Gaddamit people! :(

Hay, naku, eto na naman tayo.. 😡

Just when I thought we were starting to get the handle on things, people really just have to mess things up by blindly doing something that kinda defies all logic..

Above picture lifted from the Inquirer Website

Here in the Philippines, there is this popular devotion to the image of the Black Nazarene, which is famously housed in Quiapo Church. Every year, during precovid times, there would be this procession called the "Translacion" which basically finds the image taking a trip from the Quirino Grandstand to the Quiapo Church. This is to commemorate the transfer of the original (?) image from Intramuros to Quiapo.

 

It starts out benign enough. There is a mass at Quirino Grandstand where the image is surrounded by cops, then is loaded on to a truck for the journey to Quiapo.. . (Image credit: Rappler)

To say that it a very popular devotion is an understatement, as it attracts hordes of people ("devotees") who want to see and touch the image as it makes its' way to the aforementioned church. According to the Wiki article that I just linked to above, the crowd swells to roughly 220 thousand on a good day. What could go possibly wrong.. 😒

A LOT, that's what. 😒 (Image credit: Phil Info Agency)

Devotees fanatics would then converge on swarm the carriage, and the most intrepid would attempt to climb to the image to touch it or wipe a towel on it.

I have never really approved of this tradition. Apart from the fact that I personally dislike massive crowds, this is just too much..

No, REALLY (Image credit: Phil News Agency)

Although there are some people who may really be in it for religious reasons, there are a lot of those who just "go for the experience", or those youths who see the act of fighting through the crowds as an act of bravado that should be applauded. 😒 Some thrill seekers who justify their bumping bodies in the crowds as a way to atone for their sins, but go back to being crappy people afterwards anyway. It seems like such a charade if you ask me, and I'm pretty sure that it is very hypocritical for most of the people there. Trying to put up a show of "piety" for a few hours before going back like nothing has changed.

In my opinion, popular devotions are just that, popular. People do it because other people do it. Oftentimes the main value or spirit of the practice is lost because these people are in it for all the wrong reasons, without properly understanding why these things are done in the first place. If you think I'm just spewing a lot of hot air, how would you account for the countless injuries and occasional mortalities that have happened along the way as the cart makes its sloooooooooow transit from one point to the next? A horde of people shoving each other without regard for the safety of the people around them, whipped up into a frenzy at the prospect of touching an image? I'm sorry, but this is one aspect of my faith that I willfully ignore due to its barbarism and backwardness.. 😓

Devotions without proper discernment, or even just a basic understanding of the faith and practice, is utterly useless, and is just another totally human spectacle that is not worth anybody's time.

I'm not done though.. 😑 Take all of that frenzy, and put it right smack in the middle of a pandemic, and you then have 400,000 frickin' possible CoVID suspects attending what could most likely be one of the worst superspreader events in the world. And here I thought Filipinos were now much better than the Americans at being compliant with the rules.. Even though they thankfully did away with the actual transfer of the religious image, the fact that it was still celebrated and drew an alarmingly large crowd makes my head hurt.. Now we have to brace ourselves for a deluge of patients that would soon come by the droves at the hospitals.. And the bad thing is that these patients would not necessarily be the attendees from the religious event, but may merely be innocent relatives who are quietly sheltering at home, unaware that their devotee relative would be the death of them, literally.

Kung mamatay ang kamag-anak niyo, kayo ang may kasalanan nito. Don't blame us if we would be unable to save them, because they should not have gotten sick in the first place if it was not for you. Hindi namin kasalanan kung di mo kaya pigilan sarili mo na hindi sumunod sa mga payo ng marurunong. Hindi namin kasalanan na naging makasarili ka at 'di inisip ang kapakanan ng iba.

We will still do what we can, but it may no longer be enough. Regrets will always come later, after the irreversible has happened.. 

Sh*thole

 When I opened my computer to read through the day's news, I was greeted by this image:

Pic is from CNN

That is an image of the US Capitol, overrun by those batshit-crazy Trump supporters after they were incited by their cult leader to storm the Capitol on his behalf in an attempt to disrupt the proceedings that would certify Joe Biden as the new legitimate US president. Now this wasn't just a massing of protesters outside the building doing a peaceful demonstration. Being the true anarchists that they are, they actually stormed the capitol building, looting and vandalizing every step of the way. This is actually taking place in America, mind you. Once heralded as a shining beacon of democracy, it has now devolved into, to use their current president's term, a "shithole" of a country where blatant disregard for the laws of the land seem to be becoming the norm.

Wow, just wow...

I know it's not any of my business since I don't live there, nor do I have any intention of doing so anyway.  I guess I just feel a sense of.. pity? But then again, I remember how arrogant Americans are, so the best I can do is give a simple "Meh". Oh, and I also perhaps feel a sense of relief, because even though I live in a poor country with a crappy government, at least the people here are not like the people there. I'll just be here sitting with the popcorn.

Kaya kayo di nauubusan ng COVID eh.

Wag kayong pupunta dito sa amin para manggulo ha? I think we are better off without you. 😑

Now what?

What a crazy, crazy world we live in right now..

It is now a few days removed from Christmas, and things have remained pretty much the same.. COVID is still out there, politicos are still doing their thing, bullshitting people at the national level.. Sigh.. I won't go into specifics so as not to ruin my day..

Had a brief grocery run earlier. Compared to the lockdown much earlier this year, people seemed to have settled into the routine of living with COVID somewhat, and it actually gives me a bit of relief when I see almost everyone I encounter wearing both the face mask and shield, although there are still those morons who miss the point entirely and wear their face shields like a visor.. Whatever for though? To protect yourself from the sun? The freaking thing is transparent! Argh.. so frustrating.. and these seem to be educated people for that matter!

Stupid compliance aside, the numbers are holding stable for now, and I am extremely cautious of that fact.. The case count has not continued on it's downward trajectory that I noticed a week ago. I hate to say this, but we may need to brace for yet another surge at the start of the year, although I am HOPING that it won't be as bad as what we experienced early last year, with families decimated and people dying left and right..

I'm sorry to paint such a grim picture, but because it's the holidays, human nature tends to override common sense and precautionary measures. Christmas has already come and gone, and now we wait a couple of weeks to see if all our sacrifices up to this time have been for naught.. 😕

To my regular readers, I'm sorry for all the coronavirus posts as of late.. The ongoing crisis kinda takes the spotlight away from everything else these days.. I tried drafting a yearender post, but all these COVID things just keep popping up..

People are really just sick and tired of this COVID mess we all presently find ourselves in. The responses have gone from fear and panic, to caution and worry, to grudging acceptance and compliance, to doubt and skepticism, and now to exhausted indifference..

The disinfection routine I always do when I get home from outside is becoming quite the chore, despite the fact that it may very well be the one thing that is keeping the people here at home safe..Don't worry, I'm not about to just throw up my hands and give up on everything, but I fear I may get sloppy and careless due to the routine.

I have no idea how this pandemic will last, but given how this country is run, I'm pretty sure normalcy here will be delayed a couple of months compared to the rest of the world, because the politicos here  are just that damn selfish.. 😕

But still, my message remains the same: Keep your distance, mask and shield up, don't go out if you don't have do, don't gather just because you want to. Ayokong matulad tayo sa States, parang awa niyo na. Gusto ko nang matapos 'to. Sumunod na lang kayo, para naman makaahon na tayong lahat.

Christmas 'round the corner

"Nativity Scene" on iStock by Getty Images

December 23.. 2 days until Christmas 2020.. Wow.. 

This has got to be the most somber Christmas season I have ever experienced, which is understandable given the backdrop of an actual pandemic..

Having just read this article on  journal writing, it got me thinking about how I started out chronicling this year, and how I seem to have regret not painting a clearer picture of things as they were happening. Living through this pandemic for the ages is basically history writing itself, and it would be a shame if I wouldn't be able to make a worthy contribution, seeing as I am in a position to do so.

 Now that I finally have time off from the hospital, this is the perfect time to make an early retrospective. I have forgotten how liberating it feels to be rid of hospital responsibilities, overnight duties, and endless reports, even for just a brief period of time... Actually I have a pair of things that I would hopefully have started before I go back to the hospital, but I don't wanna talk about that now.

Taking a peek at the current COVID numbers, it seems to have leveled out somewhat, and we are waiting with bated breath in anticipation of a post-holiday spike in cases that we hope would not come about.. but these are Filipinos we're talking about, so I'm not really holding my breath.. I guess all we can do now is keep trying to protect our loved ones from harm and brace ourselves for another mad rush to the hospitals..

Yes, I have heard of the vaccine news.. but seriously, do you actually believe we will be getting the shots anytime soon? From China? Oh please, don't make me laugh.. You're talking about one of the most untrustworthy countries in the world right now, whose government always spews out how they never waged war on another country, but bullies their smaller neighbors into submission. If their vaccine is indeed as good as they claim, then why are they afraid of releasing the data behind it? This could bee because 1) their data sucks, and that would turn off anyone who would even think of buying from them, or 2) There is no data in the first place, and the TDK shots we may be receiving is just sterilized canal water for all we know. Remember, since religion is banned, the people in general tend to lack a sense of higher moral accountability, and thus would be inclined to just do anything to make a buck without caring how their methods would affect others. They are also on a nationalistic supremacy kick, and tend to look down upon people who are not from their "great" nation. Not good global citizens by any conceivable measure.

Enough about the virus originators though. I have had my fill of them to last a number of lifetimes already and do not need any more negativity, dishonesty, or selfishness in my life.

To day that this year was a perfect storm is a big understatement. I can't help but feel that the initial coronavirus situation (during the early part) was made worse by the mask-buying frenzy people suddenly went into after the eruption of Taal volcano way back in January. People snapped up supplies of N95 masks like hotcakes, since violence of the eruption had propelled ash to fall here in the metro. As a result, the usually ubiquitous N95 masks at the hospital were almost nowhere to be found when the COVID pandemic finally hit our shores.

It started as a slow trickle at first.. A few suspected patients with a lot of false negatives.. But testing was too damn slow, and precious slots for testing were greedily taken up by politicians who felt the need to flex their fragile egos and insecurities by jumping at the head of the line before those people who really needed it, and I guess the same truth would play out once the vaccine becomes available, if ever.

The first handful of confirmed patients were Chinese from the TDK mainland. No surprise there. Then came the cases from those who had gone abroad earlier. Based on the early trend I had observed, the private hospitals were the first ones the cry out "COVID surge" as their wards were suddenly filled to the brim with sick rich old people who often had a significant travel history, with numbers from the public hospitals considerably lagging behind (we have to bear in mind that the influx of recalled OFWs came at a much later month).

Then the panic buying started. I was caught in a couple of those situations, where supermarket lines seemed endless and unmoving, with people hurriedly snapping up whatever essentials they could get their hands on. Thankfully, the supply of toilet paper was never an issue in our poor little banana republic. 😜

Then the lockdowns came. Being a frontliner, it meant that I was still free to move about the metro with a simple flash of my ID or a glimpse of my scrubs. The situation on the road was so eerie to say the least.. The streets were close to deserted, and my normal morning commute of 45 minutes to an hour. was cut down drastically to 10-15 minutes. Roads were closed and checkpoints were manned by the police, which I welcomed wholeheartedly. All the police I had encountered were firm but polite, and gave you no hassle if everything was in order. They were doing their jobs, and I applaud them for that. 

Living under a lockdown was a bit strange, since nobody was really leaving the house. Having a free pass to move about, I took it upon myself to be the one who goes out for essential supplies every so often. Supermarket lines were tightly controlled, and nonessential businesses were shut down. The only place you could go to was the supermarket, and that often required a bit of creative navigation because some roads were closed between cities/municipalities and access was restricted for non-residents.

Eventually fellowship started in earnest, and the early adaptations we had to make in no way resembled what I thought I would be entering when I decided to apply last year. Having been displaced from the usual office of operations, I have to admit that it was getting really depressing as time wore on.. It felt like I was just going through the motions, but was not really getting anywhere..

As the year dragged on, lockdown measures were relaxed, but eventually were tightened again due to a second spike in cases, this time much greater than the first. This was also in  part due to the steady repatriation of OFWs who returned home, and the fact that the virus had already been spreading to other parts of the country. 

People slowly got used to the restrictions, and were really thankful as measures were relaxed somewhat, which meant that more people could get back out there to start earning a living again. Adjustments had to be made, obviously, but like I had said in previous posts, I think that the measures implemented (ESPECIALLY having mandatory faceshields in public) had made a considerable impact, because if you consider the fact that even thuigh more and more people are going out and commuting, the infection numbers have remained somewhat stable and may even be ever so slowly declining.

This is no reason to drop our guard though. We need to keep at it, to continue our lives but at the same time being responsible for yourself and for those around you. I honestly believe that this country can eventually pull through, as long as everyone stays smart and responsible, and won't try to be like the westerners, because whatever it is they are doing there, it definitely ain't working.

A lot of changes were forcibly adapted, as life must indeed go on. The conduct of important life events such as graduations and weddings were altered dramatically, and would forever be remembered a bit differently compared to what was the norm before.

Now we are at the final stretch of this seemingly endless ordeal of the year, and I am already itching to start anew. I hope the new year finds you well! Have  a happy holiday!

More numbers..

 I saw the graph again today.. I really do hope these numbers hold out...

While these numbers may seem a bit rosy, we still cannot be complacent. The virus IS still around, and it STILL CAN kill you or those around you if you get complacent. So please, this coming Christmas season, show some restraint and put those big celebrations on the backburner for a while. We've made it this far, don't ruin everything just because you think it's over already.

The mantra is still the same. Stay indoors if you can. Wash your hands. Wear your mask and shield. Keep your distance. Avoid unnecessary socializing. You won't die of suppressed extroversion, but your parents may die because of your hardheadedess.

So please, Philippines, let's keep at it.. Konting tiis na lang.. Wag tayong tulad sa mga 'Kano.. Kaya naman natin sumunod eh.. Lahat tayo gustong mabalik sa dati, pero di natin yung magagawa kung sarili lang iniisip natin.. Pakisama lang, para masaya tayong lahat next year..

The numbers game

 I was reading the news this morning when something caught my eye:

 Yes, that was from today.

It kind of boggles the mind though. Why would an advanced European country such as Belgium have such an overwhelming spike? I looked at the UK for comparison by searching "covid tracker" on Google":

Ganun din talaga eh. I didn't bother looking at the US data because I know that place is a disaster zone.

Than we have little old Philippines:

Admittedly, our coronavirus response was lackluster at best, but how come we are now seeing sustained decrease of the numbers despite the easing of lockdown measures started a few months ago? 

I would like to be optimistic and think that the Filipinos are more compliant to the pleadings of the health authorities to observe mask and face-shield wearing compared to the freedom-loving, put-a-meaning-into-anything West, and that is why the numbers are finally going down in a sustainable fashion. It wasn't pretty, and it still isn't in the provinces, where I hear the numbers are on the rise after a long time of quiescence.

I know it is a cliche to talk about Filipino resilience in times of crisis, but looking back people have tried to be compliant naman din kasi. Word was able to get out effectively that these are the steps that have to be done, and people have followed, sometimes grudgingly, but compliant nontheless. To bring up a stark comparison, you only need to look back at those news reports of foreign expats violently reacting when they are accosted by the authorities for having activities outside without a mask.

I'm sorry to say this, but if you want to prevent another spike in cases from happening here in the Philippines, we may have to ban travelers from these western hotspots especially those with people who are notorious for flouting the rules because they love their freedom too much (at the expense of good common sense). As much as I havea disdain for the TDK, I think it would be the lesser of two evils.

 

Ouch

  

Image credit: https://www.peakft.com/eliminate-knee-pain-when-squatting/

I had a sudden attack of unilateral knee pain last night which prevented me from sleeping and persisted this morning. I certainly hope it's nothing serious, as it has already proved quite a hindrance when I was driving to work today..

Overuse arthritis? Could be?..

Gout? Wag naman sana..

Oh well.. I hope the coxibs I bought kick in soon..