Down the Rabbit Hole

Another Cebu City post... Just thought of sharing a photo from the actual SkyWalk. Since we're not allowed to bring cameras with us,  this photo was taken by the official photographer.  The view of the Fuente Osmena from the 37th floor of the Crown Regency Hotel is great! That's the circle with the yellow lights on the lower right side (by my foot). Definitely a must-try!

My trip to Cebu was just short, too short. I want to go back there as a tourist and not as a conference participant so I could explore this historic city a bit more. However, since there's a few more hours with nothing to do before the flight back to Manila, I opted to visit some of the easily accessible tourist spots in Cebu City aside from spending time in the mall.

One of the top things to do in Cebu City is try out the Crown Regency Hotel's Sky Walk. I just had to give this one a try. So with Fe and Cristy, office mates at IRRI, I went to the Crown Regency Hotel along Osmena Boulevard, Sta Cruz, Cebu City after the sessions at the Philippine Chemistry Congress.

The 26th Philippine Chemistry Congress was held at the Waterfront Hotel in Lahug, Cebu City on April 13-15, covering the theme "Chemistry: Providing Solutions to Global Challenges".

Over dinner, we were discussing the roasted pig that Cebu is so famous for. It's tasty and the meat is tender... so delicious that people in Luzon buy them from Cebu and have them shipped via commercial flights!

This road trip served to introduce Kuya Nat to the family roots in Batangas. We basically went round Taal Lake, dropping by locations where the family used to go with my dad as the driver: the Carmelite Convent in Lipa, the Taal Basilica, and the Caysaysay Church. We also had the fresh coconut juice in Padre Garcia and the kakanin in Alitagtag .

My parents invited our neighbours over for dinner one evening... just a small gathering over pancit and puto. Since we live away from the rest of our relatives, our neighbours are like our extended family.  It's been quite a while since they've gathered in our house. Thank goodness the house underwent a major clean up before this reunion!  Sa uulitin!

IRRI celebrated this year's International Women's Day with a series of seminars. The one I went to featured Sandra Aguinaldo of GMA-7.   She shared her experiences as a woman working in one of the toughest and one of the most dangerous professions in the world -- journalism. At that time, the news of a female reporter being sexually harassed in the midst of the Middle East upheavals was in the headlines. She also shared with the audience one of her award-winning documentaries: "Nanay na si Nene", which is about poor young girls getting pregnant because they didn't receive the proper education about reproductive health. The legislation on promoting reproductive health awareness (the RH Bill) is still causing heated debates and is now a heavily discussed topic. A thought-provoking presentation. It certainly adds a social dimension to what we are doing in efforts to alleviate poverty and to encourage women to take up careers in the sciences.

Still on my rehab consultation yesterday... The doctor recommended a few things that I can do outside therapy to alleviate the pain. He reiterated that I am not supposed to run for the next few months but said I'm supposed to continue using my foot: I am allowed to walk one km daily (that's a 15 min walk for me), to ride bicycles (which is why I'll be getting my bike up and ready), and to swim (and walk in chest-deep water). Yahoo! He also recommended that I change my everyday work shoes since they're a year old and the support might be worn out.  I bought my  New Balance WT480GR all-terrain shoes last year because I normally run on rough road. The pair has logged in more kms than my previous shoes (even those that have gone hiking with me) because I've been running at least 3k every other day last year (before my right foot got all painful) aside from daily wear and races. Since they're still relatively new, I'm planning on replacing the insoles with so...

Yesterday, I went to the Southern Luzon Hospital and Medical Centre in Santa Rosa, Laguna for a consultation with Dr. Franklin Domingo, the rehab doctor. He suspects that I might also have plantar fasciitis (that's swelling on the ligament under the foot arch). My right foot has had a beating , I take it. He prescribed a physiotherapy program to target the pain in my foot and I decided to start it as soon as possible. So down I went to the therapy room. I was amazed at the rehab facility in this hospital! It looks like a spa with gym equipment... well, just like a spa except for the lack of the herbal aromas from candles and the absence of soft lighting and of calming music. The gym-like area even has what looks like a barre and some colourful exercise balls. Note to self: Next time I'm getting my therapy there, I'll take a photo. :) The therapists, P-Jay and Phoebe, were very friendly while setting up the gadgets for my foot. Phoebe, it turns out, is a running enthusi...

Yesterday, I attended the 15th joint commencement exercises of the grade school and the high school departments at the Christian School International (CSI). It's the first time for me to go up the stage in CSI since I've graduated. Seeing all those bright-eyed fellow alumni receive their diplomas and medals brought back memories of my own graduation. The responses of the graduates, as expected, were filled with hope and idealism. The speakers thanked CSI for preparing them for their next adventure: high school (which isn't as daunting as during my time perhaps, since CSI has its own established high school department now) or college (which is the scarier prospect, since the graduates are leaving CSI entirely). They see bright futures and great adventures ahead of them... and I agree.  But what struck me was the poem called " The Paradoxical Commandments " (written by Dr. Kent M. Keith in 1968) which was recited by the high school valedictorian in ending. The wor...