Round Up

The Telephone

When it rings, it brings silence to the entire quarters. Everyone's crossing their fingers as if they're wishing not to be the next on a firing squad. When they're not being called, you can see a clerk's eyes shine. When they're wanted, you can see a poker face marching out of the room. 

*******

I was disheartened by a patient's watcher's comment regarding a fellow Meranao doctor practicing in Marawi City. Apparently, this patient transferred to our facility here in Iligan City because they felt the doctor was incompetent. But the statement "kagiya a Meranao" (because Meranao) referring to that doctor infuriated me. Why? Is it because that doctor is a Meranao makes him incompetent? I hate people making comment and dragging the race, as if that watcher isn't a Meranao herself. That's the problem with people with crab mentality. I don't believe that that doctor they're referring to is incompetent, because no specialist isn't confident with his management. Each doctor who underwent training in a specific field and has earned his diplomate or fellowship has an excellent rationale in every step that he does. They, the patient and her watchers just didn't listen to his management because they didn't believe in him all because he's a Meranao...just like them. Urgh. The power of crab mentality. I cannot blame brilliant Meranaos who don't practice in their homeland. 

*******

I bumped into a friend along the hospital hallway whose father is undergoing twice a week hemodialysis due to renal failure. He was smiling while I was inquiring about his father's disease. He told me his father's okay now although he doesn't actually look okay. He's using a staff to aid his walking, a surgical mask for reverse isolation and his color is that of a person with renal disease. I forgot the medical term for that, something that looks like a mix of bronze and dark bluish, something like magenta. Anyway, the pain behind his sincere smile pierced through me. I so wanna hug him tight if not only for a plenty of audience scattered all over. I cannot imagine the pain when you know that a loved one is undergoing a painful terminal disease and that anytime, he can be taken away. I admire family members who stay beside a loved one who is sick, that's so stressfull---emotionally and financially draining. But that's the beauty of family and that's the true meaning of "staying through thick and thin".  I pray for his father's early recovery (I believe in miracles) and I pray for good health for everyone especially for my family. 

*******

The Staple Food

Thank you Jollibee for providing us our un-healthy meals especially during Saturdays when the hospital canteen is closed. I've gained a significant amount of weight all throughout my Pedia rotation. I can't seem to fit in my uniforms. I hate feeling this way but I loooovvee eating. So much.

*******

And lastly, I've been fantasizing about this man the entire week. Okay, I lied. For more than a year now. :D

Biente Cinco

How can one person forget about his OWN birthday?

So it just happened to me. I totally went oblivious of the day when I should stop counting my age. Thanks to good friends who cannot forget my day, their SMS reminded me the moment the clock hand strike 12 mn. My mind was far from anticipating my birthday  due to the obvious busy-ness of my so-called life that time seemed to slip by unnoticed. I didn't even plan a birthday dinner/lunch like I used to. No fireworks, no bouquets, no harana, no birthday cake, nothing. I was at the hospital on the midnight of November 6, waiting to catch an infant  from her mother. I was particularly at the NICU partying with these cute little angels. :)

I totally didn't expect anybody to remember my day. I myself forgot about it, much more other people. However, there are certain people who unexpectedly remembered my day and it doesn't matter if FB did some little contribution. Special mention goes to Dr. FNC, the first person to send me a birthday greeting through SMS. He was the one who made me aware of my birthday. I was sitting at the NICU when I received his text and in an instant, I felt Cinderella-like when I turned my head on the wall clock the moment it strike 12 midnight. Haha!! Tsk, no prince charming for me though. Next, is my buddy co-mean clerk (you wouldn't want to imagine how mean we can get when the four of us, TP, SB and JEL are together!!), who exerted maximal effort in preparing a tray of sweets for me that greeted my morning. So sweet of her. :)

I saved the SNICKERS for myself and shared the rest to those who haven't had their breakfast yet.

And then everybody chorused a happy birthday song for me at the quarters. Hence, I felt obliged to buy a gallon of ice cream. Hahahah!! Kidding!!

Double Dutch and Very Rocky Road and COLGATE flavored Ice Cream. Perfect for a minty day!!

Uy sandali, kantahan niyo muna ako!!! Birthday ko kaya!!

Self-timer. Ignore the abubots. 

Some Pedia residents shared the day with me. Thank you Doc M for the little gift. :)

Biente Cinco. Twenty Five. Mid-twenties.

What is expected of you when you reach this age?

I don't know.

We live in a society that one's age is associated with his accomplishments, and I am guilty of belonging to those people who measure their lives by the achievements they acquired at a certain age. I am in fact a year lagging because I estimated to graduate from medicine at 24, hence, I should be on my internship now but somewhere along the road I faltered. And at 25, there are so many things I am learning that I should have learned before. Things I should have done or experienced before but I didn't have the courage to do so. However, it doesn't matter to me at all. The important thing is I have goals I am determined to reach at a certain age. In God's time, InshaAllah.


And oh, look whose birthday is two days ahead of mine? My very boyfriend Choi Seung Hyun!!

Happy Birthday, too, LOVE! :) 

Big Time

Whatever I will be in the future, I want:

1. No make-up look (as opposed to the photo below). A radiant skin and a glowing smile are enough to be called beautiful. That, if you have the confidence. The thing is, I hate being self-conscious whenever I dab some make-up on. I cannot freely rub my eyes because of fear my eyeliner, eyeshadow or mascara might wear off resulting to  raccoon-eyes. That heavy feeling on the face. Ugh. Hence, I stopped putting on since the start of clerkship and I feel lighter. And I noticed, most doctors I met don't wear any makeup AT ALL and boy, how pretty are they. 

2. Simple but expensive wardrobe. Harhar. Yeah, I wanna keep it simple but I'm gonna make sure they're not bought  from just anywhere. I don't like too much bling-blings too. Few accessories are enough. When you're already a Somebody, you don't need too much statement to attract attention. Your presence already does. *winks*

I particularly like this look: simple, elegant and glamorous. I'm beginning to imagine myself in this suit!!

3. I'd repeat it over and over again. I want to travel to see the world, expand my horizon, see for myself what was just printed on books or seen in the movies, learn cultures, taste new foods and meet new people. Other than Asian countries, I want to see the Eiffel Tower for myself. There's plenty of historical sites in the world that deserves more praising but The Eiffel really charmed me---the sturdy foundation, the lofty height and history itself.

4. Books. I never told my mom yet, but I want a bookshelf for a wall. Get the picture? Imagine a bed in the middle of a library. That's how I want my room to be like. :D 

I didn't include a house or a car in my list because seriously, they're not on my priority list. They're things that I need not buy for myself. You know what I mean. :))

How about you, when you become A Real Freakin' Big Time, what do you want?

The Becoming

"Why do you want to become a doctor?"

This is an essential and vital question being asked upon entering med school. I remember sticking to my truthful answer: because it's my lifelong dream. I may haven't known the rough road towards reaching it, all I know at that present moment was how much I wanted to become one. I didn't said anything heroic like helping the community or to become rich to help my family (because certainly, one doesn't get rich in the medical profession), or making the world a better place. Frankly, those were never my intentions. Being not a member of The Social Liability Club is already a contribution in making this world a better place, at least for me. Sure I do know that taking med school seriously means reading and re-reading mountain loads of medical books and locking yourself away from the wordly things, but I never had an inkling as to how the clinics go. Sure we were told that being on call means stopping whatever you're doing, including sex, and attend to patients. Easier said than done, eh? Now I have a hard time staying awake and pushing myself to the ER when an admission comes. It occurred to me how naive I was about a real doctor's life---how much time he sacrifices for his profession. The responsibilities a doctor is shouldering---to the humanity, to his colleagues and to medicine itself. During my me-times, I cannot help but wonder. Had I known the difficulty of going into the clinics, the hurly-burly world that is embedded in the medical profession, would I plunge into this? I probably would have considered another profession. But what?

I don't wonder why many doctors opted to become single for life. If one doesn't perfect the art of time management, then he shall choose between his profession and his personal life (read: getting married and having children). And most toughies I know opted the former. Honing a doctor's skills requires a long time, you don't stop when you earn your license. Being just a mere general practitioner puts you in the lowermost rank in the medical world. The only difference you have with a clerk or an intern is a piece of paper called license. You still have to undergo years and years of training to acquire that great status of being on the top hierarchy--- consultant. And when you become one, you realize how much personal time you've missed. 

I cannot think of anything that suits me best. I loved what I'm doing from the very beginning. But probably when all the energy and physical strength are exhausted and being put under too much pressure, it gets the best of us and we wanted to evaporate from the current boiling situation. At the end of the day, being a doctor is my cup of tea. This is my first love and we don't get easily unattached from our first love, right? If I haven't had the concrete answer on that very first question asked when I entered med school, probably  I can picture out everything in place now that I am towards the finish line. I want to make a difference. And plunging  into the medical profession, no matter how hard it seems, is my own way of achieving that difference I wanted. :) 

P.S.

I'm seriously in-love with Pediatrics I feel bad that we only have two weeks left in the department. :(

[ai-sha]

This is the best music video with the best lyrics from the most gorgeous band. EVER. :)

Hi, I'm Aisha.

Now you know why. :)

Also, Isam Bachiri is one of the most handsome men walking on earth. :)

*swoons*

All Things Hearty

I discovered all these photos through her blog, which are actually from here. We're four months away from the love month but I just feel like sharing. :)

FLING. That school crush that makes you smile every time he passes by. So highschool-ish but one of my fondest memories ever. 

It's heartwarming seeing people in-love. I just don't fit in that picture. 

Probably because that person hasn't come into existence in my life yet. Only God knows when. LOL. In other words, ipinapasadiyos ko na.

It never really began. But it happened. Case closed. 

Now here, I can perfectly put myself into. But, it's over now. 

From that, I learned. 

P.S. 

Drunken Fontanelles

In the newborn physical examination sheet, I described the infant's anterior and posterior fontanelles as "neither sunken nor drunk  bulging". I doubt if any pediatrician could imagine how a drunken fontanelles look like. But a drunken clerk? Certainly they can. Yakult-drunken clerk. 

I learned today:

Acronyms/shortcuts must not be used in writing orders. For instance: BF with AP which means breastfeeding with aspiration precautions can also mean breastfeeding with attending physician, or the more obvious, boyfriend with attending physician. LMAO. 

Day Off

Everybody in my circle of friends (and family members too) outside the med world knows how difficult it is for someone like me to have a "real good time". You know, that laid back afternoon without thinking of anything hospital or school-related. Going out and chit-chatting without chasing the time, forgetting about getting up as early as 5:30 am the next day to be able to catch the morning rounds. Oh, that laid-back and relaxed life. After 2 weeks of rotating in the Pedia ER, OPD and Ward, I started my one-week NICU rotation last Monday and boy, was it helluva week!! I have been the most toxic(-est), yes, with all that superlatives, NICU clerk in the entire Class of 2011. Or so I think? But nobody among my classmates have experienced yet what I have been through. It's the childbirth peak season because counting back to their age of gestations, these kids were most probably made during the winter days---DECEMBER. Now I must admit, I'm a NICU patient magnet. :( I had the most number of admissions, most number of CS babies, most number of neonatal resuscitations, most number of preterm/pathologic babies, I also have babies with Down syndrome (I have two) and another one with Apert syndrome. And oh, I also have outborn cases: neonatal pneumonia, probable Hirschsprung disease, hemorrhagic disease of the newborn (na may pakapin na cephalhematoma), neonate with clavicular and ulnar fracture secondary to birth trauma (I'm contemplating of brachial plexus palsy for this patient). Considering I'm the ONLY NICU clerk, figure out how I try to make both ends meet. Chasing after mothers' pregnancy history and babies' physical examinations including Ballard scoring, left and right referrals in addition to hide-and-seeking game with the residents. I can only laugh. Yes, laugh. Delving into self-pity won't help so better laugh it off. 

Baby boy Manoza. It was love at first sight!!

Since today is a Saturday, we're only to spend half-day of duty. I feel like a bird freed from a cage, literally. Carrying my "luggage" (bags filled with scrub suits, books and essentials of a clerk from a 24-hour duty), I went to a parlor to pamper my overworked nails. After a little while, my phone rang. It was Bit-bit, my highschool friend who's from Saudi and is on a vacation. She asked if I have a vacant time to go out with some of our other friends for a late lunchdate. My eyes sprung out of its socket and I immediately affirmed. I changed from my worn out and stinky uniform to a more appropriate wardrobe and off I went. I terribly miss my girlfriends.

At Fontina with Sham, Bit, Soh and Timos. Great food, great company.

Bit. We've been friends for more than a decade now. 

Goodies from Bit, all the way from KSA. Prayer mat and hijab. Thanks girl!!

Great things occur during ordinary days. We don't know what happens next so it's important to cherish every single moment of our lives even it feels like hell. Sooner or later, hell days will be gone and will replaced with heavenly days. Just endure it with grace and calm, it will soon pay off. InshaAllah. :)

A Dose of PFC

Six full months glided by unnoticed. Having finished two clinical rotations (surgery and OB-GYN) and community medicine, we're halfway to finishing medical clerkship!! Whoah! Another blink of an eye and we're done, InshaAllah. Clerkship is not just about learning the disease processes in actual setting, for me, it is more about learning to mingle, adjust and deal with all different kinds of people. For the first three years of med school, we are mostly confined in the four corners of the room discussing what is it out there in the hospitals. Reading and re-reading our books alone and an occasional glimpse of patients. Until clerkship officially started, we wouldn't know what it is really like out there. It is a harsh environment, I tell you, and three full years in med school is not sufficient enough to get fully prepared of what's to come. As if everyone is awaiting, possessing that urgent desire to grill and roll you in the dust. However, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. We emerged  unscathed. Alhamdulillah. For the past six months, clerkship taught me to cultivate three important traits.

PATIENCE

All my life I believed that I was patient enough to handle all kinds of pressure blowing from all varieties of people I stumble upon. I believed I was well-adjusted and pliant enough. Until all the physical and intellectual fatigue accumulated, I felt like bursting, screaming, ranting and weeping like a baby. I was at the brink of deterioration. I blamed some undesirable people who unjustifiably wanting to make our lives miserable as a form of revenge of what might take place in the future. Knowing that outrageous actions won't help which might even contribute to some demerits, the best thing to do is holding back the tongue to avoid nasty, irrevocable words. Calm down and ask for guidance to the Almighty to help you think the next best thing to do. 

FAITH

Every single day in the hospital is an unexpected and unplanned scenario. Nobody knows what's gonna happen next, no options are presented but quick actions and equanimity are required. One has to trust his instinct and just have faith that everything's gonna be okay. With faith, that feeling at the end of the day as you go out of the hospital premises without toxic patient left in the ward, or without ER or ward death at your 24-hour watch is superb!!

COMPASSION

ALL patients--rich or poor--share something in common: pain. They're not whiny attention-seeker brats but are in great need to relieve discomfort they're feeling. And if there's another thing I understand, watchers are not getting any OA but they're somebody's loved ones who care utterly and would entirely give anything to free their dearest from the pain. To be able to manage a patient effectively, one has to put himself in the patient's shoes. The way you want to completely relieve your discomfort is exactly the way your patient does want it.

For the next six months, I pray that I may apply these things I learned about myself as well as apply and master the medical theories I have learned and will continue to be learning. I also pray that the relationship I have with the people around me will continue to be healthy and constructive rather than destructive. I am trying to make my everyday life in the hospital a fun and memorable learning experience so that one day, as I look back, residual happy memories that paints a beautiful smile will come flashing on my mind. 

REALIZATION: We're halfway through clinical clerkship!! Alhamdulillah. Pediatrics, Internal Medicine and Ancillary then we're done. Six more months to go!!

Pintados

Last night, my friends and I decided to go to Mugna for the last stretch of our Community Medicine rotation as we will be plunging into the hospital officially starting on Monday for Pediatrics. Mugna is a mini-carnival set up only during the Dinagyang Festival here in Iligan City which will be on the last week of September. All throughout my med school years here in this city, I've never involved myself for the fiesta. Most likely because I used to lock myself in my room and take advantage of the spare time to advance on my readings. Talk about not having a life. Now this time, before I leave the portals of this city I thought of experiencing things that I can reminisce when the batch reunion comes. There's so many things one can see at Mugna, there are ukay-ukay and DVD shops, the rides (er, not the EK or Disney-type rides you were imagining), some carnival games like shooting and toss-a-coin, illusion make-believes (which we figured right then and there was all mirror tricks!!), food stands (read: balut and mani), and lovers smooching around. Mugna is a place to satisfy our shallow alter-egos. Since I want something that will remind me of last night, I had my dorsal foot impulsively painted with henna tattoo!! 

This is the wild child in me talking!! Yeah, I do crazy stuff like having my upper ear lobe pierced only because my Taiwanese pop star crush has many piercings!! Which reminds me of him when we were making our scrapbook and found a photo of him in one of the pages of a magazine dated seven years ago. I can't help but cut it out and paste it near my photo. I hope my groupmates didn't notice!! Harhar!!

KEN ZHU!! I haven't had an update about him for ages!!

This is my most favorite page in our ComMed scrapbook. I love its sunshiny and balloon theme!! Of course, I made it. Heehee. :)

Goodbye Community Medicine. You've taught us unity, cooperation, patience, compassion and you've strengthened and deepened the friendship among the group. Our two-month immersion is an unforgettable one. Thank you, Purok 6 Tambacan for playing a significant role in our med school years. :)

Group Four Clerks at the Brgy. Tambacan Health Center

The Roads Less Traveled

I believe each and every person has a dream career. Others maybe fortunate to be living their dreams, some are still trudging the rough road towards it, while others may still be under the tree dreaming and waiting until the fruit falls effortlessly straight into his mouth. I belong to the second category hopeful that in a few hundred days, I'd be on the first category poking stethoscope and doling out meds. However, I have secret dream careers that made me that person described in the third category. I only dream about it because doing something to make it into a reality is ridiculous. Nevertheless, I don't lose hope and truth be told, the images of me doing these things won't stop flashing over and over in my mind. :)

1. A Travel Show Host 

Photo courtesy of Google. This is the heading of ABS-CBN's travel show.

How marvelous it is to be traveling with an all-expense paid trip!! It wouldn't feel like working plus you get to see spectacular sights, taste saliva-inducing foods, experience staying at some five-star hotels, enjoy the luxury of being treated as VIP and of course being enviably seen on TV all for free!! Haha! I know it's not gonna happen to me, UNLESS, I'll launch my own travel show. Which means, I'm gonna be the one to pay for everything!! Argh, not a good idea.

2. A Model

Photo courtesy of stylecovered.com

This probably must have resulted from too much reading teen magazines way back high school 'til undergrad and now fashion blogs. Now, getting thin seems like an impossible dream for me including growing a few inches taller too. Ouch. But I love looking at muslim fashion blogs like that photo above. It reflects that modeling and fashion is not all about showing too much skin. Perhaps, if I take my dieting seriously then I can create my own fashion blog too which might launch me a career!! Haha! Find that ridiculous? Yeah, me too. But hey!! That kinda ignites an idea in here.

How about you, if you're allowed to take a slight detour, what would that be?

The Swan

One of my childhood fascination was ballet. I loved how ballet dancers gracefully move their body like a perfect swan. With every turn of their body, swaying of their arms, and the stretching of their legs all the way to their toes brings admiration to my feisty eyes. The ballerina's slim and slender figure which perfectly fits their outfit adds to my adoration. Like any fantasizing little girl, I wanted to be like them. However being a Muslim in a Meranao society, that is outrageous and I knew it will never come true. But I'd be very honest to say that I still dream about it. Probably I will never become one as my bones hardened already, with every turn and twist might cause me fracture but my future little girls can have all the chance to dance ballet as long as their hearts are into it. And I would be very happy to accompany them to their rehearsals and performances. :)

Photo courtesy of google.com.

Behind Those Rusty Bars

From inside the jail.

The City Health Office tapped us yesterday morning to perform a physical examination among the convicts who will be transported to a bigger jail in Davao City. They were proven guilty of their charges, hence, the transfer. Among them was Amir (not his real name), who was allegedly charged with carnapping. I did some little chit-chat regarding his case while listening to his lungs and heart, taking his BP and in between asking health-related questions. Apparently, he was accused along with a companion who was killed by the plaintiff's camp. He's been here for two years already. He's married with four children, the eldest being seventeen, under the care of their mother at a certain province in Lanao del Sur. His family seldom visits him probably due to the distance. I asked if they are informed of his transfer, he bowed and shake his head. Tears welled up in his eyes trying not to break down, I asked something else to prevent him from being emotional. The expression on his face pierced my heart, as if he has been forgotten due to the shame and humiliation he brought to the family the moment he stepped inside the jail. He's going to suffer for the next seventeen years of his life behind the bars at a place hundred miles away from his loved ones. I cannot imagine the excruciating pain his family experiences with his absence. Such mishap will forever mark in their hearts. 

While it is good that justice is being served, we should be reminded that criminals are human beings too who should enjoy equal rights. If not for psychiatric condition, they must have done the act due to excessive need such as poverty. I hope the victims are vindicated now and may the criminal serve as an example to the rest of the members of his family they they must not emulate.

(L-R): Abby, Ate Agnes, Dr. Glenn Manarpaac, Sheng, Jhalil. Me at the back.
Taken at the Office of the Warden

PROJECTION.

It's when you assume and one hundred percent positive that other people committed the same mistakes that you did and told the same lies that you said. Probably because you can hardly admit to yourself your mistakes, much less realize that you're the only person who did those. Until you cannot resolve your repressed issues, you try to drag other people in the mud so you won't be left alone badly stained, or so you think. And then you try to cover your stinky lies with sugarcoated ones. Your lies cannot contain themselves, they bulge but people are not blind to not notice. 

And voila!! You're the talk of the town.

Congratulations for your ill-gotten fame!

I pity you. I'm sorry. 

Meeting An "Old" Friend For The Second Time.

We meet friends on the road of life, we meet them as early as the moment we learned to crawl. They could be our neighbor, our classmate in school, a family friend, a colleague, an org-mate, someone we sat beside the bus, or someone we've heard their names of. We befriend people we met in person. However in the 21st century, we can have virtual friends---those we meet through SMS or through the world wide web. Haven't tried the former though, but gaining friends online didn't hurt. When the social network Friendster's popularity was at its summit, I gained plenty of friends including from outside the Philippines especially there were very few "real friends" of mine who had an FS account then when I first joined the social network. Then, I started blogging more than five years ago and gained some readers, some were "real friends" some were new. Blogging allowed me to share bits and pieces about myself even to strangers, and reading theirs too made me feel like we've met a long, long time ago. The world is indeed so small because little did we know that those people we met online can somehow be related to us by blood or can be a friend's friend. 

Just like Nimai, I met her through my Multiply account. I remember when she first added me, I thought she was my friend Ni'ma because aside from the rhyming of their names, her thumbnail photo has some resemblance with my friend. When I read her page, turned out she's a whole different person I never knew. Like I said, it doesn't hurt to meet new people so we read each other's entries. We dropped comments at each other, found some common interests and common friends as well. Until I learned we exist in the same city as she's an accountancy major in MSU-IIT. This girl don't just have a pretty face but she has a brain that totally rocks!! Late last year, she went to the States for a short course through the Global Undergraduate Exchange Program. Prior to that, she borrowed a book from me (The Zahir) and that was the first time that we met and had a short talk. It was a very brief meeting as we were both in a hurry. Then she flew to the United States. She came back last June but I wasn't able to arrange a date since that was my OB-GYN days at GTLMH. Earlier this week, she tweeted me and asked about my vacant time and pronto! we set the time and place!! We had a long conversation like we were old friends!! 

Iftar at Peek 'n Berry. Not until we noticed that the restaurant was closing on us, we wouldn't stand to finally go home. :)

She returned my book added with extra post card from Massachusetts and an antibacterial hand sanitizer from VS, which I think of just keeping and not using. :)

This is what she wrote on the card.

You're so welcome Nimzy!! My bookshelf is open for you (feeling ko rin marami akong libro eh 'no? LOL.) You know you're awesome!! InshaAllah, we can achieve our dreams. Go rock the world, girl!!

On the other hand,

My buddy Juey, who is also a great fan of Jane Austen and her book Pride and Prejudice, got her attention caught by this book. She lend it to me. So I guess I gotta fast-read this one as I need to get back to my med books. We'll be saying hello to Pediatrics in two weeks' time, hence, I gotta make the most out of my "vacaye" days. :)

An Ode to My Alma Mater

                                        

A university smacked on top of a mountain in a land forgotten by many yet enveloped by controversies. That is Mindanao State University (MSU), which binds people of the south regardless of race and religion, coming together in search for knowledge. This was established with the aim of becoming a center of excellence not only in teacher education, science and technology but also in tourism, arts, sports and social sciences as well. This was the answer to the clamor of the Mindanaoans who cannot afford to send their children to universities in the capital regions. The Philippine government, with the help of Muslim political leaders and educators, granted them this university which offers quality education at par with those in Manila area. For the past 49 years, MSU has produced excellent students, board topnotchers, and community leaders who made a name in their respective fields. Proud MSUans have spread all over the globe bearing the name of their alma mater. 

I am a proud product of this university, the university where I grew up, where I found friends, which sheltered my family, which provided me knowledge that will equip me in my chosen profession. It's an honest thing to say that MSU had made me who I am today and what I will be in the future. I went here from kindergarten until med school and looking back, I can proudly say that I was never behind education-wise with other universities. Therefore it is but proper to give back to the institution who made me the person I am. Hopefully, when I become a licensed physician, I will render my service through teaching either in MSU-College of Medicine or MSU-College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. I would be very happy to educate future physicians and inspire them to do the best that they can. I believe that teaching doesn't only end to the first hand students, but the knowledge that one shares transverse to the generations that follow.

Tomorrow is the 49th Foundation Day of my alma mater and it is a tradition of our college, the College of Medicine, to travel up in Marawi to join the celebration. After the parade, we will go back here in Iligan for a motorcade honoring the recent August 2010 Physician Licensure Exam board passers. More power MSU!! Continue spreading the value of education among the youth, Allah bless your existence!!

Hello there, newbie!!

As I sat in front of my laptop drooling over pretty muslim fashion statements, the act of creating a new blog precipitated. It's like one of those random boring days when there's nothing left to do but scribble down unknown characters and figures. And this is the product of a dull-despite-the-piles-of-books-awaiting nights. 

Unlike my old blog, now I can't believe I'm calling it old, this one shall contain deeper thoughts and ideas. Ever since medical concepts sank into me, I think I lost some important impressions that shape my moral, spiritual, and intellectual being. I reckon that focusing on a particular object or goal without creating balance has its own disadvantages, it moves away other vital pieces that makes one human. And when one is in a world full of complexities, one tries to simplify things by delving on the surface, seeing right through the shallow portion disregarding the roots where every single idea sprouted from. And I'm afraid to say that that just happened to me. I dread to wake up finding myself living my dreams yet I lost the vital pieces that make me me---my opinions about matters of consequence.

Hence, this blog is all about resurrecting my goals, digging on my wishes and dreams and remembering lost memories. This is about untangling my neurons and rehydrating my cerebrospinal fluid. Everyone is free to leave their comments and start brainstorming!

Percy Jackson and the Olympians

Rating:	★★
Category:	Books
Genre:	Literature & Fiction
Author:	Rick Riordan

This is not the kind of book you want to read if you want an action-packed fiction. This is more highschool-ish, ka-level ng Twilight. Because it is based on Greek mythology, which for me is very interesting, it has no originality. It has a modern, hip, urban style heroic effects. Imagine Poseidon wearing beach shorts and floral printed shirts, or Ares in a rugged pants, leather jacket and a red bandanna on his head. Or, the wine god Dionysus telling you "Whatever". And this Percy kid who's a demigod, he's dyslexic and is having an ADHD. He doesn't impress me much. I'm already on the third book and I can see the same trend, one of Percy's friends is hold captive and he'd come to the rescue, he fights handful of monsters incorporated using Riptide and he'll triumph. Very predictable. But I'm reading it mostly because I want to know how this team of demigod teenagers fight Kronos in the end, and I'm waiting for some possible twists of the story along the way. Nothing beats The Lord of the Rings for an action-packed, heart racing, and mind boggling read.

Nokia 5530 Xpress Music

Rating:	★★★★★
Category:	Computers & Electronics
Product Type:	Cell-phones
Manufacturer:	Nokia

After four long years, I finally got a new phone!! Yay!! My plan was only to buy an iPod for my music cravings while on duty but I thought it'd be wiser to buy a phone which can store more music, videos and of course WiFi! I'm still using my old phone though coz for one, it hasn't worn out yet. It's functioning perfectly even with all those scratches and even if it has dropped approximately 100x already since I bought it. Second, I have no plans of using a new SIM because I hate copying numbers from one phone to another. And thirdly, I'm still in the process of getting to know a touch screen phone. LOL!! I'm still figuring out how I can store e-books in it. Anybody? Also, I'm thinking about buying a Smart SIM for family purposes. I like Nokia because of its user-friendly features which cater to a less techy person like me. Alhamdulillah for this new blessing. :D