the scariest moment of my life! :(

And it happened two hours ago (7:40pm GMT+8). Our family of 4 had just finished dinner in the basement area of SM Megamall and was waiting for our bill. I was facing the entrance of Mannang / Mann Hann restaurant when I noticed that a lot of people were running toward the stores. I thought there was a celebrity but the running was frantic, and the security guards were also running (to the direction of the incident). I told hubby to look; the restaurant staff and the other customers noticed the commotion too. We got up to get our credit card from the counter so we can go out of the mall before something bad happens.

But then suddenly a waiter pulled down the metal door of the restaurant and we were in lockdown (pic at right). The diners were in panic mode, and we moved to the back of the resto, near the kitchen and waited for some news of what's happening. That moment I hated Globe / Blackberry coz I had no internet connection (on top of my postpaid plan, I had to subscribe to a BB internet plan which will raise my phone bill 100% and I couldn't afford it). I felt so helpless coz I cannot get any info! What if the people were running because there's a fire and we were trapped inside the restaurant?! You can't make the right survival choices without information :(

DIY edible fingerpaint :)

Aside from music, Iya also loves the visual aspect of arts. I already bought her washable markers for coloring stuff and making art but it didn't seem enough for her. I thought maybe Iya needed to 'get down and dirty' to truly enjoy the art experience. And so this fine Sunday morn, I made her edible fingerpaint ^__^ If dipping her fingers into bright colors won't make her shout with glee, I'll go back to my medical career and forget being a mom. LOL!Ü

Anyway, here's how you make edible fingerpaint:

1. Mix 1cup flour with COLD water (variable amount, just add little by little). Mix until there's no more lumps.

2. Slowly add HOT water to the flour mixture until desired consistency is achieved. If you want it more runny, add more water and vice versa.

3. Separate the mixture into different containers and add food coloring to each. I used my mom's Wilton stash and the colors are absolutely brilliant! :)

4. Now you're ready to fingerpaint with your toddler! Remember that it will be messy so just relax and let the good times roll, hehe!Ü

Its Palm Sunday!

And that can only mean a whole week of no-meat meals to look forward to- mehh! But then this kind of sacrifice comes only once a year, during Holy Week, so I'm sucking it up. I will survive! Hehe! And so, on this fine overcast Sunday morn, Iya and I found ourselves accompanying Daddylo and Mommyla in one of Davao's largest wet markets (the Toril market pictured above) to buy loads of fish for Holy Week. I hope we'll get seafoods too (yes, we're still here- I'm live blogging via SEk800i) but then eating shrimps and crabs isn't much of a sacrifice eh? Hehe! ;-) Have a meaningful Holy Week everyone! Eat (less), Pray (lots), Love (lots n lots)!

guess who just turned 29??

Yep, ME! I just turned 29 years old two days ago ~ my last birthday before hitting the big 3-0! And soon, my age will be out of the calendar month, LOL! But who cares? At 27, I became a licensed medical doctor and married my bestfriend. At 28, I gave birth and became a mom to the best baby in the world.. And while motherhood was a bumpy ride (still is!), life can't get any better than this! ^_^ Well, may be it can if I win millions from the lottery and we wouldn't have to worry about our finances anymore, hehe!

yes, I'm a SAHM! =)

SAHM means “stay at home mom” and though I’m not a “real” mom yet (3 more months!), I have been in mommy mode since my 2 younger male siblings were born. I am the eldest and the only girl, and so it’s just natural that I’m my mom’s right-hand gal =) Anyway, last October 2008, I got married and chose to be a stay at home wife instead of practicing my medical profession. Most of the people I knew (especially my parents) didn’t understand why I would waste my time staying at home instead of earning moolah being a doctor. My female friends asked me don’t I get bored staying at home day in and day out?

Firstly, being in mommy mode most of my life “trained” me not to get bored spending 24/7 at home. Even during my hectic days in medical school I still did some cooking, cleaning, taking care of our dogs, and doing other household stuff. And when I took a 1 year hiatus after graduating from med school (and before I took my Physician Licensure exam), I further honed my housewife skills. My parents were not living with us due to my dad’s work, and I had a 5-room home, 10 dogs and 1 spoiled brother to take care of. Taking care of our finances and housework was easy-peasy for me. While most “modern” women don’t like cleaning and cooking, I adore it! =)

And then I got married. I now have 2 guys to take care of :p Hubby and I initially planned that I’ll spend the first year of our marriage at home and take specialty training after October 2009. But then I got pregnant around July! We had no plans to have kids until after 3-5 years of marriage so we can really save up for our kid, and now this. Our best-laid plans just got awry! Since I was pregnant, I had to say goodbye to specialty training. I could do it but I don’t wanna stress myself and our sweet baby =) That’s why, until now, I’m still a SAHM! Needless to say, homebody me is loving it!

Friday Fill-Ins time!

You can join in the fun HERE! =)

1. All children alarm their parents, if only because you are forever expecting a silly accident? I'm not sure what to answer, LOL!

2. Show me a good loser and I will show you a virgin prostitute. O-M-G.. my brain is definitely not working! o_O

3. For me, reading an awesome book is like eating an entire box of chocolate liqueurs at one time.

4. Too bad that all the people who know how to run the country are busy with their personal lives & businesses and can't be bothered with politics.

5. I have yet to hear a man ask for advice on how to combine his legal family and his mistress' brood. LOL!

6. It is impossible to think of any good meal, no matter how plain or elegant, without cheese or meat in it.

7. And as for the weekend: tonight I'm looking forward to playing The Sims & multiplayer games (like the fast-loading online billiard game on www.8c1.net -- it's totally FREE and tons of fun esp. if you play with your friends!), tomorrow my plans include movie marathon with hubby and Sunday, I want to celebrate Father's Day with style! ;-)

8 THINGS ^_^

It's being a long while since I did a tag -- but who am I to refuse sweet baby Sam? I can't.. coz she's sooo adorable! Manag-mana sa mommy! Hehe! ^_^ Anyway, here are my answers:

8 things I'm looking forward to:

- watching Angels & Demons in cinema tom!

- the coming weekend! can't wait to relax with hubby.. =)

- arrival of my parents this Friday = lotsa food gifts! yum, hehe!

- my youngest brother's college graduation next week, finally!!

- hubby arriving from work everyday ^_^

- getting the "Celebrity Chef" label in Hell's Kitchen - Facebook game, hehe

- our first wedding anniversary in 5 months! w00t!

- our Macau/Shenzen/HK family trip on October ^_^

8 things I did yesterday:

- slept in til 11am, blame the rainy cold weather! hehe

- watched the action-packed "Fast & Furious"

- watched the hilarious "The Promotion"

- watched the last 2 mind-blowing episodes of Heroes season 3

- lazed around the whole day with hubby =)

- cooked chicken oatmeal patties for dinner

- played Restaurant City and Farm Town on Facebook

- became "Cook" in Hell's Kitchen game on Facebook, hehe

8 things I wish I could do:

- read people's minds ;-)

- win the multimillion lottery! hehe!

- clean our house really, really, really well like my Mom

- finally decide on what medical residency to enter *sigh*

- speak Japanese, French and other languages

- DRIVE without fear!!

- read the Braille and learn sign language

- tour Europe with hubby and family!! ^_^

8 shows I watch:

- Damages

- Top Design

- Top Chef

- How I Met Your Mother

- Anderson Cooper 360 (CNN)

- American Dad

- Family Guy

- all CSI-esque shows (CSI, Criminal Minds, Bones, Numbers)

2009 Wrap Up — First Quarter Edition (part 2)

COMPARED TO THIS TIME, LAST YEAR, ARE YOU:

HAPPIER OR SADDER? Happier of course! Not that I was sad first quarter last year.

THINNER OR FATTER? Me thinks I’m fatter with all the cooking and eating I did this year o_O

RICHER OF POORER? Financially? About the same. We “lost” a lot of money due to our wedding last year but gained back most of it from the monetary gifts =)

WHAT DO YOU WISH YOU’D DONE MORE? More writing! More promotion of my sites with affiliate links, hehe! More traveling!

WHAT DO YOU WISH YOU’D DONE LESS OF? Eating, sleeping and Twittering! If you’re on Twitter, follow me @cutieissa =) 

HOW WILL YOU BE SPENDING CHRISTMAS? I don’t know, it’s still 8 months away..

DID YOU FALL IN LOVE? Yes, with Twitter – it’s been very helpful in tracking the latest medical updates. Oh you mean with a person? Hehe!

HOW MANY ONE-NIGHT STANDS? None, my husband will kill me! LOL

WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE TV PROGRAM? Hmm, ever since we had cable, I have so many faves! Damages (Glenn Close is sooo awesome!!), Jon & Kate Plus 8, Iron Chef America, Top Chef, Top Design, Project Runway, Jamie’s Kitchen and ALL his other shows, Come Dine With Me, American Idol 8, No Way Out, and the usual: CSI and Heroes =)

DO YOU HATE ANYONE NOW THAT YOU DIDN’T HATE THIS TIME LAST YEAR? Nope

WHAT WAS THE BEST BOOK YOU READ? So far all I’ve read were from the fantasy genre and I loved the Dragonlance: War of Souls Trilogy =)

WHAT WAS YOUR GREATEST MUSICAL DISCOVERY? Hmm.. none yet!

WHAT DID YOU WANT AND GET? Harry Potter hardbound set, yeah! ^_^

WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE FILM SO FAR OF THIS YEAR? Hands down, WATCHMEN!!!

WHAT DID YOU DO ON YOUR BIRTHDAY AND HOW OLD WERE YOU? My birthday will be on July 18 

WHAT ONE THING WOULD HAVE MADE YOUR FIRST QUARTER IMMEASURABLY MORE SATISFYING? More travel!! =)

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONAL FASHION CONCEPT THIS PAST QUARTER? Classic, understated and casual. I’m done with uber-colorful outfits! LOL

WHAT KEPT YOU SANE? My husband and our lovely dogs ^_^

WHICH CELEBRITY DID YOU FANCY THE MOST? President Obama, who else??

WHAT POLITICAL ISSUE STIRRED YOU THE MOST? Hmm, I’m not so into politics these days..

WHO DID YOU MISS? My doctor friends! Wasn’t able to attend their impromptu “reunion” last March

2009 Wrap Up — First Quarter Edition (part 1)

1. WHAT HAVE YOU DONE THAT YOU’VE NEVER DONE BEFORE?

January - I bathed naked in a public room! LOL! Labsie’s Christmas gift to me was a SPA experience in a new Korean spa & massage center in Lanang which I "redeemed" first week of January. I spent 30 minutes in a sauna, bathed briefly in a warm jacuzzi (dang, the germs!!) and washed it all off with a cool shower. Since there were no closed stalls that offer privacy, I just bathed naked in the open. It was liberating to say the least, LOL!

February - Had my very first annual “Executive Check-Up” with Labsie. We had our blood sugar and necessary blood chemistry levels taken + chest X-ray and other tests. The bad news is we both have high cholesterol levels. The good news is mine was high coz my good cholesterol (HDL) was high. Labsie had low HDL and high LDL (bad cholesterol) which is NOT good! Time to say goodbye to fastfood!

March - [a] Made all-original dishes: baked savory beef-stuffed squid rings and pan-fried bacon-wrapped fish. YUM! =) [b] Touched a newly-operated person’s TITANIUM-implanted back. It was a bit cold and oh-so awesome!! [c] Asked a bartender for FREE shots at a bar and got two, LOL! ;-) [d] Joined Earth Hour for the first time and surprisingly, I got a lot of things done w/o electricity! [e] Had an overnight vigil with Labsie in a funeral home for my bestfriend’s dad’s wake..

2. DID YOU KEEP YOUR NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS? - Not all. I was still impatient and a bit moody at times =( What I was able to keep was the Project 365 photos and everyday diary entry =)

3. DID ANYONE CLOSE TO YOU GIVE BIRTH? - Hmm.. No one *that* close but I heard some of my friends gave birth. 

4. DID ANYONE CLOSE TO YOU DIE? - One of my bestfriend’s dad died unexpectedly =(

5. WHAT COUNTRIES DID YOU VISIT? - Didn’t visit any countries, didn’t even travel save for within Davao del Sur and Davao del Norte =) 

6. WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR THAT YOU LACKED EARLY THIS YEAR? - Hmm.. I guess more income streams. LOL! Right now my income is just from freelance writing and paid-to-blog opps. I want my Adsense and affiliates commission earnings to ramp up. Family and marriage-wise, I have nothing to ask for. Everything’s just dandy! =)

7. WHAT DATE WILL REMAIN ETCHED UPON YOUR MEMORY AND WHY? - February 13 and 14 coz Labsie got me a Valentines cake from Bistro Rosario and the entire Harry Potter series in hardbound! It was the first time he got me a cake for Vday, LOL

8. WHAT WAS YOUR BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENT OF THE YEAR SO FAR? - I can walk away from a heated quarrel without yelling and too much talking. Trust me when I tell you this is an achievement, hehe! It’s coz I’m a very passionate person and it’s hard to keep my emotions in check.

9. WHAT WAS YOUR BIGGEST FAILURE? - Character failure: I’m still a procrastinator, I’m still subject to my mood swings, I’m still undecided about my medical career *sigh* 

10. DID YOU SUFFER ILLNESS OR INJURY? - Yes! Was down on New Year’s Day and the next 2 days due to a bad case of food poisoning. My mom and Labsie was also affected. Was also sick early February with atypical pneumonia which took weeks to resolve.

11. WHAT WAS THE BEST THING YOU BOUGHT? - YUMMY FOOD!! LOL! ^_^

12. WHOSE BEHAVIOR MERITED CELEBRATION? - Probably my youngest brother’s. He worked on his thesis and went to work at the same time. Awesome Tots!!

13. WHOSE BEHAVIOR MADE YOU APPALLED AND DEPRESSED? - Mine? Hehe!

14. WHERE DID MOST OF YOUR MONEY GO? - Savings! Where else?? =)

15. WHAT DID YOU GET REALLY, REALLY, REALLY EXCITED ABOUT? - Labsie’s Masteral thesis and upcoming graduation this April! Also our planned summer getaway alone and with my family, can’t hardly wait! I just hope I won’t get sunburn, LOL

16. WHAT SONG(S) WILL ALWAYS REMIND YOU OF THINGS THAT HAPPENED EARLY THIS YEAR? - Hmm.. Probably the theme songs from “Iron Chef America”, “Top Design” and “Jon & Kate Plus 8” =) The first quarter of my life was all about food, organizing our marital bedroom and finding the ‘new’ family rhythm -- there are now 2 married couples living in our home after all =)

join me in Facebook! =)

Melissa Solito Elbanbuena's Profile | Create Your Badge

I've had my Facebook for awhile but it lay dormant and inaccessible to people search as I pondered if it can help me with my online business. There's so much going on in my offline and online life that adding another social network is more work than play to me. Like most Pinoys, I have Friendster, Myspace (dead) and Multiply (which was dormant until it enabled cross-posting of Blogger blog posts). I also have multiple personal blogs plus websites of employers that I update daily. Do I really have time for Facebook?? ;-) It also didn't help that Facebook announced recently that everything you put here will be THEIR property. Thank god they backtracked after much hullabaloo from FB fanatics. 

Around one month ago, I finally joined Twitter (check me out at http://twitter.com/cutieissa) for monetary reasons. For most part I'm an early adopter of early web technologies but since the dot com bubble bust, I have been wary of joining popular websites especially if the hype is overwhelming. Twitter was in that category but lo and behold! More than a year later it's still around and gaining more members everyday. Facebook even tried to buy it! But Twitter said no. Anyhoo, I found Twitter incredibly informative (I'm following doctors & tech gurus). My initial reason for joining (earning $$$) has taken the backseat and I'm just savoring the Twitter experience =)

So what has Twitter gotta do with my finally activating my Facebook? Well, I found out that I can update my FB status with my Twitter feed! I actually don't have to login to Facebook to tell you guys what I'm up to! I can update my Twitter (via PC or mobile phone) and it will publish to my FB. Now isn't that kewl?? It's almost like when I update my Blogger blogs and it will publish automatically to my Multiply blog. Neat! =) And did you know that Facebook's new homepage that will show REAL-TIME updates is based on Twitter? When Twitter turned down FB's offer to buy it, FB management thought "If we can't buy them, we'll compete with them!" And with 175 million users, Facebook might just bring Twitter down -- OR NOT!

a healthier us in 2009! =)

Labsie and I are both health conscious. He has been noticing his increase in abdominal girth and the development of double (triple) chins the past year. Of course I have been noticing my rounder figure too, ughh!! So what to do? Diet and exercise of course! And so far, we have been good *angelic grin* Here’s what we’re up to:

1. BIG breakast everyday to keep the hungry pangs away throughout the day. I usually cook meat viands and eggs during breakfast.

2. SMALL dinner — 1 cup rice for Labsie and half cup for me. Non-meat viands like fish, other seafood and veggies.

3. Eating HEALTHY foods. We have brown rice which have more fiber than white rice, and we have plenty of fruits — which we’re trying very hard to eat at least once a day.

4. EXERCISE!! Labsie does abdominal crunches every morning and walking about a kilometer if his morning sked allows. Me? I’m still dreaming of getting state-of-the-art treadmills, hehe!

5. Drinking WATER instead of softdrinks. No problem with me while Labsie is still weaning away from Coke. He can get Diet Coke though..

2009 Project 365: Week 2 (Jan 5 - Jan 11)

2009 Project 365: Week 1 (Jan 5 - Jan 11), originally uploaded by cutieissa.

My first full week! =) And it's my first time to play with Photoshop Elements 7 too. I have been using PSE5 since 2007 and I must say PSE7 is way, way much cooler! It's almost like CS3 but very user-friendly. All my Project 365 digiscrapz are on my new "dedicated to P365" Flickr account.

To read my notes on the scraps, click on the photo. You would then be taken to its Flickr page. On top of the photo, click the "ALL SIZES" button and voila! You'll be able to read my notes. Not that you're required to read them, LOL ;-)

credits: template from Hummie's World and papers from Bren Boone Designs & Flamingo Amanda

2009 Project 365: Week 1 (Jan 1 - Jan 4)

2009 Project 365: Week 1 (Jan 1 - Jan 4), originally uploaded by cutieissa.

I have been trying to take digital photos EVERYDAY since 2005 but it’s my first time to join Project 365 (Google it!) that has been the rage in the online world this year. The bonus? I’m forced to SCRAP my weekly photos. Time to get my creative juice running! ^_^ Anyway here’s my scrap page for Week 1. I'm nearly finished with Week 2 (7 photos this time) so stay tuned for that =) Wanna join in the fun? It will be great to see on December 31, 2009 the photos you've taken the past 12 months!

credit: template by IkeaGoddess

happy thanksgiving!

And just so I’ll do something new in this blog, I joined the Booking Through Thursday meme for the first time ^_^ And being Thanksgiving Day in the US today, the meme’s topic is THANKFUL:

So–just for today–how about sharing 7 things that you’re thankful for?

This can be about books, sure–authors you appreciate, books you love, an ode to your public library–but also, how about other things, too? Because in times like these, with bills piling up and disaster seemingly lurking around every corner, it’s more important than ever to stop and take stock of the things we’re grateful for.

Here's my take on the meme-- the seven things I'm thankful for today: my good health and that of my family + friends, Labsie enjoying his trainer work, it’s a sunny day today (its been rainy the past few days and I just stayed in bed, sooo lazy!), our super cute and playful dogs, the horrific Mumbai bombing / hostage crisis is winding down (I’m on CNN/BBC right now), my youngest sibling is getting mature (he’s 23yo, LOL), and that Labsie + I are enjoying our (newly) married life! ^_^ How about you? What are you thankful for?

definitely NOT ready to become a parent!

56%?? Passing grade in my books is 75%, base zero! I’m definitely way off here – and this just confirms what I repeatedly told my parents, brothers, relatives, friends and those well-meaning people who say “O, make babies asap ha!” – I am definitely NOT ready to become a parent. I wonder how Labsie will fare in this quiz, most probably not better than me. We might be married but that does NOT mean we are ready to have kids.

 

You Are 56% Ready to Be a Parent

You are mostly ready to be a parent, though you could be better prepared. If you had a kid tomorrow, things might be difficult at first - but you could pull through. You don't have to be an ideal parent, but if your life was in better order, it would help. Make yourself a plan of how you'll raise and pay for a kid. You'll feel better if you have all your ducks in a row. If you're already a parent, you're probably doing a good job. Even if things aren't perfect, you're making the best of it.

 

Of course, we talked about having kids -- while I really don't want kids (for the next 5-10 years, or NEVER at all), Labsie is fine if we'll get pregnant by next year. If we have kids, he's fine with it. If we won't, he's okay with that too. If we'll adopt, he's fine as long as the adopted is from within our relatives. There goes my hope of us becoming Davao's Brad Pitt + Angelina Jolie with rainbow family. Hahaha!

 

Kidding aside, I am too selfish to have a baby right now. I love my freedom too much, I love spending time just doing nothing, I love my lithe body, I love not having to worry about a hapless newborn, etc, etc. Maybe three years of medical school plus two years of cyclic every-3-days 24hrs duty made me selfish of my time and what I do with it. Back then, I didn’t even have time to eat and sleep every 3 days :-(

 

Plus I saw everything that could go wrong in pregnancy, delivery and raising babies. I can't take that right now (and maybe never). Mama says I lack faith that God will make everything okay -- I say I have faith but knowing too much about Obstetrics and Pedia makes me go crazy. Ignorance is definitely bliss in my case! Yup, if it weren’t for my medical education, my parents would have grandkids already..

wedding update!!!

Just a quick post to let you know I'm still alive and not drowning in wedding plans and stuff, hehe! Good news -- I have a wedding gown already courtesy of Biste' -- looks really classy and princessy without so much frills! ^_^ The best thing? I own it and it fitted my budget! Hehe! Already had my trial makeup also (Larry of Hairzone in Victoria Plaza), will post pics once my sked allows -- naks! I'm always out of the house kasi -- going to suppliers, buying stuff, and such. Scroll invitations to the sponsors were given already (most of them anyway), groom's suit and wedding rings bought, honeymoon plans (Makati - Coron, Palawan) are in the final phase (plane tickets are all bought).. Still need to buy underwater camera and snorkeling sets -- any suggestions guys?

Ano pa ba? Hmmm.. Reception venue will definitely be at the Grand Regal Hotel in Lanang. Will have food tasting soon. My bouquet & entourage flowers and reception decor will be by Spring Flowers -- church flowers by St. Francis Parish (part of their church fee already) coz it didn't fit the 21K flowershop budget [4K gazebo, 17K flowers] anymore. And to think my initial budget for the florist is only 15K -- and now it's >33% more! I'm going crazy here, LOL!! Wedding coverage by Kent Photography -- had our prenuptial pictorial already. There were lots of doves, flowers and kissing! Hahaha! Will post the prenuptial pics soon, promise! ^_^

I PASSED!!!

Passed what?? Of course, none other than the very much dreaded Physician Licensure exam!! It's also known as the medical board exam, hehe! ^_^ Anyway, thanks so much for all the prayers and support you've given guys! I truly believe that without the prayers, I would have not passed. Despite my very best efforts to study, the exams were out of this world and it took all my testmanship skills and the Lord's guidance to come up with the "right" answer to questions I don't know anything about. Again, thanks so much guys.. To God be the glory!! ^_^

2 more days and the verdict will be out!

Had another rough weekend in the board exams. Surgery was as hard as anatomy -- full of how-to-manage-this questions and a sprinkling of anatomy questions as well. Sigh! Pharma was hard but surprisingly, when I checked my answers (to the questions I remembered), they turned out right ^_^ IM was okay, again, full of management questions. Felt like I was taking a residency exam or something, LOL! OB was okay too but there were tough questions that I REALLY didn't know the answers to. I resorted to the usual bentot2 just to have an answer, hahaha! My parents will kill me if they'll read this :p

Pedia was tough (as expected), had a headache during and after the exam. There were lots of questions from the basic subjects which were non-Pedia. Duhh! There were almost no questions on developmental. Most were on viral and immune diseases =( Preventive Med was okay.. I don't know if there was a samplex from where same questions were found like last year. Over-all, my second weekend was easier than last weekend. Now, only the verdict remains. Owing to the holiday today, our board exam results may be out Wednesday night (11pm) or Thursday in major newspapers. Prayers, as usual, are needed. Hehe! Thanks guys! ^_^

legal med sucks!!! so does anatomy!

I had a lengthy post about my first weekend of the medical board exam but the stupid "draft autosave" feature of Blogger somehow erased my 4 paragraphs of angst!! ARGGGGGHHHHHH!!! In a nutshell: Anatomy was the hardest followed by a 3-way tie between Legal Med (easiest for those who got a samplex where 90% of the board exam questions were taken, wahhh), Biochemistry and Pathology. Physiology was alright and Microbiology was the easiest. Over-all, I had a hard time with the first 6 subjects and I can't assess if I'll pass the boards or not. Naa na kay Lord tanan!!! ^_^ Next up are 6 more subjects this weekend. I'm praying I'll have an easier time since we'll be tested on clinical subjects which I dearly love (except for Pharmacology and Surgery - EENT). So guys, prayers pa ha! We really, really need it! Muchas gracias!

VISUAL TALKING!!!


Christina Applegate has breast cancer.


August worldwide events!


HammeRuler yet again! LOL

update on our life and some quirky kissing facts

THE UPDATE
On the wedding plans: Not much happening, hehe! We have booked the church (St. Francis Parish), almost all hotels in Davao (hahaha!) for the wedding reception, the florist (c/o Sophia's Spring Flowers), and wedding planner (Events by Ria) months ago. The GOOD news: almost all the legal and church paperwork are done. We'll get our marriage license on June 24, yippee! =) We finished the Pre-Cana seminar too! For all the how-tos on wedding paperwork, visit our wedding blog at Solito-Elbanbuena.info -- so much hassle if you do it yourself like we did! Whew! The BAD news: I still don't have a wedding gown (got gowns for the entourage already) and Labsie doesn't have a tuxedo yet. We are badly in need of an affordable tailor!!! If you know one, please let me know. Thanks!

On my Physician Licensure Exam review: aka medical board exam review, hehe! I ditched the review given by our school and instead just went on self-review. I am on my fifth subject (7 more to go, mostly clinical subjects) with 6 weeks to go. Migod!!! And here I am blogging!!! o_O Exams will be on August 9-10, 16-17. If you're a prayerful person, please pray that I'll pass (so that I may serve the Filipino people already, hehe) and also all the other examiners. As they say, studying is nothing if prayers are lacking.. We need prayers guys! Libre checkup, promise! Hehe!

On Labsie: aka my fiance' =) He's a tech trainer already!! Whee!! He applied for the position when their company announced an internal hiring thinking he'll get a regular work schedule. He previously worked the 2am shift for more than 6 months so when an 8am-5pm job opened, he grabbed the chance. Unfortunately, being a tech trainer does NOT mean having a regular sked at all =( At times he had to work for more than 12 hours (from 430am to 5pm) coz he's the only trainer with the new skills that has to be disseminated to the rest of the workforce. Poor Labsie! I just hope his sked will become regular before it takes a toll on his health. With the rainy weather we have plus his lack of sleep and long work hours.. Sigh!

KISSING FACTS

1. Ever wonder how an “X” came to represent a kiss? Starting in the Middle Ages, people who could not read used an X as a signature. They would kiss this mark as a sign of sincerity. Eventually, the X came to represent the kiss itself.

2. Talk about a rush! Kissing releases the same neurotransmitters in our brains as parachuting, bungee jumping, and running.

3. The average woman kisses 29 men before she gets married. [I only kissed one!!! LOL]

4. Men who kiss their partners before leaving for work average higher incomes than those who don’t. [Labsie, read this!]

5. The longest kiss in movie history was between Jane Wyman and Regis Tommey in the 1941 film, You’re in the Army Now. It lasted 3 minutes and 5 seconds. So if you’ve beaten that record, it’s time to celebrate!