MRI for my Sore Knees

My knee problem was worse than I thought.   Upon advice of the doctor, I underwent an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) procedure yesterday.  

I was aghast at how expensive MRI prices are!   Here is a comparative costing of a plain right knee joint MRI in a few hospitals in Manila:

The Medical City:  P15,000

Cardinal Santos: P9,000

UST Hospital: P6,940

De Los Santos : P5,000

I didn't bother to ask Asian Hospital, St. Luke's and Makati Med anymore because I am pretty sure they would charge over P15000.  Notice how wide the price range is.   And take note, this is only for one knee.   Both of my knees are aching, but the doctor said one knee MRI is fine so I wouldn't have to pay double.

Too bad I didn't get a health insurance last year.  I was about to, but then I thought that I might be working again soon and a personal health insurance might just become redundant with employee health insurance benefits.  I wanted to take the cheapest MRI but I was a bit wary of the quality in a hospital I am not familiar with, so I decided to go for UST.  

I was a bit worried at first that I might become claustrophobic when they finally put me inside the tube.  They just shoved me in halfway.  It was just my knee after all that needed a reading.   It wasn't scary at all.  I was in fact comfortable and I didn't even have to wear a lab gown.  I was just lying there ready to doze off, except for one tiny problem.   They provided me with a headset so that the music could deaden the loud sounds of the equipment.   

Unfortunately, the station was set at 90.7 FM Love Radio.   Oh boy, was it so annoying!   The DJ (and his irritating laughter), the commercials, and the music playlist were just plain wrong for me.  I am a jologs person but that was just too much.   To prove my point, I had to listen to a song with these lyrics:  Hoy Boy Kulot, bakit mo sinulot ang syota kong maharot".   And that line was repeated over and over again and it is stuck to my head till now.   

Music aside, everything was okay and I already have the MRI results now.   There were a few findings including an ACL tear, mild cartilage degeneration, moderate joint effusion, and other highly scientific jargons that sound Greek to me.    

I am crossing my fingers that the problem is nothing serious that would require arthroscopic surgery, cause a huge dent in my wallet, or make me say goodbye to hiking, Chalene Johnson, and my tennis racquet for good.  

Macarons on Fat Tuesday

Today is Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday. 

Today is a day of celebration of excesses, of gluttony, of indulgences... the last hurrah before the Catholic community embarks on a 40-day period of abstinence.

With a good excuse to pig out in mind, I shall now be gorging on one of life's better pleasures:

Macarons

They are not your usual coconut muffins (macaroons), but the French variety.  The French Macarons are made of powdered almonds, egg whites, sugar and flavored creme ganache.  If you haven't tried this famous french pastry, then you are missing out.   It is almost like a merengue because of the light external crust, but it is definitely not airy.   Inside it is like a soft, chewy cookie that has a sweet nuttiness to it.  And the flavor and the filling make it so much more lip-smackingly good.

Before, I only know of one place that retails and serves macarons here, Bizu Pattiserrie.   They have over a dozen variety and my favorite flavors are mint, lemon, pistachio, chocolate and orange.   Each piece is rather pricey at P35, or P265 for a box of 8.  I can easily finish an entire box in one sitting but I try to restrain myself.   I have to savor each bite and make my P265 stretch longer than 30 minutes.

Good thing, Delifrance has introduced its own macaron line. They have about 5 flavors and each macaron retails for only P29, or P79 for a box of 3.     The last time I had a Bizu macaron was about a month ago and I remember that Bizu's version is much more dense, the Delifrance version seemed less packed (which probably explains the price differential). Taste-wise, they are all yummy to me!

So today, Fat Tuesday, I will be true to the holiday name.  I will be fat from macarons this Tuesday.  I guess this means that I will have to abstain from macarons throughout the lenten season.  

John Lloyd - Sarah vs. Richard - KC

Of late, 2 love tandems have been hyped in Philippine showbiz:

(1) John Lloyd Cruz and Sarah Geronimo

(2) Richard Gutierrez and KC Concepcion

Photos courtesy of wikipedia and pinoyfansclub.com

Both teams have their sophomore movies out this February: You Changed My Life for John Lloyd and Sarah, and When I Met You for Richard and KC.  Both are marketed as the date movie this love month.

We know that there is rivalry here, after all, one movie is from the Kapamilya network (via Star Cinema films) while the other is from the Kapuso network (via GMA films). 

The 2 love teams' rookie movies were shown last year. While I don't have the actual figures, I am pretty certain that the gross receipts of the John Lloyd-Sarah movie (A Very Special Love) far exceeded that of the Richard-KC movie (For the First Time).    

I say this because of the feedback I got from friends, colleagues, family and everyone else who cares for local showbiz in my circle.    I have heard of a lot of people raving about A Very Speical Love, at the same time, a lot of people disgusted by For the First Time.    Moreover, the number of those disgusted by For the First Time is nowhere near those who expressed that they had no intentions of ever watching it.   My good buddy, Ivan, even said, "I will not watch that Richard-KC movie even if they pay me. And yet, he expressed intentions of seeing A Very Special Love, and he eventually did (I think).  

Interestingly, the same holds true for the sophomore movies of these tandems.  I don't know a soul from my circle who watched When I Met You, and yet I know a lot of people planning to see You Changed My Life.   

I wonder: What works for the John LLoyd - Sarah tandem, and what doesn't for the Richard - KC tandem?

I guess, first, I have to qualify that the circle wherein which I operate is largely the middle class market.   And that is what stumped me.   I would think that KC Concepcion, being the daughter of probably the biggest star in the Philippines (Sharon Cuneta), would have a broader market appeal (Class A to E).   BTW, Richard is also from a showbiz dynasty. Concurrently, I would suppose that Sarah, being an outsider in the showbiz dynasty , would find more affinity from the mass market, not the middle and upper income market. But that is not the case based on the sample population that is my circle.   

So what is the logic behind this?

Is it chemistry?   In my opinion, there is no more chemistry in the John Lloyd - Sarah tandem than there is in the Richard-KC tandem.   We know that John Lloyd is with a long time girlfriend (Liz Uy), and Sarah is just too young for him.  Meanwhile, the Richard-KC tandem is too contrived.   I guess the public is aware that chemistry is being feigned for the sole purpose of selling the film, and the public does not expect any real love to develop off the big screen.

Is it the story line?  I don't think so.  All are romantic chick flicks, hence you wouldn't expect any great plot in all the 4 movies mentioned.  I think everybody expects to see the usual hackneyed scenes and hear the cliched lines.  Nobody is expecting real film making genius here.   The movie titles should be a dead give away already.  After all, what would you expect if the film makers didn't even think hard to come up with a title and just borrowed those song titles you hear on love radio?   

Is it the leading men? I guess Richard wins in the hotness category (but personally, I prefer John Llloyd because he can pass for a normal, everyday cute looking guy, not drop-dead gorgeous like Richard).   But John Lloyd wins in the acting category.   I think Richard is an eye candy, but John Lloyd has real acting prowess that actually moves you.  I would say that for a romantic movie, good looks and good acting are equally important.  So, at this point, we are even steven for the 2 love teams. 

Is it the leading ladies? Both are old in the showbiz industry, yet both are relative neophytes in acting.  Additionally, both girls have very good reputations in the industry. Both are Ms. Goody Two Shoes in the relatively liberated world of showbiz. 

BTW, I read in many blogs that people are distracted by KC's hair in her film and TV appearances.   She definitely needs hair pins to prevent her hair from covering her face and stop her from doing that irritating hair flipping.  Likewise, notice that Sarah's hair is too big and puffy in her movies.  Therefore, both have had bad hair day moments.    Incidentally, I have heard that a lot got turned off by how "maarte" KC was in her movie.  I really can't say because I didn't watch her films (and I don't intend to).  

So what does it all boil down to?   I honestly do not know and I will not jump into conclusions.   I think the middle class market is just outright discriminating and will choose to patronize or boycott a product or service (movies included) because it simply feels like it, without even feeling the need to explain the logic behind the choices.

If you think you know what ticks and what does not tick for these 2 love teams, please feel free to comment.  As for me, I am trying to be a true blue Kapamilya here and I hope I earn brownie points for this.

One of Life's Many Ironies

One sad truth in my life is this:  Either I have time or I have money.  I can't seem to have both at the same time.   

I was out last night with my buddies from Shopwise and we were talking about taking an out of town trip for the gang. There were many options floated: Boracay, Camiguin, Pagudpud, even Bangkok and Hongkong.  Since I am not working, I can definitely fit all these in my schedule.  Unfortunately, my savings barrel is going to run empty should I do so.  I am living off of my savings, and therefore, I have to practice frugality.   

If i do get a job, I would be back to the usual humdrum routine of work-home-work again.  I will have my regular stream of income but my life will be such a bore.   Again.   

Now that I have all the time in the world to do all the things I've always wanted to to do (travel, learn a new sport, shop, take a language class, hang out with friends, read books, watch foreign films, etc), I cannot do them because I simply cannot afford them.  Doing many things these days is rather expensive.  How ironic isn't it?  I bet this is life's way of telling me I can't have my cake and it eat too.  

Diet Mountain Dew, Where are You?

I am a huge soda fan.   I cannot live without softdrinks.   I realize how much sugar and calories are packed in one can or bottle, so as much as I can, I stick to the diet kind.   

But I love Mountain Dew.   I love it for the citrusy flavor.  And it's a pity I cannot find Diet Mountain Dew anywhere here.   Does anybody know if there is a store that retails this locally? Better yet, maybe I should call on Pepsi to sell these items here.  Calling on Pepsi, can you please carry the Diet Mountain Dew line in the Philippines?  Please, pretty please? Photo courtesy of diet-blog.com

Job Interview Blues

In the past week, I've had 3 job interviews, 2 of which were for the same company.

To be honest, I am not actively searching for a job.  In fact, I had no intentions of going back to the rat race again this year, but somehow I found myself updating my resume, wearing those blazers I haven't worn in ages, and making my way to the Human Resource department.   I guess I am just grabbing opportunity as it presents itself.   Maybe it is serendipity?   

In one of my interviews last week (this is for an non-life insurance firm), I was made to wait for 2 hours before the HR head got to talk to me.  While waiting, the HR assistant wanted me to take a qualifying exam, which I refused to take.  Yes, I was being a little difficult there.   

I told the girl, "NO, I am here ONLY for an interview and I will NOT take that test".   

This raised a few eyebrows from the other applicants in the room, and frankly, for managerial positions up, I do not think an exam is necessary.   Moreover, the last 2 jobs that I held didn't require an examination, so I was pretty confident I was not being unreasonable nor arrogant.   

After about 2 hours of waiting, I was finally called by the HR head.  And the first thing she said was, "Tell me something about yourself".

OMG!

  

That was what I had to wait for?   That was not the first time I have ever been asked that question in an interview, and yet I still think that is a lame question, a question posed by someone who has not done his/her homework of reading your resume in advance. What did she expect me to answer? Things that are already in my resume?   

I seriously wanted to answer, "Can I start by telling you that I HATE that question and I don't think highly of people who actually pose that question?"  

Of course, prudence got the better of me and I was able to restrain myself, forced a smile and summarized my professional credentials in 2 minutes or less.

I don't know if that is a standard HR interview question and if at all it has psychological basis.   Just how do you answer a question like that?  Do you steer off track and mention things not in your CV? Do you intimate interesting personal details that will reveal your character?  Or do you take the safe route and just state your qualifications in a nutshell?  Can somebody please tell me?

I am reminded of my first job panel interview about 12 years ago.   I was being interviewed for a management trainee position for BPI.   

I remember a lady in the panel asked me, "What appeals to you more, a writing job or a marketing job?"  

I answered, "Marketing job" in all confidence.  

Then a fellow from the panel asked, "Do you have a boyfriend?"

I didn't know how that question was relevant, but I still replied and said, "No".  

Then the lady remarked, "It seems to me you want a marketing job but you can't even market yourself".    

I was dumbfounded.  

You see, I was just 20 years old then.  I was young, intimidated and inexperienced.   How could I have a have a witty retort?   But boy, do I regret not being able to answer them back. 

I should have said "It is a seller's market, there are a lot of buyers wanting a piece of me, so I take my time to make price move up".

But I was caught off guard. My brain temporarily shut down at that critical moment.

Oh, the plight of people looking for jobs!  I wish I were more successful in business so I wouldn't have to put up with silly questions like these in job interviews.   

Murray defeats Nadal (Again)!

In the news today:  Andy Murray beats Rafael Nadal in the ABN-Amro tournament in Netherlands.   Photos courtesy of espn.com and sportsillustrated.com  

It is almost sweet for me.   I hope it was Roger Federer not Murray who beat Nadal.   But I don't mind.  It's like Federer was living vicariously through Murray. 

To be fair, luck was on Murray's side because Nadal suffered from a knee injury at the beginning of the second set.  You really have to hand it to Nadal for being a true sportsman for not retiring and deciding to continue on with the match despite his pains.   

Despite the bonus of an ailing Nadal, I think Murray deserves credit.  He did win the first set after all (6-3).   Could it be that the world number one has found an achilles heel in Andy Murray?  Nadal still holds a 5-2 win record against Murray, but those 2 losses came from 2 important matches (2008 US Open Semifinals and this ABN-Amro Final).  Oooh, this will be exciting to watch.

Facebook Junkie

I have become a Facebook Junkie.  

I am worryingly addicted to Facebook and its many applications. I have a blue reindeer pet, a mousetrap, an Elven army, a farm, a greenpatch, a foopet, a music and artist library, a flixster account, and a whole lot more. 

I think I even know what's going on with the lives of my friends as I read every status update, look at every photo posted, open links and posted items, and all other items in the news feed section. In other words, Facebook has become my ultimate news and gossip source.  All these in the name of curiosity.  And we all know that curiosity killed the cat.  I should be worried.

On the good side though, Facebook has made me reconnect with friends, colleagues and relatives I haven't spoken to in ages.  I have even made new friends there too, mostly because for some games, you can only get ahead by having more friends in your army or team. So I accepted a number of friend requests solely for game alliances.  The dot at the lower right bottom is always in green, and not a single day goes by that I do not chat with anybody in facebook.  I have never been this friendly.  Ever.   I have become a chatrovert facebook junkie.  Oh, did I say that I take those ridiculous quizzes too and pass everything from beer to chocolate covered strawberries?  

Of course there is always a downside to social networking sites, facebook included.  It can be ego damaging when you discover that the fat girl in high school now wears size 4, or the guy you dumped in college is now happily married with kids, or the guy who flunked in school is now a big time executive in a multinational company. Apart from that, I am now at that stage where I have more virtual friends that I have real friends who I can actually talk to and go to dinner or coffee with.    What has the world turned into if it's welcome news when somebody pokes you?  Pathetic isn't it?

But what really worries me though is that instead of getting my lazy butt to be productive (e.g. working to earn money, reading for intellectual advancement, or working out to shake off my excess fat), here I am keeping facebook on and blogging while I wait for the 15 minutes to elapse so I could hunt in mousehunt again.  Guilty. I am guilty. I hope I do not end up like the guys in the video below.

The Anti-Valentine Day Spirit

It's that one day in February again when cupid gets praised or bashed.  Love it or hate it, you simply cant get past February without going through Valentine's Day.

I am on the hate side.  It is not only because I am single.   Even when I was still seeing someone in my delusional past, I thought Valentine's Day is rather cheesy.  And while I was working in the corporate world, Valentine's is an important annual marketing event in the retail calendar.  To me it was work.  If you feel that Valentine's is just another lame excuse retailers use to ring the cash registers, you are in good company.  It is what it is:  a very commercialized hallmark card holiday, shamelessly used to lure people into believing that love can be measured in terms of cards, flowers, chocolates, dinner dates, concerts and other such commodities.

But lo and behold, Valentine's is no longer just sweet, mushy and corny.   There is a growing Anti-Valentine movement that celebrates singlehood, bitterness and the mockery that Valentine's is.   At the outset, this anti-valentine spirit can be dismissed as mere sourgraping rants by loveless individuals, but if you dig deeper, you will see the genius and cynical humor behind it.  

Allow me now to share here some gold finds in the anti-valentine movement.   I think these are brilliant.  But this is  just my opinion.  My college friend, Macky, told me that I have a sick humor.  Maybe you'll find it witty (in the acerbic way), maybe you'll find it abrasive.  You be the judge. 

F.A.D.  Forced Affection Day.  The is the best description for Valentine's for those who are compelled to profess their love out of obligation or fear.    Most likely, it is fear.   A husband or a boyfriend knows only too well that "hell hath no fury like a woman scorned".  Photo courtesy of cafepress.com

Do you need an outlet where you can vent your rage against the bastard of an ex that you have? This Ex-Knife Holder is perfect for you.   Photo courtesy of thinkgeek.com

Want to tell your Ex that you are destined for each other?  Tell him/her in this brutally frank way.   Photo courtesy of despair.com

Of course, Cupid, the winged menace, is not out of the woods.   He has gotten a severe beating for shooting when he shouldn't have, and for not shooting when he should.  Morevoer, he is highly ridiculed for his poor aim.   Photos courtesy of etsy.com, zwani.com

There are more cards, novelty items, souvenirs and other consumer items that scoff at love in the web.  Anti Valentine has gone the commercial route too.  I guess you just have to fight fire with fire.   What I pasted here is just proof that singles, unattached and scorned lovers can have their own field day (of revenge, mockery and sick humor) on Valentine's as well.

As for me, the only good thing about Valentine's is the abundance of chocolates during this time of the year.  And any excuse to indulge in chocolates is fine by me.  So yes, I don't hate Valentine's day that much after all.   I will sell out to the other side for a mere box of chocolates.  

I conquered Mt. Pinatubo!

As of this writing, I have sore knees, cramped calf muscles, sun-burnt face but with exhilirated spirits. I am mighty proud of myself for being able to get to the crater of Mt. Pinatubo (and back).  I have never been an outdoorsy type of person, so this is a big feat for me.  And I did live to blog all about it.

Our adventure started in Brgy. Sta. Juliana in Capas, Tarlac, the pick up point for the 4x4 jeeps that will take you as near as you can possibly get to the hiking site.  The jeep ride took more or less an hour.  It wasn't bumpy at all.  I was worried I might get motion sickness but I did not. Our eyes had a fill of the wasteland created by an explosion about 18 years ago, so I really didn't notice the time.   

The actual trek wasn't that bad, and I must say, I outdid my expectations.  Sure it was tiring, but nothing that a person with zero knowledge on mountain climbing can't surmount.  There were really challenging parts (like the initial descent from the drop off point from the jeep and the ginormous steps going down to the lake).  While going down these parts, I was already worried about how I am going to make it back up.  But with much effort and a good stick that served as a cane, I managed to get past these hurdles.  

The climb should only take about 45 minutes, but with the intermittent stops for photo opportunities and pauses to catch our breaths, the climb took us about an hour and 15 minutes. We were with a mostly male group  (tennis buddies of my dad), but my sister, my cousin and I were trekking much faster than the pace of the group.   I was actually quite pleased with myself for this.  But we were really proud for one person in the group who had polio and he conquered Mt. Pinatubo.    What a feat that was for him.  

Once you reach the top and get a good view of the crater lake, you'll know the sight is worth every step you took to get there.  The sight is absolutely breathtaking.  A simple glimpse of the turquoise blue water was so soothing for every frayed muscle and nerves of my body.   The water was so inviting in fact that we couldn't resist not taking a dip in the lake.   

It was about 12:00 noon when we hit the water, and boy it was chilly.   We were only about a meter away from land but the water is already neck deep.  And the tour guide said the water can get really deep, so I didn't have the guts to go any farther.  I literally froze in my place, both from the chill and from fear.  But it was surely worth it.   The water left my hair really dry and sticky (I cannot even run my fingers through it).  There was no changing room as well, so we had to swim in our hiking attire. We managed to change to dry clothing in the crummy toilet.  Mind you, the toilet has no water, so you can just imagine the stench.  But we had no choice.  

All too soon, it was time to head back.  We didn't even have time to ride the kayak (P250/head) which I would have wanted to do.   Maybe some other time.   I wouldn't mind going back.  I would even like to do the longer trail (the 4-hour trail), and stay overnight in the site.   I think I've been hit by the trekking bug.  

But before I return, I have to make sure I have the proper climbing gear.   I don't have an all-terrain shoes so I only wore mojos (sandals).   I thought that mojos will do since I know this is the footwear of choice of UP Mountaineers and besides, I didn't want to buy shoes which I might end up using only once.   And what a poor decision that turned out to be.  My toes got a severe beating from the rocks and I now have unsightly sunburn marks on my feet.  

(Photo courtesy of angelescity.info.com)

Overall, it was an adventure worth taking.  We only paid P1000 per head for this trip (food included). The tour guides were very friendly and extremely helpful.  The experience definitely filled my soul.  It made me realize how something amazingly beautiful can be formed from a very horrific incident in the past.   That is very comforting to know.   It is an affirmation that all things happen for a good reason, no matter how unfortunate the incidences may be.   So for all the storms raging in our lives now, be comforted to know that at the appointed time, a calming peace will be formed.  

Super Bowl Ads

I was still having my hangover from the Australian Open when I learned that it was already the Super Bowl championships in the US.   Just to be clear, I don't understand a thing about football, and it does not particularly interest me either.  I just learned from the news that the Steelers won.  Heck, I don't even know where they are from. (It's Pittsburgh, I learned after a quick google search).

Anyway, the reason I am writing about Super Bowl is because of the ads.  Yes, those TV commercials that get their pilot telecast during the game.  

In case you do not know, the Super Bowl telecast often gets the highest viewership for any TV program for the year. Because of the large audience tuned to the boob tube (i.e., over 100 million americans), many companies are scrambling to get an advertising spot during the telecast, despite the obscenely high price tag (this year, a 30-second spot costs a whopping $3 million!). And when you have a massive audience, these companies and their advertising agencies have to be pretty darn sure that the commercials they broadcast are original and memorable, in order to get their message across.  But as in life, there are peaches and lemons.  There have been good ads and bad ads as well. 

Before I bore you to death with this super long introduction, I am now embedding herewith my 10 favorite Super Bowl commercials for 2009.

This monster.com ad is absolutely brilliant.  Love it. I can totally relate to it, and by that I mean being at the "wrong end" of the moose.

I like this one from careerbuilder.com too, but that part where a koala gets punched threw me off.  

I also like this one from Bridgestone.   Cute.

This one from Coke is cute too, much better than their Coke Avatar commercial.

Since I posted something from Coke, I gotta post one for Pepsi too.

Ooops, make that two for Pepsi.  This has a warm, good feeling about it.  I like this even if I am not a Bob Dylan fan, and Will.I.am for that matter.

From Taco Bell. Talk about fast.   Really fast, swell moves.   Haha, a little too fast, maybe.

This one from Doritos is good in the "mean, scheming" kind of way, just like me when I am wearing my "evil" hat. The "give daddy a kiss" ending seemed out of line though.

Jason Statham is the man! From Audi.

And because I "heart" Heroes the series, this one's on my list.