Bidding Goodbye to Friends on a New Semester

    And a new semester again opens for us...but this time, sadness has finally sank.Twenty three (i think) of the friends left the premises of the workplace for something better or something "breather" for them. And in that 23 individuals are close friends who once in a while, i laughed my hearts out with, raged my anger with and cried my tears as well. I will remember these people who have made my work very seemingly "stress-free" and worthy of being looked forward each day.


              Like they say, nothing is permanent in this world...whatever you have now that makes you happy might not be there for you tomorrow. For us who are left, i look back to the reason for staying. I look back still seeing the same reason..the vocation to teach and the comfort of being with people you are happy with. But this reason is to be held real tight for it comes with a financial disadvantage, as much as we don't want to think about it.


                 But seriously, we are in a new semester hoping to give what is left with us to our students. We continue in our quest to mold young nurse individuals inspite of our own personal turmoils. I look at us and see friends that still make the workplace the best place for my persona. I don't entertain  negativism nomatter how strong they are and no matter how apt they are for the moment I do, it will cease everything I have held high for long.


    There will always be mixed emotions..now as juggled as ever. I see the same people, and a system bruised and struggling to stand.    


     I see a community with diverse values but wills to be united ..
     I see more people confused as ever but willing to finish the task ....
     I see traitors who mask identity to keep their places ......
     I see silent audiences who ignore and just work as hard as they can...
     I see a system bleeding but holding on to values it has always stood for...
     I see good people who brings out the best of what they can do no matter how complicated things are ....


      I see a community still faithful to their calling ...willing to battle with the hardships of the coming semester..willing  to overcome the differences that prevails..willing to forgive and extend help to each other.  I am in a community where everyone continues to complement each other to make the day efficient.


       With all the uncertainties of the new semester...we have no choice but to restructure our confidence and values...we just have to ....because this quest is not for us alone..it is for the students who put us in pedestals...who shapes their values by even merely looking at us.  It is for them who remains to be the strongest reason for us to stay and continue our vocation.


           We will miss the friends who have left the work place.. most of them made the faculty room as lively as ever. We will miss the hands that once in our lives, has held us up and raised our morals. We will miss them who made even the most worse and boring RLE rotation as lively as ever. We will miss them who we talk to out of nowhere just to enjoy the company. We will miss them who were once our allies in bullying others for fun. We will miss them who had great contribution in our competency as nurses, no matter how we deny it or not. This is a peculiar road we travel...and it's nice looking and knowing that we formed friendships along the way. 


       And with that...we bid them goodbye...and 'til we meet again.

      

NMEDA Makes Caregivers Give More Care

Being a caregiver is a tough job. One has to have utmost passion and patience in taking care of people who you don’t know personally. I have been a caregiver for 5 years and I could say that my contentment comes from the smiles manifesting comfort and glee from the patients I have given care. But this job is definitely not as simple as it seems. We, caregivers, see to it that our patients enjoy life in the best way they can which means seeing the world outside of their houses and their rooms. And with this, transporting our clients with disabilities is one of the biggest challenges we have. It is always a challenge to us how to keep them safe and comfortable without much exhaustion on our part.

I am glad that I heard about NMEDA which is a non-profit trade association of mobility equipment dealers, driver rehabilitation specialists, and other professionals dedicated to broadening the opportunities for people with disabilities to drive or be transported in vehicles modified with mobility equipment.  They make sure that people who have disabilities will be transported well and safely. It will help us deliver the best quality of care and safety to  our clients. They modify vehicle and equipment to make sure that we attend well the individual needs of our clients. They adhere to they’re statement that ‘Transportation is the key to freedom, NMEDA is the key to quality transportation.  I will be able to trust them more since they have  Quality Assurance Program (QAP) dealers which is the only recognized accreditation for the Adaptive Equipment Industry. This is an assurance that caregivers, like me, will be able to keep  our patients safe and comfortable when we transport them.  It is the best partner we have in delivering the best for our clients. Definitely the best for us.

Monday Renewal

       Duty last monday in the Emergency room has again posed some realizations about life. I had one patient dead on arrival an hour after i just timed in for duty. This wasn't new for me...but everytime i am in such situation, i always realize how easy our lives can be taken away from us.


       The person suffered a heart attack probably earlier the time he was found. Nobody noticed it since he looked like he was sleeping. Had he been sleeping on his back, it would have been obvious..but he wasn't. Not until somebody shook him hard to wake up and turned him around that it was known that a tragic thing had occurred.


       Life is short..and we don't know when it will be taken away from us. It's too short to live it   worthlessly. Now, i realize again that it's useless to be greedy, angry , bitter all the time. This is  what you realize much  when you look at a dead person's face.... that even  money will not be able to give back life once it gone. This will make you look back at all the things you have and people that surrounds you...then you begin feeling thankful to be able still to experience all of them.


       Living is always a choice and happiness is. It is always in us how to spend our lives. Life is short...but we wish to live for a long time for the people we love and who loves us. Love makes us want to live longer.
     
      I'm a renewed person again.

First Scratch

     Finally, i learned how to drive along the streets of the metro. So, this is what they say about the euphoria of driving..the sudden urge to pick up some speed...it was definitely tempting. But good thing, my superego was too controlling that i couldn't do it..at least not this time.


    I scratched my side today, while parking. Ugh. Wrong estimates this time and yet i chose a method I thought i was comfortable of. Good thing it was minor, but believe that i would have pursued since i didn't hear sound i imagined similar to such. Thanks to my mom who told me to stop/


    The feeling is weird. This everyday adventure i believe, trains you to be more responsive, more alert, highten some initiative and fast deciding...yup i always get much on what i venture in..and believe me, i can turn driving into something very noble (lol!).


     I have the feeling I am soon writing some "10 things" about it...funny, but probably will. Tomorrow is another day. Another venture and plot making on the streets again. I'll be ready for that again.

Ezine Articles

      Today I just got my approval from EZINE ARTICLES for the blog I submitted, "Ending It Sometimes is the Best Move: A Guide for Women About Men and Marriage." I just just got my EXPERT AUTHOR STATUS...and  it will appear on their high-traffic home page within 48 hours.


        They say when you create a blogsite, it should zoom down to a single topic or mood. This site is for my random thought, as fast at it changes and as fast as it locks in to something. The other website was on circles on human relationships, emotions and love in general..not deliberately yo be that.


      I smiled today, knowing that I qualified on something  internet writers engaged themselves with. I'm glad..inspired..ecstatic.

TATAK DAVAO

GALENGA TALAGA NIYA GYUD, UY! 

How can one distinguish a Davaoeno to a Cebuano? Or to a Cagayanon? Difficult? Easy.

Davaoenos are one of the most unique people in the world. We can easily stand out if we are placed in a crowd of Filipinos from other parts of the country. And how, you say?

Language.

Davao City, aptly called the melting pot of cultures, is home to many dialects. Tagalog, Cebuano, Ilonggo, Ilocano, Chavacano, Moslem, Bicolano. Name it, we’ll speak it. If the Filipino language is a composition of all the dialects and languages in the Philippines, you might as well say that the language we speak in Davao City is the real Filipino language, and not Tagalog. However, since it is a hodgepodge of different tongues, it is sometimes funny to hear our language "bastardizing", for lack of better word, the other dialects. Strangely, that distinguishes us from the rest. Try
these.

          In stating a fact, Manilenos say, "Talagang mabait si Weng." In Davao, we say. "Mabait bitaw gyud si Weng". Too assertive? One asks, "Ano nga `yong pangalan mo?". In Davao we say, "Ano gani `yong pangalan (or worst, ngalan) mo?". When somebody commits a mistake or surprises someone, we always never fail to say, "Halaka!". Duh. We are fond of re-constructing the language. 

           There’s the GI+ verb, such as,"Gisabi kasi ni Helen na mag-absent si Bernerd bukas", or "Ginanon ni Lalai si Belinda sa mukha". You’ll never find "ginanon" in any dictionary, I swear to God.

            There’s the KA+ adjective, as in, "Kaputi gyud ng mukha ni Yang-yang" or "Kapayat gyud ni Jason ngayon." The MAKA+verb form, such as, "Maka-inis talaga si Albert, uy!" or "Maka-uwi talaga ako ng matagal ngayon". 

            The NAG+ verb, as in,"Nagsabi kasi si Tita Prescy na pupunta daw tayo ng airport" or "Hindi pa man siya nagdating, uy!"

          Adding new words or new meanings to old words to the dictionary is one of our favorite past time.

         NAKIN: "Alam man nakin `yan ba!", "Saan  nakin kita nakita gani?". 

         KU-AN: "Ku- an daw ang gawin mo", "Si ku-an kasi ano masyado". (No sense at all.) 

         ANO: "Na-ano ka diyan, Bryan!", "Ano man yan si Van, uy!".

         HA: "Lake-ha na ng tiyan ni Lulu uy!", "Gwapa-ha niya uy!"
         BEH: "Sige daw beh, dare!", "Pakipasa daw ng ballpen ni Tzaris beh".
        KAY: "Huwag na, Wowie, kay nandito naman si Norma", "Umupo ka muna kay nasa-CR pa si Elma."

           To express disgust over someone, we utter, "Gago kaba diay para maniwala sa kanya", or "Ano man yan siya uy!", or "Maka-inis man yan siya, uy!", or when pestered when doing something, you’d quip,"Huwag lagi ba!" On
the other hand, when we praise somebody’s extra special deed or talent, our Davaoeno tongue slips words like,"Kuyaw lagi `yan siya!", "Galenga niya uy!", "Ayusa niya uy!", "Kuyawa ni Orly uy!" or "Hindi ako makatu-o
sa ginawa niya!" . Hay, makatawa talaga. Ooops!

          There are just so too many words to mention. Just check out the words you spew everyday.  Sometimes you just laugh at yourself when you realize that you’ve just said those very words. No matter how long you stay in Manila or in the States, the moment you’re back to Davao, your tongue feels as at home as you do. Language is the very soul of every being. You just can’t do anything about it. Or as how we say it,"Anohin man natin yan?"

**********

this is a repost from my friendster blogsite..a friend emailed it to me w/o knowing the author

One Goal.One Heart.One Nursing Team

            Yesterday, the college celebrated 'Nursing Day". It was one of those days you get to relax from a strenuous routine and just be happy. 

            I may not share the same sentiments with my colleagues, but it is in this time that I get to see the real personality of my students. I get to see the other gifts they possess. I get to again be in awe of the creativity they have. It is in these that i cannot help thinking again of my school days. We all had our chances, mine was the best for me..but for someone whose life majored in schooling, i get a pang of jealousy seeing a life infront of me whose only worries are the pressures of putting up a good entry in a competition.  

           I have had a lot of students..i have shared most of my professional life with them and gave a mountful of my heart as well. Seeing these students excel in another side of their lives is inspirational to me. Knowing some of students in the best ability they have ,sometimes more than their parents have seen, is an honor for me. It gives another meaning of living specially for me who still in my quest to make a family.These nursing students will always be unique in their own way.           
              The day was a celebration of life and blessings and the nursing course itself..it was a day to remember that we are ONE in heart...that we have ONE GOAL..and we are ONE TEAM out there to defend what we have. The presentations made gave me the idea that this batch will not be easy to beat. Even those classes i deemed underdogs in school presentations, had me speechless and jaw dropped proving me wrong. The essence of teamwork...the magnificence it brings and the impressions it breaks made a point very clear to me.

           I salute these students for having still the hearts of a warrior, an artist..and a nurse. It is when i see them that i forget the professional pressures and drama of my work...it is when i see them that I forget how struggling we are with what is laid for us ...it is when i see them that i smile and see what my worth is.

JULY 2010 PHILIPPINE NURSING BOARD EXAM PASSERS

JULY 2010 PHILIPPINE  NURSING BOARD EXAM RESULTS

Miss Raj, The Philippines and The Crabs

And the Filipino nation triumphed again after a hard fall as our beauty representative won over 83 other contestants across the universe as 4th placer. Indeed.  the victory of Ms. Raj is victory of our country.


Yes, we needed a miracle from the horrific tragedy that transpired a day before the pageant. We needed superheroes not to physically rescue us but to uplift our spirits. But those heroes live only in our minds, and not even the President was fast enough to make us cheer and smile again as we can continuous view footages of the hostage drama.


Ms. Venus Raj, made us forget even for a while our trauma. Whether we admit it or not, the anticipation of her quest made us focus on our assets and abilities as Filipinos  beyond the rest. And her inclusion to every category, made us proud of what we have..even what we look like. Pageants has always been bias...it has always been anchored to standards we are not born to live up..it has hailed physical features which we are never born with...but to be able to swim in those waters and emerge the best in their own grounds is something worth applauding. It's a competition...and it's not like, being one of them is perfection...but playing in their fields..defeating them in their own grounds is  one hell of a character. And as Filipinos, she proved that we are definitely a nation that can stand tall and proud with the rest of the nations.


The moments her name was called was the time all Filipinos were one in spirit. Yes,  we were so proud that we are who and what we are. I give her salute for being the hero every Filipino, across the universe, wanted so bad when other nations has blocked us from their grounds. If there was something else i could do for her rather than blog proud, trust me I would. It is not everyday that we see a nation bleed much and stand tall the next. 


This blog would have been something that recognizes her but NO, coz part of my thoughts zoom in to those CRABS i refer to each time we gain success or a fellow does. When do we learn to appreciate what one gets..without lambasting his/her weaknesses. What's the fuzz about the "MAJOR MAJOR"  answer? She might have had given a better answer, but what she gave was what she felt saying...it was an honest answer..maybe not enough to the judges, but it was for hers. Why don't we just let it be...yes we can notice but to actually react and seemingly condemn is absurd. You are the stupid person you are calling her. Pardon me for that.


Then if that line was said by another candidate, someone whose main language is English...i ask those crabs, "would you react the same way?" Poor crabs..always putting themselves in pedestals not knowing the more you react on the country's bet, the more you push  the country in bad light. It's funny how much they desperately push themselves into other culture where obviously they don't belong. Can you imagine a country whose own people criticizes their own candidate across all social networks, and worst on TV interviews?


I will never understand that. I remain proud of my heritage and my nation, no matter what condition it is in. It needs our help and those who have helped the country needs support as well. We can do that.. we can beat those crabs. We are our country's best support system. I  have high hopes that there are a lot still that the country can count on. I really do.

HOSTAGE DAY IS A SAD DAY FOR THE FILIPINO PEOPLE

          Yes, today was a sad day  for the Filipinos..when former Policeman Rolando Mendoza hostaged 22 tourists for his complain to be heard by the government...it was a sad day that  ended in a tradegy..it was a sad day that innocents died because of this selfish plea..

           I am a proud Filipino..i am proud of where i come from and the culture i am in...but these instances make me so mad knowing that there are Filipinos who neglect the value of life just to avenge what he has been stripped off.. my personal grief is beyond words. I am a nurse..i am trained to understand people's actions and expressions...I am trained to assess first before diagnosing....trained to look at the reasons first before judging...but since when do we halt judging a person who happen to kill innocent people for personal reasons.

         And now, we are again the topic of the world..once again we become the most notorious and dangerous persons to be with...that our country is not worth visiting again. No matter how absurd the travel advisories of other countries are..no matter how we defend that such is  AN ISOLATED case...no matter how we will defend it, it will pin us to the ground as a nation again. When there are a lot of Filipinos giving their best and putting their hearts out  to give glory to the country even in their own simple ways...their efforts are pulled again.... just when a new government starts to clean up the mess of history...another trash act is for them to clean. This is the day when our hearts and pride are put on a test...

           I am not a perfect being nor a perfect Filipino but all i know is that we have absolutely NO right to take away another person's life even how unfair and cruel  to us the world seem to be .... there will be absolutely no reasons that will make it  less immoral...no previous awards or compliments from others will  justify that.. It is inhuman to meanest sense of the word.

          I could have given that  policeman my sympathy , yes i could have supported him with all those rights and privileges he claims that  has been unjustly stripped from him . ..BUT  murdering those civilians whose main purpose was to experience the beauty of life is unacceptable .... all's left in me is disgust.

MADAYAW DABAW !!

DAVAO city celebrates KADAYAWAN this year...an annual celebration of thanksgiving for good harvest of the tribes in davao..and the blessed life of people in the city. 


The city has prepared a lot for this celebration. 

     Aug 8  - Agri Trade Fair ate SM Davao (ends on aug. 31)
                   -  Hulagway at Davao Museum
     Aug 14- 1st Mayor Inday Sara Duterte All - Women Aero Marathon
     Aug15 - The Best of Sayaw Mindanaw Showcase @ SM 
               - Photo Gallery of Davao City Prominent Icons @ Victoria Plaza
     Aug16 - PANAGTAGBO:MULTI-CULTURAL PERFORMANCES @NCCC 
                - KADAYAWAN TABO: MAG-NEGOSYO ‘TA FAIR TRADE @NCCC Mall
                  - Canon Photography Competition (ends at aug 22)
       August 17 - 9-Ball Billiard Tournament @ NCCC Mall
     
      August 19 - 14th Mindanao Trade Expo @ Central Bank
     August 20 - Kapuso star &  Hiyas ng Kadayawan at Almendras Gym
     August 21 - Indak-Indak sa Kadalanan 
     August 21 - Kapuso Mall Show at SM City Event Center, 4PM 

                    -  Kapamilya at Gaisano Atrium     
    August 22 - Pamulak Kadayawan Float Parade
   August 22- GMA joins Float Parade  (Claudine Barretto and Richard Gutierrez)
                     - S CENTRAL @ GMall 4:00 PM.
                     - KAPUSO NIGHT at GMall
                     - Katuwaan @ NCCC Mall
                     - Fun Run Kasaganahan at Kaunlaran @ Rizal Park
                     - Kite Festival @ Davao Coty Highschool
   August 28   - Faces 2010 Ball @ CAP Auditorium


     Parties: HUDYAKAAN: ON-THE-STREET FOOD AND ENTERTAINMENT @ Bolton St.
                 Tunog Mindanaw @ MTS Taboan


  Aside from the numerous activties, there are lots of fruits in all streets of the city..talk about durian, mangosteen, mangoes, lanzones, rambutan, pomelo. Feast your eyes  and your mouths to these! Come and enjoy our festivities! Madayaw Dabaw!

Pictures are from the official website of Kadayawan and Davao City Tourism

Thoracotomy and Enjoying Operating Rooms

         At last, i have been assigned to be in the Operating Room. It has been 5 months now, and for the many times i have been marveled and awed by what I witness, it is just now that i blogged. The many things one could just imagine, is right before my eyes. And it has been "usual" already but the existence of such faculties never cease to amaze me.


        Like last weeks surgery was Thoracotomy. But in the many instances that I have witnessed such, it has always left me dazzled how the human body can be opened, the patient's chest for that surgery, without damaging other vital organs. That , when the chest right cavity was opened (which made abdominal cavity visible as well), you could actually see  the liver, diaphragm rise and fall as  the patient breathes. 
         It was like choreography at it's finest but we're not talking of a dance...it's real teamwork. The anesthesiologist, surgeon, nurses and students were so fast and careful..a vital thing for survival of a patient who know and feel nothing of what is done to him.
        And that amidst the opening, incising, cutting, suturing..it returned to it normal form once again..and much important, to it's normal functioning. 
       O well, i maximize what i see everyday and learn from it. It will always interest me as long as i'm there.

CRABS at C-TRES Buffet

         We spent our weekend dinner at C-TRES Buffet restaurant. I wanted to treat them with my extra cash with one of the sought buffet restaurants in town, C-TRES Restaurant. They serve also unlimited delicious Crabs (fried). The other food served were also very delicious you wouldn't want to stop. I ate something like cordon blieu that was so tasteful that I didnt notice i filled my plate with it.


       The desserts for that night was also as good as the rest of the food. C-Tres is one best place to spend meals with families and friends. You can take your visitors and Davao will have a good impression with it.


         Try Dining at C-Tres which combines soothing elegant ambiance, good food and affordability ( P 299 per person). The dining experience will be truly extra-ordinary.

Driving Done Today

     I finally drove today on the busy streets of the city..it was fun and scary at the same time. I drove a Manual Vios sedan car today and i did wish i had one like that. I had more respect now with traffic rules and intelligent driving.


     I was beginning to control well my footwork today. Then I was able to understand engines and the way they sound. It was funny knowing that all my life I have been a nurse listening to patients and students..now i'm listening to the agony of the engines. But it helped that the anxiety rushed my ability to pick-up things. Good thing, my teacher driver was so nice and very patient. He could take in the many instances was accidentally releasing my clutch.


    All in all, i realized I could make it. I was no different than the other females i deemed dainty but was able to understand the complexities of driving. I was like them, I could make it.  I'm glad with that

Driving Jitters

Im about to start driving class tomorrow, and no matter how I think of it as an easy task to accomplish, I still have butterflies on my stomach. Will I be able to follow the instructions? Will I be able to sustain the pressure? Will I be able to calculate my speed. This is like taking midterm exams back in college.


But whatever it is, I have to believe  that I can do it. I have been reading books about positive thinking and power of thinking, maybe I can use them tomorrow. I just have to remember that there were other girls who seemed can't make it but they did, so I wouldn't be any different.


I wonder if the rest of those who took driving felt what I do now?Or maybe I'm just too emotional? So me.

MORE THAN BLOGGING

   I have always loved writing and often blogs about almost everything that I like and I find fascinationg. I recently signed up with SocialSpark in my interest for online paid blogging. My friends told me about this and  not only they were able to meet new friends, they were also able earn enough to finance their education and help their parents.

     I’d like to earn from doing what I love doing  and that’s blogging. And as soon as I browsed the whole of SocialSpark, I just knew that I found my opportunity.  I signed up without hesitation and the process was definitely easy. But I was wondering if someone who doesn’t have  a website can register an account. As I browsed everything on its page, it got more interesting and challenging. It was more than just interest for me, it was learning as well.

     Then I discovered SocialSpark has  a lot of members, who I share the same interest.  The thought of meeting them and exchange views perhaps, excites me. I’d love to take some points from those who has been really long in this and learn from  their experience. Blogging  shows the type  of person you are.

    I am at my best when I am happy with what I’m doing. I’d like to explore  the rest of SocialSparks. It has been consistently interesting for me. Now I have my account made easily, I am ready to do some blogging. Ciao! 

VILLA DE MERCEDES in DAVAO

It's like paradise in here..reminded me of a little part of boracay and palawan..(my brother says it's like batangas)...it's a perfect get-away for couples, friends and families...for people who would want to relax and enjoy the calmness of paradise.

The place is a 30minute ride from metro but trust me, the place is breathtaking..it's a beautiful resort at the center of a very well crafted subdivision...you can just go there for a day or overnight. The food and coffee is fabulous not to mention to mention the friendly staff who is ready to assist you.
The resort is open from mondays to sundays, 6am until 10pm. For those who would want to stay overnight, there are big huts provided for families located in a part near the resort. The place is good for children since there are amusement games and structures for them. The smell of fresh air in this place is priceless.

IT IS  paradise..one that i can brag about Davao.