Healthier Choices

Growing up, every time I got sick, I was always brought to the hospital to be treated by a traditional, conventional medical doctor. We always brought home with us, my mom and I, either a bottle of candy-flavored liquid medication or, as I got older, bitter and dull-colored tablets or capsules. I’ve taken countless types of broad-spectrum antibiotics, paracetamols, decongestants, expectorants, pain relievers, and other prescription and over-the-counter drugs. I get sick when I forget to take my multivitamins. It’s a miracle my liver and kidneys are still functioning just fine. I’ve been raised with the belief that modern medicine can prevent any illness, can cure any disease.

Lately, though, my body hasn’t responded that well to prescription drugs. Recently I went to my doctor to have a minor infection treated. She gave me a broad-spectrum antibiotic. I’ve taken this particular drug before, although I think its side effects second time around are more apparent. First 24 hours I experienced mild dizziness, and then a metallic taste in my mouth up to a few days after I stopped taking it. Another side effect  was oral thrush a few days after I completed my prescribed dosage. Obviously, the broad-spectrum antibiotic she gave me was a little too strong that it killed all the healthy bacteria in my body, thus making it conducive to a fungal infection. I didn’t want to go back to the doctor to have another prescription drug given to me to treat this rather harmless fungal infection. So I took the matter into my own hands.

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Bagong Pilipinas (New Philippines)

Watching the inauguration of President Benigno Aquino III on TV today, I had mixed feelings about the event itself and the next six years ahead of him. I guess I could speak for most of my fellow countrymen that there is a general feeling of relief and renewed hope for this country. The spirit of People Power, which ignited the fire in the hearts of the Filipino people when the plug on Marcos regime was pulled in 1986, was apparent in the faces of the hundreds of thousands of people who trooped to the Quirino Grandstand this morning, who tolerated the humid air and the occasional drops of rain. You could see in their faces that they are proud to be a part of this historic event.

My eyes were glued to the television from the moment President Aquino arrived at Malacañan Palace to accompany now former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to the Quirino Grandstand, until he got back to Malacañan for lunch after the inauguration. We Filipinos are notorious for our “Filipino time” which means that we are always late. And I was impressed because the program started earlier than planned, as everybody arrived early and President Noynoy was sworn in a few minutes before 12 noon, contrary to tradition that newly elected presidents in this country should be sworn in at exactly 12 noon. It was pleasing to the eyes to see the President, his family, government officials, other guests, and performers clad in our national costumes, and it was pleasing to the ears as well to hear old and new original Filipino songs composed and performed by some of our country’s finest artists. A few of the songs even moved me almost to tears.

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Better But Not Good Enough

So I went to have my driver’s license renewed last week. I have procrastinated countless times until it was past its expiry date, and it was imperative that I have it renewed it as soon as possible so that I could do errands on my own. Thinking about even going to that LTO sauna–I mean, office–just makes me not want to lift a finger. Around 10 years ago when I got my driver’s license, they had no system whatsoever. The small, decrepit office was packed with sweaty public transportation drivers, a handful of young adults, and the occasional female private individuals like me, not to mention fixers who are patrolling the perimeter, looking for an easy victim to milk money out of. It was not advisable to take a bath before facing that jungle because you’d end up smelling like sweat and cigarettes anyway if ever you get out of there alive. No wonder everybody looks ugly on their driver’s license photos. Driver’s license renewals would practically eat up a whole day, and with no system in place, some who came later than you would walk out of that hellhole earlier than you, which would just make you want to embark on a stabbing spree.

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Are We Truly Free?

As I write this, I am seeing a female news anchor clad in a beautiful cream patadyong. The television bombards me with images of Independence Day celebrations throughout the country - politicians giving speeches at historical monuments, elaborate floats that depict the outgoing administration’s achievements for the last nine years, programs, dancers dressed in colorful native costumes, parades, protestors on the streets - all of which aren’t necessary to celebrate this country’s 112th Independence Day. In my opinion, money and energy spent on these useless activities could’ve been put to good use that will benefit the general public.

Proclamation of Philippine Independence in Kawit, Cavite on June 12, 1898

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Intuition

I’m a big believer of intuition or what others would call gut feeling, that red light that goes on when you know you’re about to plunge into a shitty or dangerous situation. Intuition is as ancient as mankind itself. And I believe that with the educational system focusing more on training and nurturing the left side of the brain, this important key to our survival is being eroded as our brain gets used to logical, thoughtful thinking instead of split-second decision making. I’m not used to following my gut, as I have been trained to think things through, especially life-changing stuff. So when I’m confronted with a situation where I just know in the pit of my stomach exactly what is whatever it is, I’m torn between following this nagging feeling or thinking it over before taking action.

One such situation happened this morning. I got on a jeepney that was waiting for passengers at the side of the main road. When the jeepney was almost full, the driver stepped on the gas pedal and we were off. A few meters away, he saw a guy standing, probably waiting for a jeepney, and the driver stopped and shouted to the man the jeepney’s route and waited if he’d get on. The man just looked inside, and then got on. He sat opposite me, and the minute he sat down, a creepy feeling washed over me. It’s like getting mugged all over again. Flashbacks of that fateful October morning bombarded my mind, and I started to panic in my head. My first instinct was to get off the jeepney immediately. My gut was telling me to get the hell out of there.

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My Gratitude List

A few days to go and I’ll be another year older - but wiser and happier, I hope. I  am a big improvement from the angst-driven, insecure, boy-crazy, and rebellious girl that I was from 10 years ago, but I still am a ways away from being the worry-free, stress-free, confident, and happy woman that I want to be. But I’m getting there.

It is said that happiness is being content with and thankful for what you have. So this year, I want to list down things that I’m thankful for.

A healthy body.

A roof over my head.

Food on the table.

Clothes on my back.

Family.

Friends.

Enemies. Yes, even them, because they help me build my character.

Trials and tribulations (same reason as above).

Pets.

My talents and skills.

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The Toughest Job

Last night, while listening to the drone of the news on TV, something caught my attention. The Department of Labor and Employment is holding a contest about the toughest job in the Philippines. Everyone is encouraged to share their stories on this website, and a prize awaits the winner.

The news segment featured Mang Marvin, whose job is to help clear one of the most polluted bodies of water in the country, the Pasig River. Mang Marvin’s job is a tough one, indeed. With no protective clothing whatsoever (like boots, gloves and gas/face mask), he fearlessly fishes out garbage from the river, using only a wooden tool. In the shallower parts of the river, he wades through the bacteria-infested murky water, oblivious to the risk of contracting a disease. The smell, he says, is very foul, but he said he got used to it already, seemingly having no need for a gas or face mask.

Pasig River then


Pasig River now

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What’s With All the Marrying and Having Babies?

Recently, everybody seems to be in a mad rush for the altar. Relatives, friends, acquaintances are getting engaged, married, having babies left and right. It’s been like this for a couple of years or so. And with the ubiquitous Facebook, one can’t help but be updated on who’s engaged to whom and who’s married to whom and how many babies Mr. and Mrs. Who now have. Sometimes it’s all I see in my news feed that I just throw my head back and roll my eyes. It’s getting a bit tiring.

Last night I attended a wedding afterparty of my friend’s older sister. I went with another friend, which would make us three from our circle of friends. Everyone was in a festive mood, but I ate my food silently observing, listening, thinking. I took some photos of my friends and posed for other people’s cameras as well and did some more thinking. After helping ourselves with what seems to be an endless supply of food and cake, the three of us lounged on the front porch, catching up on each other. Looking out to the black sky, I realized that right at that moment in time, what I wanted was a wedding and not marriage… yet, perhaps.

Yes, at 27 going on 28, I am still that immature. Guess I still have a lot of growing up to do, huh? But I’m not really in a hurry, except when I think about my ovaries. But then again, at this point I’m not ready and don’t want yet to have children. There’s always adoption, and I’m open to that, should my ovaries call it quits. Sometimes I think there’s something wrong with me, but I would prefer to think of myself as having a different mindset. I might not even marry and be equally happy.

I feel like I haven’t traveled enough, haven’t read enough books, didn’t do enough things I wanted to do for me to settle down and be ‘domesticated.’ Domesticated sounds so plain and boring. I am starting to come to terms with the thought that maybe I am a free spirit, not meant to be bound by something or someone, that even if I walk this earth alone I will still be happy. It’s a scary thought, but slowly I am opening my mind to it. Scary, but at the same time liberating. Yes, maybe I am a free spirit.

My Experience With the Country’s First Automated Elections

Monday, May 10, 2010. Our family woke up early like we always do every election day. We like to be at our precinct early so that we’d be able to vote quickly and not spend the whole day waiting in line. We arrived at our precinct before 7:00 AM and were surprised to see that a lot of people were already waiting in line to vote. In our area, it turned out that six voting precincts were squeezed into one cluster, totaling to about at least 600 voters per classroom (and per machine), where in the past it was only about a hundred persons per classroom. I heard that we only had four machines in our area, hence the consolidation.

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Go the Distance

Last week was my brother’s graduation. He attended college at a private school in a nearby town. Their graduation was scheduled in the morning at the open-air school gymnasium. I was armed with my DSLR, ready to capture precious moments despite my high-heeled shoes giving me a hard time walking back and forth to get a better shot.

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