There’s only one designer whose stuff I’d want to wear every single day of my life and it’s Tsumori Chisato. I’ve been in love with this designer’s pieces since way back 2003 when google search results for “Tsumori Chisato” returned obscure and practically empty pages… in Japanese. So anyway, I was browsing through online shopping sites and stumbled upon Outlets-Online which sells TONS of Tsumori Chisato stuff at almost 75% off!! Unfortunately, even with a ginormous discount I still can’t afford them. So in the meantime, I’ll be returning to this website every now and then to stare and dream of owning every single piece. *sigh*

*Swoon*

Luis: You know what, auntie, next next weekend we’re going to stay in a hotel for FOUR DAYS!

Me: Really? Why do you like to stay in a hotel?

Luis: Because I like the hotel life!

Me: What kind of life is the “hotel life”?

Luis: I can swim in a pool, sleep late, play PSP, and it’s more… LUXURIOUS there in the hotel.

Me: Where’d you hear that word?!?

Luis: It’s from the word “LUXURY” right Auntie?

Me: Yeah, you’re correct.

Kids these days are too smart. hahaha!

I am sooo tired but it feels good to practicing nursing again. I keep saying to people that I feel like I have a “purpose” again and it’s true. It feels really good to be a part of someone’s recovery.

Hats off to nurses in St. Luke’s who don’t eat, sit, take a break, and always do overtime work without pay. Through them I see the nobility in this profession.

Here are some of the photos that I took last week.

This was taken before 7 a.m. while waiting for someone to unlock the door of the Skills Lab.

Bong and Jacko (hand) were the first ones to perform the actual IV insertion with our instructor, Sir Lee. They were the only ones who enjoyed the benefits of good lighting so I’m extremely happy that I got to take a photo. Yes, that’s blood inside the catheter hub. It tells you when you’re already inside the vein and when you can advance the catheter tip further into the vein.

The one standing up is our instructor, Sir Lee

That’s Kerwin (standing up) and Ron (sitting) practicing how to operate a 3-way stopcock on a severed (dummy) arm. hehe! One of the dummy arms that we used to practice IV insertion on has a connection to a syringe with fake blood so you’ll know whether you’re inside a vein or not. Unfortunately, the because of repeated use, the dummy arm had acquired a big hole around the most frequently punctured part and I think the fake blood mechanism doesn’t work anymore I was reallly looking forward to seeing that work!

With my newfound friends, KC and Ron.

I seriously keep forgetting that I’m in a group with potential work-mates.  I refer to them as my “classmates” though in my mind I try and correct myself by reminding myself that we’re about to work, we’re already nurses, and that this is a screening process.  Would *LOVE* to work with these two around though!

I have been itching to blog since Tuesday but unfortunately, I haven’t been able to access the internet since Monday!!! Turns out our modem got busted… ngarr… I haven’t been able to send photos, do my job, e-mail, AND BLOG! *sigh* Anyway, lots of things happened this week:

Had my IV therapy training! Unfortunately, my 2nd attempt [official] attempt at IV (Intravenous) insertion was unsuccessful. Apparently, I had inserted the needle at too low an angle and my target was a bit askew. It was a little disappointing but I’m determined to get a better at it. So who wants to volunteer to be my “dummy”? I’m giving away free candies. heehee!

I also sat in on lectures about Pain.  I honestly had no idea there was a whole unit dedicated to Pain relief. St. Luke’s has a “Pain Buster” team and it is the one you phone when a patient complains of pain.  Isn’t that neat?  I always just assumed all doctors knew how to handle this problem.

For our return demonstration, we had to memorize a whole manual full of procedures that are at least 10 steps each (some have 20-30 steps).  I realized how rusty I’ve gotten at memorization since I enrolled in Nursing and since I turned 25.  My memory has deterioriated significantly.  I can’t memorize as readily as I used to.  Makes me want to bang my head on the wall for not taking advantage of my youthful brain when I was in Ateneo.  Haha! Oh well what’s done is done.  I guess I just have to compensate for it by studying harder :p

*Sigh* I wonder what’s in store for me this coming week?

Goodbye, vacation! Hello training! Aah, FINALLY… my Nursing Staff Effectiveness Training at St. Luke’s starts tomorrow later.  I don’t know what to feel really… maybe a mix of dread and excitement.

I’m sadly saying byebye to my bed (to whom I’ve established a loving relationship with!) because I won’t be able to spend much time with it now that I will be juggling training and part-time work.  I’m also going to miss my nieces and nephew who keep me happy during the hours I’m awake and at home.  Byebye to stress-free bum life.

Hello PRESSURE *smirk*.  My cousin told me 3 times at dinner tonight “Galingan mo ha!” (You better WORK IT! Well not really… hehehe! He said Make sure you do really well)… WAH.  Even before the reminders to do well, I am terribly fearful of not being able to answer questions, fumbling, not remembering what I learned, not being able to perform certain nursing skills… NOT BEING GOOD.  So, I’m dreading the next 3 months as I expect it will be filled with challenges I am afraid of failing…

Ahh, but enough of that… I CAN DO THIS!… Even if I’m in hideous duds and shoes.

Rhonda Byrne will help me through it.  Heehee!

Since it was Easter Sunday, the hotel we stayed at in Tagaytay was having a Easter Egg Hunting contest and I suppose that for the entire Holy Week, they had 2 cages full of bunnies near the entrance.  I guess this was for entertainment purposes, to keep the kids amused while guests waited for their rooms to be fixed.

So while waiting for OUR room to get fixed Annika amused herself by trying to feed the bunnies with a leaf of cabbage:

Man, those bunnies rushed for it like they haven’t eaten in 5 days.  It was a bit scary because it reminded me of this scene in I am Legend where Will Smith was forced into a corner by a gajillion zombies/vampires

I have 3 pamangkins that I live with at home - 1 nephew, Luis (the one I bragged about in my last post, teeheehee), and 2 nieces, Annika (4 y.o.) and Mika (2 y.o.).  Trust me, you wouldn’t want to be alone with these three kids when they’re all hyper because you will find yourself confused about who to listen to.  They will just talk, talk, talk, nonstop, and call your attention all at the same time!

My cousin (their mom), my sister, and I always joke about starting a journal documenting all the funny, witty, and interesting things that they say and do but never got around to actually making one.  Since I’ve already started talking about them (and I really can’t stop now, sorry!), I think this might be a good place to start this mini-project

There are only two for now, Luisms and Annik-dotes,  because I can’t think of a title for Mika. haha! (Help me think of one?)

To start off, a Luism:

Mommy: Luis, get out of the pool na.

Luis: *not listening, still swimming*

Daddy: Luis, get out of the pool na, let’s come back next time.

Luis: *in an obviously irritated and frustrated tone* Next time?!?! When?? When I’m dead??

Mommy and Daddy: WHAT DID YOU SAY, ANAK (Child)?? 

Auntie Denise: what, what, what? *jaw drops*

dianaslittlehelper posted an entry about cute rubber duckies a while back, and while I was exploring some Polyvore sets, I chanced upon this little cutie:

Perfect for Sudoku lovers!

I love browsing through street fashion blogs and sites like The Sartorialist, Facehunter, and Tokyo Street Style. Here’s one reason why this is such an addicting activity for me:

Doesn’t he look so effortlessly cool? I like seeing people who seem to have picked up each item of clothing at random, threw them on, and look GREAT like they have a stylist-on-call. I’m especially loving the pointy-toed sneakers here.