Torete by Moonstar88 (Piano Cover)

"Sandali na lang, maaari bang pagbigyan
Aalis na nga, maari bang hawakan ang iyong mga kamay
Sana ay maabot ang langit, ang iyong mga ngiti
Sana ay masilip..."

There's something about Original Pinoy Music that just hits closer to home. And although I loathe Regine Velasquez's vocal range (especially the higher ones that she keeps showing off) and repetitive ballads that the industry is so keen on producing, I am quite fond of local bands who write and perform their own music and don't feel compelled to put on inhuman high notes on their songs.

That said, Torete is a song about love that can't be expressed nor spoken about. The lyrics are vague at best but what I like about this song is it's simple melody and the chill out air it gives off. Since the song is best played using a guitar, I think it's quite interesting and fortunate that I was able to transfer those strums to the keyboard. I certainly did not expect to finish the whole thing.

I tried to stay faithful to the original tone of the song and didn't romanticize it with arpeggios and extra notes. I hope to be able to transcribe other songs as well, mostly singles which are not made for the piano. 

Sorry for the weird camera angle and static-y audio, I'll try to work those out with upcoming recordings. :)

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (Review)

The release of the 3rd installment of the fantastic The Hunger Games trilogy brought me back to my Deathly Hallows days where I even had the book pre-ordered in our local bookstore. The anticipation was almost tangible in the air and I must say I was really lucky to be able to acquire a copy so easily, without charge. :)

The beginning to about three-quarters of the book was pure brilliance. Again, as a Harry Potter fan, I am aware of the expectations and hype surrounding the last installment of a series. This book certainly did not disappoint. The plot was even reminiscent of Deathly Hallows as the author was not afraid to kill of major characters and and write surprising twists. I loved how the book isn't as black and white as it seemed. It was not the traditional good vs. evil. The shades of gray became more apparent and more interesting as I drank up every page and chapter.

I have this own criteria on what defines a good book and it is when I can read scenes where there is not much happening and yet they are as interesting as the action-packed ones. Like with Harry Potter, I am as contented reading chapters were Ron, Hermione and Harry are just hanging out at the common room as I am with duel scenes. As with The Hunger Games trilogy, the world just absorbs me and I relish every moment I spend in it.

The book was almost perfect if not for the last few chapters, unfortunately.

The ending was a little unsettling for me. I expected a strong climactic finale, probably where Katniss will be having her awaited for battle with President Snow or something similar, because the first two books were definitely building up to one. Instead, it was a disappointment for the action to end abruptly and then followed by chapters of gloom, depression and internal conflict. I mean, I know it's essential to character development but did it have to end so overcast and gray?

I also thought that, since this is a series finale and not just a simple ending of a novel, it was not wrapped up well. It was like the author was itching to end the book, so that she will not miss her deadline, that the entire relationship between three characters were resolved in just a couple of sentences. I didn't think it was fair to develop all these relationships throughout hundreds of pages and yet end/establish them without a proper scene or even a substantial dialogue between the characters. There was hardly any closure, hardly any sense that the these characters who have grown in us are well and is living happily ever after, like they should. I think this is one of the major disappointments of the book, if not the series.

Even with these drawbacks, I am still a fan of the series. I love how it portrays a strong female protagonist even though she kind of went loopy at the end. It was apparent that writing romantic scenes is not one of the author's strong points but her knack of conjuring up a magnificent post-apocalyptic world and orchestrating sudden turns and leaps within the plot makes up for it.

That said, I am waiting for this series to be the next Twilight Saga, especially with the movie coming up soon. At least, unlike Twilight, this is a hype I can definitely put up with.

Valentine By Jim Brickman (Piano)

A sort of memento for the first contemporary piece I've learned since I started my lessons more than 10 years ago. Valentine, composed by Jim Brickman and sung by Martina McBride, is melodic as it is romantic.

I used a music sheet I found in National Bookstore arranged by someone with Priscilla included in her name. Sorry, I cannot give complete credit as I have already lost the copy and was playing from memory. (The sheet music on the keyboard is a different piece.)

I've been meaning to record my piano pieces since forever and now that I have a decent digicam and some spare time on my hands I've actually managed to do just that. So expect more to come. :)

Open Letter to Those Who Failed the Nursing Board Exam

I may not know how you feel but I can empathize with the hundreds of thousands of exam takers who didn't see their names in the list of passers of this year's NLE. It's an endless cycle, twice a year thousands of new nurses rejoice, put RNs after their names and happily wait for their PRC cards while tens of thousands more cry and feel the bitter stab of jealousy and disappointment.

And I know from experience that it's not just personal disappointment that is so painful to endure. It's the expectations and hopes of people around us that can eat us up inside and make us feel utterly worthless. They've helped us get to where we are and offered us unending support. This is the only thing we can do to repay such debts and yet we cannot even manage to succeed in such a trivial task of passing an exam.

But things happen and they do for a reason. Remember, challenges come our way to be hurdled and defeated.

One thing I know is that passing or failing the board exam doesn't define who you are. The board exam is just a written test, designed to measure one's coginitive skills, guessing prowess and shading abilities. It doesn't asses one's nursing skills, how one deal with patients and colleagues and how one strives under pressure. It's a one sided exam, and failing it doesn't mean that you are good for nothing just because you weren't able to guess correctly the appropriate intervention for DOB.

Don't lose hope, don't surrender. Stand up and try to soar again. And if nursing isn't for you, then fine. Passing the exam isn't as hyped up to be anyways. If you think that the mere fact that you have a PRC license that says "Nurse" at the front will open up a world of opportunities and bring in endless flow of cash, then you're dead wrong. Thousands are still unemployed (including me) and half of the nursing population are at call centers answering call from strangers and/or contacting one to pitch in a product.

Nonetheless, it's great being a nurse. There can never be too much of people who are well-trained to care for the sick and the dying. It's a noble job, to have all the work yet little of the glory. The doctors come and go but we nurses are the ones who stay.

So if you really want to pursue the profession then stay. Stay motivated, stay strong and persevere. This is not the end of the world. There are unlimited number of chances you could take. That license could still be yours.

A failure is not always a mistake, it may simply be the best one can do under the circumstances. The real mistake is to stop trying.

B. F. Skinner

Nursing Shift Wars: 6-2 vs. 2-10 vs. 10-6

Morning Shift (6AM - 2PM)

• Must wake up at 4 in the morning. Ugh.
• No traffic to work. Yay.
• Feeling of being in one with the rest of the country's working class hours. Yay.
• Morning Care. Ugh.
• Change of linens. Ugh.
• Twice the meds. (OD meds are most commonly given at 8AM) Ugh/Yay depending on nurse's preferences on duty toxicity.
• Doctor's rounds, carry out orders. Ugh/Yay, still depends on RN's preference. More experience for students/trainees, more work for staff.
• OPD hours. Too many people in clinics. Ugh.
• Less visitors before lunch. Yay.
• High frequency of student nurses in wards doing Vital Signs. YAY.
• Humid trip back home. Ugh.
• Plenty of remaining hours after shift to do whatever. YAY.

Afternoon Shift (2PM - 10PM)

• Get to wake up late in the day, no sleep deprivation issues. Double Yay.
• Humid trip to work plus traffic. Ugh.
• More visitors in the afternoon. Ugh.
• Discharge papers, instructions, nagging relatives all in one shift. Ugh.
• Late night commute plus high chance of hold-upper being in the same jeep/bus/FX as you are. SCARY.
• Change clothes, sleep 'till whatever hour the next day. Heaven.

Evening Shift (10PM - 6AM)

• Cool and breezy commute to work. Yay.
• Calm and serene ward. Patients are asleep. Yay.
• Very few to no visitors. Yay.
• Night life is hospital life. Ugh.
• Inevitable retelling of hospital ghost stories. Scary.
• Probable actual ghost encounter. Scarier.
• Shift can feel like forever if the area is not busy.
• Staying up while the majority of people you know is asleep. Ugh.
• Sleeping in while the majority of people you know is hard at work. Yay.

 

Okay, so I'm biased. I'm a night person, I hate waking up early in the morning. I like my sleep long and uninterrupted by annoying alarm clocks. So, my verdict: Afternoon Shift 2am-10pm.

Yes, evil wallet/cellphone-taking people lurk during the wee hours of the night but from experience, commuting at 10PM isn't as scary as it seem. Plenty of people are still out and sometimes it's even hard getting a ride. Granted, this shift only works for people who live near the hospital they are working at. The best thing about it is (for me at least) that I've proven that this is a great weight loss shift as long as you sleep right after getting home. Lost a couple of pounds with no food restrictions after a week in this shift. All I can say is Major Major YAY.

Gelato Sunday

It's not Wordless Wednesday nor Food Friday but I can't help it! It just looks (and tastes) so good.

One More Chance (2007) Review

Cheers to my first Filipino movie review. Everyone knows I'm not fond of local movies, mainly because most of them share the same predictable plot line, generic eccentric characters and goofy sense of humor.  However, it turns out that once in a blue moon, the Philippine cinema can produce a top notch romantic comedy without the usual boy-meets-girl fluff we are all sick of.

It's a breath of fresh air that One More Chance centers around non-stereotypical characters who are neither abnormally wacky or depressingly serious. They are characters you can relate to battling conflicts that could happen to everyone. Maybe this is why this film is one of the best loved romantic movies of the generation. A lot of flicks have come and disappeared without a trace but this one managed to solidify its mark in the Philippine cinema.

Another thing I liked about this movie is that its plot did not follow the usual Pinoy routine of having the would-be couple take on 'hilarious' mini-fights before getting together, have this predicatable break-up in the middle of the movie and extravagant (read: unrealistic) proposals of undying love just before the credits roll. The story is original as it is lifelike and it did not need common shenanigans to appeal to the masses. The story and the characters are enough to hold the movie together and leave its impression on its audience.

All in all, although the film centers around a theme not considered as serious as poverty or drug addiction, I can honestly say that this movie is something the local community can be proud of and will be loved by many in the years to come.

Unfortunately, like all local movies, the trailer gives the ENTIRE plot away that you only have to watch the ending to know what happened. But for those who still want to watch the 1 hour and a half version and are looking for a link where they can watch the whole movie online, I've found what you are looking for.

http://www.pinoymoviexpress.net/2010/03/watch-one-more-chance-movie-online.html

Let the tears and tissues roll...