OCTOBER PLANS

I seriously should be doing something else (like, sleep) but here I am blogging. Gosh it's already October, only 2 more months until 2012 is done, but I have practically done nothing I can consider as an accomplishment. I don't want to go back to this old post and realize what a fail I am. ﾍ(;´Д｀ﾍ)

Anyhoo, for this month I'm swamped with work. Just look at my schedule... 

It's like saying, "Die of Exhaustion NOW...!!!"∑(O_O；)

Not that I'm complaining, really. It's actually something to be grateful for. At least I have a job. At least I'm earning money to pay the bills. And I'm crossing my fingers and praying that I might earn a little extra to take with me to Komikon.

Yes! See that orange-y blocks near the end of the month? I'm going to Komikon!!! And we're... (crosses fingers)... launching a manga anthology!!! I don't know if we can make it in time, but I'm praying that we will. Sadly, my only contribution to this collab is artist-bullying. I hover annoyingly over the three artists and make a lot of noise so that they'll get their jobs done. No drawings from me. Not even one. Just don't seem to be worthy yet. But maybe, someday. I hope.  

I won't write details for now, but I hope people will give us their love and support by buying our indie! I was browsing through Komikon pictures in Facebook earlier, and then suddenly I'm afraid. What if no one buys our manga, omgwtfbanana~!!! (((( ;°Д°)))) But I perished that thought immediately and placed my trust in my friends (and my faith in GOD! O LORD, HELP US SELL ALL COPIES!!!! ヽ（゜ロ゜；）ノ )

Well since I will not be doing anything useful for the con, I'm thinking I should utilize my free time (though technically those are post-duty days, wtf) to do TWO pending drawing projects. And well, I need to work my ass off so I can buy more comics. And pay for my ridiculously expensive plane ticket. (;*´Д`)ﾉ

MY SUMMER KOMIKON EXPERIENCE

The Summer Komikon 2012  was scheduled on a Saturday, the 26th of May, hence I intentionally scheduled our family trip to Manila on that specific weekend. So while my Mom and sister were relaxing in a water spa, my boyfriend and I went geeking out in the Bayanihan Center, where the event was held. 

As we arrived at the parking area, a car also parked beside us. And when the door opened, my boyfriend and I were like, "zomBBQ! It's THE Budjette Tan!!!" He is the talented writer and creator for the comic series, Trese, which I also collect. I've met him before during the first Komikon I went to, which was on November of 2009, and he was really friendly and nice. Sadly, I wasn't able to bring my copy of Trese #4, so I wasn't able to have it signed. (・n・)

It was already around 11am when reached the venue, and to our utter dismay, there was already a long queue of people! Like the first Komikon we attended, our main objective was to obtain a copy of Sir Elmer Damaso's Cat's Trail Rewind. And we learned from his blog that he was only bringing 80 COPIES of issue #4! In my mind, I was already calculating, "If all these people each get a copy of CTR, then there won't be any copies left for us!!!" I'm sure Suoh was also thinking the same thing, but we tried not to panic as we paid for our way in. 

Freebies! -- A copy of the Komikon Journal, a Summer Komikon 2012 poster, and an FCBD (Free Comic Book Day) comic.

So the moment we set foot into the carpeted hall, I was mesmerized by the sights of manymanymanymanymany comics and the manymanymanymanymany people! I was about to reach for some stuffs when Suoh snapped me out of my trance, and reminded me of our primary goal. We immediately did a quick round searching for Sir Elmer's table, but we didn't find it!!! We must've gone around the place three times until final reaching a conclusion: either #1, CTR sold out in less than an hour and Sir Elmer went home already, and #2, that he has yet to arrive with his merchandise. And thank God #2 was the correct answer! After a few minutes, the emcee announced Sir Elmer's appearance, and we immediately rushed to his table.

DEJA VU. It's like a blast from the past while I stood in line for my turn.

We waited a bit for some fans to buy their copies, before we got our turn. His wife, Angel Mei, was also with him, and I was plain awestruck. They were really really really super nice and friendly, and were very simple and humble, and just so awesome!!! We got our copies of CTR #4 (and I also got extra copies for Hime, Shika, Don Vic and Gervie), and asked to have gadzillion copies of Culture Crash signed. Miss Angel Mei was so sweet and wonderful! Each time Sir Elmer finished signing an issue of CC, she'd gently blow on the ink so that it won't blot!（*´▽｀*）After all the issues were signed and safely secured in my bag, it was then that Suoh introduced himself as one of the winners of Sir Elmer's contest, and he got a most remarkable, stupendous, superb, [ insert more superlatives here ] artwork from Sir Elmer as his prize!!!!

It was at that point that I truly, really, surely felt a most piercing pang of envy in my heart. So I think I really have to write about this here...

/start rant/  You see, Sir Elmer had a sort of "Who's that Pokemon?" guess-the-name-of-the-character contest in his blog. We weren't able to join in the first set, but luckily, there was a second batch. The first three to respond with the correct answer wins an artwork from Sir Elmer himself! Suoh called me up that night so that I could post my answer too and get a chance to win. That time I was feeling sick so I wasn't online, so it took a few minutes for me to turn on the PC and connect to the net. And those few precious minutes made the most drastic difference in my life! I was even joking to Suoh then that Rei might have also logged in within that time. And true enough, when the results were posted, Suoh got second place, Rei got third place, and I came up fourth -- only THREE MINUTES later than Rei!!! In a way, I was happy they were the winners since at least I know them and I got to see their prizes. Besides, although I have more than 20 OCs, but I only got to draw two(?) of them, so I probably won't know which character to request if ever I've won. So I guess I'm happy to be able to share their joy. And I hope to get my chance next time, and maybe by then, I'll have drawn profiles for my OCs. But still... THREE MINUTES!!! (*￣m￣) *cries*  /end rant/

OK.. So going back to the con. We took some pictures with Sir Elmer and Miss Angel Mei before we left. And since I'm feeling all nostalgic right now, I'll also post the 2009 pics here so you can play a little spot-the-difference game. Despite my jitters (cos I was really shaking there) and my bloopers (I recall saying a lot of things which made no sense!!), it was really a most wonderful pleasure meeting Sir Elmer and Miss Angel Mei again, and I just can't wait to tell all my friends about it! (*°∀°)

.
It was also in this table where Rei apparated out of nowhere and showed herself to us. Rei is a friend I know from online, and though we weren't that close back in our Anime Illusions forum days, but we suddenly became BFFs since the start of the year. This was our very first meeting, and since that will take a lot of time to explain, I will devote a whole blog entry for that after I wrap up this Komikon report.（＾ｖ＾） 

With Taga-ilog. Minus the bucket. ^u^;;

Next stop: since we were already lugging around our Culture Crash issues, we figured that we'll grab the chance to have them signed by Taga-ilog too. And so we went to his table, which to my surprise was actually the table of Point Zero comics, (and add to my surprise later on, was that the creator of Cresci Prophecies is actually his wife!!!). Suddenly, I became very very very shy, and FROZE stupidly in front of their table for probably more than two minutes. Suoh kept nudging me to talk, and I was like, "Ehehe.. They told me he ALWAYS had a bucket on. I actually believed that for more than ten years of my life!!!!" Then finally, I found myself in front of their table, and blurted out, "One of everything please." (For Pasig, I think I bought three copies! I really don't remember. ＼(◎o◎)／) And then we asked him to sign our Culture Crash copies. He was really nice too! But I was just so nervous and tongue-tied. And I didn't say anything to Miss Joanah Tinio-Calingo at all. So rude of me. *facepalm* I hope I can find a chance to redeem myself next time. By the way, all of their comics (Pasig, Kanto Inc, Curtains for Hire, and one one-shot) are fantastic!!! Kanto Inc was really funny, and Curtains for Hire got me crying. Next time I'll save money for Cresci Prophecies. 


After that, we went back to the Suoh's pick-up to hide safely store the Culture Crash copies. It was already getting heavy and quite bulky to lug around. I remember Suoh popping a question to me then, "I wonder what they feel when they see copies of Culture Crash. What do you think?" And I don't know where this came from, but I answered, "Maybe, it's like seeing your ex-girlfriend once more..." And we both became quiet and a bit sad as we pondered about it. Culture Crash, at the peak of its time, and for us still students back then, was THE local comic book to watch out for, and was a huge artistic inspiration that Yes!, da Filipino Ken!. And since I live far down south, it was a rare commodity. Even with its erratic publishing, the fandom was solid and strong. And up until now, I'm sure a lot of the CCCom fans would love to see it back in the market again. And if it means so much to us, I'm sure it means even much much more to its creators. Although it's sad that it's all in the past now, but still I am glad to have had that reading experience in my earlier years and to have the opportunity now to meet some of these amazing creators of CCCom and see them move on with their individual projects. 

(Left) Marco Dimaano and Kriss Sison signing our Ninja Girl Ko copies at the Gunship Revolution table.
(center) Mangas. Lots and lots of them. 0___0
(Right) Me with the happy Salmon Komiks tropa. It was nice to meet Nica the diva dubber again. ^^

Without our heavy bag, we went back to the con again, and this time went around the tables looking at the other indies and comics for sale. Some were familiar, but most of them I honestly do not recognize. But it really piqued my interest to know more about the Filipino artists and the local comic industry. I was so tempted to hoard and buy everything that appealed to me but due to my current jobless state the limited funds I had with me that time, I just chose to buy comics that I know. I got a copy of Ninja Girl Ko, all Oh-No Manga issues, and a Love Hina light novel. I also got a copy of Salmon Komiks #2, and met Nica the diva dubber again. (If you don't know Nica, she is the nameless dubbing contestant in this really old story and incidentally, that blog entry was what led us to know each other.) Suoh bought some stuffs for himself too. We left the event to grab some lunch and have some bonding time with Rei (details in a separate blog entry), and although Suoh and I went back around 530pm, I guess we kinda missed out on a lot of things.


Like, we missed Sir Elmer's interview, didn't get to see Mark Millar, Dingdong Dantes and Lovi Poe, and lost the chance to participate in a hotdog-eating contest (I didn't know there was one, and being the hotdog lover that I am, I might have been convinced to join, hahahaha~!). I also failed to get Rei to introduce me to Enjelia and Sui. Looking back now, I regretted not buying some of the comics in the event. Skyworld was launched that day, and at that time I was thinking that I already had the previous indie(?) issues so I didn't check out their table anymore. I should have bought the new book versions back then and had them signed by the authors. There was also a table for Karen Francisco's Naermyth, and I didn't know she would be there to sign copies or else I would have brought my book along too. Even the comic adaptation of Tiktik: the Aswang Chronicles looked very interesting (and the movie trailer was quite a feast for the eyes). I can write on and on about other things I now regret not paying much attention to, but there really is no use crying (a week later) over spilled milk. I'll just keep my fingers crossed and pray that I can get a chance to attend the next Komikon again, and hopefully by then, have a better idea on what to watch out for, and also have moar monies to splurge（＾◇＾）.  


So for now, here is a picture of my Summer Komikon haul!

It was truly a fun and memorable experience, and I hope I can attend future events like this with my other artist friends, like Gervie and Don Vic. 
I am also inspired to draw my own comic now, but the possibility of that becoming a reality is yet ... unforeseeable. ヽ（´ー｀）┌

TINAPAY NA, NAGING BATO PA

I was the resident-on-duty two nights ago. It was around 8pm, and I was on my way up to my room, when I passed by Nurse Station 1 and noticed a tall, lanky guy lurking around the nurses' table. When he saw me, he immediately turned around and walked up the ramp which led to the second floor. I took a peek to see if he has left, but I noticed that a man's shadow was still visible. The Station 1 Nurse came back from the wards, and I asked her if she knew that suspicious guy. She said she didn't know him. I told her I was gonna report the incident to our pharmacist, and left my bag, my bible, my tumbler, and some documents in the nurses' table.

It took me just a few minutes to describe the questionable person to our pharmacist, who promptly told our security guard. It kinda felt awkward to pass judgement on someone without any evidence, but I felt very uneasy about the whole thing. I headed back to Nurse Station 1 to get my things, and as I turned around the corridor, I saw the suspicious guy back at the nurses' table,
HIS HAND ON TOP OF MY BAG!!!

He stepped back when he saw me, and I hurriedly approached him, and with a loud voice asked what he was doing. He mumbled something incoherent, and then flipped through my documents, asking if a certain patient's papers were there. I felt my eyes grow big, and I instantly grabbed his left wrist and yelled, "Why are you touching my things!?!" He was taken aback, and he pulled back his arm, and started running towards the ramp. I ran after him, and screamed like mad, calling out our pharmacist's name. He stopped and turned around, and started requesting for me not to yell. He said he was in the hospital to visit a friend, and that he didn't do anything wrong. I asked him why he ran, and he retorted by saying that he freaked out when I grabbed his hand. I seized him by the wrist again, and told him that I was taking him to the Emergency Room.

By then a lot of people has gathered near the ER cos he was loudly protesting his innocence, while I was also shouting at him saying that I clearly saw his hands on top of my bag (though I was careful not to accuse him of anything). The guard took him to a chair just outside the ER entrance, and told him to calm down, telling him that if he was really innocent then he had nothing to worry about. The guy insisted that he was there to visit this certain patient, so we called down that patient's relative who confirmed that the suspicious guy was indeed their neighbor. By then I had already calmed down a bit and started to fret and feel guilty for putting the person in such an embarrassing situation. I went inside the ER, and realized that my hands were trembling. Our pharmacist approached me, and secretly told me that the patient's relative said that the guy was not trustworthy, so we were calling for police assistance. She was also going to check the CCTV to review the incident.

We probably detained the guy for almost 30minutes, cos the police took such a long time to arrive. By then I think the suspect realized that we called the authorities, and started to become agitated especially when the guard showed him a picture of a previous thief we caught on CCTV, who bore a striking similarity to his profile. Then at one point, the guard became distracted and busy attending to people coming in and out, and the suspect saw his chance. He rushed towards the main gate but was blocked by our ER nurse (who is a small, thin guy!). Realizing that he couldn't escape from there, he quickly rushed back towards the Nurse Station 1, towards the end of the hallway, and jumped out from the window (which was two-storeys high!). Our guard ran after him, but he was gone. The police arrived by then, but they were too late.

We assumed by then that he must have been guilty since he ran away. When we finally got to review the CCTV, he really did get something from the front compartment of my bag, which he immediately pocketed. He was about to go away, but he turned back cos he was aiming for the main compartment of my bag. That was when I caught him touching my bag, but he wasn't opening it so I couldn't accuse him of anything. Thinking back, I shouldn't have been so soft-hearted and should have immediately suspected him, cos a normal person won't go around touching other people's things. Anyway, we plan to file a case against him, cos we think he's the one who has been repeatedly stealing our nurses' cellphones. I rummaged through my bag and realized that I lost my 50-peso bill. Good thing I didn't have any valuables inside that bag, but the thought that a crook touched my things and that I actually caught him and even chased after him still freaks me out. Despite the fact that he escaped, I feel a sense of pride for what I did, but also know that it was a dangerous thing to do. A lot of people praised me for being so brave, but those same people also scolded me for being so stupid. Because of the adrenaline rush, it didn't cross my mind back then that he could have attacked me or even stabbed me or something. God was truly on my side at that time. Thank God none of us got hurt, and nothing valuable was lost.

I really hope he gets caught soon. The thought that he's just lurking around somewhere, waiting for his next chance, totally freaks me out. I pray that God will keep all of us, especially our staff and patients, safe from up-to-no-good people like him.

HAPPY 2011!!!

May this new year be as blessed as the past year, and may many more of our dreams come true.

God bless all of us this 2011! ^___^

UPDATES OF MY LIFE (AGAIN!)


I'm sitting here in the hospital pharmacy, leeching off the hospital broadband using "Lorna".

What the heck is a "Lorna"? I'll tell you about it some other time. LOLz! For now, here are some random updates of my life, since I've been away for more than a month. You will soon learn why...

• 01. WE CURRENTLY DO NOT HAVE AN INTERNET CONNECTION!
  Because of the recent move, we terminated our DSL connection. I was planning to get connected to PLDT DSL once we settled down but that was never realized (see number two). It makes me sad to be offline, but for the past two months, I actually accomplished a number of stuffs (i.e. read my books, clean up my room) without the internet tempting me all the time. I know deep down that the internet robs me of my precious time and I really don't accomplish much in life when I'm in front of a PC. So I'm now reconsidering if I really need that DSL connection. I'm not home most of the time anyway. It's probably wiser to do some cost-cutting, and this would hopefully cut me off my idleness as well.
  
  
  
• 02. WE'VE MOVED AGAIN!
  I mentioned last time that we were leaving EVA UNIT-01 because of some problems. We only stayed in that unit for two weeks. We moved into a two-bedroom bungalow unit last August 22, and I thought that it was the end of our problems. BOY, I WAS SO WRONG. During our first week in UNIT-02, some stranger was able to enter our compound, and BORE A HOLE IN ONE OF OUR BEDROOM WINDOW SCREENS!!! We later learned that all the houses within that compound have been robbed of some stuffs, and even the neighboring houses have been robbed too! My parents were totally freaked out and we had to close down all the windows and curtains, making the place one huge sauna bath. We finally decided that the place was not habitable, and we were out of the place after 2 weeks of stay. So last September 5, we moved for the third time to another apartment very near our old residence, and although a bit cramped, but I think we feel a whole lot better and comfortable here.
  
  One of the downsides of all these transferring is that we have exerted so much effort in cleaning and moving. My Mom especially had to leave from work just to clean the house and pack our stuffs (and she can be really super-diligent when it comes to cleaning!) I feel sad that I wasn't home to help her. Most of the time I wasn't in CDO because of my work, so I can only trust other people to help my parents with moving.
  
  The most painful loss during all these time is that I have spent so much money already. TOO MUCH. Each time we move to a new house, we had to pay for the laborers and the truck drivers, not to mention do some repairs and buy doorknobs/locks, electrical equipment, etc. The owner of EVA UNIT-01 returned most of my deposit, and even apologized to us. We parted in good terms. But the owner of UNIT-02, cunning as a snake, charged us with PhP9000 just for two weeks of stay! I was seething with dissatisfaction since I felt that we were at a disadvantage. My parents were so emotionally shook up to the point of losing weight, and even our dog lost weight as well probably since she was up all night barking the intruders away. I didn't want any more problems though so I just accepted his terms and wish I don't have to do any further business with him in the future (and he should cross his fingers as well and wish he'll have no business with me in the future as well).
  
  Bitter. XD
  
  
  
• 03. MY SISTER IS ALREADY IN JAPAN.
  She left Cebu last September 7, and is now experiencing Japan. OooOohhh... I am so envious! She told me about their train/bus rides, their crazy rollercoaster ride on the Thunder Dolphin, and their work stuffs. She also described her trip to Akihabara, and the first thing she told me was, "Atsy, daghan kayu anime dinhi!!!" (Sis, there's so many anime stuffs here!!!)
  
  I am just so GREEN with envy.
  
  
  
• 04. I BOUGHT A NEW STETHOSCOPE.
  This is not exactly part of the budget plan, but my ever reliable black Classic Littman Stethoscope finally rested in pieces last week. I occasionally have problems auscultating but I thought that my ears are problematic, and not my steth. Well, around 2 weeks ago, I noticed that the earpiece wore out and that the tubings have developed HUGE CRACKS. Afraid of having nothing to use at work, I fixed it up with some adhesive tape (plaster XD), and it was fine until last week, when I realized that I could no longer hear anything with it! It was already making a hollow sound, which affects my examination and diagnosis. I had to say goodbye to my black steth, which has served me well for 7 years, and hurriedly purchased a new Classic Littman Steth, this time in RASPBERRY PINK. Hehehe My other choices were NAVY BLUE and HUNTER GREEN.
  
  
  It wasn't cheap though and I even had to make a cash advance for it. Huhuhu...
  But I can't work without one so I had no choice. T___T
  
  
  
• 05. MY PORTABLE DVD PLAYER BROKE DOWN.
  This is so sad. In fact just thinking about it devastates me. I'm actually so fond of that player so it's hard to imagine that I can't use it anymore. About a month ago, I placed it inside a laundry bag and brought it down the ER. I hardly bring down my player but that time I was in the mood for some music. I placed the bag on a chair, and a few minutes later, THE BAG FELL OFF!!! It wasn't a very strong impact, and the player was still fine then. I was still able to finish watching Gakuen Heaven. I noticed though that the USB port was no longer working. A few days later, I was watching Yokazura Quartet in Camiguin when the video suddenly froze. And then the player refused to read ANY discs at all! It just kept saying "LOADING" but the video doesn't load. I took it to an electronics shop and they told me that the lens broke and they do not sell that type of lens in CDO. I'm taking the player to Manila next month and pray that I'll find the appropriate lens there. I am really so sad over this because that player means so much to me and I envisioned a long future of using it. It broke down after 3 months because of my carelessness. *very very sad*
  
  
  
• 06. I'M LEAVING FOR MANILA NEXT MONTH.
  I'm off to Manila come October 11-19 for personal matters. LOLz Actually, it's my boyfriend's birthday next month and I want to spend that special day with him. And I decided to use that time too to take a break from work, visit my friends, buy scrub suits and stuffs, and attend the COLLECTICON scheduled on October 11 in Robinson's Ermita. It will definitely feel like a trip down memory lane since Rob Ermita used to be my "territory". XD
  
  I was talking to my classmate earlier this week and he told me of a conference sponsored by the Philippine Society of Emergency Physicians come November 9-10. Their programme is really interesting and I think we will learn much from the lectures, so we are thinking of attending it. Hopefully we can save enough money by then so that we can join that confe. As an added bonus, the Anime Overload Festival to be held in SMX Convention Hall in Mall of Asia is set on November 8, so I think that's a really wonderful coincidence that I don't want to miss! I will have to miss work again though. *sad!!!*
  
  
  
• 07. FINISHED SOME BOOKS.
  I finished reading Dan Brown's Angels and Demons which is such a superb fast-paced exciting adventure. Every page leaves me amazed and wondering how the author has come up with such a brilliant plot and unexpected twists. And yes, it might be a bit controversial because it tackles on some sensitive topics, but I was never convinced that it was non-fiction. It was just a fun book to read, but I never took it seriously so I don't really bother with the controversies. Now I can finally watch the movie version (and see Tom Hanks in action, hehehe).
  
  I also started reading the sequels of Stephenie Meyer's Twilight Saga. I've read the first book Twilight last year, and although it was fun from time to time and made me giggle with glee in some parts, but I was never caught up in the Edward-Bella fandom. I just simply can't bring myself to rave over the books the same way I've raved over the Harry Potter series. And I just don't know why they keep comparing the two when they are both of different genres. But anyway, since my friends Jan and Joey have been telling me to read the rest of the saga (with Jan sending me pdf files of the book, and Joey actually lending me the hard copy!), I had no choice but to admit defeat. If you can't beat them, then join them. Hehehe I've put off reading the books for so long, and now I finally opened them. I've finished New Moon and currently reading Eclipse. Hopefully I'll finish Breaking Dawn as well this week. My opinions haven't changed at all though. And I think the only characters I like in the series are Alice and Carlisle, though not even them can bring me to fangirl level. Edward is sometimes likeable, but Robert Pattinson is NOT. XD
  
  
  
• 08. DOWNLOADING...
  I've lost my 300-something torrent list when my sister reformatted our Desktop PC. XD So right now I'm back to zero. I don't know if I'm actually relieved or frustrated. But it's more of a relief, I guess. I've always felt that the 300-something torrent list was binding me down. It made me feel that I was always chasing after something, that I was obliged to accomplish the downloads, and that somehow burdens me. Yes, they made me feel good, but they also weighed me down. I've always thought I am just TOO MUCH of a COMPULSIVE HOARDER.
  
  Now I'm back to downloading again, but for now I've only queued Hetalia Axis Powers and Umineko no Naku Koro Ni. The hospital connection is kinda slow (we're running on SmartBro), and I feel like I'm back to my old days (but at least NOT the dial-up days, hehehe). I have somehow leeched 6 episodes of HAP and 4 episodes of Umineko in two nights. XD

That's it for now I guess. I am actually on 24hour duty now, and it's way past my bedtime. I still have to work tomorrow. It's fun to blog again, and hopefully I can do it more often. Maybe with "Lorna", I can keep this blog rolling.

Or being that I'm too lazy, then maybe not. XD

A VERY LONG DAY

Since I slept around 4ish am so I woke up late and left the house around 1030am. I needed to do a lot of things which I've been procrastinating for the past two days, so I was slightly pissed cos it was already so late. I'm always pissed during mornings.

First I went to the Philippine Medical Association to get my ID. And I know that I have paid until May 2010, but my membership was only listed as until 2009, so I don't know what's up with that. But since I didn't bring my receipt, I decided to clarify it next time. I wanted to go to the Bureau of Internal Revenue office but it's quite far and by the time I'll reach there, it will be their lunch break already, so I decided to go to Limketkai Mall instead.


I went to McDo for lunch and had my favorite Double Cheeseburger Deluxe plus the Ice Age 3 special Twister Fries and Ice Blue Float. The float tasted like medicine x___x. While I was there, I plotted my activity for the day so that I can maximize my time in the afternoon. I also met my classmate Chris Bandoy there.


Around 130pm, I went to Picture City because I needed some 1x1 ID pics. Then I went to National Bookstore to buy some stuffs which were actually quite useless: a padded envelope for my Mom's portable DVD player, a green highlighter which I don't really need, and on impulse, I picked up a copy of one of my favorite books, Mitch Albom's Tuesdays with Morrie, and took all these to the cashier. Then I went to Watson's to buy some more useless stuffs, and then stopped by Robinson's Department Store and ended up buying a plaid blouse and some underwear. Then I ate low fat cappuccino ice cream at Fiorgelato. To sum up what I've done, I ended up spending some money on stuffs which were not part of the budget. Hahay. >__<


While sitting in Fiorgelato, I was texting my friend Gervie. We made plans to visit our high school classmate Mark, who was here for Sarah Geronimo's concert. Then I browsed through the Peso Saver (a local magazine of ads) and checked out some listed houses/apartments for rent. We're given until October to move out our present apartment, so hopefully we'll have ample time to prepare.

For my last stop in Limketkai, I went to the Sun Shop to pay my bill, then asked them regarding the possibility of having my Sony Ericsson R300 repaired. Last night, I accidentally dropped it and must have damaged something, cos I can't hear my calls anymore. Since our SE service center closed down some time ago, so the Sun agent told me that if I wanted it repaired, they'd have to send it to Manila. I had the impression that he was subtly hinting that I should just have it fixed at some cellphone repair shop here. I'm still thinking about this though, cos my phone is still under warranty, and it's such a waste not to use that.

It was almost 4pm when I left the mall and went to Divisoria. What I really needed to do today was to complete the requirements for my Philhealth Accreditation as physician, yet I went malling instead. *bonks self* It was already raining by then, and since I didn't bring an umbrella and was running against time, so I ended up getting a bit drizzled. I went to a random law office, and had my application NOTARIZED. I don't know what that means but I paid PhP200 for it! *cries* Then I photocopied some documents before heading to the Philhealth office.

To my surprise, they were almost closed! (It was still 445pm in my watch!) I begged the guard to let me in since I was only submitting my requirements, so he said OK. I approached the officer handling accreditation, whom I've spoken with before, and the first thing she actually said to me was, "Kinsa gali ka?" (Who are you again?!) I felt weird about that since I thought it wasn't a very polite thing to say, but maybe she was in a hurry to go home cos they were already closing. I told her I was there to submit requirements for accreditation, and so she started perusing my documents. Everything was OK until she got to the last requirement which was the M15/RF1 which is like a receipt indicating that my employer has paid my Philhealth monthly dues for me. I only had March and April with me, and she specifically instructed me last time to bring the receipts for January to May.

I know it was error on my part. The lady was only doing her job. But still I felt my face turn into a frustrated scowl. After getting soaked by the rain running around Divisoria and now I have to bother our pharmacist Mam Cha AGAIN for these papers! Mam Cha handles most of the concerns in the hospital so she's always very busy, and I don't really want to disturb her anymore. Well the lady officer must've noticed my change of expression, cos she started becoming very defensive, saying that she was already being lenient and all. She added that the main office in Manila won't be that complaisant, and also something about the cashier having gone home already so nobody can receive my payment anyway, blah blah blah. I know she's right, but I was just sOoOOOOOoooOOo... pissed off at her! And I made sure she felt my annoyance.

So with my main objective for the day not met, I glumly left the Philhealth office and went to the bank to deposit some money.

Then I went to buy a buko pandan pearl shake at Orbitz to chill my flames of anger, before heading to the office of our cable company. I was going to file a complaint because we suddenly lost some of our international channels, and we were informed by my Mom's friend that the cable operator has decided to upgrade their system, and it will include a major change of channels and a major conversion fee of PhP2500! We received a notice about their upgrade but there was nothing stated there about having to pay additional fees so that's what I wanted to clarify. The customer service lady told me that they have placed running ads in various channels at various time slots, to which I promptly retorted, "BUT WE DON'T WATCH TV 24 HOURS OF THE DAY JUST TO READ YOUR MEASLY RUNNING ADS!!!" She ended up having to explain stuffs to me in a small voice because I was obviously frustrated and purposely being mean to her. It was a useless being that way though. I still couldn't get back our channels despite my show of exasperation. I actually achieved nothing. But I just really wanted to be mean. u__u

So it was around 530pm, and I needed to meet Gervie in Limketkai but due to heavy traffic, I had to take two rides. I made a stop at Gaisano Mall, and so I visited their Booksale branch and ended up buying a copy of Horton Hears A Who by Dr Seuss, one of my favorite authors from childhood. Then I went to meet Gervie, and by 6pm, we went to meet Mark in his hotel.

He was quite busy trying to prepare for the concert and entertain family and friends who dropped by to visit him. But he still made time to make chitchat with us and to even call some of our other classmates. And although he may have changed a lot, yet he somehow still retained that wacky side of his which made us laugh all throughout high school (earlier, he tried to change inside a closet! XD). So I hope we can always see that part of him.

Thanks for meeting with us today, Mark!

Gervie and I decided to further support our friend by watching Sarah Geronimo's concert, where he is a guest. So we left Mark to prepare and vocalize (or whatever it is that he does before a show), bought tickets (the cheap ones were all sold out already x___x), then had dinner at Mandarin before watching the concert. Sarah really has a nice and strong solid voice, but neither of us were her fans though. *sheepish* Her guests were: Mark Bautista, Mark Herras, Jimmy Marquez, Simon Wood and the G-Force. Billy Crawford unfortunately couldn't make it. Um... I won't go into the details anymore cos I'm already so sleepy, suffice it to say that Gervie and I somehow enjoyed the concert, but it was kinda an awkward experience for us. The show ended around 11-ish, and we took a taxi and went home. It would've been nice to have talked more with Mark but I guess we'll just have to keep in touch in some other ways (er, facebook? XD).

Yes, it cost us PhP800 each!!!

Well... I'm off to sleep now. Good night.

BUHAY-BUHAY

I know I mentioned that I'll be out working until the end of the month. But for some unethical unreasonable "unexpected turn of events" (which will be blogged later on), I found myself home last Thursday. 0__o So since I'm back here in Cagayan de Oro, I decided to meet up with my very good friends, Hya and Shay. The three of us go way way back in med school, but our bonds forged when we lived as dorm mates during our internship year at the Philippine General Hospital (PGH), and later on when we applied as pre-residents in our respective departments in said hospital as well. As much as the three of us want to be "best friends forever" and "live happily ever after" as PGH residents-in-training, only Hya actually ended up going back to train in Pediatrics. Shay went back to work as ROD in the biggest tertiary hospital here, and as for me, well... I'm just your everyday ordinary scum/bum. XD


So anyway, since Hya had some days off from training, so she went to her hometown, Butuan City. BUT! She also wanted to meet us so she committed to travel the four hours distance between our cities and spend some time here in CDO. Initially I couldn't go because I had work, but because of the unethical unreasonable "unexpected turn of events" that I have yet to explain later on, I'm now free to meet her. And so I told her I'd be there.

To be honest, I only HALF-wanted to go, because lately I'm just feeling like an wandering and aimless loser, so I tend to shun events like get-togethers and catching-ups because I don't really want to talk about my life right now and compare it with others, especially with my close friends. Please don't misinterpret my emo mode as being ungrateful or dissatisfied with my work right now -- IT'S NOT LIKE THAT. On the contrary, I'm very very content with my current job and lifestyle, and I feel so blessed. God has given me so so so so much that I feel so unworthy. And in my 20 months of being a physician, the past 6 months have been my happiest because I feel that what I'm doing and my being a physician has a purpose after all, and that I am actually capable of growing and improving in my profession. But despite all these, I still have this ever-present nagging feeling of unease because I do not know what I'm going to do with my life. Two years ago, I was so sure I'd go into residency training in Surgery in PGH. A year ago, I was unsure of going into residency training but I wanted to go back to PGH so in desperation found myself accepted in OB-GYNE, which I eventually turned down. Right now, I still harbor thoughts of going back to PGH, but I don't want to train at all. I have no drive anymore, and I cannot see my future. I cannot see my long term goal and destination because I'm quite discouraged and frustrated by the health system here in general. I'm praying for God's light but there is no light yet, so it often makes me wonder if I have made foolish decisions in the past and that's why I'm in my current confused state. But I know God has a perfect plan for me. Someday, I will know what I am really meant for, then we can just look back and laugh at all these emo crap. XD

Now going back to the main point of this entry... So I met up with Hya last night around 8pm in Limketkai Mall. She arrived at around 5pm, and I really planned to meet her earlier, but my sked is so messed up so I arrived really late. I immediately recognized Hya's backpack in National Bookstore and when I tapped her and said, "Hoy! Hyacinth!", I noticed that she has lost a bit of weight (thanks to the hectic lifestyle of PGH). I immediately felt a bit sad for myself because I haven't lost any weight at all. Boo-Hoo-Hoo.

Since Hya was already so hungry, so we immediately proceeded to Bigby's for dinner. We ordered a really heavy meal (ehek! XD) and we talked about various things before Shay arrived (from work! wearing a dress! and high heels! *witweew!*). Shay was late because she had to contact various hotels to reserve a room for us for the night. We initially planned to stay at Pearlmont Inn but because of the Free Mason delegates for the ANNUAL COMMUNICATIONS, most of the hotels were fully vooked [typo intended XD]. Shay told us she was able to reserve a room for us at De Luxe Hotel. Since Shay still didn't have dinner yet, so she wanted to order a light meal to keep her strict diet. However, she mistakenly ordered a HUGE PLATTER full of nachos, onion rings and fried veggie rolls, so that got us all laughing. XD

During dinner, while the three of us were all loud and boisterous, reliving the old times and catching up on each others' lives, we were surprised to see our classmates Megs, Love-Love and Robert, who also went there for dinner. All of us were once in the same classroom agonizing over the same exams, yet now we were walking different paths in life. So it was really fun meeting up with them, in such an unexpected place and occasion. It kinda made me a bit nostalgic.

So anyway, Hya, Shay and I were so full after dinner, so Shay proposed that we walk a bit. Since we seemed to be heading towards M2, and since Hya and Shay are both avid videoke-rs, I thought we were going to go out singing that night. But Shay led us to the outside of Cafe Macumba, where a live band was just starting their gig. I felt a bit conscious cos I felt so underdressed there. I was just wearing a shirt and jeans, while most of the people in the crowd were in their sexy friday night outfits. (But come to think of it, I don't own any sexy friday night outfit since #1, I'm not sexy LOL, and #2, I don't go out on friday nights... Oh well! XD). Since we were seated there, we had to order something. Shay surprised us by ordering a Vodka Mudshake (waw... mature drink!) but it was not available so she settled for a Margarita (waw... mature drink!). I was happy with my cup of coffee, and Hya just settled for an Iced Tea because her gut was crying out "gastritis!" that night. We stayed there for a while, and after finishing our drinks, and noting that it was almost midnight, we headed to our hotel to check in.

Shay was ever-generous and paid for the Executive Class hotel room (I was such a scrimp and didn't even try to "pretend" to get my wallet XD). The room has air-con, ref, cable TV, two beds, and a CR with bathtub. We spent the entire night talking and joking around while watching TV. We discussed about various things including family, love life, future plans, gossips, Twilight, Boys Over Flowers and Hana Yori Dango in general, and just about anything that we could think of. Eventually Shay fell asleep around 130am(?), while Hya and I slept at around 3 already.

This is a crappy pic of our hotel room with an "imported" model. o___0


This is the bath tub where I had my bubble bath. LMAO! J/K.


And this is the hotel room hanger which could NEVER be stolen no matter how you try. XD

We woke up around 8am, freshened up and had breakfast at around 930am. Then we went back to the room and Hya DEMANDED (lolz) that I go home and burn her some doramas to bring back, so I left the hotel some time past 12, while Hya and Shay prepared to go back to Limketkai Mall. I burned Maou, Seigi no Mikata and Koizora movie for Hya, and threw in some random scanlations as well. I wanted to give her more stuffs since I feel she might be deprived when she goes back to Manila, but I didn't have time (and blank DVDs) anymore. I went to the mall to meet up with them, and we walked Hya to a taxi that will bring her to the bus terminal. It was a sad farewell cos it might take another year for us to meet again. But I feel that somehow Hya is very happy where she is right now, no matter how toxic her workload is, and because of that I am also happy for her. And I'm very proud of her cos she is, in some way, realizing a dream which Shay and I chose not to pursue for now.

Shay and I took a taxi too, and she dropped me off at Divisoria before heading home. I went to vent out my emo energies at the local DVD stalls, where I splurged on...

Miss No Good TW drama, Katekyo Hitman Reborn! eps1-100, and Hannah Montana season three

Pssst... *whispers* If you take a closer look at the KHR cover, you might notice that the kid there is actually 10th Captain Hitsugaya from BLEACH! LMAO! Now you tell me why he's in KHR?!? ^____^

In fairness to me, unlike before, I have not splurged so much on DVDs these past few months. It's because I have learned to be frugal *grins* (Er no, it's actually because I've been too busy... XD). A lot of DVD titles there were actually tempting me, but I scrapped the thought of buying them since I don't want to compromise quality. Some of the titles there which caught my attention included the TW drama Hot Shots, the korean drama East of Eden, and the following animes: Skip Beat!, Spiral, Princess Princess, Gakuen Heaven, Nana, Hidamari Sketch, etc etc etc... There were just too many. But I resisted the dark temptations, and just went home with THREE DVDs. Yay-ness!

Well... that's all the update for now. ^________^

A VERY RIDICULOUS DAY
- a tale of mis-adventures and uber-randomness -

I had an absolutely ridiculous day today.

Last week, I texted my classmate and asked her if she has any "sideline" / "reliever" jobs for me for the month of April. Don't get me wrong. I'm actually contented and very happy with my job right now in Malaybalay Polymedic General Hospital (MPGH). But the thing is that's only a fixed schedule for 12 days, so for the rest of the month, I'm a full-pledged BUM. And when I'm BUMMING around the house all I do is sit in front of the PC from morning until the next morning (cos I tend to forget the concept of sleep when I'm glued to the PC), and so I pretty much do not accomplish much in my life except to grow fatter and fatter each day. So I'd rather be out there working, because at least I'm not "useless" (and I get paid). Besides most of my friends have 2 jobs, and so I thought it's about time I also find another job. The past few months my schedule has been filled up because my co-residents in MPGH asked me to fill in for them, but I don't think it's gonna happen again in April. And so that prompted me to text my classmate, Jen.

Jen, who's working in Don Carlos and Camiguin, told me that they have an opening come April at the Catarman District Hospital where she works. It's the slot of my other classmate, Amalyn, which falls on the last 10 days of the month. But for some reason (maybe for training or something), Amalyn is already resigning. So Jen asked me if I wanted the slot cos a lot of other moonlighting doctors would be interested in it. It's 10 straight days of duty at a primary hospital. Jen said it's totally benign and it pays really well. And whatever cases we can't handle, we simply refer to Camiguin General Hospital in Mambajao, where 8 out of 9 of their doctors are also my classmates/good friends. So she prodded me to hurry and apply.

I've actually been invited several times to work in Camiguin by my friends there in Camiguin General Hospital but I've politely declined primarily because of the travel. Camiguin Island is 2 hours by bus PLUS 1 hour by barge away from my city, Cagayan de Oro, and I simply can't imagine lugging around my ENORMOUS travelling bag to work (I really don't know why it's always so BIG and FULL and HEAVY). Plus the sked in Camiguin General Hospital is in conflict with my schedule in MPGH so I really had no choice. But in Catarman District Hospital, the 10-day straight sked is just perfect for me. But I still have the problem of travelling with my ENORMOUS bag.

So anyway, I really didn't know what to do. Part of me wanted to accept this challenge and quit yapping and just get my butt rolling to Camiguin (plus the pay is too tempting!!! XD). But part of me just wants to be a lazy bum and sit in front of the PC the whole day and night.

I ended up going anyway, and so here we begin my ridiculous tale of mis-adventures and uber-randomness...

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Last night I was really not sure if I wanted to go to Camiguin to send in my application. I had no idea what their requirements were and heck, I didn't even know to whom I should address my application letter to (I later found out that I have to address it to their Chief of Hospital and *ulp!* the Governor XD). And I realized that I didn't have any pictures so I had to bully *ahem* ask my sleepy boyfriend if he can please scan my picture and please atttach it to my resume and please email it to me. Good thing I have the most wonderful person in the world as my boyfriend who immediately came to my rescue. (Thank you suoh...<3 *hugglez*)

So I was supposed to wake up early (target time to leave was 5am) but I woke up at 7:30am already. I was greatly distressed and frustrated and had tears in my eyes and I was tempted to just give up since it was already so late, but I convinced myself to still go. After taking a bath and hurriedly dumping random stuffs in my bag, I left the house at some minutes past 8am and went to buy a clear folder and a Jollibee burger meal. I also went to have my resume/application letter printed at Kopya de Oro where I had to pay a whopping 50 bucks for FOUR MEASLY PAGES (I totally went, WTF!?! 0__o). I was already so late so I didn't complain anymore but I swear to God I will never print my documents in Kopya de Oro ever again.

Then I took a taxi and went to the bus terminal. It was already 9am when I went to the aircon bus bound for Butuan City but it was already full (WHAT!?! 0__o). But the driver said I can sit in the "extension" which is a foldable chair adjacent to the driver's seat. It was comfortable enough so I didn't mind. What made me dumbfounded though was the fact that the bus was already so full yet more people were still willing to ride in it, not minding if they sit on the floor or stand up for more than an hour. I was glad though that I got a seat. As the bus was leaving, I saw tensai queuing for the next bus, and he saw me too so I texted him and asked him where he was going and he said he was also bound for Camiguin. Cool.

I ate my Jollibee burger meal, and then for the next two hours, with my mp3 player in my ear, I dozed off in the bus until I reached Balingoan. The conductor, by the way, deliberately did not give me my ten peso-change which irked me a little but I didn't want to argue with him anymore because the bus was so full of "extra" people. So when I got off the terminal, I flagged a motorsikad (a motorcycle with a side car) to drive me to the port. But because I was the only passenger, the driver asked me transfer to a trisikad (bicycle with a side car) instead. I was quite horrified, but I didn't want to waste time anymore so I just complied. I arrived at the port around 11:15am.

To my delight, the barge arrived around 11:30am, and I was one of the first passengers to board it. My delight was short-lived however, when I learned that the ship's captain/driver and staff were having a lunch break, so I was stuck there wasting time and imagining the possibility of being stranded in Camiguin for the night without any extra clothes (and without a toothbrush). I thought that in case I do get stranded there then I have to beg my friends to adopt me for the night and let me sleep in their hospital quarters. It was a miserable possibility but at least I already had a solution in my mind.

It was already 1pm when we left the port! And I arrived in Camiguin at exactly 2pm. In fact, because of the delay, tensai was able to catch up and was riding the same barge. I talked with him for a while before leaving the boat.


So Camiguin is an island province which is filled with exotic tourist spots and resorts. I've been there twice before but I was with family and friends and we had guides. This time I went alone. I felt really mature although I was also quite afraid cos I might get lost or duped. But thank GOD, nothing bad like that happened. When I got off the barge, I took the van to Mambajao and the driver was nice enough to drop me off the hospital (well, it was pretty much along the highway so I guess that was his normal route...).

So I went to Camiguin General Hospital in Mambajao because my friends told me that I have to meet Dr Beja, who's the Chief of Hospital in Camiguin. But the hospital I'm applying for is a smaller institution located in Catarman, which I think is on the other side of the island. I called up my friend Janine, who was on duty that time at the Outpatient Department, and she took me to Dr Beja's office but he wasn't there. So I was told to wait. I was also told that the governor was also not around that time, and I need to be introduced to him (wow, I've never been introduced to a governor before...) because his approval would also mean the approval of my paycheck (ehehehe... ^o^;). Well, he wasn't around so I didn't have a choice so I just told them that I'll just meet him again next time. For now I want to at least meet Dr Beja. Their staff also gave me a list of the required documents, which to my horror, was quite a long list. It included stuffs like neuro-pyschiatric exam, drug test, NBI clearance, etc etc... I felt a bit annoyed because there were too many requirements, but I guess that's SOP when you're applying for work.

By the way, this is actually the first REAL job application I've ever done. And it's a job in a government institution to boot. XD

I waited for Dr Beja but I never saw him. By 4:30pm, I told Janine that I could wait no longer cos I might miss the last trip home. I initially planned to visit the hospital in Catarman where I plan to work but I guess I'll just do that the next time I'll go back there (which I think will be on April 20. Then I'll start working on the 21st... hehehe). I really have no idea what I got myself into. XD

So Janine gave me instructions on how to get back to the port, and she told me to ride a van, but there was no van in sight. I panicked a bit but I asked for directions and I was led to a jeepney, which was already full so I had to sit on the "extension" which is a bench in the middle of the jeep. I felt quite ridiculous again, but I just went with it. I reached the port around 5:15pm, and took some pictures with my crappy phone camera. XD






Before I got on the boat, I went to a pay toilet because I really needed to pee. It costs PhP3.00, hehehe Then I bought a bottle of Nestea because I realized that I was so hungry already. I boarded the barge around 5:30pm and they told me that it was scheduled to leave by 6pm. I took a seat in the far end of the boat and in a semi-open area where I could feel the sea wind in my face. A lady vendor sold me some snacks and I bought a pack of Funky. The vendor sat beside me and so I conversed with her for a while and learned that she's already 73 years old (but she doesn't look old at all!) and that she recently had a sebaceous cyst removed from her right hand for free at the Camiguin General Hospital. We talked for a while about various things and then she thanked me and eventually left. I realized again that I like talking to old people, and given the opportunity I might take up training in Geriatrics, except that we really don't need that in our country (and I don't think I would earn well XD).

So I waited for the barge to leave and it was almost 6:30pm when they sounded the horn and the boat started moving. The sea was pitch black, and I thought it was cool but scary. I don't know how to swim so I probably won't survive if someone will throw me down there. Oh, and the wind was so freezing cold, it made my feet numb. I dozed off again for almost an hour and woke up just in time to see the barge trying to dock in the port of Balingoan.

It was already 7:30pm. I hurriedly went down and was one of the first passengers to get off the boat. I hailed a *gack!* trisikad again which took me to the bus terminal, but I was mortified to see that it was deserted. And the highway was kinda dark. I looked around and saw some people waiting along the highway, near a bakery, so I also stood there with them. I was actually already quite nervous but I tried not to let it show. There were a lot of offers for a ride to CDO via a car, a multicab, etc but I refused all of those because I do not trust those kinds of transportation. I've read too much psycho stories about gory murder cases, serial killers and kidnappers who make their victims as sex slaves and deep down I was thinking that that particular eerie and semi-deserted place was a perfect spot for one of those heinous crimes. I chose to just shut off my over-reactive imagination and say a silent prayer for protection. And to distract myself, I bought some hot monay bread and a bottle of water.


I was already so hungry and I just hope that this bread from an unknown bakery does not contain Salmonella. XD

Finally a bus bound for Cagayan appeared and all of us waved for it to stop. I was disappointed to see that it was a non-aircon bus but I didn't care anymore. When I boarded the bus and took the first seat that I saw, I was horrified to note that the entire bus reeked of stinky armpits and sweat and really really bad body odor. I tried to suppress a gag and wished that someone would just please open a window but I was trapped in that horrible vacuum. I thought I was going to suffocate.

The bus stopped for a while in an eatery because the driver and some passengers had to eat dinner, and I noticed an aircon bus pull over next to us, and I was so tempted to transfer to it. But I already paid my fare (which by the way is PhP70 cheaper than an aircon bus!) and I was deliberating if there is still a seat for me since the aircon bus looked full. I decided not to transfer and just cover my nose and try not to breathe so much. I held on to my bag and eventually dozed off.

I woke up several times because of the crampy space and because of the noise. There was a time when several (around five of them) bus inspectors boarded the bus to check our tickets because apparently the conductor failed to issue one ticket and they cannot balance their account. The inspectors caused quite a ruckus since the bus was already so full and their presence was making the bus more cramped and smelly (yes, they stink too...). They eventually got off. I dozed off once again, and then I woke up to find that we stopped in the middle of nowhere, and our bus driver was not behind the wheels but was walking down the street, yelling at some person. I don't know if it was another bus personnel/inspector he was shouting at, but they were obviously in a heated argument. I shook my head and couldn't imagine that something like that was actually happening when I was already in a hurry to go home. The driver eventually got back to his seat and speeded like a madman. I held on to my seat because I didn't want to die yet. I just wanted to go home safely but all these ridiculous things were happening to me.

We eventually reached the CDO bus terminal "alive", and I got off the bus, hailed a taxi and at 10:15pm, I finally arrived home in one piece.

Thank God that I lived to tell this ridiculous story!
I hope something like this will never happen again.