet tooth with Twix and Coke from the convenience store, had mudpies at DQ and coffee at Mister Donut – all of which have now been replaced by different shops. The McDonald’s at the corner was undergoing renovations and was a very sorry sight to behold. The take out van was deserted and only a young couple was inside the small area for dine-in customers.

I walked past Starbucks, still empty at that time, and went straight to National Bookstore. I had spent many afternoons at that NBS branch but I don’t remember it ever looking as festive as it did today. The Christmas trees were up and the lights gave out an orange glow that warmed my insides. It almost made me feel happy.

Next door the Subway where I used to have a bag of Doritos and Tuna on wheat bread was now replaced by Greenwich. Walking further along I noted that Seattle’s Best Coffee now stood where Burger King used to be. I used to have endless refills of grape juice with my breakfast at BK.

Seven years is a long time. I remember late nights sitting by the fire escape in my old apartment. I could see Katipunan from there. I was a terrible insomniac and would stay up the whole night watching as cars drove by. On weekends I could watch kids play soccer over at Ateneo.

I expected a lot of changes in the area but I had not expected an almost entirely different landscape. The shops are different. The restaurants are different. I didn’t even notice what was standing over the spot where the 24 hour Goodah used to be. At two in the morning I used to swap stories with my sister over a hot bowl there.

A whole strip of shops had been torn down. The Filbar’s where I used to buy comic books and Ken Afford with its orange walls were also gone.

I would’ve continued walking straight on to UP (following my usual route back in college) if the sky didn’t show signs of rain again. With my nostalgic trip cut short I took a cab instead and went straight to a bookshop in UP Village. I'll just have to take a rain check.

trip to cubao

2008-11-07T15:39:00.006+08:00

Three years after - different apartment, different occupation, different music, different books - Cubao is still the same for me.

October 19, 2005/ Sa Overpass

It has been alternating days of waking up late at ten in the morning or waking up early at six. Aside from the waking hour there really isn’t much difference between the two. I still make myself a cup of coffee as soon as I wake up, check my email and afterwards decide what book to read. I’m usually too lazy to go out so I don’t move from my seat until after twelve when I fix something for lunch and wolf it all down in five minutes. I have another cup of coffee after that and resume reading. I swear, if I were man I would be a terrible, terrible slob. As it is, I’m already on the way to getting there.

The other day I managed to get myself out of bed early, take a shower and get out of my apartment before noon. I found myself at Cubao after an uneventful ride on a bus that smelled faintly of mangga and bagoong. I’ve never crossed the overpass near Farmer’s market in the day before. Usually it would be at around 8 or 9 in the evening when I find myself crossing EDSA, waiting to have dinner with a friend. Why Cubao for a dinner date? Simply because it was the most convenient, just a single bus ride both ways.

Late in the afternoon, holed up in one corner of Mister Donut having a cup of coffee and pretending to read a book, I watched as the pedestrian traffic traversing the mall increased. Here were all the men and women going home from their day job, getting off the MRT, crossing the mall to get a ride somewhere else. I watched for hours as all these beautiful people go through the rituals of daily living. I think to myself, aside from the people minding their stores around the area, no one really stays at Cubao for long during the day. But between 5 and 8 pm Cubao seems to be teeming with life. It appears to be at the heart of everything until one realizes that it serves as nothing but an unremarkable stop on the way to one’s destination. Just like an airport. An airport is never really a destination in itself, it is just a means to get to one. I think to myself: if I was here earlier there would be an entirely different set of people passing through.

And I watch as the people shuffle tiredly along.

Listening to: Wine, Women and Song (Harvey Danger)
Reading: The Tesseract (Alex Garland)

RIP: Michael Crichton, 66

2008-11-06T10:31:00.006+08:00

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Michael Crichton, the million-selling author of such historic and prehistoric science thrillers as Jurassic Park,Timeline and The Andromeda Strain, has died of cancer, his family said.
He died Tuesday in Los Angeles at age 66 after a long battle with the illness."
http://www.usatoday.com/life/books/news/2008-11-05-michael-crichton_N.htm

I started reading Michael Crichton as a freshman in high school. It was around the time when the movie "Jurassic Park" came out and my science high school friends' idea of having fun was trying to separate fact from fiction in mass media productions.

Through the years I've always picked up his books. I haven't been so thrilled about his writing lately but out of habit every time a new Crichton book is published I still check it out.

I admire that his books are replete of steadfast and intelligent women. Women who are at the forefront of science, research, technology and the industry. Young readers just might find role models in them.

But I have to admit, with my interest in Molecular Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Andromeda Strain is a favorite.

ER post

2008-11-01T19:05:00.004+08:00

From duty at the ER I come home and find I can't fall asleep. I am definitely sleepy after getting only 15-minute naps between bedside procedures and assessing new patients who arrive. There are a lot of patients awaiting labs, IJ catheter insertions and dialysis. At two in the morning very few patients arrive. If it were not for due blood extractions and IV insertions I could have probably slept a good two hours before morning endorsements.

I come home from duty at the ER. I am tired but can't fall asleep.

I turn on the TV and watch ER instead.

Such is life.

day post

2008-10-29T21:36:00.004+08:00

It's day 11 of my pre-residency at my hospital of choice.

I'm tired and a little bit disappointed at how things are going. I'm not learning enough. I 'm not learning fast enough. I keep thinking I did better work as an intern. And although I can give away prescriptions I can't have orders carried out without a residents' approval.

I can't find the time to see all the patients in the ward I am assigned to. Frequent ward rotations does not allow me to follow my patient's progress.

I am tired. I come home late, change, get into bed and within minutes fall into a deep slumber. Even without an alarm I wake up at 6 in the morning.

I am not complaining. I am just wondering if this is what I really want. For the next three years of my life.

armchair travel

2008-10-17T12:28:00.008+08:00

I haven't been much of a traveler lately. Except for the trip from Batangas back to Manila I haven't been on the road much. I have, however, been a very good armchair traveler.

I got a new pair of eyeglasses. It was a tad on the expensive side but it looks pretty good. I suppose I look smart wearing it as opposed to looking geeky. I found out I'm a few grades away from being legally blind without the correction. Anyway, it was a perfect tool for a week of armchair traveling.

Of course the bibliophile in me could not resist another trip to National Bookstore (lately it seems those are the only kind of trips I've been making). Lucky me fished out another bargain find for only P300.

I got Unlikely Destinations: The Lonely Planet Story by travel gurus Tony and Maureen Wheeler. I'm still on the first chapter but it seems promising. I'm a Lonely Planet fan. What can I say, anybody who can build a multi-million dollar empire from 27 cents is worthy of a fans club.

The thing I really love about being at home in Batangas (aside from the beaches and the feel of being in Taal) is cable TV and DSL.

I missed watching old favorites like City Cabs, Six Degrees, Sync or Swim and Globe Trekker. But I was still hooked on Discovery Travel and Living watching Fun Taiwan, LA Ink, Passport with Samantha Brown and America the Wright Way.

I have also been reading a lot of travel stories online . Once again I'm looking for new travel destinations. Right now I have my eyes on China. I'm going to read more about it now :)

P.S. I love the idea behind Couchsurfing. When I first found out about Couchsurfing I was disappointed to find only a handful of couchsurfers in the whole of Asia. Now, it's overwhelming to find that there are 1485 couchsurfers in the Philippines alone.

fly solo

2008-10-10T14:12:00.004+08:00

What do I do when I can't go out and travel?

I read about traveling.

I recently fished out Fly Solo: The 50 Best Places on Earth for a Girl to Travel Alone from the bargain bins at NBS. The author Teresa Rodriguez Williamson is the founder of TangoDiva.com, an online travel magazine. Blurbed as an inspiring guide to the ultimate destinations, the book includes "candid advice and insider's secrets about some of the most exciting places on earth."

For each of the fifty travel destinations in the book Williamson utilizes a CAWS rating which she herself formulated with friend Stephanie Block. CAWS which stands for Cultural opportunities, Activity level, Weather preference and Social interaction is a rating scale to help a girl find her ideal travel destination. A short CAWS quiz is also included in the introduction with suggested travel destinations based on the final score one gets at the end of the quiz.

Why you should read the book:
Williamson definitely considers the wide spectrum of women's interests. The book covers a mix of culture, history and nature trips for the seasoned traveler and at the same time highlights must-see tourist spots and places to shop, socialize and party. Of course, for those who want to be pampered, spas, resorts, five-star restaurants and hotels are also listed.

Why you should think twice before getting the book:
Cost of transportation, accommodation and tours are not listed in the book but at least Williamson includes the numbers to call and websites to check out to get more information.

Duration of packaged hikes and treks are indicated in some entries but travel time between some destinations are sorely amiss.

As with any kind of information, you just can't get enough of it. You gotta have more, more and MORE. Sadly, there's just not enough info in the book to plan a trip on. It was not written as an on-the-road travel guide that you lug on your trips. BUT, if you can't decide where to go it is a must to check the book if only for the CAWS quiz. Once you've determined your ideal destination grab another travel guide (a Lonely Planet or Rough Guide perhaps) to plan your trip in greater detail.

BONUS:
I loved the Flying Foreplay, Read Before You Go and Movie Musts sections for each destination. The section includes what books to read and what movies to watch to learn more about your travel destination. Cheeky as it sounds, I did read Paul Theroux's Kowloon Tong before I went to Hong Kong and I would definitely watch The Last Emperor before I visit mainland China.

So, did I like the book? Let's just say if I happened to have enough money in my pocket I probably would've bought another copy and given it to a girlfriend to read. But for the seasoned traveler, I suggest you save up for the Lonely Planet guide instead.

rain check on the road trip

2008-09-16T01:09:00.007+08:00

A week after I went to Cebu I was planning to go on another trip with friends. We were supposed to go to Baguio, spend a day and a night there, and before going back to Manila pass by the Shrine of Our Lady of Manaoag in Pangasinan. But the trip did not materialize. Too bad. I wanted to have a road trip with friends very badly. Well, maybe next time . . .

Still waiting for the right bus at the terminal

back to cebu (day 3 and 4)

2008-09-15T23:00:00.010+08:00

I had a big Continental breakfast to start the day. Then we walked along the whole stretch of the Alona Beach before picking a good spot for a swim. It was still early morning and the sun was not so hot yet. The water was cool but not cold.

We took the fastcraft back to Cebu before lunch. I was staring out the window the whole time, watching the water, wanting so much to be in it instead of speeding over it.

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

Back in Cebu I finally had a taste of their famous Lechon for lunch. It did taste different - the brown skin really crunchy, and inside the white flesh was dripping with juice. I could feel my arteries clogging up as I shared a quarter-kilo spread.

In the mid-afternoon we headed to the market to buy danggit and other pasalubong. We got a good price for the danggit and squid. We were happy with our purchases and I'm sure the three helpful sales ladies were happy about their sale also!

Dinner at Mr. A's had us loosening our belts. I drank most of the fruit punch and had my head in my hands the whole time as I told myself I can't possibly eat any more before reaching for another piece of fish.

Even if I was close to bursting, after dinner we headed off to the small eatery in front of V. Sotto Hospital. Both my co-intern (who had her clinical clerkship at V. Sotto) and my friend swore that the small eatery served the best siomai. They would not allow me to leave Cebu City the next day without trying it. So try I did, and I'm glad I did.

We walked around the corner after that to a place that used to be open rows of grills and tables. Once people had their barbecues, isaw, chicken feet, liver, hotdogs and almost anything you could put on a stick grilled and served to them under the night sky. But as more people came the city put a big tent over the area so that dining could continue even as it rained. This might have increased revenues but I think it was not a particularly good idea. Either exhaust fans and fumes hoods were absent or were not sufficient. The inviting lights and smell of grilled food was clearly overpowered by the thick smoke that made my eyes water even as we stood by the gate. We decided against entering and called it a night instead.

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I left for Manila early the next morning, still quite full and undeniably very happy, vowing to come back for more.

still in bohol (day 2)

2008-09-15T20:53:00.013+08:00

The sky was already dark. A light drizzle began as soon as we entered Carmen. We had our
umbrellas out and ready just in case it started to rain harder as we climbed more than 200 steps to the top of the Chocolate Hills viewing deck.

Looking up the steps I thought it was going to be easy. Yet, only a third of the way up I remember thinking to myself "No way am I taking my grandmother here!" I was already out of breath by then.

Still on the way up I was starting to envy the people going down

Only a couple of flights to the top , the rain started pouring down really hard. Already wet, we welcomed the cold, fresh air and still gamely took pictures under our umbrellas.

Rain at Chocolate Hills

Half an hour later the rain let up. Visibility improved and we tried to see as many of the 1,268 hills as we could.

Chocolate hills as far as the eye can see

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Chocolate Hills was supposed to be our last stop but on the way back to Tagbilaran we stopped at Albuquerque to visit Prony, the largest python in captivity.

Prony was captured in 1996. At that time it was only 5 feet in length, weighing roughly 5 kilos. Now with a girth of more than 30 inches and weighing more than 200 kilos, Prony is not so tiny anymore.

Prony is guarded lovingly by Marimar, its gay "security guard", who regaled us with Prony's life story and big appetite. It is said that on certain occasions Marimar also entertains visitors as she sings in drag. I believe s/he also won the Miss Gay Bohol recently.

Marimar and Prony

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The drive back to Tagbiliran was quiet and pleasant. The nearer we got to Panglao Island the better the view became.

On the way to Panglao Island

Again, we had splurged and stayed at Panglao Paragayo Resort. The aircon room had two beds, a big bathroom and a shower with hot water. The price was reasonable but was still twice our usual budget. We had been so used to staying in dormitory type accommodations with common bathrooms that this was the height of luxury for us.

We still couldn't afford the beachfront resorts but we didn't even break a sweat taking the 500-meter walk down the beach.

It's funny how most resorts now had internet stations. After snorkeling and island-hopping it seems that foreign travelers went straight to the internet stations to blog about the day's events. (I suppose I'm not that much different from them)

Dinner (sizzling seafood, gambas, vegetables) was really good. And after the whole day's activities I didn't even need a night cap to put me to sleep.

Empty chairs and empty tables of a beachfront bar

off to bohol (day 2)

2008-09-15T14:03:00.011+08:00

My second day on vacation started early. By 6:30 am we were already at the pier waiting for the fastcraft leaving for Tagbilaran City, Bohol.

The almost empty waiting area at the pier.

The SuperCat fastcraft was almost empty also

Embarking from the Tagbiliran pier the dark and sunburned "sea gypsies"(at least that's what I would like to call them) started rowing their boats nearer. Unfortunately, diving for coins thrown into the sea is now prohibited.

Sun-kissed sea gypsies

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We had splurged and booked a tour. Instead of commuting via bus, jeepney, or tricycle like we used to we had rented a car to take us around Bohol.

The first stop was the Blood Compact Site at Barangay Bool in Tagbilaran. This site marks the spot where Datu Sikatuna forged a treaty with Don Miguel Lopez de Legazpi. We were not the only tourists/travelers there early in the morning. It was actually difficult to take photos without having some other people walk across the frame and into the shot.

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Baclayon Church, about 6 km from Tagbilaran City, is the second oldest stone church in the Philippines (the first being the San Agustin Church in Intramuros). The church was constructed in 1595 from coral stones held together by what must have been a million eggwhites.

The Baclayon Museum located within the convent contains a collection of vestments, religious relics and artifacts including sheets of church music printed in Latin on animal skin.

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Of course, a trip to Bohol would not be complete if I did not get to see a tarsier. We came and saw a few feast on some crunchy bugs. I still like to joke about how they are cousins of both Gollum (LOTR) and Dobby (Harry Potter).

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We took the Loboc River Cruise after that. The river cruise and lunch buffet cost us P300 each. Although the buffet spread was not so bad there really wasn't anything to praise either. I wish they had more fresh fish, fruits and seaweeds. Para sulit my friend ate two platefuls of shrimp. Too bad I couldn't partake of the same. I'm allergic to shrimps.

We stopped midway through the ride to take pictures and to sing and dance with the kids on a bamboo raft.

More pictures from the ride:

Spending some down time on a relaxing ride

Two boys about to jump

A boy waiting

We were unable to stop by the Loboc Church and Museum, but we did get a glimpse of the facade from the river.

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On the way to Chocolate Hills we passed by the man-made forest in Bilar. We didn't stop so I had to take pictures from the moving car. The sky was starting to get dark and it looked like it was going to rain.

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To be continued . . .

cebu, five years later (day 1)

2008-09-15T13:20:00.020+08:00

Five years after first envisioning the trip and five years after the actual planning I was finally able to whisk myself away from Manila with enough vacation time to spend in Cebu.

I had planned to take the trip with a friend before I entered medical school but in the flurry of activities regarding applications, interviews and enrolment the trip kept getting postponed. And as air fare and hotel accommodation money turned into payment for papers and application fees I lost all hope of actually going to Cebu.

Fast forward to five years later (which was two weeks ago), my friend now works in Cebu and I had just passed the physician licensure exam, there seemed no better time to hop on a plane and go to Cebu. Without even planning the trip I found myself there a few days later.

I flew via Cebu Pacific. The planes now left from NAIA Terminal 3 (no, nothing fell from the ceiling at that time) and I was in Cebu ten minutes earlier than expected.

I had lunch at Casa Verde (V. Ranudo St, Cebu City) where I gamely attacked the very generous portions of baby back ribs which were melt-in-your-mouth delicious. After that I made like a tourist and visited some of Cebu's well-known tourist spots. Of course, the church was the first stop.

Basilica Minor del Santo Niño was built on the site where an image of Santo Niño was found in 1565. The structure was razed by a fire soon after that and the church has been rebuilt and added to since then.

In January, during the Sinulog Festival, the grand procession of The Holy Image of Señor Santo Niño de Cebu comes to a halt in this church patio. In late August, the stage and the patio is closed, no drums beat and no colors adorn the space. It's almost sad.

After saying a short prayer of thanks, we headed to the Basilica del Santo Niño Museum. I did not expect such a small space to house so many different images of Santo Niño, including capes, clothing and accessories. Offerings for the Santo Niño overflowed from shelves and glass cases -- these included an assortment of jewelry, clothes, shoes and even toys. Also housed in the museum are highly embroidered vestments, carvings, ornate candelabras and old church documents written in Spanish.

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Magellan's Cross in front of the city hall at Megallanes St. was our next stop. The cross was planted by Ferdinand Magellan in April 21, 1521 (hey, that's my birthday, definitely not my birth year).

The cross which we see today is also not the original one planted by Magellan. In the early years after Augustinian friars built a shrine for the cross, the natives were said to take wood chips from the cross. They believed that these chips held some miraculous power. A hollow wooden cross now encases the original one.

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The Taoist Temple at Beverly Hills was our third stop. There is something surreal and at the same time enlightening about visiting temples. There is a sense of the here and now. Yet at the same time there is a sort of distance, a detachment from one's self felt by a Christian not at all attuned with the religion. Sort of a Lost in Translation, the religion version.

A Korean tourist (right) stops to catch her breath after climbing the 81 steps (left).

Climbing up the 81 steps proved to be a mean feat. We stopped halfway to the top. The break allowed us to drink in the view of Cebu City.

Here are more pictures taken from the Temple grounds.

A painter making the old new again

Behold the dragon

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We run out of things to do later in the afternoon. We stopped and had coffee, exchanged news and gossip, and proceeded onto mall-hopping. National Bookstore was having it's big sale and I could not resist taking a peek. Half an hour later though, I went out of the store empty-handed.

I had dinner at a colleague's house. It was nice to see the whole family there. It was nice to see people who were centered and grounded. The dinner went well and I was happy to hone my social skills as I contributed a few interesting quips to get the conversation going.

My first day in Cebu had come to a close. Catching up with friends was a vital part of the trip. If I had to cut my trip short and go home the next day I would still have been more than satisfied.

To be continued . . .

finally done

2008-09-14T20:45:00.004+08:00

Finally done . . . with the beginning.

Sept 14, 2008. Oathtaking of New Physicians. Plenary Hall, PICC
[Taken by the shaky hands of my grandmother]

looks just like the sun today

2008-09-13T07:35:00.005+08:00

Finally, I'm a licensed physician. Tomorrow, along with around 1500 other new physicians I will take my oath. The oath that binds me to do no harm. Such an amazing position to be in. Yet, as I take a step back and take it all in, everything is not so rosy after all.

I am 28 years old. Status? Single, or I could also say "it's complicated". I am unemployed. I have no savings. I owe my uncle money. I owe my best friend money. My lease of contract on my apartment ends next month. I could end up anywhere after that. The small business I started with a bunch of friends is barely staying afloat. I have all but severed ties to most of my high school and college friends, med school friends, too. I barely make contact with my other so-called contacts.

From the start I was brought up to be the bright girl in the family. The one with so much potential. Now, all grown-up I am certainly above average, but so very far from being the best. I have accepted my second-rate status. However, this has not dampened my zeal for excellence. If anything, I strive harder not to be mediocre.

I have no role models. I do not have my father's ambition. I do not have my mother's optimism. I lack my sister's charm and good looks. I am not a people person like my brother.

If I am accepted in my residency training of choice I will not be able to travel for the next four years. I will be high on caffeine to get me through the sleepless nights. I will be helping people. I wonder if I will be happy.

I have the heart to for the Doctor's to the Barrios program. I do not have the strength and fortitude to last me the two years I have to spend in it.

If I take the USMLE, I will be freely floating, directionless for the years I wait to be matched to a program. I will eventually have to move in with family, take odd jobs, get to know myself in an entirely different setting I am unaccustomed to. For years, I have been living alone.

I do not want to leave the country. I am nationalistic. I follow rules, I obey. When I was working, I paid my taxes. But I am also a ball of contradictions. I hate politics. There is a flame of an anarchist in my heart. Yet, I love being organized. I love hierarchy and power.

Coffee and books are my addiction.

I have no future. My family is not my anchor.

I want to go on a long vacation. The clock is ticking. I am running out of time.

I have to put my foot down. I have to make a decision. I cannot make a decision when I do not know what I want.

For days it has been raining. Clouds everywhere. Lots of dirty laundry. My shoes are all wet.

No matter, I tell myself. No worries. This is just the beginning.

Because for me, it sure looks just like the sun today.