Monday, October 29, 2007

Powerless without power

Ahh.. the comfort of electricity! We have been deprived of it since yesterday. The sudden comeback of electric power refreshes my appreciation for it but also makes me realize how dependent we (or at least I) have become towards it.

Life practically froze in its absence and we were left sitting in the darkness. No TV, no computer, no internet. It was almost unbearable. Come daylight and the house revealed its sorry state. Without much to do, I noticed the ceiling is about to fall off. Old patches fail to hide cracks on the walls. Our stuff are hopelessly scattered on every little space.

These weird realizations came to my head because I felt powerless without power and did nothing but sit and look around. It's sad it required a 24-hour power outage for me to notice the real world that exists. The real world I easily ignore once I'm absorbed into the digital dimension.

Sunday, October 28, 2007

The best phone accessory

I gave up a Nokia 6151 in favor of my good old 3200. I've been looking forward to having the 6151 that my mom receives from her retention plan. Now that it's finally here, I realize it doesn't have a flashlight!

The flashlight is the best thing Nokia attached to my phone. For countless times, it has guided me in darkness. Many missing coins were found because of it. With it, I have studied for exams despite blackouts. It also makes a very good light source for shadow plays.

I don't see why more expensive mobile phones with mp3 players, cameras, internet acces, and GPS can't have a handy flashlight.

Candle-lit blogging

Our neighborhood transformer went "kaboom!" this morning so we had no electricity for most of the day. In response, I've been either sleeping for hours or just sitting around and feeling useless.

I thought it would've been good to spend the time writing but then it's dark and only candles provide light to our little home now. For a while, I felt powerless, and as already said - useless.

It dawned upon me that the absence of convenient electric light should not be a hindrance to productivity. Many school children don't have electricity in their remote villages. Yet they get to do their assignments and projects.

So here I am, scribbling my way across a notepad. It's been a while since I actually wrote an essay or article without a computer. It's not so bad. After all, there's no distraction emanating from a strategically placed web browser button. The yellow glow of the candle also helps me concentrate. There's no TV to steal my attention, and the peaceful silence promptly delivers words from my pen.

One does not need a computer to write. One does not need fluroescent bulbs to work. All it takes is a challenge to be productive and the right amount of determination.

Friday, October 5, 2007

Saviour International Hospital

Saviour International Hospital was really great. Nice rooms, tasty and well presented food, good amenities, friendly nurses, and all at affordable rates. They do live up to being the hospital with the comfort of a hotel.

They sport an electronic bed that does all sorts of movements at the push of a few buttons. Their comfort rooms have hot & cold water. Upon your entry to the room, the refrigerator is stuffed with food and drinks. Theres even a digital safe inside the room. Of course there's the cable TV and telephone line.

The interiors of the hospital is neat and modern. The hospital is 4-storeys high but their staggered floors create a total of 8 levels. It is very efficients especially because the levels are connected by gently-sloping ramps. Ingenious. At the roof-deck is a helipad for the fu

The view outside is equally pleasing. We had a great view of the Molo Church from the room. At the other side of the building is the serene Iloilo River and the new Carpenter Bridge being built. As the sun moves across the sky, the change in the colors of the beautiful landscape is fun to watch.

The hospital is surrounded by squatters on two sides but it wasn't a problem. The hospital owner, Dr. Johnson, reportedly bought 4,000 sq.m. of the land occupied by squatters. I just hope they find appropriate relocation for them before they expand the hospital.

Iloilo City is lucky to have SIH. May it serve as a catalyst for the improvement of the health swector here. I wish them the best and I hope they maintain or improve their services. An expansion of a wonderful hospital is something to look out for.