terror mom to super lola!

How mom became grandma

Nothing is permanent in this world… but change.

I remember years ago (ok, let’s say more than 10 years…. or 20, I’m not good in math, especially when it comes to age and ageing!), when I was small and skinny and naïve on how the world works, my mom and dad were the guardians of whatever I do. My overprotective mom, such a character, overprotective to the nth power - to the point that in order for me to go out of the house I (well, not just me but that’s what my brothers and sisters do) sneak-out in the afternoon and go to the playground a few blocks from home – with the rusty slide, see-saw, dirt piles, grasses and all – and spend the whole afternoon, sweat and dirt and stain covering me. Funny thing is, when mom wakes up during her afternoon siesta, she knows where to find us. Haha, you’ll see mama rushing towards the playground, shouting our names, briefly pausing at the sidewalk to break a branch of an ipil-ipil tree, ready to whip our ass! Haha! Such a sight to the awe of our playmates (who sees mommy as the “terror mom”. Owe, I even hide my wound to mom whenever I get a mishap because she will definitely deliver her mantra - “sinasabi ko na nga ba, yang kakulitan mo! Yan ang napapala!” (I told you, that’s what you get for being naughty grrrr! – for my non-tagalog comrades). This was our schedule, we can go out in the morning until 10am, 10am-4pm inside the house (or prison, as what I recalled) 4pm –6pm – freedom! And by the way, during prison time, we are not allowed to bring inmates (friends). No visitors allowed! Yeah, those days, such a wonderful childhood. Thinking about it, mom was truly “terror mom”.

Years passed (here we go again). I’d say time, mellowed mommy. She’s not a terror mom after all. Having five kids, raising us all in one roof is such a Herculean task. Looking back, she’s not a terror mom (like my playmates call her); she’s a super mom!
My 2 kuyas are now engineers, ate is now a manager, little sister a pharmacist and me, a responsible Filipino citizen (and a netizen). We will never be on such stable ground today without “overprotective mom” who guided us along the way. Everything I owe it to terror mom.

We visit mom and dad every weekends (now lolo and lola to Yuan and Kyan). Nothing is permanent in this world but change. Terror mom allows my kids to go out and play outside the house (even during prison time 10-4pm), even calls the neighboring kids to play inside our house with Yuan and Kyan – playstation, run-around the house for as long as they like. Brings the kids to the playground (can you believe it!), and yeah no more breaking of ipil-ipil branches on sidewalk…… how mom became grandma, and how terror mom became the best lola in town (make it the whole wide world).

Love you Mommy, you’re the best. (Dad, love you too :) )

so who's the next American Idol?

I just watched American idol final 24 episode. I remember last year, when I didn’t miss week after week after week - from start to finish. It was exactly this time that I was reviewing for the board exam and at the same time going on 24-hour duties “moonlighting” in historic Cavite (prior to my present job, I was hopping from one hospital to another rendering my “hands that heal” to the people in need of compassionate attention). Yup, multitask – work, entertain, leisure, review all rolled into one.

This time, I’m watching AI in the comforts of my own home. My moonlighting days long gone. But this time I have missed 2 weeks of Idol, can’t help it though, with my present job comes late hours in a meeting or reading must-knows all the time. No complaints, you win some and lose some, hence, I lost some AI episodes.

Final 24. Last year I saw Sway Panelo (a Filipino in the F24) booted-out, how a squirming operatic performer ruined josh groban’s song (I forgot her name, but she was the first one eliminated – to no surprise), how little Paris gave her all, I indeed became an ADDICT (and I’m sure its not just me), I was there alright, I viewed all the episodes up until the finale, where the wedding singer outshined the superstar. My personal favorite though was Elliot Yamin – a commoner with the great voice.

So who will be the next American Idol? Having missed the Hollywood week, and based on what I saw tonight, its going to be one helluva show. They’re all good! Emotions into consideration – I want the single mom to be in the finals. Loyalty to Asia – there’s an Indian guy and I think a Korean (a guy named Kim) in the final 24 – hope one of them can nail it, it’s about time an Asian be in the limelight. Jasmine Trias(Filipino Hawaiian) two seasons ago was 3rd, I’m sure the whole Filipino community in the US voted for her (pahpahrapahpah, love ko ‘to!). Beauty? Well, most of them are a feast to the eye – Barba and another one who looks like Mariah are standouts. Commoner appeal – I’d say Sundance and the other big guy (the one who said “the reason I call for this meeting blah blah”). And before I forget, that “little miss dolittle”, the one with a short neck (or does she have a neck, which reminds me, giraffe girl didnt make it, sigh), the back-up singer – she’s outstanding!

So who’s the next American Idol? We just have to watch the show week after week after week. (I hope I can……..)

can i have a date too?

My weekend was a blast! After a very hectic week, 2 days off work is like heaven. At the same time my wife, (who, at the moment, is living the real doctors-for-the-people experience by being a resident in the biggest government hospital in the Philippines) had her weekend off. Enough time to spend our valentine’s ahead of the 14th plus quality time with the kids plus plus a visit with lolo and lola.

Valentine’s. We went to Makati and watched midnight cinema, curse of the golden flower (bosoms) – chow yun fat, gong li, jay chou. (I know, this movie is not for the season of hearts, I was actually inviting marsmyloves for a mushy “Holiday” movie, but it already started 30 mins). So, we watched a Chinese movie, I initially thought was dubbed in english (like the Jackie Chan’s) but to my surprise it wasn’t! Thank God there’s subtitles. I thought my date was ruined, but it turned out quite the contrary, my wife liked the movie and told me “I don’t need to watch mushy movies, I already have you” ahhh, I love you mars. J Walking along vibrant Makati district, you can see yuppies (young professionals) and highschoolers probably from their prom night. It was a nice evening, some enchanting evening indeed. Then we went to a joyride, its nice to drive without the traffic.

Sunday morning. Yuan was asking where did we go last night? We said ,we watched a movie at the “big tv”. “You had a date?” he asked. (At the age of 4, kids already know what date is?) Smart kiddo, “yeah we had a date”. “Are you getting married?” he added. “Yuan, we’re already married, that’s why we have you and Kyan.” Sometimes, you wonder, how do kids get ideas of dating, marriage, etc. if we think our lolos and lolas as old fashioned, how do kids think of us now? And the question of the day popped out! “Can I have a date too?” endless questions from a kiddo, sometimes you worry that you might actually run out of answers. And yes, it does happen! So, I carried little Yuan, put him in my lap and told him. “Of course! But always remember, you don’t have to hurry, you have all the time in the world, when you grow up, you will have plenty of dating (daddy will not fund it though, hehehe) but for now, you can only date mommy together with daddy and little Kyan. Deal? He smiled and gave me a confused look (I wonder why, hehe) ….. then, he went straight to the room and had a “date” with the playstation!

Happy Valentines! Marsmyloves, I love you!

diaspora of filipino MDs

this is an email i received from pinoyMD, it is quite long (like most of us, i have a short attention span) but it was really written from the heart. inspiring, touching, very true indeed. missmed97, Congratulations and I'm sure you'll be successful in NZ, dont forget to look back ok? Kudos!

(fyi - pinoyMD is a yahoogroup)


just want to share my story..medyo mahaba pero tyagaan nyo na lang..

i was already applying for nz/australia since 2005. i even paid an
agency a handsome amount just to find the fastest way out of the
country. some said apply lang daw sa internet makakaalis na. yeah
right! may mga kilala ako naka alis na, ako two years na nagaaply
ah...andito pa rin ako!! i was thinking... malas ba akong tao? di na
ba ako mahal ni Lord? ano ba?!

im married with one kid, im the bread winner in the family. im
making enough here but im so sawa na, i want to secure my family's
future and i know it wont be here. i had been a silent member of
pinoyz2nz since last year. some said i should do my EOI first so
that may fallback ako. actually wala na akong fallback, ito lang. so
i lodge my EOI july29 '06, was selected aug2 but the decision didnt
become sucessful coz kulang daw ako ng points after recomputation.
para akong pinagsakluban ng langit at lupa. God, hindi mo na ba ako
talaga mahal? i read here somewhere sa forum about an inspiring
story of a housewife who after many months/years of applying thru
the net got a job offer and was on her way to nz. i said to myself..
ang swerte naman nito. ito lagi ang pinanghahawakan ko na someday...
someday ako naman ang susulat dito at magkukwento.

after the failed EOI, i didnt reapply coz nawalan ako ng morale but
i didnt stop. everyday i just send my cv to companies. walang sawa,
sige lang ng sige. kahit saang site. ano bang mawawala sa akin? eh i
really have nothing to start with, ok lang na mapudpod daliri ko at
magkakalyo sa kaka apply. sometimes i will be sending 50
applications per day therefore 50 negative replies rin dumadating.
nakakadepress na rin syempre, there's a time i will be going home
from the computer shop 12 midnight walking in the dark.. (wala
kaming computer, malayo ang internet shop at wala akong car).. i
havent had dinner and i was crying kasi i spent my last money on the
net for so many hours and wala naman nangyayari. i was into self
pity. mega depressed. what else can i do? i was praying, thats all i
can do... i was asking God to help me, give me strength to go on
kasi.. baka di ko na makaya. everyday ganito ang scenario and i
didnt stop.. i just went on. i was remembering the inspiring story i
read, in one of her lines she said 'isa lang naman ang kailangang
positive reply, ok na'. i held on to that line.. oo nga naman, isa
lang...isa lang.

sept21'06, a mail came saying they got my application last july pero
ngayon lang daw sila nakareply. palitan ng mga mails, send ng
kailangan nilang requirements. i wasnt getting my hopes up kasi ayaw
ko madepressed big time. kailangan ko daw maregister sa medical
council of nz, the MCNZ (btw, im a doctor)etc etc. by nov29 they
sent me a job offer, miracle #1. syempre nataranta naman ako! sabi
ko naku baka ito na ito!! pero it is dependent on my acquisition of
medical registration. sabi nila sila na daw bhala, all i have to do
i wait (i havent heard anybody na binigyan ng medical registration
ng nz kasi may mga exam pa ito at mahirap ma approve)i dont know how
i got it, even my employer was surprised! i got the authorization fr
medical council jan9. miracle #2! so now i can apply na a visa
because this is a requirement. everything is happening so fast!
first things first, medicals muna. im working in a hospital and
made a preliminary xray on myself na normal ako (syempre i have to
be sure) the reading of our radiologist was a "suspicious density on
the upper lobe", another radiologist read it and it is a "granuloma"
daw! nataranta na naman ako! if i have any findings on my medicals
automatic my visa would be jeopardized! God, pls help, if you really
want me to be in nz, you will get me there! kahit na ganito i pushed
thru with medicals, it was released in a sealed envelope after
4days. i was so nervous coz i know may findings ang 1st personal
xray ko, i dont know if the official reading will be negative.
milagro na pag nagkataon. and it was! miracle #3

so i went on with completion of docs, may mga minor balakid like NBI
ko i have to go to carriedo pa coz i have the same name with a court
case pero sige lang, i went with the flow. so finally i submitted my
application for working visa jan22, 45-60 days daw ang waiting time.
naku, pano na im expected in nz by feb12, at marami daw nadedeny sa
working visa. first time i heard from the embassy jan26 confirming
my identity and documents. guess what? the embassy called again
today feb1 !! in just 7days, the visa officer is telling me she is
stamping my visa approved!! miracle #4. i was crying..tears of joy.
until now im crying as im typing this... as in hagulhol, with
matching sipon, grabe. truly after all those hardships, the long
wait, the struggle, the self pity, the desperation, the insanity..
He will never forsake you.

last obstacle, the booking. my flight is not yet confirmed for
feb12. nakakahiya man aminin, wala pa po akong pambili ng tiket,im
praying hard na sana.. sana lang.. may dumating na miracle #5. im
positive it will. i know with His help i firmly believe, He never
fails. diba!

to those who have no JO, EOI stage, waiting for ITA, wala pang
interview, whatever process you are in, wag mawalan ng pag asa. i
know how you feel. i've been there. mas malala pa nga.
always remember, when you think you're already at the very end of
the rope, just tighten that grip, pray ka lang.. pray hard ka lang.
at ika nga, nasa atin pa rin ang gawa.

sa mga tumulong po sa akin, sa mga walang sawang nagbibigay ng lakas
ng loob at payo, mga tips on how to's. you know who you are...
malaki po ang naitulong ng forum na ito upang maibsan ang mga agam
agam, katanungan, fears and doubts. sana dumami pa tayo and continue
to help each other. return the blessing to others. mabuhay tayong
lahat and see you in NZ!

good luck sa atin.
God bless us all!