Getting the Covid vaccine: what it’s like

Yesterday, I had my 2nd dose of the Covid vaccine. Obviously, it’s been 21 days since my first one, which was on the 1st of July. Getting the 2nd dose of the vaccine, aka getting “fully vaccinated”, feels good and quite literally, feels bad. If you haven’t had your full dose yet, or even your 1st one, then this is what you can expect. Take note that what is outlined here is my experience in getting the vaccine here in NSW, Australia. You may have a different experience getting your vaccine wherever you’re from.

The 1st jab

I had my 1st jab scheduled at 9:30 in the morning. I arrived in the vaccination center (St. George Hospital, Kogarah) 45 minutes early. Upon arrival, I knew I should have come earlier. There was already a long queue of people waiting just to get to the lift. The vaccination center was on the 4th floor and they only allowed four persons per lift to allow social distancing.

While we waited in line, one staff member went around and asked us for the text message that we received from NSW Health a day prior regarding our scheduled vaccination. I think they were checking just to make sure there were no walk-ins and that everyone properly booked their vaccination via the NSW Health website.

Once I arrived on the floor, I had to wait again for my turn to be “processed”. In processing, they confirmed my details and asked me a bunch of questions regarding the Covid vaccine. They also asked me for my driver’s license and my Medicare card but I reckon any valid ID would have sufficed. It’s just easier to ask for those two since those are what most people always have with them.

After processing, I was asked to wait again for my turn to be vaccinated.

Continue reading “Getting the Covid vaccine: what it’s like” →

“Puhon”: The most beautiful Bisaya word

There are three languages that I speak: Tagalog, English, and Bisaya. In that order.

Filipino or Tagalog, my mother tongue; English, because we’ve been taught how to read and write in English since kids, and; Visaya or Bisaya, the native language, or dialect if you prefer, of major parts of central and southern Philippines.

I started learning how to speak Bisaya when I was in high school. It is my 3rd language. Because although I was born and raised in a city in the southern part of the country, our local dialect is Tagalog. My mom, who is from Batangas, far up north in Luzon, and my dad, who is half-Chinese, both speak Tagalog. Ironically, my dad doesn’t speak a word in Mandarin nor Hokkien. He does speak Hiligaynon, more commonly known as Ilonggo, and Maguindanaon, the language of Muslim people. So it is natural for us to be speaking Tagalog at home.

When I moved to Iligan City, in the northern region of Mindanao, that’s when I was fully-immersed in the Visayan language. My classmates, my professors, the store attendants in the canteen, the campus security guard, the jeepney driver…everyone spoke Bisaya.

Continue reading ““Puhon”: The most beautiful Bisaya word” →

Failing forward: why it’s okay to fail and why failing is necessary

Is failing something you avoid? Is it something that frustrates or angers you? Do you get sleepless nights when you fail at something?

If you’re the type of person who abhors failing and would feel like a total failure whenever things don’t go according to your plan, don’t worry. There are literally 7 billion plus people in the planet and you’re not the only one who feels that way. As a matter of fact, being outraged when you’re failing or when you fail at something is pretty normal. It’s the default human reaction.

But there’s another type of people who welcomes failures. These people have accepted that failing is a natural part of the process. Be it the process of being a parent or the process of learning something new (like photography) or the process of falling in love, failing for them is not an “if” question, but rather, a “when”.

Me? Oh, I’m part of the first group. I hate failing. I’m outraged each time I fail at something.

Being angry at failing is normal

LOLJK not really. I’m the I-failed-but-I-wonder-why type of person.

Continue reading “Failing forward: why it’s okay to fail and why failing is necessary” →

Money talk 101: Managing your finances well

Money Talk 101

Dette and I were watching Big Bang Theory earlier tonight and the opening scene was Sheldon checking out Raj’s finances. He later on concluded that Raj cannot go to Comic-Con because he’s out of money. Prior to that episode, Raj decided that he would be a grown-up and stop asking for money from his father. So now, he is in deep debt, he’s homeless, and yeah, he can’t go to Comic-Con. Although I found the entire scene (and the episode in general) hilarious, if you think about it, Raj’s predicament really isn’t. Especially when you realise that that sort of thing actually happens to a lot of us.

So now here I am, writing another article on my blog, and wanting to talk about money.

Raj can't go to Comic-Con
Continue reading “Money talk 101: Managing your finances well” →

How to fix a garden: A pandemic project

When I was a kid, my mama and/or lola (grandmother) would always ask me to help them with gardening. This happens especially during the weekends or on weekday afternoons when I get home from school. As a kid, I hated it. I hated labouring in the garden, pulling out weed in a squatting position, and getting garden tools to and fro. It’s tedious, meticulous, and I don’t understand why there’s so much pleasure doing it. I’m pretty sure every other kid my age back then hated it as well. All we kids wanted to do was either watch TV or play with other kids in the neighbourhood ’til sundown.

Fast forward twenty-plus years and here I am, keeping myself busy on weekends and getting all hyped and excited each time the sun is out because well, wadaya know, it’s a good time to do gardening.

I’m not sure what the heck happened to me but whatever it was, I’m sure that choosing to do gardening, rather than being forced to do it, is an adulthood milestone and it 100% validates that one is a full-fledge grown mature adult. Needless to say, not only have I reached that milestone, but I’m on top of it, I’m nailing it, and yes, I’m one damn proud PlanTito – an uncle who enjoys plants, planting, and everything about gardening.

Continue reading “How to fix a garden: A pandemic project” →