Month: May 2014

Operation Tuli

“Tuli” (circumcission) turned out to be complicated for Migi. We went thru 2 doctors just to cut some small piece of skin in his pennies.

And, i’m thankful that finally it’s over. But I felt that it was made too complicated for Migi. I should had done more research on it.
Doctor 1 – LAZY
So i asked for a referral froma doctor friend, and she suggested to visit her clinic. So i was happy because it’s going to be a friend
But what happened was she was still not there, and so another doctor that was present looked into Migi.
Bad of me, I should have insisted waiting for my friend doctor. But i thought, what’s a tuli?!? 
Turned out the doctor was a traumatic experience for migi. With my kid half-naked, she announced that Migi was “palos” and adviced to postpone the tuli because it’s going to hurt bad. 
I know how Migi wanted it badly, and so with a half-naked son, I was trying to discuss with the doctor and my son on how to go about it. But the doctor kept saying she could proceed but it’s going to hurt.
I asked Migi if he’s willing to proceed but I guessed he got also scared with the doctor repeatedly saying it’s going to hurt.
So anyway, I labeled her lazy because there were 2 instances while were waiting for our turn that she was lousy handling patients.
One patient was rushed there for suffering hypertension, and she ourtightly told them to seek help from bigger hospitals. Having a hypertensive mother, i kind of have an idea of how can it be bad to just shoo away a patient having a very high BP. 
So from my seat, I suggested that the patient should at least be given captropil to lower her BP before letting her go. That’s when the doctor asked her staff to find a pill for her.
Then another family came in with a kid who fell from a balcony. And as always, her response is to refer them to “bigger” hospitals.
Though, i understand that they’re a primary clinic but i guess it won’t hurt to at least provide some primary “care” just to ease a bit the worried patient.
Doctor 2
I got desperate because Migi really wanted to be circumcised. With every kid  in the neighborhood having it, the pressure was so high on him, and so on me.
So this neighbor mom refer me to a surgeon. Yes, a surgeon for a tuli can be overkill but i was desperate because migi might hate me for his entire life for “neglecting” his tuli needs when he needed it most. And i was also a bit scared that he might get bullied.
Anyhoo, so this surgeon is young, he has a bit of a fancy clinic. He’s nice and all. 
The operation went well. Migi did not cry.
My only take-away is that I felt Migi was overly bandaged, which we could not removed for 3 days, meaning Migi cannot take a bath for 3 days. 
I felt his measures are great but it’s too complicated. I felt there’s no need for bandaging my son’s pennies for 3 days. @.@
Anyhoo, i’m thankful it’s over. 
But overall doctor 2 is a nice doctor.
I stayed away hiding the whole tuli operation. Despite undergoing 3 cs operations, Any little sight of blood can still make me faint. 

Race Schedule, lately

I have a different race schedule now. Instead of races I need to join, it’s now of races I need to market / promote.

A just recently concluded trail run
360 Taal Volcano Trail Run
An upcoming fun run
Dagan para sa Kalikupan – June 1
A half-marathon 
St. Ignatius Run – July 13, 2014
An ultramarathon
Sungay 50k ultra – July 13, 2014
A marathon
Talisay Marahon – Aug. 17, 2014
If these were races that I need to run, i’m due for an overused injury! 
I find it a lotttt! Especially that i’m still learning my way on marketing events.
But if you think of it, I need moreeee to really earn big so we can finally be able to afford like sponsoring a team
Anyhoo, i’m really thankful to all the people who have been supportive of us. There was a lot of doubts, of planning to just pull the plug because it’s too much to handle for a side project.
If runroo, I get to be up close with runners. The aktib, i get to work with the organizers. 
To register to the above races, go to http://store.aktib.ph!

A Long Narrative of my Quick Trip to Manila / Batangas

Because it was my first time to fly alone, it deserves a blog post. Mark was already ahead for a conference. And, we decided to take a side trip to Batangas for the Taal Volcano Trail Run http://aktib.ph/968-1st-taal-volcano-360-challenge-25km-trail-run so I followed him.

Thing is the technical details of travelling are always taken cared of by Mark. While, my role is usually to approach strangers for directions and to order food. 

(The cebu pac’s kiosk check in let me choose a seat for free! Though, it was not the case at NAIA.)

Thus, checking in, waiting for the boarding stressed me so much since there was no one to watch them out for me. I felt like falling off from my seat everytime announcement was made on PA system because I felt it’s saying that my flight already had taken off. @.@
The worse thing was that despite paying close attention to the details, I still lined up at the wrong gate when boarding. @.@ Going thru a thick crowd to transfer to the right gate did really scared me that I might be left behind.

Last time, we were in Manila last December, a shooting incident happened hours after we left the airport. That one also worried me so I wanted to leave NAIA the soonest. I was asking help from a security personnel when he told me:
“Ma’am, nasa Maynila na po kayo. Hindi kita maintindihan. Tagalog lang po.”
That one was a jolting welcome to Manila! 
At terminal 3, made my way to Nissan Rent-a-Car booth but no car was available. They led me to another car rental (forgot the name), and the driver was a pure Tagalog who kept pointing out my “english speaking,” asking if I was to meet my foreigner boyfriend. So I had to keep explaining to him that I’m still trying to adjust my language setting.  
Kasalanan ko ba ang gahi ng tagalog ng cebuano?!? 
Aside from pointing out my language skill, the driver discussed about politics. And, I noticed that Tagalogs are really more passionate about national politics / issues over cebuanos? Maybe because of their proximity to the national offices. 

We went around Robinson’s because it was just beside Crowne Hotel where the conference Mark was attending was held.
Lunch at Singapore resto something
Met someone from itemhound at starbucks which was across the Edsa Shrine, still part of Robinson’s
Eat at a Viet resto, and Phat Pho and Big Bangkok Little Saigon here in Cebu are still the yummiest viet food maker for me.
Then went off to Batangas for the race via Uber car.
I then learned that going to Tagaytay is just a breeze especially thru SLEX. It’s the trip from Tagaytay to Talisay, Batangas, where we were staying, can be a bit complicated.
Looking back, the uber ride was tad overrated but with the little time that we had and little knowledge of how it works, it was just worth it. So these are probably other “betterl routes i can think of of how to to tagaytay then batangas from manila:
* rent-a-car to sta rosa via SLEX then bus to tagaytay
* laguna buses that will pass via slex then take another bus to tagaytay
* or simply bus, as long as there is no traffic, it’s probably just 1:30 travel time.
Going to talisay / tanauan Batangas, we just took tricycle because we’re too lazy to figure out the jeepney system. Terminal in Rotunda, Tagaytay for tricycle is at McDonald’s where bus stop is also located. If from
Tanauan/talisay, batangas to Rotunda, Tagaytay, it’s P300. Yes, it’s pricey and worth it because the road is an all uphill climb. I think going down from
Tagaytay to batangas is cheaper but we just opted to pay p300 too. There are other routes too, but the Ligaya drive which they also call Sungay is scary because it’s so steep!
I wish we had more time to explore Tagaytay to find some local old timer coffee shop, and carenderia for a good old bulalo. According to chay, beef is what is tagaytay / batangas popular for.
Anyhoo, the view of Bag of Beans is pretty, it makes their coffee barako extra great.
And a not-so walking distance away from
bag of Beans is Tootsie’s, where food was so-so but their beef was really tender, and their lengua really melts in your mouth!
But over a great conversation with a friend, they all turned awesome!
Going back to Manila, we took a bus! Then got off at Coastal Road per friend’s instruction.

We kill-time at Resort’s World which was a fancy place. I kind of wonder what’s the crowd there. It seems mostly people who just arrive from abroad, or about to

Leave for abroad.

Lunch at Mrs. kurusogawa (or something that sounds like that), which according to foursquare is owned by Marvin Agustin. I’m no japanese food expert but food was like rai-rai ken on a steroid price. The old lady beside kept saying “bad service.”

Nevertheless, food and service was so-so okay on our end.
Resorts world seems to be not so fond of letting their customers do some labor. 
There’s a shuttle bus from resorts world to NAIA terminal 3 for free, which parked at Remington Hotel.
For some reason, Terminal 3 was so hot! It made Terminal 4 not so bad.
So that was my quick trip!
***
For my Taal Volcano 360 Trail Challenge race story, it will be posted soon at http://aktib.ph!

Gift of Uncertainty

I downloaded The Black Swan book long time ago. But I only found time to start reading it last Friday because I had no choice since I was alone flying to MNL. 
And, I was glad that it “found” me in the times that I’m kind of “lost.” 
Lately, my mind is quite chaotic. There’s something in there that I cannot point out why I’m getting lethargic and depressed. 
Reading the book kind of give me the answer. It has to do that a lottttt happen to us in the past 2 or 3 years, and then moreeee are coming that I have a hard time making sense out of them. It was too much for me to handle.
And when I have too many things happening, and more of coming, they make UNCERTAINTY sooo high… So high for me to wrap my head around it. 
So the book reminds me to embrace uncertainty and chaos! That I should be grateful about it! 
So in my 33rd birthday, I would like to thank the husband who is not comfortable with “certainty.”
Thank you for, literally, rocking my world! 🙂
#chos

Parenting Muscle Memory?

The last date of pedia visit on mati’s baby book was 2011. It’s because we’re pretty dependent with Doc Tin, Mark’s cousin. She’s the kids’ school doctor, and a neighbor so there… And, thankfully, we did not have any major health issues that needed some further consultation with their pedia, doc fortunato. Buyag!

And, I guess because after having 3 kids, i kind of experienced all kinds of sickness that we already have some muscle memory of what to do. And, 3 kids tends to make you more relax. 🙂

But Today, I just had the need to bring Mati because his asthma/cough/colds has been with him since Friday which is not really that long but mark
And i will be away until sunday, and I cannot have some peace of mind leaving him like that. So i brought him to the pedia to get a second opinion that he’ll survive until i’m back. 🙂
Thankfully, doctor said that it’s nothing really biggie!
Anyhoo, funny, how that clinic visit made me realized that I really do age already. The old same worn out toys displayed at the clinic, and the new younger very protective faces of parents and tiny babies. 

The moms were talking about immunization costs, which is a topic that always pops up in pedia clinics. With 3 kids, I really have not much choice but to forego the expensive ones. And, aside from the basic SOP immunizations, I’m not really a big fan of immunizations. Dirt is, for me, the best immunization. 🙂

It’s been 9 years (10 years this August 2014) that I’ve been a mother / parent. How did it ever happen?!? 
After the pedia visit, the obligatory junk food session! 🙂

Pink nars-cissism

I got a lovely flourless birthday cake from Mareee Flor. Order any kind of baked goodies from her at this number (0917) 625 6482.

And, I also got envious of her super pink lipstick. And, just like any other envious girl, I got a pink-er one!
And, it felt like hold-up! The gay sales staff taught me to put some “shimmer” kind of finish on the center of the lips for “emphasis.” And, I think it looked so pretty like Julia Roberts in Pretty woman kind of pretty. And so I went out of rustans with 2 tubes, which I’ll probably not use after this selfie! 😐 

Early Birthday Lunch

At Borussia, Sogod, Cebu. I’ve been asking Mark many times that we check it out every time we pass by it. 
Anyhoo, since it’s my birthday weekend, he gave in.
IKR!

The food was good. They have artisan bread, and free range eggs too!

No One is too Busy for an #OOTD

It’s Thursday now, and Friday tomorrow! How did time fly like that? I’m making this trying to recount what happened to me from the last day in SG to PechaKucha night.

But here’s an OOTD first, from our last day at SG.

I’m just showing off my running belt bag which is useful when “travelling.” =)

I spent trying to catch some sleep at the airport since flight was 12midnight, and gun start for the Coast to Coast Ultra was 10pm the following day. I readied myself that it’s going to be yet another DNF for me.
Lack of rest, for me, is worse than lack of training. And worst is lack of both.

We arrived with some beautiful views, and I thought that it must be a good sign for our upcoming race.

The sky when we got home. Thank, God! 🙂 http://t.co/sDDCSdA62P pic.twitter.com/XvtQKLlf2J
— rose buenconsejo (@owrange) May 10, 2014

We took as much sleep as we could when we got home. We woke up around lunch time, then it was time to prep up all the stuff we need for the Coast to Coast. We were doing it self-support again so we must take all the stuff that we would need along the way.

I attended mass before heading to the race assembly area for additional guidance. =) For some reason, we were able to finish it. It was way beyond cut-off time, and with the much help of friends. (Will post the whole race story at aktib.ph)

Monday came, I need to do double time for making the PechaKucha presentation. Like PechaKucha facebook page here >>, it’s a must! 
I already made my presentation on my “moleskine” notebook but then I realized that what I made was not so fit for the 20 slides then 20 seconds/slide kind of presentation. So I had to do a lot of redoing, until Tuesday. I did not sleep for it! =)
(Photo by Jesslee Cuizon)
Anyhoo, I pulled it off but I wish I had more time rehearsing it. I was trembling the whole time. Demmit! Here’s a video of my presentation. Thank you very much, Stacey of My Dragon Eats Cat Food. (I’ll post the script and photos of it on runroo.com)

As Mark said that I’m already 30+ years old, why the fear of talking?!? Yeah, right! =)