I haven’t included yet the part where I spent my 3 months of absence in the blogging world. Usually, I am online at YM, email, friendster, and in blogspot because I am online chatting with my better half, Ham. But during that time, he was away, not in his flat in Sydney but back in his homeland, yep he was here!
Let’s go and talk about my Birthday month first. I celebrated my 23rd birthday at home, just the usual surprise party planned by Mom and Ate Mi. Ham and I weren’t able to chat since he was having his final exam that time (A very toxic time for him) and moving some of his stuff at his cousin’s place up North. Very busy indeed, but then, I wouldn’t complain on that, not since he SURPRISED me during our Capping and Pinning Ceremony. ^_______^
I didn’t know that he talked secretly with my Mom and was asking question as to how to reach the Sto. Domingo Church where it was held. He even called me the day before, and was telling me that he’s in the train station and was waiting for the “train” that would transport him in the Amusement Park to meet his cousin and nephews. Of course I believed him; he’s not fond of lying anyway.
The next day, during the ceremony, I just couldn’t shake myself from wishing that a miracle would happen and let Ham be with me during that time. The ceremony was nearing its end, and I feel a bit depressed for having wished something so impossible. My cellphone suddenly rang, it was Ham, just asking me where am I and what am I doing, I said “I’m in the ceremony. Why?” I asked. Then suddenly, I realized that his background was also my background. I turned around and there he was standing at the back of the last pew. It was like a scene in a movie! My reaction that time was remarkable, I reckon. He walked towards my Mom and sat beside her. I had to crane my neck just to see him clearly, since I couldn’t still believe my eyes, and couldn’t believe that my Ham was able to pull that surprise-thing perfectly. I couldn’t contain myself any longer and so I dragged him outside and there I talked and hugged and kissed him all at once. My eyes and smile sparkle afterwards especially when I received my cap in the altar. ^____^
A few dates afterward and then he started working part time in a Gaming company with our friend Bri as his “boss” in the Marketing Department. Good thing he’s our friend, and he managed to get the “Big boss” in allowing him to work for only a month due to time constraint in his sched. I managed to fetched him there one time and see how it operates. Imagine my shock when most of those who work there are wearing just shirt and maong pants while my Ham is in his long sleeves folded up to his elbow, and pants. He looks more like the boss actually, hehe, he’s so handsome!
Anyway, that was around December. Aside from Ham’s work, another highlight would have to be the time when Ham arranged a dinner meeting for me to meet his brother and his fiancée. It felt like it was a job interview that I have to pass and get the first impression right. We dined at Kimono Ken just across Little Asia where we had our first real date back in 2002. I just couldn’t speak that much, first off: I had colds that time, second: I just don’t know how to butt-in in her sister-in-law’s stories; and lastly: I was still gauging how to deal with them.
Anyway, after the dinner, I thought I could go home early and rest after that stressful encounter. But I was wrong. His sis-in-law (Cat) invited us for some dessert at Annabel Lee’s. The place was cozy, very relaxing. I actually like it. Still conversing, there I start to talk a bit until we were invited at her place for a game of Scrabble. That time, I wasn’t really that sure if I could play it with sense. I haven’t play that game for real, so I don’t know the specific details of it. Anyway, though the 3 of them are good in putting words and earning points, and I am not, I felt so doomed. But sorry, Cat’s mom helped me in the latter part, and I managed to bag the first place, great! I still believe in the beginner’s luck. ^__^. That night was stressful I must admit, but I managed to enjoy it, and hope that somehow I was accepted by his bro and sis-in-law even for a bit.
By the way, Ham gave me two guinea pigs this time, Boo and Gab. Boo already passed away. He only managed to live for a month. Good thing Gab is still warm, fat, alive, and coos like a bird up until now.
January was the most toxic month for Ham. That was the month wherein he toured Bora (again), Palawan, Bohol, and Bacolod for some diving spots and finding nemo. Lots of underwater pictures were taken and they were mostly good, different kinds of fishes, shrimps, and a shipwreck. It was also during this time that he had to practice his song for his lola’s 90th party, and writing the speech for his bro’s wedding.
Finally February came, though I was invited in the wedding of his bro, I couldn’t just go there and attend. It was a Friday, and as usual, our Evaluation exam. I couldn’t let it pass. The night before the wedding, I felt happy and yet sad and jealous for Cat. For finally, she’s gonna be formally a part of their family. I on the other hand, is clearly not welcome, and it would be a Mission Impossible if I would insist myself to them. Oh well, that’s another sad part of my life.
During Ham’s last night here, we dined and watch movie with his friends at Rockwell. It was quite memorable since one of his friends was having a hard time in the matters of the heart. His friends are quite amusing actually and I understand now their personalities. He wasn’t able to extend his stay here and still needs to fix his PR stuff in Australia so he really has to go. He was here for 3 months and we spent most of our time together with some quality time… what more could I ask for?
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Crazy for you
I’ve been meaning to at least update my blog for the past 3 months but I cannot put everything that happened and organize it to one concise post. Now, everything’s been piled up and I don’t know how to start.
Ok, I’ll try this way. At the moment, I just had my duty at the National Center for Mental Health. For other schools, the duty should last for 4 weeks. Ours, specifically our group only had 4 days. It wasn’t enough to fully have an interaction with our clients but it is enough to see that there a lot of people who needs understanding and therapeutic means to console their needs.
One of the highlights of that exposure (for me) would have to be the self-awareness activity, which we had before meeting our patients. It’s about expressing our genuine feelings and just being true about our life and how we feel about it. We had to draw a figure of a man and put symbols, words or phrases to symbolize our answers to a particular question (e.g. for the head region, draw a symbol of your God given talent, for the right eye, draw a symbol of who you are right now). I was the first one called to interpret my drawing. I am a bit confident with my work since it’s just trivial and I know how to express it, but what caught me off guard was the part when I had to tell bout the person who’s responsible in my life, and reversely, who I am responsible with. It all started with that question and my CI inquired more. It had somehow touched a sensitive part in my life which I thought I am over with, but tears just welled up in my eyes and I just have to pour it all. It was hard telling it to a friend, and admitting that kind of situation, all the more it was hard to tell it to a group of 12. Unexpectedly, I felt so light after sharing it, and somehow realized that I am still accepting everything that has happened. I am still in the process of accepting everything that changed in our life. And I have to be strong for them.
oeHowe
Another experience was interacting with our patients who are mostly schizophrenic. Mine is mentally retarded. He’s nice and behaved, only he got this separation anxiety. He had a fight with his fellow dorm mate during our last day there just before he went out of his dorm. We didn’t do much during our duty there mostly therapies such as Remotivation, Music and Arts, Occupational, Culinary, and Biblio therapy. We weren’t able to talk much with them vis-a-vis.
The last one was the tour in the special ward. We went to a pavilion where most of the male patients are naked whole year round. Most of them are regressing, so they are either curled up in a fetal position or naked. If they are not doing anything, they would either play with their thing, or kiss other mates, and then play with their thing. According to our CI, it’s their way of releasing tension and stress. The window between the ward and the nurse’s station were full of the byproduct of their past time, and the stench, incredible (even though they bathe everyday).
The next ward consists of chronic patients who are either violent to themselves or other patients, so a restraining bed or chair is always at hand. Most of them are shouting and they are mostly the kind you would not want to get near you because they are unpredictable. But of course, just like everyone else, they have the right to get the necessary care to treat their illness.
There is also the ward for those who are 18 and below. There are the female wards of course, both pay ward and charity ward. We weren’t able to visit the forensic male ward where all those who committed crime, yet who claimed to be crazy where put into.
ECT or the Electric Convulsive Therapy was another thing. We were able to witness and assist the patient as they go about the therapy. It was both an interesting and scary thing to witness. However, it’s something that would help their anterior frontal cortex to open up and receive brain waves better so they really have to undergo that procedure.
Lastly, it’s all about all meeting up with my friends at quarter to six in the morning and gather up at boy-okoy’s car that would transport us to NCMH, eating the excess food for our patients, imitating some of the model patients there like the “Converted One with the Power of the Twin Rats”, the “Debater”, or the “Best in Chat”; the Socialization we had in the end along with the games that come with it, and of course our “Itaktak Mo” dance, no matter how crazy we all look like.
In the end, we realized that some of them are really smart and that they need to be treated just like an adult and not as a kid who only knows grade school stuff. They need caring and understanding and not just to be the laughing stock. They are also human and that we must respect them as one.
Ok, I’ll try this way. At the moment, I just had my duty at the National Center for Mental Health. For other schools, the duty should last for 4 weeks. Ours, specifically our group only had 4 days. It wasn’t enough to fully have an interaction with our clients but it is enough to see that there a lot of people who needs understanding and therapeutic means to console their needs.
One of the highlights of that exposure (for me) would have to be the self-awareness activity, which we had before meeting our patients. It’s about expressing our genuine feelings and just being true about our life and how we feel about it. We had to draw a figure of a man and put symbols, words or phrases to symbolize our answers to a particular question (e.g. for the head region, draw a symbol of your God given talent, for the right eye, draw a symbol of who you are right now). I was the first one called to interpret my drawing. I am a bit confident with my work since it’s just trivial and I know how to express it, but what caught me off guard was the part when I had to tell bout the person who’s responsible in my life, and reversely, who I am responsible with. It all started with that question and my CI inquired more. It had somehow touched a sensitive part in my life which I thought I am over with, but tears just welled up in my eyes and I just have to pour it all. It was hard telling it to a friend, and admitting that kind of situation, all the more it was hard to tell it to a group of 12. Unexpectedly, I felt so light after sharing it, and somehow realized that I am still accepting everything that has happened. I am still in the process of accepting everything that changed in our life. And I have to be strong for them.
oeHowe
Another experience was interacting with our patients who are mostly schizophrenic. Mine is mentally retarded. He’s nice and behaved, only he got this separation anxiety. He had a fight with his fellow dorm mate during our last day there just before he went out of his dorm. We didn’t do much during our duty there mostly therapies such as Remotivation, Music and Arts, Occupational, Culinary, and Biblio therapy. We weren’t able to talk much with them vis-a-vis.
The last one was the tour in the special ward. We went to a pavilion where most of the male patients are naked whole year round. Most of them are regressing, so they are either curled up in a fetal position or naked. If they are not doing anything, they would either play with their thing, or kiss other mates, and then play with their thing. According to our CI, it’s their way of releasing tension and stress. The window between the ward and the nurse’s station were full of the byproduct of their past time, and the stench, incredible (even though they bathe everyday).
The next ward consists of chronic patients who are either violent to themselves or other patients, so a restraining bed or chair is always at hand. Most of them are shouting and they are mostly the kind you would not want to get near you because they are unpredictable. But of course, just like everyone else, they have the right to get the necessary care to treat their illness.
There is also the ward for those who are 18 and below. There are the female wards of course, both pay ward and charity ward. We weren’t able to visit the forensic male ward where all those who committed crime, yet who claimed to be crazy where put into.
ECT or the Electric Convulsive Therapy was another thing. We were able to witness and assist the patient as they go about the therapy. It was both an interesting and scary thing to witness. However, it’s something that would help their anterior frontal cortex to open up and receive brain waves better so they really have to undergo that procedure.
Lastly, it’s all about all meeting up with my friends at quarter to six in the morning and gather up at boy-okoy’s car that would transport us to NCMH, eating the excess food for our patients, imitating some of the model patients there like the “Converted One with the Power of the Twin Rats”, the “Debater”, or the “Best in Chat”; the Socialization we had in the end along with the games that come with it, and of course our “Itaktak Mo” dance, no matter how crazy we all look like.
In the end, we realized that some of them are really smart and that they need to be treated just like an adult and not as a kid who only knows grade school stuff. They need caring and understanding and not just to be the laughing stock. They are also human and that we must respect them as one.
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