Straight up now, tell me...

I've been away for a while...and I've been busy, but I've been taking pictures all the time too.

I've become pretty much a wallflower the past week...just another silent commuter n the 7AM bus, on her way to work. (I missed you.:-D)My mind has been filled with thoughts upon random thoughts of what I would say should I see you again, but since I hardly have the time, this will have to do...

(Roadside periwinkles. March 2010)

The past week has been work-filled, and although the cases have become quite commonplace and "routine" , in one way or another, I always end up surprised at the new things that come up at sometime or another...

Like, for example, the way some people adore superheroes, they adore them too much and want to immortalize their idols in their kids' lives. I suppose this teen will not be having a hard time being remembered... as Darna. In all likelihood, she'll probably end up with a boyfriend named Ding. (Like the Kamikazee song goes, "Ang swerte nga naman ni Ding..." ?)

 (Darna. March 2010)

...Or the time when I attempted to explain whether a patient had a seizure by painstakingly outlining the description in the vernacular, talking and demonstrating upward rolling eyeballs, and stiffened extremities to a couple from a remote barrio in the mountains who brought their child in. After all I had said, they asked me out straight, "Oh, you mean, a "convulsion", doctor? No, she didn't have one." (Gee thanks for telling me now, after all that, madam.. :-p)

 (The Cow Bus. March 2010) 

After a long tiring day (literally 24 hours of it) at work, I go home and rest a while and see what else I need to do. I am seriously contemplating getting another job, just so I won't have things so routine. By then, I suppose, I won't have so much time to devote to taking pictures of the regular event in the picture above this paragraph and the cows they seek to transport just because they interest me. :-)

Guess what, though, my Korean friend Yumi called and asked me out to dinner with her cousin.

  We had Marinara Pizza, and ...

(

(Spaghetti Carbonara. Le Chalet. March 2010) 

...or which I scooped out the egg yolk in the middle and gave it to her (because I don't eat eggs unless they're scrambled).

Y

(Yumi, Juran, I. Le Chalet, March 2010)

Yumi and I go from way back, I met her when I was going around looking for a part-time summer job before going into Medical School. She was a college freshman then, and she needed help with her English, so we started hanging out for the summer and have been in touch since. :-)

(Juran, and I. Le Chalet, March 2010)

Her little cousin Juran wanted to learn English, so she enrolled at the one-year English course in Silliman University (where I did college), but wanted to get some tutoring on the side. I promised her I'd hang out with her, and hook her up with some of my cousin's friends (who did some tutoring on the side).  I look pretty chunky here, but I hope that's only 'cause she's on the skinny side. :-p

(Korean Pink Pills. March 2010)

She told me she was feeling a bit "under the weather", and showed me some of the medications she was taking. I told her, "hey, I'm a doctor, maybe I could help you with that..." But when she flips it over, and I see this...

...and I had to say, "Ahaaa... ok, forget it." :-) Apparently my medical practice is only limited to what I can read and understand...Korean not being one of them. :-p 

 (Yumi and Jay. Korea. March 2010)

And yes, Yumi did tell me that she and Jay were getting married next year. He's her boyfriend, also Korean...but doesn't speak a word of it.  LOL. I met "el sexy" back in September in Cebu when they were in the Philippines for a tour. He was a funny guy to hang out with.

But seriously now, before you start thinking that maybe all I've been doing is just to take picture of bees and flowers and cows...

(Bee on Mango flowers. March 2010)

Let me tell you that I have been active on my self-information drive regarding the coming elections. This week, one of the presidential candidates, Gilbert "Gibo" Teodoro was in Dumaguete for a forum. I got wind of the event when Kuya Moe (Moses Atega) posted it on facebook. Having heard of Secretary Teodoro's reputation as a good speaker, I went over to the Negros Oriental Convention Center as an objective voter who wants to make an informed choice. :-)

(Gilbert "Gibo" Teodoro. Dumaguete City, March 2010) 

The announcement said that he would be at the venue by 9AM for the forum, so when I got delayed (got there at 10AM) and saw him already in the aisles shaking hands with everybody (pressing the flesh)...I thought I had missed that speech. 

As usual, I wanted to sit in front, so I could see the speech he'd make up close. :-) But as expected, all the seats in front were taken.  Didn't matter. I could hear fine anyway.

Fr. Balongag, a family friend, did the opening prayer, and when I told Ma about it, she said it was highly likely that he was a Gibo supporter because the guy hardly has any time, he's always so busy, but he was there, doing the opening prayer, so that meant something positive.

The man had presence, I'll have to give him that. He was tall, distinguished, good-looking, and very confident. He always had a sure answer for every question thrown his way. He never faltered in his answers. In fact, there were even points where he'd go, "Let me clarify the question so we can better understand (or include more things in its scope)..." there's almost a palpable over-confidence to him, and something else that I can't quite put my finger on. 

The people in the row behind me, clearly were Gibo supporters, because aside from the fact that they wore green shirts and accessories and big big stickers such as the ones in the picture above, they would also clap and yell out, "Yess!" everytime Gibo would answer any queries. LOL.

Although I was in mint green, it was coincidental, and sitting there I tried my best not to be carried away by the man's impressive stature and bearing. 

I discreetly took this picture a few seconds after he shook my hand. He made a tour of the aisles, "pressing the flesh", i.e. a politician's strategy to get more voters [interaction] and give a bigger impact. Yet, i did notice that when he shook my hand, he didn't make eye contact. He just shook my hand, and then moved on to the next person, almost mechanically. I don't even remember the feel of his hand, or if he was goodlooking up close (i didn't care), because I was intently observing his body language for sincerity clues.

Well, he didn't score high one that for me, anyway, but I made notes of his speech and the points he was making, but i'll write about it another day. 'Cause for now, I have to get to bed. I have another 24 hours to work my ass of tomorrow at the hospital. :-)

Anyhoo...after checking out these candidates, it all seemed like a big wooing process. Every presidentiable is a suitor, hoping for that chance to be the mother country's "main man".  What she really wants to know is, 

"Straight up now tell me, do you really want to love me forever? Or are you just having fun..."

:-p 

(Are you?)

(anyway, this is the Andrew Garcia video I'm talking about, from American idol. Check it out. I love this song! :-))