Leaving Philippines

Emilio Aguinaldo College Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy Batch 2011-2012

I'm leaving for Canada this June 10 with my sister.  This time it's going to be long.  For a year or so and I really don't know how to react (or at least I think I don't) to this new situation.  My friend said that "parang hindi ako malungkot" but I am sad.  It's just that I have my family over there too so I have my feelings all mixed up.  I am sad to leave the country that I grew up in, but I am happy to meet the family I left there - my mom, dad and little sister. Leaving is such a hard thing, that I know well. I don't want to think of it as somewhere not here on Earth.  I remember when my bestfriend died during highschoool, mom told me to think that "nangibang bansa lang siya", just to ease the pain of being left.  And I think I have for a while now.  I think I have thought of her as someone who travelled to an unreachable place.  But my situation is different.  I mean, come on, with all the technological advances in the last decade in order to provide opportunities to communicate, why make it such a big deal.  I'd rather think of it that way because truthfully, if I didn't...I'll cry.  And that is something I don't want my friends to see when I leave - I'd want them to remember me as "being me".  The weird, quiet and not so sociable me with a smiling face. I hope and pray that things turn out well this year for us.   

A Shot at Palanca 2012

"Hear us out and make us known.  For we are heroes who are not willing to be unsung for long." 

Just finished my entry for Palanca Awards 2012.  Hope I do win!  It's for the betterment of the course.  Generally, I wrote my thoughts about the course and how it is highly important in the society we live in now.  How I wish I could have put on more personal stories but I really can't.  The healthcare system has a "confidentiality" policy, so I might get jailed if I revealed more facts than what I wrote originally.  If the essay doesn't win, I plan to re-use it by asking permission to tell my client's stories. I believe that people will be moved more if I did it; nevertheless, the essay stands alone as it is now.  But I guess the drama will cause more people to understand PWDs more.  It will tap their potential for being empathetic, thus, decreasing the usage of degrading (and not so good) pity.

Oh and I sent in a couple of poems I did too!  Here's a picture of the envelope I sent :)  Winners will be announced on September 1.

Sending my entries for Palanca at MOA

Hiatus

I'm taking a hiatus right now because I'll be drafting works for Palanca Awards :)  Wish me luck!  Hope I'll be able to make my voice heard.

Last Week in POC

Today is our socialization in the Philippine Orthopedic Center (POC) in Banawe.  It's my second to the last rotation in my few months of internship and I am very glad to have rotated here.  I am so blessed to have met great people and to have been given a chance to be their therapist for a little time.  I hope that in the near future, we will be able to meet each other again.  I wonder how do they think of me?  Tomorrow, I'll be able to know.  It's my last session with them and mostly all we're going to do is reminisce the past 8 weeks of therapy.  I hope no one cries.  I'm in danger of crying as well.  Hey, I'm human too.  Goodbyes make me sad too.  I just wish someone could eradicate the awful term into non-existence.  Or just convert it to something nicer...like a promise of meeting or a prelude to their eventual reunion?  Wouldn't make us feel less lonely? 

I'll be leaving my clients with my personal letter.  I'll try my best to keep that loving smile on my face.  I really don't want our last meeting to be sad.  Yep..hope this works well.  As for now, here are some pictures of my colleagues in POC.

Jen, okay lang yan iniisip ka rin nun :)

Happy bright years, Sir Larry!

Topasyo, Jade and yours truly

Busy, busy, busy

POC family

Pyrolympics!!!

Photo taken from littlemisskesa

For the third year in a row, SM Mall of Asia will be having its International Pyromusical Display this summer season.  Last year, I watched it with my little sister - Aiko and Elie Mei.  This year, it will only be the two of us (aaw..).  Anyway, it's a surprise that Japan is not participating this time so I'll be booking for Canada's presentation on March 10.  Yey~!  A day before my big day :)

Tickets are still sold by four different packages - silver, gold, VIP and the VIP with dinner.   The Silver costs Php 100, the Gold costs Php 300, the VIP costs Php 500 while the package with dinner included costs Php 1,500.

See you there guys~!!!

Respetuhin si Manong Pepe

     Dalawang linggo na ang nakalipas nung magkaroon ng kaguluhan sa Facebook dahil sa isang post mula sa UPCAT Admin tungkol sa maagang paglabas ng USTET results.  Madali lang daw ang exam ng UST at wala raw kasing hirap ang UPCAT kaya daw "worth the wait".  Madaming nagalit, madaming nag-react.  Pero hindi pa nga nareresolba ang init ng away meron na namang lumitaw sa Tumblr tungkol sa UST at eto pa 12 years old (daw?) ang gumawa ng bashing.

      Personally, I take the post very insulting, hindi dahil sa isa akong Thomasian kundi isa akong simpleng Emilian na minsan ding sinubukan pumasok ng UST.   First and foremost, opo, hindi ako pumasa sa gusto kong kurso sa UST - BS OT at PT.  Naging bitter din ako. Siyempre naman, sino bang taong hindi?  Lalo na kung UST ang pangarap na school ng best friend mong nauna ng makilala si Lord diba?  Nag-aral po ako diyan much more pa sa UPCAT dahil dun talaga ang gusto ko.  Nakakainis lang kasi sobrang halaga sayo nung isang bagay at iwawalang bahala at lalaitin lang ng iba.  Sobrang mali e.  Sobrang mali.  Ganito na ba ang karamihan sa sumunod sa henerasyon sa amin?  (Don't mean to generalize)  APATHETIC, SPITEFUL and DISRESPECTFUL?  

         Pangalawa, diba kapag bumagsak merong kasunod?  HINDI, HINDI.  Hindi lipat school agad.  ACADEMIC PLACEMENT pa diba?  Eto ang kwento. Pumila ako kasama ang kaibigan ko na bumagsak din.  Madaming taong nakapila, mainit at maraming nakasimangot.  Hmmm... ako sakto lang - hindi nakangiti pero hindi rin nakasimangot.  Tinignan ko ng maigi yung listahan ng mga napasa kong kurso.  Sa College of Rehabilitation Sciences, isa lang napasa ko - Sports Science.  Yung katabi kong babae na kasama yung nanay niya, napasa daw yung Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy.  Wow! As in, WOW!  Ayun nga lang, Pharmacy yung gusto niya.  Tinignan ko yung listahan ko ulit at nakita ko dun yung hinahanap nung babae.  Sana palit na lang kami diba?  Mas madali sana ang buhay kung pwede lang.  Napasa ko din most ng engineering at sa philosophy and letters pero naisip ko kung magpapadelay pa ako ng isang taon para maging OT, wag na lang.  So nag-EAC ako pagkatapos irekomenda ng dalawa kong doktor.  Naisip ko...hindi naman ako gusto ibagsak ng UST e.  Gusto lang nila na dun ako sa kursong magagamit ko ang angkin kong talino sa physics, chemistry at english.  So, lahat tayo pantay-pantay lang.  Iba lang ang kurso ko pero kung ginawa kong engineering yan (na ayoko naman talaga) malamang e isa na rin ako sa mga bobong tinatawag ni theindifferentmasochist.  What a psychologically disturbed child.  Kailangan niya na nga OT intervention. 

     Lastly, ang mga kakilala ko pong OT Thomasians ay namamatay ngayon sa orals nila.  Sila kaya ang isa sa mga matatalinong tao na kilala ko.  Baka mapanganga ka na lang pag nakausap mo sila.  Kaya wala siyang karapatan o kahit sino man ang sabihan silang bobo dahil NAGBABASA YAN NG LIBRO HANGGANG BANYO!  

Apat na daang taon mula ng itayo ang UST.  APAT NA DAANG TAON! O kung di man maintindihan ang bilang sa salita eto... 400 YEARS!!!  Aba di biro ang magpatakbo ng isang eskwelahan ng ganun katagal ha.  Para si Manong Pepe na lagpas bente singkong taon nang pumipidal ng sorbetes dito sa subdivision namin.  Tatagal ba yun ng ganun kahabang panahon kung "pangit na quality" ang kukunin nilang students?  Si Mang Pepe ba tatagal ng 25 years sa pagpipidal ng sorbetes niya kung "pangit na quality" rin ng raw materials ang kukunin niya?  Sa tingin niyo?  Di naman po existential discussion to kaya I'll just say the point.  Respetuhin naman ang numerong yan.  RESPETUHIN SI MANONG PEPE!

P.S. Kung manlalait lang, hay please lang, check the ideas formulated by your words.  Kasi sarili mo ng words, pangbaril na sayo.  YOU REALLY DON'T DESERVE TO BE IN UST.

Next Stop, POC!

Just found out where I'll be rotating next for internship - Philippine Orthopedic Center.  Yey for me!  So, I'm reviewing a little about the hand's anatomy and assessment procedures.  Need to store up some juice before the battle.  I'm so excited!!!