blessed pencils

My mother and I attended the 6pm mass today so that we'd be
home when typhoon Paeng arrived at 8 tonight. Manila doesn't have a
storm signal until this time. But it had been gray all day. And we
had been experiencing some strong winds and drizzle. One of these
sudden strong winds must have lifted one of my fishes from the bucket
I temporarily placed them, because I cleaned my medium-sized aquarium
today. Or I must have just forgotten that carps have this tendency to
leap from any container they are in when they play. So I had two dead
carps today.

In any case, our parish priest talked about how Filipinos
pray. Filipinos always pray, especially when they have petitions:
Baclaran Church on Wednesdays, St. Jude's Parish on Thursdays, Quiapo
Church on Fridays... Like the blind beggar Bartimaeus, people don't
care how they appear to others when they pray. He cited how many
people, especially women, go to St. Jude's Parish. St. Jude is the
patron of hopeless cases. And St. Jude's Parish is known for people
praying for boyfriends or spouses. Although some friends have
jokingly told me to go to St. Jude's, I haven't been yet tempted :) I
am perhaps not so hopeless yet :)

But one of his examples that I can relate to is how
examinees pray. He said that most examinees attend almost all masses
and before the exam, some asked him to bless their pencils.

Before her exam, one of my cousins asked me if she should
first sharpen her pencils before having them blessed by the priest or
not. I told her that I couldn't remember. But I always have my
ballpens and pencils for national examinations blessed, too :) I
haven't failed one yet :)

Our priest said that he blessed the examinees and not the
pencils. If examinees didn't study, he said that pencils wouldn't
write the answers by themselves even if one waited a whole day.

sayong
10-29-06

housing fair 2006

Government employees trooped to Glorietta Activity Center today. I
don't know how many attended the housing fair yesterday but today, my
mother and I had tickets 39839 and 39841. The fair has been extended
until tomorrow to accommodate the others who didn't make it today.

sayong
10-28-06 11:35pm

to learn or not to learn French

I forgot to give the letter of our grades in German to our
HR today. It was given to me by FSI last Monday night and since there
was no work yesterday (Eid'l Fitre), I forgot all about it until
tonight.

I am considering whether or not I'd take French at FSI next
year. As an old student, I am entitled to take another language
course; without going through the language aptitude exam and interview
like before. But I still need the permission of our office to take
another language course. I believe that only one staff per unit is
allowed. Since Em applied at the FSI for Mandarin, I might not be
allowed. But the fact that our courses are on alternate days and that
I had straight 1.0 since first term last year, I have a good chance
of being allowed to take French.

But I don't know if I could commit another two years of my
life to study French. It seems that I'm missing a lot or that time is
never enough to do all that I have to do.

Perhaps, I'm just tired because this year, we've had German
lessons three times a week. And I need to stay late at the office to
make up for the times I left earlier for class.

And though I'd graduate this December at the FSI, I'd still
take German levels 7 & 8 at the Goethe Institute next year so that I
could take the Zertifikat Deutsch. So if I decide to take French or
even other language course, I'd have lessons at the FSI twice a week
and German on weekends. It'd be another year like this one.

I wonder if I have the drive and energy to keep it up.

sayong
10-25-06 11:05pm

another ultrasound

For the past year, my left ovary has been a source of
problem. Although the cyst in it has already been removed, my doctor
continued to put me on medication to postpone or prevent its
recurrence. Endometriosis is known to recur.

But for the first time yesterday, my left ovary was commended
by the sonologist. She said that I have a good left ovary. Since I
have retroverted uterus, I thought that she was mistaken, and so I
clarified if she meant the right one. She said that she meant the one
operated on because it has many cells and that I could surely have
children. As usual, I told her that I didn't even have a boyfriend
for that :)

I waited for more than three hours for my turn at the
ultrasound. This is one of my longest wait at the hospital.

And I got more nervous as I waited for my turn. The
procedure is painful and I would really rather not go through it. I
was supposed to have the ultasound three weeks ago but I told my
doctor that I would rather wait until I got better from my cough,
fever and colds.

My cough left me truly only after another whole day of rest
Saturday last week. My rest on the Saturday before that (October 7)
enabled me to regain my voice. I've never really appreciated the
power of resting until last week. If I had heeded the doctor's advice
to take 1-2 days off work, I might have been well a lot earlier.

sayong
10-22-06 10:40pm

Manila Pavilion new look

The Manila Pavilion Hotel and Casino Filipino in U.N. Avenue
is a sight to behold these days.

Since last Friday, I've been hitching a ride with my
classmate Bebot up to Stop & Shop. From DFA, she takes Roxas Blvd.,
U.N. Avenue, Ramon Magsaysay Blvd. and then Aurora Blvd. She is
currently avoiding EDSA because of the traffic caused by the
dismantling of billboards there.

Every time we pass by the hotel, the lights in its front
facade have a new pattern.

I regret that the pictures I took tonight are not clear as
we were moving then.

sayong
10-19-06

Bakekang

So many things have happened since my last post but all I want to
write about now is my current favorite Filipino TV series -- Bakekang
in GMA 7. I didn't watch its first episodes. I only happened to see
some of its earlier scenes because its slot is between two TV series I
used to watch: after Majica and before Love Story in Harvard (which
ended last Friday).

I began watching it when Bakekang's twin was born. I like watching
the children's adventures. They could be real tearjerkers, and I
rarely watch this type. But the children could be so funny, and just
give you that all-good feeling.

sayong
10-16-06 10:50pm

reminiscing...moving on

This is the first day of my 34th year. My mother insisted
that I was born at 8pm of October 3 so she deemed that counting my age
should start at that time and not any earlier.

I actually felt good about that idea because I spent
yesterday thinking that I was still 33 :) Such a big deal :) But
when one reaches my age (hu...hu..hu...), and already has a major
operation or sickness, then one feels the years of one's age and feels
sad about losing stamina, strength and everything that is associated
with youthfulness.

I noticed that after my operation last November, my body has
been more susceptible to illnesses.

In fact, I would have written earlier but I couldn't
concentrate long enough for again, I am sick. One of Typhoon
Milenyo's effects. My sister came down with fever and cough last
Thursday. By Friday, I also had fever and an itchy throat. By that
evening, I was coughing and hardly got any sleep. I thought that I
got over the fever by Saturday morning, when my mother and I went to
the hospital for check-up.

Although my fever was obviously from my strong cough, the
doctor still tested me for dengue (platelet count, CBC, urinalysis)
and had a chest X-ray. I was cleared.

The doctor said that my fever would go when the cough does.
I was only prescribed to take Fluimucil (200g) three times a day for 5
days. I asked the doctor to change the antibiotic which costed more
than 180 pesos a day.

But since I don't have much trust on this doctor, I went to
Malacañang Clinic for a second opinion last Monday. The doctor okayed
the medicines I was already taking. She gave me free (cheaper)
antibiotics, too. But considering how far I walk to get to its new
site in Mabini Hall, and how weak I was from coughing, it was only
right.

By the way, Malacañang Clinic in Mabini Hall is only for OP
employees. The old Clinic only now houses the Dialysis Center, X-ray
and Laboratory. All other facilities are in Malacañang Park.

Anyway, I was supposed to reminisce about the past year and
got caught up with my cough. But if I were to sum up my 33rd year, it
was ooperocystectomy (operation to remove my cyst), hospital check-ups
for endometriosis and minor illnesses as rashes, cough, sore throat,
hip sprain, etc., German classes and trip to Singapore.

The idea of the trip to Singapore with my mother took root
just before my operation last November. So it took me some time
planning it.

If I had a lot of expenses on my 33rd year, it was also so
far the year that I had the most money :) Thank God :)

sayong
10-04-06 3:00pm