I didn't announce it to the press, but I just celebrated my birthday some time ago this month. No, I will not say when, nor will I divulge which year I was born. I stopped counting my age at 28.
It is mandatory that I celebrate my birthday. Everyone else does right? It's always the usual - eat out and invite almost everyone in the clan. It did cause a significant drop in my bank account, but it was worth it.
Vikings buffet was packed that day, despite the ugly weather. I refused to have the staff sing to me at our table. I hate that.
So another year has passed. A lot of things have happened in the span of 1 year. I graduated from residency. I passed the diplomate boards and am now a certified radiologist. I started my fellowship training in CT-MRI a few months back. Life went by like a blur.
I'd like to say that I've learned something in the past year. Yes, maybe I did. But nothing really life altering. I guess most of the valuable lessons in life I have already learned.
It's the start of another year. May this one be a good one as well.
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Missing Sunday
I'm tired.
Sundays are days when one can relax, spend quality time with family and friends. But for someone in my profession, even Sundays are not spared.
When I was a kid I looked forward to Sundays. We usually spend Sunday mornings at the PICC complex. Dad would go jogging, us kids would go biking or join dad in his jogging, and mom stays at a shaded place with the younger kids while preparing a sort of picnic for when we finish our jog. I remember waiting for the vendor who sells Magnolia chocolait, the ones in the glass bottles. It tasted better back then.
We'd go home after and mom cooks us a sumptuous lunch. It would always be one of our favorites, and we'd end up eating a lot.
Sunday afternoons are spent going out to the mall where we play in the arcades. I remember using up all my tokens worth Php200 (back then that would mean a lot of tokens) on this one first-person shooting game, trying to defeat the last boss character. If we didn't go out we'd stay at home and just chill. Dad would order Shakey's thin crust itallian sausage pizza, a family favorite, for merienda. Mom would make halo-halo. Us kids would be out in the garden playing. Me and kuya would be playing with our G.I. Joes playing make-believe war, while the younger brothers watch and play with the fallen heroes of our little war games.
Sunday evenings are always reserved for Mass. After Mass, we'd either eat out or mom would prepare a feast for dinner.
I always liked Sundays.
Those Sundays are now a distant memory.
When dad moved to the US so that he can augment the family income, we cut down on the time we spend going to PICC complex for our morning jogs. Lunch and dinner feasts were still there. And of course Sunday mass.
When I entered medschool I try to go home every Sunday if I can. But when I started to have hospital duties, even Sundays were not spared. I'd spend Sundays at the hospital looking after patients, sometimes forgetting to eat due to the amount of work needed to be accomplished. Sundays were no longer happy days.
On the rare occasion that I was not on duty on a Sunday, I'd spend it sleeping. Weekends off were the only days when I can catch up on sleep. If not sleeping I'd be studying. Gone were the happy Sundays.
Today is a Sunday. I'm here at the hospital waiting for the next patient. I'd probably end up working through lunch again. My brother and his family are going to visit home, and as usual I am the absentee.
In a few years, after I'm done with training I might get the chance to spend Sundays at home again. I'm hoping to try and get back those missed Sundays. To spend it with my family like I used to. Then probably Sundays would be fun days again.
Sundays are days when one can relax, spend quality time with family and friends. But for someone in my profession, even Sundays are not spared.
When I was a kid I looked forward to Sundays. We usually spend Sunday mornings at the PICC complex. Dad would go jogging, us kids would go biking or join dad in his jogging, and mom stays at a shaded place with the younger kids while preparing a sort of picnic for when we finish our jog. I remember waiting for the vendor who sells Magnolia chocolait, the ones in the glass bottles. It tasted better back then.
We'd go home after and mom cooks us a sumptuous lunch. It would always be one of our favorites, and we'd end up eating a lot.
Sunday afternoons are spent going out to the mall where we play in the arcades. I remember using up all my tokens worth Php200 (back then that would mean a lot of tokens) on this one first-person shooting game, trying to defeat the last boss character. If we didn't go out we'd stay at home and just chill. Dad would order Shakey's thin crust itallian sausage pizza, a family favorite, for merienda. Mom would make halo-halo. Us kids would be out in the garden playing. Me and kuya would be playing with our G.I. Joes playing make-believe war, while the younger brothers watch and play with the fallen heroes of our little war games.
Sunday evenings are always reserved for Mass. After Mass, we'd either eat out or mom would prepare a feast for dinner.
I always liked Sundays.
Those Sundays are now a distant memory.
When dad moved to the US so that he can augment the family income, we cut down on the time we spend going to PICC complex for our morning jogs. Lunch and dinner feasts were still there. And of course Sunday mass.
When I entered medschool I try to go home every Sunday if I can. But when I started to have hospital duties, even Sundays were not spared. I'd spend Sundays at the hospital looking after patients, sometimes forgetting to eat due to the amount of work needed to be accomplished. Sundays were no longer happy days.
On the rare occasion that I was not on duty on a Sunday, I'd spend it sleeping. Weekends off were the only days when I can catch up on sleep. If not sleeping I'd be studying. Gone were the happy Sundays.
Today is a Sunday. I'm here at the hospital waiting for the next patient. I'd probably end up working through lunch again. My brother and his family are going to visit home, and as usual I am the absentee.
In a few years, after I'm done with training I might get the chance to spend Sundays at home again. I'm hoping to try and get back those missed Sundays. To spend it with my family like I used to. Then probably Sundays would be fun days again.
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