CONVALESCENCE

Tubes out!

That goes for the thoracentesis, the urinary drainage system, and the nasal cannula to vaporize an accidental butt flash with quick smokes along Sta. Ignacia Street where I chased papers that will enable a P200,000 medical assistance.

Discharged!

Five bundles of cash prepared by two curious bank tellers quickly devoured by the hospital's bill counter --- P916,410.21 of P1,063,525.31including a contested P7,183.00 from the blood bank minus PWD and PhilHealth discounts --- but we waited 3 hours to be discharged after signing a written promise that I will be back to settle the remaining P100,000.00 balance. 

Make up! 

There was that episode at the parking lot and the sultry muskiness of the MILF in Bakal 2 amidst a flurry of emails and virtual meetings as Bulan finally accomplished OPLAN DOH-MIFIP while three other fund raising projects were initiated in Guimba, Munoz and San Jose.

I finally got my May remittance too and it smelled of Wedneday's kapukan, Thursday's inihaw na liempo, and MASP's pulutan smorgasbord on Friday. 

On the road!

I was able to squeeze in two short rides --- the first to seek the intercession of our village's patron saint and the second as a pre-celebration for the imminent endorsement of the  ASEAN Declaration on Care and Resilience --- as OPLAN PCSO was launched on Sunday during an 8-hour transit in Bangkok for the regional convening in Phnom Penh...

THE PHYSICIAN IS AN EVANGELIST

The Pauline Letters otherwise known as the Epistles or Letters of Paul referred to him as a physician and a non-Jew.

In the books of the New Covenant, he is called as Luke the Evangelist.

To us, he is a high-end hospital where we were directed to be admitted for a lobectomy right after marshalling preparations for the regional convening in Phnom Penh.

Thus was how a chapter and verses of the Book of Bakal 2 were composed at St. Luke's Medical Center in Quezon City: by the music of the piano player at the lobby during our admission, the sounds of machines during the pre-op assessments including a Pulmunary Function Test, the snores and moans emanating from both sides of our bed at Ward 5206C, a  retinue of medical briefings and the tapping sounds of a fund raising, and the rustle of papers for submission to the Department of Social Services.

I chased the trails for a line to heaven at the churches of the Latter Day Saints, Seventh Day Adventists and Iglesia ni Cristo in Munoz before Thursday's D-Day and when it happened, I sought refuge at the cold and empty second floor chapel of the The Physician-Evangelist.

I was sleepless but thankfully, the procedure was relegated to a less complex segmentectomy to which I offerred my gratitude to the Great Architect of the Universe at the Diocesan Shrine of Jesus the Divine Word.

I pleaded for a seamless recovery at the Minor Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and it was granted.

Weekend and the family brought a welcome warmth to the sterile corners of Room 5110 and broke our medical confinement with stand-up lunches and banters.  

I've been under pressure but it doesn't matter in those two days.

We are almost there and we are grateful for the beeping IV monitoring machine, the soft knocks announcing regular vital signs check, the twice-a-day room cleaning service, the warm and properly covered food, and the overall excellent service of the Physician-Evangelist's disciples;and  the solidarity visits and encouragement, the generosity and kindness, and the prayers of friends who helped us pull through a week of uncertain and sleepless nights at 279 E. Rodriguez Senior Avenue, Quezon City...

THE BANGKOK WALKERS

On his 33rd year in 1960, King Rama IX set down the foundation stone of Wat Bhoman Khunaram, almost 40 years before and 4 kilometers away from his massive $8 million cable bridge that was the offering for his 6th cycle birthday including the public park that hummed of dominant South Asian tongues and a couple of Australian accents from the Autumn Room of the Chatrium.  

They, we, are the jolly walkers of Tower 1 who picked on the grilled fish while waiting patiently for me to finish my usual 3 bottles of  Beer Chang although on my last day, I took a ride in the shuttle van to Chong Nonsi where the trains led to the Siam Center, Payya Thai, Suvarnabhumi Airport, and the Victory Liner Deluxe Bus to Bakal 2.

And in Bakal 2, a discourse on a gender-just energy transition got cut twice so I requested a flight booking to Phnom Penh where I've taken over the PMU despite the still missing May remittance that was somehow assuaged by a wedding lechon in Bakal 2, some fried fish from Anda, and a couple of grilled bangus in Munoz.

But somehow, my daily bike rides were short and boring despite a haircut and updating the front wheel of my ancient motorbike. 

The Breast Center came up with benign results though while the repeat histopathology confirmed what we already knew in Baguio so yeah, that should be enoough for a Friendship Night of steamed talaba, inihaw na tuna, assorted grilled steak, and a bottle of Pinot Noir...

almost SLEEPLESS IN VANG VIENG (in Vientiane and Bangkok too!)

The nights in Vang Vieng were lullabyes of Beer Lao 

and a lei of grilled pork intestines.

From Patuxai, I raced from two meetings to the eternal rains 

of a national dialogue.

I was kip-less in the train, baht-less at Chatrium as the tracer 

was unleashed in Manila.

For the sake of rights and security, generative AI deep learned

VUCA and the C Risk Matrix.

The Onion Router browser will shield  ISPs, DNSs and VPNs 

from metadata's digital repression.

Baguio revisited, annihilation photons reported back, a temple, 

Suan Phlu is also Lumpini and Patpong. 

The trains led us to Hua Lumpong, a prayer at Wat Trimit, and the crowded markets of Yaowarat.

We ate Wat Arun for lunch after peeking at Wat Pho's massive feet and the guarded gates of the Royal Palace. 

Bangkok's holy trinity lulled me to sleep but I smelled of Chang Beer in each early morning that I wake up.