Monday, December 31, 2007

Vicente (+) & Agripina (+) Family Reunion 2007



Party's done
plates dry, stacked again
pictures uploaded
family tree revisited

the (+) after their names
bring me to Christmas decades past
when they walked strong
and I was child

all lights were off
save for miniature flickering bulbs
adorning the tree beside

the crèche
surrounded by
crepe paper grass

where plastic shepherds, kings
camels and sheep
paid homage to that
Sacred Mystery

to Josemarie from Sta. Claus
to Carling from Snow White
to Christine from Rudolf the red nosed reindeer
to Albert from Cinderella

delicately wrapped presents
Camay soap Colgate.
Guitar matches White rabbit.
secretly culled from
Lola’s sari-sari tindahan
bringing delight to cousins and siblings
reciting, singing, a program
with Lolo Vito hosting
as Santa, his beard kept falling

Today I’m the adult
All choked up, overwhelming
Amazing gifts abounding

Bhea – singing
Lalaine - singing
Ellyn - dancing
Christine and Nanet – organizing
Boboy – emceeing
Marissa – cooking
Mike - game hosting
Me – dishwashing
Others – simply being

Tears free flow
with the dishwater.
And they are sweet.































Sunday, December 30, 2007

3 am

…and I just got home. From one of the most hallowed of surgeries, a craniectomy. Hallowed perhaps because the brain is so mysterious. Sometimes it looks like the patient is getting well and then suddenly patient deteriorates. Or patient looks like he or she is beyond the beyond and miraculously recovers partial if not full function. Even the experts would say that not everything about the brain is known at the moment. Don’t ask me now for a hyperlink to support that statement because it’s three am, for crying out loud. :-) And so why am I weblogging and not yet sleeping? Well, it’s called adrenaline ebb. A lot of adrenaline flows through our blood stream during activities like giving anesthesia for brain surgery. And until that hormone’s effects wear off, then sleep is held at bay.

And also because tomorrow/today, December 30, 2007, is our big Vicente – Agripina Umbac Family Reunion Party. And I haven't done my gift shopping and wrapping yet. My son, Mike, though has completed his gift wrapping, with girlfriend Lalaine's help, a week ago! I guess he is excited because this will be his first time to be a giver instead of a recipient of gifts. As for me, I like to be frantic about it. Or maybe I will just give IOUs. I don't know. Gift giving and gift wrapping used to be such fun for me. But lately I've been quite preoccupied with other stuff... like weblogging. hehe.


10 am

Here’s our family tree.

Vicente Umbac (+) – Agripina Lumjod (+)

Children

1. Arnulfo - Adelaida (+) (Dumaguete)
a. Jose Marie and Millet – Los Angeles
Briza

b. Rosemarie and Joe - Edmonton
Sheena

c. Gasparito - Manila

d. Ferdinand and Tabing - Dumaguete
Riza

e. Anthony - Dumaguete

2. Consuelo - Jovito (Sta. Catalina/Dumaguete)

a. Carlito - Sta. Catalina

b. Carmelita - Dumaguete
Mike
JR
Patrick
Raphael
Carlo

c. Jovitt and Jean - Dumaguete
Anton

d. Gary and Lhet - Calgary
Kate
Vince

e. Nannette and Edgar - Dumaguete
Ed Benedict
Bhea
Aya

3. Mary – Nonoy (+) (Dumaguete)

a. Christine and Bing - Dumaguete
EJ

b. Ernest and Marissa - Cagayan de Oro
Paula
Phoebe

c. Cecille and Dodong – Dumaguete
Paolo
JC
Jeff

d. Bingbong – Iloilo


4. Amparo – Felixberto (jetsetting between Texas/Dubai/Dumaguete)

a. Albert and Miriam - Texas
Koen
Keane

b. Ivy and [kinsa man bing?:-) ] - Arizona

c. Edwin - Dumaguete

d. Lorelie and Arvie - Dubai


5. Gloria - Emmett (Minnesota )

a. Michele and Alan - Minnesota
Talia
Jeff

b. Kennon - Minnesota

c. Jeff and Cathy - Minnesota
Madison
Case
Abigail
Cecelia

Plus:

Auntie Maring, who used to live in Washington, DC, has chosen to retire here in Dumaguete with daughter Annie and Annie's husband, Tomas. Annie is my cousin on my mother's side and Tomas is my cousin on my father's side. So it’s a double-cousin-and-cousin-in-law thing!

Auntie Maring and her siblings are very close to our family and they are always special guests in Vicente-Agripina reunions. Last Christmas Auntie Maring’s brother, Raymond and wife Betty, her sister-in-law, Isang, her son Lito, wife Benny and kids were able to join our party. They’re not here this year though.

Auntie Maring – Uncle Julian (+)
Lito and Benny - Baltimore/Manila
Benedict
Patrick

Annie and Tomas – Dumaguete
Annari
Tommy

So there you go! That’s our guest list (and gift list!) for tonight’s party! OMG! We have a big family! And that is just the mother-side relatives. Wait for my list of father-side relatives!
.
Ooops. I mean, only those who are in Dumaguete will be coming to the party. Those elsewhere will just have to visit this weblog again for updates. :-)

_____________________________________


Shoutouts:
.
1. Dear cousins, if I misspelled some names or forgot some kids, please let me know.
.
2. Rose, you made my day! Thanks. And what’s your weblog address again?
.
3. Boni, thank you ;-)
.
4. Thanks for the pics, Lindazu, have you remembered the name of your weblog already? I went to the address you sent me but it’s not your weblog. :-(
.
5. Cristine! Got your card. Salamat kaayo.
.
6. Lancelot, new year na. Happy anniversary :-)
.
7. Ivy, asa na ang mga picture sa mga Navajo Indians?
.
.
_____________________________
.
And oh, btw, today is Jose Rizal day. The Philippine National Hero was executed in Bagumbayan, now Luneta, on December 30, 1896.
.
Here's a quote from Rizal's El Filibusterismo:

There are no tyrants where there are no slaves.
.
In Tagalog, "Walang mang-aapi kung walang magpapaapi" leading to "Makibaka. Huwag matakot." Battlecries of the UP campus during my college days. I wonder what the battlecries are today.
.

Saturday, December 29, 2007

tomorrow is the big day

.


cousins and their families have arrived
tomorrow is the big family reunion
of the lolo cente - lola agre clan


.

Friday, December 28, 2007

A thousand crystal tambourines




SONAMBULAR BALLAD

by Federico García Lorca

Translated by William Logan


Green, how I want you green.
Green wind. Green branches.
The ship out on the sea
and the horse on the mountain.
With the shade around her waist
she dreams on her balcony,
green flesh, her hair green,
with eyes of cold silver.
Green, how I want you green.
Under the gypsy moon,
all things are watching her
and she cannot see them.

Green, how I want you green.
Big hoarfrost stars
come with the fish of shadow
that opens the road of dawn.
The fig tree rubs its wind
with the sandpaper of its branches,
and the forest, cunning cat,
bristles its brittle fibers.
But who will come? And from where?
She is still on her balcony
green flesh, her hair green,
dreaming in the bitter sea.

--My friend, I want to trade
my horse for her house,
my saddle for her mirror,
my knife for her blanket.
My friend, I come bleeding
from the gates of Cabra.
--If it were possible, my boy,
I'd help you fix that trade.
But now I am not I,
nor is my house now my house.
--My friend, I want to die
decently in my bed.
Of iron, if that's possible,
with blankets of fine chambray.
Don't you see the wound I have
from my chest up to my throat?
--Your white shirt has grown
thirsy dark brown roses.
Your blood oozes and flees a
round the corners of your sash.
But now I am not I,
nor is my house now my house.
--Let me climb up, at least,
up to the high balconies;
Let me climb up! Let me,
up to the green balconies.
Railings of the moon
through which the water rumbles.

Now the two friends climb up,
up to the high balconies.
Leaving a trail of blood.
Leaving a trail of teardrops.
Tin bell vines
were trembling on the roofs.
A thousand crystal tambourines
struck at the dawn light.

Green, how I want you green,
green wind, green branches.
The two friends climbed up.
The stiff wind left
in their mouths, a strange taste
of bile, of mint, and of basil
My friend, where is she--tell me--
where is your bitter girl?
How many times she waited for you!
How many times would she wait for you,
cool face, black hair,
on this green balcony!

Over the mouth of the cistern
the gypsy girl was swinging,
green flesh, her hair green,
with eyes of cold silver.
An icicle of moon
holds her up above the water.
The night became intimate
like a little plaza.
Drunken "Guardias Civiles"
were pounding on the door.
Green, how I want you green.
Green wind. Green branches.
The ship out on the sea.
And the horse on the mountain.



There several other translations of this poem, of which I am confused as to which is my favorite. Yet amidst the many variations, nothing beats the original version. Go ahead and savor. Read it. Aloud.


ROMANCE SONAMBULO

Verde que te quiero verde.
Verde viento. Verdes ramas.
El barco caballo en la montana.
Con la sombra en la cintura
ella suena en su baranda, verde carne,
pelo verde, con ojos de fria plata.
Verde que te queiro verde.
Bajo la luna gitana;
las cosas la estan mirando
y ella no puede mirarlas.



If you like it, you can feast on the rest of the text in Spanish.







.

Thursday, December 27, 2007

Stuff it

This is my dashboard. A menagerie of favorite things.



First the background: the nostalgic Dumaguete "boulevard of broken dreams" at 7 am

Then the listlog:

1. White elephant, with red ears and feet; it goes squeak-squeak when shaken - from beloved son Raphael

2. Brown teddy bear - from Circus Circus

3. Yellow lamb with orange snout and feet - from Reno

4. Gentle tiger - from Las Vegas

5. Throw pillow (to sit on so I can see the road while driving) - from Cang's

6. Blues Clues - from beloved son Raphael

7. Daschund - holding a red heart and sporting a black choker that says: !Yo quiero Taco Bell

8. Big Doctor's Rx brooch - from Chatty, multimedia maven

9. Golden trumpet - from Gremere, the lad with the golden voice, in remembrance of the most fun and memorable Christmas party we had in 2006


Alas, all these my special stuffy friends may have to go as I am currently suffering from a bad throat thingy which consequently triggers an asthmatic attack.

.

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

Cuties

Cousin Albert and Miriam's super-kids Keane and Koen in Allen, Texas




My brother Gary and Lhet's lovely kids in Calgary, Alberta




Baby Vince and Ate Kate Dominique




Baby Vince Miguel

Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Reality bites. Ouch!


I am a Filipino and I love the English language.
But the following just ah...
left me gasping for my salbutamol inhaler.
.
Note: The first three pics are scenes from the ubiquitous ukay-ukay in the Philippine landscape, where folks from all walks of life troop to partake of morsels from the great American dream.
.
***



No (*bleep*). Don't you ever be caught dead in this. Is this the kind that you use to cover your bed with, eh? Well, it depends...

***


Now this one here is a real canversation piece...

***




Awwww.... ain't dat sweet? Mwah.

***



Ok. This one here promises no nonsense stainless craft. You can order retainers for your teeth to uh... decorate your teeth with. Don't fancy that? Well, how about a ring with your name engraved on it? You like that? Order now!

***





Sorry folks, this is an athletic oval. For athletes to run sprints and relays and stuff like that. Or maybe race horses, then that's alright too. But if your vehicle is a bicycle, err... ahh...why don't you try the boulevard? Or the airport runway in between plane landings perhaps?
***




Okay, now listenherevery closely. Like. This is real important. Get me? If you can't read the above, well, let me be a little more friendly to the tourists and spell it out for yah here, k? But first, maybe you need to get your inhaler too.



RULES TO BE FOLLOWS ...
ISLA BEACH RESORT


1. Safety the important things. The management will not shoulder if anyting is lost.

2. Throw all plastic; cellophane in the sacks that hung in the tree.

3. Throw the biodegradable in the rubber garbagge.

4. Please don’t throw anywhere the bones, candies, ice cream pop wrappers,
waste of fruits, cigarette butts. Throw in the garbagge.

5. Don’t broke the bottle specially softdrinks, beer, and hard liquor.
Once you caught penalty P 100.00.

6. Stay where you are occupied cottage.

7. Once you caught stay other cottage, you should pay another for that cottage.

8. During eating time. Please don’t stay or sit the other cottage. So that we can identifie
d cottage that are available for other customers come in.

Be discipline ourselves. This rules should be follow.


Thank you very much….

MGT.



Now, if you're like, still ok by this time, you may want to check out the source of all this.

Beautiful photography. And photographer as well.

.

Monday, December 24, 2007

The Christmas House

This is the gateway to Dr. Absin's Christmas House.


The merry-go-round.




Snow White's Castle. Also Cinderella's. And Belle's.

.
Grounded reindeers.


Flying reindeers.

Merry Christmas to you all!

.

Sunday, December 23, 2007

By the roadside

On the way to St. Louis School - Don Bosco yesterday,
this is what we found.



A kitten! And here's a closer look:



Naturally, Carlo just had to bring it to school.



I wonder what became of it.

Saturday, December 22, 2007

Parties galore

Last night was another party loaded evening: 4 pm - SUMC OB-Surgery Department; 5 pm- SU Medical School; 6 pm - Holy Child Hospital. Some consultants went to all three, mostly to watch the various presentations because really, how much lechon can one take in one night?

I went to only one - at SUMS. And I think it was the most fun and the most enjoyable party so far, hearing the comments of the others who went party hopping. It was a delight to watch the creative presentations of the students, considering they had so little time for practice and preparation because of their heavy study load. We were entertained with: a Christmas musical medley, a musical skit, hand mime and the one I liked best, their medically contextualized version of "The Twelve Days of Christmas". Even the faculty had a surprise number; we were all surprised because we did not know we were to present something too.

It was a unique party because it started with a "sermon" by Dean Dr. Jonathan Amante. About how he would like all parties of the medical school to be no-alcohol and no-smoking parties. And his lecture about redeeming the wounded name of the medical profession. It was held at our very own main lecture hall and all the students were sitting prim and proper in their desks, it seemed like a medical conference instead of a party except that everyone was all dolled up.

The blooper of the evening was that the caterer, Nessi's, forgot to bring plates and utensils. So the food was there but we could not eat because there were no plates, forks and spoons, napkins, and no softdrinks, too. It turned out the utensils were mistakenly taken to another party they were catering in Amlan, that's three towns from Dumaguete, after Sibulan and San Jose. Real bummer. We had to buy paper plates so we could eat. Then later the softdrinks came but they were "febrile". Tsk tsk. Really lousy caterer. Nessi's is the name.

But the videoke time I think made up for the contemptible food service. Everybody got to sing and dance and had fun photo sessions. I didn't take pictures with my cellphone as I saw several high tech cameras clicking around and the students promised to send me copies so I can post it here later.

The party ended with surgical precision at nine pm, as prescribed by our beloved Dean Dr. Amante. I wanted to hug my students a Merry Christmas but instead I just reminded them, ok, I want to read your answers to your Christmas break assignments in your weblogs.

Friday, December 21, 2007

OS X

This is our version of OS X.



OS X means Operating Sponge - Xray detectible.

















.

Thursday, December 20, 2007

Where on earth is Dumaguete?


To contrast with what Erlyn said about practice in Metro Manila, here is what Marc and I wrote about a doctor's life in Dumaguete. We were quite thrilled that this was published in the December 2007 issue of Uroscope, the newsletter of the Philippine Urological Association.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Practice in the islands

- Marc Juvic Baviera, MD


Not a lot of people know the where Dumaguete is – some think it is in Mindanao, some think it is in Bicol or close but not quite, that Dumaguete is in Western Visayas. Well, once and for all, hear ye, hear all, that Dumaguete is the capital city of Negros Oriental in Region VII, Central Visayas. Though on the same island as Bacolod City, the capital of Negros Occidental, Dumaguete and Bacolod are quite different from each other in terms of dialect, infrastructure and culture. So what am I, a true-blue, born and bred in Bacolod guy, doing in Dumaguete City?

Well, it all started during my last year of residency at UERMMMC when an intern posed the idea of practicing in his hometown, Dumaguete, since there was no urologist yet in their place. I shelved the idea because my priority then was just to finish my training, the place of practice will come later. But two months before I finished training, I felt the pressure to look for a place where I could start on my own. That’s when I remembered Dumaguete. A strong spirit of adventure was beckoning me to start my practice away from home.

Dumaguete’s name is derived from the word “dumaguit” which means to snatch, to kidnap, to capture, to take away. Travelers who passed by Dumaguete got “snatched” or “hooked” by Dumaguete’s allure and decided to stay. And true enough, Dumaguete has captivated us and like many “dayuhans” (both foreign and Filipinos alike) who have succumbed to Dumaguete’s charm, my wife, Anne, and I have decided to make Dumaguete our home.

I had quite a number of apprehensions when I started practice in Dumaguete. Foremost was the language barrier. The dialect in Bacolod is Ilonggo while the dialect in Dumaguete is Binisaya. And almost every other town in between the two cities have their own particular variations of the dialect. Will my patients and I be able to communicate effectively without being hilarious or offensive? For example: “Wala ka kasabot” in Dumaguete would mean “You don’t understand” but in Bacolod it would mean “You don’t have pubic hair”! Or when you ride a jeepney in Bacolod and you want to get off at the street corner you tell the driver “Sa bangga lang” meaning “at the intersection please” or “sa kanto lang” in Tagalog. Dumaguetenos riding jeepneys in Bacolod would go wide eyed in panic at hearing this “sa bangga lang” because in Binisaya it means “just hit something please”, be it another vehicle or a post or a garbage can!

And then there were the cultural differences. What might be acceptable behavior for the Ilonggo might be offensive to the Bisaya and vice versa. I was not very sure about what kind of character, values and temperament my prospective patients would have. I also had some apprehensions about how the medical community would accept me, would they be welcoming or would they be hostile to a stranger in their midst?

And then there was the dilemma of how to set up a practice in a place where there has never been a urologist before, meaning, there would be no urologic facilities whatsoever to speak of. I had to brace myself for the very possible scenario that the equipment and facilities I was used to in training would not be available in the three hospitals in Dumaguete, namely Silliman University Medical Center, Holy Child Hospital and Negros Oriental Provincial Hospital.

And finally there was that comment “If you practice in the province, mabubulok ang utak mo (your brain is going to rot) from lack of intellectual stimulation.” Was that truth or fallacy?

That was four and a half years ago and today I am glad to say that we have no regrets about the decision to settle in Dumaguete. We have built a home, a good practice and have been warmly welcomed by a friendly community. And most of all, we see the gratitude of the patients who no longer have to go all the way to Cebu or Manila for urological consultations and management.

One by one, my concerns have been addressed as well. Though I still speak with an Ilonggo accent I have learned a lot of Binisaya words, especially those that are important for clinical conversation. Plus, I have discovered that the Dumaguetenos are very comfortable with the English language and communication did not turn out to be difficult at all.

About cultural differences, well, I would say the general culture in Dumaguete is more on the conservative. The city has a land area of about 34 km2 with a population of 103,000, one third of which is made up of students. Aside from being dubbed as the City of Gentle People, Dumaguete is also considered as the center of learning in the south because of the numerous and prestigious universities, colleges and schools, including internationally acclaimed Silliman University and the first St. Paul’s University in the Philippines. Perhaps the tranquil ambiance and the laid back lifestyle make intellectual and artistic pursuits natural in this city.

I would say practicing in the province does not cause brain freeze, especially if you are in a place where learning is a way of life. Teaching at the Silliman University School of Medicine forces me to keep reviewing the basics of medicine. We have local conferences, Mortality and Morbidity Conferences, round table discussions as well as scientific eatings and meetings to keep our mental faculties honed. And I make it a point to attend midyear and annual conventions to keep up with the latest developments about urology. Plus of course there are journals and the internet. Everything is just a click away. It is really just up to the doctor how much he wants to learn.

My concern about facilities has been solved by personally buying my own equipment. Amazon, E-bay and the general www have been of much help.

And so when all my apprehensions about provincial practice have been allayed, I could now fully appreciate the perks of being a promdi-doctor. Number one would be the traffic. Or lack of traffic. In Dumaguete, everything and everywhere is nearby. Ten – fifteen minutes is a long drive already. I live just two minutes away from the hospital. That means I don’t get stressed out driving to work and after work, I have lots of free time to dabble in my hobbies which are playing badminton and flying remote control planes. On weekends, we have lots of choices – golf in Pamplona, dolphin watching in Bais, mountain climbing in Mt. Talinis, traipsing in Lake Balinsasayaw or Lake Balanan, cave spelunking in Mabinay, scuba diving in Sumilon or Apo Island, the list is endless. The chocolate hills of Bohol are just an hour and a half fast craft ride away. If we miss the hustle and bustle of metropolitan cities – Bacolod is just four hours away by car, Cebu City is just four hours by van or six hours by boat and of course, the flight to Manila just takes less than an hour.

But mostly we just want to sit back, relax and enjoy Dumaguete’s pleasant climate. When the rest of country is battered by typhoons and floods, Dumaguete is blessed with perpetual good weather. Being beside the sea brings us a good breeze as well fresh catch of fish and other seafood daily. And because the sea facing Dumaguete is not an open sea, being flanked by the islands of Cebu, Siquijor and Apo, the shores of Dumaguete are spared the perils of typhoons and monsoons.

So finally, my advice to our young colleagues who are considering practicing in the province: Go for it!


* * * * * * * * * * *
.

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Rated A



This is the ever young, Dr. Prospero Rico Absin, senior anesthesiology consultant, at work. This is the kind of work where we just sit around in our pajamas and flipflops the whole day. Just kidding!
.
Work in the operating room can be quite stressful at times so OR workers need to unwind and Dr. PPA does that by attending to his social functions as Negros Oriental's "Prince of the Province" and promoter of events cultural and showbiz-related, and during Christmas, opening his world famous Christmas House in Piapi to the public.
.
Last year he had a Disneyland theme, which was a big hit with the kids. The year previous to that his theme was Crystals, the entire house and garden festooned with glittering, shining, shimmering splendid crystals. This year there's a merry go round in his manicured garden and reindeers flying above the roof.
.
Can't find a good picture of the house atm, but will do that later
...before next year. ;-)
.

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

From Myanmar

.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, daughter of Burmese martyred national hero Aung San, is an opposition leader and human rights advocate who gave up personal freedom and a chance to be reunited with her husband and children in Great Britain so she can continue her fight for democracy in her country. Though placed under house arrest since 1989, she won as Prime Minister of Myanmar in 1990. However, she was was not allowed to serve her term and continues to be under house arrest up to the present.





.
In 1995, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her non-violent struggle for democracy and human rights.
.


.

Damien Rice dedicated a song called "Unplayed Piano" to one of the greatest women in our time.

.

.

Come and see me
Sing me to sleep
Come and free me
Or hold me if I need to weep
Or maybe it's not the season
Or maybe it's not the year
Or maybe there's no good reason
Why I'm locked up inside
Just cause they wanna hide me
The moon goes bright
The darker they make my night


Unplayed pianos
Are often by a window
In a room where nobody loved goes
She sits alone with her silent song
Somebody bring her home


Unplayed piano (unplayed piano)
Still holds a tune (still holds a tune)
Lock on the lid (years, years pass by)
In a stale, stale room (in the changing of the moon)
Maybe it's not that easy (too many windows)
Or maybe it's not that hard (in a stale, stale room)
Maybe they could release me (stale, stale room)
Let the people decide I've got nothing to hide
I've done nothing wrong
So why've I been here so long?


Unplayed pianos
Are often by a window
In a room where nobody loved goes
She sits alone with her silent song
Somebody bring her home


Unplayed pianos
Are often by a window
In a room where nobody loved goes
She sits alone with her silent song
Somebody bring her home


Unplayed piano (unplayed piano)
Still holds a tune
Years pass by
In the changing of the moon.


.

Monday, December 17, 2007

Hams

.

CAVEAT: Before you view this video, be warned. Some scenes may be offensive to your sensibilities. Click at your own peril.

.

.

Youngest son, Carlo, and adopted son, Matthew, in an impromptu medley of spoofs on popular Philippine showbiz personalities, commercials and Kris Aquino's game show "Deal or No Deal". Leah is the anchor and camerawoman.

.

Sunday, December 16, 2007

Checking in to check it out

Last Wednesday we checked in at the La Residencia Al Mar. Actually it was my barkada-since-high school, Erlyn Cabanag-Demerre, who checked in and we Batch '78 girls just sort of tagged along to check out the place, it being the venue of one of our reunion dinners and possible place of stay for some returning classmates next year. Erlyn, Manila-based echocardiologist par excellence and editor of the Philippine Heart Association Newsmagazine, was here to give a lecture on a new drug for hypertension. She is quite a jet-setting doctor, traveling all over the country and also out of the country, to speak on various topics related to cardiology.

After her lecture, we dined at the Don Atilano Restaurant and Erlyn related to us the difficulties of practicing in Metro Manila, number one of which is the horrendous traffic and number two is the oppressive and restrictive politics in some hospitals. But what Erlyn really wanted to talk about was parenting her three, yes three, adopted children, aged 3 to 6, Gabbie, Kurt and Kyle. I wanted to tell her that I've read countless books on the subject matter and am now at "Where Does a Mother Go to Resign?" haha. But someone spotted Erlyn, came over to our table and started a friendly over dinner consult.

I don't know if it was the height of snobbery or if it was the depths of desperation that made me sneak out, get my books from the car and read in the hotel lobby. I will go for desperation as it was quite late already and I had not yet finished my work-related readings for the next day. When the over-dinner consult was over, Erlyn called my cellphone, where was I? I went back and had my blueberry cheesecake. They call it the New York Blueberry Cheesecake. I've never been to NY so I don't know if it is authentic. It certainly has an odd taste and texture, it is hard! Erlyn didn't finish hers as she said it tasted weird. Be that as it may, till the next day I was still craving for more weird-flavored blueberry cheesecake. Zenovia, who just came in from her dancing practice, had a halo-halo and was awed by our discussions. She said they were "deep and profound." Hehe. Yes, Erlyn's a no-nonsense girl, no time to waste on inanities.

Erlyn wanted to talk some more and go suroy a bit around the city, particularly to Dumaguete-based cardiologist Lai's newly built mansion in El Pueblo Genovivo. But I had to sadly decline, it was past ten pm already and I had several chapters to read yet. I promised her though that when she comes back for the Christmas break, we will have our usual morning-the-night talking sessions. Yes, girls can do that. Talk the whole night.


Observations from our checking in to check it out:


1. We dined at the restaurant where our formal dinner is supposed to be held. AND almost everyone there was in jeans. Even if we reserve the whole place and make it exclusive for our batch, long gowns and barongs/suits would still be superfluous for such venue.


2. The food: I liked the cheesecake, Erlyn didn't. Erlyn was not very happy with her sizzling gindara. The serving was too small! Really, it was.


4. The original room given to Erlyn was at the back of the building and it was over the kitchen and it smelled of fish. 'Nuf said. We moved.


3. The new room (on the south wing) was ok, nothing fancy but adequate for sleeping. There was no desk to read on though, so I had to sit on the bed as I read. A difficult situation, the sheets and pillow being so inviting.

Conclusions:

1. Perhaps the long gown/barong/suit event has to be rethinked. Change venue or change costume?


2. The gindara was not so satisfying and the halo-halo is not to die for but the other items on their menu are quite good.


3. If you don't like the smell of fish in your hair, don't get a back room. Get a suite room facing the boulevard and the sea, ftw. Naturally, more expensive. Do reserve early as all hotel rooms in the city, and even the resorts in the outskirts of the city, get fully booked every Silliman Founder's Day.

.

Saturday, December 15, 2007

Partying and Parting

This is the most partygenous month of the year. Since December 1, Christmas parties have begun. Last night, I was supposed to go to four parties but I just went to one. Today I’m hosting one myself. Actually, this is my eldest son Michael's party, as he wants to celebrate the fact that he is now a member of the Filipino working class, as clinical instructor at the Foundation University School of Nursing. He looks mighty smart in his uniform, by the way.

Yet amidst the revelry, the reality of death intrudes. At yet another party this week, at the Physical Therapy Program, the medical and paramedical community was abuzz regarding the baffling death of a nineteen year old junior nursing student in Silliman. There are several theories but none can be proven unless an autopsy is done and somehow I doubt that the family will consent to that.

There are a lot of nursing students rotating at the hospital so it was very possible that we knew or perhaps have encountered this particular student already. We were discussing the medical aspects of the case when I just needed to ask the name of the student. And nearly choked on the answer because this student was my classmate in Philippine Literature two summers ago. Our teacher, Ian Casocot, set very high standards for our class and rising to the challenge, our group met at her boarding house after school almost everyday, as it was a summer session, to prepare, study, discuss, rehearse, make props and give-aways for our report on “The Writings of Filipino Women.”

I remember her as a tall, slim, wisp of a girl, eager to learn and discuss ambiguities about her assigned topic. She patiently taught me how to make crepe paper roses which we used to decorate the stage during our report. We wore fairy costumes with flowing skirts and glittery wings for that report. I also remember that she was often sick but still, even though feverish, she would putter about checking what we needed before she would lie down at our behest.

Yesterday morning, I went to the Udarbe Chapel beside the Silliman Church where I thought her remains would be laid. But when I got there, I only found children having choir practice. Her body had been brought back by her parents to Mindanao already, earlier in the day.

As doctors we try to steel ourselves from emotional involvement in the death and dying process. Necessarily so, as otherwise we would be wrecks at the end of each week. Of course everybody dies. Albeit in different ways. Just have to accept that and deal with it. Next patient please. But this particular passing, of one so young and forward facing, made me listen more keenly and look more closely at the other young people in my life. Surely we do not know when.

Somehow I am glad the wake was no longer in the chapel yesterday. So my last memory of my classmate was the smile on her face when Sir Casocot gave us a perfect score for our report.

Farewell, Alzen Joy.


















.

Friday, December 14, 2007

Cellphone photography and street poetry

.

Up until today, I have always thought that Joyce Kilmer was a woman.
The following is the original text of his famous poem "Trees"
written in 1913.


I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the earth's sweet flowing breast;

A tree that looks at God all day,
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;

A tree that may in summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree.


"Song of the Open Road" below is one of the many variations of "Trees"; this one written by Ogden Nash (1902–1971):


I think that I shall never see
A billboard lovely as a tree.
Indeed, unless the billboards fall,
I'll never see a tree at all.


And this one below is a combination of Kilmer and Nash and the Luntiang Pilipinas Environmental Society and also of me because I made some of the billboards in photoshop as some of the original billboards along the Batinguel-Candauay road seem to have fallen and have gone missing. ;-)












































































Thursday, December 13, 2007

hi for now

Just dropping by to say "Hi!" and "Have a nice day!"

Hopefully, more later...

______________________________________________________

hi from Dubai

My Tita Paro and Tito Felix, in the pics below, are in Dubai, visiting their daughter and son-in-law. My cousin, Lorelie, wrote:

"We went to a toy store in the Mall of the Emirates and believe it or not they actually sell stuffed toys this size… worst part is that some people actually buy them."








::sigh::

.

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Jay C. and Ian C.

My Lola Agre used to say, "One word is enough for a wise man." But I am so not over Jay Cayuca yet. So here are more words about him. From my most favorite teacher ever, Ian.

.

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

To be or not to be

.

.

Is it ethical to go digital?


Hold on.


Let me ask Immanuel Kant, John Rawls and William David Ross.




In the meantime, check out my students in Bioethics as they weblog their findings and musings about the various philosophical theories of the world's great thinkers at the Learning Resource Unit. In the photo below, fourth from right is Lance, our Learning Resource Unit Officer, the computer guy who oversees the connectivity and dotcom.munity of it all.

.


And I will not apologize for the big fat antiquated monitors. We may be a third world country but the minds of some of these young people are world class.


(My photographic skills though, are not. But that can be remedied... as it is said, practice makes perfect.)






.