It has been a whirlwind week of ACTION. It started with a late lunch with the Japanese participants followed by a crazy Monday concerning a hotel, a hostage situation and disgruntled classmate, a few days of being a host (a GRO if you will), studying for a Repro exam and topped off with a night at Villa Escudero and leaving my beloved camera at the bus.

I'm glad with the past week (removing the hostage fiasco that is) and though it left me failing to meet several deadlines, I did make some new friends who I hope I'll be able to keep in touch with.

And I'm seeing how a few days of being together can already foster tolerance of other people and their cultures.

It's only been a month and I think I have accomplished more that what I had done last year. What a crazy month August has been. Though we won't have foreigners this September, there will still be lots of events to organize. Another good things is that I can almost smell sem break. Which means, rest, rest and preparing for EAMSC!

I can't believe I'm still awake to study for an exam. So this is how LUIV turns out if you try to have extra-curricular activities. Curse you med school!

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You've heard about the bus, right?

So abortion has come up again in the consciousness of Philippine media. In one story, a counselor for women who attempted abortion explained that abortion should not happen because the woman will feel extreme guilt regarding the act. Immediately, a question popped in my head, why should she feel guilty about it? Guilt occurs when you commit an act the society deems as unethical. (And the flood gates open for the ethics of abortion.)
But it is sad that our society is a blaming society. One in which women who commit abortion are shunned when them getting pregnant and subsequently getting an abortion is not her entire fault. I am curious as to what methods do these counseling centers use to convince women to keep their pregnancy. I glean from the story that it uses a more religious approach of labels, blaming and fear rather than a more neutral non-blaming laying it all on the table.

Actually, it is weird to use the word counseling when you only offer one viable option. You're not counseling, you're brainwashing.

Am I seriously arguing for abortion? I don't know. Just rambling. I just can't get over the fact that legalizing abortion would make the number go down. And even better, would ensure that women would not die due to back alley procedures ranging from overdoses of Cytotec or pushing a wire up her vagina.

Meeting people from other countries is fun. Too bad it costs an arm and a limb and a whole lot of work to attend those conferences.

I still have a backlog of photos to edit and upload though.

And I have to learn a bit of Chinese for the next conference.

I skipped class again today. I do make sure that I can just read up on that class besides I'd probably not learn the things I learned in the seminar if I just stick to the med curriculum.

I did learn a lot of new things.

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How do you make people into advocates?

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Hot issues right now: Sex Ed, Divorce, Abortion

No, now is not the time to introduce a divorce or abortion law. Focus on the RH bill first. Although the number of induced abortions and deaths due to it is horrendous and warrants immediate action, changing the protocols and retraining the health care professionals would have to suffice for now. The Church is still too noisy.

The Indonesians are leaving tomorrow and as I attempt to return to some semblance of normalcy, the training which we've been organizing since last year rears its ugly head. Far from the 50 participants, we'll only have 24. No point in putting the blame on someone but these issues will definitely appear in our project report.

At least the next module looks more benign than the Cardio module. Unfortunately, I'll have three exams on the week of the training and I'm really worried that I won't be able to recruit volunteers from UP to help out in ACTION.

Again, why do I keep doing this to myself?

Assisting in AMSEP Philippines by being a guide of Indonesians.

Leading our research group and coordinating the logistics of everything.

Mabuti na lang mabilis ako magbasa. Hindi ko alam kung saan ako pupulutin kung hindi.

Been back in the Philippines since last night and jumped head on into the swamp of school work waiting for me. The conference was too packed for me to be able to blog properly.

I need to find some time to blog about my Jakarta experience.

In brief though, the hospital in Jakarta will not make many UPM people happy. It's very nice but the whole philosophy behind it is not acceptable. And my friends from other countries agree. cheers for socialist medicine!

I will have Jakarta part 2 this week since some Indonesians will be coming. I won't be a major host but will try to help out as much as I can.