The Games Children Play

In one of my trips to Marawi, I came across this child pulling around a little toy truck.  The thing was moving steadily, its wheels rolling smoothly against the rocky pavement.  From far away I could see that it was gray, strangely shaped, and was tied at the front end with a length of straw.  The little girl ran around, with the pull toy trailing behind.  She finally ran towards me, and I finally saw the truck up close.  It was made from an empty container of what I think was either gasoline or motor oil, with a sturdy wooden stick piercing through from underneath it where the rubber wheels were attached.  When scrutinized, you'd see that the wheels were carved from heels of old rubber slippers.  Ingenious, I thought.

A Day in the Life of the Staff

Early in the morning the review center staff wake up and make sure the lecturer has taken her intended flight to make it early to the day's class.  They either fetch her at the airport, or wait for her at the site.  When she arrives, they carry her bags, lead her to the bathroom to get changed, take care of breakfast, and set up her laptop and the projector before the lecture begins.

The moment she starts it's minute after minute of either sitting down or doing paperwork.  They also make sure that the sound system is working right, that the microphones don't echo too much, and that the air conditioning keeps the room cool enough.  They should have had anticipated to ask her about food choices for the morning break, so that snacks would be ready by 10A.M.  And before she resumes the lecture, they should have already asked her about lunch.  The same thing happens during the afternoon break.  Dinner, however, is a different story.  When the lecture ends at around 5 P.M., there's fairly ample time to wait for supper.

If the lecturer has to be someplace else by the next day, they accompany her to the bus terminal and facilitate her trip either by riding with her, or simply coordinating with the next branch to make sure somebody meets her there when she arrives.

Today I had my very first chance to do staff duty.  The branch at our place was lacking manpower because some of them had to do marketing someplace else.  My boss called me up the night before and asked if I could fill in, and so I did.  It was also supposed to be a chance for me to sit in at the lecture - which was all about Community Health Nursing - as part of my training for the subject.  In the near future, I might get a chance to handle it.

Working on the other side of the ship made me realize a lot of things:  First, that staff work wasn't a piece of cake.  Just because they don't do the lectures doesn't mean they don't feel worn out at the end of the day.  Second, taking into consideration that some of the staff are also nurses brought to light the realization that somehow, the work that they do could also be seen as a form of underemployment.  It's not easy serving your fellow nurses in such a manner, but the task can still be gratifying depending on how you see it.  And last, aside from handling classes, I will definitely want to do more of this someday.

What to Pack to Keep Yourself Entertained on a Long Trip

Traveling with friends and family has its advantages – you can hardly get a spare moment of boredom. There is always room for conversation or just laughs. Traveling alone, however, often isolates you from the rest of the crowd unless you are truly socially adept at introducing yourself and mingling with strangers.

Being a solo traveler myself, here are a few things I always keep inside my backpack to keep boredom from crawling in:

An iPod, mp3 player, or any media device always comes in handy.  Listening to music can keep your thoughts running and speed up travel time.  Also, having earphones on keeps away unwanted advances and conversations from strangers.

A novel, pocketbook, or anything to read is always useful, especially when your iPod runs out of batteries.  If you enjoy literature and the written work, indulge yourself in a story and you’ll get caught up in no time. Some advice: Avoid reading while you’re on the bus or the train or any moving vehicle, specifically during road trips.  This may cause you unwanted headaches.

Crossword puzzles and the like are really good if you want some brain activity.  Sudoku would be a good idea, too. 

Laptops and such portable computers are extremely good boredom killers. However, bring them only if you necessarily have to – for instance, on business trips where you make corporate presentations – and not only for the purpose of entertaining yourself.  They are much too bulky and might bring you unwanted attention from muggers.

Food should never be taken out of the list. Finger foods are best when you are traveling.  High carbohydrates and proteins keep you energized for the rest of the trip.  Don’t forget to bring along some water, too.

Pen and paper are the ideal time killers for writers.  Scribble some poetry or a short story when you catch an inspiring scenery or something that interests you.  You could also keep a travelogue to document your journey.