Cleanup Day 3

With the impending arrival of: #1 twins and Grant next week, and #2 Grandpa and Grandma from Canada in two weeks time, I set out to do a week long clean up project for the house. The objective is to clean up all unnecessary documents, trash and random items that are still hanging around our house.

It is day 3 of my week long project clean up project, and it’s been tiring so far.

As soon as I got home, I started to tackle my office / brother’s old room / my room. I cannot believe how much dust has gathered on one of these open cabinets that we have. I found meters and meters long of LAN cables too! I even found old playstation games, as well as VHS tapes. Can you believe it? I don’t think this part of the house has been touched for years!

Amongst the junk and the dust could potentially come some prized items. Unfortunately I didn’t find any today. I did find one yesterday when I was cleaning up my trolley cabinet. I actually found the few St. Christopher tokens that I bought a few years back when I was in Montreal. My mom quickly got one to give out to her friend.

After working on it for an hour or so, I looked back at my finished product and well, it doesn’t seem like there’s any change at all. But if you look at the box of junk that I was able to pull out of the room, you’d wonder how all these fitted this room for a long time.

I am targetting another corner of the house tomorrow. Hopefully I’ll have enough energy left to do so.

Lasik

If I remember correctly, I started wearing glasses when I was in grade school, probably around grade 3 or 4. I only had to wear them because I had astigmatism back then. I thought it was nice to have glasses to wear and so I was excited to wear them! But as I got older, I hated wearing them. By the time I was in high school my eye grade shot up to 200+ something. I was a teenager then so I wanted to get rid of the glasses, and put on contacts instead. And ever since then, I wore contact lenses. Eventually, by the time I was working, for some unknown reason, my astigmatism disappeared all of a sudden and I was left with around a stable eye grade playing around 275 to 325 on both eyes.

Although it may not be as bad compared to my mom, for example, who has 900 grade (that’s almost going blind), I was, for some time, already interested in getting a lasik surgery to bring the grade back down to 20/20. I always remembered my friend who had lasik right after college graduation. He said that why wait to have it later on, when you can have it now, and enjoy the benefits longer. And that did stuck to my mind. However, getting my eye sight back to 20/20 back then wasn’t a high priority. It was a nice to have and not something I really considered.

But that all changed when my dad decided to get one for himself during 2011. He actually had cataract too so I don’t know what the procedure was (I was in Canada that time). You know, when someone close to you finally does something like this, it gives you a better perspective on the whole procedure, that it was safe, fast, and generally, it wasn’t so bad after all.

And so last year, when my dad went to have another check up with the doctor, I went with him to get some initial check done too. Unfortunately, doctor said that she’d prefer if I didn’t wear my contacts for two weeks, before we do the preliminary checkup. So there, I was so used to wearing my contacts that I couldn’t go without it for two weeks. And thus, my pan to have my lasik surgery had to be postponed indefinitely.

Not until early this year, when I finally decided that it was about time. I keep having headaches already when I wear my contact lenses or my glasses. I began hating using either of them. And so after a few weeks of wearing glasses (with the exception of one day where I wore my contact lens – during my brother’s wedding, where I begged my doc to allow me to wear contacts), I finally had my lasik surgery!

The surgery itself was quick and painless. According to my dad, it was around 20 minutes, from the time I entered the room, to the time I excited.

It was an interesting experience. You’re wide awake during the whole procedure. They put in some anesthesia so that you don’t feel anything in your eyes the whole time. They start with one eye, then move on to the next.

First, they put some clamp or something to keep you eye open.  The whole time though, you should just focus on looking at this color flashing in front of you. And then there’s this one procedure wherein everything turns black. I don’t know exactly what they do that time. I wasn’t worried that much because the second doctor who was with us were updating me during each step that we’re going through. He tells me what to expect next so that I won’t be stressed about what’s happening. For the actual lasik surgery, that procedure only takes a few seconds. You can actually smell something burning during this process,  but you won’t feel anything at all.

After the procedure, your vision will be a bit hazy. It’s not 100% yet and you will have this sandy feeling in your eyes. I had to wear protective goggles so that I won’t accidentally scratch my eyes ( I still wear it now, but only when I sleep ). I also had to put in different drops for my eyes too. But in just after around 6 hours, the sandy feeling was gone, and my eye sight was getting clearer and clearer by the minute!

I went out to have Halo Halo that afternoon and I was soooo happy that I can read the plate numbers of the cars already! It was so exciting. And then the next day when I woke up, I didn’t have to grab my glasses anymore to see what time it was! Amazing.

So to whoever discovered this procedure, I salute you. This is a truly one of a kind scientific miracle on its own. Who would’ve though we could finally have our 20/20 vision back again!?

S&R

Back when I was in Canada, I always loved going to Costco. For those unfamiliar with Costco, it is a popular members only warehouse grocery chain that offers cheap and good stuff from groceries, to electronics. Costco offers items by bulk, which is probably why it’s a bit cheaper compared to other grocery chains. My officemates from Manila would usually go there to buy stuff to send for their families back home via balikbayan box. We call it the “relief goods”. I remember buying my pasalubongs from here too!

So apparently here in Manila, we have our very own version of Costco, which is S&R! I know S&R been around for years and years and unfortunately for me, it was only today that I got the chance to step inside this store and realize that we actually had our own version of Costco right here! And what surprised me was that everything was similar. The tire store inside, the food stands where they offer huge slices of pizza (and they’re good too!) and even Kirkland products and the various pastries and huge cupcakes ! They’re all the same! It brought me back to Costco!

So now my mom tells me that, next time, don’t bother buying my pasalubongs from Costco anymore. Just give her money as pasalubong. After all, she apparently, can buy the items I usually get from them here in Manila already. haha. That will actually save me luggage space now! Though, korny kasi when you get home and you don’t have much to take out from your luggage as pasalubong. So, I will still get them the usual chocolates I buy for them (I even saw the truffles there!).

It’s nice to know that S&R can offer different set of items you won’t usually find in other grocery stores. My mom finally signed up for membership, which was only 700 for the year. So, hopefully, I’ll be able to go to S&R more often from now on.

Tablet-less

My dad’s flight to Canada was today and so I am officially tablet-less for a month. He needed something to do since he has a stopover at Taipei for around 4-5 hours and I guess he was hinting that I lend him my tablet. And so I did. Taught him how to use it, downloaded a few apps and movies for him too!

So now, he’s in Taipei… waiting a few more hours to board his plane to Vancouver, and I’ve been trying to get him to setup the wifi so we could skype! That’s what I forgot to do, teach him how to setup the wifi, and disable my auto sign in to skype. Huhu

Anyway, it’s been…. more than a decade since he last went to visit Canada. I was hoping I could join him there but visa’s still not out so here I am, at home, and in charge of driving my sister and my mom around, wherever they need to go! Designated driver!

Bataan

This is a long overdue post from a Bataan trip me and my relatives went to two weeks ago.

My relatives from Canada are here in Manila for a month so we wanted to bring them somewhere, and thus, we decided on Bataan.

I’ve been to Bataan a few months ago with a few officemates where we stayed in Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar. It was a nice surprise for me because I didn’t have any idea at all that a resort like this even exists in the Philippines, let alone in Bataan, which is just a few hours from Manila via NLEX/SCTEX. I told my aunt I would bring them there, and so we did go.

After a few more research, I found out that there are a couple more places to actually visit once in Bataan. So I decided that we go on an overnight trip, stay at Las Casas, then make side trips to Mt. Samat and Bataan Nuclear Power Plant. I’ll share a few bits and pieces of the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant and Mt. Samat.

We left Manila around 9 AM and then asked my aunt to drive my car instead as I was sleepy from having woken up 2 AM to catch up on some work before I go on my overnight trip.

Going to Bataan is simple. Go via NLEX, SCTEX towards Subic and take the Dinalupihan exit. This is roughly a 2 hour ride (I think).

Bataan Nuclear Power Plant

Bataan Nuclear Power Plant, as we all Filipinos know is an unused nuclear power plant built during the Marcos regime way back the 1970s-1980s. A few years back, there were talks of reviving this plant, but it looks like it never materialized as it’s still currently sitting in Bataan like a white elephant.

But surprisingly, they finally found a way to make this nuclear power plant into something fruitful and productive – they now offer a tour inside the plant itself!

In fact, when we got there, I was surprised that the tour was very educational and well organized. There was an introduction provided by Cora (lady in orange in the picture) with PowerPoint slides, and even showing us an example of what an “uranium pellet/fuel” would look like. It was very small, just like the size of a bullet, or maybe smaller, which would’ve potentially powered up thousands and thousands of households.

Did you know that the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant has a twin, and that is located in South Korea? They were built at the exact same time, but South Korea’s construction finished earlier than that of the Philippines because Marcos halted the construction of the plant for two years after the Three Mile Island disaster in USA. Marcos wanted to ensure that the errors encountered in Three Mile Island disaster will not happen in our nuclear plant as well. In fact, the BNPP actually had more safety features than that of its twin in South Korea. And South Korea’s nuclear plant is still running up until now. If only we fired up the nuclear power plant and stopped all the politicking nonsense, we probably would have cheaper electricity right now. According to Cora, everything was set. All we had to do was press the start button, and we would have had a Nuclear Power Plant in our country. Such a sad story for something that should’ve been an excellent project.

Going back a bit, the tour will allow you to walk around inside the nuclear power plant itself.

 

We were high tech back then! We already had a biometric device for security purposes. This machine is setup right at the entrance to the facility.

Here’s the control room. Just like in the movies. And that white phone in the middle? That’s supposed to have been a direct line to the president.

 

There are so many things one can learn from joining this tour. I also learned that if the BNPP was successful, a second site was already ready for a plant number two. Unfortunately, of course, there’s nothing there right now.

I’d really like to encourage everyone to take the time out to go to this tour. The entrance fee is only 150 pesos.

Mt. Samat

 

From SCTEX you can already see Mt. Samat and the huge shrine located at the peak of the mountain. This shrine is the Dambana ng Kagitingan on Mount Samat. It is a national shrine built to honor the fallen heroes during World War II when the Japanese invaded the Philippines.

The view from this site is fantastic. One can go further up to the site of the cross either by walking, or via car. My cousin and I decided to climb up by foot, which surprisingly wasn’t as hard and long as I expected it to be. My aunts, on the other hand, decided to stay behind. Once you get up the cross, you can actually further go up inside the cross via an elevator. I think we paid twenty pesos each. But it was wonderful up there. You can see all of Bataan from there. Masarap pa magmuni muni doon. They’ve set up the place so that you can sit back, relax, and enjoy the wonderful view and weather.

  

Unfortunately, there are a few rough patches of road going up the site. There were a lot of visitors including children having their field trip so hopefully the government decides to fix the roads so that more people can go and visit the shrine there.

All in all, Bataan looks to be a thriving place. Hopefully a lot more people discover this place and enjoy what it can share with us, especially as Bataan has an important role in our country’s history.

Piggy Bank 2012

It’s that time of the year again when I open up my piggy bank and see how much money I “saved” away from last year. Or maybe I should say how much money I “wasted” because I usually put only leftover money here.

This piggy bank came from Toronto, Canada when I went to visit my relatives there last 2010. And now in the next month or so, I’ll be bringing it back to Canada, this time though, it’ll be settling down in Vancouver instead.

I looked back from last year and I posted it - Piggybank and Bike. I did end up buying my bike, which unfortunately, I only played with for a few months. However, it’s now stuck downstairs, gathering dust. I think, this time around though, the money I get from my piggy bank will have to be used to pay up my for car service fee, just in time as I will be bringing my car to its long overdue service maintenance (gastos ulit!). 

Here it is, my piggy bank’s contents. Ended up giving me a nice amount. Not bad considering most of these are loose change.

This year, particularly this February is a challenging month for my finances. I am not sure how to go about it, but it’s really going to make me broke for the moment. What timing. But then again, I always believe that things do get better. Ipon ipon na lang ulit.

Kongkong

A month ago, my grandpa fell down and was brought to the hospital. After a few days, he was discharged.

A week or so later, my aunt, sent us a note that he doesn’t seem well. He’s having a hard time moving around. He can hardly get up from his bed. His right side seem to be really really weak. That same day, my aunt informs us that she and my grandparents won’t be coming to Manila next year for my brother’s wedding anymore.

He had a ct scan scheduled a day or so later. After few further tests here and there, apparently, he actually suffered a mild stroke. There was a blood clot found in his brain but thankfully, no surgery is needed. Since then, they’ve been in the hospital. It is actually a blessing in disguise because my aunt and my grandma can no longer manage to take care of him at home. Now that he’s in the hospital, at least able bodied folks, who knows what they’re doing are taking care of him now.

Around a week ago, he was transferred from VGH to UBC so that he can work on rehabilitation and therapy. His transfer here is a good sign, because now he is better, and he only needs to get the strength and mobility back.

Ever since this whole ordeal, my aunt has been giving us a day by day account (via our yahoogroups). My aunt’s a pretty good storyteller. Here’s one that cracked me up, but at the same time, if you reread, it’s quite sad actually.

Today he looks better but is not himself.  He told Mother that tomorrow he is facing the firing squad.  He told us to phone Edward.  We ask why are we phoning him.  He said to tell him that he is facing the firing squad tomorrow.  Skyped with Meya. He was watching his Pao Ching Tien.  I asked him do you want to talk to Meya. He said tell her I am going to die. Dinner time, we got him out of bed and sitting in his wheel chair.  Actually he asked it.  Then Malabon phoned, we asked him if he knows who he is talking to.  He said Ton which is correct but when he came to Edward, he said Chiang Kai Shek but later he recognized him and Di-so. 

…

I forgot to mention that the other day when we arrived and saw him being wheeled back in the room, Mother asked him where he went.  He said "chua ki tai tau"  (brought him to be beheaded).

Papa said that it sound like he wants to die already, that he might be having a really hard time now. Papa talked to my Amah (grandma) earlier via skype. They had the video on so my dad clearly saw how sad my grandma is. Kept wiping her eyes while they were talking about my Kongkong. Naawa sila kay Kongkong kasi he’s clearly very week, and very much out of his comfort zone and routine at home. You see, Kongkong is a very routine driven person. Him being in the hospital, not being able to stand up, and do what he usually does, is a very sad and discouraging feeling.

Although he is already 86 or 87 years old, we always saw him as this strong person, only limited by his weak legs. They just went to the Philippines early this year. They even have plane tickets already for their trip early next year for my brother’s wedding. And now, what a sad affair. I guess as they always say, nothing really prepares you for the worst. We’re still hopeful that he’ll recover. But you know, to be honest, death seem to be looming around. He may have a few more years ahead of him, maybe not. But the thought that he is weak, and saying all these things, it’s just strangely sad and worrying. I say strange because I have never been in this situation before wherein someone close to me is nearing his end. I may have had before with my lola, but I was very young back then and didn’t understand a thing of what was going on.

And you know what’s worst, my Amah. I cannot even imagine what she’s feeling right now. You see, my grandparents were one of those many people who had arranged marriages back then. Typical Chinese culture. But see how they turned out. After decades of marriage, their love for each other is clearly very strong. My Amah was the typical lady brought up to be the housewife she was obliged to be. And obliged she did. Oh how I see her selfless service to my grandpa. Now, many of us are even more worried about her, than my Kongkong.

I guess, each one of us goes through a little something like this every now and then. Things and events like these gives us the opportunity to rethink about what’s important in our lives. I know I did, and I still am realizing things here and there.