Checking in like a Rock Star

http://www.flickr.com/photos/62274271@N00/2492945306

(wrote this last March 16, 2010)

I got the privileged to have stayed in luxurious and fancy hotels. Nope, I’m not a businessman. I also don’t have the money to stay even for a night. I am just a lowly convention and seminar secretariat member every now and then; a humble worker that needs to be tired and exhausted at the end of the day just to get paid. But a worker I may seem, at least I still got to check in hotels.

For others, hotels are home-away-from-home. For me, it’s a second house where I get to live (and party) like a rock star. Not because I loathe staying in our home (it’s hands down forever heaven). A hotel is one of my favorite places if I wanted to get away from it all – even if the purpose of why I was there is the one thing that I’d like to get away from.

Why not? I got to experience the following:

1.    The nicest bed sheets on earth – and they are arranged when I get back to the room after a day’s work.
2.    Cool interiors and designs – even the paintings and the furnitures.
3.    “Invisible staff” that makes the bed (refer to number 1) after waking up and cleans the bathroom (I don’t get to see them do it)
4.    Cable television – well, I’m not ashamed to tell the whole world that we don’t subscribe to it back home. It doesn’t matter if there are things to do the next day. Once I see HBO, CNN, AXN, MTV, Cartoon Network, and Star Movies, I’m the queen of the remote control!
5.    Bath tubs – I know this is bad, but seeing this means forgetting everything, even the reality of scarcity in water.
6.    Cool view – I love the night lights and the dawn of the new day views. They are stress relievers and breathtaking.
7.    Free wi-fi – this was just an added feature recently in hotels. There soon came a “sibling rivalry” between wi-fi and cable tv. Good thing I was trained to mult-task.
8.    Sumptuous food – my father always say “never to forget my stomach” despite the hard day’s work. I take pictures of them sometimes before eating them.
9.    Free newspapers
10.    I check in with my friends – for free

One of my most memorable hotel stays I had was when I was in Grand Men Seng Hotel in Davao. Not all reserved hotel rooms were occupied during a convention. In those cases, it’s considered paid. Imagine my luck when I stayed alone in a room for two nights! I felt so happy despite being alone and having a to-go fast food as dinner.

I’m not a businessman. I’m just a lowly secretariat member every now and then, who gets to stay in hotels. But who says I can’t check in like a rock star?

ANN-lene

http://www.flickr.com/photos/30626788@N00/211566100

(wrote this last March 22, 2010)

Last week, I found out I have osteopenia.

It means that my bones are kind of brittle. If I will not take necessary actions, it may lead to osteoporosis.

I learned about it after I underwent a free bone screening. My left arm wrist was subjected to the screening, which took a minute. What’s bad is that at my age (I’m 28), I’m too young to be osteopenic.

Get this: I’ve had kidney infection, I’m going treatment for hyperthyroidism (nodules somehow found a home there, which I hate), and I have benign nodules in my breasts that I need to monitor. Aside from this, I have been wearing eyeglasses for more than a decade now because of astigmatism and near-sightedness. Oh, I also have vertigo, and the reason I had braces at late 20s because I have been suffering from temporo mundibular joint disorder for a long time (and I didn’t know!). So you could tell that my days are numbered.

With all of this, I could easily say, “Here we go again, another problem. Why is it always me?”

But instead of being sad, I just said “okay” to the doctor, after telling me the actions that I needed to take. The thing with osteopenia is that all I have to do is more calcium supplements and milk intake, so I think I’m gonna be just fine.

Was it because I’m used to being susceptible to diseases that are so out of this world (I think I made sure it can’t be found easily in the ordinary dictionary)? Well, I guess so.

But I think I took the news as it is because I believe I can win this battle.

I had won the fight against my kidney infection when I was a kid. The last time I had my check up, my thyroid nodules are getting smaller (I’m still praying it will disappear forever). My astigmatism grade reached its highest, though, but my near-sightedness grade steadied since three years ago. My vertigo is manageable, and my jaws are getting back to normal.

So I believe I could win another fight; I will live another day. Because I am someone who can still do many things. I am someone who cannot just be brought down.

As I drank my first cup of Anlene, I toast to the dreams that I will still achieve.

I toast to the beaches and beautiful places that I will reach.

I toast to the friends that I will still meet and new ones to greet.
I toast to the crazy things that I will still do.

I toast to the battles I have conquered, and to the ones that will still be coming.

So I’ll keep myself healthy.

The Day Running and Music Collided

wrote this last July 11, 2010

I woke up at 3:30 am. I knew I would pay the price later for sleeping only for four hours. But when my alarm clock started to sing DON’T STOP BELIEVING (Glee version), I totally forgot about it. I got up from the bed and started my preparation. This is my first official run – nothing is going to let me down.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/32645377@N06/4083813727

I got to the meeting place at exactly 5:00 am. While waiting, I wore my singlet and tied my hair. I saw the dawn breaking. I heard the song in my head: it’s going to be a BEAUTIFUL DAY (U2).

I stood at the middle of the three-kilometer category crowd; everybody were all pumped up and were ready to run. I started to hear TELEPHONE (Lady Gaga and Beyonce) in my IPod. Nianne whole-heartedly lent it to me for the run as her sign of support. Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one… PAK! The air gun shot filled the air. It was the signal everyone was waiting for: It is time. As I started my race, Lady Gaga sang “Sorry I cannot hear you, I’m kinda busy.”

There were people running, there were people walking, and there were people doing both. But one thing was for sure – there were smiles on their faces. I looked at them and smiled. By then, WANNA BE STARTIN’ SOMETHING (Michael Jackson) has filled my head. I started to run again. Who won’t when you’ll start to hear “Mamase mamasa mamakusa?”

BEAT IT (Michael Jackson). I’m now here – I am starting something new for myself. At the middle of the race, I think I have started to conquer the enemy that was me. I used to dream of me running (running away or towards something or someone); but today, I think it’s a BEAUTIFUL NIGHTMARE (Beyonce).

At the mark of the last one kilometer of my run, PYRAMID (Charice) was playing. Do I see myself joining races that will pass through mountains and terrains? Nah, forget it. I still have one kilometer to go. I could negotiate with myself about that in the future.

Journey played the whole DON’T STOP BELIEVING in my background as I took my last few meters. Then, I saw the finish line. I made it! MISSION IMPOSSIBLE (OST)? Nah! Whoever said that I can’t do it should self-destruct in ten seconds.

“And since I made it here, I can make it anywhere,” Jay-Z said in EMPIRE STATE OF MIND (Jay-Z and Alicia Keys). I heard this as I cooled down and lined up to get water and my loot bag). I finished the three-kilometer race in twenty-five minutes (not bad according to Mommy Jess, who finally got to sign me up for my first run). I felt I could have chosen to run the five-kilometer category instead. But I had no regrets. At least I found out that I did a good preparation and I know now that I can do it. Now, I’m looking forward to do better (and run another course) next time.

I ripped several CDs to put it in my borrowed IPod (I hope to buy my own next time). I had fifty five songs to perk me up for the whole run; I was surprised to have only heard a few (I listened to some during our cool down, while lucky people were getting Blackberrys during the raffle). But one thing is for sure: the day running and music collided, I was there. I made it happen.

And it felt good.

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The author joined her first-ever official run at the Run4Life: The Lifeline Foundation Fun Run at Alabang. She registered for the 3K category and finished it in 28 minutes and 16 seconds.

CONFESSIONS OF A BEGINNING RUNNER

wrote this last July 10, 2010

http://www.flickr.com/photos/64015205@N00/46324600

Rubber shoes, check. Socks, check. T-shirts, check. Singlet, check. Bib with my race number and pins, check. Towel, check. MP3 player to keep me going, check.

I am ready for my first ever three-kilometer run tomorrow. I have prepared myself physically, mentally, and emotionally.

I never intended to join such runs. I know that people do jog or run (or in my case, brisk walk), but I never imagined myself doing it – and eventually joining.

Two of my nurse friends have been encouraging me to run since last summer. But I was scared to start doing it because I’m not sure if I’m physically fit to run. I have to admit: I had occasional dreams of running (either running away or running after something or someone), but it doesn’t mean I’m good. I told them I’d rather do aerobics (I dance, and I think I’m good) than run. But come to think of it, the last time I did aerobics was three years ago. And I must admit (again), gym aerobics classes are expensive – not quite a good way of motivation. I asked myself: does it mean I will wait for me for afford aerobics classes before I make myself healthy? I carefully thought about it, and so I made an appointment with an internist.

“Unless you have a heart problem (your hyperthyroidism is well-controlled), I don’t see any reason for you not to start. Start slowly. If you want to join fun runs, preparation must be in place,” the internist said. That was the OK signal I never thought I’d get (I was expecting she would give tests). That week, I started right away. I told myself that I’m not going to let my hyperthyroidism (or any other whatevers) get in the way of me being healthy.

I started my 15-minute walk after my alarm clock sang “Don’t Stop Believing” (Glee version); it’s like telling me that it’s time. I remember the day: May 24, 2010. It marked our 20th stay in our current residence in Cavite. Well, I want to stay alive for 20 more years, so I got up and started walking in our village. I just ditched the idea that there are only two weeks ‘til the summer ends: I have to do this, or never do it ever.
It’s like angels were sent down to really make me hold on to my commitment: there were at least five people who were also walking around. I felt the relief: hey, I’m not alone in this! I was able to make three rounds on my first day for fifteen minutes. Not bad, I guess.

15 minutes turned into 20 the next week, then 25, then 30. After a month and a week, I’m now doing 40 minutes with jogging. I have also extended my distance to the village near us.
And now, I’ll be joining my first road race.

I do not expect to be the first to finish; I won’t even mind the time that I might be recording. What I know is that ever since I started, I know I only have one enemy – myself. And I believe that if I am able to start this – just like the life projects that I had – I know I’d be able to be a better me.

I don’t know what’s going to happen after I reach the end of my first 3K run. If I do well at this, maybe I could do this as a pastime. Maybe I’d go from 3K to 5K, then 10K, or even 21K (geesh). Anything can happen. For now, I am happy for the support that my family and friends have given me. I’m happy for the physical results that it has given me (I felt healthier than ever). I’m happy for the new things that I do because I still can.

As long as I’m wearing the right shoes, right attitude and running with the right people, I’d get to the finish line somehow.

See you on the road.