Lemongrass

When I was diagnosed with the big C, I told a lot of my friends [but not all] about it so that I can get inputs on alternative foods and ways to fight it. One of the top answers was lemon grass... tanglad or salay for some in tagalog. Even if I was cleared after the CT scan and the CA 125 tests, I am still trying very hard to avoid those foods that are to be avoided and eat those that are good for me. And I tell you, it is so effin' hard, especially for people like me who loves to eat.

Three Questions

I am sad.

I received a message today that a dear friend of mine passed away last night. She has been fighting cancer for quite some time now, and I could say that it was a good fight.

We never really met, although we've been talking to each other for years now. If I am not mistaken, we met around year 2000 online and I think the communication was unintentionally broken somewhere around 2004 or 2005 when I kinda went offline most of the time. Then, I think we rekindled our communication when our friend succumbed to cancer I think in 2006. She was the one who broke the news to me. But the communication stopped there again.

We found each other again on Facebook last year. At that time, I have been seeing her updates and I thought I always saw something more than what she said. But I didn't ask. I learned to respect other people's different ways of dealing with whatever they are going through, so I figured it best to just let it be.

Until.

Until that time that she heard that I was on the same boat with her. I, too was diagnosed of the big C but was cleared after my December CT Scan. I got a message from her inquiring about my condition, replied that I am 'off the hook' and asked her how was it to be in this roller coaster ride. We called it 'our roller coaster ride' because we find it awkward to call it cancer. I asked how it was like to be in the ride longer than I have just been. She never really answered the question directly, but we started to talk about a lot of things. After a while, for some reason, we moved to e-mailing. Chatting was never our choice anymore. We found it more convenient to e-mail. And since it's not like we know each other personally and that we have yet to know more, we eventually wrote on our e-mails' subject: Three Questions. This is a move I initiated. On each e-mail, I could ask three questions about anything about her.

The only thing I feel like saying is the answer to this question: What is the newest thing you own? She said: pants and pullovers and a blue Samsonite shoulder bag. I colored it red because that's how she answers my e-mails. She inserts it in my letter and colors it red to signify that it's her reply.

My last question to her was: How was your summer when you were young? (I'm sure this would be worth more than three questions.)

She never got to answer this. But I got one last group e-mail from her for April. She wasn't pretending she was fine, nor was she pretending she was sick. It was just an update.

On her March update (a group e-mail again), she ended it with hoping for better days.

Now, she's gone.

And I still hope for better days.

My friend, here's to our happy, sad, roller coaster ride.

From those who promised, they were the only ones who made it.

They are two of the quite few friends I made in Dubai. Months ago, we talked about their vacation and their plans to come over our place. I noted it, but didn't expect. I got a message from them the day before yesterday that this day is the only day they have for the visit. I wasn't really so much prepared for this, but I was and is glad that they made it. We all wished they had more time. We had a great lunch and they had to go by three o'clock. Of all those people that told me they'll come, only these two made it. Awesome!

Rattled Snake

We were having a normal night. I was online tweeting and all and my sister was half-watching the tv, half-dozing. Suddenly, our dog Pepe cried an unusual bark. So, since it's not the playful cry, my sister peeped at the screen door to check.

It was a snake!

I admit it I got a little tense because back in my call center days, I , too, saw a snake just outside the room I was staying in Manila (yeah, in Manila... right beside the South Mall in Alabang). I really didn't know what to do. It's a good thing my sister was kinda used to it. She took a long bamboo stick they used for something else and took out a chair where she could stand and started hitting the snake.

She kept on striking and striking and striking until the head was crashed. Our cat, Dinky, and our dog, Pepe, kept on the sides until my sister stopped striking. Both pictures were actually taken after she stopped striking. But while this shot was being taken, the snake was still moving, trying to fight for its life. I think I asked my dad three or maybe four times if it's already dead because it was still moving even if its head was totally crashed. Dad said that it's really like that and will continue moving for a while. So, we watched while our pets Pepe and Dinky was kinda playing with the poor snake.

When it finally laid still, my sister and I took it outside and while we were trying to catch our breath inside the house, we were trying to figure out if our cat Dinky brought it here to play for it. But, when we saw the snake first time, it didn't have any clues that Dinky tried to strike the poor snake. Well, another snake got here a long time ago but it was already wounded. A sign that Dinky just brought it in to play with it. We know that cats don't eat snakes. They just capture it and play with it till it's dead. So, we concluded that by the looks of the snake, it wasn't like Dinky brought it in as her playmate but some rattled snake that happened to drop by our house. Unfortunately, not for something else, but to perish. Another example of being at the wrong place at the wrong time.

I think we were left without any choice. Either we kill or get killed.

A for Attitude

Dad had cataract extraction this morning. It was a simple process. It took him only fifteen minutes inside the room. The wait was even longer because there were a lot of patients that are also waiting.

This program is open to all, but we see mostly senior citizens. The major requirement is that you must have a PhilHealth card to avail of the services. We prepared the documents required and just sent a message to the medical assistant telling her that the requirements are ready and she'll give us a schedule. No need to go there again for that. It saves a lot of time and money for our part. Good service.

I want to commend the people who organized this program. We see how it benefits these people who are getting blind, nearly blind, almost blind and totally blind from cataract. [I didn't take pictures since this is one of the things that I jut don't feel like doing.] It has helped a lot of people ever since I think September last year.

The second thing I want to commend is the way the medical assistant, Danica, has been very patient with the patients who are mostly senior citizens. We have been through a lot of business, organizations, government institutions, private and public hospitals. Most of the service really sucks. But I don't want to talk about it because I know it's obvious for most of us, if not all. Danica is very patient with the patients' questions which I believe had been asked to her a hundred (or more) times. She patiently assists patients who do not have companions and patiently guides them through the medical process. This also holds true with the rest of the team. They, too, have been very patient in dealing with all of us there.

The team is composed of very young people. One thing that is most admirable. I believe we have a stereotype (and this is true) with young people nowadays being hot-and-short-tempered when it comes to old people. But this team, age range is probably 25-30, handles the patients very gently, nicely and pleasantly. I never heard them raised their voices or smirk or frown not even once during the whole time that we were there, which was from 9:00 am - 12:00 nn. When we left, there were still several patients waiting for their turn.

I have been talking about this on my twitter account since yesterday and I got responses that this is quite rare, and I agree! If all young people have this kind of attitude, we the older generations could expect that we will be treated pleasantly during our later years. I want to know how parents raise these kind of kids. I want to know how to teach a child one of the important values, if not the most, which is RESPECT. They deserve an A for bringing up their kids in a very good way. As for this children, they also deserve an A for learning how to obey their parents and accept the values.