Gaining Weight, Gaining Hate

To put it in a less complex way, gaining weight makes me choleric. A one-pound increase won't harm perhaps but having a considerable increase in my vital stats definitely needs more attention from my part. About 5 or 6 months ago, my waistline measurement normally ranged between 34" to 35" inches but it was only recently that I discovered a palpable evidence that adipose tissues are starting to eat up my figure: a waistline of a whooping 39 inches!! At first, the "weight gain" issue didn't bother me, considering the remaining month before the next school year that I'm free to spend for trimming down fats and gaining back my former figure. In the first place, I was not used to aerobic exercises and healthy diet regimens even when I had my former "healthy" figure, so to speak, so being conscious for this change would be unreasonable. However, every time I face myself in the mirror, I've been reminded of my forgotten ideology, a set of principles I have set for myself. Gaining weight, for me, is a real sign of sedentary lifestyle and complete lack of productivity. Having said that, I feel so much frustration every time I remember what really caused this long hibernation that bestowed upon me the bittersweet gift of weight gain. I've been unemployed for 3 months now, still undergoing medication therapy for my mild PTB and has been left behind without any choice at all. On a personal and psychological perspective, eating has been my own way to suppress my negative feelings of isolation and pessimism during these past few months. I know how to pray but sometimes my faith and a bunch of downloaded movies are not enough to decimate my boredom and insecurities. As a result, I have gained so much weight that has brought adoration and fascination to my family and those former friends and classmates that haven't seen me for quite a long time, much to my disappointment. In fact, a former classmate of mine threw a blunt comment upon seeing my recent picture which apparently shows the big change that has occurred on my physical appearance. "You said you have gained weight but I never realized that you have gained such an enormous amount of weight, much more than what I expected", she said to me with sheer astonishment. It makes me wonder why everyone seem surprised while I'm still here existing, pondering, and feeling that nothing has really changed. They don't have an inkling regarding the mental maelstrom that I've been through. And being a future health practitioner that is supposed to advocate for healthier life choices, this "weight gain" issue seems to give me a double blow. On the other hand, I'm pretty positive that after a month of meditation and complete exploration of self-help/inspiring books, I can get myself back on track. It will not be easy for me but being aware that I have my own share of self-discipline, making myself back into good shape will possibly be a walk in the park for me. But I admit that getting into a serious exercise regimen will be a lot more taxing for me who is not used to even stretching my legs and arms every morning. And for the diet side, I will not employ such techniques like Atkins or South Beach just for the sake of becoming thin. I will still enjoy my eating habits, but in serious moderation. With these in my mind, I'm sure that I will be able to achieve a healthier figure before going back to school and this "weight issue" will soon be a myth.

Opportunity Lost

When I got the news first hand, my altruistic side came to a sudden decision: I will volunteer myself for a day of blood-letting. I arrived at the venue at exactly 10 am, the scheduled start of the blood-letting program partly spearheaded by a local television network in partnership with Go Tong Foundation. I thought I would be the earliest among the early birds, but I was totally wrong. When I saw the number of people relentlessly queuing right in the middle of the mall's activity center, I was gripped by the fact that many faces are still responding to heaven's urge to do simple yet selfless deeds. Nonetheless, I'm also fully aware that some of them are there either because of curiosity or just to get the freebies. But I was standing there driven by my sense of compassion and my medical knowledge regarding the art of blood-letting. The procedure per se is not just a way to reduce our body's store of blood but to stabilize our cardiovascular system. A study suggests that bloodletting, which lowers the level of stored iron in the body, may reduce the risk for cardiovascular disease.
Unfortunately, this benefit is the one I wasn't able to achieve this morning. I failed the initial screening due to the fact that I'm currently undergoing a 6-month long medication therapy for my mild tuberculosis and I felt so stupid for I wasn't able to foresee that this might happen in the end. Of course, the antibiotics that I ingest will be absorbed by my blood and the concentration that remains in my system might be hazardous to a potential receiver. Nonetheless, I accepted the rejection in a positive way and looking forward for other opportunities for making a difference in the future ahead. I know God appreciates my willingness to share myself to others and although I have lost an opportunity, there's always enough room for a second chance.

King Tut: A Solved Mystery of Egyptology

King Tutankhamun, the famous "boy-king" who once reigned Egypt during its golden years, died of malaria and broken bone complications according to latest scientific discovery which will be published Wednesday in Journal of the American Medical Association. This discovery will surely enlighten the old speculations that the young king ( who, by the way, became pharaoh at the shocking age of 10) was murdered when he died at around 17-19 years. The hole in King Tut's skull was revealed through a CT scan last 2005 to be the result of the mummification process, ruling out the possibility of a foul play. And being an archaeological mystery fanatic myself, I can't help but marvel towards the extraordinary ability of advanced forensic science to decipher age-old secrets like what they found out about this young pharaoh's mysterious life and death. Be it old Hollywood mysteries, secrets as old as Cleopatra, name it and I'm in to it. I don't have the skills of an expert sleuth but I do have a natural curiosity inclined towards solving mysteries . And every time a news like this spreads to the world wide web, my attention and concentration will suddenly merge. Back to the original topic, the study, which is co-authored by Egypt's top archaeologist Zahi Hawass, also constructed a firmer version of the young king's genealogy. It pinpointed that King Tut was the son of Pharaoh Akhenaten, the ruler known in history for revolutionizing Egypt's religion by introducing one god (Aten) and replacing it's old tradition of worshipping multiple gods. King Tut's mother, on the other hand, happened to be Pharaoh Akhenaten's sister which proves that incest was common during that period in history.Sadly, the incestuous marriage didn't work for King Tut's advantage, especially to his health. Dr. Howard Markel, a medical historian at the University of Michigan, said some of King Tut's ailments including his bone disease likely were the result of his parents' incestuous marriage. This will prove the value that genetics has in our modern world. It reveals not only the possible outcome that parents who are closely related to each other can bring to their future offspring but also the falsifiable myths behind the sarcophagus of famous mummies like King Tut. Maybe this discovery will be enough to give a conclusion to the world's speculations surrounding King Tut's short life and early death but I think otherwise. Science is a very dynamic organism that's why theories arise every now and then, disproving each other until one rises victoriously.And that's what I find interesting about mysteries- - -it has an aspect of immortality. We never stop finding clues until all our questions are fully answered. Life is a mystery but unlike other existing mysteries, it's not meant to be solved but to be appreciated.

Love/Hate Being Single

It's the season of loving, kissing, and dating but I'm still single. Well, I've been single for the longest time so I'm supposed to be comfortable of that fact. But being single since birth sometimes give you enough time to contemplate of what could have been if I have a reason to celebrate the season of love. In the first place, I have God, my family, and a handful of friends that will suffice me to celebrate but I'm pertaining to a different kind of love; The type that will make me blush and activate my cardiovascular system for good. Ever since I decided to stay single, I made it clear to myself that career and family are the top two priorities of my life. But as a human being, it is safe to say that a natural longing for intimate relationship was intricately embedded in our genes. It is during this time that I get the chance to think about my possible options in the near future. I can meet someone special and nurture this relationship or stay single and make the best out of my career. Whatever the outcome will be, I think my own happiness will matter above all. I choose to stay single because of convenience. I don't have to worry about financial burden, stress, and extreme time limitations that one will get upon entering a serious relationship. In addition to that, I prefer spending my time achieving professional and personal growth rather than wasting it with a money-reducing partner. But I admit that sometimes being single for so many years now has its own downside. I don't get the chance to mature emotionally as I haven't experienced how to be involved in a romantic commitment. There's no way for me to appreciate romantic movies because I would love to label myself as a hard-working isolate than a hopeless romantic. But as I said earlier, being single is all about personal choice. I choose to be single and will stay to be one as long as I feel it to be convenient. On the other hand, this decision should not completely be based from the principle of pragmatism. Whatever decision we make in life,as long as we are happy for it and we think that its the one that will work best for us, nothing should be worried about. Life is all about choice, happiness, and above all, love. Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

"Up In The Air" (2009): Movie Pick of the Month

Reality bites. And amidst the magic that all the fantasy-driven movies like Avatar have brought to the main screen audiences, some people opt to savor the bittersweet taste of reality rather than escape from it--I'm one of them. "Up In The Air"is a dramedy that lightly tackles the very highlight of the recession era in the United States. It's the story of Ryan Bingham (George Clooney) who works in a company that specializes in firing people and made for employers who don't have the guts to conduct employee layoffs on a face-to-face basis. He's also a motivational speaker who usually starts off the discussion by asking his audience the symbolic question of "What's in your backpack?". He introduces the comfort and advantages of having a life free from baggages brought upon by relationships and commitments. It reflects his own philosophy in life that mainly resembles that of a hermit's, even though he keeps on denying it. Ryan's personal goal for his life is to achieve ten million frequent flyer miles through riding the plane, which he bluntly treats as his 'home' because of the daily trips he have to endure for his job. The story also revolved around two characters namely Alex (Vera Farmiga), a frequent flyer as well whom he had casual relationship with while traveling, and Natalie Keener (Anna Kendrick), his ambitious coworker who developed the idea of conducting the layoff remotely through the internet, contradicting Ryan's traditional face-to-face firing. Later in the film, Ryan almost fell in love with Alex but found out that she already has a family of her own and their relationship is a mere escape from reality. Natalie, on the other hand, quit the job during the last part of the film after learning that one of the employees she fired jumped off the bridge and took away her own life. However, she got the new job because of the recommendation forwarded by Ryan, whom she developed a friendly relationship with eventually.
"Up In The Air" (which has various nominations for Golden Globes and Oscars) is a true masterpiece combining wit, comedy, and drama. On a personal perspective, I think this movie is something that I can relate with. Having experienced how it feels to be fired unexpectedly, I saw great humor in the way Ryan developed his own line in firing employees : "Anybody who ever built an empire, or changed the world, sat where you are now. And it's *because* they sat there that they were able to do it." During this trying times aptly dubbed as the 'recession era', unemployment and moments like what the film captured regarding firing people are the things that people have to watch firsthand in order to realize that there's life after unemployment. Also, the movie, by painting a portrait of Clooney's character, made me check my own ideologies and have a sudden soul-searching. I have lived a life with a limited time for building and nurturing friendships. I'm the type of personality that will value my career more than anything else like what Ryan Bingham believes in the movie. I prefer to be alone most of the time and not so much of an outdoorsy kind of person. I don't know what good reason to give for such a behavior but maybe I can count on what Ryan's brother-in-law asked when he had a cold feet in marrying Ryan's sister. Like him, I also can't see the purpose and meaning for getting married, raising a family, and then ending up being old and abandoned to a nursing home. However, by contemplating the way the story ended in the movie, connections seem more important than existing alone- -an idea that brought me back to reality.
In general, the movie is an artistic combination of great story-telling and surprisingly good acting. George Clooney is quite great as usual but Anna Kendrick really surprised me the most. I have seen her played a not-so-significant role as Jessica in the Twilight movie series but in judging the way she portrayed her character in this movie, I won't doubt if she will receive various nominations.
Considering all these aspects that has made this movie a very good pick, I assure that everyone will be captivated and fall in love with this movie made up in the air!


The slower we move the faster we die. Make no mistake, moving is living.- Ryan Bingham