On the third day after our mother suffered a stroke, upon the approval of her doctor we moved her to Perpetual Succour Hospital because (my mother who is a retired school teacher) we wanted to avail of the GSIS Hospitalization Program initiated by Atty. Winston Garcia. Thus we were able to avail of considerable discounts in Room Rates, CT Scan and 2D Echo procedures, a little of laboratory exams, but most important of all, we were able to enjoy I think a whooping 30% discount in medicines bought from the hospital pharmacy. (Why don’t hospitals put an extra ER in their pharmacies so buyers wh

On March 26, I woke and heard Nanay (my Mother) calling me from her room asking me to help her stand up. Warning bells immediately rang! We were used to her rising up ahead of us in the mornings, having her breakfast alone, before moving on to tend to her little garden. Suddenly she was asking for my help? When I tried to move her up and she slid down back to her bed, my niggling fear was confirmed. STROKE! Our cousin was kind enough to bring us to the Emergency Room of the Cebu North Gen Hospital. And thus our journey begun...

I now look back to that day and pondered on the impact of a mere single event, that totally and probably irrevocably changed long-time practices or patterns in our daily lives.

I feel sluggish like someone who just woke up from a deep sleep. After a lengthy period of absence (thanks to the internet connection problems) and also due to some projects which piled up during those times, I am now finally back!
But because it feels like starting all over again (can you imagine 2 months of inactivity!), I am at a loss for words. But one thing for sure, it feels nice to be back! Yeheey!!! There is a little peeping flower up there. Because there's already a hint of summer in the air (can not ignore the dusty roads and the heat...)

I went through a sleepless night. Doing...? Blogging! Joined sometime in April. Tried to stay away from it. Went into hiatus (in the pretext of doing something more important). Eventually came back to it (as in full circle). Why? I do not know! Sa Bisaya pa – Na-u-ngo! In English – na-Addict. (the literal translation of this Bisayan term really refers to being a witch. But it could also mean being addicted to something). Bisaya ray maka-sabut! (only a Bisaya can get it. But for the benefit of the global community, translations are provided). Here is my story… I went from being someone indifferent to being totally over-zealous in my blog.

Christmas is just around the bend… As a child I thought Christmas is some kind of a ritual that is celebrated in the same way year after year. How can a child forget twinkling Christmas lights, glittering trees and gifts with ribbons. Or the memories of delicious food on the table (which was always more than the usual)…There were new dresses, and sometimes toys. In my eyes as a child, it was the most magical time of the year!

As I grew older, I came to realize that Christmas is not actually the same every year. Not all Christmases are merry. There were times when Christmases were celebrated joyfully. But then, there were Christmases when we were in mourning. Not all times that food was abundant on the table. There were also quite a number of times that there was just enough to get by. But my childhood memories of Christmas were quite happy! Over the years, Christmas took on a different shape and persona. From simple family gatherings to extravagant corporate productions, each Christmas has given me joy. And for as long as I live, I will probably look forward to it every year.