What a Crazy Ride the Half of 2022 Has Been

My last log was in December 2021. Ang dami nang nangyari. (A lot has happened.) Part of me wants to write religiously. But knowing I can't even stick to developing an exercise or a skincare routine makes this goal close to impossible. Here I am gathering my thoughts again while facing the screen, trying to recall the past events since 2022 started.

Why bother? This article may not be for the benefit of the readers, if there are any, but it is beneficial to the writer. The initial purpose of this blog is to be one of the ways I piece together my scattered thoughts. When I have too much in my head, it tends to disrupt my work processes. Writing is therapy for me and a free reading material for you, just in case you have a lot of spare time for "maritessing" hehehe 😂.

Extended Mask Season

We're still in the pandemic, in case you forgot. Face masks are still required in public places here in the Philippines. Physical distancing is no longer implemented. Siksikan na ang mga jeepney. (Jeepneys filled in their usual tight capacity). The same is seen in other modes of public transportation. At least majority of the people here are already vaccinated against Covid. And thank God face shields are no longer required.

Some municipalities already started having face to face classes. Many companies resumed their on site activities although some people have grown accustomed to the work-from-home setup. This is what the "new normal" looks like this year.

To be honest, I'm really more comfortable working online but I understand how crucial face to face education is. I think a blend of face to face meetings (for drawing, laboratory, examinations) and online lectures might be more effective.

Omicron Surge

No, this is not a Transformers character. It's a variant of Covid-19 and highly contagious.

In January, one of our housemates tested positive to Covid putting us all under quarantine for at least 10 days. Many of my students reported a similar situation wherein their households were advised to isolate because one or two in the family tested positive for the virus. All the quarantine facilities in Metro Manila were occupied. 

Around the same time, My father experienced another seizure and we had to wait days before he was admitted to the hospital. Hospitals were also full. When he was finally admitted, my mother was quarantined with him. The bill was quite high but we're thankful to God he survived this one. We are also grateful for having some financial help from friends and family. 

Xena's Treatment

It's been more than a year since Xena was diagnosed with a growing mass on her nose and somewhere between her eyes. This mass could be malignant so regular checkups are necessary. Magastos. (Her treatment is costly.) Some pet owners would decide to give their pets away or abandon them for reasons like this. Xena is very dear to us and a great source of comfort. Of course we'll keep caring for her.

Because of the schedule of her medication, we never leave her alone for more than a few hours. Someone has to be at home to feed her and give her meds. And when Hubby and I need to go to meetings, we drop her off to her grandparents.

Most of the time we bring her with us. She goes to church every Sunday, she feels so at home there. Xena acts normal, may bukol lang. (Aside from the visible lump on her face, Xena acts as she normally does, like she's not sick at all.)

Kitchen Experiments

One of the blessings of the quarantine is experiencing the joy of cooking food and eating it. We had a great time trying traditional and experimental recipes. Turon is one of my favorite snacks. It is a banana wrapped inside a lumpia wrapper and fried.

What started as an effort to decrease food waste became an inventive way of cooking food. For example: boiled kamote (sweet potato) can be mixed with ground meat to make patties or meatballs. Hubby buys the most lamog fruits (softest, bruised or overripe fruits that are sold cheaper in markets). We cut and blend them to make fruit shakes.

A Quick Getaway

When Hubby was called to an event in Nueva Ecija, Xena and I tagged along. None of the hotels nearby allowed dogs so we decided to camp in the farm. The first day we're there was a work day for Hubby. Data signal was spotty but I managed to be online for class consultation.

We went to the river the next day where Xena swam for less than 30 seconds. We rode a raft, and cooked lunch while floating on a river. I wish I took better videos, and for more days like this in the future.

We really need to edit the videos. Who knows? Baka sa youtube pa kami kumita! (Maybe we'll get our youtube channel monetized and earn from there!)

Challenging Days Ahead

It's definitely busier now that we're transitioning to go back to how things were before the pandemic. We've experienced a lot of losses because of the virus. Some of us are grieving for the loved ones who met Our Creator. Loss of income is also tough to recover. There is always anxiety whenever there is a change in who runs our government, whether you are a critic or a supporter. There's a lot of uncertainty.

I don't want to end this article in a negative way. It's been difficult but here's what saved us from total despair:

1. Compared to the first five years of our marriage the pandemic is somehow more manageable. Imagine if God spared our first five years and allowed those things to happen this time. We may not recover. Somehow, having to go through those trials earlier is a blessing in disguise.
2. Making an effort to be present in church and be involved in the activities online or onsite brings encouragement. We feel lazy too. It's human nature. There are also times when we feel so discouraged that we don't want to spoil the fellowship for others. But going to church has always been a boost to us. Listening to the Word of God, seeing each other, brings the encouragement we all need.
3. Kindness never fails. Be the exception in a world of toxic bullies. When you feel like engaging in a word war over differences of opinion, it's nice to take a step back and evaluate if being a patola is the best use of your time and energy. It's also great to practice empathy and see where other people are coming from instead of being easily offended. Most of the time, the kindest thing to do is let people freely express their opinions. Buti na lang hindi na ako masyado nagbababad sa facebook. (It's good I'm no longer active in facebook.)
4. Enjoy each day, even when you're under quarantine. We already know it's not comfortable working in a house with no air-conditioning, and having a tight budget sucks, but there is no need to dwell on these problems. There are more reasons to be grateful despite the pandemic.

Congratulations, you got this far! Thanks for reading my latest brain dump. If you're going through a tough time right now, I hope things change for the better. Keep going.