Sold my soul

To tumblr this time. Forgive me.

But, never say never.

Two hours well spent.

It's the night before compre, and I just spent a good two hours hanging out at the medstones with a few of my classmates. All of us reluctant to spend the night studying, all of us wanting to spend just a little time reminiscing on the year that was. And so we did. We looked back on enrollment and the first days of school, the first impressions that certain personalities made on us. We recalled some special moments that our class has shared. We remembered the professors that have made an impact on us, whether good or bad. And we sadly looked to the future, on our eventual separation, as we will be split into two blocks in second year, and into more blocks the years thereafter.

We may have lost two hours' worth of miscellaneous facts that we could have crammed into our heads for tomorrow's exam. Those two hours might cost us a few points. But for me, they were two hours well spent. I spent them with a few of the people I have trudged through first year med with. People I've listened in and slept through class with. People I've studied and laughed and shared stories and spent the wee hours of one morning practicing a dance number with. Our class, class 2014 is made up of such unique and wonderful people. We may be known for being quite a noisy and unruly class, but I wouldn't have us any other way. I can't imagine being a part of any other class.

Liz and Jess, I've missed you so!

Sweet Valley High sequel to follow characters into 30s

Francine Pascal promises 'shocking' update on the progress of the much-loved Wakefield twins

One of the Sweet Valley High novels' covers

Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield, the blond, tanned, teenage twins of the bestselling Sweet Valley High series, are set to grow up after creator Francine Pascal announced she was writing a new novel that will follow her cast into their 30s.

Launched in 1983, the Sweet Valley franchise has produced around 500 titles, written by a host of ghostwriters. From high school romances to stalkers and serial killers, it follows the adventures of identical twins Elizabeth and Jessica "with their shoulder-length blonde hair, blue-green eyes, and perfect California tans", and has sold hundreds of millions of copies around the world. Fans will know that although Elizabeth and Jessica "were exact duplicates of one another, down to the tiny dimples in their left cheeks when they smiled", Elizabeth is the sensible, responsible, hard-working sister, while Jessica is largely interested in boys and parties.

The new book, Sweet Valley Confidential, takes place 12 years after the high school series, when the twins and their friends are in their late 20s and early 30s. It will, according to publisher St Martin's Press, see "the real world intrude after a perfect childhood". "I've had thousand of queries from fans over the years wondering what Jessica and Elizabeth would be like as adults. Well, Sweet Valley Confidential should give them all the answers," said Pascal, who was originally inspired to write the series by the experiences of her three daughters. "And I can guarantee they will be very surprised. Actually, more like shocked."

The Sweet Valley series has never troubled itself too much with realism. In one novel, To Catch a Thief, Elizabeth is "swept off her feet by Prince Laurent de Sainte-Marie – the most romantic guy she's ever met in her life", only to find herself locked in a dungeon by his fiancée's evil mother the Countess di Rimini. In another, London is plagued by what appears to be a werewolf.

St Martin's Press, which will publish the novel in early 2011, gave away little about the plot but fans are already speculating about which direction Pascal will take her characters. "Most everyone hopes Elizabeth and Todd are married, but we all have an idea Liz is having an affair if that's the case," said one reader, who has written about the entire series on her blog, Shannon's Sweet Valley High blog. "We figure Jessica has probably gone to Hollywood to be a star, but some of us are kind of hoping she's failed. Because seriously, that girl has had it too easy. And of course we all want to see the return of Lila, Bruce and the other side characters. It just wouldn't be Sweet Valley without them. A few of my readers are hoping Lila and Bruce are married, but I'd rather see Lila and Jessica trolling for guys together like they always have."

And this (!):

A film based on the Wakefield twins' high school years is also in the works, written and produced by Juno screenwriter Diablo Cody.

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Sweet Valley High: The Movie! It's about time somebody made one. But since that somebody is Diablo Cody, I'm sure it'll be well worth the wait.

Compre woes

I'm having a Holy Week hangover. Or maybe I'm fast-forwarding to summer. Either way, I'm not studying for the comprehensive exam that covers everything I learned or should have learned in my first year of med proper.

I had every intention of studying over the Holy Week. I made a schedule per day; I had it all planned out. I asked my parents to bring home some of my heavy heavy books and my maleta was filled with envelopes filled with countless pages of transes. Until now, they are untouched, save for maybe five transes. I've barely even scratched the surface of the samplices. Samplex na nga lang eh, wala pa rin.

I had every intention of spending the night in Coffee Bean or Starbucks, where I might have gone further in my compre review. But no, I stayed in. And as always happens, I couldn't tear my eyes away from my laptop screen, my fingers from they keyboard. I never learn.

There's really no point to this entry, except to reiterate how much I'm not studying.

Motivate meeeee. Please?

Just say yes

Today is March 25. Exactly nine months before Christmas. Thus, we celebrate the Feast of the Annunciation. When Mother Mary said yes to God and, as we say in every Angelus, conceived by the Holy Spirit.

I've never commemorated this day before, March 25. I've never thought to celebrate the Annunciation. It was always just a mystery in the Rosary to me. But how wonderful it was to learn about it in mass today. For it was this thought that I took with me as I started studying for my final exam in human ontogeny and parturition. I thought, if I had to learn about the conception, fetal development, and birth of a mother to her child, might as well be that of the Mother Mary and her Baby Jesus, right?

I've been dreading the thought of having to take finals. But it doesn't seem so bad now. This was the new perspective that I needed. Thank You.

Yesterday's second reading

"...Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own."

- from St. Paul's Letter to the Philippians

Plug!

In a tight spot, these little white lies are usually our best choice of escape. They’re not exactly good but neither are they qualified as heinous crimes. They’re just simple acts that make the truth, and life in general, a little sweeter, a little easier to swallow, and a whole lot more fun.

In that spirit of a fun-spirited escape, we’re having a White Party at the Hexagon Lounge, RCBC Plaza on March 5, 2010 for the benefit of PagKalMa, the service arm of Phi.

Your ticket to a night of white hot fashion, booze, games, prizes, and surprises is sold for P250.

Come in your whitest wear or reveal your sugar coated affair.

Contact Julie (09158507391) , Charvee (09178914881) or Alex (09164460398) for tickets and details.

I just don't know anymore.

Full circle

I've often told the story of how I first knew I wanted to become a doctor. It started with a book, really. I was six years old then, and my mom was pregnant with Monchie. Mom had all these pregnancy books lying around, and being the biblophile that I am (I've loved reading ever since I could read, at the tender age of four), it was almost instinct to pick one up and start browsing through it. And I was fascinated by what I found. It was a different kind of adventure from those in my story books and fairy tales--it was a tour of the human body, specifically that of a pregnant mother's, and it was also a story of the creation of a life, from conception to birth. I was so hooked that even the very graphic pictures of vaginal delivery couldn't keep me from turning page after page. I don't remember what book that was or how many others I read, but Mom told me I read more about pregnancy than she ever did. I was six years old then.

Reading Williams Obstetrics 23rd ed now, at 22 and in medical school, I feel like I've come full circle. I actually resisted buying the book for the first two OB exams because of its price, but I gave in in the end. I've only read a few chapters but I can already say that I don't regret my decision. Not one centavo's worth. Williams is a joy to read, not at all a chore. And not only because of its glossy pages and colored photos that are new to the 23rd edition. For me, it is because it brings back the same feelings I felt at six years old--wonder at the architecture of the human body, specifically the female reproductive tract, and awe at the beauty that is human life. And not to mention, it has also expanded my medical vocabulary quite vastly, with new words like ballotement and puerperium, and of course our class's favorite, violaceous.

I've said before that I would never consider OB-GYN as a specialty, but I'm actually rethinking that now. Because really, OB was my first love, the reason for my desire to go into medicine in the first place. Of course, this is all before I've experienced any duty or rotation in OB, and the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at PGH is legendary for its toxicity. But who knows? For now, I'll just keep reading.

Thief

Why do I feel like you're stealing everything that is MINE. That was mine. This is mine. Get your own!

---end of rant---

Sorry. I promised I'd be more generous this Lent. This was a moment of weakness. Sorry.

And anyway, they do say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

A book. :)

Taken from somewhere on deviantart. Sorry I can't remember whose. :(

You see giant proclamations are all very well.
But our love is louder than words.
- Bloc Party

It's true today as it was two Valentine'ses ago. And hopefully, it'll still be after a lifetime of them.

Happy Valentine's Day, love. This year's February 14th was definitely one to remember. Let's remember what we need to and forget what we don't, agreed? :) Remember that I love you and that I'll always be yours. If nothing else, that will suffice.

Tsk.

It was something that I was proud of. Something I was proud to be a part of. Though I wanted to toxic it down to the last semicolon, I knew that we had to take great care to be democratic about it, since it belongs to all of us. Then on the big day, it all changed. I barely recognized it. All after you had your say.

Disappointed? Yes, especially because it was you, whom I've looked up to since day one.

Hurt? I admit, just the teensiest bit. I don't know if I have any right to be, but I am.

Sad though that five years down the road, this might still leave a bitter taste in my mouth.

Benign?

Am I the only one who's overwhelmed with all this free time? Not that I miss the OS subjects or anything; I've been looking forward to the HD series. It's just a shock to my system not having lectures after lunch or classes on Fridays. It's like my mind can't deal with all this time on my hands, so I'm compelled to fill it with whatever I can--Medchoir practices, prayer meetings with Fr. Francis, errands for Phi store, our class oath, group project for HD201, nightly sessions with the Adri Tower 2 treadmill--you name it. Not that all these things didn't need to be done before. It's just that I can't help but do them with a certain level of, um, obsession? Haha. In short, tinotoxic ko sila. Tinotoxic ko sarili ko.

Oh, the irony that is my life as a med student. When I'm drowning in consecutive neuro exams, I dream of the weekend. I dream of summer. But when given some unexpected free time, to relax and revel in benign-ness, I run away, find more stuff to do fill it all up, and end up not benign at all.

Yesterday

(-) Losing my pencil case along with my USB. :(

(+) My Gibo encounter. "Buti na lang kamukha mo mommy mo." Hahaha. More than ever, I wish I were a registered voter. :(
(+) Fr. Francis' homily. He brought a whole new insight to the parable of the sower.
(+) Two-hour nap. Sleep is easy to take for granted. You don't realize how much you lack sleep until you finally get some.
(+) Ruari time. Always a plus, on any day.
(+) HOME. On a Wednesday! Two days before the endo exam, which reportedly has a 10% passing rate.
(+) A balikbayan box with a whole new wardrobe from Ate Rina, my primary motivation to go home in the first place.

All in all, a very good day. Thank You. :)

Happy blog birthday!

This is what I found in my search for a birthday cake to post in this entry. Now I love penguins more than anyone I know. But this is kind of freaky, even for me. Kind of like eating a live penguin. Imagine if it were red velvet cake. Haha.

Today marks my blog's first birthday/anniversary. I didn't anticipate this date much, I just happened to be browsing through my old entries and saw that my first entry was on this day, one year ago. Back when the things I was concerned with included organic chemistry and med school applications. Last week I performed a neurologic physical exam on an actual patient. And just yesterday, the list of this year's applicants who qualified for the interview was released. Amazing how much happens in a year's time.

Calamities

An earthquake yesterday, a fire today. What is the world coming to? Apparently the Armageddon of 2009 is making its way into 2010 as well. This can't all be due to global warming, can it? :|

Let's go to Bali

I'm taking a break from my neuro lab review to finally write my first blog entry of the year. Not that I was getting much done, as is usually the case when I attempt to study in the condo amidst the countless distractions calling out to me. Just like this blog entry, which has been waiting to be written for weeks now. I had planned on coming up with a long, winding recap of 2009, but Christmas break got to me. And now we're two weeks into 2010.

The moral of 2009 is be careful what you wish for. The earlier part of the year was soooo laid back for me, sometimes unbearably so. The second semester of fourth year college was the lightest I'd ever had. And though I enjoyed summer immensely, there was only so much free time I could take. So I dreamed of being busy. I couldn't wait for med school to start, to immerse myself in everything it had to offer.

That's when everything started happening. Both good and bad. Moving into Manila was quite an adjustment, more so than I'd imagined it would be. And barely a week into the school year, there came that scare with Mama. I met 159 new people, and getting to know them a little bit better everyday is still quite the adventure. I turned 22. Within that same month, Ondoy happened. And we all know how that rocked our world. I joined a sorority (!), which changed my life in so many ways, the best of which is having 11 strong and beautiful girls as my sisters.

I made decisions I'm not proud of. I let down a few people, some of whom deserved it the least. I let my insecurities get the better of me, more than once. I'm trying to make amends for all of these now. This year, 2010, is the year for that. For striking a balance. Just like Elizabeth Gilbert, 2010 will be my Bali. If I were the type to make new year's resolutions, this would be it.

This blog will be a year old at the end of this month. Time does fly. It's quite a feat for me to have kept this thing up for a year, so congratulations and happy anniversary to meeeeee. :D