Over 40 and Fighting

I was watching a program in Q when an advertisement caught my attention. It was a test on age-related macular degeneration (for whatever that means). But what really interested me was the invitation to the website: http://www.over40andfighting.com. So, I tried the tests given, and here's a test for heart disease: 1. How old am I? ... almost 44 2. Do I smoke more than 5 cigarette sticks per day? ... Never 3. Do I exercise more than 30 minutes per day? ... Once a week 4. How often do I eat beef, pork, or any food high in cholesterol? ... Occasionally 5. How often do I drink alcoholic beverages per week? ... Never 6. Am I overweight? ... A Bit Overweight 7. How often do I get stressed? ... Often 8. Do I have diabetes? ... No 9. Do I have any relatives who are suffering or suffered from heart disease? ... Yes 10. Am I willing to change to a better lifestyle? ... Yes Lifestyle Risk Meter Result? Lovin' Your Heart: Wow! You're in Good Shape. Keep up the Love! It's time to fight harder!

Stranded in Palawan

November 15, 2008. Tropical depression "Tonyo" was 210 km east of Puerto Princesa City as of 10 a.m., packing maximum sustained winds of 45 kph near the center according to PAGASA. We were in Puerto Princesa City and our scheduled flight back to Manila was at 5:00 p.m. that day. After our group check-in and with 45 kg of excess baggage (we paid P100 per kg of excess) because of the many pasalubong and pabili, we patiently waited for our boarding time. The turnaround plane would be delayed as announced in the departure area and then finally, at 5:20 p.m., we were told that the flight was definitely canceled. I overheard that the plane could not land due to poor visibility and returned to Manila. We collected our baggage and our group of six boarded two tricycles to bring us back to our hostel. On our way back, it was already raining with gusty winds and we requested our driver to drop us first at an ATM for the much-needed reinforcement for our prolonged stay. It was dark due to power interruption and raining much harder when we reached our place. To top it all off, the hostel was locked and the caretaker was not around! While my friends were busy doing the akyat-bahay way, I was like a wet chick in one corner because of my fever. Fortunately, they were able to open the main door lock, the power was restored, and they had to cook whatever was available for dinner. The sun was up the following day and we spent the waiting hours talking about our work, family, and personal experiences. Bonding time with each other. We checked in at past 3 p.m. with just 10 kg of excess baggage. Right! That's another good thing about being stranded. And off we flew to Manila.

Training People on ICT

The Training on Basic ICT which I attended as a resource person in Palawan on November 14-15 was very much different from the other training I had in PCARRD. This time, it was scheduled in response to the request of the newly launched FITS Centers whose staff were not really computer literate. Preparing the materials became a challenge for me. How would I present effectively and efficiently the basics of using productivity tools and the Internet in just two days? And it became much more challenging to facilitate the hands-on sessions. For some, it was the first time holding and clicking the mouse. To others, it was extremely difficult to drag and double click the mouse but they were too eager to learn. At the end of the first day, I was suffering from back pains. Maybe I was no longer used to standing and speaking for hours. I was so tired that when we reached our hostel, I just lay flat on my back for several minutes. My roommate was gracious enough to massage my upper back which put me to sleep right after. I was energized to start the second day of our training. This time on the Internet. Just the same, I had back pains and headaches after the training. I may be tired but at the end of it all, I was glad to hear the impressions from the participants. One father told us that he was so happy to chat for the first time with his daughter who is studying in Manila. Really, it is never too late to go for ICT and appreciate its importance in our day-to-day lives. Somewhere, somehow, we make changes in the lives of people we meet each day. And vice versa...

What's Next?

That's what my co-worker at the department asked me when she browsed over my Life and Travels blog. She was actually referring to my next destination. And she jokingly supplied her own answer... the moon? I have gone to different places both local and foreign (Thailand and US; Hongkong, Vancouver, and Nagoya for stopovers). On my wish list last year, I have yet to set foot in Davao. I don't know when but I'm not rushing. It will come, hopefully. I did not plan to go to most of the places I have visited but the Lord led me there. What's next? Hmmm... Davao? Batanes? Israel? Europe?... It doesn't have to be the moon or any place abroad. Really, there are no criteria set. Any place that I could go to, be it abroad or a small barangay in Cavite, will always give me worthwhile and enriching experiences.

Life Begins at 40

When I was younger, I was puzzled and at the same time curious about what the statement really meant. How could life begin at 40? Now I know. 

I was almost 40 when I started to experience depressing moments. Emotionally, I was down and yearning for reassurance. Doubts, insecurities... really, they go together. Physically, I learned what life begins at 40 means. I'm not sure if it is actually the age or the stressful moments that I went through early on which introduced me to hypertension. Even my friends could not believe that I have been taking maintenance medicines. They say that I'm straight. No hard drinks. Not a smoker. Doesn't stay up late at night. Disciplined when it comes to eating. Sticks to one carbo diet, and so on. Well, they didn't know that I have the genes! As a result, I have been a health card patronizer. On my 40th birthday, I gifted myself with a pair of reading glasses. I also got myself a suki card to take advantage of my "investments" at Mercury Drug Store. And one of these days, I'll try to organize the medical files that have accumulated from my visits to different doctors and laboratories. So, that's it!