First, some of us survived being born to mothers who did not have an OB-Gyne and drank San Miguel Beer while they carried us.

While pregnant, they took cold or cough medicine, ate Linunod, balikutsa, bukhayo and didn’t worry about diabetes.

Then after all that trauma, our baby cribs were made of hard wood covered with lead-based paints, ang uban kay duyan nga habol gihigtan ug pisi nga inigtabyog ug kusog ma pakong intawon ta sa bongbong.

We had no soft cushy cribs that play music, no disposable diapers (lampin lang sa General Milling nga naa’y faded picture nga nag-salute), and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, no kneepads, wala pa gyu’y break ang bisikleta.

As children, we would ride in hot un-airconditioned buses with wooden seats (Bisaya Bus nga pultahan puros ang kilid, Corominas Bus nga senimana ang brake), or cars with no airconditioning & no seat belts (karon kay Minibus na nga nindot kaayo ug sounds or Ceres Bus nga bugnaw ug aircon)

Riding on the back of a carabao on a breezy summer day was considered a treat. (karon; ang mga bata wala na kaila ug Kabaw).

We drank water from the garden hose and NOT bottled mineral water sa Nature Spring or Viva, or Absolute Mineral water (usahay gani, straight from the faucet or poso or Tabay!)

We shared one soft drink bottle with four of our friends, and NO ONE actually died from this or contacted hepatitis.

We ate rice with star margarine, bahaw nga gibutangan ug asin ug mantika sa baboy, drank raw eggs straight from the shell and drank soft drinks with real sugar in it (dili diet coke or Pepsi Max), but we weren’t sick or overweight kay…

WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!!

We would leave home in the morning and play all day, and get back when the streetlights came on. Syatong, Bato-Lata, Bagol, Dakop-Dakop, Tago-Tago, Ngita’g Kaka.

No one was able to reach us all day ( wala pa’y uso ang cellphone) . And yes, we were O.K.

We would spend hours building our wooden trolleys (katong bearing ang ligid) or Karitong Kawayan nga karaang tsinilas ang giporma nga ligid and then ride down the street , wala ma’y gidungog nga naligsan atoh! After hitting the sidewalk or falling into a canal (sewage channel) a few times, we learned to solve the problem ourselves with our bare & dirty hands.

We did not have Playstations, Nintendo’s, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 100 channels on cable, no DVD movies, no surround stereo, no IPOD’s, no cell phones, no computers, no Internet, no chat rooms, and no Friendsters. …….. …WE HAD REAL FRIENDS and we went outside to actually talk and play with them!

We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no stupid lawsuits from these accidents. The only rubbing we get is from our friends with the words..sakit bai ? pero kung kontra gani nimo ang imong kadula,,,,singgitan lang dayon ug..Mayra,Gabaan!

We played marbles (jolen) in the dirt , washed our hands just a little and ate Pan Bahug-bahug & Bagumbayan (recycled bread man diay to kay wala mahalin!) We were not afraid of getting germs in our stomachs.

We had to live with homemade guns (giporma nga kahoy, gihigtan ug garter ug lastiko) , saplong , tirador ug uban pa nga pwedeng magkasakitay. Pero lingaw gihapon kaayo ang tanan.

We made up games with sticks ( syatong ), and cans ( Bato-Lata )and although we were told they were dangerous, wala man gyud to’y actual nga nabuta bah, bukol lang nuon sa agtang naa.

We walked, rode bikes, or took tricycles to a friend’s house and knocked on the door or batoon ug gagmay nga bato ang bungbong, or just yelled for them to jump out the window!

Mini basketball teams had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn’t pass had to learn to deal with the disappointment. Wala pa nang mga childhood depression ug damaged self esteem ek-ek ra na. Ang maglagot, pildi.

Ang mga Ginikanan naa ra sa daplin para motan-aw ra sa duwa sa mga bata, dili para manghilabot ug makig-away sa ubang parents.

That generation of ours has produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers, creative thinkers and successful professionals ever! They are the CEO’s, Engineers, Doctors and Military Generals of today.

The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas. We had failure, success, and responsibility. We learned from our mistakes the hard way. You might want to share this with others who’ve had the luck to grow up as real kids. We were lucky indeed. And if you like, forward it to your kids too, so they will know how brave their parents were. It kind of makes you want to go out and climb a tree, doesn’t it?!

PS – The big letters are because your eyes may not be able to read this if they were typed any smaller (at your age? Duh!).

I want to ride a bicycle…I want to ride a bike.

I can imagine how amused the photographer was as he saw it. O siguro laking mangha niya nang makita niya ito dahil walang ganyang sasakyan dito sa Germany. It can’t be possible too dahil hindi ito lulusot sa TÜV (Technische Überwachungs Verein) ((Technical Monitoring Association)).

Hehehe, hindi lang nila alam tayong mga Pilipino ay super innovative in different fields. But let us stick to the topic “vehicle innovation”.

What about this one here? Well I think the image below is very common to us. Yon bang may isa o dalawang taong aangkas sa motorsiklo. But you know, in the most outback part of Butuan or maybe some parts of other provinces, where jeepneys only travel once a day…a single motorbike as public transportation is a hit for locals and day-trippers.

Get your motor runnin’ head out on the highway, lookin’ for adventure, and whatever comes our way…

Last but not least, this is something you might have not seen yet. A skylab. Or sky love? I am not really sure of the name, but what the heck. I saw this one on our way to Butuan City last May 2008. I was wondering how passengers got on to it.

The driver needs or requires great balancing act. Di ba? Haven’t experienced riding a vehicle such as this one yet. But I think I’d rather walk than catch a ride on a Skylab. Not because I am maarte, pero natatakot ako na baka ito ay bumalintong. Paano nalang ang aking high heel shoes (charing), my false eyelashes, my whatevah? Ay basta’t akoy maglalakad nalang.

O, anong say niyo sa mga sasakyan sa probinsiya???

Anyways, the new year for me and hubby began with a lot of work. Yes it was a holiday, but our clinic was open due to some emergency cases. Our life is now consisted of work and series of more work. Oy, don’t get me wrong ha? I am not complaining…it is just that even if we are at home, may mga pasyenteng pumupunta sa bahay para magpagamot. Yan ang buhay country doctor…always on the run to save life and cure sick people. It’s not bad at all…for we take it as a challenge and yes it is also an opportunity to earn more money. Money is not everything but we invested a lot, and so we must work hard in order to get it back. Kaya nga si Tita Poorshya niyo ay nag bade goodbye na sa web designing to concentrate on her present career.

Hehehe, from web designer to a nurse! Nurse like Florence Nightingale? Hehehe, I am far from that but I am on my way to become one. Nightingale worked hard to educate herself in the art and science of nursing, and that is what I am doing now. Hubby suggested I should take nursing continuing education. But as of the moment, kontento na muna akong mag practice sa clinic mismo. Hindi ko pa kasi gaanong feel ang trabahong ito.

Well, well…life is full of surprises, changes and learning. Not long ago, I took web design continuing education. There I learned PHP, CSS, HTML, XHTML, JAVASCRIPT, PHOTOSHOP, ILLUSTRATOR and etc. Ito naman ang pinag-aaralan ko ngayon: Ultrasound, ECG, Injection (hypodermic and muscle injection), Infusion, blood sedimentation and all medical administrative work. Learning the first two and of course administrative task were quite simple, but all the rest simply made me sweat blood. One unforgettable experience is drawing blood, and my first victim was Kathleen. When I saw hubby took patient’s blood, it seemed like an easy job. But when I hold the syringe on my hand, the feeling was completely different. Besides, Kathleen’s veins were so hard to detect and making me so worried that my lousy skill would hurt her. But luckily hubby was standing at my side and gave me guidance and I successfully made it. Hay naku, it looks like I need more time before I could master this job…

I recently asked the question to myself, what am I as a person? Siyempre hindi ko masagot ang tanong ko, so I tried finding something like the title above. And here is what I found. It’s a quiz. In order to evaluate yourself, you have to choose the appropriate answer na tugma sa iyo. Then after that, you have to score your own quiz.

Here is my quiz result:
1. (c) 6
2. (c) 7
3. (b) 2
4. (d) 1
5. (a) 6
6. (b) 4
7. (c) 4
8. (g) 1
9. (c) 4
10. (a) 4

Total Score: 41

The evaluation result:

FROM 41 TO 50 POINTS:
Others see you as fresh, lively, charming, amusing, and always interesting; someone who is constantly the center of attention, but sufficiently well-balanced not to let it go to your head. They see you also as kind, considerate, and understanding; someone who will cheer them up and help them out.

I know it is simply just a quiz but quiet interesting

Do you want to know your personality? Find it out thru answering the questions below.

1. When do you feel your best?

• (a) In the morning
• (b) During the afternoon and early evening
• (c) Late at night

2. Do you usually walk

• (a) fairly fast, with long steps?
• (b) fairly fast, but with short, quick steps?
• (c) less fast, head up looking the world in the face?
• (d) less fast, head down?
• (e) very slowly?

3. When talking to people, do you

• (a) stand with your arms folded?
• (b) have your hands clasped?
• (c) have one or both your hands on your hips?
• (d) touch or push the person to whom you are talking?
• (e) play with your ear, touch your chin, or smooth your hair?

4. When relaxing, do you sit with

• (a) your knees bent and your legs neatly side by side?
• (b) your lags crossed?
• (c) your lags stretched out or straight?
• (d) with one lag curled under you?

5. When something really amuses you, how do you react? Do you give

• (a) a big, appreciative laugh?
• (b) a laugh, but not a loud one?
• (c) a quiet chuckle?
• (d) a big smile?
• (e) a slow smile?

6. When you go to a party or social gathering, you

• (a) make a loud entrance so everyone notices you?
• (b) make a quieter entrance, looking around quickly for someone
  you know?
• (c) make quietest possible entrance and try to stay unnoticed?

7. You are working hard, concentrating hard. You are interrupted. Do you

• (a) welcome the break?
• (b) feel extremely irritated?
• (c) vary between these two extremes?

8. Which of the following colors do you like most

• (a) red or orange
• (b) black
• (c) yellow or light blue
• (d) green
• (e) dark blue or purple
• (f) white
• (g) brown, gray, or violet

9. When you are in bed at night, in those last few moments before going to
sleep, do you lie

• (a) stretched out on your back?
• (b) stretched out face dawn on your stomach?
• (c) on your side, slightly curled?
• (d) with your head on one arm?
• (e) with your head under the covers?

10. Do you often dream that you are

• (a) falling?
• (b) fighting or struggling?
• (c) searching for something or somebody?
• (d) flying or floating?
• (e) or do you usually have a dreamless sleep?
• (f) or do you have pleasant dreams?

“SCORE YOUR OWN QUIZ”

POINTS:

1. (a) 2
(b) 4
(c) 6

2. (a) 6
(b) 4
(c) 7
(d) 2
(e) 1

3. (a) 4
(b) 2
(c) 5
(d) 7
(e) 6

4. (a) 4
(b) 6
(c) 2
(d) 1

5. (a) 6
(b) 4
(c) 3
(d) 5
(e) 2

6. (a) 6
(b) 4
(c) 2

7. (a) 6
(b) 2
(c) 4

8. (a) 6
(b) 7
(c) 5
(d) 4
(e) 3
(f) 2
(g) 1

9. (a) 7
(b) 6
(c) 4
(d) 2
(e) 1

10. (a) 4
(b) 2
(c) 3
(d) 5
(e) 6
(f) 1

Add the total number of points.

OVER 60 POINTS:
Others see you as some one they should ” handle with care.” You are seen as
vain, self-centered, and extremely dominant. Others may admire you and wish
they could be more like you, but they don’t always trust you and hesitate to
become too deeply involved with you.

FROM 51 TO 60 POINTS:
Your friends see you as an exciting, highly volatile, rather impulsive
personality; a natural leader, quick to make decisions (though not always the
right ones). They see you as a bold and venturesome, someone who will try
anything-well, almost anything-once; someone who takes a chance and enjoys an
adventure. They enjoy being in your company because of the excitement you
radiate.

FROM 41 TO 50 POINTS:
Others see you as fresh, lively, charming, amusing, and always interesting;
someone who is constantly the center of attention, but sufficiently
well-balanced not to let it go to your head. They see you also as kind,
considerate, and understanding; someone who will cheer them up and help them
out.

FROM 31 TO 40 POINTS:
Other people see you as sensible, cautious, careful, and practical. They see
you as clever, gifted, or talented, but modest. Not a person who makes friend
too quickly or too easily, but someone who is extremely loyal to the friends
you do make and who expects the same loyalty in return. Those who really get
to know you realize that it takes a lot to shake you trust in your friends,
but, equally, that it takes you a long time to get over it if that trust is
shaken.

FROM 21 TO 30 POINTS:
Your friends see you as painstaking, perhaps little fussy at times. They see
you as very, very cautious and extremely careful, a slow and steady plodder.
It would really surprise them if you ever did something impulsively or on the
spur the of moment. They expect you to examine everything carefully from
every side and then, usually decide against it. They think this reaction on
your part is caused partly by your carefully nature and partly by laziness.

UNDER 21 POINTS:
People think you are shy, nervous, and indecisive, someone needs to be looked
after, who always wants someone else to make the decisions and who doesn’t
want to get involved with anyone or anything. They see you as a worrier, who
sees problems that don’t exist. Some people think your are boring. Only the
people who know you well know that you aren’t. The trouble is that you don’t
let very many people get close to you.

What a big scandal!!! An unknown hot (kuno) Pilipina photographer joined a socialite’s party in Würzburg, Germany last Wednesday. She was caught eating and drinking instead of doing her appointed work. The said photographer got drunk at the said party and all the shots she made were real bad (BAD dahil puro lalakwe lang ang kinunan).

The organizer didn’t consider a lawsuit because they knew it wouldn’t fix anything. They simply kicked her out kaya naging palaboy-laboy ito sa lansangan for a few days…

…at papose pose na parang engot na pasmadong di natunawan.

The other day, she tried to work as “tindira” sa isang christmas fair. Pero nasisanti din kaagad dahil nakipag-away ito sa mga customer.

On that same day, naisipan niyang makisali sa mga street musician. Tega bantay siya sa box na pinaglalagyan ng kitang pera.

Ang bruhang litratistang Pinay ay hindi nakapigil sa tukso…itinakbo niya ang kita ng mga musician. Dahil sa katabaan…hindi ito nakatakbo ng malayo kaya ito ay nadakip din kaagad ng mga polisiya.

Naka sunglass (siguro dahil sa hiya) kahit walang araw itong dinala sa city pound (puno ang jail eh) ng ciudad na kinaganapan ng naturang krimen.

Ito po ang pinakabagong kalukringan na hatid sa inyo ni Ms. Lucresia de Natunawan!

Her Majesty Queen Reynz Elena de Balbacua partied away in Philadelphia earlier this month and made headlines when she shed her crown down and danced the night away with Mister Shokoy Shayonery. Ako ang paparazzi na nakahuli sa dalawang mag ewan.

I have tried to interview the Queen of all the queen, kaya lang wala itong naisagot sa mga tanong ko. She only looked at me and grinned and wave her hand. Para bagang gusto niyang bigkasin na “natarutot ko na siya”. Yon nga ba ang mensahe? Reyna Elena de Balbacua…ikaw lang ang makakasagot sa hiwagang ito!!!

Bago ko simulan ang panawagan at paalalang ito, gusto kong malaman ninyo na ito ay hindi ko gawa-gawa lamang at bukod sa lahat lalong hindi ko kagustuhang isulat ang magiging laman nito. Kong hindi dahil sa pakiusap ng isang dalagitang anak ng tega FR na nagpadala sa akin ng mensahe sa Friendster account ko, hindi mabubuo ang entry na ito.

Sumakit ang ulo ko kagabi sa kakaisip kong nararapat bang gawin itong balak kong gawin o hindi. Dahil ang magiging labas kasi, ay para akong nanghihimasok sa buhay ng may buhay. Nang mabasa ko ang sulat ng dalagita, ang reaction ko kaagad ay: “hmn, pakialam ko sa inyo”. Sinagot ko nga siya pero hindi talaga dibdiban dahil ayaw ko ngang makialam. Sabi ko sa kanya: Nun ja, lass mir bitte Zeit. Ich werde mal sehen was ich tun kann. “Please give me time. I will see what I can do”. Ayaw kong makialam pero hindi ko rin matiis at hindi kaya ng aking budhi na i-turn down siya. Oo nga, kong ang unang impresyon ang pagbabasihan, parang nagsusumbong lang ang naturang bata. But when I analyzed the content of her message, I clearly see that she is crying for help.

Nagmakaawa ito sa akin na kausapin ko raw ang kanyang inang “medyo” (subtly expressed) naligaw sa landas. Si nanay niyang nalulong sa barkada, mahjong, disco at kahahanap ng ibang fafa. Kaya daw silang magkapatid ay tuluyan ng napabayaan. Silang magkapatid din ang malubhang nagdurusa sa pangongotya ng kanilang mga classmates at mga batang kapitbahay. Dahil sa mga milagrong pinaggagawa ng kanilang ina. Inang halos hindi na umuuwi ng bahay at makikita nalang daw nila sa city na may kasamang Adam na sobrang bata sa kanya. Si Adam daw ay isa ding banyaga dito sa Alemanya, walang trabaho at wala pang papel kaya si nanay ang sumusuporta.

Oh mein Gott kind, was soll nur mit dir machen huh? Habt bitte keine Angst, ich werde dein Name nicht verraten. Auf keinen fall!

Well, posting this issue here might not be the right solution. Siguro iisipin niyo na gusto kong ipahiya ang tao. Nope I don’t want to disgrace her or them, no need, dahil ginawa na niya/nila ito mismo sa sarili niya/nila. Gusto ko lang ipaabot sa madla para mabasa din ito ng ibang ina na nawala rin sa landas.

Ako ay nananawagan sa inyo mga NANAY na tega FR at hindi tega FR na medyo ang takbo ng buhay ay kahawig diyan sa isa (dalawa o tatlo). Ano mang milagro ang inyong gagawin wala akong pakialam. On behalf of your children hiling ko lang, huwag niyo namang kalimutan na meron kayong malaking pananagutan sa inyong mga anak. Sila ang unang naaapektohan, sila ang nagdurusa at nasaksaktan sa mga kabalbalang inyong pinaggagawa. Bigyan niyo naman ng galang ang kanilang pagkatao. Magwala na kayo kong gusto niyo pero hoy, bear in mind you have growing kids! Parang sodom and gomorrah na daw ang lagay niyo diyan?

Ako ay nagbabakasakaling na may kaunti pang tino natira sa isipan niyo. Tandaan niyo ito, nakasalalay sa inyo INA ang kinabukasan ng mga bata. Kayo INA ang dapat sanang magiging magandang halimbawa ng inyong mga anak. Mag isip-isip kayo habang may natira pang pagmamahal ang mga anak niyo sa inyo. Laging huli ang pagsisisi ika nga. Kaya bago tuluyang mawala sa iyo/inyo ang lahat…idilat niyo na ang inyong mga mata.

ICH APPELIERE HIERMIT AN EURE VERNUNFT, WACH ENDLICH AUF!!!

Oh oh, now I should learn how to cope with my mood swings if I don’t want to become a witch one day with those moles on the nose.

Image from Red Hot Flush

Sorry for the inconvenience, but I’m working behind the scene if time permits. This wont take long I promise, please bear with me.

Once again, thank you and see you soon!

One week has passed since my birthday and here I am still feeling groggy, ewan ko kong bakit ang ulo ko ay parang walang laman. Yes, noon pa man, empty headed na akesh but this time mas empty pa kaysa empty. Siguro tira-tira pa ito ng aking flu na ang tagal mawala. Can you imagine, I was supposed to celebrate my 45th birthday with all the gloria gloria lavandera, but instead I spent the whole day wrapped up in bed. My nose and eyes were red…I was coughing like an old German Shepherd and I had 40° C fever.

The flu was brought by Gillian from the Kindergarten. Nagsimulang magkasakit ang bata ng Sunday, that was March 4. So ano pa nga ba ang gagawin ng isang mader kundi ang mag-stay ng bahay para alagaan ang anak. Two days after, si Fafa Gerd naman ang tinamaan. But hard headed as he is…he still went to work. Few hours later he came back home and said nothing…alam niya kasing tama ako pero ayaw pa ring makinig kaya hala sige magdusa siya. This time I am now nursing two patients…isang makulit at isang matigas ang ulo. Alam kong there is no scape kong ang influenza ay nakapagsimula sa loob ng bahay, but I was still hoping na sana hindi ako mahawa dahil nga sa darating na party. Aba! Tinamaan ng magaling, itinaon pang kaarawan ko mismo ako nagsimulang magkasakit.

Apropos magkasakit…lalong-lalo na’t ni isang kamag-anak ay wala ka? How do you feel? In my case, I felt so helpless and angry. Dahil gustuhin ko mang humiga ng medyo mahaba-habang oras. Hindi pupwede dahil maya’t-maya nag-iiyak yong anak na may sakit, tapos may kailangan na naman yong isang tao. Sa madaling salita…mamatay nalang ako di ko pa rin makuhang ipikit ang aking mga mata dahil meron pa pala akong duty to accomplish. Dahil ako ang ina at asawa…sa akin nakasalalay ang lahat para patuloy pa ring tumakbo ang bahay at pamilyang ito…que may sakit ako o wala.

Kaya tuloy ngayon palang ay gustong-gusto ko ng bumalik sa Pilipinas. I am so feed up and tired here abroad.

O siya mga irog…bago humaba pa ng husto aking sentimiento, ako’y magpaalam na muna sa inyo. I just wanted to write a short update para at least di niyo ako tuluyang kalimutan. And at least alam niyo ring humihinga pa ako dito sa isang sulok ng mundo.