spread out before us
are layers of text in neat piles.
we are hopeful that
before sunrise, they are digested
then spread out again
on our breakfast tables, refined,
tolerable;
a fine sheet of it adorning
the immaculate toast,
a replacement of our favorite
pineapple marmalade.

-RCA

edges of the carpet...

Thank all the nursing gods for allowing me to experience the most wonderful pre-clinical duty in my whole life. I never expected my pre-clinical to be so full of fun and excitement. By this part of the paragraph you should know already that I'm being a fat liar. Wahaha!

It was exciting alright. I was only excited the first few hours to midnight before Monday. Then that excitement faded away because I woke up at 5:40 in the morning. It was so sad because I was late for two and a half hours on my very first day at Fort Bonifacio General Hospital. I had trouble finding them and they wouldn't answer their phones when I tried calling because I knew very much that phones weren't allowed inside the hospital during orientation.

Ma'am Rana (The n should be the Spanish n. I can't do it with Ubuntu-based computer.), the instructor that took over, Ma'am Ong wasn't there yet, scolded me for being awfully late. "Good, patay na ang pasyente mo." "Good, your patient is already dead." Fortunately my poise did not waver one bit and I answered her solidly that it won't happen again. Surprisingly, it did happen again on Wednesday with Ma'am Ong already in charge. But I was only 30 minutes late, mind you. That's why I still don't have an idea right now if I'll be doing a make-up duty for my *late-absent.

Anyway, when I arrived last Monday, Ma'am Rana was discussing the parts of the patient's chart. I tried my best to look and be attentive. Of course I was attentive because my brain told me to focus and make up for the past two hours that I wasn't there. Then we went to the ward and did vital signs on our respective patients.

It had been a nice experience though. I was actually applying what I learned in health care one. (Oo, ngayon ko lang siya nagamit. Galing noh?)

Monday turned to now, which is Friday, quickly. I didn't even notice any difference because every day was the same as the day that preceded it, I was learning and learning. Maybe except for the excessively hot weather that seemed to have backed off a bit today. We also had a narrative report presentation based on the data we gathered from our patients and a quiz deluxe from Ma'am Ong to wrap things up. Twas chicken feed, I daresay. I studied. Wahaha!

That's all.

*Late absent - when you are beyond 15 minutes late, you will be marked absent instead.

~*~*~

Leda and I, unfortunately, didn't have the bonding moments we hoped we would have had during the Holy Week. She had a lot of things to do, papers mostly, and I didn't want to get on her tight schedule. Friends make sacrifices, I think. And I did just that, although I'm starting to interpret that as lack of effort to visit her.

Gian's been texting me. It was nice. He wanted me to say hi to Leda. Nangungumusta ang gago. I forwarded his message to Leda immediately. She replied with another subject in mind.

And I've been to...

hmm...

People can be dense. But Ate Relia said that person isn't too dense nor too stupid not to notice my seemingly harmless and minute advances to further my "thing" for that person.

I'm a confused little bitch. Really.

The usual things.

The usual scenario of Wolfy-chan waking up late happened again earlier this morning. I had to brush my teeth in record time and change from my sleeping clothes to school uniform. I can't imagine how you will react to me not taking a bath but I was really in a hurry. (Que horror, really, to think that I'm a nursing student.) Take note that I have done this many a time so I wasn't a bit bothered. At least I took a completely cleansing bath the night before.

I arrived school some ten to fifteen minutes after eight. My class on Tuesdays usually start 7:30, Health Economics by Ma'am Basco. I was so thankful that she didn't give a quiz, or forgot to give it. I slowly climbed up to the fifth floor where we usually held our class. When I got there, panting with thighs sore from the effort, I saw another class using the room so I had to find my class. It didn't take me a minute. I found them at the skills lab one, the room that usually witnessed my late arrivals last trimester and where Ma'am Pe always admonished, "Mr. Anongos I don't want any dramatic entrances anymore," after which she'd ask for a valid reason why I came in late. Of course I couldn't provide her with an answer those days because I usually overslept. I'm a sleep deprived animal.

The rest of the day passed with me usually worn out. Arrived home at about seven or eight. I could only guess since I didn't take a look at my mobile. Ate dinner alone, as always on weekdays. Then I took a nice cold bath. It's usually a cold bath for me. I love a cold shower. I don't know why really. Maybe because it's the usual ritual for me?

Then I checked my e-mail. Found a couple of Friendster comments turned messages from Leda. I replied because that's the usual thing we do, reply whenever someone starts a healthy conversation.

Then I'm now off to Lala Land. Ain't that usual for you too?