Sunday, January 18, 2009

What Will I Do Without Them?

Whew! I can't start this blog, I think my brain cells are all burned up that they would not let me finish this post with out sweat. All I want to write about is a "thank you" for the people who made me keep on going. Indeed, a simple thank you is hard to express especially if you have a lot to thank about.

First, and foremost I want to thank my parents and my whole family:

To my everdearest nanay, what will I do if I don't have a mom like you? A big thanks 'nay. For she's the one who really understood me when I was so down last week, she did not scold me, I heard nothing from her aside from the comfort and the assurance that everything will be alright. For processing the requirements of the bank for me, and for the support and the unconditional love she bestowed. A simple thank you is not enough for the sacrifices she had done, for the comfort and all things, either materially or emotionally.

To my "dichi", the one who had the same face as mine, I am really touched. She's the one who offered me her atm, from the time she heard what happened. She made me cried out because of the care she showed even though she's not beside me, I can still feel that she's just there. She's actually the one who took care of me since I was a baby, deprived herself from playing with her friends just to look after me. A savior of my pleas, sometimes she's spoiling me! hehe...

To my friends, for making me laugh and forget about the depressing things that happened, a big thanks.

Lastly, no not the last there still more. My family in general for not letting me down, for making
feel that I am loved and for all the happiness that they made me feel. For accepting me wholeheartedly, that no matter what happens they are just behind me, willing to push me and pick me up. And if ever there's a chance to choose a family, they will be the one I will always choose. "You can always choose whom to like,whom to love, whom to be friends with, but your family? You can never choose, just accept them and enjoy their company, they are the ones whose always at your side especially when you are at your worst."

Lastly, for my BIG DAD... I never lost faith in Him, the one who gave my life. Without HIM I will never have a family like the one I have right now, and friends who I will never forget and regret...

A big thanks to all, and I will forever be thanking you!!=)

Saturday, January 17, 2009

My Not So Good Week=(

Whoa! Days are so fast that you don't even know that the exams are fast approaching. These days are soo cold, as in cold! Feeling like you're getting chilled every time you went outside.

So, what happened to my week... Let me start from the main cause of my little agony. Okay, let me retell my atm card story so you can relate with me even just a little. It started last January 9, Friday when the 'IDH pharmacy angels' went on our duty, well this is our first time to have an over night duty, a little bit excited and a little bit sleepy, we made our duty, fighting the sleepiness just to last up to 8 am of January 10.

What happened on January 10?

After we went home, changed from my duty uniform, I lay my weary body on the comfy bed and closed my eyes. I definitely fell asleep until about 4 pm . When I woke up, I took a bath and went out to deliver my used clothes to the laundry shop. After that, I went alone to the nearest atm machine, (not in the school grounds), I'm hopeful to get money for me to eat my late lunch and merienda and get allowance for the following week. I feel happy having slept for almost 7 hours but then the happiness suddenly fade away, to make it short my card was captured.=( I asked the guard about it, and he just told me to follow it up on the next working day which is Monday. Luckily, I still have my savings, I didn't starve.

Monday came, after my morning class I went immediately to the bank again to ask about my card, since it is a generic card (card who don't have the name of the owner) the bank will not release it. I am about to cry because I have no money and I need to pay my tuition fee. I call my mom, telling her what happened, and because she's in an important meeting, she would just call me after. I went back to school and then after, had my duty again.

Tuesday follows, I didn't eat my lunch because I slept. Went to school and after the first class in the afternoon, went to the sea port to get my pass book just to be disappointed because the "manugbantay of the padalas" is not around and I need to attend my next class in a short while because I can't afford to be absent. There, I walked and rode the jeepney back to school just in time. After doing my experiment, I asked my teacher if I could go first because I need to get the passbook before the closing time, thankfully she allowed me (big thanks Mam Jac!).. When I got my passbook and the money just for my tuition, I went to the branch where my atm was captured just to make an OTC withdrawal, then disappointment strucked me again, I can't get my money because the branch in Bacolod where I opened my account was already closed and they can't get the approval. (how sad)

Wednesday, the most depressing thing that happened. I went to the same branch again to have a withdrawal yet the same teller who told me that I can't get my card back was the one in front of me, I feel like backing out after seeing her, she's making me feel so bad. I asked her about the situation then she look at my pass book. Here are the exact conversation:

Mahal:"hmmm...la ni xa atm mam?"

Joy:"ang atm ni gani, mu to xa ang na capture sng machine na indi niyo pag ibalik sa akon. gin pdala na lang ni gani ang passbook ko kay na hambalan na ang branch sa bacolod na ma otc na lang ko."

Mahal:"sorry ma'am, kay wala kami naga accept sang outside sa iloilo na transactions kay inter branch ni xa, kilanlan pa namon ang approval sng bacolod araneta."

Joy:"teh panu na lang ni miss? kay need ko gid ang money b" (still calm yet my blood is rising)

Mahal:"la di bi mam ang amon manager, pwede balik ka lang mga 230?"

Joy:"May duty pa ko galing, mu lang gid ni bi ang time ko subong kay may class man ko bwas until 6 and duty ko gid bi subong" (i feel like crying at this very moment)

Mahal:"try mo bi mam sa pinakalapit na branch, kay basi ara ila bm, sa central b mam, pakadto ka sa may central market, may mga raya da sang banks, nd man b wpwede sa quezon"

Joy:"pwede sa delgado?" (is she thinking that i don't know where are the other branches? masakay pa ko bala miss jeep magpa central samtang pwede ko man lang malakat pakadto sa delgado...grrr...*sa brain ko lang na)

Mahal:"pwede man mam, try mo lang"

I get back my passbook after saying a little thanks that I didn't know if she heard it, walked to Delgado while trying to stop my tears from falling ( I really look like a bum, a child na daw kaluloy bala aw, daw buang na galakat while mouthing words that people are looking at me.

When I arrived at Delgado, I asked a teller about my status or case she told me to went directly to their manager...

Manager Vic:"ano tani ma'am?"

Joy:"sir, pwede ko ka over the counter withdraw?"

Manager Vic:"wala ni xa atm mam haw?"

Joy:"may ara, pero na capture sa may Ledesma, kay nag shut off ang computer, teh in galing nila pag balik kay la b name."

Manager Vic:"ano hambal nila nga.a nagkadto ka pa di haw?"

Joy:"indi ko kuno pwede ka otc, kay inter branch daun la pa ila nga BM"

Manager Vic:"ay sa Bacolod pa ni gali?"

Joy:"huo, kay taga Bacolod ko bi, diri lang ko ga school kay la bi didto Pharma"

Manager Vic:"ah, la to pharma gali?"

Joy:"wala"

Manager Vic:" may ID ka da? mahulam lang ko, kay ma e-mail pa ko na sa branch didto, may klase ka pa?

Joy:"may duty pa ko sir"

Manager Vic:"lunch ka lang anay, balik ka lang after, basi ara na, kay basi di ko ka immediate kwa approval kay basi nag break man to bala ang BM sa araneta, ka lunch ka na?"

Joy:"la pa, cge thank you"

I went and have my lunch, oh not lunch, I think it's merienda because I don't have the appetite to eat. After eating, I went back to the bank and there it is on his table.

Manager Vic:"line lang da lihog ma'am kay ok na"

Joy:"thank you gid sir" (with a smile)

Then to make it short, I have money! hehe, went duty even I'm late.

Let's just skip Thursday, let's forward to Friday, last day of the class, attended the departmental mass, have my duty up to 5 am of today, went directly to the pier with my duty clothes on and fighting the cold of the early morning wind. Went home and sleep without letting the people at home know that I'm home, and have my dinner with them! A really good dinner!=)

That's my not so good week,yet let's just charge it to experience!=)

Profit or Service???

AS a pharmacy student, I have always met the line ‘profit or service’. If I’m made to choose, I’d choose service. Service from the heart is free, you don’t have to pay for it, your only capital is your big heart, extending hands and your mind—your will to help others With these investment, you will gain a lot more than money could offer.

Money on the other hand is also important. But money can be found, it will come and go. It may make you happy or even sad. It isn’t permanent, thus, is doesn’t last.

I just want to share what I have experienced during my community internship in one of the pharmacies in this city. I have seen and heard it all. My conscience can’t take it anymore. So let me share you a story regarding of a more profit—less service concept of this pharmacy.

Are you aware that some of the medicines given to you are expired? Yes, you read it right. The pharmacy I’m talking about are giving you expired drugs. I have seen the clerks erase the expiration date in one of the drugs and put it back into the shelf again together with the new ones. The expiration date was a month before, and it was erased right in front of me. If I am a child, I would actually think that what she is doing is right and it is for the better, but I am no longer a child to think that way. So before you leave, check your medicines for tampering and for the expiration date. It is better to be safe than sorry.

Next, they’re not giving a discount on senior citizens. The price for the seniors and for the non-seniors is the same. They tell the seniors that the price has been discounted when actually it hasn’t. The price the senior will get to pay is the same to a non-senior if you’ll get to see their receipts.

There’s a lot more about this pharmacy that you wouldn’t longer want to hear because it will just cause you disappointment and blow the lighted candle in your heart.

I have learned a lot during my internship—that not all you know in school is applicable in the outside world, where there is competition and money involved. I also learned that you must not expect something because you will really be disappointed for what you’ll see.

I will be a future pharmacist, and I want to change the wrong I’ve seen. Service—is what I want to offer to everyone. So, for other future pharmacists and those who are already pharmacists, let us live for service. #

Sunday, January 11, 2009

What I Learned from Experience

I just want to share my experience and what I learned from it. Last, January 9,2009 we had our duty from 2:25 pm 'til 8:25 am on the next day, it's about 18 hours I think.

What did we do during duty hours: stand, sit, familiarize the medicines on the shelves, copy charge slips on the notebook, talk with the staffs on duty, make fun of ourselves to ease the boredom, and the most exciting part was using the computer and talking with the patients-- dispensing... I slept for about an hour or two (hehe, we closed the pharmacy for indexing by the way, so we had nothing to do...thanks for the kind pharmacist on duty-- Mam Ella).

Walking down the road to our boarding house and when my body touched our bed, there I feel like I'm floating and angels are singing, I woke up around 4pm, took a bath, and went to the nearest BDO atm machine to withdraw but then the saddest part was my card was captured and the machine was temporarily out of service.

I feel like crying but then, the machine will not give back my card even if I do, then there's a lot of people there, I am ashamed to cry in front of them. I walked home and get my uniform from the laundry shop, masking my sadness through my smile, I went out to eat (breakfast,lunch,snacks and dinner in one meal).

I eat out loud as if I starved for days. Then I realized that I am indeed so lucky, not only lucky but blessed. I will share what I learned.

1. It is really good if you have savings, not all the time you have money in your pocket, wallet or atms. Just like me, "I'm wise like my grandma" I have savings that saved me from starvation and nearly ulceration.(hehe... be a wise money spender, don't rush and save more.)

2. I am blessed that I have plenty of food to eat, not like the street children I can see near the school grounds, downtowns, in overpasses, and in sidewalks. We must learn how to share what we have, and let's not waste food, I had experience the feeling of eating nothing with in 18 hours and the feeling is not good, it's unbearable. I don't want to feel it again.

3. I am so lucky that I can speak,read,write and most of all understand the universal language--English, unlike other races. Because when I was lining at the food store to eat, I was behind two koreans, he asked his friends what they want "ku-la" or eys-ti", then I suppress my laughter maybe I'll get home with a black eye or I can't even walk at all after I laugh. I realized that he was asking if they want "cola or iced tea" then it occurs to me that Filipinos are so lucky because we can understand and speak even just a little. Go Pinoy!

4. I learned that there are a lot of people who cares about me and willing to help me when I'm in need. I really appreciate all of them. A very big thanks to them, you know who you are.

5. I also learned that taking up Pharmacy is not an easy thing to do, and life in a hospital is so toxic, so a salute for the doctors,Pharmacists and nurses too... Keep up the good work.

6. Lastly, I learned that I am so loved by God because I am alive up to now and I learned a lot.

I still got experiences that I learned a lot in life, maybe what happened is for my own good, that I may feel what the least fortunate brothers and sisters of ours felt. That it's hard to look for money, I also appreciated more what my parents sacrificed for our future.

I would like to thank my parents for the love and support and for the sacrifice you've done for our future's sake and also for the experienced I had for me to learn more, indeed you are a great teacher because I can't learn it from school.=)

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

My Future=)

It's been a time since I visited my blog, last visit was actually last year, I think...(wahaha, I'm so busy with the holidays and when I am about to write something up, my mind won't produce words).

So, here I am now, after duty. Making this blog about something whom I just like to share to those who wants to read this... It's actually my 2nd duty time, last was Monday, the first day of school in this year, and first duty ever... I think May2x already posted her blog about that, and I agree with her.. The experience is one of a kind, tiring yet fun. New things to learn, new ballpen to buy because my ink is about to dry up,copying lots of files on the logbook withot erasures. (My cable is getting bigger).

I know, you are wondering about my new inspiration... It's just that I am getting excited about something. (nyahaha) Hmmm... I'm so excited to finish my duty in hospital,manufacturing and with specialization, then finish my fourth year, passed the board exam, see myself taking oath with my fellow colleagues..(wahaha), then i will be proud to say that "this is my calling, this is my pride, I am now a PHARMACIST!" with such pride and dignity, then, I would have my thanksgiving party (wahaha... time to thank Big Dad, it's big time, you are invited if you like just bring me a gift... a psp will do, or a pair of havs...) I will get gifts and hugs,kisses and I will see the people whom I thought do not exist congratulating me as if we are really close (bato, bato sa langit, tama-an 'wag magalit.) I will thank all the people who helped me and who are there by my side through thick and thin, through ups and downs, through laughters, funny moments and crying times. (-cut-I will just specify on the latter part, ukieh???)

next episode of my dreaming...

I will have a job, a good salary enough for me...I will save for my future, my parents will put up a pharmacy for me ( I really do hope so, a future investment that if run well, will be there for further generations...nyahaha), then I will manage it, and still have the time to teach in a university (I don't know where, but just for part time and just sharing what I know, if I know something...hehe, therefore, I will learn more...from studying and in what i teach and of course from my students...because teaching is a 2 way process, right?) In short, I will be rich! (wahaha...hmmm...a thought bubble is above my head right now saying "I am still the same person you all knew, nothing has changed, except that I have money, though I don't care about it, I care about you..." hehe... Still, it doesn't end there...

what will I do with money if ever I will be rich...

1. I will buy my father his dream car, a Pajero will do, then the oldest model of Lancer (he will assemble it to make a race car... nu pa gid gusto mo tay? hambal na para ma preparahan ko...)
2. I will acquire a big lot, (hmmm, how many acres nay?) build a home there for my parents, with a big lawn, a garden,pond, garage,veranda,etc... for my nanay... (nu pa gid nay? pool?) then on the other part of the land, it will be for the 4 of us,my siblings to share so that we can still be close and intact...(I really love them, you know!)
3. I will buy lots of books to read, hehe (Tales of Beedle the Bard tops my list right now)...
4. I will save for my future...(it's all there... I think family, for my nephews and nieces...soon to be, for my children if ever I will not become an old maid)
5. I will tour arond the world, 1st stop would be Japan!
6. I will put up a charity to help those people in need... (I will think of a good foundation where I can donate, I think I'll start with my neighbors..)
7. I will help the church (the quasi parish in the neighborhood)
8. I will help the children with dreams, reach their goals.
9. I will help my friends, and everyone who needs my help (just don't abuse it)
10. I will give something for myself, I will be the last to enjoy my money...

That's if I am really really rich, hihi... I hope so, because I just know that I WILL do these things, I don't want money for myself, I want it to share with others.

*Especially to my family who had undergone deprivation in the early years of our life, then it is payback time for my parents, for all their hardships, for the missed lunches and dinners... for staying up late and for the support that they have given me through the years, for molding me for who I am right now, for the values,virtues and for the faith. I love you, and I know you are not perfect though you are trying to be, I will never give you up even if i have to choose another pair of parents in this world, I'm still going to choose both of you...

*For my siblings, who are there, watching me as I grow up, for teaching me lessons I can't learn at school, for the times we spent and will be spending together though we will have our separate ways, for the moments that I will forever cherish and will never perish, for the bonding, drive throughs, coffee breaks, dining together, and all those stuffs that made us whole and indestructible, we will have each other. I love you all, and I will always be your baby. hehe

*For my friends, since I was a kid, to college and for my future friends, I thank you a lot, for the times,secrets, talks, and all the things that we had shared and will be sharing together, for the quotes,text messages,comments,chats,and all means of communication, for the laughters, crying times, study time, researches, movies,food trips, and lahat ng trip sa buhay. I salute you, friends forever? If forever is not enough then longer that forever eh!

*Teachers, thanks for sharing your knowledge with us, for the patience in teaching us, for reviewing us the things we tend to forget all the times, for believing in us, for pushing us further to the top, for the failures so that we may learn, for the friendship, and for everything that you have given us, for being our mentors and second family apart from home.

*PMT family, whew! This is what you call life, this is what I call a very good journey, for all the funs and games, for the losses, for everything that happened in my college life, i owe it to you, for the toxic nights and days, for the sleepless nights, mountainous work loads, for the friends I've known and will be knowing, for the experiences... Whew! I love it!

*Anime... yeah, I am still on this stuff... My other inspiration to go further... nyahaha.. I learned a lot from this thing, it is not only for entertainment,but there's a lot more to it...

*Harry Potter, Daniel Radcliffe... Whoever you are, hmmm... just want to thank you for the inspiration again, to move on! hehe... (toinx, it's part of me, I think I will never get tired of looking at you! not really...)

*Future, whoever you are, I will be waiting for you to arrive at the right time,moment,place... (pagusto ka kung mag.abot ka or indi ah! hehe...basta, I know kung mag abot ka, kaw na ang ginsend ni Big Dad...)

--- Don't think of anything about sa last one ha, I just put it there, interested? another chismis! hehe... F-U-T-U-R-E!!!

This will be the last paragraph, I am just conditioning and inspiring myself so that I can do better and don't give up, so that I will not get tired and stop in the middle, so that i will go forward and never surrender, so that I will be who I want to be and be more that that! So that, I will unite dreams and reality, and be proud to say that dreams do come true!=)