Be a Blood Donor, Save Lives!

Yesterday, January 27, 2008, a Sunday, was a day to conquer fears. Let me just share one of my fears, BLOOD. This fear started out when I was about to enter elementary when I had to have my hair cut before going to school. I was waiting for the barber and there was this star apple tree at the back of the chair where I was waiting with a branch within my reach. So I jumped and hanged at that branch and swing once, twice, thrice and so on. I didn’t notice that the branch was starting to break because it was small that it cannot bear my weight anymore. And the next scene was the branch breaking and I falling to a stone below, with my head going first. My cousin Jojo who is three years older than me, came rushing to carry me. As he was carrying me, I saw his hands full of blood and I just cannot bear to see the blood coming out from my head. I had a stitch in my head after that and I was not able to attend school for a week. And from then on, I started to fear blood.

But yesterday was a different day. I have to start fighting what I fear. The move started because of the need of a close friend who would have a heart operation maybe sometime next week. He told us that he would be needing blood donors for his open heart surgery. At first I hesitated because of the fear of blood plus the fact that it would be my first time to donate. But then I told myself, hey, this is a matter of life and death, I should be brave enough to face my fear, besides, this person really needs to live longer because he is a very intelligent man and he would still be touching and helping many lives.

So there we go to the Philippine Heart Center at the blood bank area. Our friends wanted to donate blood also but most of them, especially the girls, were denied because most of them are underweight. Some were denied because of high blood pressure. To be accepted as a donor, one should have a weight/mass of 50 kilograms and up. Only five of us passed the screening. I was told by the attending medical technologist that they really need my blood now because there is a patient who is bleeding that needs white blood cells/platelets whose has blood type is the same as mine. My blood type by the way is AB, a very rare blood type. So those of you who would be needing this type of blood, I am still not available for three months. My blood by the way would be replaced by the blood type that would be needed for my friends operation. The attendant also told me that the process of getting what they needed would be different and longer and would take about 2 hours. My blood and urine was tested after that.

In about 5 o’clock in the afternoon the blood bank called my name and my friends. We are told that the process would already start. Mine was special. There was this apparatus (which I would still research because I don’t know what its called) which was connected to the hose where the blood flows and it extracts the white blood cells from the red blood cells. There was a gripping cloth attached to my arm and as it grips, the blood flows and when it releases, the red blood cells goes back to my system. It made ten cycles to finish. Thanks for the television, I was not bored because of the PBA semifinal game played by Sta. Lucia Realty and Alaska Aces. I also had fun there because Jack (he was a donor also and is afraid of the needle, you can really see the fear in his face) was with me and we started chatting with the attendants not to get bored.

I just wish that the platelets that I gave save the life of that bleeding patient. I also wish that the coming operation of our friend Francis (Tadz as we call him) would have a successful one. So friends let us pray for him. Be strong “pare”, I know you can do it!

P.S.
Mee, I’m sorry we were not able to come to your talent show because the process ended at about 7:30 pm and we traveled and arrived at 8:30 pm, I ate and was very dizzy. So I slept already. Hope we could watch the coronation night.

“Cell Phone Capital of the World”

I remember when I was in 2nd year college, my aunt bought a cellular phone which was not yet capable of doing text messages. That was the time when cell phone was just starting to grow. To date, Philippines became the cell phone capital of the world. How did this happen? That is what I want to discuss here in this forum.

I never expected this industry to grow as fast as it did. Almost every household here in the Philippines already has a cell phone, not one but each family member have one, and to some two, others three or more. I have two. You would ask why three? The reason would be, each has a cell phone for the two network giants Globe and Smart and one for the call and text friendly Sun Cellular. These three network companies are earning big bucks out of this craze that the Filipino’s have.

One of the reasons why cell phones clicked here is because of it’s being handy. I believe that that is the main reason why people prefer cell phones than local landlines. The cell phone industry here outperformed the landlines. Another reason would be the text message. It was only recently that landlines can make text messages. The land lines are also innovating now because they already want it to function like cell phones but at the same time as landlines. If all the functionalities of cell phone with be incorporate on such land lines then I think it would be preferred by Filipino’s because it would be most practical for them to do so. Some prefer texting than calling because it is cheaper of course and some would write it than saying it. But I prefer the call because you can easily convey what you really want to say. Cell phone’s became very important to us because of it is our means of communication to our friends, family and business matters. I felt the importance of it when I was looking for a job. It really is a must that you have one. Other reasons why Filipino’s have cell phones is because of the applications added to it depending on its model. Some would use it as a toy because there are games in it. Some would use it as a radio and an mp3 player. I do this one. Some use it as a camera. Some use it as storage for different files. Some use it as a modem to connect to the internet and you can also directly surf the net using it. And recently it can now be a television.

I think that this industry would still grow because cell phone companies are always innovating there functionalities and capabilities to grow with time and technology. I believe this the reason why it has now become a necessity rather than luxury.

How about you? What are the uses of your cell phone? Share it with us. Post a comment.

Body Painting

Last night my officemate and friend Jack went out to a place called Metro Bar from an invitation of a special friend Imee (she’s special cause she is a special child…kidding! I told you I’m going to get back to you!) who told us that one of their friend who is also a contestant to a search they joined is going to perform with her band on that bar.

So off we went after work, (I was lucky I was not asked to work late! Good for me!) and there we meet Imee and another candidate in the search for Ms. Mandaluyong 2008 (that is the search they joined) named Rose. She represents Bagong Silang if I’m not mistaken. She is tall at 5’8” plus four inches of her high heels. I was awed by how tall she was. There we also met Ara, the one who was about to perform later that night. She is also beautiful as well as the ladies I’ve mentioned. Oh I forgot to tell, the tickets were free care of Ara I think. Sorry for those that we invited and did not come, the tickets are for free!

As the show was starting we realized that there was a fashion show first before Ara’s band is to perform. The fashion show was entitled as “INKDulge” because they are featuring body painting in that fashion show. The show was organized by JMA-UPM (Junior Marketing Association of the University of the Philippines Manila), the lone marketing association in UP Manila as they say it. The show was sponsored by Levi’s. There they featured amateur and professional models. It started with a ramp of models wearing Levi’s jeans and shirts and after that the models took the stage with the body paints on them. It was good to know that we have very good artists doing body painting. The theme was something like skulls and some of Egyptian carvings. There was this woman who had body paint which looks like she you were watching her x-ray film. In that show I realized that the human body is a much better canvass than the natural canvass that painters use because it moves and the model is giving life to the painting. But I observed that the painter used only two colors, black and gray. Maybe because of the theme or maybe it was for cost cutting measures. I know those kind of paints are expensive. The reason, I really don’t know. I took some pictures of them on the ramp but I think I would just post it here later on. I still don’t have enough time to upload it.

After the modeling, Ara’s band started to play with some of their originally composed songs. She was the vocalist and at the same time playing the electric guitar in rhythm. I told the two girls they would really have a hard time beating her in the talent competition. But they said it was okay coz that was just a part of the competition. I like their camaraderie and it just shows that competitions can really be healthy and the good thing about it is that you gain friends. After the band, the party already started and the music was supplied by DJ Coki. At 12 midnight we went home.

Let me take this opportunity to invite all my friends, readers and all the people of Mandaluyong to support and watch the Search for Miss Mandaluyong 2008 in February 7, 2008, the coronation night. The voting for your favorite candidate is still on so vote for them at Getzmo.com. Please vote for Miss Barangka Ibaba, Remilie “Imee” Reyes!
That’s all folks for now. Keep posted.

Sports! Movies! Games! Music! Websites! Technology! – My List, Tell Me Yours…

I am thinking of topics which I could post in this blog and suddenly the idea of putting up a list of my favorites would be a good one to let every reader of my blog know me more. Here are the list and a little explanation of why I liked them.

-Sports-

Dallas Mavericks – My favorite team in the NBA, why because of the 2006-2007 MVP Dirk Nowitzki. I think he is a complete player. He can shoot from the outside and drive on the inside and also good in rebounds. Boston Celtics is a good team this year but Dallas would beat them (I hope…).

-Movies-

Adam Sandler Movies – That would be the “The Wedding Singer” and “50 First Dates”, I think Adam Sandler is very good at feel good movies. He would really make you laugh with very less effort of doing so. I think it comes out naturally to him.

Jim Carey Movies - I like his performance in “The Mask” and “Liar Liar” but his best for me is his drama in the “The Truman Show” where he earned his best actor award. Imagine it even made me cry (I got carried away!). Hey, watch out! Maybe your life is just like Truman, everything was a set-up.

Tom Hanks Movies – He really is the number one actor on my list. He was very good in “Forrest Gump”, “The Terminal” and “Philadelphia” but what I like best is his movies “Saving Private Ryan”. The best war movie I’ve ever seen.

Russell Crowe Movies – He was very good in his performances in “The Gladiator”, “The Cinderalla Man” and my favorite “A Beautiful Mind”.

-Games-

I am referring here to Video Games, my favorite now is DOTA (Defense of the Ancients-Warcraft III) and my favorite hero there is non-other than Zeus the Lord of Olympia. Dota addicts you got a comrade here, so let’s get it on! It’s hammer time! By the way I also play Counter-Strike and NBA Live.

-Music-

Oh I love music! I listen to a variety of genres. Now I’ll go for the alternative band “My Chemical Romance”, their music is good. I also like “Fra Lippo Lippi”. Here in the local music (Philippines) I’ll go for “Side A”, “Freestyle” and “True Faith”. I also listen to reggae band “Brownman Revival”.

-Websites-

I usally visit “Yahoo.com”, “NBA.com”, “Ebay.Com”, “Cnet.com” and of course “Google” and this site. Local sites would be “MannyPacquiao.ph” (I always see to it that I have a news about our best boxer), “Inquirer.net”.

-Technology-

I am not really a technology whiz person, I just go with the flow. I have friend who keeps me updated. I use to play with my laptop. And play music on my phone.

Basically these are the things that is making me busy add it with my work. So how about you? What are your favorites? What makes you busy? Please do let me know by making comments. I’ll keep you posted about what is happening in my life. Ciao for now!

Top Filipino Athletes!

One of the reasons why I started to do blogs at this site is to update all sports fanatics like me about what is happening in the sports world most especially to update Filipino sports fans of how are the Filipino athletes are doing internationally in their respective fields. Maybe you would ask why I am very interested in sports. The reason behind it is that I myself was an athlete way back in my high school and college years. I have played almost all the games (but not all) that you know. I am at best in the field of chess. I was a varsity chess player for my high school (Bicol University College of Education Laboratory High School) and also in college (Bicol University College of Engineering). I used to represent Legazpi City in the regional sports fest of Region V (Bicol Region). If I were to rank the games which I played before, the ranking would be: 1. Chess, 2. Soccer, 3. Basketball, 4. Track and Field, 5. Lawn Tennis. These were the games I played in competition. I also play badminton but I haven’t competed in any competition with such sport.
As I was saying earlier this blog would be a news blog about our Filipino Athletes who are doing well in their sports. Let this be a venue for those people who want to hear sports news as well. So let me start by what I have read recently.
1.In chess, let is congratulate Wesley So for being the youngest Grand Master in Chess to date at the age of 14 yrs old. He got his third and final GM Norm in the 2nd Prospero Pichay Chess Cup held last October here in the Philippines. This is really a fete for Philippine chess. In the first leg of ASEAN Masters Chess Circuit held in Tarakan, Indonesia, we produced our ninth Filipino Chess Grand Master in the name of Jayson Gonzales. Also in that event, topping Group B is Grand Master Mark Paragua with 9.0 points, he never lost in the tournament. Finishing second to him is non-other than GM-elect Jayson Gonzales. Also did well in category B is IM-elect Rolando Nolte. In category A, the top Filipino finisher was GM Wesley So.
2. Let us congratulate our women golfers, Jennifer Rosales and Dorothy Delasin in winning the 2008 Women’s Golf World Cup. This is the first time that team Philippines won the world cup. Finishing 2nd to them is South Korea.
3. In boxing, we have Nonito Donaire, our IBF/IBO world champion who made an upset in the fifth round by a KO of Darchinyan which became the bout of the year. There is also my “tokayo” Florante Condes, our IBF minimumweight king. And of course our Manny Pacquiao who is now training in United States for his slated bout on my March 15 (that is my birthday I expect to receive presents) with the superflyweight champion Marquez. The Filipinos are looking forward to this match.
That’s all for now, I will keep you updated of all the Filipino athletes who are competing across the globe. You can make suggestions on whom to feature on this blog by making comments to this blog. I would be expecting to hear from all of you friends and soon to be friends. Until next time.

Love is My LIfe...(A Repost)

Friday, March 16, 2007, I felt that there is a need to write about what is coming into my mind, how I feel about everything that is happening to my life. Yesterday, it was my birthday, although I was sick, I made sure that that day would be celebrated and would be a gathering of my closest friends. With the help of Jason and Coza, we prepared a small dinner and a drinking session after. There I realized the real essence of being friends, not only because it was my birthday but making you feel that you are important and knowing that these friends would not leave you in the midst of despair and loneliness. I've been to a heartache for the past few weeks and my friends never left me in those days, they never stopped to boost my confidence. One of the dilemmas of those who get hurt is to lose self-esteem. It did come to me for a while but it was overshadowed by my strong personality and cuddling of those real friends that I have.
People make choices in their lives, choices that we cannot control. We may have thought that those choices are wrong but what can we about it? We are not the ones who are making decisions. All we can do is to give an advice or influence a person involved in it but without aggravating someone else. Influence to such extent that we give our point about the situation but no matter what the outcome is, we should accept. It may be favorable to us or not but the point is we did our part and we would not have any regrets about it. In situations where there is conflict and disarray, situation which you know is morally wrong, what are you going to do about it? I've been into this situation, I know something was wrong, I pointed out what I believe is right. Even before I've heard this came out from the sermon of a priest, I always adhered to such belief. In cases where we know something is wrong, we must do something to correct it or we became an accomplice to that crime. If you know that you can do something and you did not do anything to correct it, you became an accomplice to the crime. So do what you can do, whatever it takes. And if you are the one who is in that situation and you know that what you are doing is wrong, then expect that worst thing that would happen to you. You can never be happy when you know you are doing something wrong. And if everything goes wrong, hold unto Him, your family, your real friends who would be there to comfort you at your downiest moments. What is important is you accept that you are wrong and correct your mistake. And to those people who know how to accept their mistakes, I am one person who would understand and not judge you for what you did. Everybody may commit a mistake. And that one who commits a mistake must be forgiven and must be given another chance. But to that one who commit that mistake, be ready to lose everything that you treasure. It may be the payment for what you did.
I have learned yesterday that to love someone is to love without gain. What is important is that you gave love, love that is not asking for anything, love which is forgiving, love which is patient, love which is not greedy. Love does not envy. Love is giving. True love would not want to hurt the one being loved. Therefore, love would set her free.
But I would not stop loving. I have always loved in the same manner as my friends showed me. To my friends, I love all of you. Thanks for showing me what real friendship is. I am happy that we value our friendship a lot and know for a fact that we would be there even if the wave is too strong because ours is stronger. That I know for sure.
Above all these pains, there is still room to love. It never diminished but increased. I will love until the end.