guess who left a piece of her luggage in Denver?
i thought somebody stole it at one of the rest stops. :)
but motel 6 to the rescue. they will be shipping it to me.
i'm here at boise at the hyatt place. it's a very cute affordable place.
i'll definitely stay here again if ever i'm back around these parts.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Friday, August 29, 2008
the church on the hill
it was love at first sight for me when i saw the new chapel of the kansas city congregation. we have about 120 brethren over here according to one of the sisters. this chapel was purchased in december and they are trying to sell their old one. i wish i can post the picture from my camera now but i'm too lazy to get my usb cable from the car :).
this is the first chapel i've seen that is perched on a small hill. the stairs leading up to the main entrance even has white railings. i thought that it looked very romantic.
the worship service was great. my favorite verse of the night, psalm 119:105 - "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." that always resonates with me...
the drive to kansas city from indy was very pleasant and quite uneventful. i just returned a number of phone calls while driving... listened to jimmy carter talk about obama's nomination... listened to the radio.. daydreamed. there was also an initial stretch of highway that i've passed through multiple times in my drives to st. louis. i was a bit bored so i actually started reading a book. sounds unsafe, huh? i'll try not to do that again tomorrow :).
this is the first chapel i've seen that is perched on a small hill. the stairs leading up to the main entrance even has white railings. i thought that it looked very romantic.
the worship service was great. my favorite verse of the night, psalm 119:105 - "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." that always resonates with me...
the drive to kansas city from indy was very pleasant and quite uneventful. i just returned a number of phone calls while driving... listened to jimmy carter talk about obama's nomination... listened to the radio.. daydreamed. there was also an initial stretch of highway that i've passed through multiple times in my drives to st. louis. i was a bit bored so i actually started reading a book. sounds unsafe, huh? i'll try not to do that again tomorrow :).
Thursday, August 28, 2008
praying for faith
my last patient tonight (also my last shift in emergency medicine) shared that in the midst of all the craziness in her life, she prays that her faith stays with her because that's all that she has. i echoed her prayer. i pray hard that my faith stays with me no matter what.
i found myself in bloomingdale, illinois last sunday. i got lost on the way to the chapel. it was my first time to attend worship service there so i was very unfamiliar with the area. i found myself standing outside of the chapel, the worship service was already in progress and all the doors were closed. i felt like crying. i can't remember missing any worship service since after college except for when i was hospitalized once. i started thinking whether it is a good idea to lock the doors. but i soon realized that in the grand scheme of things, it probably ensures that everyone comes in time for the worship service. i was torn between leaving or staying for the children's worship service. i had a shift from 4 p.m. to 1 a.m that day so i needed to get back to indy right away. i already traveled 3 1/2 hours to get there. i could not go home without even attending the children's worship service. so i stayed. and i am glad i did.
bloomingdale has a beautiful chapel. i was inspired by the children gathering together in worship. i can see the fruits of the discipline inside the church. it is a small price to pay. i always remind myself that everything needs to be done in a proper and orderly manner. if that means that i need to manage my time more wisely, so be it.
i will be heading to california later today after i get a few hours of zzzz. my first stop is the kansas city congregation. i hope that i get there on time. i'll post pictures here. :)
p.s. happy birthday, mommy ko! i'll call as soon as arrive in california..
i found myself in bloomingdale, illinois last sunday. i got lost on the way to the chapel. it was my first time to attend worship service there so i was very unfamiliar with the area. i found myself standing outside of the chapel, the worship service was already in progress and all the doors were closed. i felt like crying. i can't remember missing any worship service since after college except for when i was hospitalized once. i started thinking whether it is a good idea to lock the doors. but i soon realized that in the grand scheme of things, it probably ensures that everyone comes in time for the worship service. i was torn between leaving or staying for the children's worship service. i had a shift from 4 p.m. to 1 a.m that day so i needed to get back to indy right away. i already traveled 3 1/2 hours to get there. i could not go home without even attending the children's worship service. so i stayed. and i am glad i did.
bloomingdale has a beautiful chapel. i was inspired by the children gathering together in worship. i can see the fruits of the discipline inside the church. it is a small price to pay. i always remind myself that everything needs to be done in a proper and orderly manner. if that means that i need to manage my time more wisely, so be it.
i will be heading to california later today after i get a few hours of zzzz. my first stop is the kansas city congregation. i hope that i get there on time. i'll post pictures here. :)
p.s. happy birthday, mommy ko! i'll call as soon as arrive in california..
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Hooka
Friend: "Do you want to check out that hooka bar?"
Me: "Ummm... sure.. what is a hooka?"
Friend: "You smoke something fruity.."
Me: "Oh.. ok.. (sounds harmless).
Waitress brings the hooka pipe..
Me: "This does not contain nicotine, right?"
Friend: "Yes, it does."
Me: (Yikes! My lungs are toast!)
Me: "Ummm... sure.. what is a hooka?"
Friend: "You smoke something fruity.."
Me: "Oh.. ok.. (sounds harmless).
Waitress brings the hooka pipe..
Me: "This does not contain nicotine, right?"
Friend: "Yes, it does."
Me: (Yikes! My lungs are toast!)
Friday, August 22, 2008
playing doctor
most days, i absolutely love playing doctor. i like being paged... "dr. cruz, please call blah blah blah." i love it when i have all the time in the world to take care of my patients. i love it when i know exactly what i need to do for them. i love it when i don't have to hurry and cut them off as they tell me their personal story. i love it when they ask me for a hug afterwards. i love the days when i feel that i have made a difference by simply expressing that i care a lot that they get well.
of course not all days are perfect. there are days that there are so many details to attend to that i have to ration my time. there are days that i resent the patient who is abusing the system. there are days when i can't wait to go home and maybe not come back.
but today was not that kind of day. today was great. and i just want to write this today so that i'll remember that most days are fun. most days make me smile and look forward to the next day.
of course not all days are perfect. there are days that there are so many details to attend to that i have to ration my time. there are days that i resent the patient who is abusing the system. there are days when i can't wait to go home and maybe not come back.
but today was not that kind of day. today was great. and i just want to write this today so that i'll remember that most days are fun. most days make me smile and look forward to the next day.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
riding the ambulance
today, i rode an ambulance for the very first time. i was assigned to "ride-along" with medic 5.
here's how i rolled today:
it was an interesting day! we transported patients with abdominal pain, seizures, bee sting allergy, chest pain, gunshot wounds and heat stroke amongst others. for the latter, the paramedic and emt I was working with even made it to the 6 o' clock news. here's the only video i can find in the news websites. i'm the one in the blue scrubs. you'll see me starting to walk down the steps at around 2:50. we went up the roof to "rescue" our patient.
here's how i rolled today:
it was an interesting day! we transported patients with abdominal pain, seizures, bee sting allergy, chest pain, gunshot wounds and heat stroke amongst others. for the latter, the paramedic and emt I was working with even made it to the 6 o' clock news. here's the only video i can find in the news websites. i'm the one in the blue scrubs. you'll see me starting to walk down the steps at around 2:50. we went up the roof to "rescue" our patient.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
the cincinnati story
i fell asleep before i finished writing this last night..
i have just attended the worship service in cincinnati tonight and it was announced that they will have a chapel of their own soon. the brethren there are in such high spirits. it is indeed a great blessing.
the cincinnati congregation was born in the fall of 2008. the original dayton congregation was split into two. those living north of dayton (~20 brethren) started attending in the newly formed piqua congregation. those from south of dayton (~50 brethren) started looking for a temporary place in cincinnati. by march of this year, they started worshipping in a rented hall closer to their homes.
when i lived in dayton 6 years ago, no other brethren actually lived in dayton. dayton just served as the midpoint for the brethren in the north and south. for the longest time, they tried to compromise on the place where they would buy the permanent house of worship. no appropriate chapel in the dayton area was found. chapels that were looked at turned out to be too far for one of the groups. A
decision was made to split.
and soon enough the cincinnati congregation will have their own place of worship. all glory to God! no more rented halls, no more sense of impermanence, no more searching for the right place. all of us here in indianapolis can only pray for the same.
i have just attended the worship service in cincinnati tonight and it was announced that they will have a chapel of their own soon. the brethren there are in such high spirits. it is indeed a great blessing.
the cincinnati congregation was born in the fall of 2008. the original dayton congregation was split into two. those living north of dayton (~20 brethren) started attending in the newly formed piqua congregation. those from south of dayton (~50 brethren) started looking for a temporary place in cincinnati. by march of this year, they started worshipping in a rented hall closer to their homes.
when i lived in dayton 6 years ago, no other brethren actually lived in dayton. dayton just served as the midpoint for the brethren in the north and south. for the longest time, they tried to compromise on the place where they would buy the permanent house of worship. no appropriate chapel in the dayton area was found. chapels that were looked at turned out to be too far for one of the groups. A
decision was made to split.
and soon enough the cincinnati congregation will have their own place of worship. all glory to God! no more rented halls, no more sense of impermanence, no more searching for the right place. all of us here in indianapolis can only pray for the same.
Wednesday, August 06, 2008
geography lesson
this past weekend i met new filipino friends. on saturday i attended the first birthday party of the daughter of one of the family medicine residents from my school. she attended UST. i have previously met 2 other residents from UST, one also in family medicine, the other in OB/GYN. they mentioned me to her so she also invited me to the party. on sunday, i met for the first time the filipina co-worker of the guy who owns the house i stayed in last month. they both work for the accounting firm of the department of defense. i love meeting people so i always take advantage of opportunities to meet and make new friends.
i had free time today after my appointment at the dentist so i visited the accounting firm. (i finally had a root canal treatment today for the abscess i've had since february. i've been too busy to get an appointment. it didn't hurt but it's been really swollen! gross!) the place was huge! about 4,000 military and civilian employees work there. she introduced me to some of her co-workers. one ex-army dude asked me which island i'm from. i said that i'm not from an island, i'm from the bataan peninsula. i tried to explain what a peninsula is: one side water, one side land. somehow in my head, i don't have the correct map of bataan. i guess i've only traveled through one side so i've only seen one side land and one side water. the guy seemed offended that i had to explain what a peninsula is. he said that he knows the meaning of a peninsula and it actually means 3 sides water and 1 side land. hmmm, i said that i don't think that bataan is shaped like a square. so finally the marine dude googled the bataan peninsula. so i guess the ex-army dude is more right. i now have the corrected picture in my head. here's the map of my lovely province.
i had free time today after my appointment at the dentist so i visited the accounting firm. (i finally had a root canal treatment today for the abscess i've had since february. i've been too busy to get an appointment. it didn't hurt but it's been really swollen! gross!) the place was huge! about 4,000 military and civilian employees work there. she introduced me to some of her co-workers. one ex-army dude asked me which island i'm from. i said that i'm not from an island, i'm from the bataan peninsula. i tried to explain what a peninsula is: one side water, one side land. somehow in my head, i don't have the correct map of bataan. i guess i've only traveled through one side so i've only seen one side land and one side water. the guy seemed offended that i had to explain what a peninsula is. he said that he knows the meaning of a peninsula and it actually means 3 sides water and 1 side land. hmmm, i said that i don't think that bataan is shaped like a square. so finally the marine dude googled the bataan peninsula. so i guess the ex-army dude is more right. i now have the corrected picture in my head. here's the map of my lovely province.
Monday, August 04, 2008
why i can't get things done
subtitle: life as a 4th year
i have this radiology paper that i need to submit for publication soon. but it's really hard to find the motivation to prioritize working on it.
i had good intentions to work on it today. our lecture finished early. but on the walk back home, a friend asked me if i want to go shopping. how can i resist? :)
after shopping, another friend called to ask me if i want to go running. i need exercise, right? after running, i got a message from a friend wanting to go to dinner. i need to eat, right? :)
so we're all 4th years now. our thoughts are preoccupied by things like applying to residency programs. we need to finalize our CVs and personal statements. most of us pretty much know which specialty we are going into. we're narrowing down our list of places where we want to be. it's an exciting time for us. in our last year, we are trying to learn as much as we can. soon enough, we'll be responsible for a lot of things. we'll probably look back to this last year as the best of times. good luck to all of us as we journey on!
i have this radiology paper that i need to submit for publication soon. but it's really hard to find the motivation to prioritize working on it.
i had good intentions to work on it today. our lecture finished early. but on the walk back home, a friend asked me if i want to go shopping. how can i resist? :)
after shopping, another friend called to ask me if i want to go running. i need exercise, right? after running, i got a message from a friend wanting to go to dinner. i need to eat, right? :)
so we're all 4th years now. our thoughts are preoccupied by things like applying to residency programs. we need to finalize our CVs and personal statements. most of us pretty much know which specialty we are going into. we're narrowing down our list of places where we want to be. it's an exciting time for us. in our last year, we are trying to learn as much as we can. soon enough, we'll be responsible for a lot of things. we'll probably look back to this last year as the best of times. good luck to all of us as we journey on!
Sunday, August 03, 2008
Risktaking
oops.. i was writing something about risktaking yesterday, but decided not to post it. but the title posted itself somehow :), so here goes..
Somebody commented today that I must be a risk taker. I personally don't think so. I don't like taking risks really. I don't jump off planes.. I don't gamble... Obviously, no sex, drugs and alcohol :). I think that I have a pretty conservative approach to life. Risktaking somehow has negative connotations for me. I think of a risk taker as someone who throws caution to the wind; someone who goes through life haphazardly. I'm pretty cautious actually. I like making plans, deliberate plans at that. So please, you may call me adventurous but please do not call me a risk taker :).
I had to check Webster for the definition of adventurous: "characterized by unknown dangers and risks (an adventurous journey)". Is being adventurous and being a risk taker the same then? Wait, there's a fine point, "adventurous implies a willingness to accept risks but not necessarily imprudence". So I guess I should qualify my statement then, I am not an imprudent risk taker.
Somebody commented today that I must be a risk taker. I personally don't think so. I don't like taking risks really. I don't jump off planes.. I don't gamble... Obviously, no sex, drugs and alcohol :). I think that I have a pretty conservative approach to life. Risktaking somehow has negative connotations for me. I think of a risk taker as someone who throws caution to the wind; someone who goes through life haphazardly. I'm pretty cautious actually. I like making plans, deliberate plans at that. So please, you may call me adventurous but please do not call me a risk taker :).
I had to check Webster for the definition of adventurous: "characterized by unknown dangers and risks (an adventurous journey)". Is being adventurous and being a risk taker the same then? Wait, there's a fine point, "adventurous implies a willingness to accept risks but not necessarily imprudence". So I guess I should qualify my statement then, I am not an imprudent risk taker.
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