protego totalum

abbey / helveticaneuer / pearlred / anybeat Sometimes word vomit, oftentimes photo dump. Best viewed on desktop ♡

[neueron]

Internship highlights / random things I love about internship

Braving my first solo ER duty for ORL

All my one-shot blood extractions ever, because I’m still bad at extracting (although yes there was a tremendous improvement from clerkship)

Each day was full of learnings, I wish I was just responsible enough to organize all my notes (and side notes) on random lab requests and rewrite them on an actual notebook

Ophtha night duties aka sleepovers at the callroom 

Pedia triage experience -- where patients & their moms arrive at groups of 5 to 7, I have no idea why, y’all need to calm down so that I can radio my resident to come over 

Getting a “Highly appreciate Dr. Matibag’s entries!” on the chart huhu

Alllllll the friendly residents who know how to teach--there are so many of them in PGH and I’m so thankful for them, I genuinely treasure each one I meet

NICU rotation, where I fell in love with Pedia

Pedia ER rotation, mostly because my resident taught me how to write admitting orders

Drinking/partying with my new friends who are residents

Drinking with blockmates!!!!!

Oarhouse weng-weng?! One pitcher for me & Dareen only because our other friends were nowhere to be found

Just kidding, the amaretto maybe 

I only had the burger once, but yes, I do miss it too

Angel’s Pizza spinach & cheese pizza!!

Injecting IM metoclopramide on Kirsten’s arm to ease her hangover on our Ambu duty

Tagaytay adventures with the quiet ones

In-sync cravings of pancit canton and milk tea with my housemates

IV insertions!! Thank God for ~toxic~ OBAS duties, where I learned to line my patient while simultaneously holding a top and fountain-ing 3 other tops, and neatly tape them in place after. I love OBAS!

Will never forget that tropho patient I had (I was SIC, Ate Issa was RIC) whose bHCG specimen *~magically~* disappeared just hours before her curettage, and I had to book a Grab for her husband just to send her new bHCG sample to St. Luke’s and I had to prepare a case discussion to be presented the following day, and my sister and I were just both crying on Telegram, and when the tropho conference came my case discussion was also magically forgotten by the consultant so ALL WAS WELL 

Teaching my blockmates how to dance for the OB Christmas parties

Sneaking in some time for breakfast at Rodic’s after SR

I thought spending Christmas Eve at the hospital again would be another dreadful experience, but it was the exact opposite. Aside from all the nonstop eating, drinking, and laughing (it reached the point that all 3 triggered my reflux), I think the part I loved the most was the unexpected little presents from each of our first year residents and also one from the seniors. Nobody saw that coming, especially us PGIs, because we’re so used to being treated like lower animals. It’s really the fact that they saw us as important team members and maybe even as actual friends that they went out of their way to buy gifts. I’ll never forget that.

I finally learned how to pep-talk mothers in labor! And to do the whole “hinga, pigil, and push!” countdown properly! By myself!!

Dare I say OB is the best teaching department? Lol my sister would be proud

Rest period after 8 weeks of crazy, aka 1-week anesthesiology rotation

Learning to read a cranial CT scan in seconds

Being taught how to do a complete neuro exam (twice!) in the most patient manner, I love u Sir Kevin *pa-cute emoji*

Neuro residents are in a whole different level of nice, they’re practically angels on earth, Lord pls bless them like how you blessed us with their presence

Speaking of unexpected blessings, this 1-week rotation gave me the most important of them all :)

2 weeks of psych aka the chillest rotation we’ve ever had (best LO-ship decision, probably)

Indulging in Foodpanda cravings with blockmates

IM rotation was my least favorite, but it gave me a chance to redeem myself and become more independent. I gave all my effort to take care of my patients. I did my SIC notes almost everyday, I engaged with my RICs to help with management, I spent time talking to my patients, I tried (and often failed) to study their cases further. 

I actually miss going on duty

...but it’s really more of missing my blockmates, who make every day worthwhile, I can’t even properly put into words how perfect they are

I’m not ready to say goodbye to internship

[neueron]

On the day after Christmas, I had dinner with my three best friends from college, none of whom pursued medicine with me. Still, we remained close throughout the years because of all our common interests and our similar passion (yes, passion) for K-pop. The rest of our college barkada, who I rarely see in contrast, always kid around that they have to update themselves with K-pop news in order to have dinner with us. These three are actually the friends outside medicine that I see most often, probably because we all have the same preferences when it comes to the vibe we want when we meet up--whether we want a chill hangout, a walwal karaoke night, or a semi-formal dinner like this one (notice how we’re all wearing red--yes, we planned that). It’s also a lot easier to coordinate with 3 people versus 15. Most importantly, we don’t go through the awkward small talk of “how are you”s or “what are you doing with your life now” because 1) we’re generally updated with each other’s lives, having developed the habit of messaging each other at random times, and 2) it can never be awkward if you’re genuinely interested in listening about your friends’ life updates. And for someone like me, who doesn’t get the chance to meet people outside medicine often, I immediately become interested in conversations that don’t involve patients or procedures.

That night, however, our conversation went to the topic of medical students and professionals going viral on Twitter lately. Rightly so, they expressed their confusion as to why those in the medical field seem to “glorify” their long study hours and sleepless nights, when all other students taking graduate courses do the same. We recalled that infamous “get med students off their high horse challenge” tweet, which I also laughed about. Ironically, I agree with them wholeheartedly, especially since one of them just finished law school as well as the bar last year while the other two did a semester of law school before deciding it’s not for them. I’m not being a hypocrite--I admit that I also become dramatic as hell, even on social media at times, when it comes to difficulties in medical school and now internship. I think it may have to do with the trend of people fighting over the simplest tweets nowadays. My friends and I have no issue with people constantly sharing their med-related opinions on tweets, but it seems that it did become significant enough for us to notice, since we all saw it on our respective accounts even if we don’t follow the same people. 

From that conversation, I learned to be more careful about posting med-related content online. I think that’s also the reason why I don’t post as much anymore over the years.

Today, on New Year’s Day, I read Dr. Ronnie Baticulon’s book in one sitting and I felt a surge of inspiration to write again. I don’t want to post on Twitter (in fact, these past few weeks I’ve been considering deactivating my account), and I still haven’t decided if I should buy a new journal for writing, so I’ll be airing out my thoughts on my trusty Tumblr account for the time being. I also feel like I’m talking to someone when I’m on here, which is like a commitment to write better and more frequently. Internship has been going by so fast and it has been so fulfilling that I wish I could record every single day in my memory. Hopefully, this will suffice.

[neueron]

2019 highlights (New York aside)

After going through a turbulent year with my entire family last 2018, I can definitely say that this year went above and beyond. I still can’t believe how the Lord showered us with blessings this year. I’m not the type of person to get all sentimental about my religion, but I can’t explain how unbelievably incredible this year was that I know that my efforts alone did not get me through the most difficult days.

After 4 dreadful years, I have nothing but appreciation for those who stood by me and literally stayed up with me until the unholy hours to prepare for all the exams thrown at us. I finally graduated from medical school after overcoming the biggest hurdle of a UST med student--the oral revalida--with a very unexpected reward. 

I got accepted into the hospital of my dreams for my internship year, and I’ve already met so many amazing people who share the same aspirations as I do. I’m slowly gaining the skills that I felt that I had lacked in the previous year. The transition from clerkship to internship felt like a huge leap, and despite all the embarassing mistakes and shortcomings I’ve had, I still feel proud of my growth.

Most importantly, my relationship with my family has gotten much stronger, and that alone makes it an incredible year.

[neueron]

Unforgettable 30 days with an unforgettable set of friends -- living our best lives in the city that never sleeps

[neueron]

もうどうして 君を好きになってしまったんだろう あの頃の僕らの事を (もう戻れない) 考えた (もう戻らない) 考えた

[neueron]

[neueron]

Kyoto 2016

I’ve posted about Osaka and Tokyo already, so now it’s time to talk about the last but definitely not the least, Kyoto. I only had just 1 day there as well. This was my and my sister’s itinerary for our Japan trip last year (which I do NOT recommend because it’s too tiring):

6/14 night to 6/15 lunch - Osaka 6/15 afternoon to 6/16 afternoon - Kyoto 6/16 night to 6/19 morning - Tokyo

Out of the three cities, I was most taken away by Kyoto, probably because I had the least expectations for it. Tokyo’s modern beauty is already familiar to me, and my Osaka experience was incomplete, so seeing the best of Kyoto felt fulfilling.

My sister and I stayed in this quaint ryokan (Ebisu Ryokan) in a peaceful neighborhood, which I highly recommend if you want to try out the traditional beddings. It’s a very small place, and we got a room with a private bathroom (which is modern, don’t worry). The receptionist was friendly and accommodating, helped us get around, and even gave away her guest umbrellas to us when we checked out the next day and saw that it was pouring outside.

We settled down pretty late coming from Osaka and rushed to my top must-visit, Fushimi Inari-taisha. Just look at how gloomy the weather was that day! It made the torii gates more vibrant, actually. 

I still can’t get enough about how stunning this shrine is. We didn’t bother doing the climb because we were already exhausted, and seeing this path was more than enough for me, but I’d love to explore and learn more on my next visit. 

We were so tired that we had to have some authentic karaage and other street food outside the shrine, no matter how pricey. Given our limited time, these things are always a now or never.

Luckily, we still had time to make another tourist stop at Arashiyama Bamboo Forest, the perfect de-stressor. I don’t know if it was the cloudy weather or just the forest itself, but it was literally cool walking down the path. 

My sister and I agree at least 99% of the time on all sorts of decision-making, so during that 1%, it kind of wreaks havoc between us. She wanted to eat at this unlimited shabu-shabu place, but all I wanted was sushi (or whatever I usually order, I don’t remember what exactly it was), and we were so tired that we had a little drama choosing where to settle down for dinner. We ended up going with her choice (I was too annoyed already), and it wasn’t such a bad idea after all. We had 4 servings I think. All was well again after that big meal.

Back in our ryokan, we tried out the yukata they provided and did a mini photoshoot just for the heck of it.

Due to time and weather constraints again, we only got to visit Kinkaku-ji (The Golden Pavillion) the following day. We at least got decent pictures and quite a lot of souvenirs: special Hello Kitty socks, matcha goodies, charms, and fortunes.

Walking in the rain was such a hassle. As the rain intensified, we were searching for this particular omurice restaurant located in a side street, only to find that it was closed that day.

Instead, we stayed at this nice ramen place for lunch, which is also where we met up with my friend Vea. We only had time for a Starbucks run because she had to get to her part-time job and we had to catch the shinkansen to Tokyo.

Next to Fushimi Inari-taisha, my most favorite place in Kyoto is their train station. It’s a work of art! It’s crazy how big it actually is. There are at least five long escalators and where we had dinner (as I previously mentioned) is all the way at the top floor, if I remember correctly.

I’ve already said it a couple of times, but my first time in Japan was really an incomplete experience, although I’m beyond thankful that this trip happened (fact: we postponed this twice, so we had to apply for a visa three times). Japan has always been my top destination since I was a kid because its culture has been a great influence to me. How I wish I could spend at least a week in each city!

[neueron]

Tokyo 2016

It’s been a little over a year since this trip, and since I’m about to be bored to death at home, I’ll be taking trips down memory lane and talking about my past travels.

Everything in Tokyo is truly iconic. Even if I feel like I haven’t gotten the full experience--it was hard to get around because of the terribly humid weather--I marvelled at all the little things that make up the Japanese culture I grew up with. On our first night there, we had at least 15 plates of authentic sushi for dinner, served in conveyor-belt style. We never order sushi here in Manila because it costs at least twice the price in Tokyo (i.e. never sulit). While the food is much cheaper, the shopping costs more than the usual. We went for the best deals offered in Donki (Don Quijote) and Daiso.

We were always searching for the best matcha soft-serve ice cream and found a strong contender in one of the souvenir shops along the long path to Senso-ji Temple. I can’t imagine how we’d survive the summer crowd and blistering heat without taking quick ice cream breaks.

In every shrine we visited, we tried our luck in fortune-telling, which doubles as a cheap but good souvenir--that is, if you get good luck. Otherwise, you’d have to leave the paper behind. This was the best one I got, obviously. 

We somehow ended up in an upscale restaurant called Asakusa Imahan for lunch because my parents were too tired to look around further. The donburi they served were tasty nonetheless and were huge servings, so they were more or less worth what we paid for.

Our third stop for day 2 was Meiji Shrine, which was all sorts of beautiful.

This was my most-awaited stop: Harajuku! This was probably the cheapest shopping area we’ve been to in Japan (next to Donki lol), thanks to my friend Livvy, who took us to all the nice stores.

We headed back to Shibuya to meet up with my sister’s friend, who took us to the world-famous Ichiran Ramen for the ultimate ramen experience. I’m not a huge fan of ramen (and soup in general), so I can’t really judge and compare this to the few other places I’ve tried here in Manila, but it was indeed something else. 

The best insider tip that I got for this trip was from Livvy, who took me to Book Off, which apparently is “Japan’s No. 1 secondhand bookstore” (according to Google). They have all sorts of collectibles and whatnot in there, from anime to Super Mario to Pokemon to Marvel to sports... and of course, my favorite, my K-Pop/J-Pop stuff. I obviously spent most of my money on those because there’s nowhere else that I can get most of these albums and DVDs at such cheap prices and no shipping fee. My fangirl heart was ecstatic!

In all three nights there, we stopped by Hachiko every time we headed to the station to go back to our hotel. Just because.

We spent the following morning shopping in Ginza, or should I say Uniqlo? We lost each other in that 10-floor store for at least 3 hours, and so we were all cranky by lunch time. (Side note: everything in Itoya is expensive, I’m better off with Muji.)

Thankfully, we found this hidden gem that serves the most heavenly cheese tonkatsu and those buckets of steamed Japanese rice. No katsu will ever come close. I’m longing for this meal as I’m typing this.

I don’t remember the last time I kept up with an anime show, but I knew I just had to walk in an Animate store and look through all the collectibles and the manga. I found myself reminiscing the days my sister and I tried to be manga artists. It was surreal seeing shelves upon shelves of all these books and Copic markers we only once dreamed of having.

Another obligatory stop was Pablo. Everyone was raving about this cheesecake, and because I love cheese and dessert, I couldn’t resist the hype. We stood in line for at least 30 minutes and I hand-carried it all the way back home. I found the cake a bit too light for my taste, but the Minis were top-notch!

You know that embarrassing email you once had when you were younger? Well, mine was very similar to the name of this crepe place, so here I am owning it and soaking in all the kawaii of Harajuku. (For some reason, I didn’t get to try the crepe here and now it makes me sad but also just gave me another reason to go back soon!)

Harajuku was definitely my favorite area. Couldn’t leave without taking another purikura! 

Nerd tip: Narita airport has a small Pokemon store with a gashapon that dispenses Pokemon badges. Yup, first generation gym leader badges. My sister and I spent all our remaining yen on these beauties. We ended up with, like, 5 of the boring boulder badges though.

I really need another trip to Japan right now.

[neueron]

Earlier this year, Mom and I went on a last-minute trip--yes, you have no idea how indecisive we were about this--to Australia. Because I was so busy with med school months before, she was the only one taking care of all our visa requirements and ended up sending the application during the holidays. We got our visa only hours before the flight! Fortunately, we didn’t have to worry about anything else, from lodging to itinerary, because of our relatives who were more than willing to take us everywhere during our 10-day stay.

January is summertime in Australia, but our first few days there were rainy, which we later on learned was much better than the sweltering heat. On the day that my cousin took me on a personal city tour (pictures above), it was pouring by the time we got to the harbour, so he took me to Sea Life first. The sky cleared up right on time for me to see the world-class Opera House!

What I didn’t know about Sydney is that they also have a pretty famous bridge right across the Opera House: the Sydney Harbour Bridge. What’s more amazing is that you can climb it! (More on that later on.)

As a tourist, and I quote my cousins on this, there’s not much to see or experience there that’s uniquely Australian. However, I don’t think that makes it less worthy of a visit, especially coming from a third-world country. It’s always refreshing to see such a clean environment and to be able to walk around in it freely. It may not be my top go-to destination for an adventure, but I can actually see myself settling down here and taking scenic train rides from the suburbs to the harbour. It’s a very peaceful country.

[neueron]

Still trying to take it all in.

If I had it my way, we’d still be here right now.

[neueron]

A day in Osaka. That’s all I got. I wish there was more to tell, but really, all you need to know lies in their okonomiyaki and takoyaki.

[neueron]

hi abbey! you don't know me (i don't think you do) but i've known you since high school. you are a few grades above me, and i can't even remember how we met or if we did formally pero i just wanted to let you know na you inspire me! your writing skills, simplicity, and perseverance to be and stay in med school are only a few skills i aspire to develop one day. i randomly remembered about this blog today and decided to stop by to tell you kaya mo yan! sorry mej weird ba? lol good luck always!!

This is so sweet! Thank you so much!! I guess you’re in college right now and I hope that it’s going well for you as it did for me. I’m rooting for you!! 

(I hope you could tell me who you are) (but if not, that’s also okay, whatever suits you!)

[neueron]

A train station in Osaka

[neueron]

First year did not fly by. The years just naturally feel fast as we get older because our perception of the length of a year becomes less when we’re 21 years old as compared to when we were 5 years of age. Moreover, my perception of a day in med school felt like an entire week. Waking up minutes before 6AM, walking to school by 6:40, listening to a lecture from 7 to 8, 9, 9:30, or 10AM, finding my consciousness somewhere in between, mindlessly chattering or listening to the people around me chattering by lunch break, fighting with sleep again at the next lecture, hoping for an early dismissal, rushing back to the condo or to a coffee shop to get started on actual studying, sneaking in some time for dinner, more studying, studying, or sleeping. Sleep-studying and waking up in panic before 6AM. It’s another day of studying.

I wish I could say everything, describe every emotion I felt on my first year in medical school, but honestly I felt like a disaster. A big mess. I was always lost or always on my own. I hate relying on other people and asking them what needs to be done and how to do it, but that’s what kept me surviving in the past ten months. I hated it, and I hated myself for being that kind of person.

I think this year brought out the worst in me.

But there is a good reason why I’m still here, and I didn’t believe it until the very last day.

[neueron]

This is a feeling I hope I’ll never, ever forget

[neueron]

Seoul 2016

Third visit in three years! (Thank you Korean Embassy for giving me a multiple-entry visa.) This was supposedly a week-long solo trip--without my parents’ knowledge, I booked myself a one-way ticket to Seoul on the 12th of June last year via Cebu Pacific’s Independence Day promo. I didn’t get a roundtrip flight right away just in case something school-related would come up and I’d end up having to cancel it. By February this year, I was still unsure because we had just spent quite a lot rebooking and then sadly cancelling our Japan trip, so I used my 21st birthday as a way to ask permission to push through with it. Fortunately, my parents allowed, and my mom suggested to tag along with me. I agreed because why not, it would be nice to be spoiled in my favorite city.

The weather was great, especially coming from Manila, which at the time was just transitioning to the extreme summer heat we have right now.

This isn’t meant to be a touristy post, but in case someone’s reading this: everyone’s first stop when visiting Seoul must be Gyeongbokgung Palace.

So far, all my trips included a visit to this palace, although on the first two times I just took pictures outside. This time, my mom and I toured inside the actual palace grounds. Huge is an understatement! There’s so much to see that I feel like this should’ve been a half-day tour, but since my mom's not allowed to walk around for long periods, we stayed for at least 2 hours only.

I absolutely enjoyed taking cute pictures of my mom.

Photo above was taken in Deoksugung Palace, which was a lot smaller than Gyeongbokgung. Luckily, we were able to catch the Royal Guard Changing Ceremony there too.

These custard-filled Brown-shaped pancakes(?) were SO GOOD!! Mom bought them while she was waiting for me to finish shopping in the LINE store in Myeongdong. Another one to add to my list of the many things I miss about Seoul.

Having Mommy on this trip with me means that I won’t ever starve LOL. This dinner was expensive as hell, but at least the food was extra delicious. The guy lured us in by offering to carry all our shopping bags.

Our lunch the next day was this meal combo in a restaurant in COEX, which was surprisingly cheap. The side dishes were unimpressive but overall the meal was good enough.

Our breakfasts were always split sandwiches and our own lattes. I love how cafes there offer a wider variety in their menus. I could practically live in their cafes, and I can’t believe I actually thought about studying while I was there.

It was our first time in Cheonggyecheon stream, which didn’t look as nice as I imagined it to be, but that’s only because we visited at the wrong time. Spring was only approaching at the time, so there really wasn’t much to see yet.

We spent a good amount of time at Dongdaemun Design Plaza. First, there seemed to be an event going on, which turned out to be Seoul Fashion Week. We were there pretty early, and as we were walking towards the plaza, there were already red ropes, a lot of bodyguards, and a small crowd waiting. Of course I was intrigued, and so was Mom, so we waited around as well. As the minutes went by, we felt really silly that we were actually just standing there not having any clue who we were waiting for, and we had a lot of laughs making up stories about the people around us. Finally we gave up and found our way to the shopping areas again.

I’ve been spending a lot of time at home lately, and one of the things I’ve done with my mom was marathon this popular K-drama. It’s really nice that we were able to watch this together not so long ago from this trip. Although my sister & I have been K-pop fans for so long now, my mom still doesn’t fully understand why (although she’s very accepting of everything we do, so I don’t mean it as a bad thing). She loved this drama, so every time we see a poster of Jun Ji Hyun and Kim Soo Hyun, it’s like I can fangirl about it with her.

I’m really happy that we got to travel together, especially to one of my most favorite countries. It would be really amazing if I could be the one to bring her to places in the future, but unfortunately, I entered a career that won’t pay much (in terms of money at least). Anyway, she herself told me to travel while I’m young, so I guess that means she won’t mind if I’m still dependent... right? Lol. I really wish I could spend for my own, Mom & Dad, but please wait a little longer. In the meantime, thank you so much for giving me wings. Let’s travel together more while we can. ♥

[neueron]

Kobe,

You had me at 33.

I didn’t grow up with you--not from my childhood, at least, unlike most people I know. I’ve only been a fan for a couple of years, probably around 6, but I only religiously followed the games for 3 to 4 years. That’s roughly only a fifth of your NBA career. But look at your effect on me.

I’m not even one bit sporty, but you made me love basketball. You made me appreciate why many of my male friends rush to the court at every break in school, why they get so worked up during these fast-paced games, and how they can look like they want to tear each other apart but go back to being friends by the end of it. You made me appreciate this dream that many Filipino kids have of being the next PBA or NBA superstar. You made me appreciate the beauty of three-pointers, assists (as beautiful as they are rare with you), buzzer beaters, and most importantly, fade aways. You, in fact, made me appreciate the journey of athletes in general.

To be honest, I wasn’t feeling so emotional this morning while your last game was going on because I couldn’t properly talk about it with anyone. It was only when I checked my email later today that I felt this rush of sadness. Seeing this and not being able to delete this like I’ve been doing for the past 3 years broke my heart. I don’t need these emails anymore. I know that the games will never matter as much to me anymore without the chance of seeing you play. I will always be a Laker fan, but will I always be an NBA fan? Maybe not as solid anymore. Not that I’ve been keeping up in the past few years anyway... but I never unsubscribed because I’d still look for any Lakers headlines.

I won’t deny that fifty percent of the reason that I became your fan was because of someone very special to me. Like you, he opened many worlds to me. He made me appreciate things that I never thought twice about before. He was my own Kobe, as much as he was everyone else’s. What’s funny is that he never really even tried to get me into this. I just did because I was curious about him, about you.

And now, like him, I’ll have to let you go.

But unlike him, I only have happy memories with you.

I was lucky enough to be a fan when you earned your fifth ring. Nobody thought it would be your last. Nobody.

Lakers ‘09-’10 was truly The Best Roster in recent history. We had Kobe-Fisher leading the gang, Pau Gasol firing up, pre-"Metta World Peace" Ron Artest always making a scene, pre-Kardashian Lamar Odom, Andrew Bynum, my personal favorite Shannon Brown, and the wonderful bench. And of course, Phil Jackson.

I may not have witnessed Kobe-Shaq, but Kobe-D-Fish was great enough for me. And so was Kobe-Pau. Seriously miss these guys. No one else worked with Kobe as well as these two.

July 13, 2011: I got to see Kobe in the flesh. It wasn’t an official NBA game, but at least I got to see him play.

April 28, 2013: My amazing cousin, who’s not even a Laker fan, bought us tickets to the playoffs! Unfortunately, Kobe injured his Achilles tendon, and was forced to end the season right before the playoffs. It was still a surreal experience though, just to be breathing the same air as him and the entire Lakers team at Staples Center. We only saw him on the bench at the second half, wearing a suit, and coaching on the last quarter. And although the Spurs beat us that day, it’s a day that I’ll never forget.

After the game, while we were outside taking pictures, a man comes up to me and asks if his son could take a picture with me and my sister. We thought it was really cute, so of course, our older cousin obliged and took our photo as well. It was really awesome that this boy was wearing Kobe’s high school jersey, which obviously means that he’s a much bigger fan than we were.

I don’t know how else to say it, but thank you for everything, Kobe.

No one else comes close.