Falling Into Place.

Last week, I had an indication that my dream job, though still a dream job, will not be one for much longer.

Yesterday was the deadline for submission of the documents required for processing my Canadian permanent residency visa. On the same day, I rescued two beautiful kittens and was able to convince the local animal shelter to accept them and take care of them, even though they've stopped accepting animals for adoption for some time now. An hour later, I met with my landlord (whom I have never met, since he lives in the States) who advised me that our go-between, the kind and elegant Ms. G, had passed the previous week. My landlord was a good friend of Ms. G., and she had been all praises about what an ideal tenant I was. He's a nice elderly man who asked after my cat, and told me to get another one once he found out that dear Crinkle had died last year. He also asked about my immigration plans and encouraged me to push through with them. Our contract stays; it's just that he would need to find a replacement for Ms. G. to handle my affairs while he's abroad.

Today, my sister asked me if she can have my treadmill -- in case I don't plan on selling it, or can't manage to sell it -- when I leave for Canada.

I think these are signs. I think I would need to let go of a lot -- people, stuff accumulated throughout the years. But after that, I think I can let loose and fly, and get to know new people, and get new stuff. I get to live a different life in a new city.

I cannot wait.

Getting Chicken Pox as an Adult.

This weekend is my first since I recovered from chicken pox. The varicella infection wasn't too bad -- I researched the disease and found out I needed to take medication within 24 hours of the outbreak so that's what I did.

I went to the Emergency Room on February 4 after work (around 9:30 pm -- had to talk to my team first) and got my prescription, then just had to endure the symptoms for the next two weeks.

My research online tells me the following:

• When are you contagious: first 2 days BEFORE the first pock shows up all the way until all the pocks dry up. It doesn't matter if the scabs haven't fallen off yet, you're good to go. Most people wait until the scabs fall off though because they look ghastly but note that you won't infect other people.
• What to do if you think you have chicken pox: see a doctor and make sure you take the medicine prescribed within 24 hours of the first symptoms (i.e., the horrid pocks). Classic medicine is usually Acyclovir though there are other alternatives now. I got Vacyclovir -- supposedly untested on kids. I took it twice a day for 5 days
• Over-The-Counter Medications: I was advised to take Loratadine, a non-drowsy antihistamine taken once a day for 7 days to help with the itching, and Paracetamol, in case I get fever. I read online that taking Aspirin during a varicella infection is dangerous because it might lead to a complication called Reye's Syndrome. I don't know what that is though. Of course, I also bought 3 bottles of calamine lotion as I didn't know how itchy I was gonna get.
• What I went through: There are other symptoms, but I'll list down what I had -- fever on the second night, abdominal pains for three days, and 37 pocks (the average outbreak is 200 to 250 pocks so I was pretty lucky; you get less than 50 if you take the medication in time). Most of the pocks were on my torso, under my armpits, slightly above my waist, some at my back, some on my legs, and several in my scalp -- none on my face, thank goodness, but I think I had one under my tongue. I accidentally popped one on my leg. You're not supposed to pop it because you may get a bacterial infection and it WILL leave a pockmark (like a small crater) on your skin so I cleaned it and put Betadine on it. I don't think I got a bacterial infection but the scar can't be helped. The pocks I had BEFORE I took Vacyclovir were noticeably bigger and had liquid in them compared to the ones I got AFTER I took the medicine. The others were just small red spots. I stopped getting new pocks on the fourth day and they started drying up and turning black on the fifth and sixth days. My skin was very sensitive from day 11 to 15, otherwise I was okay. I went back to work on day 14. It's now day 17 the scabs have all fallen off though the spots where they used to be are still slightly redder than the rest of me. I read somewhere I'm supposed to slather on sunscreen and stay away from the sun because my skin will be sensitive for a while but I do that normally anyway (I'm one of those who uses an umbrella on a sunny day) so no biggie.
• What I did (besides taking medication): I took showers twice a day to help with the itching, which was tolerable most times, but I hated having an itchy scalp. Good thing I had Clear Anti-Dandruff Shampoo with Cooling Menthol! Woohoo! I used mild soap on my body and dried myself off by patting my towel gently over my body -- no hard rubbing or I might break a pock. I had stopped using body lotion during the duration of the disease but on the 12th day I started putting lotion on my skin around the bigger pocks (which were drying up but still big and ugly) but I put them directly on the smaller ones (they looked like small black spots). It helped with itching as my skin wasn't as dry anymore.

So the Varicella virus now lies dormant in my body, to rise up again as Shingles (otherwise known as Herpes Zoster) if and when my immune system goes down. This just means I have to make sure to take care of my health.

Okay, gotta go now. Hope this post helps adults who get chicken pox. Note though that this is now a PREVENTABLE disease; it's not even a rite of passage for kids like it used to be. There is a vaccine for this. Ask your doctor about it.

Of Happily Ever Afters.

Yesterday I attended a wedding. The wedding was between an "ordinary" girl marrying into a more powerful and richer family. During the reception, there was a short video re-enactment about how the bride and groom met that kind of bothered me a bit.

I kind of didn't like how they portrayed the girl as someone who was "trapped" in her small town life. There were several shots of her high school, probably during a weekend as it looked abandoned. There were several shots of her sitting on the school steps looking forlorn. Then a close up of her clinging to IRON BARS looking lonely. Then cut to the groom driving in a BMW, with a background of Makati high-rises. A clip of her baking cookies as if she's working behind the counter in a cafe. Then a shot of her working in an office cubicle, the groom in his executive desk sending her a text message asking her to lunch. Then a close up of her smile once she receives his message.

She is from a Chinese family, like myself. She studied in a Chinese high school near where I studied high school. She also graduated from that exclusive school along Taft Avenue where a lot of Chinese end up studying. I don't know her that well but given that very basic information, I would say she's from a family who is comfortably well-off. Maybe something like my family. My parents certainly aren't millionaires, but we do okay.

In the video, they didn't show that she graduated from that exclusive Taft university. Also, as far as I know, she never worked as a store personnel -- she was always a head office worker. Were these omissions a deliberate attempt to make her seem like someone from a much lower class than the groom? It seemed so to me.

Yesterday, during the wedding and the reception, I see no trace of her family's heritage. Everything was about the groom. The wedding was organized by the groom's family, besides the bride's immediate family and her college and high school friends, all special guests acknowledged were all from the groom's side.

And one memory from the church haunts me that they actually included in the video shown during the reception. It was a short clip of the bride walking down the aisle, her expression a little teary -- probably very much affected by the surge of emotions she was feeling. Then a close up of the groom waiting for her at the end, mouthing the words "smile." And she smiles.

I know it's supposed to be a sweet moment, but it gave me a chill. It felt like he was telling her how to behave.

I have a vision of the girl being the perfect wife. She would put her career aside for him (already done). She would attend all the political and family functions his family tells her to (already happening), dress the way they all dress (wouldn't know; I don't know how she used to dress), talk the way they talk (already happening), sit where they tell her to sit (already happening), stand where they tell her to stand. In return, she would certainly never want for anything else in her whole life.

I sincerely hope she NEVER wants anything else in her whole life.