Kicking Off The New Year in Cintai

Staying true to my "bakasyon grande before residency" motto, I kicked off the new year with a trip to the hidden paradise of Cintai Corito's Garden in Batangas. I've been meaning to go there for a while but there has been many setbacks and this time I won't let even the cold weather stop me. Haha.

Cintai Corito's Garden is a Balinese inspired resort and farm located in Balete, Batangas. It's a refreshing concept, actually. It's the only place that I know of which showcases Balinese art and architecture. Cintai is an Indonesian word for "love". The back story of this place is also nice because this place is made with love out of love. Check out this excerpt from their site:

The Garden started out as an ordinary private family rest house that the family visited every weekend. In 2005 however, their mother Corito was diagnosed with a terminal disease. To help her recuperate from treatment, the family often brought her to the garden because the place made her relax and temporarily forget her sickness. Two years later, Corito finally succumbed to her illness. Her husband together with his 4 children then decided to focus all their efforts into making the garden a paradise since she loved the place so much. They wanted the beautiful memories they shared there to live on thus the creation of Cintai…love for their mother and love for his wife.

Just look at the magnificent design of this place: 

My mom, my brother and I took the day trip. We left Laguna at around 6:30am and arrived at Cintai at around 8am, just in time for check in. It was freezing cold so we didn't get to swim. Anyway, mommy and I took the liberty to explore the property. We were left in awe at how the designs were made intricately, down to the last detail.

The place is well taken cared of. The facilities are very clean, especially the shower rooms and the changing rooms. I was delighted to see that the shower rooms are very clean and spacious. Muy bien! 

As for the food, it was good although I was a bit surprised because we were served Filipino food. Being an Indonesian themed property, I was expecting Indonesian dishes to be served. But that's fine with me. The food does not disappoint because it was really good. The chicken tinola is divine and the servings are huge so that's enough to keep everyone filled.

I'm also happy with the efficient service of the staff. Everyone greets you with a smile and is so courteous enough that it makes you feel at home. I would definitely come back to this place.

Pardon my photos for I am still too lazy to edit it. Hehe.

For those interested, Cintai Corito’s Garden is located at Sitio Pandayan, Malabanan Balete, Batangas. We got there using this neat map I got off the Cintai Facebook page

For more information, you can visit their website at coritosgarden.com or you can contact them at +639178331508.

It's That Time Of The Year

*insert warm and fuzzy feelings here* :)

One Loud Roar

Since I have been "thinking about the future" so much in the past few months, it's only now that I decided to write about the awesome Board Ops done by the San Beda College of Medicine Alumni. The Board Ops is the brainchild of the late Father Manny Basil Apostol, OSB, who has been a staunch supporter of the College of Medicine since time immemorial. He patterned it after the Bar Ops of the College of Law wherein we will have our own study room complete with food, coffee, tea, computers with question banks, etc. Unfortunately, Father Basil died right in the middle of this project and it was up to our alumni to carry out the plan.

Despite the so-called delay (that I didn't even feel at all), it has worked out really well for us. They've done an excellent job in providing us a study room complete with computers, coffee and tea, water and sodas, couch, and food. All you have to do is to study and they will provide you with your needs.

Le study room

Sir Albert setting up the computers 

Day 1 supplies. As the days passed, we had different selections available.
Some of us also brought snacks for sharing.

Happy campers :)

We had food delivered to us from AM snacks to dinner. Most of the time, it comes with free hugs from our favorite people in the Med Office. Whew! Hugs for support, you guys!

Packed lunch from Dom Felipe Cafe

My PM merienda sometime in August

Catered lunch buffet on a Saturday y'all!

And for the pièce de résistance, our friends from the alumni association arranged a special review with our professors. That really helped us a lot because it cleared up a lot of concepts that we are still having trouble with.

The Surgery Trio: Drs Kho, Aleta and Domingo
Laugh trip while learning :)

It doesn't stop there because it gets better and better. The entire College of Medicine is involved in it, hence the name: The Red Army. And one of the students made an emblem with the words "One Loud Roar". 

A few days before the exam, we had a send off mass and a small gathering wherein we were given pencils and a St Benedict's medal that were blessed by the monks. During the exams, we received a wake up call from the board ops volunteers on the first day of exams if we choose to be woken up. We also had a bus service going to and from MLQU. What I love about the Board Ops is a section near the gate that I'd like to call the "Lion's Den". It's where we pick up our food and drinks and get to rant about how annoyingly difficult the exam was then end up getting words of support, encouragement and wisdom. And by the way, the board ops also provided light breakfast, snacks and lunch. Talk about service deluxe!

God bless you more, good people! :)

On the last day of the exams, we also had a thanksgiving mass inside the monastery chapel. It's a place that is reserved for the monks but we were fortunate enough to be invited inside.

With friends

Until the end of the board exam, they've organized an after party for us. Although the board ops have ended, it was a new beginning for all of us because we became good friends with our upperclassmen. We came in as a bunch of kids who were fresh off internship but came out as licensed doctors. Not only that, this is marks the beginning of a new tradition in the San Beda College of Medicine that is further strengthened by camaraderie, loyalty and friendship. As we are very thankful for this board ops, our batch pledged to help the next year's board ops to make it even better for the February and August 2015 board exam takers. 

Bedan MDs of 2013 and 2014

That in all things, God may be glorified!

Some photos courtesy of Roaring Pride 2013 Viber groups, Red Army Facebook Page, and Dra. Princess Tabangin.

Take Me Away!

If you know me personally, you would know of my neurotic dream of travelling, specifically through backpacking. Ever since the end of clerkship, that was what I wanted to do but then I have no funds and my dear old overprotective dad wouldn't allow me to go on that trip, hence the lack of funds. Internship is a different story because I have to study ASAP for the board exams. Sadface.

Now that I have means to save up for this, I got this habit of reading about the countries I want to visit. Since I'm a noob at this, I will take baby steps by deciding to head out to Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam in one go. You might say that I'm a little too weird by not taking baby steps in my home country. I have thought of that as well but I think this will be my big leap from "parasitic extended adolescent" to a "working extended adolescent". Hahaha. Baby steps to backpacking but a big leap from being parasitic to independence. Seems legit. If you still don't get it, just read on Erik Erikson's developmental tasks so you'll know that I mean. 

Anyway, I'm feeling a bit proud of myself now that I've figured out the Bangkok - Siem Reap - Phnom Penh - Ho Chi Minh City route overland by bus. But I'm still thinking of including Hanoi, Vietnam (for Ha Long Bay), and Luang Prabang and Vientiane in Laos so that I can close the Indochina loop in one go. Medyo malupit pang research ang gagawin ko if I'll include Laos.

Photos from Conde Nast Traveller

And then again shet lang ang biyahe by train and bus, okay. Here's what I found out:

1. Ho Chi Minh to Hanoi - ~30hrs by train

2. Hanoi to Luang Prabang, Laos - >24hrs by bus

3. Luang Prabang to Vientiane - >10hrs by bus but the road is located in between steep cliffs plus the kaskasero drivers. I don't want to die! Lels.

Flying is the best option since I'm pressed for time but it'll leave a huge dent in my pocket. I could just set another journey naman starting at Bangkok - Vientiane - Luang Prabang - Hanoi.

Whatevs. Ipon muna ako. I have to make this happen because this is one thing that I want to do before starting residency training next year.

Post Boards Feelscapade

Mapping out my life plans is something that I do spontaneously whenever I am halfway through reading...a textbook. That's how much of a scumbag my brain is. And the latest scumbag attack was a few weeks back when I was reviewing for the entrance exam of a residency program that I was trying to get into.

During med school, I was all set to go straight to residency right after the board exams. Now that I came to that point, that is what I tried to do because that was how I envisioned my life after the exam. But as I was reading from my textbook, I kept on thinking about doing other things that I haven't done during med school (read: go to places I've never been to). It bugged me a lot because I just realized that I even after the board exam, I couldn't do that again since I'd be going to residency training.

It came to the point that as I was reading my textbook in that coffee shop beside the hotel in Adriatico, tears would roll down my cheeks. I knew it. I'm not happy with my choice because it reflected on everything I did. Think of it as me pressing the self-destruct button. That's how bad it went. I've been way too distracted to even pay enough attention to what I really needed because of the goal of going straight to residency is what I thought I wanted.

Choosing to take the year off has been one of the most challenging decision that I ever made. Not to mention, it's also the best decision that I ever made. I didn't mind the naysayers because they don't know how it feels like to go through somehing that you are not emotionally ready for. Going through something that you didn't feel ready for feels like I'm waking up for nothing, awaiting to be sucked into a vortex of emptiness only to be spat out, then taken in again. It's a vicious cycle that drains your mind and spirit.

Now I'm happier because I can practice medicine and at the same time I get to do the things that I've always wanted to do. Not only that I got to think about how I really wanted to train in a surgical specialty. I also felt a sense of independence because I made a choice albeit a different one from what I originally intended to do. And I don't feel any remorse even if the present is what I didn't expect it would turn out to be.

Moral of the story is that it is only YOU who knows what's best. Sometimes, it is only right to give yourself some love after all the hardwork that you've been through.

Damn these feels! 😱