A Thousand Meetings

We could have had a thousand meetings

Meeting

And still, maybe we could not have met
It could be fate
or just due to circumstance
but this is one special rendezvous
treasured, because of you






* pic from Orange Marmalade

A Seminar To Remember

Memories.... When people leave, these are what remain.

From February 15 to 17, The seniors have organized a series of seminars. But before you think that this post is going to be the summary of the topics of the seminars, you think wrongly. This post is going to be about what happened behind the scenes.

It had been a hectic week before the seminars, pressure was building up since the seminar was supposed to be our Finals grade but still we pulled it off - and with flying colors if I must say. I know pressure was also with the other groups but since we were the last group so everything felt a bit heavier and since our group composed of a plethora of various personalities, some expectations were made. We even had an out of town duty before that so some preparations couldn't be done but still, everything went well - beyond expectations even.

It all started with the speaker, the first two speakers weren't available and we were starting to be worried on whether the third would also be unavailable but a phone call after made me feel ecstatic. We finally had a speaker. Everything would follow. The token went next, we had agreed on a token that wasn't common. Albeit expensive, it was worth it. Presentations were up next, Decorations, and etc...

At first, I had no idea of how our physical set up would go. I was even disappointed with how the plants looked when I first saw them in the Bio department but when it paired up with whatever we had, it became awesome!!! I also had no idea how the butterflies would go, thankfully I wasn't there when they put them up, I might have disturbed it and they would have flown away (corny ra. hehehe). Although, helping (???) Michael and Johnard with carrying the posts from the ground floor to the 6th floor was also satisfying. Hehehe

Jeremie shared during our conversation that she didn't expect how good everything turned out and we share the same opinion. So, I wanna thank everyone involved in the whole affair.

First and foremost, God. No endeavor will ever be successful without his blessing. He is the best help you will ever need;

Second, to our Speaker Dr. Julius C. Dano and our Clinical Instructor Ms. Audrey D. Verano, for their support to the seminar and also to Mr. Edmond Navarro for stopping by;

We didn't know Evidence Based Practice was an entertaining subject until that seminar

Next, to Dean, Rhea, Gray, Dem, Joy, Justin, Ate Sialmo, Salino, Sherylove, Kat, Michael, PJ, JD and Edjun for being cooperative and helpful in the whole affair. I think I would not want another set of group members.

"Testify to Love" was the perfect doxology for the seminar. Don't you think? :)

very attentive audience

Of course, Block Batee for everything. For being participative, for helping us out with the decoration and all...

 Especially to Marvy, Em, Pawie and Kurt who helped us in the registration booth, printing, typing, Welcome wall, and the butterflies and etcetera and Also Teddy for pointing out details and possible problems that might occur. And Johnard for helping us carry the posts FROM GROUND FLOOR TO 6TH FLOOR and for carrying the plants also :)

And for those who are not mentioned... ingna lang ko kay ako i edit. hahaha! Bitaw doh, we are so thankful for everyone's presence (except sa kadtong nanguha sa butterflies nga walay pananghid. peace!)

I don't know what else to say so let me end it here with a note and Rhea's closing remarks; 

"It is truly a privilege to have Dr. Daño with us. We have heard about the surprising news that we have been using books designed for PhD students. We have seen the enjoyable parts of research and heard Dr. Daño's anecdotes on meeting our book's author. We have also listened to concrete evidences of researches done by others in the medical field. We were entertained by the presentations.

In behalf of group 2C, we would like to thank all of you who are present here. It has been a productive and wonderful seminar. I’m sure that the knowledge we have attained during this seminar will be beneficial for all of us."

Do you know the Butterfly Effect?

 
 A small change at one place in a complex system can have large effects elsewhere. In that seminar, we have been part of a small change. We were given concrete evidences that research was not boring, let it inspire us to be assertive in doing Research for the benefit of all. Adelante!

Oh so Random!

Our country couldn't be any colder though I guess it could with global warming and climate change and all. More than once I've posted "its cold" on my fb wall but it really is cold.

Sipping a cup of hot Milo sure feels perfect.
So... on this random post I just wanna say how my January went.

I had fun last month actually. I went on a retreat, forgave a few unlikable fellows, asked forgiveness for my sins, had my first cup of coffee with my best friend, met new friends, got good grades, and really got busy.

I'm anticipating my February experiences too and hope we get a complete round of cases on our Toledo duty next week. I'm also looking forward to a good turn out on my midterm exams. :)

celebrating life

Wanna have coffee with me?

It... was a cafe latte. And it met me with a smile.

cafe latte (from Google)

It was a cold day. My best friend (Madel) and I decided to meet up and chat like the friends that we are. Hehehe. Surprisingly, she was wearing short shorts (which she rarely does AND on a cold day) but we both had sweaters.

We happened to pass by Coffee Bean when she casually asked if I wanted to have coffee and I glanced at her in horror. Okay, so maybe not that much. :) But still, it gave me a pause. Coffee has never been included in my drinking list (which includes water, tea, coke light and juice). Though it has been some time since I told myself to start drinking coffee. (one of my personal goals this year, didn't know it'd come earlier than expected).

Coffee is bitter, it has caffeine and it gives me a weird feeling after wards. And call me mental, but I've always thought of it as an "adult" drink. You know, something you drink to perk you up when you're stressed and all that. I didn't want to be an adult yet. Hehehe.

still from Google

But most of all I didn't like the bitter taste. So anyway, there she was waiting for my reply and I said, "Uh... Ok! I've been thinking of it anyway, let's give it a go." But we did have something else on the agenda and so we postponed it after our trip to the plaza. (we should have brought cameras, I know). And so finally, it came. We ordered 2 cafe lattes and a blueberry cheese cake.

There I was... staring at the smiley shaped frothy thingy on top of the coffee. And it stared back in all its cheerful attempts at coaxing me to take it. Didn't really need much coaxing, I was ready to take it on. One sip at a time. Of course, the first sip was bitter, it made me wanna gag. But I refused to lose. The journey was just starting. Madel suggested I eat the cake while drinking, after all it does compliment the coffee. Hmmm.... bitter and sweet.... interesting combination. After several sips and bits of cake, the bitterness became something familiar and palatable. The warmth slowly spread to my belly relieving the cold stiffness of the day.

Our favorite!

"hmmm... coffee isn't too bad," I thought. My mind was still wondering if I liked it as the cup became half empty. (My goal was to finish the whole thing). But coffee and cake was not the only treat I had for the day. Oh, Madel had much in store (Doesn't she just love me? XD). Meiji chocolates! Our favorite! Yum!!!

But I think the credit goes to Ed for the chocolates. :)
So, we had Meiji and Blue berry cheese cake to accompany this bitter drink. Not to mention, a good conversation and a whole lot of punch lines.

The half-empty cup soon dwindled down. Conversations turned low to keep others from hearing, the lot of secrets we were sharing. A cold day it was for sure, but the presence of my lovely Madel and of that enigmatic topaz colored liquid made me feel blessed and thankful and warm.

Soon enough, my hate for coffee (was it exactly hate?) receded into something I have yet to define. Is it love? It was too soon. Yet I feel that my coffee experience wasn't over. There were still a lot of varieties to try. Wanna have coffee with me? :)

The Rain and the Sun

Rain. For several weeks now its been raining. I wake up in the morning wanting not to get up but the fullness of my bladder gets me rushing to the bathroom and I can't go back to sleep again. The water's cold. My shoes get wet sloshing around in the mud outside the house. The scary black waters of Colon street.

rain

Rain just ain't what it used to be for me anymore. Rain used to remind me of wet crystals falling down from the sky. Splashing around wet mud used to make me feel like I can handle everything. We even sprayed hoses on each other to make sure we were wet. We didn't mind the wet noses or the chills after wards. Mom didn't even scold (though she made sure we were super dry after baths.)

Something hasn't changed though, watching the rain from our window and looking at the plants in the garden. It feels like watching a passionate embrace. The love of the plants for the rain, the unconditional gift of the sky to the ground. It feels like watching a smooth ballet... There is just something precious there that you cannot grasp.

The sun is something different though. It was prickly. It was sticky. It was dusty. The world was a little noisy when it was hot. Tempers rose and people wanted to get out of the brightness and look around for shade.

El Salvador Beach, Danao

The sun was hot and dry for me though it meant I could go out and play. Sun meant beaches when I was young. Swimming was the best activity I could find and it I loved it when I floated and just stared at the clear blue sky with an occasional cloud here and there. The sun's beauty was not evident in the sun itself (no offense to the astronomists) but on where its light touches. Watch it from where its light shines through stained glass windows. The colors dance and even the dust follow. Hehehe

I am just simply amazed at how all these things are. It repeats itself and yet I haven't grown tired. I just hope that others too, will appreciate their beauty and just pause.

Heels versus Flats

On a normal walk-around-around-the-city day, I normally wear flats. But during events, I really wanna wear heels. There’s nothing sexier than a good 2 to 3 inches worth of additional height. Maybe even higher but since I’m tall enough I don’t require much more. It’s kinda awkward to be above the people you’re talking to.

Flats, pic from Google

Flats are practical, comfortable and fashionable for everyone. We can almost say they are always better than high heels. But that is not always the case.

A podiatrist has shown concern over this type of shoe. Flat shoes have no caution against shock and almost no heel support. They can strain the Achilles tendon that runs from the back of the heel and also the calf muscles in the back of the leg. But pain can’t be felt directly. It can be felt around two weeks later. It can even cause a painful heel condition called plantar fascilitis. A painful inflammatory process than can cause degenerative changes in the plantar fascia. A symptom of this disease is pain on the underside of the heel during the first steps of the day and another is knee pains.

Flip flops are a common wear here in the Philippines. With our climate and rushed schedules (for laag, hehehe), they’re readily available and easy to wear. But do you know that flip flops can cause blisters (especially the thin ones) and arch problems. It can also slow down circulation to your feet. They are contraindicated for diabetic persons and anyone with knee, hip or back problems.

high heels; pics from Google

On the other hand heels are loved by all women. They’re hot, they’re expensive and they’re a bit uncomfortable. Though, I don’t think they’re uncomfortable often. They’ve also been called health hazards. Let’s see why. Heels can alter your posture and place excessive force on the inner knee and altering your body alignment. It can also tighten the calf muscles. Some diseases that result from wearing high heels are Bunions, Hammertoes, Pump bumps, Metatarsalgia and the familiar ankle pain. 

If those words are too unfamiliar. Google it. Hehehe. But seriously speaking wearing uncomfortable heels can cause a lot of problems. They can start from nerve compression to bony malformations.

So what do we wear now?

Podiatrists say that foot wear should not be totally flat. There should at least be half an inch of a heel. They also advise against wearing thin soled flip flops. These can easily be punctured by sharp items littered on the ground and can also cause blisters.

High heels should not be worn for a whole day. Give your feet some rest in between so the calf muscles can relax.

It would also help circulation if you raise your legs after a long day of being on foot. My mom raises hers against the wall but I think propping our legs above a stool and a pillow should be okay.

Shoes should fit your feet properly without feeling tight. Shoes should be broken (get used to) 1 hour at a time to a day.

My 2011 Plans

I'm looking forward to the year ahead and there are so many things that I want to do this year. I may as well make a list and check them by the end of the year. ^_^

By the end of this year will I....
1. Be a better daughter.
This one is soooo hard coz I have to sacrifice a lot of things to accomplish this. One would be my laziness (well, glad to be rid of that) but a harder one would be my GCI activities (the few that I have been participating in... sigh). But for this year, I'll really try extra hard and I'll pray. :)

2. Be more prayerful.
Sure, I pray once in awhile. I heard from a sermon that God shouldn't just be a "Sunday God" or even a "desperate-times God". He should be part of our daily lives. And on top of that go to church every Sunday. "Try harder" said the priest I talked to. ^__^

the creators

3. Save more.
This one's also a little hard. I have little allowance and don't even have a part time job yet so I can't save much. But I'll try harder this year. Somehow. :p

4. Be a better sister.
I've been lacking in that area for many years now and I'll try to make up for it.

5. Be a better student.
I've been an honor student before (okay maybe that was waaay to far ago but still...) and no I'm not hoping to be one again but I would like to be a little studious now. After all, I've finally found a goal I want to reach.

6. Lessen my Facebook time.
I don't really spend that much time on Facebook. I usually just log on and see what's up and get on with other businesses but I should really lessen it coz Facebook is really a waste of time.

Reviving Pulse

7. Write more.
I've always wanted to write but 2010 was like a blank page for me. Barely a doodle here and there. I mean really, it was like... drought. So, this blog will help me more. Also, need to add more structure in my writings. Lessen the scattered notes. Hehehe

8. Be more active.
Exercise not only the mind but also the body. ;p

hai!

9. Pursue my dreams.
That's actually a goal. One step at a time as they say it. And I've got a lot to cover.

10. Ignore the useless, Pursue the wise.
Didn't quote anyone for this, my words... atleast I think so. Hehehe. What I mean is that there are so many things happening in our lives, things that aren't that important, we should learn our priorities and ignore the distractions.

looking forward

Sure, sounds easy enough but let's see how my 357 days would go. :)

General Cleaning of the Body and Soul

Night of Gratitude

What better way to start a year than to cleanse your mind and spirit. Last January 4 and 5, Our class and another went on an overnight retreat to release our negative thoughts and pray. We prayed for forgiveness, we prayed for our future, we prayed for our families and we prayed for gratitude. It was truly a memorable and lightening event. :)

Now and Then, Here and There

Have you ever heard of the title,"Now and Then, Here and There"? Its actually a deep anime about the cruelties of humanity. But that isn't the reason why I chose that title for my blog. I chose the phrase to represent the thoughts I have "now and then, here and there".

a pic from the series

Let's see... my hopes for this blog is for it to be full of.... my thoughts. Hahaha!
But anyway, let's just see how it goes. Happy New Year everyone! ^_^