My First Day on the Job

Not actually on the job because I'm not getting paid. As a nurse in the Philippines, I hadn't had much success at getting an opportunity to get a job nor get training in the hospitals. Not until today, that is. Today was different. Today, I got my first taste of the hospital setting as a registered nurse and trainee.

The hospital at Camp Crame is not new to me. We've had our rotation there when I was in nursing school. But, I found out this afternoon that the hospital is really large and there were several other areas which we had not been able to go to. 7 out of the 58 nurses that were enlisted. I thought it wasn't such a huge number but when you realize that there would be at least 4 of us in an area sharing it with at least 10 student nurses, 51 would really be a crowd.

Anyway, I got a little excited today too. We had been told that after our 3-month training, we could actually request to join the EMS training there too. I'd been wanting to take it but the training is too expensive elsewhere. Well, let's see if I can stand the 3 months at the PNPGH.

Keeping my Teenager Happy and Homebound

Does your teen ever want to stay home? Or, when given a choice, would she rather stay with you or with other people she loves being with too? Does your teen want you around when out with other friends? Surprisingly, my daughter does. Our secret? We try to keep her happy in the home but always tell her how to behave by herself. We do things together as a family even if sometimes we have to do sacrifices to do so.



I find it so hard to ask my daughter to leave the house even when sometimes it is already necessary to. She says she wants to stay home and would rather ask her friends to come over to spend time with her. They enjoy being here. Most of the time I create an activity for them. When she was young, I used to hire movies, arrange for them to be brought to the park to play or make them cook up something - a bread, pizza, etc.

We were at the mall the other day because she and her friends asked me to go with them to watch a movie. I didn't want to go actually but she gave me a long face and a pout and her friends kept texting too to ask me to join them. Thus last Friday, I found my self seated on the 3rd row of the MarketMarket cinema with 5 happy-go-lucky, boisterous yet funny teenagers. What's more is that they're all excited to come over to the house because I told them they could visit and cook taco with me.




But then, there's no substitute to keeping them under control by disciplining my daughter and her friends too. At one point, I told them the value of friendship and how each one should take care of each other. It's unusual for kids their age to sit and listen to everything an adult tells them. But, if you speak their language, they'll lend you an ear.


Most of her friends are from her swim team. Her dad and I make it a point to befriend the parents of her teammates and organize parties and gatherings so they could get together.



Thus in disciplining the teen, you have to be the boss. But you have to earn their respect so that they will allow you to be the boss. In our family, we always consult each one and tell of the consequences of our choices. That way, we are aware of what may result from ur choices. And yes, my daughter's decision is pretty much part of that process.

Free Online Photography Tutorial

For those who would rather not enroll in photography classes that either do not suit their time or budget, like me, I'd recommend the Composition Tips of the Digital Photography School.

Yup, I've checked them out today and I'm excited to go out of the house tomorrow. For the longest time now, I have wanted to attend photography classes. Sure. But, ahem... I don't.... kjljd*90d6s9dmffiojsoidufs. Pretend to understand it will ya? At Digital Photography School, they feature articles that are suited to the novice - as in zero knowledge - to the advance hobbyists. Interesting are how the author even critiques the mistake on his own photos. Other links they have are those that will explain the basic principles of Photography such as aperture, lighting, speed, ISO, etc, etc. But that really bores me which is probably why I never got to finish any of those tutorials. Thus, when I chanced upon the composition tips which deals very casually on the basic principles, I got some tips about them too. Very nice. You just have to try it.

Connecting With Old Friends

Old friends? It doesn't really seem to give a good ring huh? Lol

Anyways, I have been spending some time on facebook. Why? Because lately I've heard from and touched base with some of my friends from elementary and high school. Believe it or not, I've been able to connect with more of them through the internet than attending our homecomings. Most of them are in Northern America - either in the US or Canada. I hope we can come up with a reunion.

But, have you really wondered how safe you are in these social network sites? I mean we all have heard about the identity theft and stuff. I realized that giving out your personal details on facebook will actually be visible to everyone on the internet, whether thru facebook (of course) or through google. What are your thoughts on this?

Keeping Your Kid Busy Without Spending

So how do you keep our kids busy during the summer without spending so much? Here's my strategy.

This summer, I asked my daughter to make a list of those that she wanted to learn. Top priority was photography. I searched through the internet for a site that have tutorials. So far, the one I got was that of the Digital Photography School which has something on Composition and other photography basics. She does it 1 hour each day.

Then came the French lessons which I deemed she needed to learn if our plans to migrate to Canada would push through. With the internet access, she found a french tutorial which she uploaded to her I-pod.

Next, is the usual cooking class we have every year. No doubt and still her favorite, we had pizza during the Holy week. The last ones she had made herself. I of course made the crust.

What did you do?

Swimming Course for Php900

A cheap yet great course for your child to take this summer is Red Cross's Water Safety Course. For 900 pesos, a participant can learn to swim 9 strokes including ways to survive in a body of water for a long time - most likely enough time for someone to get rescued.

I believe we all need this. What if you are on a boat that suddenly sinks? Or on a plane that had to crash land on water but eventually went down too? Or would you be able to save a loved one who's drowning or would you just join him sink? I believe these could really happen because I've seen one person die in the sea as he got pushed from the ledge of a boat we were in. Not just that, my daughter, who now has several medals from swimming, almost drowned 4 times while she was young. It was good that she was very small yet then and I had been able to lift her without struggle. But what about now?

Not only is this good for those who do not know how to swim, it is also good for those who do know how to swim but would like to be lifeguards. But you must be physically fit as they will ask you to swim in the sea. The PNRC Rizal Chapter will have one such course this May, 2009. For those interested, please call them at 631-3592.

BLS and First Aid Trainings for Php 1,100 - For Nurses and Others

Good news!

If you've been wanting to take the BLS and First Aid from the Philippine National Red Cross, here's your chance to get a huge discount. As I recall, the two courses total something like 1400 Php when taken during the rest of the year. But from April 13 to May 16, 2009 these two workshops along with 6 other courses are offered by the Philippine National Red Cross Rizal Chapter at PHP 1,100 only.

The 2009 PNRC Rizal Chapter Training Schedule are as follow:

Courses Offered (8am - 5pm)

1st Week
April 13-18 Standard First Aid and Basic Life Support (CPR)
April 13-15 Care for the Sick & Injured
April 16-18 Mother and Baby Care

2nd Week
April 20-25 Standard First Aid and Basic Life Support (CPR)
April 20-22 Care for the Sick & Injured
April 23-25 Mother and Baby Care

3rd Week
April 27- May 2 Standard First Aid and Basic Life Support (CPR)
April 20-30 Standard Disaster Management Training
May 1 International Humanitarian Law
May 2 HIV/AIDS - Drug Abuse
May 2 Accident Prevention

4th Week
May 4 - 9 Standard First Aid and Basic Life Support (CPR)
May 4 - 6 Disaster Nursing
May 4 - 7 Standard Disaster Management Training
May 8 International Humanitarian Law
May 9 HIV/AIDS - Drug Abuse
May 9 Accident Prevention

5th Week
May 11-16 Standard First Aid and Basic Life Support (CPR)
May 11-13 Disaster Nursing
May 4 - 7 Standard Disaster Management Training
May 11-16 Swimming Course


These courses, with the exception of Disaster Nursing and the Swimming Course, are included in the PHP1,100 price quoted by PNRC. It's a bargain, huh? Anyway, there is an additional payment of 300 Php for Disaster Nursing and PHP 900 for the Swimming course if you decide to avail of those too.

The courses are on First-come-first-served basis so you have to go there as early as now as the slots are all getting full. I'd take the other courses first if I were you because, unlike the BLS and First Aid, those other ones are offered once a year only. By the way, I was told that it would be better to take the Standard Disaster Management Training Course ahead of the Nursing Disaster, er, Disaster Nursing course for nurses so that the latter could be better appreciated. However, if this is not possible, go ahead and take the Disaster Nursing first. These are separate courses and one is not the pre-requisite of the other.

There are but a few requirements.
1. You have to be in good health. Thus, you need to have a physician fill out a medical certificate of Red Cross. You can only use the medical certificate form from the PNRC which you may download here.

2. You need to pay the registration fee (Php 1,100.00 for 8 courses and the additional fees if you are availing of the Nursing Disaster and/or Swimming Course)

3. You need to submit (promptly) your chosen schedule because like I said the slots fill up fast.

4. All courses run from 8 am to 5 pm so be at the venue before 8.

The Training will be conducted at the Rizal High School, Dr. Sixto Antonio Ave., Bgy Caniogan, Pasig City. Application forms for the training are available here. For details please call PNRC Red Cross at tel. no. 631-3592.

My Canada Application

As a registered nurse in the Philippines, the past year is really disappointing. There are no jobs nor hospital trainings available for most of us. If there are, which is a rarity, they would either be full or very expensive. Thus, I took 2 alternative courses - the NCLEX and the CARNA.

NCLEX, as you may well know, is the nurse licensure examination required to practice in the US. CARNA, on the other hand, is the licensure exam for Alberta. I sent an application to each one. In fact, I got my eligibility to take the NCLEX. However, I changed my mind. Blame it on the recession and the unstable economy.

Now, I'm actively pursuing the CARNA application for many reasons. Professionally, CARNA will allow me to practice my profession on a temporary visa even while I prepare to take the exam. This, of course, will have some restrictions which I will learn later. But, the idea that Canada is allowing me to practice in their country is encouraging enough.

The good thing is that just barely a month and a half after I started to send my documents, I have already received word from them by email. Twice in fact. Also, I had been given access to my file so that i know that as of this moment I lack just one more document - the IELTS result from the IDP in the Philippines.

The best news, however, is that the employment agencies in Canada do not charge any fees for their services. If I were you, I'd check CARNA out. Better to make informed decisions than jump on a boat without knowing its destination.

More Kiddie Workshops and Activities

My daughter's classes are almost over for this year. Actually, they are having their exams this week and next week they will need to be in school only for clearance. That's how it is every year since she transferred to a public school. Being a city scholar has its advantages and disadvantages you know.

Anyway, she'll be having her photography classes this weekend (or at least that's what we had planned). However, I still would like to check on more options for this class so I'm sharing with you what else I have found:

1. UP Film Institute -

*DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY (BASIC) - Cris Sevilla; APRIL 20, 22, 24, 27, 29; php6,000*
*FILM PRODUCTION (FOR THE YOUNG) - Nick Olanka; APRIL 20-24; 9-5pm; php7,500*
MULTIMEDIA ARTS (FOR THE KIDS) - Mich Ortiz and Frani Madrid;APRIL 27-30, MAY 4-7; 9-12nn; php3,800*
*WRITING ABOUT FILM:FILM APPRECIATION FOR THE YOUNG - Patrick Campos; APRIL 21, 23, 25,28 and 30 ; 1-5pm; 5days; php4,000

FOR INQUIRIES, CONTACT:925-0286 926-2722Email : upfi_workshops@yahoo.com.ph

or visit them at UP Film Institute, 2nd floor. You will need Php500 as reservation and downpayment.

2. Junior Crew Workshop at Fully Booked

This workshop costs Php1750. It gives the child a chance to be a crew of the bookstore in addition to encouraging them to read (I don't know how they're gonna do it though). Call 858-7052 or email to marketing@fullybookedonline.com because the application form needs to be submitted to any Fully Booked bookstore by April 1, 2009.

I read that Audie Gemora and Ryan Cayabyab also have their workshops for this summer for those children into theater arts. Oh by the way, do check out the Mom Center for both small kids and teens' workshops and activities. There are too many of them.

I wish everyone a fruitful and stress-free summer.

Mommy Knows Best - A Women's Month Special

Admittedly, no matter how much I refuted the idea in the past, I'm a mommy's girl.

When this month started out, I contemplated on writing about a number of things pertaining to women - their achievement, the best women in the Philippines, my women idols, female diseases, etc. But, I chanced upon this article-research from the OECD -UNESCO which gives a more objective view of the role and importance of women in the education of the children.

For starters, the article entitled
Literacy Skills for the World of Tomorrow - Further results from PISA 2000 says that the mother's time spent with children, her educational attainment and the way she encourages children to read are determinants of how well a child performs in school, (ahem, ahem) among other things such as the financial background of the child and the exposure to classical works.

I, for example, did not grow up with my dad around. In fact, now I realize I hardly knew my father and thatthe time I spent with him when accumulated is probably less than 8 years from the time I was born to the time I graduated from my first course in college. But, modesty aside, I have had several awards - academic, efficiency, loyalty, - in all levels of my education.

Same is true for my husband. His dad died when he was 10. But, he grew up, finished school and now holds a management position. My classmate, who graduated a cum laude, had been raised by a single parent - her mom.

The slogan in Pasig "Babae, Yaman Ka ng Bayan" is aptly stated. In the vernacular it actually translates as woman, you are the country's treasure. And, my mother, she is my treasure and my gift. I truly believe that we are blessed because of our mothers.

Now, who is not a momma's boy or girl?