...Shutterbug...

Guys, click here to know how to get tickets for the Eraserheads Reunion Concert on August 30, 2008...

Come on, manood naman kayo. Show some love! And since I won't be able to see the concert, please bang your heads double time for me!!! Hahahaha...

Sir Arth, thanks for sharing this link to me. Now I'm going to spread it like wildfire!

Have you ever had that experience wherein you're lying in your bed, listening to music and you feel like you are in another world (no pain, no sadness)? Exaggerated as it may sound but, that's what I felt while I was listening to this album... All feelings of love and happiness doubles!

Personal favorites: FROZEN IN TIME and Plurabelle....

Vocalist of this band is Hollywood actor Jared Leto (Panic Room, Alexander, Lord of War to name a few).

Personal favorites: From Yesterday (this I dedicate to Jesus Christ) and The Kill (this song is madness!!! "all I wanted was YOU!!!").

Only team USA remains undefeated after Lithuania lost to Australia at the end of the preliminary round yesterday.

Aren't you guys excited? Ako, SOBRA!!! I hope team USA fills in that big red box I made... Hahahaha..

Dear Migraine,

I have been bearing your diagnosis ever since I was 11 years old. At first, I don't know much about you. What I only know is that you bring too much pain in my head. A type of pain that can incapacitate me to do whatever I want for the rest of the day. The doctor said, all I need is rest. And yes, most of the time I can rid myself of you just by sleeping. But what about if I am to attend my class or go somewhere and you come into my head at any given time, how can I go on? The doctor said I can take this type of medicine (different doctors gave me different medications). Name it and I have tried it: ASA, NSAID's, Paracetamol, Ibuprofen, etc...

Aside from giving me the pain, you even humiliate me in front of other people as if the pain is not enough for me to bear. I cry, I twist, I want to bump my head on the classroom wall, I run to the comfort room so I can let my stomach contents out. I want to finish my class but I can't so I just interrupt my highschool teacher/college professor if I can be excused, go home and rest my revolting brain. When I was hired at my first job, I was so embarassed everytime you're with me. I tend to neglect my patients (my intern will do almost all of the task, and most of my co-staff who are also busy with their own patient deck would try to accomodate the extra burden I'm giving them while I lock myself up in the Pedia Room, lights off, just lying down on the mat, crying).

I can't eat well when you are in my head. I know that whatever I put in my mouth will definitely come out later because that's what you do to me! You make me vomit! I hate you for that. But I hate you even more because you still make me vomit even if I have nothing left in my stomach. It's as if you want me to puke out my internal organs!

College times. I knew you even better because I took 2 Neuro courses during my 3rd and 4th years in college. The doctor/professor told us that you have relatives like Cluster & Tension H/A. And then she laid out all the criteria for us to be able to diagnose if it's you or your other relatives who's hurting us (I know I was already diagnosed way back when I was young, but I don't remember the doctor discussing to me in detail the criteria... and if he did, I certainly won't remember nor understand it!). Here are your criteria. I checked the ones that I definitely have.

Headache attacks that last 4 to 72 hrs (untreated or unsuccessfully treated)

Headache has at least 2 of the following characteristics:

Unilateral site. Yes the pain is always on one side, always on my right, few instances on my left. This scares me a lot because our professor also told us that one of the red flags of headache include: if you are experiencing pain always on the same side of your head, it must be something other than migraine.

Pulsating quality. Yes, it's as if I have another heart beating inside my skull! It's freaking throbbing painful!

Moderate to severe intensity. I can still go on with whatever I'm doing if the pain is only moderate. If it's severe, and I'm at home, my sis & bro wouldn't talk to me. If I'm at school, Kastine would try to baby me, do everything to ease the pain. If I'm at work, Kuya Pabs would give me a bunch of Chinese liniments so I can have something to lessen the pain.

Aggravation by walking stairs or similar routine physical activity. Getting up from lying down. Whenever I'm negotiating the stairs, it's as if my head is throbbing with every step I make.

During headache, at least 1 of the following symptoms:

Nausea or vomiting (or both). BOTH! It's so humiliating, everytime I have to run fast from where I sit going down to the comfort room with my hands fully-covering my mouth! For others who don't know me, they could easily assume I am pregnant and that I am having my morning sickness. Damn!

Photophobia and phonophobia. Okay! Funny thing is, because you give me this photophobia thingy, I wear my tinted swimming goggles when I'm at home. Of course I have to move around the house, but I can't do so if I can't fully open my eyes because the light hurts me. And then there's this phonophobia thing. The reason why my siblings don't talk to me whenever I'm having you in my head is because they know that it irritates me, their heavy laughing and talking blah blah. So they just let me be. Every bit of noise I hear tends to jive with every pulsation of the blood vessels in my brain! But I discovered something sometime when I was in college: soft-soothing music, drum instrumentals, and even my rock playlist can lessen the pulsations. However, it was short-lived since it had no effect later on.

No evidence of related organic disease. Yep, no other possible cause. So I guess it's really you. Although, sometimes my paranoia feeds my mind that I might be having brain aneurysm since the symptoms are quite the same. And like what I've said earlier, the headache is always on one side of my head. I'm scared to undergo imaging of my brain only to find out that I am like a "walking time bomb". I'm so scared.

 

I have been bearing your diagnosis ever since I was 11 years old. At first, I don't know much about you. But now that I really do, it doesn't make any difference at all. I still hate you!

 

 

 

This is Michael Jackson's video of Earth Song released in 1995.

I loved this video ever since I saw it. I couldn't remember how old I was when I first saw this but I'm sure I was 10 when I first heard this. It opened up my environmental awareness.

I want the whole world to watch it... Watch it over and over again... At first, it may seem so INCONVENIENT to see all of the products of mankind's negligence. But I think this is the only way to realize the TRUTH. Don't be so numb. Let's do something before things like these happen right in front of our very own eyes!!!

So pag sinabi mong girls, girls lang talaga.. Walang makukulit na lalaki!!! Wala si Papa, wala si Tito Palo. Mga lalaking lagi na lang "Uwi na tayo" kahit kakarating pa lang! Hehehehe.. Pero syempre kahit kami kami lang mga layas na girls ang lumabas, kulang pa rin kami. Wala si Ate Gayds at si Essen.

Matagal ko rin di nakita si Mama. Kaya nung night na dumating sya, kwento ako ng kwento ng kung ano-ano.. E hindi naman sya sanay sa puyatan! Hehe.. Kawawa. Na-miss ko talaga mama ko. Ilang buwan din kami di nag-usap dahil sa isang pagtatampuhan. Hay, ganun na talaga kami highschool pa lang ako. Not that I don't respect my Mama ha, pero sometimes  I have this tendency to be so stubborn when it comes to decision-making. Ok na ngayon lahat, wag lang mapag-usapan yung bagay na yun. Ayayay. I'm not saying na in the end, I was right and she was wrong or the other way around. Walang panalo, parehong may mali. Basta wag na lang ulit mapag-usapan. Clean slate... :)

Syempre, kahit sa Timog Katagalugan lang nagmula si Mama at Ate Pauline, hindi pa rin mawawala ang pasalubong. Hindi mawawala ang matatabang alimango (yum,yum), suman sa lihiya, at ang sexy blouse from my shopaholic cousin!!! Thanks...

Natatawa lang ako kasi since kasama namin ang mga "older girls" ng family (si Mama at Tita Neth), nag-enjoy tuloy kami sa paglibot sa Ace Hardware. Syempre pag family mommy ka na, mas naiisip mo yung household needs than shopping clothes for yourself. Hehehe.. Joke!

Thanks Ma, sa uulitin!!! :)

Yes! I am a frustrated olympian... Hehehe. And since I can't go anywhere near its current venue to watch it and be the craziest spectator ever, I'll just share to all of you the Olympic's timeless motto: "Citius, Altius, Fortius" meaning "Swifter, Higher, Stronger".

And the Olympic Creed:

"The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well."

To our fellow Filipino Olympians, go grab the gold! But if ever fate doesn't allow us to have our first gold medal ever, just remember the Olympic Creed. Keep in mind that being part of this Olympic event makes you an automatic winner!

Para naman sa mga katulad ko na frustrated olympian, let's just adopt their creed into our daily living... Let's eradicate the concept of losing or being a loser. We may not always be the ones who grab and bag the gold, but we all know that the experience itself, the lessons learned and the people around us are worthy enough to be considered our priceless possession, more than any gold medal in the world.

Ladies and gentlemen, let us all be Olympians at heart! No losers! Everyone is a winner! Aja!

 

 

Since I was young, I've been coming back and forth to Manila for vacation and stuff. I enjoy staying in Manila for a while, but never did it cross my mind that I am going to live here for good. Never, because life in the province is simply "simple" (no other appropriate word). I was wrong. I need to transfer to Manila for a better quality of education.

It has already been 6 years since I started living my daily life here. Since then, I learned how to dodge monstrous buses and jeepneys along my way, ingest foods that are mostly treated with monosodium glutamate (not good for me coz I'm a migraine girl), wade along España River and Dapitan Creek during rainy season, and inhale every dust speckles and carbon in the air (hate smoke-belchers! and smokers!!!-again, it triggers my migraine). Air pollution, worst!!!

To all of these, I have no choice. But in Calapan city, I don't have to worry about avoiding the ticycles that pass my way. I don't have to think about what to eat for breakfast, lunch or dinner since I have someone to cook for me. Here in Manila, there are lots of choices where you can get your food, but surely you will miss the lutong-bahay ni nanay. So sometimes, when I'm too fed up of vetsin-treated foods, I just don't eat at all (which in turn would trigger my migraine). Then if it's heavily raining, I have my Papa to fetch me wherever I am, so I can be saved of being soaked.

So how about my fresh air? My bedroom being filled with the smell of freshly-cut bermuda grass. Or even the smell of freshly-cut talahib. Hehe. The smell of my Mama's orchids in the garden. And also, at night during blooming season of Dama de Noche, goodness I'll never forget that smell! Soothing and at the same time creepy (para kasing amoy calachuchi na marami, hehe). Now I'm not acting all feeling home-sick ah, and it's been 6 years already, paano pa ako mahohome-sick! I just miss those smell... And I know there is no way I could remedy the air that I breathe in and out here in Manila. That's the way it was ever since... ever since, I don't know! Ever since I got here, and the year before that, and the year before before that, and lots of years before that year!!!

Oh no, I can do something pala!!! (There goes the light bulb up my head)!!!

 

Oh yes, fill up my room with air fresheners... Strawberry scent, lemon scent, and floral scent... Not even close to the smell of my province... (Kasi mas mababango eto!! Hahaha, joke!) Seriously, it was not even close to the scent I've been longing for. But what can I do, "next-best-things" are better than none at all!!!

 

by Anonymous

A son asked his father, 'Dad, will you take part in a marathon with me?' The father who, despite having a heart condition, said 'Yes'. They went on to complete the marathon together. Father and son went on to join other marathons, the father always saying 'Yes' to his son's request of going through the race together.

One day, the son asked his father, 'Dad, let's join the Ironman together' to which, his father said 'Yes'. For those who don't know, Ironman is the toughest triathlon ever. The race encompasses three endurance events of a 2.4-mile ocean swim, followed by a 112-mile bike ride and ending with a 26.2-mile marathon along the coast off the Big Island.

Father and son went on to complete the race together. Watch the video.

 

... for being the top performing school in the recent PRC PT and OT Licensure Examination (July 2008)!!! Waaaaaaaaaaaah!!!! Guys, I'm so proud of you.. Congrats.. Congrats!!

For the complete list of passers in PT, please click HERE!!!

For OT's, click here!!!

 

(PT topnotchers)

#1 Kiel Gatdula
#4 Jocelyn Gajudo & Mike Ong
#6 Kris Alcedo
#8 Martha Alleje
#9 Miki Valenzuela & Gary Abaño

98% passing rate for UST PT examinees...

100% passing rate for UST PT Batch 2008...

Congratulations...

Pwede na tayo huminga!!!

ROCK ON i..i,

Cheers to UST IN-HOUSE REVIEW's success!!!

 

Long day!!! Had to wake up early and go somehwere along Roxas Blvd to take care of something... After finishing up that "something", decided to go to work early. While I was walking along TM Kalaw, i saw the Times Plaza and decided to pay a visit to my long lost friend (joke lang yan, 2months ago lang kami huling nagkita) Arsenio Caoli Jr. na muntik pang tanggihan ang dala kong donuts.. Yaan mo, pag limpak limplak na ang salapi ko, di lang dozen donuts ang bibigay ko sayo pag dinalaw kita sa work... Hahaha...

So there, we had a short talk lang since I have to be at the college by noon, for my class. And syempre, I learned something new na naman. It's always like that naman, my friend Zen na parang kapatid ko na (being the oldest friend ever, since I was 10 y/o) never forgets to criticize me sa kung anumang kalokahan ang ginagawa ko ngayon sa buhay ko... And yes, I've learned that I am so irrational when it comes to some matters of life (secret!!!). Hehe. OO na! Tanggap ko na Zen!!! But again, thanks for being my Jin whenever I am the Jang, and vice versa. Because of that, I learn to look at both sides.

Aside from being with Zen this AM, just a while ago i had this longest YM conversation with my soul sistah: Dimple!!! Ohaoha, two highschool bestfriends in one day!!! How happy can you get??? Eto naman si Dimple, since pareho kami girlaloo, sabihin na nating, join sya sa pagsakay sa mga sentimiento ko... Yea!!! Us girls, rock!!! hahaha, go on rian, love your own!!!

Dimple, I enjoyed sharing songs with you. I really missed Tori Amos talaga and thanks for reminding me that she still exists in my music box. Hehehe. I hope you enjoy the full version of your "The Power of Orange Knickers".

Dimps, Enjoy lang ha. You deserve it (you know what i mean). And andyan lang prinsipe natin, naligaw lang yun ng daan! Di kasi marunong magtanong ng directions e. Yaan mo maya maya lang andyan na yan. Nagaaral pa lang kasi gumamit ng krokis e! Hahahaha.

So that's it. A balanced day: fetched answers from two of my soulmates. The first one: I am irrational. The second one, just go!!! Balanse lang... Now i have to weigh the answers on my own. Whatever happens next, may the Lord give me the strength to accept it. Like what i always pray for.

See you soon...

From GRAINS – the Official Publication of the National Food Authority

Vol. 35 No. 4

October – December 2007

by Chel Infantado

 

Madelyn Faildo Castromero

Cum Laude, BS Nursing

Far Eastern University

Madelyn Faildo Castromero is the fourth and youngest daughter of Ernesto and Remedios Castromero (businessman and Senior Grains Operations Officer of NFA Oriental Mindoro, respectively). She was born on July 7, 1986 in Pinamalayan, Oriental Mindoro. She finished her elementary education at Juan Morente Memorial Pilot School and attended high school at Immaculate Heart of Mary Academy.

Madely was a consistent honor student during her elementary and high school days. She was also an active member of different campus organizations and often represented her school in various academic competitions.

She graduated cum laude from the Far Eastern University in Manila with a degree of Bachelor of Science in Nursing. After her graduation, she immediately enrolled in a nursing review school. And come August 2007, she was very lucky enough to pass the Nursing Licensure Examination.

Kristoffer John Manalo Harina

Cum Laude, BS Architecture

Batangas State University

Kristoffer John M. Harina was born on September 13, 1984 in Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro. He is the youngest of three (3) siblings. Her mother, Norma M. Harina is an Economist III of NFA-Oriental Mindoro.

“Ontong” as he is fondly called by his parents was a consistent honor student since his elementary years. He often represented his school in various academic competitions.

He pursued his undergraduate studies at the Batangas State University with a degree in BS Architecture. He was a consistent dean’s lister and an academic scholar from 2001-2006 and a receipt of STARR Foundation Scholarship in 2004-2006. During his junior year in college, he began doing architectural design for actual construction in collaboration with his father, Elmer Villas, a civil engineer and city architect.

Kristoffer John’s ‘fruits of labor’ paid off when he graduated cum laude on April 21, 2006. His thesis was also awarded “Thesis of the Year”.

He is now working at the Batangas City Architectural Planning and Design Department as part of the completion process of a two-year work experience requirement before taking the Architecture Licensure Board Examination. He also gained various working experiences at the Provincial Engineering’s Office, Batangas Provincial Capitol and Housing and Community Development Movement, Inc. during the completion of his internship academe training.

No doubt, Kristoffer John will become a successful architect in due time not only because of his expertise and skills but more so his positive attitude towards work.

Hero Bernal Yason

1^st placer, Occupational Therapy Licensure Examination

BS Occupational Therapy

University of Sto. Tomas

Hero was born on July 4, 1983 in Roxas, Oriental Mindoro. He is the third of four siblings of Renato V. Yason, Senior Grains Operations Officer of NFA Oriental Mindoro and Helen B. Yason Municipal Planning Development Officer of Roxas Municipal Government.

He graduated valedictorian when he was in elementary and received academic excellence award at the Lourdes School Quezon City where he graduated in high school. In 2006, he earned a degree of Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy at the University of Santo Tomas. He landed 1^st placer when he took the Occupational Therapy Licensure Examination.

Hero has grown to be a product of God-fearing parents who place the Lord first above everything. Hero is an admixture of belief and modesty as he keeps God’s plan in his life which makes him a true leader.

Hero is now connected with the center for Goal and Goals Therapy Center in Caloocan and Alabang, respectively.

Anna Tricia Paradero Evangelista

Cum Laude

BS Community Development

University of the Philippines

“She was never the student who had her head stuck with her books 24/7, yet she manages to get her academic responsibilities done effortlessly”, Cesar Evangelista, Senior Grains Operations Officer at NFA Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro recalls about his daughter Anna. As a kid there were several instances when she would go home with a medal without even telling us beforehand that she will join a particular school activity”, Doreen P. Evangelist, Supply Officer II of the same office, remembers fondly.

Born Anna Tricia Paradero Evangelista on October 31, 1982, Anna is the second of four girls. She is sister to Kareen, 26, an alumna of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines, now an electronics and communications engineer and presently working at Nidec, Phils., in Laguna as project Engineer; Ma. Ida Loren, 20; and Christabel, 13, both still in school. 

Anna went to Calapan Chu Eng School for elementary and later, to Jose J. Leido, Jr. National Memorial High School for her secondary education where she graduated with honors. She took up BS Community Development in the University of the Philippines – Diliman which granted her “College Scholar and University Scholar” certificates on several occasions. Ultimately, she graduated Cum Laude in 2003.

Anna is currently in her third year in San Beda College of Law. At the same time, she writes for Diwa Publishing, Inc.

Marian Grace A. Gabor

2^nd placer, Physical Therapy Licensure Examination

BS Physical Therapy

University of Santo Tomas

Marian Grace A. Gabor “Rian” as she is fondly called is the third child of Edilberto J. Gabor, Provincial Registration and Licensing Officer and Ederlinda A. Gabor, Cashier III, NFA, Oriental Mindoro.

She was born on December 8, 1985 in Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro. Her field of interest since childhood was converged on sports particularly swimming where she obtained numerous gold medals in various swimming competitions.

Rian is a consistent honor pupil and achiever of different awards since her preparatory school at Chinese Chu Eng School and Luna Goco Medical Center and Colleges.

She finished her elementary education at the Divine Word College of Calapan where she graduated 5^th Honors. She attended high school at Jose J. Leido, Jr. National Memorial High School where her active participation in several youth oriented school activities enhanced her leadership skills.

Rian graduated at the age of 21 last April 2007 with a degree of BS Physical Therapy at the University of Santo Tomas. She never gets tired of books, manuals, etc. After graduation, she enrolled in an in-house review school for PT board examination that took place last July 2007. This paid off because when examination results came out, she emerged 2^nd placer.

Indeed, she is an inspiration not only to her parents, brothers and sister but also to her cousins and relatives as well.

In spite of all these, Rian stays as the simple and silent girl her family and friends know. Her modesty and intrinsic intelligence will surely take her to high places.

 

Once again, for the nth time, i tweaked my CSS!!! And yes, it ate a lot of my supposed-to-be-productive-time for myself. I could have dedicated that time to cleaning my bedroom or completing my student's prelim grades or taking my Tita out for a walk or doing the laundry or finishing up "Truth Encounter" by Anthony Pezzotta or going through half of Lost's season 4. But no no no. I decided to fix my CSS so my layout would look much thinner so it would scale to fit other computer screen sizes. Duh!!! Pinroblema ko pa talaga yun noh.

I wanted to change my banner picture but I couldn't find anything that could replace it yet. I know it's expired na and summer was two months over already! But I really love the picture, which by the way, was taken by Ginno during our Cabanatuan escapade. I love it because minsan ko lang ma-feel na lutang ako! Basta!!! Lutang, the next best thing to being on top of the world, which i can never ever do in my life!

There it is, I'm done tweaking it. I learned how to use the hover codes for my visited links, finally! My layout looks A-ok in my screen right now, everything seems to be properly aligned. I just hope the next time i take  a look at it in a 12-inch or 15-inch screen, A-ok din sya. Right now, I have to finish my slides for tomorrow's lecture. Ciao!

 

This is really is it (etong eto na yun!)!!! nyahahaha!!! oh my goodness, i can't contain myself... (mananapak ako pag di ito natuloy!!!)

 

Eraserheads to reunite for one night only

(Bong Godinez, Monday, July 14, 2008 10:53 AM)

After weeks of speculation, it was finally confirmed that the legendary OPM rock band the Eraserheads will reunite for a one-night concert to be held at the CCP Open Grounds on August 30, 2008.  Click here to see the whole article.