Room 310

Sixth Cycle, Room 310
27 October 2011 - 29 October 2011

I was in a little bit of luck again to get the room I prefer.  Room 310.  The nurse asked why I like this room.  I said it's because it's big and of all the rooms I got into since I started chemotherapy, this is the room that I got most comfortable with.

It's also quite coincidental that this room number is my room number way back in college.  Me and my college room mates/friends have a lot of good memories in that room in ICLD.

A quick post before I go for my sixth cycle

*  Right now, I am just killing time before we go to the hospital for my sixth cycle of chemotherapy.  This time, I'm bringing my PSP to see if there's a free Wi-fi there at the hospital.  Cross your fingers with me.

*  My BFF's daughter wanted a funsign for her birthday and I didn't know what it is.  I was told and now, I think you'll be seeing more funsigns on this blog from now on.

*  I haven't been watching much tv lately.  I've been too engrossed on my reading that I sit in front of the tv during my tv hours but not really watching.  I've just finished "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee and I give this book a 5/5 rating.  I'm trying to recall if I have ever seen the movie of this.  But I couldn't recall seeing it.  But this book reminds me very much of John Grisham's "The Client."  I can't help but think that he actually might have based his book on this one.

*  And right after this book, I started "Catcher in the Rye" by J. D. Salinger.  I am intrigued by this book since I  have read a lot about it.  Time to see for myself what this is all about.

*  But of course, I'm still following "100 Days To Heaven."  This teleserye ends tomorrow.  I will surely miss this show.  This is the only teleserye that I have religiously followed from its beginning to the end.  Will there be a sequel?

*  Like most people, I am not actually satisfied with the result of PGT Season 3.  I understand if our kababayan,  "KIRIKO," did not win.  But it is really hard to accept that El Gamman Penumbra and Synergy and those others that have potential did not make it.  With the show's people saying that it's the people who decided by text voting, I realized that maybe Maasinhon Trio's kababayans  joined forces and voted.  Maybe the others' flock didn't try just as hard.  But then again,  this only shows that the show is like a popularity contest.

*  Still on PGT 3.  But of course, I wouldn't go for Khalil Ramos.

*  Still on PGT 3.  It's a good thing that I didn't follow this season from the start to the end.  I only got interested when I read in Facebook that our kababayans made it to the semi-finals.  I swear I won't be following no more PGT season after this.  They say there's no more season 4 because "The X-Factor" is there.  But still, text votes are also a big factor in this show, right?

*  I am about to get pissed off by this eBay buyer who kept promising that she'll pay for the goods she bought. It's been days that she kept telling me that she'll deposit the money today, but never did.  I am being very lenient on her with regard to giving her a strike-out on eBay but my patience is really running out.

Pasalubong #24

Pasalubong #23

This time, I was the one who didn't take it seriously.

Some time in September, I got a message from a friend saying that she wants to see me by October.  (She and I have become friends somewhere in '99 and we only have seen each other about five times.)  Anyway, as it have become quite a routine for me, I just said sure, just as long as it doesn't fall on my down time - which is within two weeks after the cycle.

Yeah, this time I was the one who didn't take it seriously.  Just like those that came from the others.  It's not like I am bitter for those who didn't make it because I know what it takes to travel that far.  It's just that it got into a point that I taught myself to understand that coming from almost a hundred kilometers away - she's from Manila - isn't a joke.  So, I learned not to expect.

Pinks, me and Tesa in front of the Sunstar Mall

Days passed with no word.  I understand.

Then came her birthday which I have always remembered pre-Facebook-reminder times.  I sent her a greeting via text message early in the morning, and didn't expect an outright reply since I know she's in Palawan with her son.  And yeah, I didn't get it right away.  Bu, later that afternoon, I got a message of thanks with a note that she'd be coming over the next day.

I deliberately postponed my reply.  I wasn't well days prior to her birthday.  There were times of those days that I was chilling and my fever was on and off.  But later that evening, I was well.  So, early the next day, I replied that I'll guide her through the trip.  At this point, I know that there's still a chance of calling off as I have such experiences, too.

A few minutes later came a surprising text.  She asked what bus route were they supposed to take.  Huh?  I thought she had a car.  This is another surprise!  I replied with a warning:  baka mapasubo ka sa traffic at sa tagal ng biyahe.  I was actually thinking this might make her want to call it off.

But she came.  At commute pa!  After about I think five years, we finally saw each other again.

It was such a happy afternoon!

 

Pasalubong #22

Pasalubong # 21

Pasalubong #20

I was with Ronnie and Koko the other day

This is the first birthday party I attended since April I discovered that my cancer is back.  It's a good thing that it was two weeks after my down time, and a week or so before my sixth cycle.

Actually, I've been wanting to pose for a picture with a mascot for quite some time.  Not really since I got sick, but even way before that.  I think it started when I was in Dubai and someone offered me another job as a mascot.  If not for the laws in Dubai, I would probably have agreed.  But I was also thinking if a suit would really fit me in because of my size.

Anyway, it's Koko's third birthday.  Koko is my BFF's grandson by her sister, who is also a good friend.  He's three and I've been attending his birthday party since last year.  The only reason that I missed his first was because I was out of the country.

Bob!

BOB from Jacob Frey on Vimeo.

I got this from Mr. Jim Paredes' Google+ and as he said, "Make sure you continue watching after the credits come out."

I'm watching too much tv!

*  Just an observation:  Why is it that Kuya Kim is always wearing orange?  I hope it's just a coincidence that when I see him, he happens to be in orange.

*  I can't believe that Kevin died in '100 Days to Heaven.'  Why?

*  Perhaps the teleserye's title shouldn't have been "Budoy."  It should be "Reputasyon 2."  This is because Dra. Maniego has been barking about their reputation again and again and again.

*  Still with Budoy.  Nawalan ako ng gana after four days of watching.  Well, simply because of  how it's become another teleseryeng-teleserye story.  How each of the characters were separated only to be together again in one dot of the map.  Don't get me wrong.  I do believe that it's really a small world.  But then again, does it have to happen in every teleserye?

*  Before you start a game, especially if it's on t.v., there should be a solid set of rules.  Like they should take time to study all the possibilities, just in case the unexpected happens.  In the case of Happy, Yippee, Yehey's Happy Ka-Family, they should set a more solid rule when it comes to the part where the word is revealed deliberately.  I know it's become a strategy to win but it kills the true spirit of the game - to be able to guess the word.  And it's being abused more and more everyday.  A more solid rule can be:  Yes, you can still say the word deliberately but with a consequence... that every word that has been deliberately said will be subtracted to the total number of words that were guessed correctly.  This way, it doesn't kill the essence of the game.

*  Still with Happy, Yippee, Yehey.  I think Toni Gonzaga has to calm down a little.  Ever since this Happy Ka-Family started (all the way back), we noticed how Tonie seems to take it all too seriously that we are closed to concluding that she is pikon.  Toni, chill out, gurl!

*  Last one on Happy, Yippee, Yehey.  Where the hell is Mariel Rodriguez?  She just simply disappeared.  The funny thing is, hosts seem to be disappearing from this show just like that.

*  What happened to Given Grace is really sad.  So, I ask all of you young girls(and the not-so-young as well... remember when my sister got mugged last year?) out there to please be extra careful.  Never, as in never, go out alone when it's dark, and especially when it's dark and late.  I may not have kids myself but there are a lot of friends who are dear to me and whose kids are very dear to me.  So, please, don't make your mothers worry.  Please be extra careful these days.

*  I don't think that those suspects were really spying on Given Grace.  I don't think that Given Grace stays late at night that frequently for those suspects to be able to spy on her, to time her moves.  I think they were out that night to look for a victim.  That night, it could have been anybody.  This is finals week and students stay late for a group study or a group project that's due the next day.  It could have been a call center agent heading home late.  It could have been a waitress who had to close down their resto, or a fast-food chain crew that was assigned to be the closer that night.  Anyone.

*  And now, I am craving for pizza... but definitely it's not Greenwich.

*  And here is to a happy weekend...

Pasalubong #19

It's been a year and I'm waiting

It's been a year and I'm waiting for the sequel.

I've written in my book blog here about the loop holes and my questions about the book.  I hope these all would be answered on the next book.  

I know there would be a next one... I hope there would be a next one.  

Because I want to know more about Tarmanes and what holds that town together, and what made it fell apart - if it really fell apart. 

Drawing the sun for kids

Drawing the sun for the kids who will have a program on Saturday sponsored by the KKK (Kaibigan ng mga Kabataang May Kanser).

DudayMind: Post #4

• So, the new teleserye, 'Budoy' has started last Monday.  It's funny how they created the premise to Chinggay's demise.  Since Len-Len was hired she was cooking sisig for several days, that, when Chinggay requested her to cook it again the next day, Len-Len could not help but sayd, "Eh Ate, ilang araw na tayong sisig ah."  But of course, she didn't win since Chinggay is the boss.  After a few days, Chinggay had a heart attack and eventually died.  

• I could not help but react with this secretary's possession of long firearms, particularly the AK-47.  I happened to watch a portion of his press conference that happened a few days ago.  I landed on the part where someone from asked him if he was trained to use that kind of gun.  The secretary answered indirectly.  He said that syempre he has some background with some training some years back.  And I say:

Dear Mr. Secretary: 

Would you rather that you use a gun that you just have 'some' training to save your life?  Or you would you rather use something that you are familiar with even if it's not high-powered? 

Because I'd rather use a low power gun that I am in harmony with than a high-powered one that I am not familiar with.  Hindi ba parang mangangapa pa po kayo in using the high-powered gun given that 'some' training that you were talking about? 

David killed Goliath with only a slingshot that I'm sure he can use even with his eyes closed.

• Have you observed this newscaster who always have something to ask to the field reporter?  I could not help but notice how he ask for questions that seem to fish for something that would go against the government.  It seems that he always wants to look for someone from the government (a government that he once served, too, as vice-president) to blame for what is happening; that it looks as if kulang na lang isisi niya ang bagyo sa mga tao sa gobyerno.

• Jade of My Binondo Girl is a very good example of a suwail na anak.  Her father wouldn't have suffered from a heart attack if not for her long-time deception  Now, her mother is telling her to stop, but she, again, defies her mother.  She says she does not want anything to happen to her father.  This teleserye is really a teleserye of defiance and deception.  

Pasalubong #18: A slice of buko pie

An empty victory is still a victory after all

Housemaid heads home with fraction of her claimed owings

I have been blogging about this since I can remember.  And this time, at least she goes home with something.  Although it's still hard to accept that she didn't get everything, it is something to be thankful for that she got out of this issue with something to take home for her family.  And I hope she'd be left with at least something more for her to start with again.

This brings me back to...

During one of my grocery times in Dubai, I met a Filipina who worked as a house maid for someone.  Short of time for a conversation, she was very frank to ask me right away for a favor.  Knowing that I worked somewhere in Bank Street, she directly asked me for a favor.  She's going home soon and asked me if I can buy a Sto. Niño image for her somewhere in Bank Street.  We exchanged numbers.  She said she didn't have enough time because she just couldn't get out of the house where she's working.  She was in a hurry.  So, I was left with no time to ask questions.  All I have are her name (which I've forgotten long ago) and her number.  She said she can't stay long because her madame will be looking for her in no time at all.

After a few days, she called me.  Sort of in a whisper, she asked me if I got what she asked.  I told her no because I didn't have time to look for the place that she told me about.  In fact, it was really sketchy, as I recalled.  I told her I am really sorry I couldn't do what she asked for.

It was actually half a lie.  I really didn't look for the place because I was skeptical about it.  If I got what she asked for, how could I find her?  I doubt it if I can call her mobile phone anytime to talk to her about it.  She's going home and what if she doesn't get in touch with me before she leaves?  How do I get paid for that?  It would have been okay if it's something that I, too, wanted and it's something that I could keep.  But I have my own and I didn't need it at that time.

Our kababayans do really sacrifice when they leave for some other countries.  Nagtitiis sila just so that they can make their family's life back home a little better.  But sometimes, it isn't fair that they will have to withstand a lot of things that they shouldn't be in in the first place.

Now I ask this question.  Is it really worth all the trouble of leaving if this is what you're going to get?

'via Blog this'

It's not just about having the i's

This might be a late reaction but I still want to write about it.

With Steve Jobs passing away several days ago, millions of reactions came from all over the world.  And from one person I'm following on twitter, I read this:

This isn't nice.

It's not all about the iPads and iPhones.  I don't own any Apple products or any other things that have a touch of Steve Jobs.

But I think it's more than just having one of his i's.  Like him, I have cancer and trying to fight, too.  And it's always sad to hear that one of us has, again, lost the battle.

Consuelo

What were they thinking?

Yesterday, Love Añover in "Unang Hirit" showed a few pieces of donations that came from people on their campaign for the victims of typhoons Pedring And Quiel.  These were:  an evening gown (or party dress), a man's barong,  and a pair of high-heeled shoes.  Love requested the viewers not to send these kind of stuffe because they don't need those kinds of clothing.  What the people need are only casual ones.

I don't know what those people were thinking when they were sorting out their clothes and decided to send those stuff.  I could not help but think of their intentions.  Because definitely, those clothes are not what those typhoon victims need at the moment.  I could not help but think that they were laughing when they were sorting their clothes and decided to send this party clothes.  Like they want to mock those people who have been suffering enough by sending them these party dresses.

And this actually defeats their intention to help.

Pasalubong #17: Tiramisu

Pasalubong #16

Dinky's Party Hat

My right toenail

This is another thing that's just waiting to happen.

You might ask that why didn't I have it extracted together with the left one?  Believe me, right now, I asked the same question.  And at that time, I was also contemplating whether it was right to have them both extracted.  I opted not to because it was like what they're saying; why are you fixing something that is not yet broken?

And I know I made the right decision to wait for its time.  If I had it extracted at the same time, it would have been very difficult for me to walk.  It would have been very hard to manage two wounds at the same time.  Not to mention doubling the amount of nervousness that I felt during that time.

Anyway, this time it was not as easy as the first; as my surgeon said.  My right toenail is bigger than the left. The anesthesia did not take effect as fast as the first one.  He tested it several times and I can still feel the prick he applied on the affected area.  I think he tried it about seven times before the anesthesia took effect.  My surgeon was even joking that he might have injected the drug on the fat instead.  My sister told me she saw my surgeon exerted more effort in removing this one over the other.

As soon as the nail was out, he said:  "Baby out!"  And I answered, "Girl po ba?"  And we all laughed.

On our way home, it rained so hard that even if we were inside the tricycle, we started to get wet.  But it's a good thing my sister always has a piece of plastic bag in her bag.  She intends to use this for wet umbrellas.  But this time it saved me a lot of trouble because it kept my wound dry until we got home.

It's a good thing I am not a bleeder.  When I opened the bandage yesterday, there was just a little amount of blood and I wasn't bleeding anymore.  As per my surgeons advice, I don't really need to put bandage anymore if I don't really have to move around.  And this was just what I did with the first one.  But this time, I observed na hindi siya masyadong matubig kagaya nung kabila.  I'm not really sure if this is something to rejoice or something to worry about.  I hope it's the latter.

Anyway.

I really hope this would heal in a week's time.  I was supposed to have my sixth cycle last Friday but had to postponed it because of this issue.  I sought my oncologist's advise.  I told her I can deal with the pain but what I am really worried about is if magsugat siya within two weeks after my chemotherapy, then I know that it might be a big trouble.  And she, too, agreed.

Someone who's young knows how to play the harmonica

The guitar and the piano are my fascinations and frustration.  And I am always awed when I see people play them, especially if it is the youth.  But aside from that, I always have an admiration for youths who can play other instruments like the harmonica.  I am kind of following Julia San Jose on YouTube and discovered this video with Elmo playing the harmonica.

As Julia said, she knows that Elmo plays the harmonica but this is the first time she sees him play.  Now, I didn't know someone as young as Elmo is still interested on this instrument.  And it's kind of interesting to see him play it.  I wish he'll make more videos that show he's playing the instrument.  It's kind of rare for youths these days.  Really!

Some memories do not really fade

I've been nostalgic again lately.

Seeing this new square donuts commercial actually made me sing the brand's song way back in the '80's:  ♫ ♪ ♪ ♫ ♪ Hey, Mister, that's a donut.  Hey, Mister, that's a Mister Donut, Donut... Hey, Mister, that's a donut... Hey, Mister, that's a Mister Donut, Donut. ♫ ♪ ♫ ♪  But during those times, I prefer Dunkin' Donuts over Mister Donut.  I still remember how it used to smell like donuts when we were trying to find a parking at the Quad carpark.

I was surfing the internet for some new ideas with this concept that I wanted to pursue for this season when I stumbled upon this site, crazydeals.ph.  I saw this tripod and I really think it's kind of innovative and creative.  Back then, tripods are already as long as your legs (and it's already "folded") and weighs something like a fourth of mine, even more to slimmer people.  Well, that one is I guess for professional photography while this one is something you can take with you on a tour to Boracay, Palawan or China or Singapore.  This one really caught my attention and I'm putting this on my bucket list once I'm well enough to travel.

With my allergic rhinitis, I'm so choosy when it comes to scents I wear.  In college, I have a favorite baby cologne which I wore for a long time.  It's Denenes.  And it's been one of the most popular scents during that time.  Only then, there were two choices:  pink or blue.  I preferred the pink one although I must admit that blue was the most popular.  If I'm not mistaken, half of our dorm's population (four floors of about six in a room) wears Denenes blue.  It actually has a mild scent that you can splash all over your body and not smell like you drank the whole bottle.  If you're one of those who miss the scents but don't know where to get it, you can buy it online on this site here.  It's actually on sale and you only have about ten or so days to get it at that price.

I heard yesterday that it was the UAAP finals and Ateneo won over FEU.  Well, I am not rooting for either team but I just think that FEU is a good team because of their track record.  Back then in the 1990's, I remember watching the UAAP with my friend from La Salle and FEU won over La Salle.  And of course, at this time we were rooting for La Salle as I have been a La Sallian if only for a year.  I just noticed that FEU has a good track record of almost always making it to the final four.

I tried playing pool billiard on Facebook just recently and was hooked to it for a while.  Of course, this brought yet another memory.  Astrobowl was an expensive place to be so we opted for Coronado Lanes, particulary that one near what-used-to-be Joni's Bakeshop.  I was trying to recall the street but all I can say is that it's at the corner of Pasay Road and some street.  We even tried bowling but I just don't know why we weren't so into it as much as we were in billiards.  Well, it's probably because of its accessibility.  Bowling is a sport that you can't just find anywhere else.

*Images are copied from this site.