Leksiyong Pang-Grade Two

6 September 2020

Leave a comment

Balik-eskwela na naman ang mga bata. Pero marami sa mga schools sa ngayon ay virtual class ang meeting dulot ng COVID-19 pandemic. At dahil po pasukan na naman, ay minarapat ko na muling sariwain ang mga leksiyong natutunan ko noong ako’y nasa mababang paaralan pa.

(Related previous posts Kwentong Kindergarten and Leksiyong Pang-Grade One.)

Photo by Skitterphoto on Pexels.com

Ako ay inilipat sa mas malaking paaralan nang ako’y mag-grade 2. Hindi tulad ng paaralan ko sa Kindergarten na nilalakad ko lang mula sa aming bahay, at ang eskwelahan ko ng Grade 1 na isang tricycle lang ang layo, ang bagong school na pinasukan ko noong grade 2 ay malaki ang inilayo nito: 2 sakay ng jeepney at 1 sakay ng tricycle. Lumipat ako doon dahil sa ito ay academy – elementary hanggang high school.

Bagong paaralan. Bagong lugar. Bagong uniporme. Bagong lunchbox. Bagong classroom. Bagong teacher. Bagong mga classmates. Bagong hamon.

Sa Grade 2, ako at iilan lang estudyante ang bagong lipat. Halos lahat ng mga classmates ko ay magkakakilala na dahil doon silang lahat nag-Grade 1. Buti pa sa Kindergarten o sa Grade 1, lahat kami ay bago. Sa Grade 2, ako lang ang bagong salta. Kumbaga ako’y “new kid in town.”

Hindi ko sasabihin na naging madali ang naging transisyon ko sa bagong paaralan. Pero alam kong kailangan itong mangyari. Kaya ang isa sa leksiyon na aking natutunan noong grade 2 ay ito:

Huwag matakot sa pagbabago. Dahil sa pagbabago tayo ay natututo at lumalago.

Sapagkat ako nga’y bago at wala pang kakilala, pag-recess na ay nasa isang sulok lang ako. Mahiyain ako at hindi naman ako ipinanganak na parang pulitiko na maboka at magaling makipagkaibigan. Buti na lang at may dalawang mag-pinsan na bagong salta ring katulad ko. Kinaibigan nila ako, o siguro naawa sila sa akin dahil mukha akong basang sisiw.

Mula noon kapag lunch break na, kahit may bitbit akong baon dahil nga malayo ang bahay namin, ay sumasama ako sa mag-pinsan kong kaeskwela, at doon sa bahay nila ako kumakain ng tanghalian. Kung alam lang ng nanay ko na kung saan-saang kalye at eskinita ng Pasay ako sumusuot at naglalakad ay siguradong mag-aalala ito. Nariyan ang mga maton at siga sa daan na aming nasasalubong. Mayroon din mga lasing at adik. Sa awa ng Diyos, wala namang nangyari sa akin.

Naging kaibigan ko ang mag-pinsan na ito, at mga ilang buwan din akong kaladkarin sa bahay nila. Nakatulong din na naging “in” ang aking bagong kaibigan dahil magaling siya sa sipa at pinakamabilis siyang tumakbo, kaya naman kahit sabit lang ako ay isinasali na rin ako pag-naglalaro na. Hindi na ako basang sisiw.

Isa pang leksiyong aking natutunan noong ako’y Grade 2:

Ang mga taong may kaparehas mong hamon sa buhay ang makakaunawa at makakatulong sa iyo. Ang mahirap na sitwasyon ang makakapagbuklod sa inyo.

Mga ilang taon ko rin naging kaibigan ang mag-pinsan na ito. Ngunit isang araw, lumipat na sila ng paaralan. Tunay na ikinalungkot ko iyon. Hindi man lang ako nakapagpaalam sa kanila. Salamat na lang at marami na akong mga kaibigan pa nang sila’y nawala.

Dahil ako ay baguhan nga, may isang bata rin ang nag-bully sa akin noong ako’y nasa Grade 2. Sabi niya isusumbong daw niya ako sa aming teacher kesyo hindi healthy ang aking baon at hindi raw ito ‘kosher.’ Isusumbong niya ako dahil may kulang daw sa aking uniporme. Isusumbong daw niya ako dahil hindi ako naggupit ng kuko. Isusumbong daw niya ako dahil masyado akong guwapo. At iba’t-iba pang walang katotohanang akusasyon, maliban sa huling paratang.

Tinanong ko ang aking nanay, at sabi niya baka raw inggit lang ang aking kaklaseng ito. O marahil nagugutom lang ito, kaya’t i-share ko na lang daw ang baon ko. Kaya nang sumunod na isusumbong na naman daw niya ako sa teacher, ay binigyan ko na lang siya ng kalahati ng sandwich ko. Masaya naman niyang tinanggap ang inalok kong pagkain. Mula noon, hindi na niya ako ginambala. Gutom nga lang pala.

Kaya isa pa sa leksiyong aking natutunan:

Sikaping intindihin ang gumagawa ng hindi mabuti sa iyo. At kung kaya mong gawin ay gantihan na lang ito ng mabuti.

Marami akong naging paboritong laro noong ako’y Grade 2. Tulad ng agawan base (also known as prisoner’s base), habulan, sipa, at jolens. Hindi naman sa pagyayabang, ay naging mahusay ako at kinilalang hustler sa sipa at asintado sa jolens.

Isang araw, matiwasay kaming naglalaro ng jolens. Ngunit may isang kaeskwela na nang-gugulo habang kami ay naglalaro. Tinitira niya ang aking jolens kahit hindi naman siya kasali. Sinabihan namin na tumigil na siya, ngunit tengang kawali lang siya. Napuno ako, kaya’t dinampot ko ang jolen niya at ibinalibag ito sa pader. Nag-arboroto siya at sinugod niya ako. Hindi ko siya inurungan. Nauwi ito sa suntukan.

Salamat na lang at maraming nakakatandang bata ang umawat sa amin. Hindi naman kami naging duguan. Damdamin lang ang naging sugatan. Hindi ko akalaing makikipag-away ako. Hindi ko rin akalaing may dugong Pacquiao pala ako.

Siyempre napagalitan kami ng aming teacher na si Mrs. de Vera. Pati magulang ko ay pinagalitan ako. Pero mula noon, wala nang gumagago sa akin. Siguro napagtanto nilang pumapalag pala ako kahit na ako ay patpatin. Natuto rin naman akong makisama, umiwas, at lumayo na sa mga away at basag-ulo.

Ito pa ang leksiyon kong natutunan sa Grade 2:

Umiwas sa mga away. Ngunit sa buhay, darating ang sitwasyon na kailangan mong lumaban at ipagtanggol ang iyong sarili.

Siyempre marami pa akong natutunan sa loob ng classroom, tulad ng calculus, biochemistry, at geopolitics. Teka, teka….. hindi yata sa Grade 2 ko natutunan ang mga ‘yon. Ngunit may mahahalagang leksiyon mula sa labas ng classroom na ang naging guro ko ay karanasan.

Oo nga at hindi na ako magaling mag-sipa at wala na ang husay ko sa jolens, pero ang mga aral na napulot ko noong Grade 2 ay bitbit ko pa rin hanggang sa ngayon.

September Morning: Reloaded

1 September 2020

Leave a comment

It is September once again. I would like to re-post an entry I wrote 8 years ago.

**********

The cool air is moving in, heralding that the days of summer are numbered. It is not that cold yet that it is freezing, but just enough to make the mornings cool and crisp. The night temperature falls usually meeting the dew point  (as if I know what I am talking about) and this forms a thin wisp of fog above the ground in the mornings like a floating white blanket. The days are getting shorter too. And the Iowa cornfields are turning into golden-yellow. It is indeed September.

September. There is something about this month that brings about a certain sentimentality. Some kind of nostalgia if you will. Just the number of songs that I know that have September in its title proves this point. From “See You in September” (The Happenings), “September” (Earth, Wind and Fire), “September Morn”  (Neil Diamond),  and “September of my Years” (Frank Sinatra), all from yesteryear, to the more recent songs like “The Late September Dogs” (Melissa Etheridge), “Wake Me Up When September Ends” (Greenday) and “September” (Daughtry). I know you can name a few (or a lot) more songs than these. Perhaps you can sing them all too.

To me though, September ushers a certain kind of sadness. I know September marks the end of summer, but that’s not why I feel this way. You see, I grew up in the Philippines, a tropical country, where we have summer-like days the whole year through, so I don’t associate this month to the gloom of approaching autumn and winter. In fact in the Philippines, September marks the unofficial start of the long joyous Christmas celebration. Christmas songs (especially Jose Marie Chan’s) can be played and Christmas decorations can be displayed as soon as the months ending with “ber” rolls in.

To me this melancholic feeling about September has a deeper personal meaning. Painfully personal.

It was one day in September, twenty-five years ago that my life’s boyhood summer came to an end. That was when my father passed away at a premature age and we were left to carry on. My sheltered and carefree innocent living came to a screeching halt.  And I became a man overnight, burdened with the huge responsibility passed on to me.

hazy morning sun over golden field of corn ready for harvest

Though September morning just like today, also attests that we can rise up to the challenges of life. We, like the sun can continue to ascend and claim our rightful place in the sky. Soon enough the fog of uncertainties and doubts will burn away in the warmth of the day. The golden fields of harvest will be ours for the taking. And our commitment to reach our dreams will be fortified to face even the harshest days of the coming winter.

September morning. Let the cold wind blow.

Idadaan Na Lang Sa Gitara

27 August 2020

4 Comments

Noong makalawang araw ay nakikinig ako ng mga tugtuging Pilipino sa Spotify nang sumalang ang kanta ng Parokya ni Edgar:

Hahayaan na lang silang
Magkandarapa na manligaw sa 'yo,
Idadaan na lang kita
Sa awitin kong ito,
Sabay ang tugtog ng gitara,
Idadaan na lang sa gitara.
Idadaan na lang sa gitara.

Biglang sumagi sa aking isipan ang mga alaala ng ako’y kabataan pa at ang aking mga kabarkada na mahilig mag-gitara.

Hindi ako natutong mag-gitara. Alam ko lang tipahin ang chord na C, D, at A. Pero kapag mahirap na, gaya ng Badd9 o C#sus, ay naku Bad talaga, o sus as in susmaryosep na!

Kahit hindi ako marunong mag-gitara, marami akong naging kaibigan na mga gitarista. Noong nasa high school kami, ilan sa mga kabarkada ko ay mahuhusay mag-gitara. Sabit na lang ako sa kanila kapag kantahan na. Mga paborito naming awitin ang mga kanta ng Eagles, America, at Bread. Sa mga Pilipinong grupo naman ay ang Asin at Apo Hiking Society. Hindi pa pinapanganak ang Eraserheads noong high school kami. Kahit mahirap tugtugin ay kayang-kaya ng mga kaibigan ko, tulad ng mga kanta ni Jim Croce – sabi nila sobrang hirap daw gitarahin ang mga kanta niya.

Dahil mahilig kaming kumanta, pinakanta pa ang aking barkada sa Junior-Senior Prom. Maayos naman ang aming awit at hindi kami binato ng kamatis at hindi rin nabilaukan ang mga kumakain.

Tayong mga Pilipino ay mahilig kumanta at mag-gitara. Bago pa nauso ang mga Karaoke, Minus 1 at Magic Mic ay nagkakantahan na tayong mga Pinoy, basta mayroong nag-gigitara. Ang mga inuman sa kanto ay nagiging sing-along kapag mayroon ng nag-gigitara.

Uso rin noon ang mga harana. Ulit, kanta ng Parokya ni Edgar:

Uso pa ba ang harana?
Marahil ikaw ay nagtataka,
Sino ba 'tong mukhang gago?
Nagkandarapa sa pagkanta,
At nasisintunado sa kaba.

Bakit nga ba nawala na ang harana. Ngayon, sa Facebook messenger at text na lang ang ligawan, hindi tulad noong araw na tunay na umaakyat ng ligaw ang isang lalaki at kasama pa ang kanyang tropa at sila’y aawit ng mga harana. Siyempre may kasamang gitarista.

Maraming mga Pilipino ang natututong mag-gitara kahit walang pormal na guitar lessons. Nanonood lang sa mga nag-gigitara ay nahahawa na rin sila sa hilig at husay.

May kapatid ang aking misis, na bago pa raw ito makapagsalita ng tuwid ay marunong na itong mag-gitara dahil sa pagmamasid lang. Hindi pa siya pumapasok sa Kindergarten ay magaling nang tumugtog ng gitara. Ang paborito niyang tugtugin noon ay “Pordidem Deyms,” kasi hindi niya pa raw mabigkas ‘yung “Forbidden Games” (classical guitar piece also known as Jeux Interdits or Romance).

Kahit na nang nasa medical school na ako, may kaibigan ulit akong magaling mag-gitara. Minsan nuong 4th year medical student na kami at duty kami sa hospital, ay nagkantahan pa rin kami. May napagaling ba kaming mga pasyente sa aming kanta? “Utol” ang tawag ko sa kaibigan kong ito, dahil parehas kami ng apelyido. Minsan sabi sa amin ng isang Medical Resident ay magtayo raw kami ng banda. Siguro dahil mukha rin kaming mga punkista dahil sa aming buhok na spikey.

Matagal na panahon na nga ang lumipas. Nasaan na kaya ang dating barkada? Tulad ng kanta ng APO, namimiss ko ang mga panahong iyon:

Madalas ang istambay sa capetirya. Isang barkada na kay' saya,
Laging may hawak-hawak na gitara, konting udyok lamang kakanta na.....

Saan na nga ba, saan na nga ba?
Saan na napunta ang panahon.
Saan na nga ba, saan na nga ba?
Saan na napunta ang panahon.

Noong ako’y lumipad na papuntang Amerika at napadpad dito sa Iowa, ay nagkita muli kami ng isa sa aking kaeskwela noong kolehiyo na napadpad rin dito sa Iowa. Ang dating kaeskwela kong ito ay magaling din mag-gitara. Kaya ng magkatipon-tipon kami, inilabas ang mga lumang song hits at “jingle” na halos gula-gulanit na. Kami’y nagkantahang muli na parang mga kabataan ng mga awiting aming kinagisnan, hanggang sa lumalim na ang gabi.

Sana hanggang sa aking pagtanda ay may mga kaibigan pa rin akong nag-gigitara. At kahit laglag na ang mga ipin at kapos na ang hangin sa baga ay patuloy pa rin kaming magkakantahan. Sabi nga ng kanta ng Asin:

Mayro'n lang akong hinihiling,
Sa aking pagpanaw, sana ay tag-ulan,
Gitara ko ay aking dadalhin,
Upang sa ulap na lang tayo magkantahan.

**********

Added Joke: Pinaiyak na Gitara

Jose: Ang tiyuhin ko ang galing mag-gitara. Pinaiiyak niya ‘yung gitara.

Juan: Uy magaling nga yung tiyuhin mo, pero mas magaling yung tiyuhin ko. Hindi lang gitara ang umiiyak, pati hinaharana niya ay napa-iyak din.

Pedro: Eh wala palang sinabi yung mga tiyuhin ninyo. Yung tiyuhin ko sa galing niyang magharana at mag-gitara, ‘yung hinaharana niya ay napaiyak at napasigaw pa.

Jose at Juan: O siya nga?

Pedro: Oo, napaiyak sa galit at sinigawan na siyang tumigil na!

(*image from the web)

May the Force be with You

15 August 2020

5 Comments

Our daughter like Star Wars. As you already know, we homeschooled her until highschool. During our private highschool graduation ceremony she picked her own music for her graduation march. It was not the conventional “Pomp and Circumstance.” It was Star Wars’ “Throne Room” (song played when Luke Skywalker, Chewbacca, and Hans Solo marched to received their heroes’ medal).

A couple of months ago she graduated from college (see previous post here). So our Padawan (apprentice) is aiming to be a Master. Yes, for real! She is pursuing a Master’s degree.

Were you thinking as a Jedi Master? Maybe that one too. Someday.

We are currently helping her move and settle to a galaxy, far far away. Well, not really for it is a city that’s only about 130 miles away. But to us it feels like that’s lightyears away.

So as a send off as she leaves once again for a higher school and training: May the force be with you.

(*photo taken after her college graduation pictorial. Her lightsaber is her cello bow.)

**********

Post Note:

During the day we helped our daughter move to her new place, a fast moving storm (Derecho Storm) with high winds exceeding 100 miles per hour (equivalent to category 2 hurricane) plowed through the area. It came so sudden that one minute it was all sunny, then the next minute the U-haul truck was swaying that we have to stop unloading and run for shelter inside.

The strong storm downed many trees and blew off some roofs around the area. It knocked off the electricity too that we had to use the stairs instead of the elevators when we resume unloading, making it really labor intensive. On our way home, we even saw three 18-wheeler trucks on the highway that were overturned by the strong winds.

Be careful what you wish for. The “force” was with her alright.

Walking Sunflowers

9 August 2020

Leave a comment

This past weekend we visited the sunflower field in Belle Plaine, Iowa. We also went here last year but at that time the condition of the sunflowers were past their peak. So this year we made sure we see them in their prime.

We were not disappointed. They’re so beautiful.

Sunflowers are heliotropic plants. A hell…. what?

Heliotropism is an ability to move or turn in response to light. So sunflowers slowly track the motion of the sun across the sky during the day to face it and then drift back during the nighttime. Though mature sunflowers may lose this ability as their stalk gets stiff.

However, during our last visit I saw a different movement in some sunflowers. They were walking!

Or so I thought. It was just my wife harvesting some sunflowers.

(*photo and video taken with an iPhone)

Quirky Talk

1 August 2020

7 Comments

Recently I read from a fellow Filipino blogger about how hard it is to learn Mandarin due to different intonations. She also mentioned that our own language has similar quirkiness. So I am re-posting a story I concocted 5 years ago. Besides, it is “Buwan ng Wika.”

**********

A foreigner arrived in the Philippines and was observing how the locals talk.

After she checked-in in her hotel room, she planned to go outside, so she headed to the elevator. While waiting, a mother and her toddler son were also waiting for the elevator.

The toddler tugged on his mother and said:

Child: Dede!

Mother: Dedede?

Child: Dede.

Then the mother handed his son the milk bottle.

When the elevator door opened the mother asked the lady inside the elevator:

Mother: Bababa ba?

Lady: Bababa.

So the mother and her child hopped inside the elevator. The foreigner hopped in too.

The mother marveled at the lady’s colorful manicured nails in the elevator and wondered if it’s real. The lady seemed to understand her inquisitive look, and said with a smile:

Lady: Kuko ko.

The mother smiled back and replied: Oh, oo.

After a couple of floors down, the elevator stopped and the doors opened. A man outside asked:

Man: Bababa ba?

“Bababa.” The two ladies inside chimed.

What a fascinating language these locals speak, the foreigner thought to herself. How can they communicate with each other by just repeating one syllable?

As the elevator doors closed, the toddler tugged again on his mother and whispered:

Son: Pupupu po.

Mother: Pupupu?

Son: Pupu.

Soon a certain smell reeked inside the elevator, luckily it reached the ground floor and the passengers hurried to go out. As the elevator door opened the foreigner tried to break the ice with the locals. She said to them with an amusing grin:

Foreigner: Dadadada.

The locals looked at her baffled? Of course they did not understand her. They just shook their heads and under their breath they uttered: Gaga.

**********

(*image from the net)

Exploring North Shore

23 July 2020

4 Comments

We’re supposed to attend a wedding in Canada this summer. Besides seeing relatives and friends we’ve planned to explore some places there as well. But COVID-19 changed our plans. US residents are not allowed to cross the border. Well, the wedding still happened, albeit without us in attendance.

Though I did not cancel my vacation altogether, for I needed to get away. The stress of this pandemic to us, healthcare workers, is wearing me down. I needed a break.

So my family and I drove up North.

View from our lodge

Since Canada is still close to visitors, we stayed within the US border for our vacation. Yet we ventured really close to the northern border. We explored Minnesota’s North Shore Scenic Drive, which is Lake Superior’s rugged westside coastline through Highway 61.

Highway 61 stretches from Duluth, Minnesota up to the Canadian border. Photo below is the aerial lift bridge at the Canal Park in Duluth.

We passed some lighthouses along the scenic drive and went down to check them out. Lighthouses nowadays don’t serve the same importance as it used to, as ships and boats usually navigate now with the GPS instead of just relying on visual cues. Yet lighthouses are still of iconic beauty.

Since we don’t have a tight schedule we had time to stop at a beach on a whim and just enjoy the scenery. Or also skip some rocks.

Skipping rocks requires both skill and knowledge of basic physics. Having the right spin, speed, shape and angle is needed in order for the stone to “skip” on top of the water. It may seem impossible at first to have a stone jump on water, but it can be done. Maybe life is like skipping rocks. We need to have the right elements in order for us to have our heads stay above water.

Here’s my son skipping rocks: (How many skips did you count? It was about 10.)

Although we were near the water, we spent much of our time in the mountains. The mountain resort where we stayed is a known ski destination but it has a different appeal during the summer months.

We rode the gondola up to the mountain peak. The view on the top was something to die for.

Then we rode down the mountain via the Alpine slide. This was half a mile of exhilarating ride.

This was a first-time experience for us. You can control your speed with a brake as you slide down the track. You can go slow (if you’re cautious) and enjoy the view, or go really fast and everything is a blur. My wife was so slow that it spoiled the fun of the kid behind her on the slide. I overheard the dad asking the boy if he had fun after the ride and he vehemently said no. Poor kid.

We like it so much that we did a second run. I thought of offering that poor kid a free ride but I couldn’t find them anymore. My wife did much faster on her second run. Maybe we should try bobsledding for our next adventure.

We also did some not-so-serious 2-mile hike up the mountain. Most of our activities were staying away from crowds as we practiced social distancing. We chased water falls while we also chased our breaths.

We followed up the river where it has less turbulent rapids and rested there. We ate our pack lunch while watching the river flow.

The morning we did the hike I received a phone call from our office informing me that one of my partners died. It was sudden and unexpected. Our life is in such a precarious balance that it could topple any moment. We should always be thankful for every precious time we have. (I’ll write a tribute for him later.)

We drove further up towards the Canadian border which was a little more than an hour drive from where we were staying. Again stopping along the way to enjoy the road-side view.

There was a last rest stop just before the border. Since it was in a state park, there were hiking trails in that area. So we hiked again.

We followed the trail that leads to the Canadian border, where at the end of that specific trail, we found this marker stating, “International Boundary Commission.”

We can’t get any further so we headed back. While we were hiking to this international boundary marker, we were interrogated not by Customs agents but by insects. And all we took back as souvenirs from the border were bug bites from friendly Canadian insects. At least they were duty-free.

From the North Shore,

Pinoytransplant (with my signature jump shot).

(*photos taken with an iPhone)

Hugot Lines sa Doctor’s Office

16 July 2020

5 Comments

Mahal kong mga readers, heto na naman po ang bagong installment ng mga hugot. Kung merong Hugot Cafe, welcome naman po kayo dito sa Hugot Clinic.

Duktor: (Habang iniineksyunan ng local anesthesia ang pasyente para sa simpleng operasyon) O Hija, konting kirot lang ang injection na’to, pero pampamanhid ito at walang ka nang mararamdaman pagkatapos.

Pasyente: Kahit wala ng anesthesia Doc. Sanay na akong masaktan. Manhid na manhid na nga ako.

**********

Duktor: (Habang tinatanggal ang bondage sa sugat ng pasyente) Magaling at tuyo na ang sugat mo dito sa iyong braso.

Pasyente: Pero ang sugat sa puso ko Doc, hindi pa rin gumagaling. May band-aid ba para dun?

**********

Pasyente: Doc, ang pait naman ng nireseta n’yong gamot.

Duktor: Ganyan talaga, ang mapapait na karanasan ang magpapalakas sa iyo.

**********

Pasyente: Doc, may gamot ba kayo sa constipation? Hindi ko kasi mailabas-labas ang mga sama ng loob ko.

Duktor: Namputcha, hindi laxative ang kailangan mo. Halika, daanin na lang natin sa maboteng usapan.

**********

Pasyente: Doc, ano po ba ang sanhi ng madaling mapagod?

Duktor: Baka may cardiomyopathy o kaya ay heart failure. Sige, i-check-up na kita.

Pasyente: Hindi po ako, ‘yung boyfriend ko. Sabi niya ayaw na niya, kasi raw pagod na ang puso niya.

**********

Pasyente: Doc, meron pa bang lunas ang kalagayan ko? Lagi na lang akong pinapaasa.

Duktor: Naku ‘Te, wala ng pag-asa. Walang gamot sa tanga.

**********

Pasyente: Doc, feeling ko ako si Invisible Man. Kasi andito lang naman ako, pero bakit hindi niya ako nakikita. Hindi pa rin ako pinapansin.

Duktor: Next patient please!

**********

Duktor: Bumibigat ka. Kailangan mong tumakbo at mag-exercise.

Pasyente: Pero Doc, sabi ng misis ko takbo na raw ako ng takbo.

Duktor: Engot ka pala eh, hindi exercise yung tumatakbo sa responsibilidad.

*********

Pasyente: Doc, hirap na hirap po akong gumising.

Duktor: Ah, baka may narcolepsy ka. Sige, resitahan kita ng stimulant.

Pasyente: Magigising po ba ako sa katotohanan sa gamot na yan Doc?

Duktor: Ah meron din gamot diyan…….tadyak!

**********

Duktor: (Habang pinapakinggan ang baga ng pasyente) O clear naman ang tunog ng mga baga mo.

Pasyente: Pero Doc, sumisikip ang dibdib ko at hirap pa rin akong huminga. Lalo na kapag naaalala ko ang kumag na iyon.

Duktor: Teka, hindi Pulmonologist ang kailangan mo kundi Psychotherapist.

**********

Pasyente: Doc, may gamot ba para magka-amnesia? Gusto ko lang kasing kalimutan na siya.

Duktor: Ah, may mabisa akong gamot diyan. Heto, inumin mo na ang tabletang ito.

Pasyente: (ininom ang gamot)

Duktor: O eto na ang iyong doctor’s bill.

Pasyente: Ano ho ito? At sino ho kayo?

**********

Duktor: (Matapos i-test and vision ng pasyente) Wala namang diperensiya ang mata mo Hijo. 20/20 nga ang vision mo.

Pasyente: Pero Doc, sabi ng mga kaibigan ko nabubulag daw ako.

Duktor: Ah, meron din kaming lunas diyan: kontra-gayuma. Pero meron ding mas mura…….batok!

**********

Duktor: Hindi mabuti kung lagi mo na lang pinipigilan. Kahit ano pa man ang sabihin ng iba, mas giginhawa ka kung iyo na itong bibitiwan at papakawalan.

Pasyente: Pero Doc, hindi ko po talaga kaya.

Duktor: Kabag ang tinutukoy ko. Dapat itong pakawalan at iutot.

**********

Pasyente: Doc, ayaw ko na pong maging sanitary napkin.

Duktor: Huh? Anong ibig mong sabihin?

Pasyente: Kasi ginagawa lang akong panakip butas.

Duktor: Kahit ganyan ang kalagayan mo, taas noo pa rin. Dahil pwede pa rin “with wings.”

**********

Hanggang sa susunod na Hugot sessions na lang muli. Making Hugot like a Boss.

(*images from the web, all other materials are original)

Hail Summer!

12 July 2020

Leave a comment

We were driving to a destination that is about an hour away from our home yesterday in the sweltering heat of almost a hundred degrees Fahrenheit. Not unusual for this time of year here in Iowa, for it is summer after all. The sun was gloriously shining when all of the sudden the sky turned gray. Maybe it was more than gray. Black clouds abruptly hid the sun and flashes of lighting started streaking across the horizon.

The temperature dropped more than 40 degrees in a matter of minutes. Strong gusty winds blew dust from the farm fields and torrential rain poured down making road visibility very difficult.

Then we heard loud pelting sounds on the windshield and roof of our car. Hail!

Some motorists sought shelter under the bridges, but we continued to drive, albeit slowly. We took a wrong turn and got delayed a little to where we were supposed to go.

Perhaps it was Divine providence that we got lost for when we arrived at our destination, people there told us that we just missed an awful hail storm. What we encountered on the road, which was marble-sized hail, was not bad compared to what it could have been if we did not get “lost.”

Leaves and branches from the trees loitered the ground. The cornfields were whipped down. Many of the parked cars in the area when we arrived had dents, and windows and sidings of the houses were damaged from the hail.

Here are some hailstones on the ground.

Here are bigger ones.

According to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), hailstones form when strong currents of rising air, known as updrafts, carry droplets of water high enough that they freeze. The higher these droplets get, the cooler the temperature, even during a hot summer, that in fact, warmer weather might actually result in a stronger updraft. The hail falls when the thunderstorm’s updraft can no longer support the weight of the hailstone, which can occur if the stone becomes large enough or the updraft weakens.

Can you imagine if you’re hit with these golf-size hail coming to you at more than 100 miles per hour? That would be serious “bukol”(swelling).

But the storm did not last that long. In less than 30 minutes the sun was shining again, as if nothing have happened. Except for the cracked windows and car dents for souvenir.

Hail summer!

**********

(*photos taken with an iPhone)