Birthday!

I'm not going to greet you today,
because you're not here.
You'd have to be here before I greet you.
hah. I'm just kidding, and don't even
attempt to scare me with your presence.

Happy birthday, Dad!
I don't want any drama today, ok?
Let's be happy on your birthday.
(hey that rhymes).

*wish*

learning

Today was a relatively light day, except for that nosebleed-inducing biochemistry class. Classes just finished, and I was along Taft Avenue inside a jeepney. On my left was a mom with a baby on her arms, and she had a lot of baggage along the aisle. The jeepney driver scolded her because her baggage were blocking the way when I was about to go in. Well, it didn't exactly cause me trouble, I was able to sit safely and comfortably beside her.

(k:karen, l:lady)
k: ano po pangalan niya? (pertaining to her baby)
l: Lannie.
k: ang kyut po niya. (and then I smiled. of course I didn't exactly see the face of her baby, but at that point it was the only thing I could say to her.)

She lifted the head of Lannie, trying to fix her position. At that point, I noticed that the back of her head was deformed, like it was pressed with a closed fist.

l: ang hirap dahil nagkarooon siya ng meningitis. mahina yung katawan niya, parang lampa.
k: ah talaga po? ilang taon na po siya?
l: 1 year and 7 mos. (i like it when mothers are very particular with the age of their children)
k: galing po kayo sa ospital?
l: oo, ang hirap nga kasi... basta. pag sa utak talaga ang hirap. tingnan mo, o.. (showing that when she put her finger on the palm of the baby, Lannie wouldn't close her fist to hold her finger. Babies normally have this Babinsky reflex wherein they naturally close their fist and hold on to whatever touches their palm.)

and the conversation went on... she asked me if it was normal that the baby gets fever when her teeth are growing. I said yes, and it happens even among young adults. She told me about epileptic moments of Lannie. I told her some things to do when it happens again. I told her how having Lannie is a great blessing to her. and then soon after, I went down the jeepney and said goodbye.

The conversation we had is significant to me...

1. because i recently had my neuro exam and the terms she was saying were still fresh to me. neurons were actually firing as they get depolarized for remembering such familiar terms and concepts.

2. because it was a conversation with a person who has real concern. Everyday, in class, I get to learn a lot of new things, both wanted and unwanted. But the conversation was a different source of learning, because it was real life, and it was right before my eyes.

tomorrow will be another day of new learning. :)

Fire Away!

I wish my synapses and neuronal transmissions
make very nice and neat connections. I hope they
are organized in such a way it won't be too hard
to recover information on the day of the exam.
Let all my CSF flow nice and smooth, and let no
fail neurotransmitters get on the way.

The complexity of the human brain amazes me,
and sometimes, instead of understanding it fully,
I am left stunned and awed. And I am very sure
this will not be helpful in my neuro exam, so please
brain, help me understand you, be kind, be good,
be a good brain.

meta-meta-meta-meta

i find it amusing that as I take an exam about
synapses and neuronal transmission, they are
already taking part, real time. I'm very sure
my neurons know what they're doing, I just hope
they let me know of it while I'm taking my exam.

fire away, happy neurons!

Home

i am home.

with seatmates and classmates who keep me awake during class
with friends who listen to my nonsensical rants
with professors who teach with passion and with their little quirks
with studying brains, cells, and neuroanatomy

with manila rush, dust, and whatnots
with the lack of sari-sari stores inside the campus
with sleepy and boring classes
with packing and unpacking and packing again
(to go home, to leave home, to go home)

because You're still with me
still, with my family.

Untold Conversations

If my dad were still here and working, I would have told him these things:

1

Dad, what does it mean if it's acute viral infection/disease?

What is the difference between Hepa A and Hepa B?

2

A professor doctor asked me about you, I think he's one batch lower than you. Asked me if you're still working in Lung Center of the Philippines.

I said yes. Haha kidding.

3

Dad, do you know Dr. Jaime Galvez-Tan? He's one batch higher than you, and I think I remember you mentioning his name.

4

You know what, I have a classmate who had her undergrad studies in Harvard University

5

Dad, let's have yogurt ice cream. And I'll tell you all about these things. :)

of testing the water and farming

Before classes started, it was like dipping and testing the water as I go to manila from time to time to do errands and requirements. Now, after a week of soaking myself in med school, I could not find the right words to express what this week means to me. I guess adjustment feels exactly like this. I feel like I'm still testing the water, but I no longer have my qualms or worries. I am getting more and more comfortable with my seat in med school as I say hi and hello to some of my classmates. The water is warm enough to feel the comfort of being with my classmates and being part of class 2014.

Making friends is one of the best ways to make my day.

on a different note...

I have never really involved myself in games and online games. I like to play computer games, but they never really get me hooked. Facebook has given a new dimension to my life. I'm enjoying this application in facebook called Barn Buddy. It's pretty simple, you plant seeds, water them, debug and fertilize so that they grow faster. You earn points by planting and by selling them you earn money. The goal is to go up the level because each level corresponds to a particular fruit or vegetable that you'll be allowed to plant. Now, some of your friends who are playing the same application may not only visit your farm, but they may water it, debug your plant, or on the bad side, they may put the bugs, weeds and even steal some of your harvest. It may seem like a pretty boring game because the plants take at least 3 hours to grow, and it's really not easy to wait for 3 hours just to harvest them right away, but the thing is, it's starting to be brought out of my cyber reality into the reality I wake up to every morning. These are three instances to describe it:

1
one morning at home:
k: kuya!!! why did you steal from my farm?!
h: hahaha
k: you're not supposed to steal! I've never stolen any harvest from anyone, much more from you!
h: it's just a game. play the game.

2
another morning at home:
k: good morning, kuya! check out your farm!
h: why, you stole from my farm?
k: no. i put bugs and weeds on your plants. hahahah.

3
in school
classmate: karen, your harvest is ready!

this barn buddy is becoming a serious conversation between me, my brother and my friends.

it just occurred to me, I wouldn't be surprised if kids these days one day tell their parents: "Mom, Dad, I want to be a farmer."

good vibes

all boxes were ticked today.

and today deserves an award of
Good Vibes

I got lost around Megamall, Ruby Drive, Magenta Road, Garnet Road
When I should be in Shangri-la, then to Pearl Drive, then to San Antonio Village
I was looking for house number 12
why, for some reason, house number 12 is either the one under construction
or the tallest building on that street which had its entrance not on that street
oh, but i should have been looking for house number 21.
but all is well,
i found my way after 5 times of going back and forth in one small street
asking direction from 5 different people.
I didn't have smaller bills in my wallet
So I got myself a cell card to get change
only to find out it's a free ride because of the holiday.
one passing empty train that did not stop for us; it was a skipping train.
i knew it was too good to be true
to have an empty train stop at Shaw MRT Station
but the next one got us in, and we were not too cramped up inside.
haha, yay.
good vibes.
coffee vibes, too.
dead's body.
what?
body's dead.
i'm sleepy but my fingers are still wide awake to type in.
eyes are droopy, though.
good morning :)
coffee, anyone?

Little Friends

the rain has been keeping my little friends from playing.
mr. sunshine, won't you show your face again?

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flickr photos (not mine)