Dumb in space

Really, doing nothing is hazardous to your health. Staring at your PC all day long while finishing reports is fine, but staring at the tube period, is not. My head's hurting pretty bad, and, on top of it all, I have absolutely nothing in my brain.

Nada. Nuffink. At all.

This is really bad. I've been on a lull for a week now. No work means no mental stuff to challenge the gray matter, which means that I'm probably getting dumber by the second. And if there's one thing that I'm really scared of, it's getting really dull and stupid.

I mean, I don't want to be that person who can't string a single coherent thought, or that office worker who has a goofy smile because she can't answer a question. I know that I'm no Einstein, but I do want to retain a certain measure of brilliance in my life, before it fades into the grayness of oblivion.

On these thoughts, I am considering going back to school, not for the sake of a degree, but for the sheer joy of having a frenzied life again. I want to study again, because I want to. I miss the bustle of school - and I can't believe I'm saying this - I simply miss studying, of having my head think about something for a change. Life is so bleak when you are idle.

Anyway, planning to go back to school, I've narrowed my options down to a Masters degree in Nursing, Med School or Law. If I'm going to spend for school, it might as well be an investment towards a more illustrious career in the future :)

So far, it's been hum-hum for me. Home, work and back home again. It does not help that I do nothing in my cubicle all day. The good thing about it is that I can surf the net all day, if I want to, connect with friends and stuff. The bad thing is when your YM contacts won't 'Ping' you back >:@.

Really, sitting around all day is not as fun as it seems. Unlimited free time means unlimited hours wallowing in self-pity and regret. Oh, if only I could wallow in the pinky, fluffy, glittery goo of happiness.

Right. Need to think positive.

I intended to write about the projects I was planning on doing to combat boredom and idleness. See what office-induce dumbness can do :C

*PS: Had to edit 3 times. Grammar errors. Fail.

Higashi no Eden 5-9

I finally got to squeeze in episode 9 of Higashi no Eden, thanks to the lull at work. Connection problems have been a pain and the internet filters have prevented me from dallying in my usual quota of shows. I haven't been able to finish Mononoke (and I'm on my last two episodes, too!). Still, I'm grateful I can still access Higashi; I'm careful not to tell this to anyone in the office, though. Wouldn't want another site to be blocked.

Anyway, on to Higashi. The show definitely picks up pace in episode 5 and more than makes up for the series' rather lackluster start. I still had problems with some scenes - I just went absolutely "meh?" on some. It's quite off-putting really, so I was glad when there were less of those "meh" scenes in later episodes.

We also get introduced to the other Selecaos, and it's really, really cool stuff. Mid-way to episode 5, the possibility of a Selecao vs Selecao battle is a glorious anticipation. Episode 5 and 6 does go into that, and viewers get a little glimpse of the mind of a Selecao.

Juiz on overtime :B

Episode 7 delves more on Saki's side of the story and bit on the supporting cast. It does the story good, in my opinion, to have more people introduced and explored. In episodes 8 and 9, the pieces start to fall in place, chaos ensues and the bigger picture starts to unravel. Great spy/thriller stuff here.

All throughout, the animation and voice acting remains consistent. Most impressive of all is the overall pacing of the story - it's just right for an 11-episode show. Not too fast and not too slow to bore the viewers out, either. It has just the right amount of resolution and mystery to keep the viewer guessing.

My only problem with the series, as I've earlier pointed out, are the "meh" scenes. They appear abruptly, distract the flow of the story - basically very confusing. It's a minor peeve, though.

On to episode 10 and beyond :)

Higashi no Eden 1-4

On November 22, 2010 ten missiles strike Japan. However, this unprecedented terrorist act, later to be called as "Careless Monday," does not result in any apparent victims, and is soon forgotten by almost everyone. Then, 3 months later... Saki Morimi is a young woman currently in the United States of America on her graduation trip. But just when she is in front of the White House, Washington DC, she gets into trouble, and only the unexpected intervention of one of her fellow countrymen saves her. However, this man, who introduces himself as Akira Takizawa, is a complete mystery. He appears to have lost his memory. and he is stark naked, except for the gun he holds in one hand, and the mobile phone he's holding with the other hand. A phone that is charged with 8,200,000,000 yen in digital cash. - ANN (because I'm too lazy to write my own summary :D)

I could not pick on a new series to watch for the Spring/Summer 2009 season; I planned on watching and re-watching stuff that I've, sadly, neglected behind.

I, however, wasn't to keen on letting the Spring/Summer season slip by without at least checking out a show. From my experience, despite a season's preponderance for crappy shows, there's always bound to be an exception. So, I hopped around anime sites and forums, hoping to get a whiff on the right direction.

That's how I ended up watching Higashi no Eden, a very promising show so far. It's right up my alley, being a short series at only 11 episodes. The characters remind me somehow of Morita and Hagu-chan of Honey and Clover fame :D

Anyway, first episode was not much of a bang, I admit. The story did not unfold much, just ran around in circles, the dialogues, dull. Some scenes left me completely nonplussed (a naked Akira Takizawa, anyone??). It had its share of funny and intriguing moments, though, enough to make me wanna watch the second episode.

Thankfully, the succeeding episodes does a greater job than the pilot. Viewers are treated to a sneak preview to a great story, one that will probably involve epic proportions. The main characters are developed, obtaining new depths. The story picks up from here and the story moves fast, covering histories and characters in an episode. The show's pacing, though, does not affect the storytelling aspect of the show, and the animation remains above-par throughout.

The OP is really good; it deserves some kind of award. I can't find it yet, but I'll link it as soon as I can find it. Really, it's something everybody should see :D

So far, so good. The show is getting more interesting, revealing and hiding just the right amount of story information to keep the viewer guessing (and not annoyed :D). My only fear now is the impact of 11 episodes on a story that obviously is large in scale, but that remains to be seen. On to ep5!

Hooked for now.

Why compliments are dangerous to your health

(Or at least, to neurotic people like me :D)

For some reason, I felt bad when my boss sent me an email bearing the unmistakable electronic equivalent of a human compliment. Sure, I was pretty happy about it, but the goody feeling evaporated as fast as it came.

Why a compliment would become so bothersome is beyond me. Maybe I was just nonplussed by it, on the merits that I didn't feel that my accomplishments were that compliment-worthy. I was like, "Hey, it's my job. You pay me to do it, you know."

Or maybe because it was a compliment sent through email. It's harder to "feel" the person when everything is so electronic. Or maybe it's just the paranoid in me, thinking, "This is my boss's way of screwing with my head because I submitted such a pathetic report."

It can also be that I can't accept compliments because I can't bring myself to compliment anyone. Or maybe it's because I feel that compliments are fast becoming a compulsory tradition and a compliment is not always meant.

Or maybe it's because I am afraid of bearing the responsibility of being complimented, knowing full well that with compliments come higher expectations. I now know that my boss and other superiors expect nothing less but prompt responses from me. No more room for slothful reports :B

Anyway, checking through my mail today made me realize that I might just have to accept the possibility that my work is indeed compliment-worthy. THAT compliment might not have been just a fluke. My other boss sent me a compliment, too.

Bully for now.

Tax me 'cos Ah Am Single

So here I was, mad as a bunny, all pumped up to receive my much awaited salary. Here you go, sign here please and bam, DEDUCTIONS!

What deductions? I asked. I didn't sign up for any deductions. I want my bread whole!

Tax dedux. Because I'm single.

Meh?? :B

*Off to spend the gift of Mammon, gyapeeeeee~~

Mononoke 6-7

During a random surf through my anime list on MAL, I found a number of rotting anime titles under the "Watching" and "On-hold" tabs. Shame, shame, really, as some of those titles were really good ones, too, and now, I'm just too tired/lazy/busy to finish them all.

Yesterday, though, I got the chance to continue with Mononoke, a title I started a year ago. Mononoke,not to be confused with the anime Princess Mononoke, is a 12-episode series of Japanese stories of horror and the supernatural. Despite the year hiatus, I'm glad that my fandom for this title has not dimmed one bit.

Episodes 6 and 7 dealt with the Japanese Noppera-bo. A noppera-bo, in Japanese folktales, is a faceless woman-avenger. The noppera-bo takes on the face of the wronged victims before meting out serious psychological, twilight zone-ish justice to the offenders.

Mononoke, however, had a different take on the whole noppera-bo folklore. Instead of a faceless woman, we encounter a spirit (ayakashi) with many faces in love with a woman accused of murdering her family.

As usual, Mononoke's storytelling style surpasses itself. Scenes often overlap each other, mimicking the muddled and disturbed psyche of the arc's main character. The overall effect of these subtle elements does the noppera-bo arc true justice, though, I initially found the constant and rapid change of scenes confusing at first. Nothing a little rewinding couldn't remedy :D

I'm definitely going to continue with Mononoke (buffering episode 8!). I'll also squeeze in a few more pending series I've neglected, in between work. I'm rather surprise at the lackluster Spring 2009 season; I've been watching some episodes, but so far, nothing has grabbed my attention. Or maybe I've just been lost for so long :D

Bosh: Yesterday's crap today

The day started well enough. Arrived 30 minutes earlier than my usual time. Got started on work, did an update or two. Faxed some documents. Then, everything went downhill. For the first time, I had a devastating headache. My skull felt empty. I could not string a single, decent sentence. No amount of candies or chocolates would start up the dregs that was left of my brain. I could not finish a simple article; I did not know if it was from my headache or from the radiation copiously streaming from my computer. Even Facebook frustrated me. I found out that I downloaded incomplete episodes, that 1,604 KB was NOT 324 MB. My computer kept hanging on me because Tune Up Maintenance was running at a sloth pace. The office fridge did not have my favorite chips on stock. And my coop debt was a whopping Php 368.00 in just 3 weeks.

I realized that I would not see my salary this day. No jeepney came along the office street. Tricycle drivers are clods. One asked me for Php 20.00 for a ride that would barely last 3 minutes. One complained that it was dark and that he could not possibly drive me to that God-forsaken place and back, etc, etc, etc. I moved back and said "Bai-Bai" instead of "Oh, shut up, shithead". One driver left without a word when I stated my destination. Excuse me for having manners. I walked about a kilometer or two to catch a jeep. Waited for 30 minutes for an empty one to pass by. Students, I thought, were stealing my jeepney rides. A woman stepped off a jeep and stood EXTREMELY close to me. What, woman? The curb ain't big enough for the two of us? Invasion of spatial privacy?

Got home in one piece. Wrote this entry while wishing for a brand new motorcycle.

Doggone internet days

I hate these days when the internet is down. It literally zaps the life out of my fingers, and I refuse to do anything. Except stare at the digital clock on my desktop, willing it go a tad second faster. Or play Hearts and Freecell. Or compulsively move folders on my account. Or manually copy an article I've already finished so people would think that I'm working or something. Or read other people's articles through the local connection.

And then I get jealous of their writing style and I feverishly type away on my keyboard at 54 wpm.

I begin...

Only to be interrupted by the blinking computer icon, signaling the start of a renewed surfing connection :)

Another work-related rant

(and yeah, there's bound to be a lot of work-related rants from this point forward)

Oro! Weekend!

It's Friday, the end of my third week in my new workplace and it's still awkward to be sitting in my cubicle doing and achieving nothing - not unless you count reaching level 15 in FB's Mafia Wars an achievement. As a relative noob, I'm still testing out the employment waters. But, I have to say, having had two jobs prior to this one, starting out is not that intimidating anymore.

I'm lucky to have been provided with a PC set on my very first day and let posterity note that I was bullied into using the internet connection. As with all first days, I, er, refrained, from indulging in my usual internet habits and hovered on relatively official territories. And as with all first days, I got over the impulse to NOT open my Facebook account pretty quickly too, as everybody else was doing it.

Anyway, today I realized how lucky I am to have this PC. The other new recruit, I learned, had to kill 8 hours, doing absolutely nothing but sit behind his desk all day. Poor dude, I know the feeling. The last week had the internet going haywire. I had to play FreeCell and Hearts all day to keep me from losing it. When my PC had to undergo a makeover, I was so bored I twisted all Ma'am Fru's paperclips into human figures. Just for fun. Yeah.

It's been an easy week, which for me, is completely unnerving. I can't keep still and I hate doing nothing, especially if someone is paying me to do it. Basically what I'm tasked to do here is to do articles and write ups, something I truly enjoy doing. I've finished all that I was supposed to do last week, which leaves me absolutely gaga as to what I'm supposed to do next or if what I did was possibly what they expected. Bah, I need serious feedback here! I'm tempted to stand up on my table and scream "Yo, people! I am ruddy bored here. Make me do something, anything. I can wax floors, serve coffee and fetch newspaper. I'm even toilet trained!"

Yeah, well, I can't say I can connect and fix printers in a jiffy anymore: we have computer engineers for that, thus my relegation to bystander status. Anyhow, another thing to look forward to this Monday, aside from the arrival of my bosses (signalling the end of my internet viewing pleasures): formal introductions! Yep, I need to stand up in front of people and extrapolate on my happiness at being hired. Gotta be up extra early for that as classes are starting next week. Thanks to DPWH's efforts on repairing a road that needed no repairs, traffic is bound to be hot and heavy.

I had a lot of things I wanted to write, but I forgot them all. It's a fiver, see and I'm leaving to socialize with college friends over coffee. One last FB update and I'm gone!

MAL-ling

Yay, my own MAL account is up and running, thanks again to the office's nifty connection. I've added some pictures, updated my profile, posted in forums, created a new sig....

I need paperwork, lots and lots of paperwork to distract me from internet pleasures. Either that or cut off my ruddy connection if I am to churn out productivity!

Recognizing stuff

01 June 2009. Text message in.

"The chief nurse made rounds this morning asking for recommendation for the most efficient in your group. I gave your name. Goodluck!"

I love joo, Ma'am Lung! Too bad I can't accept it if the hospital calls.

Ah, but the recognition and confidence does wonder for my deflated ego. *Puffs air*

It's all about lunch

The easiest way to blend in an office environment is through food. As if by some ancient Filipino cultural magic, conversations over lunch are more socially binding than ones done, say, over cubicle walls.

For example, I can talk better to people when I have food with me. Food can cover all conversation stages. You won't even have to think :s

INTRO: Want some chips/biscuits/fries/et al?
BODY: That's my favorite too! But I prefer mayonnaise to my fish rather than vinegar,
OR
BODY: Food is so ruddy expensive nowadays, I know.
CONCLUSION: Here, some chocolates for dessert,
OR
CONCLUSION: You've got to try the shawarma at my place.

In this generation, food is quickly replacing the weather as the topic of choice for starting a conversation.

There is something comforting in lunch conversations, in sharing a meal and a talk. Maybe it's got something to do with the whole people-are-social-animals fact. Or because you won't feel too alone when you're eating with somebody. Or maybe it's because food is a great icebreaker; topic choice is limited only by your gut tolerance for dirt and gore. Or, food is a universal language.

Or maybe because a collective lunch with people is a piece of home in the workspace, and you don't feel so lost when you're starting out in a new job. Sharing a lunch is like getting married - what lunch time has joined together, let no man put asunder! No one's going to eat alone ever again!

I think all offices should practice eating lunch together. In my previous work, you got memo-ED when you fail to join eating time at the dining table. Within a week or two from starting out, I felt at home, comfortable enough to poke fun at the people with whom I share a bit of table space. They don't seem as intimidating as when they are behind their desk, wielding their awesome powers. You see, even great powerful bosses like food as much as you do.

All this talk has made me hungry. Ima go and raid the fridge.

NOMNOMNOMNOMNOM :O

Indecisions

Why does everything have to happen at the most inopportune time? Eh? So eerily ironic.

Here's a look at the Philippines' version of unemployment hell:

"Once there was a girl, whose only dream was to finish college. Barring hail, snow, backfield floods, lackluster wardrobe choices and the general dislike she had for her subjects, she sailed through and finished pretty well. It was only upon her graduation that she realized how ill-fitted she was for human society. She took a job, despite the obvious mismatch in qualifications. She floundered, she fumbled, she LEARNED.

The day came when her contract ended. Now, she thought, with a job experience in tow, finding another job will be easier. How the country proved her wrong. No job wanted her. She took anything that came her way. She sent gazillions of application letters to prospective employers but no one called. Not even one.

Then, like a ray of light from the heavens, she had a job. After all her hard work, a company finally calls! Good pay, good people - good internet connection! Here was her true calling.

Alas, and the irony strikes! Not days had passed when another employer calls, imploring her to come. And another one. And another. The dilemma! The final call rips her tiny heart. It is call from her beloved, the one true employer she had longed for all this time! Yet what could she do? She was trapped, ensnared by the powers of the Mozilla Firefox link on her desktop...."

So, goodbye Zamboanga City Medical Center! Your call came in just a little too late :s Imagine, I'm choosing to sit this interview out instead of tearing out my closet for a business attire. Gotta admire my willpower. Thank joo FIREFOX!!

Text Post v1

Because my bloody blog won't work right. Grrrr.

PS
Yay! Won't have to nuke my blog! It's the office connection that's the problem. My blog is still alive and apparently, updating ~~; 22May2009

New work, new rants

Read this. I have a job.

Or rather, I have a new job. Last week, I tendered in my resignation to my old job for another position that could offer me greener, monetary advantages. The parting was not without the drama, though. Contrary to the usual concept of resignation, I liked my previous occupation and the people whom I worked with. My bosses were kind, my colleagues were nice, and my mentors were brainy, smart and great personalities. I'd never admit it out loud, but I figure that I would have been pretty good working in that field of research, better than most even. I was blending in quite nicely with that rough, motley crowd of researchers when I was called away.

So, here I am, sitting inside a cubicle, typing my heart away on a rickety keyboard, on a PC hooked to my long-denied addiction - the Internet. Can't say that I am not pleased. Despite the evident discomfort in starting again in a new environment, I am re-learning the pleasure of privacy, music and net connection.

Anyhow, I am still waiting for directions and guidance from my boss, whom I have yet to meet. It's a scary bit of waiting; my boss is a SHE, a highly-accomplished, well-traveled SHE at that. I've never worked for a woman before, and I've heard that women bosses can be more terrifying than men bosses. I dunno. My past bosses were all men who treated me like a daughter instead of a payed worker. I'm nervous, but I'm not complaining though; I think this would be a great learning experience and I'm hoping to profit from it - in all aspects, of course, including reviving a little ol' blog that has gone under the weather for a year :D

I'll be bringing a lot things in this new job, including a reputation. For some reason, they were really impressed during my interview. I didn't tell them that the reason I was so bloody confident during the panel interview was because I already had a job :D Bad idea, now they think I'm this superscribe with a capital S. Gotta live up to it somehow :p

But still, I miss my old job. It's Athletics Day today, and here I am listening to crappy love songs in an open-toed sandal with clingly beads.

The world is not right. Somebody fix it please :B

Crossy, greeny-eyed meanie

It's Monday, and I'm not having a really great day :(

First, my cellphone had to go all haywire on me and deleted ALL my pictures, music and applications. Before it can do another virtual purge of what remains of itself, I'm having it fixed and for that, I have to dig, really deep, into my limited allowance. In fact, I am so broke, I had to sell my other phone to my cousin for a measly Php 800 just to get by for the week T__T;

Second, my cousin has a bloody PSP and she won't sell it to me on the grounds that: 1. It's an overrated gadget; 2. It's boring and 3. I am not capable of paying her back within a year. Blargh, it's not fair!!! I mean, my cousin is not even out of high school and she has more money than me! IT. IS. SERIOUSLY. NOT. FAIR.

I'd sneak this PSP home, but unfortunately, she's holding my phone hostage 0_o

Third, my OTHER cousin had to go egotistic on me and show me his new Ipod video. When I told him to beat it because I'm still swooning over his sister's PSP, he said:

"That's the purpose. To make you JEALOUS.....*crazy. witchery laughter*"

Meanie, ickle beasties. And to think I bought them gifts last Christmas :O Boo!!

Drats, it's not fun, this penniless status at the age of 22. As my cousins constatntly remind me, I am no good with money. And they might have a point. I wasn't able to save nothing last year, when I still had a paying job. What I earn through the few "rakets" that I have go to food and.....Well, I don't rightly know where it goes, but it just disappears :B And I hardly even splurge on food anymores.

Anyhow, I'm all woe and begone right now. For what its worth, I'll play the batteries out of this PSP until it's DAID!! ~~

To top it all, I've still got to go to duty tonight.

Not a good week... Dumdumdumdooooooooooooooooooom T________T

Sublimating and marinating

For every screw up I make in the hospital, I mentally bash my brains out with an imaginary magical hammer. It's an unhealthy, really, but this unusual habit seems to be the only way wherein I can expel all negative and horrifyingly embarrassing moments out of my system. On those particularly bad days, my imaginary catharsis turns my brain into mush. *sigh* The powers of sublimation.

Anyhow, my bad days can range from the fickle, shrug-shrug, bad day to the catastrophic, kill-me-now days. For example, one time, I gave the ROD (resident on duty) skin-tape instead of plaster. If you must know, skin-tape is really not sticky enough. I knew that; however, I figured, skin-tape is better than nothing. Actually, it was probably better if I gave nothing at all :D Now, I'm obsessed with plaster! I've got a great roll of plaster around one pen (green), skin tape on the other (black) and transparent tape on the red one :B

One time, my vital sign-taking skills was questioned. I take great pride in my vs skills; it's my most basic skill, requiring finesse and a sense of timing (like, "quick, the baby's sleeping!! RR and HR now!!!" quick). Anyways. I got some really low HRs and really high RRs, so off I go to the doctor on duty. The good doctor pronounced that my vitals were wrong, after taking a good, long 15-second look. Right, doc, sorry doc, I hastened to say. I took those vital signs for one full minute, but sure, you're the boss, I added to myself.

While Ivan thinks it's fairly disgusting, I think that true guts involves suctioning without gloves! A true man (or woman) needs no gloves for pulling out secretions out of bloody ET tubes! Since I never got the fundamentals of suctioning during my college days, I don't find it weird/disgusting/unhygienic to suction with bare hands. More than once, I've gotten a dollop of phlegm on my arms without flinching. I just hold the urge to barf in, run out and handwash like crazy! Suctioning is a procedure that demans more bravado than skill :D You plunge it in, open and close the machine, and voila! tubes are as good as new! Anyhow, my careless disregard for aseptic techniques designed to keep me safe and healthy has made me come to the conclusion that I might be secretly harboring a death wish. *cue Twilight Zone BG music*

Example #1: Suctioning without gloves

Example #2: Ignoring punctured wounds from injections

Example #3: Caring for a patient with PTB. Without a mask :p

It's not that I don't particularly value my health: using gloves, making a big deal out of a tiny puncture wound and using a mask gets in my way all the time. So, I make do without it :D Reckless, but hey, it goes a long way in saving children's lives :D

So far, the biggest and greatest lesson that I have learned in the hospital, particularly in the ward, is to BE KIND, to everyone. Kind goes hand in hand with being humble, and the 2, working together reaps marvelous dividends. When you're kind, people appreciate the things that you do to the point that they don't get mad when you accidently burst their child's soluset :D Another nice thing to learn: swallowing pride. I've swallowed mine whole from the moment I got to the ward, allowing one zealous senior volunteer to teach me the concept of quantity ("Etong quantity kung ilan ung ipapabili niya. I-times mo sa prize, yun na yun") without daring to say that 14 years of education has taught me such arcana already :p

Disconnected by 38 degrees

It's been a month in volunteer limbo and I'll be free in 2 months time, and hopefully, everything about it will be honorable :D Anyway, I've been toying with the idea of extending my stay for another 3 months, on the condition that my "scholarship" holds out, since, despite my initial horrors, everything has been pleasantly, uhm, pleasant, so far.

Contrary to its reputation, the staff over at ward 8 are actually really nice people to work with, real protective of the volunteers from overly hysterical watchers and terror doctors. A few of them, Madams Grace and Gigi, have taken to ogling my ass every time I take vital signs without using proper body mechanics :B

In my initial month, I have:
a. Avoided killing a patient, intentionally.
b. Learned how to scold a watcher older than me.
c. Grown immune to the sound of the cardiac monitor going haywire.
d. Suctioned the guts outs of a preemie while high on caffeine.

Rawr, I am out of practice, having been disconnected from the internet for the past 2 months >:s

Will edit later, for addendums, grammar and overall sense.

Quoted

I am eager to start my volunteer duty to prove that I am not the dunderhead that I thought I was.

How wrong I was. How very wrong.

I am a dunderhead.

EDIT:
Celebrated my 22nd today. Yipee.

EDIT EDIT:
Thanks to those who remembered :D

EDIT EDIT EDIT:
Brought palabok in the ward. Ivan *pheonix1986*, you missed one really delicious meal.

Anything but Eight

I now know that this is true: that the things you dread are the things that definitely come to pass and that the chances of it happening is directly proportional to your stress levels. My prayers of "Anything but eight, anything but eight," went unanswered, and like some great cosmic joke, I drew the paper with the words "Ward 8, 7-3", just like that. I just got assigned to Ward 8, the Pediatrics Ward, the One Ward in the hospital that I absolutely had my sights against.

Before applying to the hospital as a volunteer nurse, I sought the expert opinions of those who had the privilege of working at the same hospital. I found out that, on a general level, everyone thinks their ward is the BEST ward and all other departments simply fail. A few examples of the consultations that I had with those enlightened members of the no-pay volunteers:

ME: I'll be volunteering this month. Which ward is best?
Expert 1: Ward 2 is the best. The staff are nice, you get to watch TV, less work, and oh, we have parties every month or so.

(Hmmm, TV. Ward 2=Most Ideal. Besides, my dad worked in Ward 2, so I may get by with my family name alone. On the other hand, it's a chronic ward. Everyone's either in plaster or twitching.)

ME: I'll be volunteering this month. Which ward is best?
Expert 2: OR. We came, we open, we saw your guts!

(Operating Room staff are, like, the elite. Or at least, that's what they like to think. It's really nice, though, to be in the OR, except on elective days, where the OR complex is filled to overflowing. Also, paperwork. Lots of them.)

ME: I'll be volunteering this month. Which ward is best?
Expert 3: Any ward, is fine. Don't go for OR. When you apply for an entry-level position, you'll be a staff nurse. So it's better to learn all you need to know about basic floor duties.

(I'll admit, this is the most sound advice I got. Objective and practical. Two people gave me this advice, and I worship you both.)

ME: I'll be volunteering this month. Which ward is best?
Expert 4: The action is in the ER. You learn LOADS there, CPR, emergency care....In wards all you do is chart and sleep. Where's the learning?

(Where indeed? However, I never liked the ER. I'm too, er, fragile. Besides, ER people are the most likely people to die in case of a terrorist attack. Kidding.)

ME: I'll be volunteering this month. Which ward is best?
Expert 5: Eye Center. Nice easy hours , free internet.

(Internet, hmmmmm?)

ME: I'll be volunteering this month. Which ward is best?
Expert 6: Anywhere, as long as it's not ER.

(Uh-huh.)

So, that got me nowhere fast. Ergo, I'll take whatever comes my way. Except Ward 8.

But, as fate would have it, I did get in to Ward 8. I see a number of disadvantages:

1. I've never had a rotation there. Ever.
2. Kids are scared of nurse. One look at the white uniform and they'll cry/wail/throw a tantrum/pull your hair(!)...
3. Too. Many. Kids. In. The. World.
4. The Pedia Ward is really HOT.
5. Contagious. Lots of contagious things to catch.

As my role in life is to find silver linings in every dark cloud, I rationalized these advantages:

1. I have nephews and nieces and cousins who are potential Pedia patients. Maybe the good Lord directed me to Ward 8 so that I can enjoy treating my family.
2. In looking for a ward, I want variety. The Pedia ward is like the Medical ward in miniature: lots of conditions and procedures to do. I may just enjoy Ward 8 (I mean, I enjoyed pricking babies with vaccine when I was a student. Hihihihi).
3. It's relatively near the hospital canteen.
4. My classmates always said I was good with children. It's the maternal instinct buried in me. And for that matter, I think it'll be buried forever. A stint in Ward 8 is the closest I'll get to having children. I can always adopt.
5. I honestly can't think of anything more.

By this time, I've resigned myself to my lot. Pray, I hope to enjoy my 3-month stint in Ward 8. In the spirit of making lists, I shall end with these resolutions that I need to do before duty begins:

1. Return my body clock to its normal rhythm by sleeping and waking up early.
2. Abstain from all pleasurable things from now on, i.e., TV, computers, movies, rainy days, etc.
3. Solicit for brand new uniforms.
4. Read up on Pediatrics procedures and stuff.
5. Buy the following: 4 colored pen, thermometers, surgical masks, notebook and a new bag.
6. Get a retailer SIM to sell load during duty hours (for the extra money).
7. Learn Tausug as soon as possible.
8. Order a new nameplate that will appendage RN to my last name.
9. Say goodbye to August.