Fragile Friendship
"How fragile friendship is," a friend told me. It was after I relayed to her an incident involving me and another friend let's call X. A friendship that started and bloomed since 2013 ended with just a misunderstanding on her part, and forgetfulness on mine.
X entered the previous company I was employed at fresh from graduating in college. She was really smart and very pretty. I admired her wit and humor since day one. The first time we travelled together, she had a mishap --- her tummy ached in the middle of our 8-hour bus travel. It was worrisome and funny. We had a good laugh about it.
After a year of being a manager's assistant, we recommended X to be part of the team as our position. With her intelligence and being a fast-learner, she got promoted. We were so happy. We can travel together, we can go out together.
When X was assigned in Central Mindanao, I got assigned temporarily there. We stayed in the same house and were never apart. She was the one who taught me Clash of Clans, an online game I play until now. I treated her like a younger sister and a good friend.
After years, 3 of us in the group got promoted to managerial positions. When there was another spot, we recommended X to be promoted as well. Since the areas we handled were near, we were always the one who collaborated and work together.
Even when I left the company in 2019, whenever X is in town (in my hometown), she would call me and we will meet. She is also my daughter's godmother. My mom was one of her wedding ninangs (godmother). Yes, she was very close to us.
So what happened? It was my fault. I have an open communication to some of my previous staff. Those staff I worked with for years became very close to me. I started working on another project which entails me to hire people with skills. I offered one staff a job. Word got out, and a former colleague called to tell me that X learned of the move. X told her direct manager that I am pirating that staff.
My first thought was, do I need to ask them? I don't work for them anymore. But after some time, I realize I should have told X as she was the superior of that staff.
I then proceeded to chat her but I was already blocked. Out of hurt, I told another friend, let's call Y, in our group. She was shocked with the news. She never thought we would end this way. I remember X telling me she blocked our area manager because he seemed to belittle her. I guess, she thought of me the same. That was painful, she should know better.
I will not be making a way to contact X anymore. If this is how fragile friendship is, then this isn't friendship, I guess. There are some friends I have who I hurt or who hurt me in the past, those 'fights' though cemented our friendship because we were not willing to end the relationship.
'This is where our story ends,' like a song line goes. I wish her the best in everything.
(CTTO lead image to Friendship Lamps)
Our Pet Poofie
A year ago, a friend gave me a 2-month old puppy, a girl puppy. She had big, brown scared eyes. Her fur the color of the night with a splash of white on her chin and toes. My then 4-year old daughter, Jian, fell in love with her on first sight. She named her Poofie.
Poofie's breed wasn't anything special. In Filipino, indigenous mixed-breed dogs are called ASKAL or 'Asong Kalye' which translates to stray dogs. Yup, we let them be. They roam around and come home at night. So there are times, dog-eating *humanoids* steal them and make them 'pulutan' or side dish to their drinking sessions . This one should be a crime. Thankfully, ever since childhood, we had no pets who became 'pulutan' or else there will be hell to pay.
Poofie might not be a high-class breed dog but we love her and adore her completely. She was trained not to come inside the house, but she only listened to my mom because me and my daughter would secretly let her in. My daughter didn't let her be; she'd carry her around to Poofie's annoyance.
She adores her so much.
We bring Poofie whenever we play and bathe in rivers. She was a powerful swimmer. Until Poofie was 4 months old, we bathe her. As she grew older, she took baths with her brothers, Pokemon and Sammy, in the river a few meters from our house.
When Poofie was just 5 months old, we had to leave her and had to go help my aunt in Agusan. During this time, Jian missed Poofie so much she sometimes cry. Our neighbor and close friend, Aya, took care of her. We sometimes videocall and she'd call Poofie for us to see.
After two months, me and Jian went home. I really thought Poofie will not recognize us anymore and will even bark at us. Jian was so excited but I held her back. It was almost 2am when we arrived, it was just Aya at the house. Me and Jian called out to the darkness for Poofie. She came running, whimpering and wagging her tail. My fears that she will not recognize us disappeared. We could tell she missed us as much.
Jian and Poofie were inseparable. Where Jian was, Poofie was nearby. When the kids were playing, Poofie was nearby sleeping.
Poofie didn't get angry when adults teased her. She will just whine and whimper when she got hurt. But when kids like Jian, Anding and EJ (my daughter's friends) play with her pulling her tail or ears, she barked at them. She never acted as if she would bite them, it was just as though she was barking at them to behave.
When I went away to work around September, I called everyday and would laugh at how funny Poofie was. My daughter got enrolled in Kinder II last year in August. When my mom and Jian waits for a cab, Poofie waited with them. When a cab stops, Poofie was the first to get inside. It was hilarious how my mom and Jian hid everyday from Poofie when they leave for school. She was also their "welcoming committee" whenever they come home. Poofie got so excited whenever she saw them back.
Poofie got pregnant around October. We were so excited. She'd gotten so wide. I started tying her to her house at night so she won't roam around anymore. She was always so behaved. We've counted her giving birth to her puppies on January 2022.
Sadly, on the dawn of January 3, 2022, Poofie got away from her tie. A car hit her and she died after a few minutes. Our neighbor, Janjan, was the one who saw it and ran towards Poofie. He then called out to us to tell us what happened to Poofie. The car who hit Poofie also stopped, and the driver profusely apologized. He didn't see her crossing the highway. We accepted his apology.
The hardest part was telling Jian. I cried when I was closing the eyes of Poofie. Some dog-eating *humanoid* neighbors asked if they can cook Poofie. I told them no. Even Janjan was furious, and told me he will help me bury her. Me, Aya and Janjan buried Poofie under a tree where she liked to nap.
Jian was calling Poofie, the whole morning. I told her Poofie must have been roaming around. My heart broke everytime I hear Jian called out Poofie. In the late afternoon, while hugging Jian on a rocking chair, I told her that Poofie got hurt and angels had to take her to heaven. My daughter's screams made me sob uncontrollably with her.
Until now, we miss Poofie. There are still nights Jian will cry because she misses Poofie. There are still days I catch myself from calling out Poofie. She was our Poofie, we love her and we'll miss her forever.
Run free, Poofie and puppies. 💔
My BTS Stickers
Yesterday, I wondered why my stack of books was messed up. I just rearranged it and called for my 5-year old daughter if she knew what happened to my stuff. She then ran to me with her coloring book and showed me this:
She had been eyeing my stash of BTS stickers ever since I got it from an online seller as a freebie of my order last December. She is a fan of 'Kuya Jungkookie.' 😅
My daughter dances to their music like Dynamite, Danger, Mic Drop and Butter. She sings a part of Life Goes On, Butter and Spring Day. She would watch videos of the OT7 with me and laugh at their funny antics. She can also chant the BTS intro chant made by ARMYs (ARMY --- the fandom of BTS).
I have heard first of BTS or the Bangtan Sonyeondan boys back in 2016 after I listened to their War of Hormones song. I loved the beat but I didn't understand the words so I made a little research and found the singers behind the song, as well as the translation of the lyrics. The song was really about a war of hormones of growing boys. 😅
Song recommendations led me to No More Dreams, Cypher, Danger, Boy In Luv, Dope, Jump, I Need You, Fire, etc. These songs (and still adding more) became a part of my playlist since then.
Back to the stickers, a few stickers were left on my stash. I showed it to my daughter and she asked if she can have them. I told her to arrange the stickers not in a messy way. She showed me this after a few minutes:
I'm planning to buy a sticker book where she can create her own sticker collage and more. Of course, more stickers, not just of our fave band.
Borahae! And Happy New Year to all!
Travelling Back to Work - Part I
My travel began on October 29 at 10am in the morning. From our house, I travelled to Kabacan 30 minutes by van. My uncle had an appointment in Cotabato City and picked me up since Kabacan was on his way. Kabacan is a municipality in North Cotabato of mix ethnicity --- different Muslim tribes, Ilocano, Ilonggo, Cebuano. About 500m from the terminal is a forking of two roads; one going to Cotabato City and the other going to Cagayan de Oro City.
The picture above was entering Kabacan. That store Unisun replaced a different store which was reported years ago to Tulfo (a famous personality in the media here in the Philippines who focuses on government and local issues) because of how they treated their employees. The red motocycle cabs are the public transportation.
At 11:05am, the bus departed for Cagayan de Oro City.
Riding the bus requires face mask and ID. We passed only 4 border checkings where military or police officers ask your ID, where you're from, your destination. They are not so strict especially for those with vaccination cards.
According to the Local Government Unit of Kabacan, its place is the rice granary of the Cotabato Province. From both sides of the road, one will see vast ricefields.
From Kabacan, we passed the Pulangi River (a river I first found at Valencia Bukidnon) through the Carmen bridge and Border.
You can see in the picture two rivers joined, the Kabacan River and Bantac River. We usually bathe in the Kabacan River but there, the water is clear as you can see below and not like the muddy water above.
From Kabacan, we reached Carmen, another North Cotabato municipality, in 25 minutes. This town is quiet and peaceful.
From Carmen, we travelled an hour before getting off the bus at the first border checking at at Damulog, Bukidnon. We passed through hills and mountains. The main crop is corn. The road sides, the hills and mountains were planted with corn the most. How they collect it? Through horses.
It was a 20 minute ride going to the center of Damulog, Bukidnon.
The next bus stop was at Kibawe, Bukidnon we passed at 1pm. I spent 3-6 days every month in Kibawe from 2018-2019 due to my former job. I stayed at Xela Hotel, the newest hotel there at that time. I sometimes brought my Mom and my daughter whenever I went to Kibawe. We loved staying at Xela Hotel because it was clean, new, had a very cold aircon, had free breakfast, and because the staff were nice and very helpful. I remember the roomboy who was the one assigned on night shifts, a roomboy and frontdesk in one. He used to prepare a thermos of hot water for me when I did paper works late nights to dawn. His name is Doydoy. I don't know if he is still there. One of these days, we will be back there to roam around.
After Kibawe, we passed Don Carlos, Bukidnon at 1:25pm. Don Carlos is festive compared to Kibawe. Then we passed the crossing for Davao and for Cagayan de Oro.
We arrived in Maramag, Bukidnon at 1:40pm. This place is like the center town. It's bustling with activity, has lots of stores and restaurants. I wasn't able to take a pic though because I was so sleepy.
On the way to Valencia City, Bukidnon, we passed a state university, the Central Mindanao University or CMU. It is a very big school, with large grounds. I used to think how tired one must be to get to another building for the next subject.
My favorite place in between Maramag and Valencia are not the resorts you will pass by. It is in Musuan, where the dairy stop and the Philippine Carabao Institute is located, and the Musuan Peak. Travellers stop by, line up and refresh themselves with dairy products sold here. The vast grassland adds to the refreshing feeling. I was also able to climb the Musuan Peak 5-6x back in the days, when I was assigned here. Looking below from the top, the cars and trucks looked like small toys. I remember the peacefulness I felt when at the top. I climbed here with a friend one time, two colleagues the next two times, then with store staff the other times. We usually started 5am then reach the top after an hour and 30 mins, sometimes until 2 hours. What hampered the climb? Oh, we call it 'documentation' and others call it 'photoshoots.' 😅
After Musuan was the first city we passed, Valencia City where we got off for another border checking. The public transportation here are 'rela.' It's an elongated cab. Relas are known in Valencia City, Malaybalay City, Cagayan de Oro City.
I was assigned here many times. The longest I stayed here was one month. The favorite place I stayed at is now gone. It was a small boutique at the back of McDonalds, which was operating 24 hours before the pandemic. In our language we say 'unay kaayo.' Meaning, very close or very near but google said 'very first.' 😅
I have a lot of memories here in Valencia City, no hankypankies included, just wholesome fun and get-togethers. I loved how cold it can be at night times, too.
After 45minutes, we reached Malaybalay City. It was raining hard.
This was the only store I visited back in the days where I wore a jacket inside the production area (never been to Baguio) and fog used to set at 3pm. It was really cold here. I heard it's not the same now. Must be the pollution we are causing.
After Malaybalay, I fell asleep and missed two more border checkings. We arrived in Cagayan de Oro city at 6:20pm. I was famished, I looked for Mang Inasal and ate to my heart's content. My first half of the journey took 8 hours. My travel wasn't over yet. I'll post it next.
At 7:30pm I continued my travel....❤
Off-Duty
10:10am I started waiting for my ride that will take me to Kabacan, a town in North Cotabato.
My daughter was crying, asking me to stay home, and work from home like I did last year. My heart breaking into pieces, I have to make her laugh and smile and not show her how hard it is for me to go away, too. I promised her of the things I will buy her, the places we will go the next time I'm home. Moms here in read.cash know that a promise made to your own kid is sacred.
The 15 days I stayed home, we did so many things.
As promised, I was the one who went to school with her, and waited 3 hours until they finish. After which we went to our fave hangouts and drank milktea, ate cake, or munched takoyakis and fries. We did her assignments together, studied for her exams, and studied for the next lessons. 5year olds are easily distracted, sometimes I had to bite my lips hard not to yell in anger.
She used to order a lychee juice but after tasting the Okinawa milktea flavor I ordered, she changed her preference. And, yes, she loves french fries. I just let her eat since it's not really that often. My baby girl loves veggies and soup more.
I found their lessons quite difficult for her age. I mean, during my time, we counted numbers 1 to 20 only in kindergarten, and it was difficult then. Now, the kindergarten kids are expected to know the numbers 1 to 100. Whew! Good thing that the kids nowadays are also advanced and have available tools to use for their studies.
It's fun teaching my daughter, and it's even more fun watching her learn. I'm just glad that the school I enrolled my kid at are really focused on the kids' learnings and the teachers very patient but firm. My daughter has yet to learn reading but we are getting there. I'm excited to let her read the books I read on my younger years; the adventure and the lessons that one can learn and experience with books.
It was a really good timing when I got home because it was their exam on the next day. It was the first time I went with her to school. The teacher told me the exams will take 3 hours --- the kids were taking their exams while the teachers were guiding them thoroughly. That first day, my kid marched outside after almost an hour while carrying her small backpack. She smiled at me and I asked where she's going. With a big smile, she told me, "*Mama, I'm done*." I answered what about her exam, she said, "*easy*." Lol! Her scores were perfect for all 6 subjects. So proud of my baby.
As a reward, I granted her request to bathe in the river. We went to another river where there is a dam. The river water was flowing fast, we kept an eye for the kids and circled them. Even our dog cannot swim through. Still, we had fun but it was very tiring too. We had to walk 1 kilometer, then go down the riverbank which was about a 20ft climb. We had to use the trees, the roots, the grass to go down and to climb. It was a real adventure.
My mom said she is not going back ever again because of the climb we had to take. Told my mom, we will bathe at the usual river we go to the next time and okayed with it. We unwind in forests, rivers and mountains since we are far away from the sea.
My 15 days leave was full of happiness because I get to spend it with my daughter and my family. It reinvigorated my exhausted body, mind and spirit. I cannot wait to go back home again. I miss my daughter so much and it breaks my heart everytime she cries when I call. I try to make her laugh and get her excited of the things we will do when I'm home again.
On the Way to a Covid-Free Establishment
I was one of those who didn't want to get vaccinated. For months, I have been very 'anti' about it.
My current job right now entails meeting a lot of people, from branch personnel in 8 branches, customers, suppliers, and representatives from main office.
Being this exposed, my fear of contracting the Covid19 virus has tripled. Fortunately, one of the supervisors I am working with is a former medical health worker. She answered the questions and fears that I have.
August 7 last week, I was asked by my boss to give her a list of employees to be vaccinated by August 9. I was very hesitant but I have seen the advantages of being protected too. I will not be only protecting myself, my loved ones as well.
The crucial part was convincing everyone to be vaccinated as well because of the news and articles spreading about the vaccines causing deaths of hundreds of people.
With a colleague who worked in a hospital before (the ER), we have convinced all 92 employees to be vaccinated; not all at once though and not everyone. For those who are in branches in different municipalities, we contacted the Health Center for the schedules to include our employees. Out of the 65 employees who were scheduled to be vaccinated on August 9, 17 people were not vaccinated due to having allergies, currently having infected lumps, having high blood pressure, are sick with fever and flu at that time, and those with heart diseases.
The following are the questions they threw our way during the branch meetings:
Do vaccine kill people like what some of the news are saying?
Answer: NO. The government won't allow and approved of the vaccines if they will kill us. On the scheduled day to be vaccinated, one will be asked by doctors if one has allergies, taking maintenance-medicine, health diseases, or has fever and flu. One must be truthful to these questions. Blood pressure will also be measured. The doctors are very specific on allergies and health problems because the vaccine might react to these.
Why do we need to be vaccinated when we are not sick?
Answer: Because we want everyone to be protected, as well as the family one goes home to everyday. The vaccine will make one's body fight the virus if one ever contracts it and stop the spread. Of course this doesn't mean that one should be careless after being vaccinated. We still have to be careful when we are interacting with other people (wear mask and use alcohol) because there are still many people who are not vaccinated and if we have immunocompromised family members or friends.
If we get vaccinated, can we still contract the Covid19 virus?
Answer: Yes, we can still be infected with the virus. The good thing is since we are vaccinated, our body can create antibodies to fight the virus. That colleague of mine who worked in a hospital before got infected with the Covid19 virus. Since she is vaccinated, she just felt lethargic and seemed like coming down with a flu. She still had a check up and did the swab test that resulted to being positive with the virus. Fortunately, she was living alone then; just got quarantined while recovering and her swab test after resulted negative.
Are there dos and don'ts when we get vaccinated?
Answer: Live a healthy lifestyle. We reiterated to the employees that after being vaccinated, no drinking of alcoholic drinks for 2 weeks. Also, to avoid foods that may trigger allergies like eggs, chicken, dried fish, seafoods. If they feel down after then they can rest, and no lifting of heavy objects. Take paracetamol 30 minutes after being vaccinated, and not before.
Is it true that the vaccines also carry virus and what if these virus kill us instead?
Answer: Yes, vaccines have inactive virus which is the one responsible for creating the antibody if we contract the Covid19 virus. No, it will not kill us because these are inactive or dead virus.
These were the major questions during the branch meetings, and all revolved majority on if the vaccines will kill a person. Thankfully, no complications were observed from the people who got vaccinated, including myself. The numbness and pain in our arms and back after the injection, the lousy feeling, the unexplained hunger on some, all went away a day to 4 days after.
We are on our way to our second dose on October 7, then we will be fully protected.
(***CTTO to Philippines Department of Health, Local Government Unit, National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Plan***)
Star Bread
I was cleaning the kitchen cupboards and found out I still have enough ingredients to bake bread. I decided to make a *star bread.* It's a common bread in the Philippines which has three criss-cross cut on the top topped with white sugar. The bread itself is perfect for coffee sessions since it is not so sweet. I also love the crunchiness of the surface.
The recipe has been given to me by a friend a long time ago. He was one of the first bakers of a bakery which was also the first bakery to go nationwide here in our country.
The following is the recipe I used:
Hard flour 3 cups
Soft flour 1 1/4 cup
Active Dry Yeast 2 tsp
Salt 1 3/4 tsp
White Sugar 2/3 cup
Butter 1/3 cup
Buttermilk 1 tbsp
Water 1 1/8 cup
First, I greased the baking sheet I will be using so that the baked product's bottom won't stick.
In a mixing bowl, mix the dry ingredients --- flour, yeast, buttermilk.
In another mixing bowl, dissolve salt and sugar in water using a wire whisk. It must be completely dissolved so that the crumb is smooth and has no big holes.
Pour the liquid ingredients in the bowl with the dry ingredients. Using your hand, mix them until they are fully incorporated.
Add the butter and continue mixing. I use my palm to fold and flatten the dough for faster mixing.
Dust the surface you will use with flour to prevent the dough from sticking on it. Use a rolling pin to develop the dough. Flatten the dough and fold then roll. Continue to do this until dough is smooth.
Cut the dough into desired size. Round the dough and tighten.
Make a criss-cross cut on the surface of the dough after 30 minutes proofing. The depth of cut I make is 1/2 of the dough height's to achieve that nice star-like appearance. Then continue proofing.
Brush the surface with evaporated milk after an hour proofing, and continue proofing for another hour.
Top surface with sugar before baking for 18 minutes.
Enjoy this with hot coffee or hot cocoa.
Border Restrictions in Davao Region
The rising case of Covid19 patients prompted the Davao government to strictly implement border restrictions of whole Davao Region last May 14, 2021. Davao Region is Region XI composed of Davao City, Davao de Oro, Davao del Sur, Davao del Norte, Davao Oriental. The resolution cascaded is entitled *Uniform Guidelines to Regulate Entry and Exit of Region XI*.
Non-essential travellers need to present a negative Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction or RT PCR, better known as *swab test* which costs P4,000-P5,000 per person. The date of result should not lapse 72 hours on your travel date.
This caused emotional reactions from the people especially those who travel for work, for medical check ups, for visiting families. A lot were questioning the move, a lot were lambasting the government. There are so many questions from different people who intended to travel. It's good there are also a few people who are spreading awareness on the border restrictions through answering on the comment section and posting the memo on social media.
Residents of Davao Region who will go to another city or town but still a part of Davao Region do not need to present negative swab test, only IDs.
Authorized Personnel Outside Residence or APOR are those people who travel for work, government officials and employees on offical travel, health and emergency frontline services, NGOs, public utility vehicle drivers. They need only to present their company ID, Certificate of Employment, Employee Deployment letter or Travel Order.
Returning residents of Davao Region who stayed for more than 24 hrs in other places not in Region XI and OFWs need to present proof of residence, IDs and negative swab test result.
Non-residents of essential travel will be allowed to enter and stay in the region for only 24 hours maximum. Essential travel includes accessing essential goods and services, medical check ups and appointments. They will need to present IDs, business permits, travel order, or apppintment schedule.
Travellers who are just passing through the region need only to present IDs. They must declare in the border that they are just passing through and they will be allowed to stay in the region in a specified time. The entry border will be coordinating with the exit border that a traveller or vehicle is expected to pass through in a specific time.
Goods and cargoes will be allowed entry and exit in the region providing their travel documents are complete, they can provide IDs, and only 5 persons will be allowed in delivery trucks.
All tourists will need to present a negative result RT PCR taken within 72 hours of travel date, proof of hotel bookings, and the StaySafe.Ph application.
I have been monitoring also the progress of the border restrictions since my, my mother and my daughter travelled to an 8-hours-away city before it was implemented. So far, the mandate is not as strictly implemented. One netizen commented that the bus driver and conductor told him it depends on the Military personnel, because some are strict and some are not. From the comments in an FB page discussing this border restrictions, I have not read anyone was denied entry nor anyone who was asked for a negative swab test result.
Well, it will be two more weeks before we travel and pass through Davao region. Let's just see by then.
I Was A Chainsmoker
I started smoking when I was 20 years old. It was a sort of an experiment at first since I have seen classmates from high school and college going at it. I wanted to know what pleasure were they deriving from inhaling poisonous gas into their lungs.
I bought 2 sticks of cigarette, the menthol ones, and smuggled it inside my room. I was living at my Aunt's house back then. The room I was in had a gap in the wall and I used it to be my chimney. I was a little apprehensive, what if my Aunt smells the cigarette smoke from my room? But I had an alibi also since my Uncle's brothers were like chimney factories. I was careful though. I had a spray, alcohol, body spray, and cologne, in case my Aunt wandered into my room.
Back to that 2 sticks cigarette. I lighted one, inhaled, and had a bout of cough. It was horrible. I was thinking how could some of my friends stand this. I tried another puff, it was still horrible. So I stubbed it slowly and put it inside a plastic container to use it again the next night. It was still more than half of its length.
On the third night, my plastic container smelled so bad I had to wash it in the middle of the night. I scrubbed it thoroughly with water that had chlorine, soap powder, calamansi juice. The scrubbing took a little while before the smell was gone. The flavor of the cigarette I was inhaling twice a night for two nights was gone, and it was so smelly I threw it inside a soda can then threw it at the garbage can.
I didn't use the other cigarette and left it at the back of my drawer inside a cellophane.
Then some family crisis arose a few weeks after. I was so angry that time, I was so hurt but I had to keep a smiling facade. That night, I used the cigarette stick I kept. It accompanied me in that dark, lonely night.
I began buying 2-3 sticks of cigarette and finishing it for a week. Yes, my little plastic container got smelly over and over again. I puffed often but I remembered craving a drag off a cigarette so much when I was down, lonely, sad, hurt, angry, frustrated.
It became a nasty vice that I cannot shake off. When I graduated and started working, the job entailed me travelling to distant places --- cities, provinces; some were lively, some were so quiet. A pack of cigarette was never away.
I discovered smoking while drinking my black coffee (no sugar) was heaven. And I was a coffee addict those times too. I can finish 2-3 sticks of cigarette per cup of coffee, a minimum 5 cups per day. Making reports, it was easy when I had a stick on my fingers. Talking with friends on the phone, loved dragging a smoke.
Yet, I stayed conscious of other people. You could say, I was a responsible smoker. When I was in crowd, I didn't smoke. When I was with friends and family who didn't smoke, I would go far to smoke. If there were children, I didn't smoke. I didn't smoke anymore inside my room or even room hotels because I didn't like my room smelly. I gargled after smoking. I used an alcohol and perfume after washing my hands. I didn't threw my cigarette butt just anywhere; I always looked for a garbage can.
I remember riding a non-aircondition bus in a province, a young man was smoking to his heart's content. There were elderly persons and children on board the bus. I called out to him, telling him with a smile that I had a cough and his smoking was irritating it. Luckily, he stopped without a fuss. There was also a time when our company had a summer outing in a beach at Mactan, Cebu, a 7-month pregnant colleague approached me and asked for a cigarette stick. She said she got nauseated with some foods. I almost jumped up and ran away from her, shouting 'No!' I told her that it was not good for the baby and looked for mint candies she can suck.
Smoking regulations before in the Philippines were not strict. People are smoking on bus stops. People can smoke inside non-aircondition buses. People can smoke in coffee shops, bars, disco houses, resto grills. Believe it or not, I was ecstatic when smoking restrictions was imposed by the government.
A colleague once chided me that I smoked way too fast. He was still on his first stick, and I was lighting up already my third stick. I curtailed my smoking after that.
January 5, 2016 I found out I was 4 weeks pregnant. I still had a newly-bought pack of cigarette. I searched the internet on the effects of smoking on early pregnancy. I read a lot of forums of pregnant women saying it was okay to smoke during early pregnancies. There was also an article I read saying no studies were proven that smoking on early pregnancy stage affects the fetus. I started to light a stick but other articles from medical sites like WebMD and Healthline.Com says smoking can affect the baby on early pregnancy and will increase the baby's risk of heart disease, SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome), asthma, low immune system, etc. I stubbed the cigarette immediately and gave the cigarette pack on a neighbor.
16 years of being a chainsmoker --- my friends and family cannot believe I gave it up immediately and with no withdrawal symptoms. I never believed in withdrawal symptoms anyway because whenever I get sick before, I didn't smoke. It's all in the mind, I guess. I heard that a former colleague was hospitalized because she stopped smoking; her appetite suffered, she couldn't sleep, she was like a living zombie. My doctor said that maybe I wasn't affected because of the love I have for my unborn child. She also cited that my mind and body had been conditioned already to protect the fetus.
Months after my delivery, there were times I craved to smoke. But I always thought that I was gonna go home to my baby, and nicotine sticks on clothes and skin for days no matter how you wash or take a bath. So it stopped me everytime. Two years after my delivery, I once tried taking a drag from a colleague's cigarette one time while we were travelling, because I got nauseated with the food we ate, I wasn't able to complete the drag because I was coughing hard. He told me jokingly that my body was rejecting the smoke after I got cleaned. Oh well, maybe so.
That Bothersome Sore Throat
(Edited my original work)
It started out as an itch the day after I had a cook-out session for my Mom's birthday. The kitchen was so hot that every now and then I glugged iced cold colas and water. The morning after, the itch in my throat had started and I began clearing my throat hoping it would go away.
At lunch, my throat felt hot. When I ate, I had a hard time swallowing the food. It wasn't painful yet but just uncomfortable. I slept it off thinking it will go away when I rested.
After 3 hours or so of sleeping, I woke up cold and feverish. Scrambling to get the thermometer on the table next to our bed, the reading was 39.4°C. No wonder I felt like I was drowning in my own breath.
I rummaged at our medicine bottles and drank paracetamol and mefenamic tablets on one go. My throat was blistering hot, and it was painful to talk and swallow.
Curiousity got the better of me; I went in front of the mirror with a flashlight and opened my mouth wide to look at what's happening in my throat area. I saw my tonsils swollen, red and irritated.
My mom said I should gargle with salt in water. I alternated gargling with salt-water and an antiseptic mouthwash.
After 1 day, white spots broke out on my tonsils making it very, very painful to swallow. These meant infection but I refused to see my doctor and continued with the medicines I took. I also suck on Pei Pak Koa candy which is minty and has honey to ease the burning in my throat.
Since I still manned my mom's little store, I got a few homemade tips to get rid of sore throat from our friendly neighbors and customers:
Gargle with salt, water and a little vinegar
Eat unripe papaya dipped in vinegar
Gargle with pure apple cider
Stay away from cold and hot liquids (*didn't stay away from cold water or hot coffee/tea though*)
Buy sore throat spray (*available in the Philippines are difflam, kamillosan, betadine throat spray*)
Suck on lozenges (*my favorite is pei pa koa* *like I said earlier*)
Gargle with antiseptic mouthwash
Drink antibiotic (*which meant going to the doctor for a prescription*)
Well, except for #s 3, 4, 5 and 8, I tried them all.
For a week, I suffered that pesky sore throat and an on-and-off fever. I was gradually getting better though. The other annoying thing having a sore throat was not being able to eat properly or eat hard foods. I only ate when I can take the pain while swallowing food and drinks. I was feeding for more than a week on*"lugaw"* or congee, oats, biscuits/bread soaked in milk.
On the 9th day, I had no more fever and my throat had lost its soreness.
I have no aversions going to the doctor but I have been taught growing up to always try the natural ways of healing. My father once told me, "go to the doctor if pain is abnormal; otherwise, stay home and let your body combat the illness with the help of natural remedies."
(CTTO urgentcaresouthaven.com for the article lead image)
My Favorite Romantic-Comedy Movies
To escape from the harsh pressures of everyday hustles, I made it a routine to soften my mood with light, romcom movies before going to sleep. I have seen the following movies a hundred times. Whenever I travel I keep a USB with me with select movies which I play on loop when I go to sleep.
The Holiday (2006)
Amanda from Los Angeles and Iris from Surrey exchanged homes for the holidays to escape their individual guy-problems. One woman hardened by life, and the other breaking apart from a brokenheart. They both eventually found the love that they deserve.
The Other Woman (2014)
Kate is a typical wife who left her job to dote on her husband, Mark, not knowing that he is playing the field wherever he goes, and is embezzling hundreds of thousands from his employer using Kate's signature. Kate eventually meet Carly, a lawyer who is one of his paramour, who thought Mark was single. They teamed up to find out his other activities, and met a young bombshell, Amber, whom Mark told he was divorcing his cheating wife. The three worked together to bring Mark down and expose his frauds.
Monte Carlo (2011)
Grace's dream was to graduate high school and go to Paris for a vacation. She worked hard in a cafe to save money, and finally made it to Paris through a package tour with her bestfriend, a happy-go-lucky older girl and a rule-breaker, and stepsister, a stickler for rules. They got left behind by their tour bus and started the most memorable journey of their lives when Grace got *mistaken for a British heiress (IMDb.com).*
You've Got Mail (1998)
The time when online chatting started. Two rival bookstore owners, Joe and Kathleen, met online and fall in love, not knowing who each other in person is. When they finally agreed to meet, Joe Fox found out it was Kathleen, and decided eventually to make her fall in love with him in person.
The Proposal (2009)
Margaret, a tyrannical boss, blackmailed her secretary and personal assistant, Andrew, to marry her to avoid being deported back to Canada. They then spend a weekend to Andrew's home in Alaska where they both slowly fell in love. Margaret broke off their wedding for she could not bring herself to ruin Andrew's life, and went back to New York to prepare going home to Canada.
Just Like Heaven (2005)
Elizabeth, a workaholic doctor, got into an accident which resulted in comatose. Her apartment is being temporarily leased by David, who is suffering a great loss due to his wife's death. Elizabeth haunts her apartment and only David can see her. Together, they work together to find out what happened to Elizabeth. And eventually fell in love with each other.
That's it for now. 😊
Rising Case of Covid19 Patients In My Hometown
(I also posted this on noise.cash to spread awareness.)
I miss my brother. Wish he could come home when this pandemic is over. It's great nowadays that we have this technology to communicate faster with each other.
Right now, the cases of covid19 positive patients in our area have increased again. One town near us is on lockdown. The reason for the increased cases as per news was a gathering of relatives and friends on a funeral wake. One relative from a 2hr drive city had not been feeling well already but still went to the wake, and turned out he is positive with the covid19 virus.
So what's the lesson behind this?
Don't put your guard down especially when there are other people present. People are letting their guards down already and I think because of a gossip that have been spreading that the Covid19 pandemic is being used now as business. Maybe there are some who took advantage of the pandemic but not all. I have seen the efforts of the government and private sectors to combat the virus, to spread awareness, to support the people.
Also, don't downplay the virus. Not just this virus, any virus. It's just a basic prevention actually:
Use face mask (and face shield) when talking with other people not a member of your household.
Regularly wash your hands.
Never forget to bring alcohol, and use alcohol after every time you touch something.
Fist bump to greet friends or relatives (forget the 'beso-beso' for now).
Don't go out if you are feeling under the weather (the virus finds a weakened immune system VERY FAST).
Let this be a way of life for everyone, and I am sure we can stop the spread of any virus that will try to wipeout mankind.
Keep safe, everyone!
Coins From Faucets
2019 was very devastating for me financially. I joined investment schemes that turned out to be scams. I knew they were scams, just didn't expect it to blow up very quickly. Until now, I haven't really coped up with my losses that year. Anyway, that experience taught me to be very careful in investments. It also got me to navigate the web and make money without investing.
The following are faucets I have been making money with for some time. The coins I collected goes right to my faucetpay account. Diligence is important. Just want to share this with anyone who will be interested.
Starbits.io - bitcoin
I-bits.io - bitcoin
Gobits.io - bitcoin
Claimbits.io - bitcoin
Fautsy.io - bitcoin
Claimfreecoins.io
Konstantinova.net
Diamondfaucet.space
Cryptorotator.website
Needbux - bitcoin
Happy earnings!
M's Brush With Death
A very close family friend, M, who's like a brother to me, had a brush with death. Last week of March, his creatinine level reached 2000 umol/L. The doctor advised for an urgent dialysis but he escaped from the hospital after the lab result.
A few days later, his family and friends urged him to go back to the hospital because he was getting worse. His whole body was shaking, he was so pale, he can hardly stand up. His creatinine level increased to 2600 umol/L. He was supposed to wait for 2 more days to go through the dialysis procedure, but thank heavens, many people helped for him to be able start the dialysis.
He is getting better now.
What is creatinine or crea? According to healthline, creatinine is a waste product produced by muscle metabolism. As per the doctor, we all have creatinine in our urine and blood. The normal crea level is less than 133 umol/L.
When kidney and liver fails, there is a high level of creatinine found in our blood or urine. As per hopkinsmedicine.org, the liver breaks down harmful substances which are excreted in bile or blood. Bile by-products exits the body in the form of feces, and blood by-products are filtered by the kidneys and exits the body through urine.
M had a very bad habit of drinking too much liquor, those with 40% alcohol and up. Just last December, he added another bad habit of drinking liquor without eating. When I asked him why he wasn't eating much, he replied he is on diet. I scolded him that time, "if you are on diet, drop drinking alcohol and eat healthy food." He just laughed at me, at us.
I started drinking alcohol myself when I was 15 yrs old --- gin, vodka, wine. It would take more than a liter to take me down. I started drinking beer at 22, when I was working. I would guzzle up on beers, they just made me tipsy but not drunk. I was 30 when I decided to stopped drinking too much, and just drink occasionally. What triggered my decision? It was my 30th birthday, hard liquors were overflowing. The next 2 days, I was continuously vomiting til I tasted bile. Nothing was making me better ---- medicine, hot soup, soup for drunks, food, water. I threw it all up. My housemate brought me to a hospital, and there I stayed for 4 days. I had alcohol poisoning. I cannot forget what the doctor told me, "if you don't stop, your liver and kidney will be damaged. You're still young, don't waste your life going through a treatment that will only prolong your life but will never cure you."
So drink moderately and occasionally. Take care of your kidney and liver. We are praying for M to be healed completely. One friend, whose father died because of kidney failure, told me that only a miracle can help M now. The dialysis will only extend his life. Just like one doctor told me once.
On a footnote, dialysis procedure in the Philippines costs P4,500 per session. Recommended session is 3x per week, so that's P13,500 expense weekly.
Curtain Closing For A Former Classmate
I just heard tonight that one of my batchmates in high school (secondary) died due to complications with hyperthyroidism. I am battling with this condition, too. I wrote an article about my experience here in read.cash: https://read.cash/@Lois/battling-with-hyperthyroidism-5c8ae6b4
Don't downplay it when your body is giving you signs that something is not right.
Her name was Jen --- a bubbly person with loud laughters and kind smiles. Growing up, I am always happy to see my former classmates whenever I go home. She was one I often met in grocery stores, market. We'd get to talking of how we are doing, our work and family, our other former classmates, relieved our high school and college days. We also used to meet at the hospital's lounge during the times I went for a monthly visit to my doctor for my hyperthyroidism. We talked about our battles with our '*rogue'* thyroid glands. She was already battling with hypertension and a heart disease. These took her from this life.
Our batchmates are preparing a tribute to her on Saturday, the only farewell we can give her. She will be missed especially by her family and friends. Her legacy, love and kindness, will live on through her kids and loved ones. It was a good fight. Jen was victorious in the end.
First Trip Since Pandemic
My mother, daughter and I used to travel often before the Covid19 pandemic. We stay 2 nights to 2 weeks where we go; be it to visit friends or visit relatives. To say that we miss travelling is an understatement, but we coped up.
Recently, I was offered a job in a place 6-8 hours away from home. This was my first trip in a year. My mother and daughter wasn't able to come because of restrictions; senior citizens and kids below 15yrs old are not allowed to travel.
First, I went to the local City Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (CESU) to apply for travel pass. I was asked for a travel order from the employer, employee ID, and medical certificate from the Barangay. They allowed 4 days to travel outside the city, and to report back on the 4th or 5th day for them to check that we have indeed came back. If we go beyond 4 days, we will be quarantined for 14 days.
After CESU, I was then directed to our local police station for the formal travel authority signed by the chief of police. The process only takes 1 day if one has complete documents.
Using google map to search the fastest route to our destination, we followed this
We left early at 4am and reached our destination at past 10am. We passed three borders where we reported our travel schedule and activity. Going home, we used the same route. We were blessed with clear weather on both our travels.
We passed ricefields, mountains, forests, and coastal areas.
We went through a mountain tunnel at Picong, Lanao del Sur.
After 6 hours and 20 minutes, we were home sweet home. I still prefer travelling with my mom and daughter. Hopefully, this pandemic will end and I get to bring them in my travels again.
Post Valentine Thoughts
This year, me and my family didn't celebrate Valentine's Day the usual way --- a dinner out, flowers for my mother, or vacation with family.
Last month, we lost my mother-in-law to cancer complications. It was a devastating moment since she was a very lively person, very loud, laughed very loudly, very strong and intimidating persona, and a loving person in her own way. She told me once that she cannot imagine herself taking care of my little daughter alone. My little one is as shrew and naughty, and she is not intimidated by anyone. But I have seen how my mother-in-law was proud of my baby girl; how she doted on our baby through trinkets and toys and anything her granddaughter would ask for. When we lost her, I cried for her and my daughter --- for her as a mom and granny she would have been, and for my daughter for losing a very loving granny so early. In Filipino tradition, we will be celebrating her 40 days on February 26.
Then last February 13 past 7 o'clock in the evening, my other side of the family lost our niece to cholesteatoma brain. As tradition of the Maranao tribe, her dead body should be buried before sunset. We buried our niece on February 14 at noon. Her birthday was February 15, and she would have been 26. Would have been married to her love of her life before this year ends. Painful. Devastating. Frustrating.
But what gave me hope in these sad times is the love I am seeing at each family member, to friends near and far, to colleagues past and present. These sad times reinforce the genuine love that is present to each and everyone. These are times that reminds each of us how precious every second is, and how precious each of us to each other. We might not say aloud, "hey, i love you you know," but that simple squeeze on your shoulder says it all and more.
Let me share this to everyone and I hope you had a wonderful Valentine's day celebration with your loved ones.
Free Bitcoin Cash
There are a lot of ways to earn free crypto coins. The most fun are, of course, in games. This is one of them through 3 simple steps.
First, download the app from your phone's app/play store through the address below. Or you can simply search "bitcoin aliens" in your app/play store where you can download the other games, too.
https://bitcoinaliens.com/ https://bitcoinaliens.com/?ref=2379936&game=7&pf=2
Second, is to register an account by providing your email address and your bitcoin cash wallet address. I used my coins.ph bitcoin cash address for this.
Third, play.
There are a number of ways to earn BCH satoshi in the game:
**Hourly claim up to 100,000 satoshi.**
**Bonus claims, 3-6 claims per hour.**
**Earn satoshi through the Offer walls by completing tasks/surveys and downloading apps.**
**Inviting friends which earns you 10% of their earnings in the app.**
Payout is every Tuesday with a minimum of 10,000 satoshi. It will be automatically sent to your bitcoin cash wallet address. You can change your wallet address if there would be problems with the wallet address you provided. 10,000 satoshi equivalent is 0.0001 BCH.
You can also try the other games by Bitcoin Aliens to earn more crypto coins. Happy earnings!
Bitcoin Cash in Coins.ph
Starting November 15, 2020 at 7:00AM Philippine Time, Coins.ph will undergo network maintenance on the Bitcoin Cash (BCH) network. All transactions involving BCH will stop and will be declined. No target completion date of said network maintenance has been set by Coins.ph.
As of today, November 14, 2020, I can still transact with my BCH coins in the mobile wallet. Currently, conversion of 1 BCH to Philippine Peso (Php) is at P13,039.
A little bit of Coins.ph. It is a mobile wallet in the Philippines where one can buy load, pay bills, send/receive money, buy/sell crypto, and many more. One can get a 10% rebate when buying load. Credit card and bank account is not a requirement to use this mobile wallet.
Coins.ph allows buy/sell of the following cryptocurrencies: Bitcoin (BTC), Bitcoin Cash (BCH), Ethereum (ETH), Ripple (XRP). Conversion of these digital currencies to Philippine currency (Php) is available, ready in a matter of seconds, and with no fee.
The announcement on BCH network maintenance was posted on the system status page of Coins.ph on November 12, 2020.
The maintenance might be due to the forking of BCH we have anticipated on November 15, 2020. As per Coins.ph support, *a re-enabling of the BCH services will be done once the network is stable.* I have faith in Bitcoin Cash. May this fork result to a more stable and stronger coin.
*Update: BCH services in Coins.ph are re-enabled as of November 18, 2020.*
Battling With Hyperthyroidism
Around February of 2019, I began to notice alarming reactions of my body. My heart was beating fast it became a tickle in my chest. Sometimes I felt it would burst with how fast it beat. I didn't know the term yet. It was palpitations.
From 84kg, my weight went down to 60kg. It wasn't alarming since I began my low-calorie diet since November of 2018. I never recovered my weight before I got pregnant on 2016; it shoot up to 86kg. But what I noticed with my weight going down was it seemed I was wilting. It seemed my weight loss was from an illness and not a result of dieting and a little exercise. Even my friends and relatives noticed that. Their first question everytime was, "Are you sick?"
I also began having a hard time standing straight up. My knees would buckle; I began to lean on my left or right leg when I was standing. It became a struggle standing still. My knees lose their strength; climbing was another struggle. One time, I fell down on the ground when I tried to get on a motorcycle; my knees went jelly.
Aside from my skin with a sickly color, my left eye started to protrude. Smiling was a little difficult too because my facial muscles would quiver.
Standing in front of an audience doing a presentation was not new to me. I would get nervous especially if my big bosses were there but I can easily kept rein of that nervousness and get on with my presentations. But during those times, my whole body was shaking whenever I gave a presentation. I couldn't keep the tremors from my voice, and my breathing was fast and shallow. Even my direct superior wondered at that.
Whenever I talk to someone, it was draining and I got out of breath. My friends and family also noticed my throat has a different roundness.
Around April of 2019, I went to see an endocrinologist. He was also my doctor when I had a gestational diabetes --- an acquired diabetes while pregnant (which, thankfully, was gone after my pregnancy, and wasn't passed on to my daughter). He took a look at me and said my dieting wasn't the cause of my weight loss (he knew I was dieting because we talked over the phone before I scheduled for a check up). He then proceeded a physical check up, and went on to prescribed a laboratory check up. Before I went out his clinic, he told me my thyroid glands were acting abnormally hence my body's abnormal reactions. To confirm it, I needed the laboratory check up.
The day after, I went back to the clinic with the lab results. It confirmed I have a thyroid disease, a hyperthyroidism.
There are different kinds of thyroid diseases, and the most common are hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism. It is very important to know what kind of thyroid disease one has because the cure, what to eat and what not to eat, are opposite.
I am grateful for my endocrinologist because he explained it all to me as simple as he could. First, let's talk of this thyroid gland. What is the function of a thyroid gland? My doctor referred to it as the butterfly-like gland attached to the lower part of the neck. It may be small but its function is very important because it secretes cell hormones T4 (thyroxine) and T3 (triiodothyronine) which is necessary for all the cells in our body to function normally. The thyroid glands act on the 'order' of the pituitary gland found on the base of our brain; how much T4 and T3 to produce for normal body functions.
My lab results showed the T4 and T3 hormones found in my blood were higher than normal. These showed that my thyroid glands were producing abnormal high number of hormones which in turn increases the activity of all my organs --- fast heart rate, insomnia, increase visit to the restroom, whole body shaking, protruding eye. In layman's term, my thyroid glands went rouge. It wasn't listening anymore to the pituitary gland and produces hormones on its own. Since it kept producing hormones, it needed high amount of energy getting it from where it can get. Why my knees buckled? The vitamins and minerals in it were diverted to my rogue thyroid glands.
There are 3 procedures that can be done to cure hyperthyroidism according to my endocrinologist:
Anti-thyroid and Beta Blockers medication
Radioactive iodine
Surgery to remove the thyroid gland
My endocrinologist and I both agreed that we will try the medications, and hopefully we won't turn to radioactive iodine and surgery which I see both as high risk. Radioactive iodine is introduced through the mouth to shrink the gland but it will also cause the gland to slow its production of the hormones which will cause hypothyroidism. I will have to maintain medicines again. As for the surgery, removal of my thyroid gland risks my vocal chords and the glands that regulates calcium in my blood. This will need another medication maintenance.
With medicine treatment, I was given a list of what to eat/drink and what not to eat/drink. I searched more from the internet the alternatives. Since I have hyperthyroidism, the goal is to lower the iodine level in my body. Lifting heavy objects are also a no-no (which was kind of hard because my 14-kg daughter loves being carried by mama).
After 2 months of treatment, everything was turning back to normal. No more palpitations. I have gained back the strength of my knees and arms. My body isn't shaking anymore. My monthly period is back to normal. I am not breathless anymore and I can sing again to my heart's content. I still have a protruding left eye but I can live with it. I take my anti-thyroid and beta blockers medicines at times if I feel like I start to palpitate and/or the tremors are back. I still have another session with my endocrinologist.
Thank you, RandomRewarder and Read.Cash, for the tips. ❤
A Contrast of Sorts
I was scrolling my photo gallery when I came upon the images below. One was taken on a bright sunny mid-day. The next image was taken on an afternoon. The last was taken on a cloudy afternoon. These pictures were taken in the same area.
Like life, not all the time is sunny --- success, love, wealth, happiness, contentment. Not all the time is gloomy --- sadness, frustrations, disappointments, failures. And there is that in between times --- times for a breather; for taking a moment to slow down; for relaxing.
Tonight
When the moon is up, we come out.
Hissing, growling,
pacing and pacing all around.
"Time to play, time to play!"
The chant reverberating in our mind. As one, we lift our heads and look up the sky.
"Pretty little moon, doth shine on us.
Transforming and howling through the light you bask on us.
Tonight, we offer you our hunt.
Tonight, we feast and celebrate our bounty."
Hey, 'dy
Are you out there? Are you looking down on me? Do you celebrate my success? Do you cry for my pains? Are you happy with me?
Been a long time since we saw you. Been a long time since we heard you. We miss you. We love you. Do you know that?
Forever lost to us but never forgotten. In the end, we are all just visitors in this world. We'll be together one day. See you, dy.
A Superstition
Our culture is wrapped on superstitions and old beliefs. These are passed down from our grandparents and elders. From combing your hair at night to singing in front of an open fire while cooking.
When I was younger, I would sometimes scoffed when an elder chides at me because of a superstition. As I grew older, I learned to respect it as part of our beliefs. Well, as long as it doesn't get in the way of things nor hurt another person.
I realized how much of these beliefs are rooted in me when looking at the moon tonight. My eyes immediately were drawn to the star near it and told myself, it is a good night for courtship (oh well if it is still exists these days hehe).
My grandmother used to tell us, when a star is near the moon, a courtship will be successful.
Well, I bid goodluck to the lovers tonight. ❤
Sunny Day
Hi, everyone. After days of gloomy skies and rainy afternoons, the sun has finally took a peek on us.
The plants are merry, the land is flourishing through the sun's warmth.
Hey Babe
You're turning 4 today. I must have done something really, really good because I am blessed with you. I will always be amazed. Why? 14 years ago, I was diagnosed with infertility. Though it stung deep inside, I thought it was for the better; I was busy with my career, and I doubted I will be a good mom. But here you are. You give meaning to everything. And I cannot imagine life without you anymore. You are my life, my light, my laughter, my love. You will always and forever be my baby. I have wrapped you in prayers and love ever since you were growing inside me. And I pray I am being a good mama and a good bestfriend to you. I love you so, so much, my baby. Happy birthday. ❤
Earning from Bots
Hi, everyone. I have been using this telegram bots for a week now and I have withdrawn twice per bot. Withdrawal is through coinbase only. You can earn bits, eather or satoshi by clicking the daily bonus/claim, lucky roulette (every 2 hours), and by visiting links.
Https://t.me/coinbaseclick_V3_bot?start=loischristine
Minimum withdrawal is 150 Satoshi
Https://t.me/BCH_Gift_Bot?start=loischristine
Minimum withdrawal is 4400 Bits
Https://t.me/ETH_Gift_Bot?start=1024969210
Minimum withdrawal is 1500 Eather
Here are images of withdrawal proof:
From coinbase, I send the coins to the wallet I can use in my country. Happy earnings! 😊
My Babe
I discovered your existence on January 5, 2016. You were unknowingly growing in my belly for 4 weeks already. I was alarmed. I was still smoking that time.
When the obgyn confirmed your presence, I had mixed emotions. I was amazed that a life was growing inside me. I was fearful and kept questioning myself, 'would I be a good mom?' I was anxious because of my smoking vice. It was a wondrous and frightening discovery.
I was already 36 years old, I thought I would never have a child of my own. The doctors call my baby, a prime baby. I call her, my baby *lingin* (a Visayan term for round). It was in April I confirmed the baby was a girl.
Being pregnant was the one of the best adventures in my life. I was still working and travelling to and fro with work. My travel hours consumed 3 hours to 10 hours. No wonder my baby loves travelling now, too.
It was August 22, 2016 when I went to my obgyn, and she scheduled me for a caesarian operation in 2 days. I asked if I can have a 'trial labor.' But my obgyn will not risk my life or my baby's because giving birth when a woman is in her prime age is considered high risk. Meaning, the possibility of complications is high. And so, I conceeded.
August 24, 2016. At 8am, I was wheeled in to the operating room. I was awake for the whole operation duration. 9am, my obgyn exclaimed, "Lois, it's really good we had this caesarian operation! Your baby is entangled with the cord --- 1 coil on the neck, 1 coil on the body, 1 coil on the legs!" The other doctors cooed, she had a beautiful nose. And then they looked at me (those @$^$^@ 🤬😅). 9:43am, we heard my baby's loud cry. I was relieved knowing she was okay. 10:40am or something, I was wheeled out of the operating room and waited for my daughter. She immediately suckled when the nurse brought her to me. She smiled after she had her fill.
I could never explain how I felt when I had her in my arms. I used to sing and talk to her when she was growing in my belly; she smiled whenever she heard my voice.
My baby will turn 4 next Monday, August 24. She is me and more. She is eveything to me. ❤
My Favorite Time on the Beach
I was once asked by a friend, "what's your favorite time on the beach?"
I answered, "I love the early mornings. I love the peace and tranquility brought by walking at the beach; the quiet, the gentle lapping of waves, the early morning kiss of the sun.
And then I love how the sun kisses my skin during mid day when the heat makes me thirst for an ice-cold drink.
It's during those times when a cool breeze is a gift; that you appreciate that little coolness on your sun-toast skin.
You appreciate more the shade the trees bring .
The coolness of the water is a balm to your heated skin.
Then, I love the afternoons, when the kids can come out to play..
..when the sun's heat is just stinging lightly.
And then I love the late afternoons and early evenings. It's when sun-kissed skins are healed and bodies lulled into rest.
I love every moment I spend on the beach. Be it in the mornings, mid days, afternoons, or evenings."
@Lois
