A Little Pain, A Life To Gain

Our company, in partnership with Philippine National Red Cross, conducted a Blood Letting Program onsite. We were able to obtain 24 blood bags, which I am certain, could help save lives.

While my blood was being withdrawn from my system, I spoke with the Red Cross Volunteer and she mentioned that "-ber" months are mostly the time when only a few people share their blood. I hereby knock to your generous heart, to please be with me on this humanitarian and compassionate legacy. Donate your precious blood. Especially now that Christmas is yet to come. This would be the best Christmas present you could ever offer. Remember the saying, "It's better to give than to receive."

Voluntarily, the donor has to submit himself to undergo blood screening. The purpose of this is to determine the blood type, weight, blood pressure, and the donor's medical history & personal lifestyle. It is not true that if you have tattoos or piercings, you can no longer donate your blood. This is a common misconception among the people. If you get inked or had your piercings for more than a year, then you can still donate blood. There is a doctor to assess if you are qualified or not. Usually, the one who is "clean & healthy" passes the screening. The qualified donor will then be asked to lie down and there, a needle will be inserted. Once the bloodbag is filled with 450 ml of blood, a needle will be withdrawn. A successful donor will be instructed to remain still on bed for about 10 minutes before getting up. The whole procedure takes for about 30 minutes.

A donor's card will be given to all successful donors. Should you need blood in the future (knock on wood), you can come to Red Cross and ask for assistance. They will provide you the blood you need until you get well.

I hope this entry touched your heart and I'm looking forward to see more people supporting this drive in donating their blood. Yes, I know we inflict pain. I myself have fear of needles and the idea of being punctured. But what is a little pain, if life is we are saving. As long as I can give, this will be my lifetime advocacy. I hope you too!

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Eyes, Eyes, Baby

This is probably and will be the shortest among my entries. I am going to be precise and brief, since I know all of us were reminded many times to TAKE CARE OF OUR EYES. Unless you want to not see the things around you and be blinded of the beauty of the surroundings.

We need our eyes. And if you love them enough, you will take care of them. Go, pay a visit to your ophthalmologist, EENT, and/or optometrist. Have them checked regularly. As a general rule, consider your eyes as your "baby."

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Thumbs Up in Boracay

Over a week ago, my college friends and I went to Boracay. It was not our first time in that island; we all have been there separately with different groups. The only thing that’s first was I am (or we are) going to the beach with the BrainTrain Group, which later I will explain why we were labelled with that name. To make it more exciting this time, I prepared a list of better things to do, to try, to capture, to taste when we reach our place of holiday. By the end of our short vacation, only a few materialized.

First Day. The first day was one of the most memorable on this trip. WHY? That’s because for once, we felt like a VIP. The pilot waited for us. We were paged several times and immediately after we board, the plane took off. That garnered a non-stop laughs among us.

Second Day. No much activity as we planned. We were offered several times to try this-and-that but we declined because we already experienced most of the activities, like the ATV, zorb, helmet diving, etc. September is considered an off-peak season in the island so the prices are far cheaper than the rate when it is summer. Except we tried Parao to enjoy the beautiful beach of Boracay, the strong winds, the waves, the pristine saltwater splashing on our face, and the magnificent sunset. That was truly enjoyable!

Third Day. Everyone woke up late, but not Lara and myself. We walked by the beach, gazed upon the natural scenery, took our photos, and... let me just say “cook something exciting.” Since we did not let our time to engage with some “fun under the sun” activities, we were nowhere to be found but either in our hotel room, in a restaurant, or in a bar. Sure we were pigging out, drinking alcohol, resting, tweeting, and instagraming. That’s the whole point of our vacation, not to mention, to party every minute of every day.

“Happy Hour” starts at 4pm onwards. This is the time we always took advantage of the drinks which are sold at 50% off or buy 1, take 1. Our favourite was BrainTrain, which is made up of 10 alcoholic drinks combined into one mixture, best served with cherries. This is good to share and I swear, would be impossible if you don’t feel tipsy at all. During that time, at least when we were in Boracay, we were the only group that orders BrainTrain, hence, the bartender branded us as BrainTrain Group.

Darkness started to set in. We got hungry and wanted to eat in an all-you-can-eat buffet. We headed to Astoria and availed of our complimentary dinner. There was another story about this and yes, it was related to what I “cooked” earlier this day. Sorry, but I’d rather not reveal it. To give you a hint, among our group, I bagged the Best Story and Best Director. For Best Actor it was Adrian; Jessan for Best Actress.

It was our last night so might as well enjoy the remaining hours in the island. Party! Party! Dance! Dance! Even on the dance floor I remember the Strawberry Firework dance steps by Mykhel and the “Kasambahay” dance moves by Jean that we practiced in our hotel. No exaggerations, but that night was crazy fun!

Fourth Day. It’s our last and final day in the island. We started to feel nostalgic. But must bring the most of it! We bought some gastronomic delights and pasalubongs. Lounge by the shore, watch the beach, and bask under the sun while drinking the best shake in Boracay. That feeling was priceless! Over all, the experience was a thumbs-up! Just before we leave, we promised that we will still going back and perhaps, drink BrainTrain without sharing. I’m crossing my fingers, come next year, we could go back there all together.

I cannot share the nitsy-bitsy details of this trip. I am sharing only the highlights. As they say, “what happens in Boracay, stays in the island.”

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