Daily Happy Thoughts

Tonight is the second consecutive night of having experienced a blackout. Yesterday, the blackout lasted from 3pm to 11pm. Perhaps it was due to this fact why I was able to sleep a lot earlier last night. No electricity. Nothing to do. Sleep. Yep, that pretty much sums up how I ended my day yesterday.

The entire city of Dumaguete was engulfed in darkness, although I could not say that it was total. If I were to imagine looking through the eyes of a pilot of an enemy aircraft, I think it would still be possible to see. Well, we’ll still be visible anyway; what with the latest night vision gadgets installed in ever evolving aircrafts. As I was saying, with this recent experience of blackouts, I came to realize that in this age, electricity has become somewhat of a necessity for industries such as hospitals, especially the Intensive Care Units (ICUs); Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) companies both voice and nonvoice; traffic controllers of land, air and sea; fast food establishments; malls; and, of course, people like us who are so dependent on our Internet connection, which in turn is dependent on electricity. Life today without electricity is indeed unimaginable. Gadgets such as generators and Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) devices or battery backups, which maintain a continuous supply of electric power to connected equipment by supplying power from a backup source when utility power is not available, can only do so much.

Can you imagine yourself living in today’s world without electricity? Can you imagine existing without electricity? I guess I can, albeit uncomfortably, and with a major adjustment on my part. I just hope there aren’t anymore of these blackouts in the days to come.

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Self-made cards received from or sent to the point guard of the senior basketball team, the S1 Officer of the CAT-1 Unit (Citizens’ Army Training), and the drummer of the school’s hottest band; having a crush on the Corps Commander of the CAT-1 Unit; lunch dates in the canteen; hanging out in the library; CAT-1 Unit formations under the scorching heat of the sun; seniors’ ball; beach outing — these are but only a few of the memorable events in high school! For the chance to muse over the top o’ the heap and major waves in high school, I would like to thank Kerslyn for this tag.

THINK BACK TO 4th year high school… Let’s see how much you remember and how much you regret..

What section were you?
.: St. Peter (the creme de la creme)

Who were your seatmates?
.: Vanessa and Jeanette, if i remember it correctly.

Still remember your English teacher?
.: Mrs. Bansagan

What was your first class?
.: Physics

Made friends to the lower years?
.: Yes! I realized the junior boys liked to be associated with senior girls…hmmm…

How was your class schedule?
.: Satisfactory… allowed me to sneak little trips to the canteen from time to time when I’m hungry. Me and my big appetite.

Made any enemies?
.: To the rivals on the matters of the heart, yes. hahaha

Who was your favorite teacher?
.: Ms. Paler

What sport did you play?
.: I played volleyball and basketball back in high school. I, too, was engaged in dance sport.

Were you a party animal?
.: then? No. I was a bookworm.

Were you well known in your school?
.: I would have to say “yes”.

SKIP CLASSES?
.: Not that I can recall of. I was excused to attend classes though sometimes to prepare for a performance on program(s).

Did you get suspended/expelled?
.: My daring and adventurous persona did not get me that far.

Can you sing the alma mater?
.: Yes.

What was your favorite subject?
.: Statistics.

Did you go to the dances?
.: Yes.

Where did you go most often during breaks?
.: The HQ of CAT-1 Unit to terrorize the trainees who aspire to become CAT-1 officers (:D). I also frequent the patio just outside St. Peter’s classroom .

What did you do on the last day of school?
.: we removed the staple wires on the bulletin board otherwise we don’t get our homeroom clearance signed.

Those being said, I would like to know if Yen, MeL, Queenz, Dana (of Debbie), and Yamimay can still remember their high school life.

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Haven’t posted in quite a bit. Was feeling lazy and indolent..hehe..well, who wouldn’t be. The room is a mess! The two youngest brothers are here. They will be staying for the duration of the summer so I guess I am stuck with them. The whole family was here last Thursday and they (minus the 2 youngest) left around lunch time Saturday. The room was jampacked. Oh well, the joys of having a large family. LOL. Just this evening, after hearing mass, we went to get groceries and as we were transferring the eggs to the egg tray in the ref, my youngest bro dropped about 4 eggs…grrrr! I was so mad on the waste due to clumsiness, but I managed to reign my emotions in and counted 1-10, after which I was able to ask him, “What have we learned from this?” On which he promptly replied, in the Visayan language, “Not to place the tray on the edge of the sink.” I guess I was guilty of the same mistake too when I was younger, so I guess I felt it was just something coming full circle and I can’t feel all too righteous on him. LOL. Oh well you can’t blame me too, as that could have been breakfast tomorrow morning. Now we’re down to 8 eggs instead of the 1 dozen that we bought.

Enough about the eggs. And I know many people have been busy with the traditional Easter egg hunt. As I had observed on television regarding the coverage of the many practices during the holy week all over the country, each place has its own unique stamp on how they celebrate the Holy week. Regarding the Holy week practices here in Bacolod, I find it very different from the previous ones that I have experienced so far in my stay in Dumaguete. For one, the via crucis we attended early morning of Good Friday at the Redemptorist church was participated in by only quite a few people, numbering about 30 as I estimated it, and it was just around the church grounds. In Dumaguete, I would estimate the whole procession to cover about 5 kilometers on the main roads, with easily more than a thousand people joining the procession.

Another practice I find quite unique is the one wherein after the prayer in a particular station is completed, the people scramble and compete with one another to gain possession of the flowers/leaves that were used to adorn the said station. As Borski would be in Dumaguete for the Holy week, I already gave her the heads up on capturing this practice on her digicam so that we could post it on our WS post. Too bad her cam bogged down on her during the procession, I think she was only able to get a shot of the flowers and not of the actual commotion whenever the people would be scrambling for those. I was actually laughing when she texted me her frustration on her camera woes. I guess it’s time to get a new one Borski hehehe

I asked an aunt a long time ago why the people acted the way they did, and she told me that this practice stemmed from the belief that the flowers possessed medicinal properties. The usual practice, she said, was that these flowers were immersed in oil and this oil could be used to treat ailments. I don’t know how true this is, and I have not tested it. I guess everyone is entitled to his/her own practices. To each his own. As one TV ad uniquely expressed it: “Kung diin ka masaya, te suportahan taka.”

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Yey! Our blog was featured as one of the top 5 picks of the week by Dana and we will do the same for 5 other friends.When you feature your friends’ blogs, you will help increase (hopefully) their page rank and yours. You can read more on this here and here. So keep the ball rolling, make your own 5 featured friends. To return the favor, make sure you include the name of the person who recommended you. Example:

1. Kerslyn is one of our featured friends.
2. So when Kerslyn will make her featured friends for the week, she has to include my name and she will pick 4 or 5 more from her own list of friends.
3. She will inform ALL her featured friends to keep the ball rolling.

If you use Blogger, you can add your featured friends using the new page element ‘Link List’. My Featured Friends Blogs are: Kerslyn, Tere, Queenz, Yen, Chesca, Lena, Jen, and of course Dana. Keep it going!

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The cheerfully lively manner of birds takes away one’s stress. Go listen to them chirp!

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Time for the weekly dose of QOTW from Yen, Borski’s answers in bold-itals, Nai’s answers in bold. Enjoy!

1. What was the last movie you bought/rented?

.: Grey’s Anatomy. We’re on the 9th episode of Season 2.
.: Grey’s Anatomy DVD compilation. Watching it with Borski while playing piyat-piyat..hahaha..

2. Have you ever gone too far on a dare?

.: I had, yes.
.: Nah, too far for me would still be harmless..lol

3. Can you sing the alphabet backwards?

.: Nah…. I’m beginning to sound like a boring person with your answers Nai.
.: Nope, and I am not planning on learning hehe. But I can make water droplet sounds with my mouth though. And I know how to play with a coin making it flip through my fingers like they do in the movies

4. Are you allergic to anything? What?

.: Weird but I have an unknown etiology of my here-today-gone-tomorrow allergy. LOL. I can eat anything I want when and if I don’t have an allergy. Also, I was allergic to any lipstick component. Ladies, can you imagine that? Lucky for me I’m already desensitized (just last November 2007).
.: No allergies that I know of. Bring on the food!!! hehehe..

5. Do you cry at weddings?

.: Nope.
.: Never have. I cried once, during my elementary graduation. Hope I won’t cry on my wedding..hehehe

6. Name one person you want to hug right now. Why?

.: Mama. Last spent time with her on October 2007 yet and I miss her and Dad, too.
.: My mom. I miss her.

7. Hair….natural or colored?

.: Brown with highlights of gray hairs locally known as “uban”. However, a doctor friend said that they are “silver” streaks, not gray.
.: Naturally black. Nag fly away na, up to my nape.

8. Do you like camping?

: Very much!
.: Yup. Especially the stories and funny moments.

9. Most annoying TV commercial?

.: The one where the husband went up the roof and it rains. It advertises a paint. What’s the brand of the paint called, Nai?
.: The one with the ex-beauty queen who sounds like a gay..haha..Borski knows who I am referring to. :p

10. Favorite place to shop?

.: In Dumaguete, 3/f Lee Plaza. In Cebu, Ayala Center. In Bacolod, SM.
.: Anywhere, as long as there is a SALE. LOL. I am not particularly brand conscious.

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When I was still in high school, I never really knew the underlying reason why I get fever. I’ve always regarded having fever then as a chance for me to request and eventually get to eat my requested fruits, my choice of tasty dish and drinks (Royal True Orange!). However, I never really liked and felt comfortable when my body temperature is above the normal 98.6 ºF (37.0 ºC) because then I would start feeling truly sick. When I was lying on my back shivering, in pain and with fever (not to mention unable to go out with my friends), this is always the time that I would will my body temperature to return to normal and get well like I’m some kind of superhero with super powers. Talk about getting my own dose of medicine.

During my University years, I learned that fever is in itself not a disease but a symptom of a disease. Fever is described as an increase in internal body temperature to levels above normal. In addition, most fever is beneficial and even helps the body fight off infections as it’s one of the body’s defense mechanisms to try and neutralize the fever-causing bacteria or virus by allowing the body to reach high temperatures that causes an unbearable environment for some pathogens. So, guys, don’t drink Acetaminophen (commonly known as paracetamol, the active ingredient in Biogesic) just yet! In this suitable environment (i.e., increased temperature), white blood cells (read: body’s front line armies of defense ever ready to kill the infectious disease and foreign materials) rapidly proliferate to also fight off the microbes that invades the body. However, a person is considered to have a significant fever when the temperature is above 100.4 ºF (38.0 ºC). When this happens, don’t make any decision about your health and/or your family’s (1) without consulting your family doctor with questions about your family members’ individual condition(s) and/or circumstances, and (2) without running laboratory tests. Neither should one buy over-the-counter medicines readily available without a prescription nor drink medications without, again, consulting your doctor. Mommies and Daddies, you don’t want to use the wrong formulation of the medicine, and we surely don’t want our loved ones to end up like one of my favorite actors Heath Ledger.

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Pic taken before it was taken apart…LOL. The skin looks real crispy. And it was too. Yum yum..hehehe..

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