Riding Out The Storm

*Delay in posting is due to power outages and fluctuating DSL service.

Typhoon PEDRING

9/27/2001 9:41 AM

Ealier today, I was awakened by the unmistakable sensation of minute water droplets hitting my face. We've been bracing for this storm for a couple of days now and the news said it would hit us at around 2am. I staggered to my feet, tried to close the offending window (the handle of which would not budge a centimeter) and went to the other rooms to close other windows facing the general direction where the wind was coming from. After a bit of effort wrestling with unvielding hinges and a few spritzes of WD-40 for good measure, I went for breakfast to prepare for the day.

I didn't really mind getting up early, but this day was a bit more imporntant. It was another "interview day", and as I prepared myself to go out and face the elements, I wondered whether it would be called off. Lo and behold, around 15 minutes bedore I was scheduled to leave the house, the call came, and I was granted a reprieve. Now I'm presently at home with no power while the strongest strom so far this year rages all around.

When I first saw the satellite images of the storm yeaterday on my favorite weather site, I was a bit concerned since the people on the news were saying this was a storm that wound probably be like ONDOY, which wreaked havoc upon the Philppines a couple of years back. Our house was not spared its wrath, as we experienced the worst-ever flooding to hit our area which left our house filled knee-deep in filthy water.

Last night, I noticed that it was really quiet outside, with very little traffic heard on the streets despite it being realtively early (9pm, as I recall). I guess people were not taking chances and wisely just stayed indoors. It was such an eerie calm, surreal in fact. I don't think I have ever experienced such a quiet night, even on excursions to the provinces.

Then the storm hit. Fortunately, this is turning out to be what I would call a "wind storm" wherein the predominant feature is strong gale-force wind. Don't get me wrong. Winds may also wreak a lot of havoc and cause it's fair share of property damage, but I think torrential rains causing massive floods would me more of a concern here from where I stand.

Hmm, the rains and wind seem to have a "waxing and waning pattern", with episodes of strong winds pelting you with almost horizontal rain that alternate with complete breaks in the action. I just hope that the rainfall dosen't get any worse, as a sustained downpour may cause overflowing of the waterways resulting in widespread flooding. In fact, mom says there are already reports of flooded areas around the metro.

The good news is that this storm is predicted to leave the RP at around 3pm local time. Lets keep our fingers crossed, our heads down, and our toes dry.

*aftermath story in next post

Yet another RP team frustration..

I have to admit that I was a bit ecstatic over the news I saw the other day.

The Philippine Team made it to the Semifinal round of the FIBA Asia Championships!!!

To my dear readers who do not follow Philippine basketball, this particular tournament would serve as a passport to an outright berth in the 12-team field which will be competing at the 2012 London Olympics. As a consolation, the silver and bronze medal winners would have another crack at an Olympic slot as they will compete in an Olympic qualifying tournament pitting them against the runners-up from the different continents, with the top three from THAT tourney going on to fill the final 3 slots in the Olympics. For a graphical representation of what I'm talking about, click here.

Imagine my dismay when all my hopes were dashed when the team was totally overpowered by an upstart Jordanian team (which beat perennial powerhouse Iran in the quarterfinals). It was painful because the RP team was more favored to win, having previously vanquished the Jordanians during group play earlier in the tournament.

Despite the loss, the Philippine team still has a chance to advance to the International qualifiers, provided it beats the loser of the KOR/CHN semifinal game to get the bronze medal.

Dammit. First the Azkals lost to Kuwait, and now Smart Gilas loses to Jordan.. I'm starting to get a bit annoyed at these Arabs.. :P

Sleepless in San Juan

I can't sleep..

Its a little unusual for me since it's a really pleasant night, with cool air wafting in from the windows, which would normally find me out like a light in a few minutes. I guess it has a lot to do with my exam tomorrow *looks at time*, well, later anyway.

People who really know me can usually tell if I'm dealing with the jitters, and the inability to sleep on demand is the number one manifestation. Its not like I haven't done this before. I've taken a ton of exams in my life, and am no stranger to "application examinations". I think its an odd mic of anxiety and excitement. Anxious because, well, who dosen't get anxious before an exam? Excited would probably be due to the fact that I'm finally getting myself back on track after a long, convoluted road which found me chasing after things that I found out were not actually for me to begin with. No going into details here, as telling that story over and over has proven too tedious and a bit sad as well..

Its all about looking at the positives now. Thanks to the love and support of the people around me, and of course, The Big Guy Upstairs, I find myself once again in position to try and make something good come out of all of this.

I just hope I don't screw it up this time.. I'm getting sick of having to do stuff all over again..

Wish me luck!

weather.com - Asia: Satellite Map

http://www.weather.com/maps/geography/asia/asiasatellite_large_animated.html
My favorite weather map. Perfect for those times when you really just have to know..

*Note to Jovi. I believe you may find this useful when planning to go on outdoor shoots. :P

We Are Basketball | FIBA.COM

http://www.fiba.com/
The homepage of International Basketball. I can't believe I just discovered it recently. :P

Gymrat upgraded

(pic source here)

Since I started my gym membership earlier this year, I have been going to the gym for a total of about 4 months (3 straight months then a lull period of about 1 1/2 before I got back on track). I (think) I have gotten leaner, more energetic, and a little stronger. ;) As such, my gym routine has likewise evolved, not just with heavier weights, but with some new exercises as well. So, here is my revamped workout (still sans the warmup and cooldown):

• Incline Dumbell Bench Press

• Rotary Lat Pulldown

• Machine Lateral Raises

• Back Extension

• Pullover

• Leg Press

• Alt. Bicep Curl

• Leg Extension

• Arnold Dumbell Press

• Sumo Squats

• Dumbell Bench Press

• Side Bend

• Calf Press (On Leg Press machine)

• Bent-Over Row

• Incline Sit-up

• Bridge

• Hover

*All exercises are done in circuit except for the last three. I do 3 straight sets of sit-ups then alternate the Bridge with the Hover

Awww Yeaaaahh! :P

I really love going to the gym. It makes you feel so alive (but really tired afterwards :P). I'll really miss it when I return to the hospital.. But then again, who says you have to give up keeping fit while doing residency? ;)

Losing my religion

I know I should be studying, but I decided to take a little time off the books since there's a ton of backBLOG I have to make up for. :P

(pic source here)

Up until very recently, I was in a quandary of sorts, wherein I found myself slowly slipping away from my beliefs.. I don't really know what brought this about, but I guess it was a combination of frustration, disillusionment in the church, and the effects of media.

And how was I able to figure that this what happening to me?

I discovered I no longer knew how to pray.

As shocking as I may supposed to seem to me, I was strangely unaffected, and instead had this feeling that it had been coming all along. Let me explain.

I have to admit I was a little angry at myself over what has transpired a few months ago which lead to my current state of, well, doing nothing really important. All the while the people I love where always telling me to "keep on praying and everything would be ok". The problem is, everything did not turn out ok, in fact everything turned out much worse than expected. :( Thus began my frustration.

The disillusionment came from the local church's apparently endless meddling in affairs of the state especially concerning reproductive health, which is a very touchy topic in our country. With my responsibilities as a physician, I had very strong feelings on the matter and felt that something should be done. I will not state what views in particular are the ones I support or am against, but the way the church handled the entire thing was, in my opinion, pretty messed up. Being reminded of the fallibility of man who is trying to run an institution established by God, those higher ups seem to have bungled the job (IMO only).

The effects of media are a little more silly.. and as such I will not go and shame myself for al the world to see just to get a small point across. To make a long story short, I began to seriously question certain fundamental tenets of my faith.

Fortunately, despite my despicable thoughts, I still had the people I loved whom God had placed by my side. A combination of serious "faith talk" with sweet inspiration and my regular "wisdom talks" with dad may have just saved my soul from eternal damnation..

I was made to realize that the thing fundamentally wrong with me is that I was no longer grateful. No matter what your circumstance in life, there will always be something to be thankful for. Its inexplicable, but I guess in faith there are some things that just aren't meant to be explained. Once I began accepting and started seeing the things I had once taken for granted, it's as if a fog had lifted before my eyes and everything seemed just a teeny bit better than before.. Truly, God works in mysterious ways... 

Thank you..