*txtd and saved via cellphone, then transcribed at home
9:30am
Sitting here now at the Mr.Donut branch in Greenhills, sipping coffee while waiting for the barber shop to open, I reflected on the madness that transpired last night
.
It was the first time I witnessed such drama unfold online. It was clear that people were anxiously waiting. Status messages were flying all over on Facebook, ranging from nervous oubursts of examinees to encouraging words from upperclasmen (myself included) who've been there and done that. Then the news started trickling out.. The results will be out that night!
At that moment I knew the full list of successful examines would be out around 30 minutes later, but I was still unable to contain my excitement. This 2nd part of the wait was agonizingly slow, since it was like prolonging the inevitable..
True enough, the word was soon out that the list was already being posted bit by bit, which led to even more anxiety because the name I was looking for was near the end of the alphabet. =P
The outpouring of love and congratulations online was really a sight to behold. Thanks to Facebook's Flash-based system, I was able to see the greetings pile up in real time. I knew the people sitting in front of their computers at home were either speechless, crying, praising God, calling family and friends, or maybe all of the above. :D
It was definitely a unique experience for such a momentous occasion for our new colleagues, and I'm glad to have been part of it. ;)
Thursday, August 20, 2009
What a rush!! (Med boards Aug '09)
Whew! It was like taking the boards all over again..
Just a short while ago, the Professional Regulation Commission (finally) released the list of the names of those who passed the recently concluded Physician Licensure Examinations. While online, I see my friends who are teetering on the edge of madness, desperate for any little bit of news while at the same time dreading the unthinkable.. and since I had a vested interest in this particular examination, I was keeping vigil myself.. :P
The adrenaline rush is just something else! I felt all the anxiety and tension in the air. I was having sleepless nights again as though I was the one upon whom the verdict would be placed. I guess it's a little harder when it's someone you care about, because you feel so helpless.. As I came home from work a while ago, I couldn't focus. I had this queasy feeling in my stomach. My fingers and toes were tingling.. My heart rate shot up when I saw the initial report on the news websites. The results were out. They were ACTUALLY going to come out TONIGHT!! Since it was just an initial report, the list of the board passers was still "to follow".
The results put UST graduates in 6 places among the top 10, including nos 1-3. Overall, there was about a 71% passing rate (1680/2357), which was noticeably higher compared to the last 2 examinations: Feb 09 - 64%; Aug 08 - 60%
So, without further ado, I would like to extend my congratulations to the newly licensed physicians!! :D
And since this is my blog, I would like to give a special shoutout to the following...
Dr. Stephanie Mae Ang
Dr. Ian Ethelbert Dy
Dr. Jillian Gonzales
Dr. Paul Michael Lee
Dr. Michelle Bernadette Lim
Dr James Rommet Luz
Dr. Liza Marie Maclang
Dr. Julie Czaryne Magbiro
Dr. Shiela Bianca Mallillin
Dr. Katrina Manibog
Dr. Audrey Martinez
Dr. Anne Mayoralgo
Dr. Jemely Metra
Dr. Pamela Mondejar
Dr. Audhild Nogaliza
Dr. Grae Omes
Dr. Marc Ostrea
Dr. Aldwin Paguila
Dr. Tanya Joy Quicho
Dr. Emmanuel Simaurio
Dr. Jamil Laurence So-Reyes
Dr. Deanna Jean Sope
Dr. Patrick Jayson Talusan
Dr. Ryan Uy (XS '00)
Dr. Vincent Patrick Uy (XS '00)
Congratulations everyone!! Good job!!
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Priorities
I had another moment of clarity a while ago...
LIving life is akin to this long list of stuff that you have to arrange in order of importance. How you prioritize things directly affects the way you live your life.
People, places, opportunities, etc, all influence the way we think and decide, and the way we go about our daily lives. Though it may seem s bit grade school-ish. I've lumped together all these things under 5 very broad categories, namely:
God/Personal belief
Love
Family
Career
Self
Bear in mind that with our society today, prioritizing things isn't as simple as putting one category atop the other, since each category is an entire meshwork of choices, actions, people, etc, in itself, the priority of each individual item greatly varying from person to person.
The trick is making your "list" work for you by taking stock of what you already have and striving to make the most of it. For example, the simple working class guy may dream of living in a big mansion and driving a really fancy car someday, but if he's smart, he'll accept that those things aren't really feasible at the moment and instead should work towards simpler, more reasonable and attainable goals (like his kids' education for example), which when accomplished, may eventually pave the way to bigger things. The proper order of things in the list is crucial. Choosing to prioritize something that supposedly belongs lower on the list (like the fancy car in our example) may seriously jeopardize the simpler goals that NEED to be attained, or as some people would put is, one needs to balance his/her NEEDS and WANTS.
I've applied the same principle to my own choices (some of which I've already committed to [read Alea Jacta Est]. It makes it so much easier when you put things in perspective and be realistic about stuff, because the fires of idealism can only get you so far, and you run the risk of ignoring a lot after being blinded by your "ultimate" goal..
We'll just see what develops.. ;)
LIving life is akin to this long list of stuff that you have to arrange in order of importance. How you prioritize things directly affects the way you live your life.
People, places, opportunities, etc, all influence the way we think and decide, and the way we go about our daily lives. Though it may seem s bit grade school-ish. I've lumped together all these things under 5 very broad categories, namely:
God/Personal belief
Love
Family
Career
Self
Bear in mind that with our society today, prioritizing things isn't as simple as putting one category atop the other, since each category is an entire meshwork of choices, actions, people, etc, in itself, the priority of each individual item greatly varying from person to person.
The trick is making your "list" work for you by taking stock of what you already have and striving to make the most of it. For example, the simple working class guy may dream of living in a big mansion and driving a really fancy car someday, but if he's smart, he'll accept that those things aren't really feasible at the moment and instead should work towards simpler, more reasonable and attainable goals (like his kids' education for example), which when accomplished, may eventually pave the way to bigger things. The proper order of things in the list is crucial. Choosing to prioritize something that supposedly belongs lower on the list (like the fancy car in our example) may seriously jeopardize the simpler goals that NEED to be attained, or as some people would put is, one needs to balance his/her NEEDS and WANTS.
I've applied the same principle to my own choices (some of which I've already committed to [read Alea Jacta Est]. It makes it so much easier when you put things in perspective and be realistic about stuff, because the fires of idealism can only get you so far, and you run the risk of ignoring a lot after being blinded by your "ultimate" goal..
We'll just see what develops.. ;)
Puzzling
After lunch, I hung out for a bit in my cousin's office. She had a box of 100-piece jigsaw puzzles on the table and asked me and her bro to put one of them together. Since I wasn't really doing anything later on, I gladly obliged. The picture was of a lighthouse at dusk, with nearby trees and cottages seen in the background.
I attacked the puzzle with such gusto that it made me wonder why I was like that. I mean, I was really on a roll, fitting piece after piece effortlessly, flipping ill-fitting pieces around to find the perfect fit, while taking short breaks to regard the overall picture that was developing and comparing it to the original. In short, the puzzle didn't seem to puzzle me much. :P
I told my cousin that in soving these puzzles, one must be systematic, tackling the edges first then building the inside from there. He mentioned something about a different approach by doing things spontaneously (I can't recall what he really said), which obviously results in finishing at a slower rate.
After completing the puzzle (victory!), I reflected on the relative ease I had doing it (as compared to my cousin who seemed to be going about it a bit slower) and recalled an aptitude test I took in high school which revealed that I was good in spatial relations.. Does that mean I should've been better off as an engineer instead of a doctor? :P
Whatever the case, I (re)discovered that I had a knack for solving puzzles, and for putting stuff together to form a cohesive whole (what? :P). I may be reading too much into this, but I felt that there was a very good reason for that chance puzzle encounter.. It was as if God was trying to tell me something, but I have no idea what it is.. Could it be related to life's great choices that I have to make? Hmm... ;)
I attacked the puzzle with such gusto that it made me wonder why I was like that. I mean, I was really on a roll, fitting piece after piece effortlessly, flipping ill-fitting pieces around to find the perfect fit, while taking short breaks to regard the overall picture that was developing and comparing it to the original. In short, the puzzle didn't seem to puzzle me much. :P
I told my cousin that in soving these puzzles, one must be systematic, tackling the edges first then building the inside from there. He mentioned something about a different approach by doing things spontaneously (I can't recall what he really said), which obviously results in finishing at a slower rate.
After completing the puzzle (victory!), I reflected on the relative ease I had doing it (as compared to my cousin who seemed to be going about it a bit slower) and recalled an aptitude test I took in high school which revealed that I was good in spatial relations.. Does that mean I should've been better off as an engineer instead of a doctor? :P
Whatever the case, I (re)discovered that I had a knack for solving puzzles, and for putting stuff together to form a cohesive whole (what? :P). I may be reading too much into this, but I felt that there was a very good reason for that chance puzzle encounter.. It was as if God was trying to tell me something, but I have no idea what it is.. Could it be related to life's great choices that I have to make? Hmm... ;)
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Joey de Leon’s poem for Willie Revillame
I never knew that Joey was such an eloquent writer.. :P I now have a newfound respect for the guy.. On the other hand, this Willie should burn for his arrogance..
Article taken from Petiksmode.com
Joey de Leon’s poem for Willie Revillame
Written by Keeyo on August 11th, 2009
Wala na sa piling ng mga Pilipino,
Tinig ng awiting Mga Kababayan Ko,
At lumisan na rin noong isang Sabado,
Inang nagpalipad sa awiting Bayan Ko.
Ako’y sumasaludo, paalam Pangulo,
May isa ‘kong lihim, kay tagal itinago,
Sa lahat nang inabot kong mga namuno,
Tanging ikaw lang sa luha ko’y nagpatulo.
Marami ang nalungkot sa iyong pagyao,
Magalang ang lahat at puno ng respeto,
Nagpasalamat pa nga Kapamilya sa ‘yo,
Dahil kanilang himpilan naibalik mo.
Subalit ano itong nabalitaan ko?
Nangyari noong Lunes, a-tres ng Agosto,
Habang inililipat ang mga labi mo,
Ika’y parang nabastos sa isang TV show.
At ang napakasaklap at masakit dito,
Ang nambastos pa’y kapamilya ng anak mo,
Napanood ito ng tao at publiko,
Kakaunti na nga, ngunit lahat nahilo.
Sabi ng TV host na mainit ang ulo
Pagkakita sa video na kanyang kasalo,
“Sandali, meron akong ano… sa’ting ano…
Hindi naman sa ano,” nagkaanu-ano!
Ayon sa Internet, meron pa s’yang nasambit,
“Sana pakitanggal muna ‘yan sa’ting traffic…”
At ‘di maaalis sa iyong pag-iisip,
Ang parada ng patay ang pinaliligpit!
At dagdag pa daw ng naghahari-harian,
“I don’t think na dapat n’yong ipakita iyan…”
Nasaan naman ang paggalang, o nasaan?
Mga sinasabi natin minsa’y pag-ingatan.
At ‘di pa nangimi nang sumunod na araw,
Pinilit pa ring ginawa n’ya ay tama raw,
Mga nakarinig ‘di na nakagalaw
At ayon sa iba sila na la’y napa-wow!
“… Pero ako, totoo ‘ko eh … “, sabi kuno,
Totoo nga at totoo ring walang modo,
Pwede namang sabihin itong pa-sikreto,
Kaya’t wala na rin mga paliwanag mo.
“Kung ganyan, pakita na lang ‘yan!”, ang hamon pa,
Para bang ang prusisyon nila-“lang – lang” lang ba,
Ang pangasiwaan ay pinapili pa n’ya,
Sumunod ang himpilan, nung August 5 wala s’ya.
May mga komentong pwede nang pang-harapan,
“On camera” baga sa TV ang tawag d’yan
At kung sensitibo man ang gustong bitawan,
Pagpasok ng commercial, hintayin mo na lang.
Matutong magbaba muna ng mikropono
At saka idikta lahat ng iyong gusto,
Lagi kang mataas lahat daw takot sa ‘yo,
Ratings lang ang mababa — totoo ba ito?
The breaking news breaks your heart — at ‘yan ang bawi mo,
Nang mahalata mong sumablay ang pasok mo,
Pero sigurado ika’y maa-abswelto,
‘Di ba ikaw rin ang may-ari ng network n’yo?
Nung Hueves nag-apologize sa diario naman,
O, akala ko ba wala kang kasalanan,
Tapos ng angalan, sunod paliwanagan —
COMPLAIN before you EXPLAIN ka na naman!
O ito kaya ay isa na namang “glitch” lang,
Tulad ng “two-zero” ‘di na natin nalaman,
O ito ay maliwanag na kabobohan?
Sa tingin ng marami, mahirap lusutan.
Ang sabi ng iba — istupidong mayabang,
At giit ng iba — istupidong mayaman,
Mayaman man o mayabang ang tiyak diyan,
Napakayaman n’ya sa kaistupiduhan.
Buti pa ang apat na honor guards ni Cory —
Sina Malab, Laguindan, Rodriguez, Cadiente,
Walong oras tumayo sa ulan at viaje,
Ang lahat ay tiniis at walang sinabi.
Samantalang ikaw na may bubong sa ulo,
Komportable ka lang sa malamig na studio,
Nang kapirasong libing sa TV sumalo,
Angal at inis ang sumambulat sa iyo.
Maaari din namang pabayaan na s’ya,
Subalit ang nangyari’y mabigat talaga,
Namayapang pangulo’y huling paalam na,
‘Di mo pa pinagbigyan … hoy, nag-iisa ka!
At nais ko lang sabihin at ipagyabang
Sa mahigit na s’yam na libong tanghalian,
Sa limang pangulong sa Bulaga’y dumaan,
Kahit isa wala kaming nilapastangan.
Article taken from Petiksmode.com
Joey de Leon’s poem for Willie Revillame
Written by Keeyo on August 11th, 2009
Joey de Leon published a poem in his Philippine Star column last Sunday criticizing Wowowee host Willie Revillame’s behavior last last August 3, 2009 where he asked to remove the inset video of former President Cory Aquino’s funeral cortege.
Here is the complete poem:
The funeral cortege of former Pres. Cory Aquino: My tears came naturallyWala na sa piling ng mga Pilipino,
Tinig ng awiting Mga Kababayan Ko,
At lumisan na rin noong isang Sabado,
Inang nagpalipad sa awiting Bayan Ko.
Ako’y sumasaludo, paalam Pangulo,
May isa ‘kong lihim, kay tagal itinago,
Sa lahat nang inabot kong mga namuno,
Tanging ikaw lang sa luha ko’y nagpatulo.
Marami ang nalungkot sa iyong pagyao,
Magalang ang lahat at puno ng respeto,
Nagpasalamat pa nga Kapamilya sa ‘yo,
Dahil kanilang himpilan naibalik mo.
Subalit ano itong nabalitaan ko?
Nangyari noong Lunes, a-tres ng Agosto,
Habang inililipat ang mga labi mo,
Ika’y parang nabastos sa isang TV show.
At ang napakasaklap at masakit dito,
Ang nambastos pa’y kapamilya ng anak mo,
Napanood ito ng tao at publiko,
Kakaunti na nga, ngunit lahat nahilo.
Sabi ng TV host na mainit ang ulo
Pagkakita sa video na kanyang kasalo,
“Sandali, meron akong ano… sa’ting ano…
Hindi naman sa ano,” nagkaanu-ano!
Ayon sa Internet, meron pa s’yang nasambit,
“Sana pakitanggal muna ‘yan sa’ting traffic…”
At ‘di maaalis sa iyong pag-iisip,
Ang parada ng patay ang pinaliligpit!
At dagdag pa daw ng naghahari-harian,
“I don’t think na dapat n’yong ipakita iyan…”
Nasaan naman ang paggalang, o nasaan?
Mga sinasabi natin minsa’y pag-ingatan.
At ‘di pa nangimi nang sumunod na araw,
Pinilit pa ring ginawa n’ya ay tama raw,
Mga nakarinig ‘di na nakagalaw
At ayon sa iba sila na la’y napa-wow!
“… Pero ako, totoo ‘ko eh … “, sabi kuno,
Totoo nga at totoo ring walang modo,
Pwede namang sabihin itong pa-sikreto,
Kaya’t wala na rin mga paliwanag mo.
“Kung ganyan, pakita na lang ‘yan!”, ang hamon pa,
Para bang ang prusisyon nila-“lang – lang” lang ba,
Ang pangasiwaan ay pinapili pa n’ya,
Sumunod ang himpilan, nung August 5 wala s’ya.
May mga komentong pwede nang pang-harapan,
“On camera” baga sa TV ang tawag d’yan
At kung sensitibo man ang gustong bitawan,
Pagpasok ng commercial, hintayin mo na lang.
Matutong magbaba muna ng mikropono
At saka idikta lahat ng iyong gusto,
Lagi kang mataas lahat daw takot sa ‘yo,
Ratings lang ang mababa — totoo ba ito?
The breaking news breaks your heart — at ‘yan ang bawi mo,
Nang mahalata mong sumablay ang pasok mo,
Pero sigurado ika’y maa-abswelto,
‘Di ba ikaw rin ang may-ari ng network n’yo?
Nung Hueves nag-apologize sa diario naman,
O, akala ko ba wala kang kasalanan,
Tapos ng angalan, sunod paliwanagan —
COMPLAIN before you EXPLAIN ka na naman!
O ito kaya ay isa na namang “glitch” lang,
Tulad ng “two-zero” ‘di na natin nalaman,
O ito ay maliwanag na kabobohan?
Sa tingin ng marami, mahirap lusutan.
Ang sabi ng iba — istupidong mayabang,
At giit ng iba — istupidong mayaman,
Mayaman man o mayabang ang tiyak diyan,
Napakayaman n’ya sa kaistupiduhan.
Buti pa ang apat na honor guards ni Cory —
Sina Malab, Laguindan, Rodriguez, Cadiente,
Walong oras tumayo sa ulan at viaje,
Ang lahat ay tiniis at walang sinabi.
Samantalang ikaw na may bubong sa ulo,
Komportable ka lang sa malamig na studio,
Nang kapirasong libing sa TV sumalo,
Angal at inis ang sumambulat sa iyo.
Maaari din namang pabayaan na s’ya,
Subalit ang nangyari’y mabigat talaga,
Namayapang pangulo’y huling paalam na,
‘Di mo pa pinagbigyan … hoy, nag-iisa ka!
At nais ko lang sabihin at ipagyabang
Sa mahigit na s’yam na libong tanghalian,
Sa limang pangulong sa Bulaga’y dumaan,
Kahit isa wala kaming nilapastangan.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Tita Cory's honor guards
I saw the sacrifice they endured, unflinching in their duty as they escorted the country's most beloved president to her final resting place. I just have to tip my hat to these guys. Their impressive performance of their duties brings honor to the nation's armed forces. They deserve some kind of recognition, so here are their names and the branches they represent:
ARMY (Green) - Pfc. Antonio Cadiente
AIR FORCE (Dark Blue w/ white pants) - Airman Second Class Gener Laguindan
NAVY (all white) - Petty Officer 3 Edgardo Rodriguez
POLICE (Dark blue w/ blue pants) - Police Officer 1 Danilo Maalab
Although they will be receiving commendations from their mother units, I wanted to thank them for doing a good job of watching over Tita Cory. What they accomplished was no small feat. Imagine standing umoving atop a flatbed truck, totally exposed to the elements, for more than 8 hours, while the truck made its way SLOWLY through a massive throng of people.. and oh yeah, NO C.R .BREAKS!!
Gentlemen, I'm really impressed. Good job! :D
ARMY (Green) - Pfc. Antonio Cadiente
AIR FORCE (Dark Blue w/ white pants) - Airman Second Class Gener Laguindan
NAVY (all white) - Petty Officer 3 Edgardo Rodriguez
POLICE (Dark blue w/ blue pants) - Police Officer 1 Danilo Maalab
Although they will be receiving commendations from their mother units, I wanted to thank them for doing a good job of watching over Tita Cory. What they accomplished was no small feat. Imagine standing umoving atop a flatbed truck, totally exposed to the elements, for more than 8 hours, while the truck made its way SLOWLY through a massive throng of people.. and oh yeah, NO C.R .BREAKS!!
Gentlemen, I'm really impressed. Good job! :D
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Goodbye, Tita Cory...
August 1, 2009 at 3:18am, Mrs. Corazon Cojuangco Aquino, the much-beloved former President of the Republic of the Philippines, quietly passed away after a 17 month struggle against colon cancer..
I saw the news when I flipped on the TV this morning, and although I had already been expecting it these past few days, the fact that she was actually gone moved me to tears..
I was still a little kid in kindergarden when the 1986 EDSA revolution broke out. As I gained awareness of my environment through the years, I recall often seeing this kind-looking lady clad in yellow on the newspapers or on TV. I was told that she was the "President" of the country, and people called her "Tita Cory". I also learned that she had done something really good for the country, although I had absolutely no idea what that was. Despite my ignorance, I had decided that l liked this lady since she seemed nice. :D
I guess you could say that I grew up under her motherly care, and I'm proud of this fact. Although people would argue that she didn't exactly have a good presidency, since she had a lot of crap to deal with like the endless coup attempts, the power outages, the devastating natural calamities during her term to name a few, at least I can say that I had lived under a morally upright president even just once in my lifetime. ;)
She was just a simple housewife, thrust into the limelight because of the assassination of her late husband, who was heralded as the one who would replace the ruling dictator at the time. Despite her simplicity and lack of political experience, she bravely faced the challenge and became the rallying point for a movement that changed the course of history forever..
In a way, she "reset" the Philippine government, bringing back the democratic system and it's institutions, which had been undone during the dictator's stint in power.
After her term as president, she still made her mark as a private citizen, serving as a kind of "moral standard" that Filipinos could emulate. Her soft-spoken demeanor, piety, and genuine love for the country endeared her to the populace until the very end...
Around March of last year, she was diagnosed with colon cancer. I'm assuming it was already stage 4 as she was given only 3 months to live. Chemotherapy was started, and thanks to the fervent prayers of the Filipino people, she defied the odds and survived for 17 months before losing the battle to the metastatic disease..
To many, she was not just a former president. She was an icon of morality, bravery, and simplicity. A mother who provided comfort and protection. A kind-looking lady clad in yellow..
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