betty: 50% ang Piandre sa tapat ng office namin.

ria: wrong friend. do you think that bit of information excites me?

betty: sabi ko nga.  nasan ba si shey?

ria: cebu.

betty: nyek.

sigh, i can’t totally renounce the findings of our office clinic and its partner laboratory. 

yes, after a relapse of 7-8 years, i am again sick. 

but to their discredit, i’m not overly sick naman; nor am i contagious that i should be banned from our workplace for a month.  i just need medication and further observation.

gosh, if not for my o.c.-ness, my condition would have gone undetected prolly until it’s too late.  i mean, heck, after 7-8 years, i am really not expecting this!  to think, my doctor said, my condition recurred around two months ago already.

so somehow, my being hired november of last year is a divine intervention as well.  imagine, if i was hired on february (along side Jove), then this condition would have gone undetected for another 4 months!  what could have developed by then?!

bottom line, i’m truly thankful of that bad fall and my shoulder having been dislocated in college (mountain climbing).  with the attempt to fix my shoulder, we accidentally saw that something was amiss with my lungs.

tough; but it could have been tougher.  at least my condition got detected in it’s "curable" stage then and now.

1 December (Friday)
First Friday Mass
6:00 PM

3 December (Sunday)
First Sunday Alumni Mass
10:30 AM

8 December (Friday)
Solemnity of the Immaculate Concepcion
6:00 PM

9 December (Saturday)
Grand Alumni Homecoming Mass
4:30 PM

17 December (Sunday)
Third Sunday Alumni Mass
10:30 AM

Simbanggabi

December 15-23, 8:30 PM
December 15 - Simbanggabi novena of Masses will start with the recitation of the Holy Rosary at 8:00 PM
December 16 - the Belen will be blessed during the Mass

15 December (Friday)
Presider: Fr. Catalino G. Arevalo, SJ
Choir: Dulaang Sibol
Sponsor: High School 1981

16 December (Saturday)
Presider: Fr. Adolfo N. Dacanay, SJ
Choir: ACMG
Sponsor: Ateneo Alumni Scholars Association

17 December (Sunday)
Presider: Fr. Manuel V. Francisco, SJ
Choir: Bukas Palad
Sponsor: High School 1972

18 December (Monday)
Presider: Fr. Luis S. David, SJ
Choir: Kinema
Sponsor: Pathways

19 December (Tuesday)
Presider: Fr. Victor C. de Jesus, SJ
Choir: Hangad
Sponsor: College 1982

20 December (Wednesday)
Presider: Fr. Danniel P.L. Huang, SJ
Choir: ACGC
Sponsor: College 2001

21 December (Thursday)
Presider: Fr. Mario C. Francisco, SJ
Choir: Hail Mary the Queen
Sponsor: Gawad Kalinga

22 December (Friday)
Presider: Fr. Jose C.J. Magadia, SJ
Choir: Himig Heswita
Sponsor: College 2000

23 December (Saturday)
Presider: Fr. Bienvenido F. Nebres, SJ
Choir: ACS
Sponsor: High School 1976 (Section C)

24 December (Sunday)
Christmas Eve Mass
10:00 PM

• So kill me, I am a European-ignoramus!  I just learned from Kuya VJ, Kris’ bro, that “Thames” (the river in S. England flowing E through London to the North Sea — Random House Webster’s Dictionary, 4^th ed, p. 742) is pronounced as “temz.”  Hoooookay J.  Thus, for the information of ignoramus-people-like-me, the now-popular international school here is not and should not be called “theyms.”  It’s (say it with me now) “temz.”

• We’ve been in bibo-actibo/goal-oriented mode and are serious in ticking off stuff in our ‘things to do list’ as much as we can before the year ends/we get older.  However, our list just can’t seem to end ‘coz things just add up.  Aside from my usual house, health, and personal errands, I now really want to: ride a submarine, seriously get into in an auto mechanic course, enter a space shuttle at Kennedy Space Center (yung for tourist na lang that Kris was able to go into before), sit inside the cockpit of a commercial airline flight, travel abroad (conquer a number of Asian countries, then European countries), attend one yoga session (just intrigued kasi by Aze), go para-sailing (attracted by Win2x’s photos and my dream to fly), try parachuting, try diving or surfing once [yes, alternative and just once of either --- a big body of water is not my element; China Sea (Pagudpud area) almost claimed my life in 1999; I don’t want a repeat nor give water the chance to succeed getting me for good], and finally tick off the biggest box I got — become a lawyer.  I still got some days left in 2006; but by 2007, I gotta accomplish most if not all of these! However, with my current still-to-be-determined health condition, I’m a bit wary.  Sigh, just this morning, I had to pass up my 3^rd rowing session ‘coz I was a bit feverish and felt very weak when I woke up.  I just hope false alarm lang lahat and matapos na yung 10-days medication ko.

• Congratulations to Mr. Manny Pacquiao (for beating Mr. Erik Morales last weekend).  Happy he won and he gave hope/inspiration to many Filipinos.  But that’s it; too much naman to go as far as calling him the greatest Filipino, a national hero, or the pag-asa ng bayan.  To those who believe him as these…well, to each his/her own.

• Who the heck started this “Tagged” friend-networking thing?  Ok, people, if you’re like me who does not want to offend the person who invited you to be part of his/her Tagged network, accept his/her invite, do the registration process, BUT DO NOT authorize Tagged to access your email’s address book.  That way, your Tagged account won’t send pesky invites to everyone in your addy book.  Gets? J Let’s keep our networking simple.  Friendster is actually satisfactory for me but I dabble with Multiply (more popular with my Australian cousins) and Myspace (more popular with my American cousins) din.  However, enough new ones for me.  Hard to maintain na eh. 

• As of writing this, I got an invite in Eskwela friend-networking din. Ano ba?! J

• Aside from the roof being fixed last Sunday, I personally repaired my leaky bathroom faucet.  Yeah, I succeeded naman, but I somehow ended up with a wound inside one of my fingernails.  Oh yes, I can hear Mel telling me now, “Stop hurting yourself!”

• Sad thing though; after all the repairs last weekend, we discovered last night that the exhaust fan in our g/f bathroom is now in the same condition as the one our kitchen — dead.  Sigh, we need an electrician naman.

• I think I should light a candle. With x-ray number 3 for this month, I can’t imagine the number of cells I just “killed” L.

• I have a renewed admiration for papa.  He had numerous injections, gobbled up tons of medicines, and underwent many laboratory procedures — yet he just took all of them in stride.  With the series of lab exams and the six tablets I started popping in, I’ve been complaining of being weak, slight fevers, and constantly having acidity problems already.  I pray for resilience regarding my health.

• But if our clinic and its partner laboratory are proven wrong by my new pulmonologist, gosh, I can’t imagine the hell I will raise!  To begin with, their inefficiency has caused this number of lab exams and preventive medicines I was told to take, which subsequently make me this weak.  Moreover, thinking about my possible condition is stressing me out!  Further, I’m now triple concerned with my water intake ‘coz I pity my liver and I’ve been shocked at my urine since I’ve started drinking my meds.  Moral damages na ito!

Dear Friend of Pathways,

The air is cooler and the nights are longer now. That can only mean one
thing — Christmas is in the air! And along with that, the mad rush to
find the perfect gift for our loved ones.

This year, instead of trooping to the malls and brave the madding crowd,
Pathways offers an infinitely more convenient and thoughtful way of gift
giving…..

We bring back our CHRISTMAS COFFEE PACKS to once again warm your holiday
season.

Each pack costs only P150.00. Proceeds from this product will go to the
pooled fund for the college education of the Pathways to Higher
Education scholars nationwide. To date, we have 500 students already
enjoying the invaluable gift of education.

We are now taking advanced orders. For orders or more information on
Pathways, you may contact us at 426-6601 locals 4048 or 4049, email us
cvillanueva@ ateneo.edu or log on to our
website:www. pathwaysphilippines.org to check out the sample
picture.

Enjoy a hassle-free Christmas and at the same time gift a child with a
college education and a better future!

Warm regards,

Solvie T. Nubla
Pathways to Higher Education
Ateneo de Manila University

PS. You can also help us greatly by forwarding this to your friends and
family. Thank you so much!

Posted by: "Harvey S. Keh" hkeh@ateneo.edu  

why do i have to go through a number of "repeats" for my chosen profession and my health?

i still got a bruise yet, i am on blood extraction number 3.  gearing up for other tests from a different doctor.  to think, I FEEL FINE! heck, i’ve even become more sporty again recently.  sigh, the repercussion of this in my near and far future.

i am soooooo irritated, gone on self-pity mode (longing for papa to ‘take care of me’), and on my "why, god?"  phase again. 

i swear, it seems life itself is sucking out my life!

            I am tired and no longer amused with so much the medical dramah L.

            After undergoing a chest x-ray and two blood tests for my self-imposed annual physiological examination (the second still has traces ‘coz I bruised up due to wrong needle insertion), I found out yesterday I needed to do a re-take of my chest x-ray. But, this time with apicolordotic view daw.

According to the film taken two weeks ago (the reading was just released yesterday), there were “suspicious densities” seen in my lungs’ right upper lobe. I told the doctor that maybe my coughs the day when I had said x-ray taken might have something to do with the densities reflected. She said sana nga ‘coz if not, my PTB (in college) most likely recurred.

            WHAT?!!!

            Please no.  If ever, dang, six months of medication again? The expense, the hassle, the further deterioration of my liver (to think I was born with a weak one as manifested by my jaundice and my dad did have liver complications prior his cancer)!

            Here I am, trying to be fit and being more watchful of myself compared with my peers (and self-imposed at my own time pa at that ha; not as a requirement of or benefit bestowed by private companies), yet I get these annual health scare. 

            I hurried back to the lab after office hours to do the chest x-ray re-take. I’ll hopefully get the results later.  Cross your fingers with me, please?

            Since COMELEC’s continuing registration for 2007 elections end in December, Betty and I are scrambling to fit in our schedules a visit to Parañaque COMELEC.  Betty went there last Friday (she took a leave) only to discover that said office is open Sundays to Thursdays. 

            With Kris’ help to oversee our roof repairs, Betty and I hurried to COMELEC to get our registration done.  Nagpapaka-responsible Filipino citizens and Parañaque residents talaga! J

            Upon arriving at the COMELEC building, we were greeted by jeeps of people also wanting to register yesterday.  At the office on the 3^rd floor, an officer rudely asked us what our business is (he actually looked and acted like a nosy fixer at an LTO office).  We replied, “mag-pa-paregister po.”  To which he demanded to see a valid ID from the both of us.  Thus, Betty and I respectively handed our office IDs.  He checked them out and told us to photocopy said IDs outside ‘coz they don’t have a copier. 

            And so Betty and I scouted for a nearby photocopier. 

            Betty, a new registrant was then given a form.  Me, a transferee was lent a form — i-photocopy ko raw tatlong beses at wala raw silang transfer forms to be given [My bubble thought, “What the?!  No forms?! Ako mag-pa-pa-photocopy?! Akyat-baba uli; bakit hindi nila sinabi kanina?!]

            The fixer-looking-officer comes to the ‘rescue’ and volunteered to photocopy the form…but still at my expense though.

As my form was being photocopied, they checked my records sa computer database.  Wow, may silbi rin pala yung validation nung 2003 ‘coz lumabas nga where I was previously registered as a voter J.

            While filling up our respective forms, another nosy officer approached us.  She actually hovered and looked at the information we were writing, questioning us with this item and that (ah, taga-saan ka banda sa Parañaque?  O, anong office ka nag-ta-trabaho?) [Our bubble thoughts:  Hello?  Privacy naman!].

When Betty was having her digital photo taken, another officer hovered over me and checked out my details [My bubble thought, Encroachment on my personal space bubble alert! Is everyone here just plain bastos?].  Then he (but in his heart of hearts is really a she) noticed my office ID and announced out loud, “ay, taga-PET ka pala!  Wow, siguro may kakilala ka kaya nakapasok ka agad dun.  So, LLB ka?  From what school?”  After discretely answering some of his/her queries, he/she continued out loud, “Ay, rich kid ka pala!  Dream ko mag-Ateneo pero hindi ko ma-reach!  So, I bet undergraduate mo Ateneo rin! Blah blah blah.” 

            I just countered, not true and marami namang scholarships sa Ateneo eh kaya misinformation na rich kids lang ang Ateneo.  But then, he/she went on and on gushing over Ateneo and his/her rich kid tirade.  Dyoshkopo!

            Although the form says accomplish in two copies, three copies pinagawa sa akin.  Although the form says only those who have not previously undergone validation procedure are required to have photograph, signature, and fingerprints digitally captured by the COMELEC, I was still told to under go all of them.  Hmmmm.

            Before leaving, I tried to borrow the transfer form again and have it photocopied for Nanang so it’ll be easier when we bring her next time.  However, the officer did not want to lend said form kasi nag-iisa lang daw yun.  I told him kaya nga i-pa-pa-photocopy ko na eh.  To which he countered, am I sure for transfer din ba yung pag-bibigyan.  I answered affirmatively; yet, he asked further, how sure am I?  [My bubble thought: Dyoshkopo! Anoh bah?!]  I told him I know and I am sure ‘coz she lives and transferred with me.  After much ado, he finally relented. 

            Ang hirap maging responsableng Pilipino talaga dito sa Pilipinas!