In a span of two weeks, I shall be donning my newly-made intern’s uniform; but as of the moment, I am enjoying the slacker days of summer. Tomorrow in fact, I shall be on a beach trip with my family and Bee in Bolinao, Pangasinan. At the top of my list is to get a tan. Turns out that my sun exposure early this month in Pagudpud with my med school classmates was not enough to get me at least a shade darker than I originally am. So for the rest of tomorrow and on Sunday, I shall bask under the sun to welcome the cancer-inducing sun rays to get a tan. (of course with sunscreen!)
Anyway, I wanted to share with you this picture we took on our official last day of clerkship:
I look wasted but that was because I hardly had any sleep the previous night because we were toxic at the ER. So now, let’s compare it to the picture we took on our first day:
The one with the most drastic change? JC! Thanks to proper diet and regular games of basketball, he did not have to undergo any weight loss surgery to shed those extra pounds. Nice one. I am so happy for him. =) As for me, I lost weight over those months we slaved in the hospital. Tsk. Must gain more this summer!
No. Efren “Bata” Reyes did not bring home another billiard cup, but, a different Efren did. The Filipino “pushcart educator”, Efren “Kuya F!” Peñaflorida Jr. was recently awarded “CNN Hero of the Year” for 2009 for his advocacy to bring education to out-of-school youth in slum areas of Cavite. His heartwarming and tear-jerking story of how a once out-of-school youth himself fought poverty, illiteracy and the influence of the ills of the society struggled to bring education and health-awareness to children in slum areas inspired millions around the globe to vote for him to name him CNN Hero of the Year. Kuya F! was given a standing ovation while the song “Hero” by Mariah Carey played at the background at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood last November 21.
“Thank you. Our planet is filled with heroes: young and old, rich and poor, men, women of different colors, shapes and sizes. We are one great tapestry. Each person has a hidden hero within. You just have to look inside you and search him in your heart and be the hero to the next ones in need. So to each and every person inside this theater, to those watching at home: the hero in you is waiting to be unleashed. Serve. Serve well. Serve others above yourself and be happy to serve. As I aways tell my co-volunteers at Dynamic Teen Company at Club 8586 Inc.: You are the change that you dream as I am the change that I dream and collectively we are the change that this world needs to be. Mabuhay!” Kuya F! delivered his “thank you” speech in between pauses. Watch the announcement of winner below (courtesy of CNN.com.)
Congrats to Efren Peñaflorida Jr. and to all the unsung heroes of everyday life. Mabuhay! =)
