What's up with "the bag"?

From the Hot Chick movie.

Going to the mall is not my thing. I look for ways to avoid going if I can. But of course, my sister is also good in "convincing" me to go with her. As always, after half an hour of walking around, aimlessly, I'd be dragging my feet and make the "tsk...tsk..tsk" sound. As if on cue, my sister would look at me, annoyed. Then she would give me this spiel about why can't I just be like a normal, grown-up person and stop whining. Other times, she'll buy me my favorite smoothie. Well, that keep me quiet for a while.

Anyway, this post is not about going to the mall. Oh wait, in some ways, it is, because you'd find bags for sale in the mall, right? So, there. My sister has a collection of bags or purses, as they're called ( which I only found out later on ). One time, I made a comment about how come she has different kinds of bags ( you know, different colors and styles ); I mean, why not just use one. She went on to tell me that her bag should match her outfit. So whenever we go out, she'd move her stuff from one bag into another one, whatever she fancies on that particular day. Oftentimes, she forget something.

The pouring rain didn't stop these people from staying in the line. Rain, be damn!

One time, we went to this huge mall that just opened. Of course, I tagged along for the sight-seeing and what not. But I wasn't really looking forward to be walking around. My sister and Rhea warned me to be quiet and not complain. I shrugged, as if to say, sure, fine, whatever. Lots of people milling around overwhelmed me. Before I know it, I feel a headache coming on. To keep myself occupied, I offered to take their shopping bags. They happily agreed. We went to this particular store, where people lined up just to get in. I'm like, this is insane. I've never witnessed such a thing before. I mean, people lined up for different reasons, especially for urgent matters. It was my first time to see a line-up to get in a store that sell this particular bag. Needless to say, I was in the line-up too, for an entirely different reason. It gave me a break from all that "aimless" walking that I did.

The stuff  I take with me when I go out don't require a bag or a purse. 

To me, a bag is a bag and should serve its purpose, that is, to carry my things. I don't care much if it has flashy, emblazoned letters on it. And frankly, I wouldn't be caught dead using one. Nothing personal. I don't own a bag or a purse. I use a backpack ( when the need arises ), which was given to me by my sister because it didn't suit her style. I don't understand her fascination for  bags and probably, will never do. They all look the same to me. And don't get me wrong, I have nothing against people who "love" bags. It is what it is.

" A guy once told me that girls' purses reminded him of spiders." - P.C. Cast

crestina

This is 40 bucket list.

Turning a year older is a milestone. I mean, not all will get the privilege to do that. So, it got me thinking because in a few months time, God willing, I will turn 40.

"One day you will wake up and there won't be any more time to do the things you've always wanted. Do it now." - Paulo Coelho

One day, I had lunch with a friend, of whom I haven't seen in a long time. After we updated each other about our lives, she asked me, "So, what do you do for yourself?". It took me awhile to answer her, partly because I don't know what to say. I haven't been ask that question before. Eventually, I said I go to work and hang out with my sister. And she was like, no, not that. Her query added more sense ( I hope ! ) to what I plan to do.

So anyway, here goes my list:

• Go for a long walk.

• Try yoga.

• Get inked.

• Cut my hair short, like really, really short.

• Relive Harry Potter. This means I have to read all seven books, again.

I thought about keeping this list to myself. I could have easily write it down on  a piece of paper and forget about it. And not tell anyone about it. That way, no one will know if did it or not. I decided to put this on my blog so you, my readers ( you know who you are ) will hold me accountable. And perhaps, putting this out there will motivate me to really do them. Of course, the above-mentioned items are not a matter of life and death. In the grand scheme of things, they are irrelevant.  I thought that the added pressure will come in handy when I start to procrastinate, which I'm fond of doing lately.

We'll see how this goes.

First-ever US travel---memorable.

I am superstitious. I guess I got that from my grandmother. I kept mum about my travel plans not because I don't want anyone to know about it. But because I care about it too much, I don't want it to be jinxed. I know, crazy, eh? Of course, my sister and Rhea knew about it. Anyway, when it was already set and finalized that I'd be going to New York, I could barely contain my excitement. The thing is, I'm good at downplaying something I deeply care about, to the point where I can be indifferent and nonchalant about it. Little did anyone know, that deep inside, I was singing "Welcome to New York" in my head.

"And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it." - Paulo Coelho

It was my first time to travel to the States all by myself. The days leading to it, I feel apprehensive. Not that I'm a negative person but I like to know beforehand what to do when things don't go as planned, which is always a bummer because plans do change and things can go wrong and you have to think on your feet and act fast on what to do next. As it turned out, I didn't count on our flight out of New York getting cancelled and me missing my return flight to Canada. Fortunately, things were resolved and I'm back home.

Oh, the places I get to go with them. Great times. 

My cousin, Socorro ( I call her Payen ) and her husband, Brian invited me to visit them, after I mentioned it to her that I already have my US visa. It was a mini-reunion for us,  cousins and met Brian for the first time. Bing2x, Payen's younger sister was also there. They made sure my first visit was a very memorable one. I had an awesome time and a great visit with them. Payen made this list of places we'll go to, both in New York and Chicago. A quick stop in Milwaukee was a bonus.

19 odd years ago, I got drunk for the first time. It made me cry like crazy. In between sobs, I told my late grandmother that we will go to New York. Doting as she was. she consoled me and said, "Hush now, yes, we will go to New York." I still remember that day and much more so when I finally set foot in New York for the first time. I like to think that my grandmother was there with me.

After a few messages on Facebook, this is what happened. :-)

New York was the highlight of my first US visit. Payen later told me that Brian has really prepared for it. He bought an app so it would be easier for us to navigate the streets of New York, without getting lost. After the first day, we felt like pros in using our Metrocard and maneuvering our way into the oftentimes crowded subway station and train.

This trip wouldn't be possible without the invite from my cousin and her husband. When I told her about my US visa, she was like, you should come, visit us. And the rest, I say, was an awesome  week in the States. I get to go places I only watched in the movies or TV. It was a seven days, filled with lots of walking and me, exclaiming "This is amazing!" or "This is awesome!" more than a few times.

People go to the States all the time. People go to New York. No big deal. But for me, it is more than that. Being able to go to the States, particularly in New York, has validated my belief that dreams do come true. And that,  patience counts. Yes, life  and being an adult can get in the way and dreams, sometimes are put in the back-burner. It took me almost 20 years to nurture my dream of going to New York and when it was finally realized, it was way beyond amazing. Of course, it also helps that "...all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it." I am  forever grateful.

Tofino, revisited.

I don't go out unless I have to. So it's always a big deal for me when I do but I downplay my excitement to the point where, it seems like I don't care. Before I go on, let's get this thing straight, when I say "go out", it doesn't mean going to the malls. Walking in the mall is a torture for me so whenever we go there, I drag my feet and make this "tsk..tsk...tsk" sound when I get bored.

So when we decided to go to Tofino for a day, I was excited. Of course, my sister was more excited than I am. She had all these accouterments for spending a day at the beach stuffed in a bag, not to mention spending quite a long time on her make-up and all. Turned out it was cloudy and a bit chilly when we finally get there. My sister had to  slipped on a pair of jeans because she find it too cold to walk in her shorts. I laugh at her and head to the beach, while they follow closely behind.

Would have been a nicer view if it was sunny but the fact that I get to see this and hear the sound of the waves is amazing. :-)

There's never a shortage of photo-op session. :-)

Sunny or not, we still managed to enjoy the day. We had lunch  at a nearby park, then walked around for a bit before we decided to head back home. Rhea is a such a good sport to spend the day with us. I mean, my sister and I can be noisy and loud but I like to think, we're fun to be with. So anyway, we head back home. We stopped by Ucluelet, just to checked it out. My sister and I told Rhea that we haven't been there before, hence the short stop. 

Stopped by Chesterman Beach and enjoyed the sights and despite the gloomy surroundings, they still had fun and jump. :-)

I was a bit tired from sitting too long. I imagined Rhea would be too, since she was the one driving. I had a great time. I enjoyed being out and about, without the confines of cement walls ( I'm sure, my sister knows what I mean. )

I managed to scramble up on one of the rock formations and get a better view of the waves and feel the chilly air against my face. I was in the zone, until  I heard my sister called me to come down.

I can't say it was an unplanned trip to Tofino. We did plan it and it was a bummer when the day didn't turn out the way we want it to, weather-wise. All in all, it was a great day. Thanks to Rhea. :-)

Night life?...What night life?

I mentioned before how driving a car is by far, one of the most grown up thing I've ever done in my life. Showing up for work and staying till my shift is over is another grown up thing I'm doing right now.

I'm a morning person. I love to get up early, especially if I don't have to go anywhere. My grandmother used to tell me that it's best to get out of bed before the sun is up. Somehow, that idea stayed with me. I don't sleep in, unless I force myself to do so or if I'm really, really tired. I get up the same time everyday regardless of what time I go to bed the previous night.

When I start working, it's clear to me that I'll work a night shift eventually. It's inevitable. At first, I'm wary of doing it. I don't go out at night. I'm usually in bed by 10 or 11 at the latest. To stay awake the whole night is a stretch for me. And I find it hard and a struggle to nap during the day. So, why do it? Well, for starters, I'm a newbie so I need to build my seniority, that means picking up any shifts available, to accumulate hours ( of which, I am repeatedly told to do so!) Then there's the part of earning a living.

This I find to be true.

So anyway, I did get called to do a night shift. I'm sort of on call at three different places, so whoever calls me first, gets my undivided attention. I still find it strange to be driving at night to go to work, when I could have been in bed already. My brain has to adjust to the fact that I need to stay awake for the next eight hours. At this point, I try not to think about the scary movies I've watched before or else.

I'm not sure if I can call it a blessing to be able to work a night shift at three different places. But I think it's a rare thing, to be able to do so. Let's just say, it's a blessing then. :-)

I did a few nights in a hospital, where all I have to do is watch this particular patient sleep through the night. They call this a 1 to 1. So I sit on a chair and watch this patient. Occasionally they try to get out of bed so I have to tell them to go back to sleep or sometimes, they need to go to the bathroom. I have to assist them, make sure they don't fall. It wasn't a physically exhausting job but it felt like a torture, you know, sitting there, fighting off sleep. By the time I go for my break, I'm ready to crash and sleep.

On occasions, I do night shifts on a resident care facility. Usually when this happen,  I get called with a few hours to spare, to have a nap before I start at 11. With this one, I feel like, I and my co-workers are  always on the go, except during our breaks. Sometimes, I remind myself that I work in a resident facility for elderly people,  not on an assembly line of a factory, with dubious nature. After my 8-hour shift, I drive home exhausted and ready for bed.

I did a stint of straight five night shifts at another resident care facility. I work with a partner and we take turns in taking our breaks. We do rounds and make sure every resident is in bed and check if they're still breathing and all. There's really no time to be sleepy, in between doing paperwork and answering an occasional call bell. On a busy night, two or more call bells will ring at the same time. On top of that, a bed alarm goes off, which means that someone is trying to get out of bed. I pray that this won't happen  when my partner is on her/his break. By the time four o'clock roll around, my eyes feel heavy and I could have fallen asleep if I close them, even for like a few seconds.

Exactly, until I realized that I still have a couple more nights to do.

What I'm trying to say is that wherever I work a night shift, it all boils down to the same thing, I am sleep-deprived but I also get paid more. ( Which I think doesn't really matter when I look at the deductions reflected on my paycheck. ) People who choose to work at night have different reasons for doing so. As for me, I haven't thought about it until now. A few years ago, I wouldn't have imagine myself staying up the whole night to work.

When someone asked me what I think about working nights, I replied that, "It's alright, besides I don't have to deal with a lot of people." It's true, by the way. I mean, the part about not dealing with a lot of people.  I'm not saying that I dislike people. The thing is, there is blissful silence at night, except for the hum of the radiator or the sound of the call bell. I'm spared from having to make small talk. Of course, I do talk. I have to convey information to the nurse or to my co-worker. I also has to communicate with residents. But that's about it. One day, while in the staff room, one co-worker said to me, "You're so quiet, I don't know anything about you." I looked at her, smiled and continued on with my lunch. But in my mind, I was like, "You're not supposed to know anything about me. I'm just here to work." 

So, there you go. The story of my night life.