Girls' night out, Medschool edition :)
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Girls' night out, Medschool edition :)
4 Years Worth
And just like that, it was over.
This may look a tad late to be posted but this is exactly what I wanted. I waited for some time before posting this because I want to see this milestone at a different vantage point - something which has seen the passage of time, which allows a greater peek of what's in for the future, because somehow when this moment came, some of us were not exactly still sure of what they want with their lives. I want it to be not just a commemoration of our efforts for the past 4 years (5 or 6 to others), but a peek of what has become of this bunch of crazy people months after leaving university. Graduation, after all, meant the start of some more years of studying or the start of careers.
Me with Jonna. We met a few weeks before the very first day of classes and sat next to each other during the freshman welcome. We used to spend countless hours conversing about our dreams of becoming physicians and I can well remember she once thought of shifting out because she didn't want it here in the first place and she thought there were better premeds available. At some point I wanted to shift out too, but that is probably true for most of us. Because sometimes you just can't see the point in what you do, but patience has its rewards, and I believe we are both reaping them now. She's now a med student in UST.
With Paula, Chunkee and Grace. The ladies are my clinicals groupmates for a year, while Chunkee was my clustermate in Batangas, whose honesty blew me away when he volunteered to extend Batangas duty not because he was technically required to do so, but because he just feels he was not able to train the BHW assigned to him according to his standards. Paula also went straight to medschool after graduation and topped the boards as well, Grace went to work but will be in medschool next year and Chunkee has just taken the boards.
With my good friend, Denesy, who has been responsible for my spiritual life for the past 4 years. Den is by far, the most determined person I've ever met in my entire life. And I kid you not when I say this. She always wanted to be a lawyer and people once thought she was weird back in those days when she would haggle with the college secretary and bargain for a chance to get extra units in philosophy and other social science subjects when the rest of us were just content with our foundations subjects for clinicals and pharmacology and whatnot. She's currently working at an estate office and has just taken her the LAE.
With Wilson, the class salutatorian. This man is hands down, a person who knows perseverance by heart. When we were younger, I'd drag him anywhere - to the bank, to the mall, to AS - everywhere so I could have more time to tease him about his lovelife :)) We still call each other Ex-Husband and sEXy Wife because back in the old days, we used to pretend to be a couple because it was crazy. Put him inside the classroom and he knows what he is talking about; put him in the hospital and he knows what he is doing. He is currently a student in UP Med.
Mark Tiburcio, everyone. He's the best person I've worked with in the community. We were the 18-year-olds who braved Maricaban together. We once led a municipality-wide implementation for senior citizens and from then on, I've always told people he has a future in it. And while CHN is not a familiar career path for those in our field because it is too difficult, he never complained and stood out from the crop and I can't be any prouder. And these words from former DOH secretary Dr. Jaime Galvez-Tan is my proof of his abilities.
He is currently working for the Red Cross and Health Futures Foundation.
With Weng. Our first year selves were frustrated journalists and at one point, I would've shifted out to Journalism if ever he asked me to. He's always the first one to know when I've written something and we used to consult each other about plots and topics of essays, competitions, etc. He was the playwright for our first three Nursecissism presentations and the director of our last.
With my parents
We all used to say we cannot wait to graduate. When it came, we were definitely ready for the task this university has been preparing us for, but not ready to say goodbye yet. For a while we just wanted to linger and figure our next step out. Through the eyes of outsiders, we were the privileged ones who made it out of thousands who applied, who made it out of the seemingly endless cuts with each year that passed. We enjoyed that definition when we were younger. It felt good to be told you bested thousands and that you hold a golden spot, that all the kids in your classroom now are highschool salutatorians and valedictorians like yourself, but as the years went by, that did not matter anymore. There was no point of competing because everyone was, well... smart. Time has altered our priorities and one of them is repaying the country, because after all, their money is what sent us to school. And as this chapter comes to a full close, all I wish is that we all get to do just that, because we will be forever indebted.
Goodbye, Other Home
Because on normal days of our intensive community experience we are not allowed to go to the beach, our professors were the ones to organize this whole getaway after the evaluation by the end of two months. For a day, we were not allowed to do schoolwork. The only task at hand, therefore, is to relax with equally crazy people who also lived in their respective barangays.
One of the things I will never forget about N121.2 is the fact that the professors who once made my community life hell are now the ones to whip up something chill, something I never saw for the past 4 years. Times like these remind me, Oh, tao rin sila.
For some hours, I watched everyone regress and be kids all at once. Vacations like these are always so meaningful especially when you've been to hell and back to rightfully claim you've earned it.
Friends Chup and Toni, who are now in medschool as well.
The classic mermaid pose. One of them is my professor, who used to give me heart attacks when I was rotating in Maricaban back in 2nd year :))
And suddenly, the next day came, and it was time to go back to our Manila lives.
Spring (now a WVSU med student), Abby (now bound to go to London to present our undergrad research at Oxford) and Mel (now a UP Law student)
When I was a college freshman, I always thought that I'll always be too young to think about Batangas rotations. There was this unsettling feeling that I might not be prepared to live for two months away from the city, worrying about what kind of family I'll be joining, etc. But just like a twister, 3 years and 7 months came and went and finally it was my turn. The community assigned to me has been awesome; people were very accomodating, the BHWs and people of the barangay treated us like daughters, our foster family has given us nothing but love and support. I never thought the experience of leaving would give me sadness, but then it did. It was probably tougher than my experience in Maricaban and Pateros back in my sophomore and junior years under the scariest CIs you can imagine. It never was easy, but when things have gotten lighter, I suddenly missed the scorching heat of the sun, the dusty, unpaved roads which turn muddy with the slightest of rain, the wooden bridges that creaked whenever people walk over, the people I pass by the roadside on my way home who would offer their meriendas, the buko salad and fishball sold by the road which are my instant source of simple joy, the bahay kubo at home where Grace, Silver and I would stay at 4PM while eating Inay's fried bananas, the patients and families I would go to visit every now and then, the barangay health stations where we'd give immunizations, health teachings and seminars, the rice fields where a cow once chased us, the teenagers at the local highschool whom we had the privilege of teaching for a day, the neighbors who never fail to give a smile or a wave when we go home at dusk, the dinners we had with barangay people who weren't family but welcomed as all the same.
When I came back here with some of my friends in medschool, I can't help but smile with how traveling here did not mean vacation, but going home; with how easily I can navigate the marketplace and how I seem to have a mental image of map of the place; with the feeling that I can go here anytime I wish, and people will somehow recognize me because after all, I used to live here; with just the peace of knowing that there would always be this place away from the city that I can call home, where people who if not for this whole experience, be strangers and not family.
At Dusk
Sometime ago, my orgmates and I visited Hospicio de San Jose to spend time with older people living there. I've told myself that opportunities like these are never to be turned down, because they never fail to teach me something I can never learn in school.
For a soulful 2 hours, we partnered with a resident and sang songs that reminded them of the good old days, played games including bingo and danced. I can't help but wonder, how often do these older people get to smile and feel they're with family whenever no one comes to visit.
Sometimes all it takes is 2 hours or less to remind us what truly matters.
I thank God for people like them. I believe this bunch was composed of sophomores to seniors who all dedicated some of their time to make complete strangers happy. We don't believe in and we can't afford to dole out, so what we gave is our time. When you're young and full of energy, you tend to think you have all the time in the world to dillydally. This day reminded me of the race I have with life, and that one day, the sun will set and I'll have to deal with dusk.
Good times
From more than half a year ago... Friends from the land of the rising sun visiting the Philippines!
Kanayama and the Trip Home
The day before our flight back home, we had a house party at Prof. Iriyama's.
Instead of taking the train, we rode the bus. I like that city buses arrive unbelievably on time every single instance. It is so convenient to go around the city during weekends because of the unlimited rides offered if you purchase a travel card for 600 yen.
And can I just express how amazed I am to see AEDs everywhere!
Everyone brought homemade food! Onigiri, pumpkin salad, oden, karaage, okonomiyaki and many more.
In the afternoon, we traveled back to Kanayama to check in at Washington Hotel because our flight the next day was early and it would be impractical to stay in Tsurumai. We visited Yeon to shop while waiting for our dinner with Prof. Suzuki.
They asked us to try Sake which is awesome, by the way.
Iriyama-sensei, me, Mika and Ms. Minako at the deck of Chubu airport.
They gave us gifts before parting and when we opened them inside the plane, we were so happy to find scrapbooks inside <3
The whole experience had been surreal and definitely unforgettable; from the unexpected call for the exchange program interview by the faculty, the day I was told I was chosen, the embassy trips squeezed in between Batangas rotations and medschool interviews and examinations, the winter apparel shopping with my family, to all the awesome things I learned from this trip. It's definitely a dream come true. I'm one of those people who badly want to see the world and this is one of those unexpected chances to do just that. Before sembreak last year, I told God I wanted to go somewhere, anywhere just to take a break and catch my breath. I remember telling Him, "Lord, gusto kong umalis. Gusto ko pong lumayo, kahit sandali lang." The day I learned I didn't make it to the cut for the youth exchange to Korea was also the same day this program was announced to our class. 3 months after, my prayer was answered :)
A little of Tobu and lots of Sakae
With the day greeting us with a 4-degree centigrade morning, we met Ms. Minako and Tu-Yuning to visit the Kids station in Tobu.
The Kids station was inside a mall which opens quite late, so we had time to roam around and visit random shops first.
And that's basically how I learned about UNIQLO (back when we don't have it here yet). This one has 4 floors and what I definitely love about their clothes is the simple silhouette. They have the basic collared shirts which I love wearing to death, and everything screams "me" haha! When they finally opened one in MOA, I made sure to drop by and get a basic top for myself in a color I don't have yet :))
Lunch. I can't believe I ate a dozen gyoza LOL.
The famous TV tower which they don't use now.
The student who became closest to both Jhe and I, Ayaka. She once stayed with a foster family in Cebu while volunteering for SOS. She told me of how she ate a whole mango in front of the airport scanner in Cebu airport because she wasn't willing to let it go when they didn't allow her to keep it in her pocket before boarding :))
At Mister Donut in Tobu, after our visit to the Technical Aids Plaza.
And because there was more free time, we ended up touring Sakae. A writer once said that if you want to know a place better, don't go to the museums. Spend your time in the places where folks usually go and enjoy their way of life even for a few hours. So...
We just had to try arcades in Japan haha!
Posting this because I've never seen such ginormous talent in playing Dance Revolution. I think I stared at these guys for 30 whole minutes because I simply can't believe how quick they were on the platform @_@
And a visit to Japan wouldn't be complete without trying the thing that started it all. Before Instagram, there's Purikura!
And to top the night off, Karaoke!
Ozu Kannon
Posting the remaining photos half a year late, because medschool and the boards have kept me busy lately (and because I'm trying to escape review for shifting week tonight). The following are photos from my visit to Ozu Kannon during one of our free time with the students.
We visited a temple first where I was too happy to see many versions of the Senbaru (thousand paper cranes). Before I left for Japan, one of my groupmates in San Juan was actually making origami cranes every night, aiming to reach 1000 and have one wish granted. This legend became popular through the story of Sadako Sasaki, a young girl who developed leukemia after the Hiroshima bombing, attempted to make 1000 origami cranes to have her wish granted. Some people say she wasn't able to finish making 1000 before she died :( On our last dinner in Kanayama, Ms. Suzuki gave us origami papers and made some cranes with us <3
Ozu Kannon is where one can find traditional Japanese stores and food stalls. This is their version of Divisoria (only cleaner and so much nicer LOL).
300 yen for old buttons (a piece), anyone?
I didn't know before that 2 general ramen types do exist: salty and spicy. This is a salty one that I had at Denny's. I also had takoyaki made with octopus, instead of the squid version we have in the Philippines.
Tobu, Sakae and Kanayama photos to follow!
Meijo Park and Nagoya Castle
This is probably one of the best parts of the trip. I'm such a history junkie and all my companions did not fail to notice my excitement while we were inside the train :)) And hey, it's my first time to ever visit a real castle :))
One would first pass by the Meijo Park before reaching the Castle proper.
Stunning view is stunning! I was definitely stoked to see something man-made as pretty as this.
They use these coverings to protect trees during the winter :)
Including this photo because I'm such a sucker for dramatic ones :P
Here it is! I was so stomped to see how big it was up close.
Inside, one can relive traditional Japanese lifestyle complete with village dioramas, ancient armors and samurais.
A room inside of the castle during the old times.
Old Japanese food. They also showcased paintings of gentle tigers before the castle was burned down. The three greatest samurais of Japan - Oda, Takugawa and Toyotomi, were also depicted in paintings.
Back in the old days, this was how they built the stone foundations of the castle. Manual labor ftw!
The view from above the castle. It's such an awesome experience to see the Nagoya skyline from here :)
The flight of stairs we climbed to reach the top. Every floor contained different exhibits so you can imagine the info overload we got.
Some of the original stones used for foundation were displayed at the back of the rebuilt castle.
It was also my first time to see an apricot tree :)
Last look. You can see the Kinsachi (Golden dolphins) at the top!
Such a dreamy place! I wouldn't mind walking kilometers if the view is as pretty as this one :)
I'll end this post with a golden-hour photo of the Nagoya City Hall.
Sakae and Ozu Kannon photos to follow soon!
JICA
We also got to visit the headquarters of Japan International Cooperation Agency in the city. JICA aims to help developing countries by providing trainings, giving financial support, etc.
Nagoya City
It was Doll Festival when we came, so they had this display of Japanese dolls. They also have this is Joyful Sunadabashi.
At the deck of the JICA building. You can see the Shinkansen (bullet train) line from here :)
A giant diffuser which allows light from the sun to illuminate the floor below.
JICA operates on solar power in the morning.
The agency also seeks to promote developing countries to Japanese people and make the former's problems known to encourage volunteers to help.
This panel keeps count of the world's population based on the current overall rate of population growth of the whole world. It also displays newspaper clippings of important news related to the world's population. One clipping showed the 7 billionth baby to be born, and he is Filipino. He was born in Fabella :)
I wanted to take this giant globe home :)) It's beams with so much meaning.
A volunteer also showed us a video about his own experience at a refugee camp in the Middle East.
He also showed us drawings of children in the refugee camp. As someone who was taught to interpret the psychological underpinnings of people's drawings, I was greatly disturbed to see them @_@
Had lunch at Cafe Crossroads, located inside the building, which serves international cuisine. It reminds me much of the cafe in the International Rice Research Institute in Los Banos.
Jhe and Sahi choosing what to eat, plus a photobombing Shiho and Kanako :))
Had this dish from Costa Rica for lunch, which tasted much like Menudo LOL
They also have a mini corner where you can buy products from developing countries. Proceeds are given to the countries where the products came from.
On the way home, this spiral building caught my eye. Too amazing!
Dear 2008-39696, it's been a good 4 years of college with you. Here's to the memorable and funky years of Medicine ahead of us, 2012-70076 !!! Finally another step closer to my dream since I was three :))
Tsurumai Park
Jhe and I decided to wake up early and explore Tsurumai Park on our own despite the freezing weather.
Kakuyu Kaikan
The road in front of Meidai.
I just had to have a beautifully backlit tourist-y photo somewhere along Akinoike pond :)
Meidai through the branches :)
I hope this photo gave justice to the wonderfully serene view.
The marble gazebo in the middle of Tsurumai Park.
Mom says this photo is so Endless Love haha!
Terminal Care Facilities
A whole day was dedicated to visiting nursing homes for the older persons in Japan and for those with terminal illnesses.
At the Meitetsu line.
We first visited Joyful Sunadabashi, a nursing home for older people. It was probably the nicest one I've seen in my entire life. They simulated a whole city with cafes, salons, clinics and suites in order to give older persons a similar experience as life outside the facility. This was during the tour around the suites. A day of stay in this facility costs up to 40, 000 yen (roughly 20, 000 php) per day. @_@
Discussions at the mezzanine
Don't you think the place is just gorgeous? My jaw kept dropping while I was touring the whole place.
This is the therapy room for the clients. They have everything from TENS to hydrotherapy machines. Older people are brought here from their suites on a regular basis for therapy sessions.
With their physical and occupational therapists, Prof. Iriyama and Oyagi Mie
I really wish we have affordable care facilities as awesome as this for our older persons in the country too.
Ms. Suzuki met our party for lunch at Cafe Loco which was located inside the facility.
Udon and egg pudding for lunch!
Afterwards, we visited Nursing Home Japan, a facility for clients with terminal illnesses. We were able to participate during the music therapy session for all patients which was also the time for their families to visit.
This photo always makes me cry T_T Such a lovely moment portraying how comfort is provided even if life is slowly ebbing away.
And with that, we left grief-stricken.
And there we were during dinner, reminiscing heartbreaking moments with perfect strangers who will leave for another life sooner than we can probably imagine. I've never cried while eating seafood cream pasta before this day.
Fundamentals and MCN
Excuse the hiatus! My laptop won't load tumblr properly for weeks even if I have a relatively fast connection and no matter what browser I use. Anyway, this is the continuation of my previous post.
The view from my window in Kakuyu Kaikan (Nagoya University's Alumni Hall). I spent all my mornings in Kakuyu staring outside while sipping roasted green tea and thinking of home.
The road leading to the the Tsurumai subway station. One of the things I will miss the most about Japan is the discipline of the people. I've never seen as much adherence to rules before. That is the one thing I'll forever wish to see in my dear Manila.
Before heading to the hospital, we went to Tsurumai Park across the street to see the cherry blossom trees. During spring, this park would be filled with university students having picnics under the trees. Too bad, it was still winter when we visited :((
No photos were taken inside the maternity ward to protect patient privacy. This was during lunch with their students who spent the morning with us, bathing babies, examining placentas, studying maternal and child records and touring the Neonatal ICU. Everything was so ideal, I can't even count how many times I said "Sugoi!" when I was inside the hospital. But what the hell, I still love our very own PGH to bits.
After lunch, we visited the pond somewhere in Tsurumai park.
They have awesome flowers nearby as well.
Then we headed for the JR line to travel again to NU's Daiko campus to have laboratory practice with their students.
Physical examination practice with Fijiko, the mannequin they use for simulating different conditions for PE. In UPCN, I'm proud to say that Meti, Fijiko's counterpart in our simulation lab is pretty much as technologically advanced as the former. He can produce fluids, can be programmed to have pathologic heart and lung sounds, can respond to meds, etc. But nothing still beats seeing these things in real life. I think that is one advantage we have, because we are allowed to work with actual patients and do bedside procedures for 3 years while they are only allowed to do so after 3 years of being a staff nurse. Everything is simulated in their laboratory while they are students.
My partner Jhe, discussing edema levels with the students.
Their fundamentals laboratory. Our simulation lab looks like this, only smaller since we have very few students.
I'm pretty much amazed that they have Nihonggo terms for murmurs, midsystolic clicks, ronchi, even all meds, etc. They were actually surprised that we don't have Filipino terms for things such as these. At least they now know why it would be almost near to impossible to use Filipino as the medium for instruction in Nursing or Medicine in our country.
My partner demonstrated the Japanese way of bathing newborns in hospitals after we simulated Leopold's maneuver and fetal heat tone monitoring.
I demonstrated how we deliver babies in the Philippines, which was by the way, a little different from theirs in the maneuvers used. I have my Fabella training and Prof. Barcelo's lectures to thank for this, as well as the DOH's Unang Yakap manual, of course!
It's a boy! It's fun to note that we use the same birthing mannequins; those where the baby had to be pushed from the other side by another person. Kala ko sa sobrang hightech ng bansa nila, pati mannequin nanganganak mag-isa eh :))
After the lab practices, we celebrated Prof. Iriyama's birthday.
With Shiho and Mika, at Yeon Mall.
And of course, what is there left to notice but the cute winter fashion of Japanese teenage girls. I've seen cuter ones in Nagoya City, but I haven't seen the most quirky there is. Harajuku, duh!
More to come! Hopefully my laptop cooperates on the next posts :)
Nagoya U Welcome Party and Presentations
The supposed Mabalanoy Week 5 was replaced with my and Jhe's trip to Japan for UP and Nagoya University's international student exchange program. Crazy weekend = Laiya on Friday, back to Manila on Saturday, Medicine entrance exam on Sunday then flight to Nagoya on Monday plus the usual community paperwork.
At NAIA terminal two, waiting for boarding time. I wasn't able to take photos at Chubu airport upon arrival because I was freezing when we got out of the airport (it was still winter then) and I had to lug around my check-in luggage, my carry-on and my freaking heavy laptop bag.
We took a 20-minute train ride from the airport to Kanayama and checked-in at Washington Hotel for the night. We had Okinawa food for dinner with some year 4 students.
In the morning, we checked out from the hotel and took the train to reach Nagoya University's Daiko campus where we met with their participating exchange program students. This is the view outside Prof. Iriyama's office window.
After the courtesy call to Dr. Sakakibara, Head of school and Prof. Asano, the Chief nursing teacher
We had a presentation about the Philippines and its culture and also discussed UP College of Nursing's history, mission and vision, departments, researches, publications and curriculum.
With Tatsuki, Shiho and Mika, the exchange students from Nagoya U. They flew to the Philippines a week after we left Japan.
Welcome lunch (Curry party) with all the exchange students, some faculty and some masters students.
My partner Jhe wih Kanako
With Kitty, with whom we had so much fun within the days that followed. She is a Taiwanese student who used to take up Industrial Engineering in her country, but left for Japan to study Nursing in Nagoya U.
A photo with everyone. Some of them were exchange students to Korea and China. They were all warm and friendly despite having some difficulty conversing with us in English.
At the hospital. After the welcome party, we took the train to their Tsurumai campus and visited the university hospital (Meidai). Everything had no picture because I had to change into my clinical uniform and accidentally left my camera in the locker room. We had a lecture about the Department of Nursing with the director. Then followed a lecture about infection control with the Chief Nurse, Mr. Hatakeyama who showed and gave us samples of PPE and told us that most of Meidai's nosocomial infections are MRSA cases. We also had our orientation for the maternity ward with the Chief nurse, Ms. Hatsutori. We toured the whole hospital and everything is just so technologically advanced, I wish our patients in PGH can experience that one day too.
After checking in at Kakuyu Kaikan, their alumni house, we had dinner at this fancy restaurant near JR line station.
More photos from Day 3 onwards soon!
Putingbuhangin and Laiya
Sometime during week 4, we visited our cluster-mates who were handling Barangay Putingbuhangin in their foster home to meet with their physical therapy and occupational therapy interns. Oh, and it was Valentines then, so the cluster practice ended with a fishball party!
Orange coconuts!
Their foster home was about 2 kilometers from the highway. It's very difficult when it rains.
And then there was the midcourse evaluation in Laiya. Our cluster spent the whole morning by the beach with our professor. After the feedback for our caseload papers and discussions about health programs launched, the group was free to spend the rest of the morning pigging out and fooling around :)
The barangay captain gave us some fresh squids and since we brought packed snacks, we didn't carry around some cooking materials. And since there was no place to wash the squids, the instant answer was: the sea. Looks yucky, but hey... it tasted awesome :P
It was pretty amazing that it was the boys who cooked and brought pasta while us girls only bought the sponge cakes :))
Sand art by Stephen
The beach is all ours :)
And finally, back to the squid :))
Mabalanoy Week 3
My lovely titas in SJ. They are barangay health workers with whom we had collaborated our implementations, together with the barangay. Part of our job in the community is to do supervisory work for health workers.
Doc Santi from the UP College of Medicine orienting our hypertension coregroup
My groupmate Grace during the pocket seminar we gave about hypertension
Me at 4:00 AM (haha sorry!) in our foster family's home, making one of the posters for our health fairssssss :)