The Impatient Patient

On Easter Monday, my officemate and friend dragged me to the Pain & Rehab clinic in Megamall. I still wanted to make excuses not to go, but I could no longer ignore the pain.

After consulting a doctor and going through initial therapy, I confirmed what my Goggle research had revealed a week and a half ago: I had Tennis Elbow. Yes, you read that right, and no, I didn't take up a new sport.

I had been working out with a personal trainer in the gym since middle of last year. After several months of workout, however, I stopped for around six weeks due to the year-end planning schedule at work and the long Christmas break that the government imposed last December. When I returned to the gym last January, my trainer told me I was back to zero as my muscles had already forgotten the strength of yesteryear. I remembered that she led me to use the machines during that session (I added this to absolve her of any negligence). Afterwards, I felt muscle pain for several days, but thought nothing of it as I had gone through that before.

I noticed, however, "recurring pain on the outside of the upper forearm just below the bend of [my] elbow", as accurately described on the website I linked above . Thinking it would go away, I traveled to Cebu, Bohol, Davao, and Tagum, oftentimes lugging around my heavy office laptop bag containing a recently-purchased extended battery, which I woefully found out also meant extended weight. I blogged about that trip here. A couple of weeks later, I went to Bacolod for the IBP National Convention, and thought nothing about lifting heavy suitcases and boxes. On the second night of that trip, I could hardly move my right arm and preferred to stay in the Planta Hotel Centro (this gets five stars, when I get to write a review) rather than explore the Food Trip city I was in.

The pain was too much that it was an effort to pour water from a pitcher. I rested my arm for a day but felt that the pain was just in hiding. I tried to live with it. During Holy Week, I challenged myself to do a Martha Stewart and cleaned out the laundry basket, cooked tomato and tuyo pasta, wiped Pledge on my wooden dresser, applied Kiwi polish to all my office shoes, replaced our bathroom shower curtains and hooks, exterminated all dust bunnies from under my bed, collected stuff to give away from my closet, sterilized sponges and sinks and ovens, descaled the electric water kettle, sorted out the hangers, and stopped only when it was time to go to church.

The result of my superwoman ambitions was a pain on my elbow that made me wince or yelp every time I tried to open a door or lift my arm. So I did go to that dreaded checkup, and I was told to "avoid gripping" or "anything that causes pain" for four to six weeks. I was given a 45-minute therapy program that I had to go to three times a week. I gulped. Not only was I impatient when it came to repeated activities, I also hated waiting in line, and that clinic had some serious lines after office hours.

The doctor explained that tendons don't heal easily due to poor blood circulation. I humored him and my kind therapist and agreed to come back "as often as I could", but inwardly I just planned to apply the anti-inflammatory gel prescribed and to do the exercises taught me.

Now I'm realizing that I grip a lot on a daily basis. I have to make a conscious effort to open jars using my left hand, to ask for help when opening the gate, to avoid cooking and laundry (two of my favorite chores!), and to sling my bag on my left shoulder. A friend, who had gone through worse pain, encouraged me that going through therapy was good for me.

I hope I don't become too stubborn so that my elbow would heal. And I hope to apply the lessons I am learning to other areas that need healing. You know what I mean.

Back from the City of Smiles

I used to associate Bacolod City with rest and recreation. My first two trips to this City of Smiles were sponsored by a wonderful family whose last name, to me, became synonymous with good food. Every meal that I spent with them was worth celebrating. I saw the wonderful sights within the city and drove to the nearby towns to taste what they had to offer. I always came home to Manila with loads of napoleones and half-moon from Roli's, mango tartlets and butterscotch from Virgie's, souvenirs from The Negros Showroom, and angel cookies from El Ideal.

During those vacation trips, I enjoyed my visit to the ancestral homes, played a piano that belonged to native Jose Mari Chan, posed at the Mambukal Resort, ate authentic chicken inasal at Manukan, and feasted my eyes on the colorful costumes on parade during the Masskara Festival.

My last two trips, however, were for work. Last year, I only stayed for a night as a stopover for my meetings in three cities. This year, I went to Bacolod for IBP's 12th National Convention of Lawyers. It was a busy first quarter for me as I prepared our marketing materials for our sales booth during the convention. I looked forward to the actual trip because I thought that I could work hard and play harder by going out each night.

As it turned out, my plans to unwind were thwarted. Nobody expected what would happen. Instead of the 1,200 confirmed participants to the convention, 2,300 actually came. There were not enough rooms and kits; the food ran out; and the space was cramped. Lawyers lined up under the heat of the sun to get their snacks and lunch, and everyone was cranky. My heart went out to the organizers of the event, who had no idea that so many lawyers would walk in, never mind that a disputed memorandum was issued weeks before requiring lawyers to attend at least one national convention.



I checked my camera today, and found only three pictures worth posting here: the ones I took before the convention actually started. There was a mini-masskara festival, with Masskara dancers performing around the venue and during the Opening Program, and stalls offering the best of Negros products dotting the open space between the buildings at the Bacolod Pavilion Resort and Hotel. Believe it or not, I only spent five minutes checking out the stalls, for I was too busy to shop even for a shirt to bring home as souvenir.



Each night, I preferred to go home early and rest. I could not lift my right arm on the second day after all the stuff that I mindlessly carried, mostly marketing materials. Our company's booth was swamped with inquiries and sales during the short breaks between sessions, and I was on my toes for three whole days. I hardly had time to go out, and when I did, I only ate to get it over and done with. I went to the famous Calea for the first time, but despite the tempting desserts on display, I was able to resist buying anything.




People kept saying I was lucky my work allowed me to travel, so I focused on that as a blessing, instead of complaining that it was an exhausting trip.

What I need right now is sleep, a good massage, and some time of rest and prayer. I am grateful that it is almost Holy Week. It will be a joyous Easter after all the ordeals I went through during Lent. :)

My Week With the Dolphins and the Durian

I am happily back in QC and have just spent an uncomfortable afternoon under the sweltering heat that no AC could conquer.  

I wrote about one aspect of this business trip in my other blog.  This one will be about the short R and R that we had during our 9-day, 6-destination trip.  I traveled from Manila to Mactan/Cebu, Tagbilaran, Panglao, Tagbilaran, Cebu, Davao, Tagum, and Davao.  I got sick for a couple of days and worked for the most part, but some aspects of the trip are worth mentioning here.

Last Thursday, I was able to indulge in one of my favorite fruits: the exotic durian.  I am a recent convert to the magic of durian, having only tasted the fresh fruit a couple of years ago, straight from a fruit stall along a dark Davao city street.  It was love at first bite for me, as I discovered the milky consistency that the durian meat actually had.  Since then, I had only tasted durian from a fruit vendor's bench.

Until my new friend Anna introduced me to a restaurant that served the fruit for groups to enjoy.  I already had a filling dinner of oysters, tuna belly over rice, and mango shake, so I did not have much space for that most notorious of fruits.  I happily shared one durian with Anna over durian anecdotes.

Last weekend also, I was able to visit one of my favorite islands, Panglao.  I stayed at Alona Tropical Beach Resort for one night only.  My friend and I were able to walk the length of Alona Beach before sunset as it was not as long as Boracay, but it was enough to give us our summer fix.  Not too many people were lounging around the beach chairs and getting their coconut massage on the sand, and that was exactly how I wanted my vacation - away from the crowds.

I was so caught up with work the week before that I forgot many things as I was packing for our trip from Cebu to Bohol.  My digital camera was first on my list of regrets.  I had to make do with my cellphone's tiny camera.

A boatman convinced us to go dolphin-watching on Sunday morning.  It turned out to be the highlight of our trip.  We woke up early to catch them swimming in the wild, in the middle of the sea.  We were rewarded after nearly two hours with the sight of a school of dolphins swimming in perfect harmony with the waves.  We let out squeals of delight.  Alas, the lovely creatures were camera-shy, and were also playing hide-and-seek with the motorboats that were chasing them, loaded with tourists like us who were disturbing their morning exercise. 

 

The above was my futile attempt at capturing the beautiful dolphins.  It was so hard to catch them as they had the same color and shape as the waves created by the movement of the boats on the water.  It was quite exciting, actually, as everything became silent, waiting for a glimpse of the shimmering fins, and then when there was a sighting from any boat, the motors of all the other boats roared to life and everyone started chasing after the dolphins.  I felt guilty for disturbing the peace of the sea creatures, so after about 30 minutes of dolphin-chasing, I asked the boatman to take us back to the shore.

And then, for the second time, and on my fourth trip to Bohol, I took the Countryside Tour and rode the Floating Restaurant along the famous Loboc River.  It was exactly as I remembered it - relaxing, calming, and inspiring.  The view of the river and the trees all around was breathtaking.  Music accompanied every floating restaurant, showcasing the Boholanos' gift of music.  It was the local version of Venice, although there were about sixty people inside our Floating Restaurant, a number not exactly ideal for a romantic getaway.  

I am grateful for these little moments and memories that made my work life bearable the past couple of weeks.  God indeed knows the desires of my heart, and He allowed me to receive these blessings through the help of CD Asia, Lingkod sisters Leslie (of Bohol's Travel Village) and Anna, and my wonderful travel partner, officemate and friend, Edith.

My next business trip will be in Bacolod by the end of this month.  It's Lent, and I associate Bacolod with good food, so it's going to be a challenge not to turn that into a Food Trip.  Stay tuned.

 

Campus Girl

I love the U.P. Diliman campus.  I love the trees and the grass, the Sunken Garden and the amphitheater, the Oblation and the Chapel.  I love eating at Rodic's, having a picnic at Sunken, taking a walk around the Academic Oval or the track behind Bahay ng Alumni.  I love the dorms and the vendors, the College of Music and the Main Library, bbq at Beach House, chicken pork adobo at Chocolate Kiss, baked oysters at Chateau Verde.  

I love the UP Vargas Museum, the Cordillera Coffee, the plays and the concerts.  I love to sit in at English classes, listen to the students at Abelardo Hall, watch the sunset at the Admin building, and listen to the Carillon.

After studying for eight years in U.P. (business econ and then law), I have come to know its nooks and crannies, and I still go back as often as possible to experience its secrets.  

If I would go back to school, I would enroll either at the College of Arts and Letters or the College of Music.  But I don't want to study in the near future.

Instead I will enjoy the weekend walks and the occasional visits, every chance I get.  

There is probably one thing only that I missed from my college days, and that is a visit to the Observatory to gaze at the  beautiful nighttime sky.  I think I have waited too long for the perfect moment to do that.  So I will just do it.

Love is a strong word, but that is how I feel.  U.P. aking mahal. :-)

Lime88

I wrote a review about Lime88 "Pinoy Streetfood with a Twist" in my Multiply site.

You may read it using the following link: Lime88

Multiply doesn't directly send to Blogger, although it downloads the RSS feeds from my blog posts. But I wouldn't want to re-invent the wheel and re-write what I had already posted.

Hope more people would patronize this place. My friend's brother is the chef. Their mom is handling operations. And their dad is in the ICU after suffering a stroke a few days ago.

But really, it's worth the trip. I'll stop before I write another review about the same restaurant.

Food Trip!

This e-mail has been making the rounds recently. After receiving it thrice, I thought it would be safe to post it here. I'd like to thank whoever had a lot of time on his/her hands to prepare this list.

Friends, it's July. We can do walking tours of Manila and go on a Binondo food trip, or we can skip the walking and proceed to...

EAT ALL YOU CAN

1. Eat-all-you- can-pizza promo GREENWICH until OCT20.

2. Something fishy, (breakfast time) Eastwood Libis. 12am-10am

3. Kamay Kainan with bottomless Iced Tea, Market Market, 295/head.

4. Chinatown, Banawe QC, 400/head FULL MEAL!

5. Saisaki/DAD' s/Kamayan, 500/head

6. Dragon Prince, BF homes Pque. (Lunch Buffet) P180 per head.

7. Cabalen - all branches, P275/head.

8. RCBC Plaza Food Center, Makati 95/head (Breakfast) & 65/head merienda.

9. Blue Bay, Quirino Grandstand, 350/Head.

10. Brazil brazil - Metrowalk & Powerplant Mall (meat all you can 650/head)

11. Dimsun 'N Dumplings @ Shopwise (cubao) - Unlimited Siomai either P99 or P125 lang

12. Sweet Inspirations along katipunan, eat-all-you- can Mongolian Buffett php300/head

13. Seafood Club(Red Crab) Greenbelt3 - dinner 275/head

14. Chubby China(Greenbelt) - dimsum(fried & steamed) breakfast at 88/head. with yang chow rice, crisp noodles at single serve iced tea. order all you can lunch - 295, merienda - 88, dimsum all you can w/pancit canton, noodles and congee - sulit na 88 mo!

15. Red Crab (Greenbelt 3) - alimango-all- you-can

16. Circles, Shangri-la Makati, expensive but very large buffet!

17. Spiral, Westin Philippine Plaza, expensive din but bigger buffet than Shangri-la

18. Cravings, salad all you can Katipunan infront of Ateneo

19. Tong Yang Hot Pot, Eat all -

20. Siamese Grill, Pasta all you can, 85/head Bluewave Marquinton, Marikina

21. Tramway, Banawe, Chinese eat all you can, 160/head

22. Mongolian Stop, OJs Eastwood

23. Popeye's Chicken (seasonal)

24. Don Henricos, Eat all you can Tuesdays and Wednesdays

25. Kamay Kainan, Kalayaan Avenue, ~199/head

26. Red Kimono, The Fort, 499++/ head

27. Mandarin Palace, Ongpin, 150/head

28. Tokyo Tokyo, rice all you can (all branches)

29. Yamcha Teahouse in Timog (Lunch/Dinner Buffet Php349) (over 60 chinese dishes to choose from)

30. Aling Nene's BBQ/Ihaw, Eat all you can (Fridays & Saturdays), Magallanes, 200+/head.

31. Alba's Restaurant - Tomas Morato, Libis, Jupiter St. - Spanish cuisine -

32. Jestine's Restaurant, Jupiter Street Makati, Breakfast all you can, from 12AM to 12PM (tapa, tocino, varies) P99.00

33. Paseo, Mandarin Hotel

34. 7 Corners, Crown Plaza, Galleria

35. Heat, Shangli-la EDSA

36. karate kid (rice and drinks)

36. Cabalen (at the back of stalucia East Cainta) Eat all you can merieenda P88

37. Emperor Villa - ongpin st., binondo - lunch 180-200, dinner is seafood buffet at roastings (asado, lechon de leche) @ 350.

38. Paolo's Resto - - Kalayaan ave. QC... eat-all-you- can buffet breakfast

39. Una Mas at Greenbelt 2. Buffet lunch on weekdays and dinner (Weekends and weekdays).
475++

40. Dad's (Glorietta) - 95 ata (basta below 100) merienda, from 3-5pm

41. Kamayan (Glorietta) - 250-300

42. Oki-Oki (MOA) - Japanese - 375 - Adult - Weekends

43. Dimsum 'n Dumplings at greenhills - 100 pesos siomai all you can

44.Tramway, Timog, Chinese eat all you can, P178/head. Located between TPC HQ and Imperial Suites (Tomas Morato)

45. Mongolian Quik-stop Robinsons Ermita, SM MOA - 198 + vat

46. Steak MD, Tomas Morato - Eat all you can Steak (TBone) -500