The Stella Awards

I got this from an email sent by my mother. It was so stupid I just had to spread it...

For those unfamiliar with these awards, they are named after 81-year-old Stella Liebeck who spilled hot coffee on herself and successfully sued the McDonald's in New Mexico where she purchased the coffee. You remember, she took the lid off the coffee and put it between her knees while she was driving. Who would ever think one could get burned doing that, right?

That's right; these are awards for the most outlandish lawsuits and verdicts in the U.S . You know, the kinds of cases that make you scratch your head. So keep your head scratcher handy.

Here are the Stella's for the past year:

7TH PLACE:
Kathleen Robertson of Austin, Texas was awarded $80,000 by a jury of her peers after breaking her ankle tripping over a toddler who was running inside a furniture store. The store owners were understandably surprised by the verdict, considering the running toddler was her own son.

6TH PLACE:
Carl Truman, 19, of Los Angeles, California won $74,000 plus medical expenses when his neighbor ran over his hand with a Honda Accord. Truman apparently didn't notice there was someone at the wheel of the car when he was trying to steal his neighbor's hubcaps.

5TH PLACE:
Terrence Dickson, of Bristol, Pennsylvania, who was leaving a house he had just burglarized by way of the garage. Unfortunately for Dickson, the automatic garage door opener malfunctioned and he could not get the garage door to open. Worse, he couldn't re-enter the house because the door connecting the garage to the house locked when Dickson pulled it shut. Forced to sit for eight, count 'em, EIGHT, days on a case of Pepsi and a large bag of dry dog food, he sued the homeowner's insurance company claiming undue mental anguish. Amazingly, the jury said the insurance company must pay Dickson $500,000 for his anguish.

4TH PLACE:
Jerry Williams, of Little Rock, Arkansas, garnered 4th Place in the Stella's when he was awarded $14,500 plus medical expenses after being bitten on the butt by his next door neighbor's beagle - even though the beagle was on a chain in its owner's fenced yard. Williams did not get as much as he asked for because the jury believed the beagle might have been provoked at the time of the butt bite because Williams had climbed over the fence into the yard and repeatedly shot the dog with a pellet gun.

3RD PLACE:
Amber Carson of Lancaster, Pennsylvania because a jury ordered a Philadelphia restaurant to pay her $113,500 after she slipped on a spilled soft drink and broke her tailbone. The reason the soft drink was on the floor: Ms. Carson had thrown it at her boyfriend 30 seconds earlier during an argument.

2ND PLACE:
Kara Walton, of Claymont, Delaware sued the owner of a night club in a nearby city because she fell from the bathroom window to the floor, knocking out her two front teeth. Even though Ms. Walton was trying to sneak through the ladies room window to avoid paying the $3.50 cover charge, the jury said the night club had to pay her $12,000....oh, yeah, plus dental expenses.

1ST PLACE:
This year's runaway First Place Stella Award winner was Mrs. Merv Grazinski, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, who purchased a new 32-foot Winnebago motor home. On her first trip home, from an OU football game, having driven on to the freeway, she set the cruise control at 70 mph and calmly left the driver's seat to go to the back of the Winnebago to make herself a sandwich. Not surprisingly, the motor home left the freeway, crashed and overturned. Also not surprisingly, Mrs. Grazinski sued Winnebago for not putting in the owner's manual that she couldn't actually leave the driver's seat while the cruise control was set. The Oklahoma jury awarded her, are you sitting down, $1,750,000 PLUS a new motor home. Winnebago actually changed their manuals as a result of this suit, just in case Mrs. Grazinski has any relatives who might also buy a motor home.

Your 1996 Theme Song Is: 1979 by The Smashing Pumpkins

Shakedown 1979 Cool kids never have the time On a live wire right up off the street You and I should meet June bug skipping like a stone With the headlights pointed at the dawn We were sure we'd never see an end to it all And I don't even care to shake these zipper blues And we don't know just where our bones will rest To dust I guess Forgotten and absorbed into the earth below Double cross the vacant and the bored They're not sure just what we have in store Morphine city slippin' dues, down to see that We don't even care, as restless as we are We feel the pull in the land of a thousand guilts And poured cement, lamented and assured To the lights and towns below Faster than the speed of sound Faster than we thought we'd go, beneath the sound of hope Justine never knew the rules Hung down with the freaks and the ghouls No apologies ever need be made I know you better than you fake it, to see And we don't even care to shake these zipper blues And we don't know just where our bones will rest To dust I guess Forgotten and absorbed into the earth below The street heats the urgency of sound As you can see there's no one around

What's Your 1996 Theme Song?

harry potter

I have just recently finished reading the seventh and last book of the Harry Potter series. I know now how the tale ends. There was a note of finality in the end, and, like the author JK Rowling, I felt as if I’m in bereavement.

I was introduced to Harry Potter and his world about six years ago, and at that time, I had been going through major life changes similar to what Harry and his friends were experiencing. Although a Muggle through and through, I could totally relate to most of what they are undergoing. I was living away from home for the first time in my life, and there was plenty of self-discovery that I had to deal with. Like Harry, I had no choice but to take these as they come, for whether I liked it or not, that was reality.

However, those common grounds were not the reason why I got hooked with the books. At my end, the world often seems dull and depressing. I had been born into the age of technology, so technological magic has lost its charm on me. I found in the books a wonderful new world, one which only exists in dreams and stories. It was a joy to journey with Harry as he explores this world that had been hidden from him since his birth. Most of the time, I couldn’t help but wish that I would have the same epiphany.

Rowling’s creativity also astounded me. Many times I couldn’t fathom how such an individual can come up with these; sometimes, I believed that this world actually existed beyond her head and that she was merely passing it off as fiction. How else would she come up with whomping willows, animagi and priori incantatem if she hadn’t in fact had known about these in the first place? But then again, I might just be underestimating her creative juices.

So I devoured book after book after book. It was terribly frustrating to wait for the fifth book, because the stories just get better and better with each succeeding book. I had grown to love all the characters, Hogwarts, Diagon Alley, the Burrow, Hogsmeade and even the house at #4 Privet Drive. In my impatience, I even resorted to reading fan fiction to quench my thirst.

So now, the tale of Harry Potter comes to an end. Still, I’m hopeful that more books and movies will come, sort of what happened to Starwars and the Vampire Chronicles. I was glad that Rowling left some bit of a chance that she might one day write about that world again.

In the meantime, I’m going into mourning. Not because of how the story ends, but because the end for the series had come. I’ve got to be contended for now to continue my mundane Muggle existence. Who knows, maybe one day, amidst this dull and depressing reality, I’ll discover my own magic. I’ll always be hopeful for that owl mail, even if it comes several years late.

in sickness and in health

A few years back, I learned just how difficult it is to assume full responsibility for a living thing. I realized it how it is to have someone fully dependent on you to provide her with her basic needs.

For as long as I remember, I've never been without a pet dog. Since before I was born, there has always been a dog or two in the house. I see pictures in old photo albums of my dad's dog who came into this house before I did. My earliest recollection of a pet dog is Tagpi, a mongrel given to the family by our the fruitvendor who lived and tended a store near my grandmother's place. Tagpi was free to run around the grounds, and even on the streets near our house (there was no dog pound jeep roving around then). So it wasn't really surprising that she delivered several litters of puppies in her lifetime.

One of her puppies became my first pet dog, whom I named Dollar, after Richie Rich's dog (I was a great fan of the cartoons then). Although I claimed ownership over Dollar, she was actually the family dog, because I was too young then to handle the responsibilities of taking care of her. All I ever did was play with her.

Fast forward a couple of years. A stray gave birth to a litter on the vacant lot in front of our house. There were four puppies, and because there was no pound yet, soon the puppies were roaming the street. Two neighbors adopted a puppy each, and because our gate has wide spaces between railings, the two last puppies learned to get in and out of our yard. So we ended up adopting them. I named one Shortie (because she has short hair) and the other one Shep (I have no idea where I got this name). When Shortie was older, she was then sent to my grandmother in Nueva Ecija, who then has only one old dog with her.

As askals go, Shep, like Tagpi and Dollar before her, delivered several puppies in her lifetime. The last litter was composed of two puppies only, and we decided that both of them should be sent to Nueva Ecija (Shortie has already died). Before they were old enough to travel, though, Attila, the more playful one, gave us a slip and was run over by a car. Boyo was left with us, but we still had plans to send her away once she was old enough to take the trip.

Unfortunately, or rather, fortunately, Boyo got sick when she was only a little over 2 months old. The vet's prognosis was not promising, and we were instructed to force feed her every hour until she starts eating on her own again. So that was exactly what I did for I don't know how long. That was my first time I really came to terms with just how much responsibility is involved with choosing to have a pet.

Boyo recovered, and because we had bonded during her sickness, the plans for her future changed. She had to stay. But I had to tend to her needs on my own. I was in college then, so I should be mature enough to be able to take care of a dog on my own. This was exactly what I did, but I still had to ask for help doing so when I had to leave home for med school.

Now that I'm back at home, the tasks were handed back to me. Boyo's now older, toilet-trained and more or less a low maintenance dog. Recently though, she got herself so attractive to ticks. The infestation was so great that she was visibly weakened by the blood loss, and she was scratching so badly that she managed to give herself a bloody wound at the back of her left ear. The tick problem was solved by more frequent bathings and more generous applications of medicated talc, but the healing wound was itchy and she kept on scratching it raw.

The vet said an E-collar (Elizabeth collar, named after Queen Elizabeth I of England, who used to wear similar collars) should prevent her from scratching her wound. I bought one and an antibacterial cream as well. Boyo did not like the collar (for obvious reasons...that's her picture at the start of this entry) but had no choice but to wear it. The collar and the cream were ridiculously expensive, and it really seemed uncomfortable. When her wound was being cleaned, the antiseptics and the cream were clearly stinging her. Still, Boyo had to endure it all to save her ear.

During this time, I was reminded that of the responsibility that comes with having a dog. In healthy times, having a dog is a blast. However, neglect to look after her led to this problem, so it was not only me that had to suffer...she suffered more because of my irresponsibility. I felt really guilty.

Boyo's healthy again, her ear wound is healed and she's becoming as active as she used to be before the tick attack. I hope I never overlook any of her needs again. By choosing to be her human and the recipient of her unwavering love and loyalty, I also chose to assume over the responsibility of providing her with her needs. I hope fellow pet owners know this and never forget it. I promise I'll never again need to be reminded of it.

Your Five Factor Personality Profile

Extroversion: You have medium extroversion. You're not the life of the party, but you do show up for the party. Sometimes you are full of energy and open to new social experiences. But you also need to hibernate and enjoy your "down time." Conscientiousness: You have low conscientiousness. Impulsive and off the wall, you don't take life too seriously. Unfortunately, you sometimes end up regretting your snap decisions. Overall, you tend to lack focus, and it's difficult for you to get important things done. Agreeableness: You have medium agreeableness. You're generally a friendly and trusting person. But you also have a healthy dose of cynicism. You get along well with others, as long as they play fair. Neuroticism: You have low neuroticism. You are very emotionally stable and mentally together. Only the greatest setbacks upset you, and you bounce back quickly. Overall, you are typically calm and relaxed - making others feel secure. Openness to experience: Your openness to new experiences is medium. You are generally broad minded when it come to new things. But if something crosses a moral line, there's no way you'll approve of it. You are suspicious of anything too wacky, though you do still consider creativity a virtue.

The Five Factor Personality Test

english speaking country

You Belong in the UK

Blimey! A little proper, a little saucy. You're so witty and charming... No one notices your curry breath

What English Speaking Country Are You?

what my latte says about me

What Your Latte Says About You

You are very decadent in all aspects of your life. You never scale back, and you always live large. You can be quite silly at times, but you know when to buckle down and be serious. You have a good deal of energy, but you pace yourself. You never burn out too fast. You're addicted to caffeine. There's no denying it. You are a child at heart, and you don't ever miss the opportunity to do something playful. You are complex and philosophical, but you are never arrogant.

What Does Your Latte Say About You?

what my bathroom habits say about me

What Your Bathroom Habits Say About You

You are very independent and self-centered. You don't solve other people's problems - and you don't expect them to solve yours. You spend a lot on clothes, and you tend to be a very dresser. However, it's hard for you to throw away trendy clothes when they go out of style. You have the perfect blend of confidence and class. You're proud of who you are - but you don't broadcast it. In relationships, you are practical and realistic. You have a romantic side, but you only let it out when it's appropriate.

What Do Your Bathroom Habits Say About You?

10 years

10 years ago, it was July 1997...

1. How old are you? 17
2. Where did you go to school? University of the Philippines, Diliman. It's my freshman year and I was still adjusting to college life.
3. Where did you work? Didn't work yet.
4. Where did you live? Marikina City, Philippines
5. Where did you hang out? NIGS (I was in the geology block, so their home became my home), the closest mall: SM North (going to the movies every chance we get)
6. Did you wear glasses? Only at home. When I go out, I put on contact lenses. Clear contact lenses.
7. Who was your best friend? I didn't know anyone in school good enough to call him/her my best friend.
8. How many tatoos did you have?None.
9. How many piercing did you have?Three. One on my right earlobe, 2 on the left.
10. What car did you drive? Didn't have a license then.
11. Have you been to a real party yet? Yes
12. Had your heart broken? No

FIVE YEARS AGO...It was JULY 2002

1. How old were you? 22
2. Where did you go to school? Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila. I was on my second year of med school.
3. Where did you work? Still unemployed.
4. Where did you live? Nakpil Street, Malate, Manila
5. Where did you hang out? Thank God for coffee shops! Starbucks in Robinson's Ermita, Adriatico, UN; Cinnzeo and San Francisco Coffee in Robinson's Ermita
6. Who was your best friend? Che
7. Who was your regular-person crush? I forgot his name
8. How many piercing did you have? 3
9. How many tatoos did you have? None
10. What car did you drive? My parents' car at home, but in Manila, I take public transportation.
11. Had you had your heart broken? Yes.

Now...it is JULY 2007

1. How old are you? 27
2. Where do you work? In various hospitals in Marikina as a moonlighter
3. Where do you live? I moved back home with my parents.
4. Do you wear glasses? Yes, but only when I'm at home. I still prefer contacts when I go out, but now I use colored contacts.
5. Where do you hang out? At home, Starbucks Marquinton, Mocha Blends in the Shell Station in Marcos Highway
6. Who are your best friends? Che pa din, Angge, Yaya, Irene
7. Do you talk to your old friends? Through email. The person I've been friends with the longest are now abroad, but we still see each other when they visit the country.
8. How many piercing do you have?Still 2.
9. How many tatoos? None
10. What kind of car do you drive? A sedan, my parents' car.
11. Has your heart been broken? Yes.

exploratory bag-otomy

I learned from my friend Hazel's blog that the content's of a person's satchel tells a lot about his/her personality...so I thought I'd give it a shot.

I'm currently using a big (as in BIG) bag that I got from a recent conference. I use this bag when I go on duty because I love roomy bags...saves me the hassle of having to make my things as small as possible.

So what does my bag contain? Read on...

1. My kikay kit (cosmetic case), which contains a pressed powder, eyelash curler, water-proof mascara, liquid blush, powder foundation, eyeliner, and eyebrow/lash comb/brush.

2. Another kit for my toiletries: shampoo, liquid soap, hairbrush, toothbrush, toothpaste, lotion, nailcutter

3. My lipstick holder: it has a mirror and can hold 2 lipsticks at a time.

4. Change of clothes: 2 scrub tops, disposable underwear, 1 scrub pants

5. A pair of rubber slippers

6. A sarong

7. A handtowel

8. My contact lenses kit: solution and case

9. My eyeglasses

10. Body spray

11. Several pens

12. A penlight

13. My keys

14. My stethoscope

15. Blank prescription pads

16. My PDA

17. Cellphone charger

18. Hair clamp

19. Tissue

20. Wallet

21. Coin purse

22. Trodat

23. Sachets of instant coffee and creamer

24. My Starbucks tumbler

25. Water bottle

Now, what does that tell about my personality?

movie vs actor/actress

The first movie that comes into mind...

Jennifer Aniston = Along Came Polly
Ben Affleck = Daredevil
Drew Barrymore = Music and Lyrics
Orlando Bloom = The Lord of the Rings
Halle Berry = Xmen
Nicolas Cage = City of Angels
Sandra Bullock = Miss Congeniality
Jackie Chan = Shanghai Noon
Cameron Diaz = Charlie's Angels
Johnny Depp = Pirates of the Carribean
Kirsten Dunst = Interview with the Vampire
Leonardo DiCaprio = Romeo and Juliet
Angelina Jolie = Tomb Raider
Richard Gere = Pretty Woman
Nicole Kidman = Far and Away
Mel Gibson = Lethal Weapon
Diane Lane = none
Hugh Grant = Music and Lyrics
Lindsay Lohan = Herbie
Tom Hanks = Forrest Gump
Jennifer Lopez = Maid in Manhattan
Ewan McGregor = StarWars
Rachel McAdams = The Wedding Crashers
Dermot Mulroney = My Bestfriend's Wedding
Julia Roberts = Pretty Woman
Brad Pitt = Troy
Meg Ryan = Sleepless in Seattle

quick draws

Got this from the bulletin...and because I have an hour or so to while away, pinatulan ko...
1. Beer: San Mig Light
2. Food: pizza
3. Relationships: complicated
4. Your crush: MIA (as in Missing In Action)
5. Power Rangers: baduy
6. Life: slipping through my fingers like sand
7. Novel: ReGeneration (a book I'm reading)
8. Songs: Best of Roxette (playing on the media player right now)
9. The President: nakakainis na nakakaawa
10. Yummy: Racks' baby back ribs
11. Cars: Ferrari! Ferrari! Ferrari!
12. Movie: 300 (just watched the DVD)
13. Halloween: vampires and witches
14. Sex: Grey's anatomy
15. Religion: sensitive topic
16. Myspace: I like Friendster better
17. Fear: getting stuck in this rut forever
18. Marriage: both over and underrated
19. Blondes: dumb
20. Slippers: flip-flops
21. Shoes: I want a new pair
22. Asians: ako to!
23. Past time: wasting time
24. One night stands: are complicated
25. Cell Phone: maybe I should turn it off
26. iPod: mp3
27. Smoke: de-stressing
28. Wish: I could retire now and enjoy my earnings
29. College: UP bio
30. Highschool Life: boring
31. Pajamas: don't wear those
32. Stars: silent
33. Fitness: something I got to start working on
34. Alcohol: beer, vodka, tequilla
35. The word LOVE: overrated
36. Friends: wingman
37. Money: really does talk
38. Heartache: something I can do without
39. Time: is going too fast
40. Divorce: complicated
41. Dogs: my babies
42. Undies: black
43. Parents: sometimes I understand them, sometimes I don't
44. Babies: noisy, messy little humans
45. Stripper: courageous
46. Blogs: ramblings
47. News: too sensational
48. Weddings: Yaya and Jim!
49. Pizza: want some right now
50. Kleenex: for crying

mortality

Certain events recently gave me a rude reminder of my mortality. Although I never contended that I am immortal, I've been living as though I am. I fit into the psych profile for my age group: individuals at this stage in life just feel invincible. I know I could die at any moment, but I thought the chances of that actually happening is about as high as the chances of me winning the lottery.

I guess it's because I'm at my physical peak. After all, how many people do you know died at my age? We expect, my contemporaries and I, and we are expected to have several more decades of life ahead of us.

And so we go through each day as though we're going to live forever. We take unnecessary risks, arrogantly taunting the powers in the world. We tend to be complacent and lazy, always thinking we have all the time in the world to pursue our dreams, right our wrongs and make our mark in this world.

The painful truth is, being young and at your peak doesn't make dying any less real. It can actually happen, even when you're in perfect health and when you're always in a safe place. That's the harsh reality. I am as vulnerable to death as any other human being. It can happen in a snap, or it may take a while, but dying is not impossible.

Like it or not, I'm not going to live forever. And what scares me is I don't think I've lived my life in such a way that I could die at any moment and be at peace with it. There's much unfinished business. It took a great jolt for me to realize that today may be all the time I have.

food trip

Since the start of this month, I’ve been doing something I really enjoy, no, make that LOVE doing. I’ve been food tripping.

Tita Cora, who’s from Australia, came back to the Philippines for a month-long vacation. Since her arrival, we’ve been to different places: sight-seeing, shopping and food-tripping. I haven’t actually tried any new food lately, but I’ve realized that the company of the people you eat with, the ambience and the presentation of the dishes can do wonders to make ordinary food not so mundane.

The food tripping started with the good old Australian steak. Now, for a carnivore like me, this is a piece of heaven on earth. Tita always makes it a point to bring home several kilos of steak, and right away, we sampled what she brought. There’s nothing special with how we cook it…we just grill some slabs of the meat and then eat it without gravy or any spices. Just a bit of salt, and some mashed potatoes. I can easily consume two big slices of steak. Heaven.

Then we took her to Tiendesitas for some shopping, and we also brought along Tita Laura, who brought her “baby” Bud to his grooming place. While Bud the Shih Tzu was being bathed and groomed, we sat down for merienda. As usual, we each had a cup of the rich thick native chocolate drink: tsokolate-eh. They ate suman, bibingka and puto bumbong, while I had some Ilocos empanada. We finished off with some fresh suha, so sweet that even a carnivore like me couldn’t stop eating it.

On her first weekend here, we went to Villa Escudero in Quezon. We first went to the museum there, then took a carabao-pulled ride to the recreation area, where we made ourselves hungry by rafting on the lake. Lunch was at the falls, where we ate with our feet submerged in the water. The food wasn’t spectacular: liempo, inihaw na tilapia, lechon manok, plain rice and camote-cue. Still, eating in a place like that made all the difference.

The next major eating trip was in Puerto Galera. Again, there was nothing special about the food; this time, the beach atmosphere made us enjoy the meal. After two days at the beach eating grilled fish, kebabs, liempo and green mangoes, we went home satisfied, munching on panutsas.

We then went to Taal, Batangas, where I bought a kilo of kapeng barako. Tita Lilia, Tita Asi and Lolo Dodong came with us. We had lunch in Silang, Cavite, where we had a sumptuous meal of sizzling bulalo, kare-kare and fried bangus. That was a really good meal, made more fun with the endless chatter. After lunch, Tita Lilia took us to this quaint coffee shop in Tagaytay, where we each had a mug of really good coffee and some really good pies. Before going home, we stopped by the Good Shepherd Convent, where we bought some pasalubong: buko pie, ube jam and ube dimples. These we enjoyed eating at home.

One Saturday, I took them to this breakfast buffet in Eastwood, where we feasted on daing na bangus, adobo, longganisa, tocino, scrambled eggs, pancakes, cheesedogs and palitaw. Mother even had a bowl of lugaw. We were so full that our next meal for that day was dinner; since we all were quite hungry then, we had a meal of lechon baboy.

Today we had lunch in the boodle place in Market! Market! It was really great. We had java rice, liempo, grilled squid, grilled tilapia, laing (something I didn’t eat), chicken-scratch shells and crab (served with Singaporean chili). Busog nanaman.

In between the trips, we were also eating really good pinoy snacks: suman and kalamay from Antipolo, orange puto with cheese (Marikina’s specialty), tikoy, Eng Bee Tin and Polland hopia, and various Australian goodies that Tita brought. So I can really say I haven’t felt hunger for the past month. I’ve gained two pounds in the process, but the Kodak moments made it all worth it.

major life changes

I’ve given this much thought, and I’ve been planning to write this for the longest time, but somehow, I kept postponing it. Not that I’ve been really busy…I just haven’t been in the mood to sit down and write. I’m not the most patient person in the world and I’m pretty OC when it comes to writing (my Virgo self emerges) so it really does take much effort for me to compose something as simple as a blog entry.

Anyway, I write now because I don’t want to have too much backlog. Sometime ago I vowed I’d post an entry at least once a month, because I have this illusion (delusion perhaps?) that maybe someday, I’d be someone important and people would want to know about my life, and I thought it’d be best to learn about it first-hand from my blog/journal entries (okay, so it IS a delusion). Anyway, I used to find writing some sort of a therapy, and I guess sometimes I still do, but lately, I’ve gotten too lazy and felt that I don’t need any sort of therapy at all (so now I’m in denial, too). But then the major life changes came one after the other…

First off the bat is my friend Angge becoming a mom. A few days ago, she gave birth to her firstborn, a baby girl whom she and husband Biboy named Bea Dorothy. Even if I had seen Angge several times during her pregnancy, it hadn’t seem real until she finally gave birth. Now this is more of a major life change for Angge than me, but still, hearing the news that she had given birth gave a jolt to me. I’ve known her to be one of the most carefree individuals I’ve met, with a bit of a rebellious nature. How is she now that she’s a mom? Will she morph into those mother-hen types who talk about nothing but their kids whenever you try to start a decent conversation with them? What about gimmicks? Angge’s also one of the hard-core gimikeras I know, a girl who seems to have been born with an insatiable thirst for having a good time. Will having a baby transform her into a homebody? Only time will tell. For now, all I’m sure of is that I admire Angge for taking that big step into adulthood (the ultimate step, I think) and gamely taking on the responsibilities and sacrifices that came with it. It makes me wonder when I’ll be ready to do that…

Other changes involve decisions of my friends…Che had decided to “migrate” to the wild wild north, as a doctor to the barrios. Marriage is in the air: my childhood friend Janet just recently tied the knot, and Yaya is about to do the same thing. Others opted taking a not so surprising path in their careers, entering residency. Some friends are now breadwinners of their families. The bottomline of this is, all of us, regardless of the changes that took place, are now taking on more responsibility. Finally, our extended adolescence (read: med school) is over and we are now part of the rat race. There’s no denying I get somewhat terrified when I think about this too much.

I’m fortunate that the transition for me is slower and easier. While I could’ve gone straight to full-time practice, I still had obligations to my old school and I had decided to finish these now so that I’ll be officially released. This gave me an excuse not to work full time right away. In addition, I’m starting to feel the fruits of my long years in med school, because even if I go to work only once a week (officially), I still earn enough to satisfy my basic needs, and give some to my parents (well, I’ve been blessed with parents who still do not require me to support them…in fact, the main reason I have more than enough is that I’m basically still a free-loader at home). Certainly not bad for someone who spends more time in front of the TV than in the hospital. Still, the fact is that the day that I really become independent (and with that comes having dependents) is looming closer and there’s nothing I can do to escape it. Such an idea is overwhelming for someone who’s biggest responsibility in life is taking care of a low-maintenance dog.

Well, all these just boils down to one thing…we are getting older. And supposedly more mature. Which brings me face to face with another one of my fears: getting older. I think I have what has been called the Peter Pan Syndrome, although I don’t really want to be a child forever, I just don’t want to grow up (hmm, maybe that’s why I’m stuck at this height). Nonetheless, this is something I can’t run away from, because I’m not the type to shun responsibility; I have been raised to take on the responsibilities that come my way. So, the process may be slow, but one day I’ll get there, one day I’ll be able to stand on my own. Like it or not.