my new year's top five XXI

1. aling dolor's sapin-sapin - layers of sumptuous, tasty, traditional kakanins. the best!
2. excellente ham - i especially like the scrap, they're more tasty! (and oily... yikes)
3. my and my lolas' halaya - we're the best hehehe! there's no competetion. ours is the best!
4. ate ruth's leche flan - i miss this... :-(
5. lola gunding's biko - i miss her :-( and her biko... the tradition lives on through tito bong, but it'll never be the same, it's sad she wasn't able to teach me her particular technique and recipe

a surgical christmas

candlelight lamps, courtesy of the resident artist... me
hahaha!

my gift-mommy, ailen

my gift-baby, steff
(may utang pa ako!)

with the duty ortho residents
the christmas decors are courtesy of
me, miko and dennis

earrings from kayekipot

the duty team

a jacket-themed party

me and my princess

more pictures here >>

we had one fun christmas party during our last duty over christmas at the surgery clerk's room. we had booze, food and karaoke! we even had disco lights!

broadway boys & miss streisand

from broadwayworld.com July 23, 2007

Michael Arden: "It's an unusual thing to be introduced to someone so deep into their career. This is how I felt coming to this experience. Having only really seen Barbra in Meet the Fockers, I envisioned a sex therapist who loved wearing long skirts and climbing on top of her co-stars. A remarkable thing happened in Berlin at the concert. The company surprised her with a gift of a beautiful piece of music played at her wedding, as a anniversary present to her and Jim. She was truly moved and surprised by this. I was struck by not only her love for fine music, but for her husband. She then went on to sing 'You Don't Bring Me Flowers,' a song which has become my favorite of the concert. She seemed to be catapulted, during the show in Berlin, into every nuance of terror, pain, memory of joy and of sorrow the song spoke of. The song became dangerous. It became for that one moment a confession of something so close to the bone, that it felt like we perhaps shouldn't be allowed to watch someone say it. Her connection to the material as an actress had me dumbfounded, and more importantly, had HER dumbfounded. I saw a star like none before ignite again, some fifty plus years later and I completely understood who I was working with and what an opportunity it was to be doing this concert tour. Singing with a weapon of such grace on a stage in Berlin originally built by HITLER and sending a message of peace, tolerance and love, three things that resonate through everything she does, through incredible music. I said a silent 'thank you' for being so lucky and so truly blessed."

Hugh Panaro: "In Dreamgirls, Curtis sings to Dina, 'When I first saw you... I said Oh my that's a dream.' Well, when I first saw Barbra on the first day of rehearsal in Zurich I said ( I think it was to Peter Lockyer) 'Wow, she's beautiful!' Then of course I realized it was BARBRA F*** ing STREISAND!!!! And she's cute. I know it's not a word that you would ever think of using in describing her but she IS cute. I loved that she had her glasses on and very little makeup and was there not to be 'Barbra Streisand' but to work. She said hi to all the musicians that had done the last tour, hugged Bill Ross, the incredible conductor and greeted her new 'boys' warmly. And then she sang---with us! WOW. I was and am still blown away by her 'ear,' incredible pitch and her musicality. There is no need to 'tweak' Barbra in a studio, she is the real deal. But what really blew me away is how giving she is onstage, a great scene partner if you will. And of course without even trying , she is a funny girl. In Vienna, during our 'sound check,' a huge dark cloud loomed toward the stage as we were singing (appropriately enough) 'Something's Coming' from West Side Story. Then came a wind that blew every chair over (that had been set up for the outdoor venue) like a child's set of dominos. Rain, thunder and lightning soon followed. Dust and grit flew into our eyes and mouths, sheet music blew away, instruments were soaked, electric 'rigging' and huge LED screens swayed overhead as everyone was evacuated to safety inside the Palace. As I was drying off outside my dressing room, I saw Barbra and told her everything that had just happened, and without missing a beat she asked, 'But was the sound good?'"

Sean McDermott: "When I walked downstage to sing with her, at the first rehearsal in Zurich, I couldn't believe I was actually on stage with Barbra Streisand. When I took her hand and looked in to those blue eyes, I swear my heart skipped a beat. Later that week at a performance with the crowd cheering each and every song, I realized that she is one of the greatest stars our lifetime has ever seen. I've learned so much working with her and watching her on stage. Every city is so different, but every audience has been great, even those poor people caught in the storm in Vienna - they came back just as strong the next night. You can't ever imagine what it's like to be in front of thousands of people and you're singing with Barbra Streisand. You don't get that kind of response, even on Broadway. The people are great and very appreciative of us (the guys), as well. We've had enthusiastic applause for our section of the show, even our own ovations, and in Paris, I even got recognized in a restaurant after the show, having dinner with my family. What else can I say? This really is a dream come true."

Peter Lockyer: "First of all, the quality of the shows is something that I never dreamed I would be a part of. The sound design, stage design, orchestrations never mind the actual, amazing orchestra, musical direction and the direction, all combine to form a truly complete concert experience. That sounds like a soundbite, but it really is true. As far as actually performing with Barbra, she is incredible and sounds fantastic. Also, it is amazing to feel the energy of how much her fans love her. When we see and hear the reaction of the audience after 'Somewhere,' it is downright deafening. Barbra allows herself to be amazingly vulnerable onstage and I think that is one of the things that make her performances so immediate. When she sings, we all feel what she feels because of that vulnerability. So, it is truly fascinating to come downstage singing my line in 'Evergreen' (our first song with her) and connect with her famous eyes only to see the girl inside. Does that make sense? I guess what surprises me is that she has been able to keep her ability to be affected by the people and circumstances that surround her at a given moment. Because of this, she responds organically and creates an artistic experience that is unique to every situation. I think that even after our first rehearsal with Barbra my first thought was, 'Okay, I know that I have always appreciated Barbra Streisand’s talent but after meeting her and watching her rehearse, my appreciation has only deepened.' I love the way she will sing a song differently every time and change notes and rhythms depending upon how she feels that day and what is affecting her: Truly, I am a fan."

my week's top five XX

once again revived. now 20th one including my lamitan top five. i hope this tradition carries on.

1. sab - you'd have to be very patient with me hehehe, you'll probably be the only one not a food here as i'm writing from memory... but good enough to eat bwehehehe
2. sinigang na baboy sa sampaloc- sab renewed my love affair with this dish
3. white thumb's egg pie - favorite clerkship merienda (this helped with sab too hahaha)
4. ate eva's sotanghon - my favorite sotanghot, moist, fat, not that many "sahog," don't like sahog ^_^
5. sr. pedro's lechon manok - wow, ma'am korina was right, this is the best commercial lechon manok

as i've predicted... the top five mostly came out as food hahaha. i have to try hard to control my eating, i'm slowly gaining weight again! happy christmas again everyone!

lz, w.o.e.

p.s. i'll have to sign in my suffix... figure it out hahaha, personally i'm not affected by this at all, but i'm having fun using it, no offense to the one who invented it, i'm not taking it seriously, i love having a title, so like "megastar" BWAHAHAHAHAHA, i hope this really sticks

maligayang pasko sa lahat

sa isang pag-lihis sa tradisyon kong pagsusulat sa wikang ingles, binabati ko kayong lahat ng isang masayang pasko!

mga ilang sandali ang nakalipas, binasa kong muli ang mga nasasaisip ko noong nakaraang pasko. nadiskubre kong itong kapanahunan rin ang anibersaryo ng pag-lipat ko sa aking apartment sa maynila. naisulat kong kinakailangan kong maging payapa muna bago ko mapagkatiwalaang dalhin ang ilan sa mga pinakaiingatan kong gamit. ngayon, halos lahat ng aking gamit ay nasa aking apartment na.

kulang ang libreng panahon ngayong pasko, dahilan sa clerkship siyempre. ngunit isa ito sa mga masasayang pasko sa aking buhay. kasama ko ang aking mga kaibigan, pinagpala akong maging libre sa parehong pasko at bagong taon upang makapiling ang aking pamilya, at ang pagdating ni ysabel sa buhay ko.

gusto kong magpasalamat sa aking mga kaibigan, naging maintindihin sila sa aking mga kahinaan. gusto kong magpasalamat sa aking mga magulang, dinala niyo ako sa aking kinalalagyan, sa aking kapatid, ginawa mo akong responsable sa iyo (kahit na papaano hehehe). salamat sa iyo mahal kong sab, ikaw ang ilaw ng buhay ko ngayon. malamang na sasabihin ko sa sarili kong eeeew pag nabasa ko ito mga ilang oras lang ang makalipas hahaha. cheesy, pero hindi ako nagsisinungaling. nakakahiya, pero hindi ko kayang palagpasin ang pagkakataon na sabihin.

maraming, marami akong natutunan ngayong taon na ito, higit sa lahat, tungkol sa medesina. kung papaano alagaan ang aking mga pasyente. hindi ang pagmomonitor ko sa kanila ang nagpapagaling sa kanila, o kahit man ang gamot na iniinom nila o ang operasyon na pinagsasailaliman nila. naniniwala ako. naniniwala akong ang aming mga maiikling pag-uusap, tungkol sa buhay nila, mga problema, ang mga tangka kong gawing katawa-tawa ang aking sarili (sa maraming pagkakataon madali lang hahaha) para maibsan ang mga iniisip nila, ang lubos kong pagsubok na alamin ang "nickname" nila at ng kanilang palaging bantay ang isa sa mga malaking dahilan ng mabilis nilang pag-galing.

marami akong dasal ngayong pasko. bigyan ng liwanag ng puso at isip ang aming mga guro na susubok sa aming mga natutunan sa pagdating ng revalida. gabayan ang aking ama'ng nasa ibang bansa, at ang aking kapatid. bigyan ng tibay ng loob ang aking ina. gabayan si robert ang aking kaibigang nasa ibang bansa. bigyan pa ng maraming biyaya sina marge, at tina, steff, verle at kaye, mark at dwight, mga kasama kong a2, a1 at lahat ng taong napalapit sa aking kalooban. biyayaan ng kapayapaan at grasya kami ng aking kasintahan. pagpalain ang mga taong kapos sa pagkain, walang masilungan, lalo na ang mga matatanda na naiwan ng mga pamilyang walang nag-aalaga. higit sa lahat, nagpapasalamat ako sa mga natanggap, tinatanggap at tatanggapin ko pang biyaya mula kay Maria, ina ng lahat, ang anak niyang si Hesus at ng kanyang Espiritu Santo.

muli... binabati ko kayong lahat ng maligayang pasko at mapayapang bagong taon.

chris p. alipio

w.o.e. ^_^

maximus xmas 2007

maximus medicinae christmas party 2007 at markus agito's place.

more pictures here >>

steff's birthday

more pictures here >>

we watched UST's annual Christmas Concert and then headed for Tomas Morato in our medschool uniforms (hehehe). We had dinner at Friday's. I had RIBS yum yum. Thanks Isteypi!

-lz

tagaytay

more pictures here >>

kaye, verle, steff & me went to tagaytay just because. we were so happy... and FULL! we ordered bulalo, sisig and inihaw na pla-pla at leslie's and then had coffee in starbucks. ^_^

-lz

Plog

a diary of photos from my cellphone

chris & sab
duke of york's robinson's place manila
we watched "enchanted"

"may problema si jenny"
why is she sad?

gossip girls
surgery clerk's room
during dead time

rj sleepy head

sleeping beauty
ma'am candice sleeping

sleeping rockista
tish reading/sleeping

beacon of light
the ust main building tower is the main feature of the
paskuhan decorations

our new 64 slice CT scan can do this!
wow!

serene buddhas
from-duty kaye & verle

kaye-sexy-time
on the phone with lover from las vegas
umph! yeeaah!

"wasak"
my resident dra. arlene cayetano & lorelie,
our grouppie from fatima in an early from-duty morning

flexible maylynn
powernapping in surgery clerk's room

helen, dale and candice found a
more practical use for their stethoscopes...
watching gossip girls

flowers for my girlfriend's birthday
beauty amidst my chaotic apartment

my interpretation of the milan cathedral
in indelible ink on bond paper
hung at my apartment wall

my interpretation of the notre dame cathedral
in indelible ink on bond paper
hung at my apartment wall

john marc floyd de vera
my godson from pedia ward

"darna?!"
me, sleeping in gyne clerk's room
(photo from mark's phone)
verle & kaye, fabella doctors

Makati Med Interview

Ysabel's Birthday

in fabella delivery room

with ailen, tench, mark & leigh

small dinner party in my apartment

(l-r) top : miko, mark, & chris
2nd row : sab, mika, iya, edlyn, mika, & leigh
bottom : jed & ailen

thanks mom for the asado! they loved it!

-lz

Paskuhan 2007

more pictures here >>

fabella quotes

1. (on a from-duty morning) "kailangan pa ba nating mag log-in??"
2. chris : "andiyan ba ang chart ni mhr 15?"; X: "si teves ba iyan?" chris: "hindi. padio." X: "andito kasi sa akin si teves mhr 13." (duh!?)
3. "saan niyo ba natutuhang magtahi?" (duh!? minor surgery!)
4. ...to be continued...

in fabella

there are a lot of life lessons that i've learned during my stay in fabella. there's also the priceless gift of the lady in my life that occurred during my stay in fabella. it's perhaps the one of the redeeming factor why i'd consider reliving that part of my life (the other being able to work with great friends who i guess i've worked for the last time, i'm sad about that of course).

i was nervous the moment we entered the premises of fabella came day one. the place was familiar. we rotated there during pediatrics. but this time will be different. we were told we will be left alone to tend to patients most of the time. during orientation, we were assigned to different teams. it was endorsed that we had nice residents. good, i thought... that'll make life bearable.

we were lucky. we only had to work half-a-day during our first day. fabella has five posts. duty, from-duty, ward, opd, pre-duty. we were on ward post during our first day which fell on a weekend which meant we can go home lunch time. what we had to do was find our assigned resident's (we were like personal assistants to them, we do whatever they asked us to do which relates to patient-care) patients. do progress notes on them, and then perhaps endorse anything which our resident may want to know. after progress notes for one hour. we go and tend to ward work which means do blood extractions, and send them to the lab and attend to any problematic patients.

we did not have to do opd (out-patient clinic) the next day because it was a sunday. we learned we had other team-mates from 'another' school. we didn't find them that day.

pre-duty day, we encountered our team-mates during progress notes early in the morning. i thought they were nice. hehehe little did i know we'd have something to laugh about all our lives ^_^

duty is TIRING. being a runner will mean... you RUN. i think i toned my calf muscles a lot during 12 hours of going up and down and up and down and up and down the stairs of fabella. i even did things i discovered later was the job of other clerks! but anyway, i learned a lot. the most important thing i think i learned is that i feel confident that i chose the right school to study medicine. verle, kaye and i were the most proud medical students especially when it was endorsement time. i feel confident to attend to three patients giving birth almost at the same time (i had to wear gloves one on top of the other so that after one i'll immediately remove the topmost glove and be ready to catch another baby ^_^). i feel confident to give birth to five multigravid mothers in quick succession. and i feel confident i chose the right path.

-lz

i'll post more detailed stories after our written revalida. hehehe
(on a from-duty morning)... "kailangan pa ba nating mag-log-in ulit??"