time flies so fast..

..even when you're not having fun.

I can't believe it's already June. It seems like yesterdays when I first started as a nurse trainee, and now my 6 months is up. I have three more days of duty left. Granted, I still have at least four days of make up duties due to my absences, especially when I went to Beijing, but hey. What's four days compared to a lifetime's worth of memories of Beijing, right?

I have duty tomorrow, but I'm still up editing the output of our case presentation. I also finished making the diagram for our pathophysiology. Gawd. Encoding it is even more toxic than making it. Nothing's changed since my college days, I still prefer working on the patho than on the history, labs, or NCPs. And for some reason, like in college, I'm still stuck with a group who tends to choose long diagnoses.

Our current case is Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding from Ruptured Esophageal Varices Secondary to Liver Cirrhosis with Portal Hypertension.

Sounds complicated, right? But it's pretty straightforward, actually. I love learning about diseases. It's so much fun, and cool. Although there's nobody else to talk about it other than fellow nurses, and doctors.

I can sense a headache coming, and hopefully a good night's sleep, albeit a short one, will cure it. I hope God will bless us with a non-toxic duty tomorrow. Plus, a less toxic duty means I can catch up on my reading. And yes, I read novels during duty. That's how much of a bookworm I am.

funsucker.

Bitch.

Gawd, I love being with friends.

Bitch is like a term of endearment. Bitch is the new red.

seeing beijing

So this is a really late post. But as they say, better late than never.

Being on duty 5 days a week is taking a toll on me. That's why I was so excited to be going on vacation. Little did I know, that there won't be any time for relaxation once we stepped foot on Beijing.

In a span of four days, we walked from the Forbidden City to Tour Tian’anmen Square; we climbed a part of the Great Wall of China; we visited the Summer Palace, the Temple of Heaven; we went to see Ming's Tomb; we took pictures at the Olympic Complex; we went on the Hutong Tour and got to ride rickshaws; we visited the Jade Museum and the Silk Factory; we drank different kinds of tea at the Tea House; we watched the Acrobatic Show; went bargain hunting at the Xiu Shui Bargain Market; went window shopping at Wangfujing Street.

Sounds busy, right? We kept on walking, and every night, my legs would be screaming for mercy. But all in all, it was a great vacation, and Beijing is definitely a place I'd like to see again.

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What I Love Most About Beijing

1. It's a city rich in culture and history. They really preserved artifacts, relics and buildings from their past.
2. It's a very clean city.
3. The wild roses. You should see them in full bloom. Awesome.
4. Great food. We ate like emperors.
5. Pandas! So cute and "luggable" (according to my nephew, that's a mash-up of lovable and huggable).

What I Hate Most About Beijing

1. Their squatting toilets. Come on. Who would enjoy peeing on the floor?
2. The care squat about nudity. The reason doors have locks is so you could lock them. But a lot of them don't even bother to lock or fully close the doors while in the bathroom. And a Chinese woman wiping her ass is not something I'd care to see again.
3. They give you small plates in the restaurants. This is frustrating for a Filipino, and extremely vexing for me. I am a rice eater, and proud of it. So when given a plate that would hold only a small amount of food, it really annoyed me.
4. Rude locals. I mean, really. I could not count the number of times they would bump into me, and never look back and say sorry.
5. Locals can't speak English. I'm not judging, I mean, I am Chinese, but I'm a Filipino through and through so I can't speak decent Mandarin. What I'm trying to point out is that their country is a haven for tourists from all over the world. Learning basic English couldn't hurt.

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Days Inn Joiest Hotel. Where we stayed.


The world famous Great Wall of China.


Chairman Mao.

Inside the Forbidden City.

Imagine preserving places like this.

excited does not even begin to describe me

Only two more days of duty, then I'm off to my long awaited vacation. I could surely use the break. I've always known that being a nurse is hard work. Aside from dealing with patients with different kinds of diseases, we also get to deal with their significant others who are much, much more difficult to handle.

We're going to Beijing, out of the country this time. The last time my passport was used was when we went to Hongkong for my 18th birthday. God, that was such a long time ago. Last year was Palawan, and the year before that we went on a road trip that covered Iloilo, Bacolod, Dumaguete and Antique. We hit the locals, finally time to do some international.

We travel, every year, with small trips in between if we have the time - and the budget to spare. In my 22 years of living, I've been out of the country four times - twice to Taiwan (I was around 8 the first time I went there), once to Singapore, and once to Hongkong. And although I've enjoyed my visits there, nothing compares to the pride I feel whenever we go to somewhere local. Seeing amazing places and awesome sights in my own country gives me this giddy feeling of pride and joy, and it never gets old. (I love the Philippines, so sue me.)

Anyway, as I've said, it's Beijing this time. I was a bit (only a bit) disappointed, though. We usually pick places famous for it's beaches or some sort for the summer, and I was looking forward to it. I miss swimming, snorkeling, jet skiing. This time of the year, I usually whip out my swimsuits and get tan (ok, not tan. I burn baby, burn!). But hey, a vacation is better than no vacation.

I'm thinking of packing tonight. I usually leave it during the last minute, but I've got duty tomorrow and on Saturday, and I leave early on Sunday. I suppose I could do it after duty, but I'm usually beat. When I come home from work, I just basically lie down and fall asleep right after, waking up during dinner, check my FB and my mail, then fall asleep again. That's how tired I am.

So, should I start packing or what? =)

recently read - april 2011

I may be busy, but I'm never busy for reading. And with my Kindle, I can read anytime, anywhere!

• Can't Stand The Heat (Louisa Edwards)
  
• On The Steamy Side (Louisa Edwards)
• The Sisterhood (Michael Palmer)
  
• Marley & Me (John Grogan)
  
• The Angel's Game (Carlos Ruiz Safon)
  
• Ice Cold (Tess Gerritsen)
  
• Fatal (Michael Palmer)
• I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have To Kill You (Ally Carter)
• Cross My Heart & Hope To Spy (Ally Carter)
• Private Pleasures (Bertrice Small)
• Forbidden Pleasures (Bertrice Small)
• Sudden Pleasures (Bertrice Small)
• Dangerous Pleasures (Bertrice Small)
• Scuse Me While I Kill This Guy (Leslie Langtry)
• Guns Will Keep Us Together (Leslie Langtry)
• Stand By Your Hitman (Leslie Langtry)
• Twenty Boy Summer (Sarah Ockler)
• Kindred in Death (JD Robb)
• Sprinkle With Murder (Jenn McKinlay)
• Buttercream Bump Off (Jenn McKinlay)
• Just The Sexiest Man Alive (Julie James)
• Practice Makes Perfect (Julie James)
• Something About You (Julie James)
• The Demigod Files (Rick Riordan)

after a long period of quietness..

..I'm back with a vengeance.

I haven't been posting much, obviously, mainly because I'm either tired (usually), or just plain lazy. I frequently surf the net when I come home after duties, but I don't really feel like writing, so.. No blogging in the meantime. If there's one condition between me and writing, it's that I write whenever I feel like it. When the mood strikes, the words just flow out of me. But if not, then zip. Nada.

So, I'm on my 5th month on my 6-month volunteer training. Ma'am Fe, our Chief Nurse, prefers to calls use trainees, rather than volunteers, because of the issue that hospitals are charging the volunteers for their services. And to clarify things, our hospital never asked us money, nor do we receive compensation for our services.

I'm now rotated at the NICU, or the Neonatal ICU, which used to be my 2nd favorite duty area when I was a student (the first was the DR, or Deliver Room, but that's another story for another blog), but now, I don't think I like it very much. Sure, the babies are all awesome and adorable, but I get to do more work now that I'm a nurse, and trust me, going around the hospital to give meds to the roomed in babies is no fun. Plus, it's too depressing to perform postmortem care on a baby.

I'm done rotating at the ER (Emergency Room), OPD (Out Patient Department), Orthopedic Ward, Surgical/Trauma Ward, OR (Operating Room) & PACU (Post Anesthesia Care Unit), Medical Ward, Isolation Ward, Philhealth Wards 1&2 (for patients with Philhealth). My last three areas would be Pediatric Ward, Obstetric Ward, and finally, DR (Delivery Room).

I'll be glad when it'll all be over. Frankly, I'm so damn tired, but in a good way. I never thought I'd like being a nurse. It's not something I'd like to do forever, but for the time being, I'm content. Happy. And in my book, that's all that matters. Hopefully, I'll get hired in July. There's no other hospital I'd like to work in. *fingers crossed*

And since this is my first blog in a long time, I'll put everything in one long post. =D

I went to Manila last April 27, and I came home right after the following day. just had to put in an appearance at the Chinese embassy, because I was applying for Visa. We're going to Beijing this May! Vaycay time, yey! China is not my ideal vacation spot, but I really wanna see the Great Wall and the Forbidden City. I can't wait. I am in dire need of a vacation, and this is it!

We also got a new dog. The dog at the Sacred Heart Seminary had a litter of puppies, and Fr. Edgar gave one to us. He's a cute Mini Pinscher whom I suspect has ADHD. I dubbed him Rusty.

Isn't he adorable?

I searched Wikipedia for info on MinPins, and here's what came up that applies to my lil pup:

• Miniature Pinschers are prone to overeating and therefore should not be free fed. True, my dogs laps up whatever dog food I put in his bowl, and despite how small it is, you'd be amazed at how much food he can consume, kinda like me. LOL
• This breed has an insatiable curiosity. Rusty likes exploring every corner of our house. One time he sniffed our trash can and tried to get inside. Crazy dog.
• Miniature Pinschers enjoy having a collection of such toys, which they will hoard and spend much time in moving from one collecting place to another. I woke up one day to find one of my white duty shoes gone. Took a long time to find it. It was in his doggy bed.
• Miniature Pinschers are territorial, so they should be provided with their own place to rest and sleep. They prefer to sleep on soft objects as well as under soft objects, so a small blanket should be provided so they can nestle. I bought a small doggy bed for Rubeus before, but he preferred sleeping on the bed, so when Rusty came, I gave it to him instead. It's so nice seeing him sleep in his own bed with his head hanging on the side. Cute.
  
• Miniature Pinschers will jump onto beds and crawl under the covers. One time, my mattress got wet so I had it dried out under the sun. I had no choice but to sleep in a small folding bed. It was only about a foot high, so Rusty was able to jump on it with no problem. And no matter how many times I put him back to the floor, he'd just jump back up and sleep beside me. Which was sweet, but I was so worried that I'd squish him or something.
  

I think this is long enough. Oh, how I missed this. <3

recently read - march 2011

More this month. ♥

• Romeo, Romeo (Robin Kaye)
• Too Hot To Handle (Robin Kaye)
• Breakfast in Bed (Robin Kaye)
• The Winning Hand (Nora Roberts)
• The Society (Michale Palmer)
• The First Patient (Michale Palmer)
• The Last Surgeon (Michale Palmer)
• Salvation in Death (J.D. Robb)
• Yours for the Taking (Robin Kaye)
• Nauti Boy (Lora Leigh)
• Nauti Nights (Lora Leigh)
• Nauti Dreams (Lora Leigh)
• Nauti Intentions (Lora Leigh)
• Nauti Deceptions (Lora Leigh)
• The Sparkling One (Susan Mallery)
• The Sassy One (Susan Mallery)
• The Seductive One (Susan Mallery)
• The Marcelli Bride (Susan Mallery)
• The Marcelli Princess (Susan Mallery)

recently read - february 2011

Looks like I've been reading less ever since I started training.. Hopefully with my new Kindle, I can read more again. =D

• The Fire Inside (Kat Martin)
• Take Me There (Susan Colasanti)
• Hot Stuff (Carly Phillips)
• Hot Number (Carly Phillips)
• Hot Item (Carly Phillips)
• Hot Property (Carly Phillips)
• Dead Man Docking (Mary Daheim)
• Code Name: Baby (Christina Skye)
• Hello, doggy (Elaine Fox)
  

recently read - january 2011

Not as much as I'd like for this month.. Been busy. =/

• Dance of Seduction (Sabrina Jeffries)
• Married to the Viscount (Sabrina Jeffries)
• The Truth About Lord Stoneville (Sabrina Jeffries)
• A Hellion in Her Bed (Sabrina Jeffries)
• First Comes Marriage (Mary Balogh)
• Then Comes Seduction (Mary Balogh)
• At Last Comes Love (Mary Balogh)
• Seducing an Angel (Mary Balogh)
• A Secret Affair (Mary Balogh)
• You Had Me at Goodbye (Jane Blackwood)

pig slippers and all.

I haven't been blogging lately have been neglecting my blog lately, and I'm sorry, blog. It's just that I've been busy with duties and all. Usually I come home from an 8-hour shift tired and ready to drop. Other times, I hang out with either my Bf, or with friends, that I feel as if I'm physically and mentally drained.

So far, I'm enjoying real bad. I never really expected to actually like being a nurse. I know I would have been a pretty awesome doctor, but I guess life God had other plans for me. Not that I'm complaining. Medicine's a bitch, with the 24- to 36-hour shifts the clerks, interns and residents are putting in. Oh how they envy us nurses when we leave after our 8-hour shifts.

Anyway.. Bf and I had a huge fight over a little thing, which was crazy. But we made up, and if there's one good thing that comes out from fighting, I must say, it's the making up. *And this is the part where I go "awwwwww". =)

I'm keeping my blog short, since I really don't have anything significant to blog about, except for these cute pig slippers that Bf got me. I squeal over pig stuffies, and you can imagine my delight when I saw this at the mall. People were staring, and I was in my uniform, but I didn't care.

The last pair in MY size.
It's destined for me. ♥

Pardon my ugly fat feet. =D