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Nightingale









Monday, July 31, 2006

This is me in my student nurse uniform. I was about to go to the chapel of our school to attend the Capping Ceremony of my class when I was asked to pose for this photo. Bachelor of Science in Nursing was five years during my time and the capping was done on our 3rd year. The first two years were all the arts and science subjects. On my third year, that's when I started my hospital tour of duty. It was from 6 am - 12 noon for 5 days. Our afternoon and night duties were done during our summer break. During the regular months, my afternoon was spent inside the classroom from 1:00 pm to 6:00 pm Monday to Friday. After my hospital duty, I had to go back to my boarding school which was just across my school to change to my regular uniform. Below is a photo of me and classmates in our regular school uniform.

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All were years of studying and hospital duty but I can say they were many exciting experiences I had. One of them was when I was assigned to do volunteer work when a killer earthquake struck the country bringing down lots of buildings to the ground. I was assigned in Ruby Tower in downtown Manila. As a student nurse, I didn't know I would be able to withstand the smell of the thousands of decaying bodies but I am proud to say that I did not give up just like my other classmates. When I got home that night, I realized I had to continue delivering the necessary care for the survivors that they extracated from the rubbles.

Another one was when I was assigned also as a student nurse in the Leper Colony in Culion, Palawan. Initially when I was informed that I was to join this group and not the group that was assigned to go Baguio City, the summer capital of the Philippines, I cried. I tried giving my mentors all the excuses but it fell on deaf ears. After a week of my duty in Culion, with proper precaution, I started enjoying not only the beautiful place but more this group of lepers. After 3 months of stay with them, I felt so fulfilled and sad to leave them behind.

And lastly as a registered young nurse, I was privileged to be called to duty at midnight to take care of the Former Senator Jovito Salonga who was being transferred to the ICU. He had to undergo 7 major surgeries after he was hit by shrapnels from a series of bombings earlier that night in Plaza Miranda when he with several other senators were all gathered on a stage waiting for their turn to deliver their campaign speech. I took care of him for months and when he finally left for home, I felt so honored to have been part of the team that brought him back to normal. Up to this present time, Senator Salonga who is now in his 80's still serves as a consultant/adviser to many politicians.

At that time, taking pictures was not that easy just like nowadays so all I have with me now are unforgettable stories that fill up my memory bank.

 
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Sunday, July 30, 2006


... live and let live with peace, prosperity and healthy thoughts

filling both my conscious and subconscious mind.
Jennifer O'Dell

All of us have experienced tragedies, trials and tribulations in our lives. Those unpleasant memories are still retained just below the surface of our subconscious, and tend to affect our well-being if we let them.

To remove these negative images, we must expend a great effort to reprogram our conscious minds to eliminate them.

Lethargy can become a stumbling block in the process. For example by saying to ourselves, "I'm too tired to do anything about it," can cause our subconscious to cease working on ridding us of these negative thoughts.

But if we say instead, "Life's given me the opportunity to use my talents in so many areas that I am able to sleep less in order to be of more service to others. Every day, I celebrate that I am alive."

Such a positive attitude leaves no room for negative thoughts to reappear. Instead, they disappear. We become the master allowing no past thoughts to becloud our efforts or our judgments. It is our choice.

 
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Saturday, July 29, 2006

Theme For The Week: PETS/ANIMALS

I don't have a pet so I decided to choose for this week's theme a fascinating animal. It is called TARSIER. It is found only in Bohol, Philippines. It's one of the smallest prosimians - some of them can fit inside your palm. They like to stay in areas of tall grasses, bushes, bamboo shoots, and small trees in tropical rainforests. They are arboreal and nocturnal. They spend the day hiding in dense vegetation and sleeping in trees. At night they emerge to move about and hunt for prey.

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Thursday, July 27, 2006

VIAMARIE is thankful for...

... the continuous guidance that God provided while I was going through another difficult week at work. I had to face 2 groups of people. One was the Board of Directors of the company for the midyear performance review of hospital operations including the presentation of our goals for July to December 2006. The other was a group of auditors who was sent to conduct due diligence on the company because of a foreign loan we applied for.

... keeping all of us healthy inspite of the threat of influenza which is right now contaminating a lot of people in the neighborhood and at work.

... sparing the country from loss of lives and properties when two strong typhoons hit us.

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Links to other Thankful Thursdays
(If you participate, leave your link in the comments and I'll post it below; or, you can post in the comments)




Click here for the Thankful Thursday code

Click here for Chrixean's blog


Trackbacks, pings, and comment links are accepted and encouraged!



 
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Wednesday, July 26, 2006
20th WORDLESS WEDNESDAY


 
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Monday, July 24, 2006

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This photo shows how the cars in a vacant lot looked after Mt. Pinatubo erupted 17 years ago. I was staying a hundred kilometers away from the volcano so I didn't hear or feel the eruption. All I experienced was darkness at around past 3 in the afternoon but I just thought it was going to rain very hard that afternoon since there was a typhoon somewhere in the north. I did not catch the breaking news on tv because I was doing some household chores. It was later in the evening while I was preparing dinner that I noticed the top of the dinning table to be full of dust. I looked around the living room and all the furnitures had dust all over them. I went out of the house and it was then that I realized that something was wrong because the car, the plants and the grass was all covered with dust. I rushed to the tv to check what was going on and it was there that reports came one after the other about the most violent eruption of the 20th century. I couldn't do anything much since it was very dark so I just closed all the windows of the house to prevent ashes from coming in and when morning came, I was so shocked to see the thick ashfall all over the house and my surroundings. My hubby was out of town at that time so I only had my dad and a nephew clearing the ashfall from the roof to the ground. It took them all day to gather them in a big mound in front of our house.

This is one very memorable event in my lifetime and I am very thankful to God that the residents of all these affected towns have now recovered from financial losses and have moved on with their lives even if they had to relocate themselves.

 
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Sunday, July 23, 2006

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..remember that change is not growing towards
perfection, but is itself a form of perfection.



To enjoy the beauty and grace that each day bring us, we must let go of our standards, schedules, and expectations. We begin to enjoy peace of mind when we accept each moment of our lives as perfect.

Every day we can anticipate change. It is one of the primary elements that remains constant in all forms of life. Learning to let each moment unfold remains constant in all forms of life. Learning to let each moment unfold allows us the benefit of enjoying the challenges that its unfolding brings.

If we consider that each day is perfect, it can only prove that we live in a perfect world.



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Saturday, July 22, 2006

THEME FOR THE WEEK: ACTION

This place was where all the action took place during World War II.
A few years ago, my family visited
Corregidor Island, the last
stronghold of the joint Philippine and American military prior to the
Japanese takeover during the war. One of the historical places
in the island was MALINTA TUNNEL.

 
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Thursday, July 20, 2006


VIAMARIE is thankful ...

...for the chance of spending a fun-filled day with the family in SM Mall of Asia. This mall opened its doors to the public last May 2006 and since then has been the favorite of thousands of shoppers. To give you an idea on how the mall looks, I'd like to share some photos of the place which I downloaded from Anton's blog because the ones my hubby took did not turn out good.

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The mall sits on a 60 hectare property. It has 500 outlets, including 180 restaurants
which is the biggest in our country. It has an olympic-size skating rink
where you can play hockey, a Music Hall good for 900 seats.
Its supermarket is 13,000 sq. m big

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The first Imax in the Philippines has 560 seats and its screen
is eight-story-high with a 22m x 33m screen size!

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It has a view of 2-kilometer shoreline of Manila bay
anda stunning view of Manila's Sunset



Links to other Thankful Thursdays
(If you participate, leave your link in the comments and I'll post it below; or, you can post in the comments)




Click here for the Thankful Thursday code

Click here for Chrixean's blog


Trackbacks, pings, and comment links are accepted and encouraged!



 
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Wednesday, July 19, 2006
19th WORDLESS WEDNESDAY


 
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Monday, July 17, 2006


My First Communion
 
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Sunday, July 16, 2006


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"Live" in the "now". I will not concern myself with
tomorrow or yesterday. For it is in being part of the
present that I can appreciate the gift of serenity.


I have oftentimes complained about how much I have to do, or there isn't enough time in a day to do it. What I am forgetting is that in performing my daily task, I really am getting a great deal out of life. If I never had anything to do, or never had any responsibilities to attend to, then my life would be very boring and useless indeed. And, most importantly, there would never be a feeling of pride in the job I did well.

It is in the service work that I do for others that I also gain "real" satisfaction out of life. I can enjoy happiness and serenity if I slow down long to enjoy the moment in which I am working, instead of worrying about the end results.

So, I must say to myself; there is a time and place for everything, and now is the time to enjoy what I am doing. For there is no tomorrow or no yesterday. There is only today. And so I must live in the present if I am to be truly happy.



 
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Saturday, July 15, 2006

This Week's Theme: DOOR

Taken in front of the Immaculate Conception Church
in Dasmariñas Cavite, Philippines last April 8, 2006



The door behind the four beautiful people is made of narra( red sandalwood) whose scientific name is Pterocarpus indicus. The narra timber is used for high class furniture and cabinets, decorative sliced veneer, interior wall paneling, feature flooring (including strip and parquet), musical instruments, gun stocks, rifle butts, turned articles, knife handles, boat building and specialised joinery.

In the Philippines export of narra wood was 3 million kg in 1985, declining to 2.3 kg in 1986 (57% processed) and 430,000 kg in 1987 (all processed). From that time export has been negligible and at present there is a total cutting ban on the species.


 
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Thursday, July 13, 2006

Thankful Thursday: What VIAMARIE is thankful for this week


Thank you for the network of women in my workplace and the healing moment we had a few days ago. You were totally there with us GOD and brought us there for that healing.

Thank you for Rose's prayer about healing Mercy and Lucy because we are praying for their recovery from leukemia and colon cancer respectively. Her prayer is like an affirmation that You really do hear us and help us when we need You. All is well. Amen.

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Links to other Thankful Thursdays
(If you participate, leave your link in the comments and I'll post it below; or, you can post in the comments)




Click here for the Thankful Thursday code

Click here for Chrixean's blog


Trackbacks, pings, and comment links are accepted and encouraged!



 
7:47 PM | Permalink | 6 comments
Wednesday, July 12, 2006

18th WORDLESS WEDNESDAY



 
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Monday, July 10, 2006

Taken during one of my piano recitals. I'm the
cute 6 year old girl on the right-front row.


Photobucket - Video and Image HostingThere were two other things I was doing as a child other than playing and studying. These were attending ballet and piano lessons. Ballet lessons were every Saturday while piano lessons were every Sunday. For piano lessons, I was made to practice at least an hour everyday during school week and two hours everyday during the summer break. During those years, I didn't like playing the piano because it ate up a lot of my playing time but I had no choice. I started studying piano when I was four years old and I performed in many recitals until I reached high school. Because I did not put my heart into it, I did not become a professional pianist. I enjoyed instead playing the guitar which I now regret very much.

All those years I was performing, there were many memorable events but there is one that I find the most memorable. It was during a recital when I was 5 years old. In the middle of my performance, I forgot my piece. I turned my head towards the audience and started scratching my head . Since I could no longer proceed, I stood up and bowed my head and as I was about to exit the stage, I suddenly remembered what keys to hit so I rushed back to the piano to finish my performance. That night, I became the most applauded performer despite the embarassing situation.
 
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Saturday, July 08, 2006

This Week's Theme: SIGN


Saw this sign hanging on the window
of a house in a nearby subdivision.



 
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Friday, July 07, 2006
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This weekend I will build slack into my schedule.
This perpetual hurry of business and company ruins me in soul if not in body.



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Yipee!!!
 
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Thursday, July 06, 2006

VIAMARIE this Thursday would like to be thankful
to a dearly beloved father whose birthday was yesterday.
He would have been 96 years old.


So Daddy let me once again ...

…thank you for creating me with love
…thank you for keeping your cool through my terrible twos, and my thoroughly exhausting threes, and my fearsome fours, and…
…thank you for spending one summer constructing a two room playhouse for me and my siblings
…thank you for always laughing at my jokes, no matter how bad they were
…thank you for appreciating my taste in “noise” and for introducing me to your generation's "music"
…thank you for sending me to an expensive and very good school thousands of miles away from home and also for scrimping on the household budget for many, many years to pay for my college tuition
…thank you for taking me thousands of miles just to see the Circus and
Holiday on Ice
…thank you for urging me to be a leader and not a follower
…thank you for pretending you liked the ties and cuff links I got you as gifts
…thank you for having the people at the office save their letters from foreign lands so that I could add the stamps to my collection
…thank you for letting my activities take precedence over your other plans
…thank you for encouraging me to read about the world news in the daily paper and other books
…thank you for preparing our breakfast every morning
…thank you for defining altruism, integrity, perseverance, and loyalty by your example
…thank you for living by the Ten Commandments
…thank you for our “family values”
…thank you for passing on to me our family’s greatest and most valuable asset-our reputation
…thank you for a great childhood
…thank you for being mine

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Links to other Thankful Thursdays
(If you participate, leave your link in the comments and I'll post it below; or, you can post in the comments)




Click here for the Thankful Thursday code

Click here for Chrixean's blog


Trackbacks, pings, and comment links are accepted and encouraged!



 
6:39 AM | Permalink | 8 comments
Wednesday, July 05, 2006

A Tribute to a Loving Father

July 5, 1910 - January 7, 2002

Daddy, you were a good man. You worked harder than anyone should have to, in order for us to have all the things we needed, and sometimes the things we only wanted. You had a kind and generous spirit. Your heart stretched wide enough to surround all of your children as well as your grandchildren and great-grandchild, helping us to feel safe and secure, knowing how deeply you loved us. You earned our respect, and gave us your respect in return.

We all knew you were a man of few words, but when you did speak, we listened. We recognized your profound wisdom, and your wonderfully simple approach to life. Family was important to you, and you have passed that value on to all of your children.

Words cannot express how much I miss you! Up to this day, I still feel the pain of your loss even if I know that you are up there looking down over me everyday. As the days go by it gets a little easier but it is days like birthdays and Christmas that challenges me the most.

I wonder if these days will ever get easier. I will always think about you and how much you helped me all the years we had together. I will cherish those times for ever more.

There will always be a very special place in my heart for you. You were the most caring and thoughtful man known to many and will never be forgotten. You made me proud Dad. I miss you everyday.

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Monday, July 03, 2006

My childhood was one that many kids in our neighborhood envied. Aside from being a very happy family, my parents sent us to very good and expensive schools, provided us with all the material things available and instilled in us very strong values. I grew up in the house which is one of the houses that my father built as head of the construction department of the company he worked for. It sat in a 1000 square meter lot. It was surrounded with a lot of beautiful trees and flowering plants. At the far end of the house, we had a 2 room playhouse and in the middle of the big well maintained grass yard were the big swing and seesaw. Because of these amenities, almost all the kids in our immediate neighborhood spent their growing up years playing with us. My parents became hosts to a lot of big parties because the house had a very big and spacious living room, three big bedrooms, a big family room, a big veranda, a study room, a breakfast nook, a big dining room and kitchen. It also had the maid's quarter, the laundry room and the garage at the 1st floor level. All of these beautiful memories including the beautiful house were sadly left behind when we had to transfer to Manila after my daddy's retirement in 1971.

28 years later, my brother had a chance to visit the house again and he fortunately was able to take photos of it. He recently shared them with me and I was deeply saddened by the condition it is in now. The fence is rusty and the lamp post and beautiful plants that grew beside the impressive front gate are gone. They are replaced by trees that are not well maintained and wild plants. The entire house is so worn out and looks like it has not been painted in years. The back and side of the house have a variety of plants and trees in the lawn that have not been trimmed. The beautiful pine trees and the rows of flowering plants are gone. Gone too are the playhouse, the big swing and seesaw.

According to my brother, he felt bad seeing the outside of the house but he felt more sad when he saw the inside. He even cried when he stepped into the living room up to the kitchen areas. He could not understand how the new tenants have allowed all the beautiful things inside to deteriorate. Here are some of the shots he took during that visit.

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Sunday, July 02, 2006

This is really cute!!

Don't eat chicken sandwiches, no matter what....

A little boy and a little girl attended the same school and became friends. Every day they would sit together to eat their lunch. They discovered that they both brought chicken sandwiches every day! This went on all through the fourth and fifth grades, until one day he noticed that her sandwich wasn't a chicken sandwich.

He said, "Hey, how come you're not eating chicken, don't you like it anymore?" She said "I love it but I have to stop eating it." Why?" he asked.

She pointed to her lap and said "Cause I'm starting to grow little feathers down there!" "Let me see" he said. "Okay" and she pulled up her skirt. He looked and said, "That's right. You are! Better not eat any more chicken."

He kept eating his chicken sandwiches until one day he brought peanut butter. He said to the little girl, "I have to stop eating chicken sandwiches, I'm starting to get feathers down there too!" She asked if she could look, so he pulled down his pants for her.

She said "Oh, my God, it's too late for you! You've already got the neck and the gizzards!!!

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Saturday, July 01, 2006

Theme Of The Week: AUTOMOBILE


This is Willys Jeep introduced by the American GIs in
World War II.
A town in the Philippines known as
Bangued, Abra has turned it into
a bamboo
camouflaged limousine which their
lady Mayor uses
during official functions.









 
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