Cook Book

David cook has been my bet since I heard him sing "Billie Jean" and when David Archuleta started to dance obnoxiously!

I became more hooked when he made his own (better) version of MC's "Always be my Baby".

I even downloaded the 2 songs (illegally!!!) into my mobile phone and made it my ringtone and message alert tone.

Below is the winning song that David sang as the new American Idol:

The Time of My Life

(A tribute to David Cook, American Idol 2008!)

I’ve been waiting for my dreams
To turn into something
I could believe in
And looking for that
Magic rainbow
On the horizon
I couldn’t see it
Until I let go
Gave into love and watched all the bitterness burn
Now I’m coming alive
Body and soul
And feelin’ my world start to turn

And I’ll taste every moment
And live it out loud
I know this is the time,
This is the time
To be more than a name
Or a face in the crowd
I know this is the time
This is the time of my life
Time of my life

Holding onto things that vanished
Into the air
Left me in pieces
But now I’m rising from the ashes
Finding my wings
And all that I needed
Was there all along
Within my reach
As close as the beat of my heart

So I’ll taste every moment
And live it out loud
I know this is the time,
This is the time to be
More than a name
Or a face in the crowd
I know this is the time
This is the time of my life
Time of my life

And I’m out on the edge of forever
Ready to run
I’m keeping my feet on the ground
My arms open wide
My face to the sun

I’ll taste every moment
And live it out loud
I know this is the time,
This is the time to be
More than a name
Or a face in the crowd
I know this is the time
This is the time of my life
Time of my life
More than a name
Or a face in the crowd
This is the time
This is the time of my life.
This is the time of my life.

Communication Barrier

Mcdonald's

Robin: Miss unlimited ba yung coffee nyo pag-breakfast hours?
Crew: No sir, Free refill lang!!!

Bus Terminal
Robin: Miss, may bottled water kayo?
Tindera: Wala sir, mineral water only.

Jollibee
Robin: Miss, I will have all my order to go please.
Crew: Gusto mo sir ng goto?

Pizza Hut
Robin: Miss, asan nakalagay yung mga condiments?
Crew: Thank you sir!

PLUS and MINUS

PLUS stands for "people like us".

That's a common term for homosexual and bisexual guys to use in a discreet manner.

Most recently, hormones really made another rage post-puberty when a good PLUS friend stood me up after making me wait for almost 3 hours for the mere reason that he forget how time flies which is really a big rip-off.

If that's a simple eyeball... I would not make a much of a big deal but it involved a good PLUS friend whom I don't get much.

My real good friends are the usual straight people way back in high school who likes homosexuals and are using homosexual language but definitely they will curse me if I got involved with their ex-boyfriends, brothers, or worse, their fathers...

So it is really a BIG deal for me if I make good friends with a PLUS because I can be more open to just about anything without fear of judgment from that type of friend.

From experience, PLUS guys that I mostly meet (like 80%) tend to end up as either one night stand, fling, fubu (if it's on a daily or weekly basis), lover, partner (if it's more serious), stalker, or worse, competition.

My perception towards PLUS guys really changes whenever I meet someone who becomes a good friend which brings hope and understanding that the homophobic society just misjudge people like us.

Back to my "no show" PLUS friend. It was just ok if he just informed me earlier that he has other plans like he's going beefcake party with a more outgoing PLUS friend and not let me wait for almost 3 hours because that's definitely a minus!

Iron Man is Hot

I beg to differ and defer Nico's review of the movie "Iron Man"...

I watched it in SM City Cebu Cinema last May 20th with a buddy and from a range of 1-10 with 10 as a perfect score, I rate it as 7...

Though I admit that the movie is really meant for older audience coz you will have a hard time relating to the movie if you haven't read prior the comic book or watched the animated version.

To begin with, only few of the younger generations know Robert Downey Jr. who played Tony Stark/Iron Man as well as Gweneth Paltrow who played Pepper Potts who is Tony Starks' assistant and later on became his love interest.

Well, Mr. Downey is fit to portray Mr. Stark who is a middle-aged egoistic cold-hearted emperor of the modern world in terms of technological warfare is concerned who later on became the iron-suited hero powered by his nuclear reactor heart after he was abducted by a terrorist group who forced him to create a weapon of mass destruction to there advantage. He manages to turn the table around and was able to escape and swore to protect the innocent, first from his technology, next is from the terrorists and tyrants who want to profit from building ammunitions.

If it was Orlando Bloom or Ashton Kutcher, perhaps the younger generation would be able to enjoy more but the movie will not be true to its original story.

Silver lining in Silver Star (Bus Company)

Not so long ago, I had an immediate trip to Manila to accompany my mother to meet her dual citizen niece and her family who is having a vacation there.

4 days after, I am already at Araneta Center bus terminal waiting for the bus to leave bound for my hometown. The trip lasted 28 hours and here are what I have realized:

1) Ordinary bus ticket is every CHEAP, it's almost 50% of the cheapest airfare. But services on this bus is even CHEAPER! Drivers and conductors get extra income by delivering packages. What happens is that the cargo bins of the bus is already full of this "special" packages, the bulky baggages of the of the passengers get piled up in the aisle making it an "extra challenge" for the passenger to get in and out of their seats during stop-overs.

2) Passengers who usually takes ordinary buses have the following baggages:
a) annoying children with ADHD (not just a child, children!!!)
b) live stock ranging from fighting roosters to puppies (you can play animal sound guessing game the whole trip!!!)
c)the classic biscuit can (with biscuits of course!!!)

3) The travel is already long, what makes it longer and more exhausting is when you have a driver with bladder issues. What happens is that we go on unnecessary halt every 1-2 hours!

4) Starbucks has bottled instant flavored frapuccino in convenient stores at the stop-over.

Now, that's my Silver lining!!! hehehe!!!

Confessions of a Clinical Instructor (Part 1)

by SARS Nars from Mars

Working as a Clinical Instructor is definitely very humbling. It taught me to be more understanding and give more patience toward my students, co-faculty, and my salary for already rendered services.

But I never thought I would say this, but after working as a Clinical Instructor for quite sometime, no monetary compensation can suffice the difficulty a Clinical Instructor have in dealing with students and co-faculty.

Based on my experience, students' attitude definitely varies. But those who are worst to deal with are those who are stubborn, self-righteous, and self-centered.

Some students are stubborn in such a way that you have to constantly remind and reprimand them of their faults. I usually tell these students that a person who thinks but doesn't learn is in great danger, definitely!

Self-righteous students are those who never listens to Clinical Instructors' instructions. Instead, they make their own rules and fear no one because of leverage of their influence in school. An example of this is a student nurse who doesn't bring thermometer on a make-up duty because he thinks he can get away with it and he uses the thermometer at the nurse's station instead. After reprimand, this student spreads rumor among his peers that the clinical instructor is just taking extra effort to watch him closely for faults because of its hidden grudge to him.

Self-centered students are those who take advantage of their fellow students and the faculty as well at all times for their own personal gain. Examples of these are instances wherein these students deliberately compare clinical instructors who they will favor more in terms who can easily be manipulated and who is most likely to pass them with just "pleasing personality" as the basis. Basically, the purpose of these students is to create hostility and competition among Clinical Instructors favoring to their own advantage.

These 3 type of students usually blame Clinical Instructors for almost all their failures. They really never understand the discipline the nursing profession demands that is incorporated into their curriculum and being implemented by the College of Nursing.

They always wanted that everything either goes in their favor or at their convenience.

In regards with co-faculty, cooperation and respect among Clinical Instructors are essential for a nursing faculty to function well.

But how can that be possible if a junior Clinical Instructor have no choice but to do the work of a very inconsiderate senior co-faculty on its behalf because it directly affects his own output. It is aside from the fact that this Clinical Instructor is already preoccupied with his own work load and other errands though they are both equally compensated which is really unfair and very unprofessional. The senior Clinical Instructor on other hand is much more preoccupied in entertaining other part time jobs and on-call duties.

Though I have experienced all of these, as a nurse myself, I have learned to adjust to the demands of my job now as a nurse educator. I do admit that I am not perfect and I have flaws but I always do my best to improve myself personally and professionally.

If its not also only for the great respect and gratitude I have for my mentors in the nursing faculty, who are always there to give me the much needed criticism, advice, support, and guidance, I may already have quit being a Clinical Instructor.

For the next installment of this article, I will be confessing more on the controversies behind Student Nurse - Clinical Instructor Relationships. Watch out for that one.

Cruel Intentions

First posted at Friendster blog on March 27, 2008.

It has just come to my knowledge that some nursing students are doing extra effort to oust me as a clinical instructor by verbal malevolence.

They would rather prefer to have a senile and an imbecile for a clinical instructor.

As I have said to the nursing students who were under me during the clinical duty in Borongan, "At first you do enjoy being under a clinical instructor who is lax and would pass you anyway but after quite sometime you will ask yourself, what have you learn? The common answer that you would probably have is nothing..."

I may not be perfect but at least I am humble enough to make room for improvements for myself and my profession... for a person who thinks but does not learn is in great danger!

For those nursing students who appreciate what I do, I express my sincere gratitude and a challenge for you to do better in your studies and clinical duties.

For those who see me as a hindrance to their voracious intentions, I will never be threatened and I challenge you to prove me wrong.

Post NCLEX Stress Disorder

First posted on February 27, 2008 at Friendster blogs.

I thought 22 was my lucky number.

February 22, 2008, the day I got my mail from Board of Nursing in Saipan (that's in Northern Marianas for the ignoramus).

I did not PASS the NCLEX. Well, I already have a feeling before I won't make the cut but now, I have the hard copy. I am seriously thinking of having it laminated. It is my first time to fail an exam. (excluding ofcourse la salle, ateneo, UP college entrance examinations)

My folks, like most middle-class parents, were disappointed.

While waiting for the NCLEX result, it seems that my father is already planning the loans he will be applying soon which I am the one who will be paying when I'm already in the land of milk and honey, and britney spears.

It also seems that my mother was already anticipating then that she will be receiving her retirement pension soon aka allotment from my work worth $30 an hour.

But reality kicks in. I did not pass the NCLEX.

My parents told me, "Bahala ka na sa buhay mo..."

But ofcourse, I know what they really meant was that I'm an investment gone bad but I need to take the NCLEX again but now, I'm paying using what I am earning now as parttime Clinical Instructor.

It makes me realize that is this the price of raising me in a bubble? A life where I was expected to do good in everything because everything is already provided and I don't need to work my ass just to get through my studies.

Then, what is the difference between raising a child and hog raising? The feeds perhaps.

I am not saying that my parents are EVIL, like most Filipinos in Metro Manila think of our president, but I believe that parents should integrate empowerment in raising their children.

I know that parents will do to their best to prevent their children from making the same mistake that they made before but if their children did make their own mistakes, the parents, with their guidance, should let them handle the responsibility.

Nevertheless, I never consider myself a FAILURE because I did my best, though in a cramming way.

With that mistake, I learned my lesson the hard way and I am moving forward my way.