Beautiful Morning

I got an early morning surprise in my inbox. Wow!

Love you Jody ko..miss you po.

Two Faces of Yuletide

I've always wanted to become a medical doctor. I even took my Applied Physics course since it's the closest cliff I could cling to so I could jump to premed courses -- I never took the jump though, and ended up being a pseudo Artist/Physicist.

But yesterday at Iram resettlement I became a doctor for a short period of time.

While taking the task of pharmacy work for a high school reunion medical/dental mission, I would never forget this one particular incident with an old Aeta lady. I took her medical prescription, looked for her medicine and told her the instructions. She looked at the medicines then at me showing her broadest smile. She muttered "Dok, madi .... (native language)"

She was talking in Ilocano, which I did't know -- and she was trying her best to understand my instructions. We ended up using hand gestures and a few tagalog words she understood. "Dok" she said gesturing a writing motion. I told her I wasn't a doctor and that I would gladly write down the instructions.

When I was about to leave, she just stood there and smiled -- "Madi madi", then pointed at her two children: a baby and a toddler. Then I looked at the next prescriptions only to find out that I was gonna be her doctor for 2 more sessions. "Salamat Dok" was all she said and it drew a smile across my face.

'No point arguing', I simply said to myself.


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Bro and mama was planning on what to prepare for the noche buena. Everything was in place, when my sister-in-law received a sad news from her home. Her father was murdered -- and her brothers went missing, probably trying to hide from the dispute.

Suddenly, the joyful planning of sweets and meals went sour.

Until now, I still haven't received news from Kuya, and they will be spending the yuletide in Tarlac for the funeral.

Christmas would never be the same again.

The Early Xmas Gift

I've always had this bad luck in receiving xmas gifts since I was small. It doesn't mean that I've got high expectations -- it's just that I'm usually unlucky. Try this for instance: if you're a boy with a long beatlesque hair and you received a doll as a gift, won't you call that unlucky too? How about if you received a gift two Safeguard soaps, as if your nursery monito is telling you to take a bath.. I think you get my point.

But this xmas seems to be a lucky season for me.

While Jody was listing gifts to be given to relatives and friends she asked our 4 year-old Jas on what present he was intending to give me. "Bedtime story book!" Jas answered happily. "Para makatulog ng maaga si Dada" (So that Dada can sleep early), he immediately said referring to my insomnia due to deadlines at work.. sniff.

Funny though, that yesterday, he placed his favorite book on my bag so I won't forget his present and so I can sleep at work if I want to...I wish :)