It's been a long time...

Hello blog!

Man, it has indeed been a long time since my last post. Well not really long. Meron yata ako nung November. Pero so much have occurred in between those months! Actually even before! Eto na naman ako, I can't relive them so much here in my writing that I'll end up listing them na lang! Dyahe. Anyway, here they are:

I was able to attend the National Training Course on Landslide Risk Management held at Baguio last October 17-19 but we were there on October 16. A total of four days at Baguio. And I got sent there because of work! Yey! Hehe. Astig yun e, yung you get to travel because of work... and it's for FREE! Oo, I want to travel to exotic places, pero iba yung pag libre at sagot lahat ng trabaho, hehe.

Wow...I'm really into research now...

When I was still an undergrad biochemistry student, I read in the book of Campbell (Biochemistry) an article where a woman scientist was interviewed. I forget who the scientist was, basta babae siya and she talked about her life as a scientist, how she was able to find her husband in the field of science too, how she took a leave from the academe because she was going to give birth (and she was trying to catch up with her ovaries this time, hehe.), etc. As I read it, she said there that what made her going every morning was:

the fact that there is something new to learn about your research...

the fact that when you wake up every morning you are excited to do your research because there is something new to discover...


Upon reading it, I said to myself, "nyek, hanep 'to ah, adik sa research. Hinid naman ata mangyayari sakin 'to...'sus research? Who da hell would get all fired up for research?"

And then it hit me...

Grabe...I really never thought that I would end up being an "adik" for research. There's this project where my bossing is the project leader. It's all about the sustainability of SOILS and SEDIMENTS in Metro Manila (can't put here the complete title eh, baka magka-isyu isyu pa, hehe. Isipin mo ha, SOILS! Huwaat?! Oo importante ang soil pero parang ang geeky pa pag pinag-aralan 'to! Hehe). I'm going to take part in this research project since I'm the URA of Dr. Sandra and I think this would be my thesis. Hwow, SOIL CHEMISTRY! Kaya nga ako umalis ng Chem kasi ayoko na ng chem! Waaa! Well I guess hinahabol na ko ng chem... Dati ako naghahabol sa kanya eh, haha! I just have to face it with open arms and a loving hug after that, haha! Huwaaat?!

Ako na 'tong naeexcite ngayon every morning to wake up and go to UP (take note sa UP! From Parañaque to UP everyday, back and forth...commute ha! Hindi kotse.) I felt the drive to go to UP and study and learn and absorb all the knowledge that I can to make me a competitive scientist of the future...CHARING! Haha! No, but seriously, I really felt this remarkable change in me...and I'm loving and enjoying every moment of it :)

I think I'm here to stay in this research caravan...:)

Ang pinagpaguran kong essay!

So just you know, ganito ang buhay sa MS... Walang tulugan... Hindi tulad ng undergrad... Etong essay na 'to solid pinagpaguran ko... research dun research dito, walang katapusang research! Nasiraan ata ako ng bait habang ginagawa ko 'to, haha. Enjoy!

Edna Patricia P. Mendoza
MS Environmental Science
2007-78411

A comparison of marine waters, fresh/terrestrial waters, and estuaries
The earth is an enormous ecosystem in which the living and nonliving worlds interact through four major subsystems: the atmosphere, hydrosphere, geosphere, and biosphere. In the hydrosphere where the planet’s waters are contained, three major types of water are connected and interact with each other: (1) the marine waters, (2) the freshwaters or terrestrial waters, and (3) the estuaries. They vary in their composition and their physical, chemical, and biological processes.
Marine Waters
Marine waters comprise the North and South Pacific, North and South Atlantic, Indian and Arctic Oceans, and the Antarctic waters or seas and covers 71% of the earth surface (See Table 1). The average salinity of seawater is 35 ppt where the dominant anion is chloride, 19 ppt by weight, and the dominant cation is sodium, 10.5 ppt by weight (Barnes & Hughes, 1982). Salinity is due to the gradual concentration of dissolved chemicals eroded from the Earth's crust and washed into the sea. Solid and gaseous ejections from volcanoes, suspended particles swept to the ocean from the land by onshore winds, and materials dissolved from sediments deposited on the ocean floor have also contributed to the salinity (Swenson, USGS).
The ocean floor is mostly covered with loose sediment from particles which settled down from higher regions. The sediments reach thicknesses of thousands of meters and the great pressure exerted by the weight of such masses of materials compresses the bottommost portion into sedimentary rock. The nature of the uppermost layer of benthic sediment will be determined by whether it is organic or inorganic in origin. The nature of the bottom will be affected (Reid & Wood, 1976) too, by the types of organisms of which it is composed.
Marine organisms that thrive in the ocean can be affected by some physical factors of the ocean such as tides, waves, circulation cells, and settling velocities. Tides have an effect on the shoreline species that have special adaptations to the semidiurnal changes in the environment. Organisms living here must be able to tolerate extended periods of immersion and exposure which can last for weeks or even months Waves affect marine organisms, both in the open ocean as well as near the shore, by alternately raising and lowering them. Waves are important primarily because (Reid & Wood, 1976) they circulate the upper layers of the water (mixing heat, dissolved nutrients, and oxygen), they cycle plankton in and out of the bright surface light, and they disperse the gametes and larval forms of many species. A circulation cell, a block of surface water where water cycles down and up beneath the surface, may affect marine organisms by changing its temperature while cycling and picking up nutrients and drifting organisms along the way; thus the rising current between cells is often cooler and richer in food than the surrounding water (Reid & Wood, 1976). Because of this, the distribution of autotrophic organisms in the surface layers may be affected. Settling velocity is the rate at which a particle settles toward the bottom of a body of water (Reid & Wood, 1976). They are important to the distribution of suspended particles and small organisms throughout marine waters.
Aside from physical factors, chemical and biological processes occurring in the oceans may affect marine organisms as well. Marine organisms can be categorized into two large groups (Barnes & Hughes, 1982) on whether they live in the water mass (pelagic) or in the bottom sediments or rock (benthic). A minor, third category is required for those who straddle the air-water interface (pleustic). Pelagic organisms occupy a large portion of the group and it includes the plankton and nekton. Plankton varies in sizes ranging from less than1μm in diameter to 0.5m (Table 2). Phytoplankton, with exception of the littoral zone, are the sole source of the food energy which fuels the entire oceanic food web (Barnes & Hughes, 1982). Phytoplankton utilize light to synthesize complex organic molecules by undergoing different processes; however, the most frequent process in the oceans as a whole (Barnes & Hughes, 1982) is the photosynthetic fixation of carbon by the phytoplanktonic protists using water as the hydrogen donor (Fig.1). Photosynthetic fixation is responsible for the primary generation of organic compounds in the sea. Clearly, therefore, all primary fixation of organic compound by photosynthetic organisms must be a phenomenon confined to the surface waters. There are factors limiting primary production. These are (Barnes & Hughes, 1982): (1) light, (2) turbulence, (3) nutrients, and (4) grazing. All can have an interruption on the magnitude of primary production.
Freshwater/Terrestrial Waters
Freshwaters, in layman’s term, are waters that have no salty taste. They are categorized into two: (1) lentic habitats, and (2) lotic habitats. Lentic habitats are “standing waters” or slow-moving waters such as lakes, ponds, swamps, and marshes; and lotic habitats are flowing-water habitats and are derived from the hydrologic cycle. Examples of lotic habitats are rivers, streams, brooks, groundwater, and channels of other sorts.
Swamps and marshes are relatively easy to distinguish from one another. The former are wet lowlands which support mosses and shrubs, together with relatively large trees such as cypress and gum while the latter are broad, treeless wetland areas, occupied by abundant grasses, rushes, and sedges (Reid and Wood, 1976). Neither of them is a completely aquatic habitat. They are also called “terrestrial” wetlands which are important to wildlife habitant because biogeochemical processes in wetland ecosystems are mediated by soils with low redox potentials (Class handouts). Net primary productivity in wetland ecosystems varies widely, depending upon nutrient supply (Brinson et al., 1981). Net primary production (NPP) is directly related to nutrient inputs in many swamp forests (Brown, 1981), and productivity is highest in wetlands that are seasonally dry, allowing for periods of rapid nutrient turnover when soils are exposed to oxygen.
Lakes and ponds are harder to distinguish from one another because neither term is necessarily restricted to any one kind of environment. They also usually change in character with the passage of time. For laymen and scientists alike, the term pond generally suggests a small, quiet body of water, shallow enough for rooted plants to grow from one shore to the other. For lakes, they are larger bodies of standing water and occupy distinctive basins. The shores and lake bottoms near shore of typical older lakes are composed of coarse gravel and rocks. Mud and fine materials occur in the deeper regions of the lakes and unconsolidated or soluble materials such as sands and limestone are rather quickly eroded to develop gently sloping lake shores of sand and near shore bottoms of fine sedimentary particles (Reid & Wood, 1976). The physical properties of water have a significant control on net primary productivity and nutrient cycling in lakes. Sunlight warms the surface waters, but light energy is rapidly appeased with depth. Since freshwater shows its greatest density at 4OC, stratification of water develops in deep lakes consisting of the epilimnion, warm surface waters; and hypolimnion, cooler, deep waters. During summer stratification, phytoplankton are confined to the surface layers that contain only a small portion of the total nutrient content of a lake (Class handouts). During these periods, NPP in the epilimnion depends on direct nutrient inputs to the surface waters (Schindler, 1978) and on nutrient regeneration in the epilimnion (Fee et al., 1994). Surface waters have high redox potential but low quantities of available nutrients are in the epilimnion as a result of rapid uptake by phytoplankton.
In terms of physical characteristics, fast-flowing streams differ from lakes in various ways as follows (Sigee, 2005): (a) the water body is transient (low retention time) at any particular site. It is also typically highly turbulent, with no thermal or chemical stratification. Both of these factors combine to limit the development of a planktonic community (phyto- and zooplantkton), which may be significant in larger rivers but does not normally make a major contribution to the stream community; (b) the substratum (bed) of streams is typically well aerated and exposed to light, and is the major site of algae and associated biota; (c) inflow from the catchment area is typically periodic, giving rise to marked fluctuations on water level and flow velocity (high and low flow periods). Concentrations of dissolved particulate matter, which are mainly derived from the catchment area, typically follow this periodicity in inflow. Because of this, stream ecosystems are dominated by benthic organisms. Some large rivers occupy an intermediated position between lotic and lentic environments, with limited movement of the water body, restriction of turbulence to the upper layers and sediments that are exposed to minimal water flow and are in permanent darkness (Sigee, 2005). In this situation, rivers may resemble lakes in showing chemical and thermal stratification and develop substantial phytoplankton and zooplankton.
Groundwater is the water contained in the rocks below the water table and usually is of more uniform volume than vadose water (water in the soil above the water table) (Reid & Wood, 1976). Many of the factors that influence the surface water composition also influence groundwater composition. Groundwater is always in contact with rocks and minerals and moves more slowly than surface water. Because of this, groundwater regularly contains more dissolved minerals than surface water. When water seeps below the surface, it passes through the soil where microbial respiration processes release CO2. As water encounters the CO2, the pH is lowered, and the water can dissolve more minerals. At higher temperatures, minerals dissolve more readily. Deep groundwater tends to be warmer and as a result, has higher mineral content. Ultimately, what controls the composition of groundwater is (waterencyclopedia.com): (1) the geologic materials groundwater is moving through; (2) the type of reactions taking place; and (3) the contact time, or length of time groundwater has been in contact with the rocks. The contact time may vary from a few days to more than 10,000 years. Knowledge of water–rock–organism reactions helps hydrologists unravel the origin of a specific water parcel. Carefully analyzing the water allows them to identify what types of reactions have affected the water, and to understand the geological and ecological history of the area.
Estuaries
At and near the region where the freshwater from the land meets the salt water of the sea, a distinct aquatic environment occurs – the estuary. It is defined (Dionne, 1963) as follows: an inlet of the sea reaching into a river valley as far as the upper limit of tidal rise, usually being divisible into three sectors: (a) a marine or lower estuary, in free connection with the open sea; (b) a middle estuary, subject to strong salt and freshwater mixing; and (c) an upper or fluvial estuary, characterized by fresh water but subject to daily tidal action. The estuary is an ecotone, a rather complex “buffer zone”, sharing some characteristics of both types of aquatic ecosystems, but identical to neither (Reid & Wood, 1976). It is an ephemeral feature in a long-term, geologic history and must be regarded as a dynamically evolving land-form that will go through a life cycle from valley creation (by fluvial or ice erosion), followed by the drowning phase (eustatic rise of sea level, with or without vertical crustal motion), and ending with the progressing infilling (mainly deltaic, but some offshore sedimentation, aided by eustatic drop with or without vertical crustal motion) (Fairbridge, 1961).
There are some physical, chemical, sedimentological, and biological features of the estuarine environment that are potentially important controls of the nutrients, dissolved gases, and the general biogeochemistry in estuaries. These controlling influences may be summarized as follows (Aston, 1978): (a) the tidal mixing of fresh and seawaters on a semi-diurnal or diurnal time scale, with corresponding changes in the volume of water in an estuary, produce temporal changes in the contributions of nutrients and dissolved gases from marine and fresh water sources; (b) the circulation, and especially the stratification of some estuaries, generates the possibility of vertical and horizontal variations of the concentrations of nutrients and dissolved gases within an estuary; (c) estuarine topography may give rise to particularly restricted calculations where the mixing of external seawater with the estuarine waters is greatly reduced, and the restricted mixing leads to unusual chemical environments; (d) the current regime on coastal waters and estuaries leads to the deposition of various types of sedimentary material. The deposition and resuspension of sediments in estuaries may influence the budgets of dissolved constituents in estuarine waters, including nutrients and gases; (e) chemical reactions occurring during the mixing of river water with seawater may lead to the removal or addition of the dissolved nutrients. Also, the changes in temperature and salinity during estuarine mixing influence the solubility of dissolved gases and thus influence their removal or addition in an estuary; and (f) biological production and metabolism have significant influences on the occurrence and distribution of nutrients and some gases, e.g. CO2 and O2 in estuarine waters. Estuaries are environments with special problems for biological organisms, so that there is a tendency to a decrease in species diversity in estuaries. This decrease does not, however, imply that productivity is low.

Phytoplanktons, like in marine and fresh waters, are present in estuaries too. They reside for a short period of time in estuaries usually coming from adjacent seas and rivers. Phytoplankton development in estuaries differs from that in coastal waters in that estuarine phytoplankton shows a continuous high productivity between spring and autumn, whereas coastal waters a spring peak is usually followed by a second peak in late summer (Riley, 1967; Cadee and Hegeman, 1974). Phytoplankton growth is one of the main biological processes affecting the chemistry of estuaries, since photosynthesis results in the decrease of the concentrations of CO2, SO­42-, NH3, NO3-, and silicate as well as the range of micronutrients. At the same time, O2 is increasing, often to supersaturation. At nighttime, these processes are reversed.
The main features of estuaries are not its biotic aspects but the chemistry and biogeochemistry of it. However, there are biotic transports in and out of estuaries. Many species of animals move actively between the sea and its adjacent estuaries and they have been reported to occur in seals, whales, fishes, crustaceans, mollusks, polychaetes, and other organisms. There are also animals migrating between estuaries and freshwaters, such as the anadromous fish (salmon, sturgeon, sea lamprey). They spawn in fresh water and live as adults in estuaries or in the sea (Wolff, 1973).

REFERENCES:

Barnes, R.S.K., and Hughes, R.N. 1982. An introduction to marine ecology. Blackwell Scientific
Publications, London

Class handouts, may be obtained from NIGS library at reserved section (I don’t know the title)

Drever, James I. 1997. The Geochemistry of Natural Waters: Surface and Groundwater
Environments 3rd ed. Prentice Hall, New Jersey

Olausson, E., and Cato, I. (editors) 1980. Chemistry and biogeochemistry of estuaries. John Wiley & Sons
Ltd., Brisbane

Reid, G.K., and Wood, R.D. 1976. Ecology of inland waters and estuaries 2nd ed. D. Van Nostrand
Company, New York

Sigee, D.C. 2005. Freshwater Microbiology. John Wiley & Sons Ltd., England.

Swenson, H. Why is the sea salty? http://www.palomar.edu/oceanography/salty_ocean.html

Hwow my first day as URA-1 at UP!

Hello dear blog!

Guess what, I'm here right now at UPD working as a University Research Associate - 1! Woohoo! Astig 'to! :D Can't wait to go on field works with Dr. Sandra! :D

Tama ba 'tong pinasukan ko?!

One of the reasons I took up MS Environmental Science is:

I want to escape the realm of chemistry and math.

Pucha, malaking pagkakamaliiii (To the tune of Ryan Cayabyab's song) As in solid. Well, hindi naman talaga siya "pagkakamali". It's more like mali siguro 'yung naging perception ko sa EnviSci. Iniisip ko it's all about the animals. Iniisip ko konti lang 'yung math niya. Oks lang ako sa chem kasi hindi naman supah dupah hardcore 'yung chem e. Pero kasi napag-aralan ko na kaya masasabi ko na oks lang sakin yung chem. But math? Omigas abelgas, eto na yung hardcore.

Our teacher said that Environmental Science is a difficult course since it encompasses a wide field of science disciplines. Na-realize ko, shet, oo nga. Bakit ko ba kasi naisip na puro hayop ang makakadeal ko sa EnviSci? Eh hindi naman pala! It's about encompassing everything in the environment--- the atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and geosphere. Isispin mo, lahat yan kelangan mong i-link! Pero naman kasi pwede kang kumuha ng specialization kaya oks lang din, hehe. You know like there are those days lang talaga that you would stop and think and reflect on what's going on with your life...

Tama ba talaga na nag-envi sci ako? I fear that I'm not cut out for this. Nakakaintimidate nga e. Actually minsan napapaisip ako habang naglalakad sa UP, kapag nakakasalubong ko mga UP students, nakaksalimuha ko orgmates ko, napapaisip ako ng, "shet men ang tatalino nilaaaa... Kung hindi sila nanggaling ng Pisay, e malamang nasa upper 10% sila ng graduating batch..." Hanep manindak e, haha! Minsan iniisip ko kung fit ba ako dito sa UP... Well in some aspects yes, but in some maybe no... Haaay...

Pero you know, right now my life is back in the right track. Dati talaga windang ako e! Remember my other blog, yung sabi kong nagka-anxiety attack ako? Grabe talaga yun, I was thinking of dropping everything, quitting pa nga e. But now oks na siya. I'm happy kasi tapos ko na lahat ng assignments, woohoo! I'm just praying na oks silang lahat! Hhuhu... Hindi ko keri kung babagsak ako! Ano ba yan... My grade should be above 2.0!

Hay pero I thank God tapos na ko, and He has given me strength to finish all my assignments. Hanep naman kasi sa UP, talagang sasagarin ka, as in sa dulo ng sem lahat ng tapusan. Hindi tulad sa DLSU, laging on your toes kasi mabilis talaga. Sa UP, petiks muna tapos cramming na sa dulo! haha. But it's good, ibang style naman, haha :)

Mga Kathang Isip ko... Part 3

Every time I try to open my blog and compose something, my mind just goes blank. Parang nauubusan ako ng sasabihin when in fact sa bawat segundo na ginawa ng Diyos, hindi ako tumigil sa pag-iisip. Pag-iisip ng gusto kong mangyari sa buhay. Ang dami kasi e. Iniisip ko rin kung paano malalampasan mga suliranin ko ngayon sa MS... pucha, nagka-anxiety attack ata ako nung isang araw. Sobrang nagpatong-patong talaga mga problema ko:

nawala ID ko
may findings sa urinalysis ko
ang bagal ng doktor dumating sa clinic
wala pa akong med certificate for employment
pumuntang Philcoa para kunin sweldo sa DPB
bumalik ng school sa ilalim ng init ng araw
meron pa akong take home exam
meron akong 4 chapters of loaded reading
3-page hardcore essay
journal critique
trabaho as GA sa NIGS
powerpoint presentation for journal critique
emotional problem sa lovelife (meron pala ako nito?)
kapaguran sa paglalakad sa napakalawak na paaralan
hinahabol ang pagsasara ng cashier at banko
AAAAAAA!!!

GRABEEEE!!! I was going to burst that day! People were saying, "edz ang sabog mo na, windang ka ba?" They just don't know what I was going through! I normally don't worry about these things pero grabe 'to, parang feeling ko ngayon lang ako nakaranas ng ganoong kasama na pakiramadam...

At buti na lang... nandyan si JWAN... haaay, thanks tae, astig ka. Dahil sayo napakalma mo pakiramdam ko. Thank you for answering your cellphone. Alam mo bang usually 'pag tumatawag ako sa mga tao, walang sumasagot. Good thing Jwan's always there to listen. Wala na rin si Lyka, masyadong malayo, long distance pa. Dehins na kaya ng plan ko i-cover yun, hehe. We talked and we talked. I narrated to her everything: my feelings that day, my worries, anxiety attack, pressured environment... And she gave me the best advice which, until today, lingers in my head:

Tsong, one step at a time lang... Kaya mo naman 'yan once inupuan mo 'yan isa-isa...

And true enough, after she said these words, I became calm and composed myself. I was on my way to the chapel when I called Jwan. I really needed God that time, hindi ko na alam gagawin ko. Tamang-tama, before I stepped in the chapel, Jwan answered the phone. Kinausap ko siya habang nakaupo ako sa damuhan sa labas ng chapel. It was a comforting moment. God's creations were relaxing me: the touch of cool, green grass, cool wind over my face, serene environment, relaxed atmosphere. It was as if all my worries vanished after entering the vicinity of the chapel.

God sent me friends so I can call on them when I need help or when I need to vent out my feelings. I'm so thankful for them. Inisip ko nga, kung may boyfriend kaya ako matatawagan ko siya ng parang ganito? Yung talagang dumadaing ng todo? Naisip ko parang hindi yata... Kaya oks pa rin kahit single, haha. (Parang may bitterness somewhere ah... hahah! Hende, wala 'no) Wala pang jumajackpot sa'kin eh, haha! Darating din yan at an unexpected time, at an unexpected place (by the time I'm 35 at nagreresearch sa Africa... hwaw ovaries ko wala na nun!)

Dear Lord, thank you for sending me such great friends. I love them all so much. Keep them always safe and always bless them with your infinite love. Thank you.

He's got me lovestoned... but I don't think he knows...

GRABE! There's this guy in school that I have a major crush on, as in solid! AAAAA! It's freaky but I like it, haha! Got that line from JT's new song, Lovestoned/I think that she knows...

PERO! Nakita ko na ang totoong siya, and I don't like it. It got me really turned off. Taray ng lalaking 'to, shet. Hindi namamansin! Ang yabang nga e. My feelings for him came as quickly as it left... Oh well, malas na lang niya... hahaha!

Marami pa naman... actually marami pa nga, hehe :)

Animal Chronicles: Marine and Terrestrial 4

Wahaha, I'm back posting my Animal Chronicles! Haaay, a lot have been going on with my pets, Midnight and Puss (in boots---a la Shrek yung tono) gave birth to 4 and 3 kittens respectively. Si Puss (in boots) mas unang nanganak, mga March yun e, tapos ang kukyut ng mga kuting niya! As in super! At first they were cuddled up in a corner under our water tanks. It was scary because the environment there was moist and little light would come in. But fortunately, after how many months, Puss (in boots) took the three cute kittens out of their lungga and put them in an accessible spot for us, which is sa likod-bahay namin. Grabe they were so cute! Two were white, and one was brown. The brown and white were males, the remaining white was a female. Edi ang lulusog nila diba, tapos etong si Midnight, nanganak din! Apat naman! Grabe it was a hayday for us and the cats! We had 11 cats! Wow! Ang saya!

Tapos, it was time for Midnight to get her kittens out of their lungga again and before we knew it, we had SEVEN cute and cuddly kittens! Nakakatuwa! Tambling sila nang tambling kasi mga naglalaro. Yung isang group naman, yung mga anak ni Midnight, e tulog nang tulog, mga kuting pa kasi. Tapos yung isa sa mga anak ni Puss (in boots), yung puti, nagbabadyang mamatay kasi pikit na yung mga mata niya gawa ng morning glory tapos ang lampayatot, hindi nagkakakain. So I decided to bring the kitty to the vet, hanep, first time ko, as in. For the past 17 years na nag-aalaga ng pusa, ngayon lang ako nagpa-vet (kawawa naman mga pusa ko, ahihi). Ayun, bumalik sigla! Sinaksakan ata ng United American Tiki-Tiki, pampalusong ng inyong kitty... Pucha, hanep sa kakornihan! Hahahaha!

And then the kitty was back to normal, ang saya! However, one of Midnight's kittens died, yung three colors. Two browns, one white, and one three colors kasi yung anak ni Midnight..:( mahina kasi talaga yun nung una, maliit kasi. Siya siguro yung pinakahuling nabuo. Kasi ang mga kuting, o ang mga pusa, pwedeng hindi lang iisa ang ama. Pwedeng maraming tomcats ang makabuntis sa kanila, multiple pregnancy ba. Hanep 'no? Sa tao rin kaya pwedeng maraming lalake ang makabuntis sa isang babae? Well, maraming POSSIBLE na makabuntis, and a woman can have a lot of sex partners, but it is not PROBABLE for a woman to become pregnant with different kinds of sperm coming from different males. Isang male lang, hindi tulad sa cats, different males, one female. Okay, back to topic. Ayun, namatay na nga yung isang kuting, edi anim na lang sila. Tapos after some time, napilay yung kuting na pina-vet namin. Ewan ko ba, parang hindi gumagana yung paa niya na yun. Right hind leg yung naapektuhan. So pag tumatakbo siya, dinadrag niya yung paa niya, ahhihih! Nakakatawa kasi pero at the same time nakakaawa, ahahah... Haha sorry ming...

Edi okay na sila diba, parang healthy healthy na... Tapos paglaon ng panahon, naging malnourished yung dalawang anak ni Puss (in boots), hindi yung pilay, yung dalawang healthy pa dapat. Ewan ko ba kung anong nangyari! Nagbabadya silang mamatay! Meanwhile, yung anak ni Midnight e malulusog naman. Pero, I've decided to bring the kittens to the vet, all six of them. The vet found out they have ring worm and another type of worm that feeds on the flora of the intestines, kumbaga eto yung bad worm. Yung ring worm kasi, they feed on what the cat is eating. May kasosyo baga yung pusa kung kumain. Tapos pinrescribe sakin ng vet yung isang gamot na mapakla for the cats and a certain powdered milk. Ihahalo ko raw yung gamot sa milk para hindi mag-slaver ang mga pusa. So sige, I force-fed them when I arrived home tapos pucha, naglaway nga ang mga pusa! I was not able to give them the right dosage of medicine. Hala, ayun, bale wala yung gamot. But for the milk, finoforce-feed ko sila, ayaw kasi rin nila nung powdered milk e, jologs ata kasi, dapat fresh milk. Anyway, talagang napakapayat na nung dalawang kuting! Nakaktakot!

Tapos nung isang araw, nagulat na lang ako nang makita ko na KINAIN NI PUSS (IN BOOTS) YUNG ANAK NIYA! Yikes! As in! Wala na yung two front legs! Grabe! Kasi hindi na maliit yung kuting e, medyo malaki na. Tapos makikita mo na yung ribs and heart! Eeek! Meron pa nga akong picture e, ang morbid naman diba kung ilalagay ko pa rito… Grabe kakagulat. Anyway, hindi na kami nag-wallow pa masyado sa pagkamatay kasi kung hindi pa namin itapon yung pusa (talagang itapon e ‘no, hindi man lang ilibing, haha!) e lalangawin pa yun at magiging unpleasant smelling yung place diba. Kinain pa naman niya malapit sa tulugan nung mga kuting, nyek. So nilagay namin yung kuting sa supot tapos initsa namin sa bakanteng lote sa kanto. Na-realize ko nga dapat hindi ko na nilagay sa supot kasi mabubulok yung pusa, e yung supot hindi, nyay. Ayun, edi anim na lang yung mga kuting. Tapos after a week, nagbadyang mamatay yung brown! Grabe! As in nakahandusay na siya dun sa lapag, tirik ang mga mata, pero humihinga pa rin!

Ang tigas ng kuting na ‘to. Finorce-feed ko siya pero it can only do so much, hindi na hihigit pa yung inooffer niya na benefits like nourishment. Edi hinayaan ko na lang siya dun, in case baka mamya hindi na siya humihinga. Aba! Nung gabi humihinga pa rin! Ang lakas ng will to live niya, as in super! Tapos nung gabi, umulan! Binaha yung mga kuting tapos syempre inelevate ko yung mga buhay pang kuting. Hinayaan ko lang si brown dun, grabe ang sama ko nga e, pero kasi naman, hindi na talaga siya tumatayo, nakahiga na lang siya. Ayun, binaha na lang siya dun. Edi morning came the next day… Guess what… buhay pa si brown! As in major humihinga pa siya and if you agitate him, he will make a meow sound! Naghintay-hintay pa ko ng hanggang late morning… Hindi ko na talaga kinaya, kasi pagbalik ko sa kanya, his feces was out and he micturated already. I decided to load him onto the dust pan, even though he was still breathing and jerking (remnants probably of his sparking nerves), went to the vacant lot, and with one swoop, ayun, umitsa siya dun sa madamong part ng lote. Lumilipad siya nung initsa ko, ahihi. Nakakatawa kasing tingnan na lumilipad siya e. Parang zoom! Grabe ang morbid ko… Hinde! Natatawa lang ako, that’s all. Pero in fairness, sobrang elib ako dun sa will to live ng kuting na yun. It was as if he really wanted to hold on to his life, only I realized it a tad too late. Nakikita ko na parang he was trying to fight whatever illness or disease he had, gusto pa niyang mabuhay. Eto naman ako, nag-euthanasia. I put my kitten’s life in my own hands… Pucha, nakaka-guilty.

On to the pilay kitten. After 2 weeks, namatay na rin siya. Weird thing is, malusog pa siya, kumakain, tumatakbo. I realized maybe he was lonely. Even if there were other kittens, hindi nga lang niya ka-age, they were younger, my paralyzed kitten was sad. Hindi siya nakikijoin sa mga kuting. He was always cuddled up to his mother, Puss (in boots). Eto yung example ng mahina na will to live. You may still be alive but life to you is nothing but a complete...uhm... NOTHINGNESS... You don't have a purpose to exist... Ang saklap 'no?

It's like when you wake up everyday, do your morning routine, do what you do every single day, and at the end of it all, wala lang, hindi mo siya inenjoy... Ayun... Yung tipong wala lang... Ang baduy 'no? So baduy pala yung pusa ko? Ahehe hindi naman... Kawawa lang talaga siya. He have seen his brother and sister die unmercifully. His sister was eaten, the other one was thrown away, even if it was still alive. Haay, buhay nga naman ng mga pusa.

Eto, mukhang nagbabadya na naman yung isa naming kuting... waaaa...

Abangan ang mga susunod na kabanata...

Utilizing The Secret... First Step

When I watched The Secret, a video which tells how to use and utilize "The Secret", in order to be put in a certain state of happiness, one must write down what s/he is happy about. You must be full of gratitude towards life and be in tune with the universe. And one of the secret to be happy is to be in constant happiness with your surroundings. I'll start off by writing down things I am happy/grateful about:

• I am grateful about having a loving and wonderful family. That I grew up in an environment where my father and mother is a faithful husband/wife, have no vices, always there for their children, totally funny, and a source of inspiration. My brothers too are great! I love them all so very much... :)

• I was born into a family who’s not filthy rich, but not staggeringly poor. My brothers and I had our education at DLSU, and now I am studying as a FULL-TIME student (hindi ako nagtatrabaho, woohoo! Iskolar ng magulang!) at UPD.

• I wake up in the morning feeling refreshed because I have slept in a queen-sized bed with a lot of pillows; I know that I won't be bothered by the evening's or morning's heat because of lack of ventilation; I can roll and spread my arms and legs on the bed knowing that I am alone on my bed and don't share it with anyone else.

• I may not be provided constantly by the things I WANT but I am blessed and abundant with the things I NEED like food (eating more than 3x a day), good shelter (a big stone house, not just some shanty), quality clothing, potable water, access to clean and sanitized toilet and bath, having a household helper to do the chores (which makes my life easier after meals since I don't have to wash the dishes or clean the kitchen or even cook), transportation (I may not drive but my father and brothers are willing to take us places), a nice village where the people interact cloesly with each other (not some snobby village where people don't give a damn about their neighbors), cute household pets, the list goes on...

• I am able to do the things I desire, like climb mountains, play sports, dance like there's no tomorrow, because I was born complete--- with arms, legs, eyesight, everything. I don't have any defects on me. I thank God and I am grateful that I was born healthy and normal; I did not lack any chromosome in my genes. I remembered I sprained my ankle from climbing Pico de Loro; I couldn't do any normal movement and I had to be assisted by a walker/cane. It was a big hindrance for my work and for my daily activities. That incident made me appreciate more the value of health, and it made me humble in a way because there are people who are afflicted with several kinds of illnesses. I am thankful I am not.

• I am thankful that I live in a country which is so naturally diversed and beautiful, and the temperature is warm. Although it is littered with grossly corrupt officials of the government, the Philippines someday would be a famous destination because of the future effects of global warming. I have watched last night on NGC that the world would experience again an "ice age" where temperatures would drastically decrease. The parts of the world that would be most affected would be Britain and the US. So you see, this would be a hayday for the tropical countries, and the Philppines would be a part of that. And did you know, that THE BIGGEST GOLD DEPOSIT IN THE WORLD IS IN MINDANAO? My professor in Envi Sci told us that the CIA has mapped out the world where the biggest mineral deposits are using remote sensing techniques (malamang satellite 'yung ginamit). I believe him because not only is he a PhD and teaches at UP, I've seen his credentials and man, Big time prof 'to. And also, the Philippines is the CENTER OF CENTER MARINE SHORE FISH BIODIVERSITY proclaimed by Dr. Kent Carpenter of WCU! Woohoo san ka pa?! Maganda talaga dito sa Pilipinas. Leche lang talaga ang mga KORUPT na opisyal.

• Even if I don't have everything, even if I see people who are far richer than us, far more beautiful than I, have accomplished more than I, have more friends than I, I am HAPPY AND CONTENT WITH WHAT I HAVE. I desire and want more, but the secret is to be happy and content with what you have and everything that you desire and want would come to you. When you want something, everything in the universe conspires to help you achieve it.---Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist.

• I know the list goes on but I think one of my gifts in life is that I am able to see the beauty in all things. I am optimistic and always hopeful. I am fervent and persevering. I have a fighting spirit. I can easily detect even the minutest blessing.
  

And for this, I live a life full of happiness and contentment. And for this, I thank God... :)

This is me in my happiest state!

After a long break from posting... I'm baaack!!!

Ang dami nang nangyari sa buhay ko since my last post... As in they were a bit life-changing 'ika nga. Oh well, as my good friend, Lyka, said, "Past is not present." Haha how profound! (Lyka I miss you!) Let me see, in the past two-and-a-half months, I have learned to or have accomplished the following:

play mahjong,
went to Pagudpud,
work in an HR environment,
watched the latest flicks,
have two dance recitals (one for pole dancing and one for latin jazz),
bought 3 Levi's jeans (woohoo my favorite jeans ever!),
take care of 7 cute and cuddly kittens,
party with Chris, Grace, and Inca at WTC for Ministry of Sound party,
passed at UPD for MS Environmental Science...

Hmm... Not bad in 2.5 months! Hehe. Alam ko marami-rami pa kong nagawa e, nalimutan ko lang. I'm happy that I have done all these activities, ang saya. It made me realize that I was living my life to the fullest everytime and I see the beauty in everything that I do. I just hope and pray that things would continue to flow smoothly in my life. Haaay... Well blog, as soon as my laboratory and classroom woes start, I would be writing to you soon, hehe. As of now I'm loving my subjects pa. I haven't seen the wrath of the professors yet, haha!

More Scuba pics!!! :)

SCUBA DIVING!!! :)

It was my first time to go scuba diving today! Grabe ang saya at ang sarap ng feeling! It was like being in another world under the sea. The corals were magnificent, the fishes were marvelous, the life under the sea was throbbing with such diversity and beauty!

It all started when the diving group, Ed Garcia, sisters Ava and Pam Mercado, Patricke Rivera, Mike Ajero, Edeline Ang, and me met up at Shell Magallanes at 6am. Ingua unfortunately woke up late and was not able to join the trip. Iniwan na lang namin siya tuloy, ehehe...(sorry Ingua...) We then sped off to Anilao, but dropped by Cuenca market to eat and meet up with my good friend Jwan Solis, then proceeded to the parking lot of Portulano Dive Resort where we chartered a bangka and sailed to the resort. Below is an attached pic of us girls waiting at Cuenca market, at the bangka, and at Portulano jump-off:






Well, as you can see on the look of our faces that we were all excited! Tagal ko na rin kasi hindi nakapag-beach kaya talagang excited ako! When we reached Portulano dive resort, it was very nice and cozy. It was perfect for small diving groups to come and converge at the place. It was homey, relaxing, and beautiful at the same time. If you wish to virtually check out the place, visit their website at www.portulano.com. After arriving, we put our bags in our rooms and put on our bathing suits. The group was lectured by Dr. Eric and sir Ed. Below are the pics attached during our lecture. As you see, the second photo is Dr. Eric Punzalan showing us his underwater pressure and air supply gauge in hot pink, hehe:

Syempre pagkatapos ng lecture, edi excited na kaming mag-dive! Sino ba naman hindi mas maeexcite sa actual kesa sa mga theoretical? Anyway, tinuro na samin yung basic, mga equipment, diving techniques, state of mind mo dapat when underwater, and of course, yung pinakaimportant na nantutunan ko, "what you can do on the surface, you can also do underwater." and, "the only way that you can breathe, is through your regulator and your mouth. Never through your nose." Edi syempre handang handa na kami! We gathered the equipment, and started assembling them. Then everyone went into the water with full gear: Wet suit, booties, and diving mask, mamya yung flippers na kay sakit sa paa. Below were the pictures:

We trained in the saltwater pool provided by the resort. It was only 9ft. deep but when I reached the bottom and knelt, the pressure on my ears were great. It was painful in the beginning but then the instructors taught us how to equalize the pressure by closing your nose and exhaling through it so that the pressure on you eustachian tube would equalize with the pressure under water. Next was of course, after eating lunch and resting a bit, was the open water dive. Eto talaga, e the real thing na. I realized it was a whole lot different than training in the pool! Bukod sa mas malalim therefore masakit sa tenga, e yung merong current kaya sa ilalim medyo magssway ka. Also, I was strapped with 12lbs. of lead weight! Floater kasi ako kaya kelangan talaga mabigat. Ang hirap lumubog ha! Ako, si Ava, Pam, and Pat were all floaters! Kaya by the time na paubos na yung air sa tank, e malapit na lang kami lahat sa surface! Ano ba yan, para san pa yung scuba gear namin, edi sana nagsnorkel nalang kami, haha! :) Kahit naka-deflate na yung Buoyancy Control Device (BCD) namin, e wala, nasa surface pa rin kami. We dived to a depth of 15ft. Bagay para sa beginners kasi even if you go up and down the surface, okay lang, wala masyadong pressure on the body. Below are the underwater pictures taken by our master photographer (charing!) Mike Ajero (he uses Casio Exilim and Canon EOS DSLR):

Parang octopus ako dun sa first pic! Haha! Ang dami kasing tubes e! Next picture was a Christmas tree worm. When you touch it, it zooms back in its hole. Yung picture ng maraming fishy, e feeding frenzy yan, haha! I don't know if the last pic is a blue-lipped clam. I think the color comes from algae present on the lip which feeds on the passing organisms found in the sea. I forget the name of those small creatures... it's not plankton e... or is it? Next pictures are from the re-surfacing stage:

First pic was me and and Eds, second is Ava in her neon pink mala-bioman pink5 wet suit, her sister Pam, and me. Sayang, wala pa yung pic na naka-wet suit kaming lahat e, astig yun. Mukha kaming mga power rangers! Haha. Ang saya talaga, sobrang ibang klase yung fulfillment and yung feeling... I hope I can go back and do this again... Below is my midnight pic by the pool:

Well, eto na ang katapusan ng aking scuba blog, hehe. But I do hope makapag-scuba pa uli ako... Until next time...

p.s. visit mikeajero.blogspot.com for more scuba pics

My Second 10k Marathon

Whoo! After weeks of training, running around the village park, and covering at least 5k per run, I beat my old record of 1h36m for a 10k run. New record: 1h2m! Yahoo! Thanks to Vladi, I was able to take part in the 3rd International Marathon for the Pasig River. Almost 9,000 participants joined in, and I am happy to say that I am one of the 9,000, hehe.

The terrain of The Fort Global City was a bit difficult, compared with Roxas Boulevard's 10k route. Some of the roads slanted inward, like that of a NASCAR route but not that exaggerated. Inclined surfaces were sporadically appearing and since the road was slanted, the pressure on my other leg was greater, therefore, it got tired earlier.

I met my friend, RC, and his friend, Ben. In the beginning, we were still running together until they got faster and I became slower, hehe. I also saw Pia Cayetano, the senator who ran the 10k race. She was fast and wore pink cycling shorts and a printed pink sleeveless top. Haha, I really wrote down the details! :)

I was so happy when I finished the marathon because I didn't stop running until the end. I did not walk (what our varsity coach taught us to do while running) and I continued to jog even the race was wearing me out a bit. Ang saya talaga and it made me feel fulfilled and satisfied! My craving for running in a marathon after a long time was now satiated, finally.

What was even better, my parents were so supportive! They even dropped me off at the race and waited for me to finish! Grabe saya talaga nun :) I'm so proud in having them both as my parents :)

Sana makatakbo uli ako sa mga marathon. A runner told me that Pia Cayetan was setting up an all-women race come March. However, I haven't found any schedule on the internet yet. Another awaited marathon is the New Balance Power Race (yehees shoes ko 'to! The best shoes for running! :) ). Kelan kaya 'to? I can't wait!

My new love song...

Heck it's Valentine's Day! I did not post this song intentionally for vday... Nagkataon lang na ngayon ko lang talaga pinost, hehe. To all of the couples out there celebrating Vday07, and to those who share vday with family, friends, and with thyself (as in my case), have a Merry Valentine's Day today! :)

Let's go to the park
I wanna kiss u underneath the stars
Maybe we'll go too far
We just don't care
We just don't care
We just don't care

U know I love u when u loving me
Sometimes it's better when it's publicly
I'm not ashamed I don't care who sees
Just hugging & kissing our love exhibition all

We rendezvous out on the fire escape
I like to set up an alarm today
The love emergency don't make me wait
Just follow I'll lead u
I urgently need you

Let's go to the park
I wanna kiss u underneath the stars
Maybe we'll go too far
We just don't care
We just don't care
We just don't

Let's make love, let's go somewhere they might discover us
Let's get lost in lies
We just don't care
We just don't care
We just don't care

I see u closing down the restaurant
Let's sneak and do it when your boss is gone
Everybody's leaving we'll have some fun
Or maybe it's wrong but u turn me on
Ooh, we'll take a visit to your Mama's house
Creep to the bedroom while your Mama's out
Maybe she will hear it when we scream and shout
And we will keep it rocking until she comes knocking

Let's go to the park
I wanna kiss u underneath the stars
Maybe we'll go too far
We just don't care
We just don't care
We just don't

Let's make love, let's go somewhere they might discover us.
Let's get lost in lies
We just don't care
We just don't care
We just don't care

If we keep up on this fooling around
We'll be the talk of the town
I'll tell the world I'm in love any time
Let's open up the blinds cause we really don't mind

Ooh I don't care about the priority
Let's break the rules and ignore society
Maybe our neighbor like to spy too
So what if they watch when we do what we do

Oh, let's go to the park
I wanna kiss u underneath the stars
Maybe we'll go too far
We just don't care
We just don't care
We just don't

Let's make love, let's go somewhere they might discover us...

Song performed by John Legend
Title: P.D.A.
Taken from: lyricsmania.com

Mga Kathang-Isip Ko... Part 2 (Tricycle Chronicles)

Everytime I go home from the office and ride a tricycle, I am very much amused watching tricycles get ahead of each other in a lane where only two cars can be accommodated. (See this feat live at BF President's Ave!) Nagkakarerahan pa ang mga trike na yan ha! Hahah! As in feel na feel pa nila... Yung tipong gitgitan pa sila tapos magoovertakean... Haha! Eto pa yung malala: Kapag yung nangunguna sa long line of cars e dalawang tricycle na nagkkwentuhan yung mga tricycle driver, hahaha! One time, nakakita ako, dalawang tricycle nagkakarerahan, sakay ang limang pasahero, each! E kasi dun sa isa, may nakasakay na medyo chubby, o sige fine, may nakasakay na hebigat. Tapos dun sa isa, puro lalake yung nakasakay! Edi contest ngayon sila kung sino mauuna dun sa regular route nila, haha! Tapos habang nagddrive sila, nagtittinginan yung mga driver tapos tumatawa! Hahah! It is truly a sight to behold! Nakakaaliw!

More Kathang-Isip ko to come... Maybe even more tricycle chronicles... Haha!

Mga Kathang-Isip Ko... Part 1

Malamang Part 1 'to diba, kasi syempre, life goes on... Alanganamang tumigil lang ako rito, hehe. Para sa mga ganito ang blog---documentation purposes of one's life.

Hello! My name is Edz Mendoza. I am 21 years old, but I feel I am still 20. When I wrote this entry on paper with my left hand even though I am right-handed, I accidentally wrote: I am 20 years old. Haha! I graduated from DLSU-Manila, with a degree in BS Biochemistry. I am currently pursuing, correction, I would like to pursue a Master's Degree in Environmental Science in a University abroad. There's this course that interested me from Macquarie University in Australia: MS in Wildlife Conservation. Wow. It was as if this course was made for me (duh it was not made for you, it was made for the animals!). Sorry for that interjection, it was my pilosopong part of the brain. How I wish I can study abroad. I need to take the TOEFL first and next the GRE. To hell with the GRE Subject test! There's no way I am ever going to take that--- that is if I'm going to pursue chemistry. Yes, Chemistry is great, and I can see myself in that field too but no, I am not going to take it. Because I can see myself with the animals... You know... taking up Animal Care... (Wtf?! Animal Keyr?! Haha! That's not even a course!) My mind is fighting between Envi Sci or Vet Med... And the moment I said to my mater that I was interested in taking up Vet Med, her face got contorted and said, "Ano, magvevet med ka? Anong mapapala mo roon?" Haha! And when I saw the course offerings, they have courses in swine and poultry management. I thought to myself, "
Ayos 'to ah, pwede na ako magnegosyo ng farm... Babuyan tsaka manukan..." Hahaha! But then everytime I watch Animal Planet and see those veterinarians work wonders for the animals, I want to be like them too! The veterinarians, not the animals. In the beginning I should have entered Vet Med instead of taking up biochem. But then I realized having a good BS background, either Engineering, Science, or Computer Science, is a big factor in determining your job right after graduation.

So much for Part 1...

My Last Climb... Part 2

Thank goodness after a long break from blogging, I am back baby! Well, I did not take a break really, it just took me a long time to access the website due to the earthquake in Taiwan. Now, as I am writing this blog entry, it's already February 8! Wtf?! Where have I been all this time?!

Ngayon ang hirap na tuloy i-recall lahat ng nangyari nung Tarak ridge climb ko... Pero hindi... Matatandaan ko yan! Teka ha... tick tock tick tock... Syet ang korni nung tick tock tick tock! Haha! Eto na, newscaster mode:

What I am about to post below are my pictures taken from Nova Nina Lontok, current president of DLSU Outdoor Club, which depicts the pristine Papaya river (though no papaya trees ever exist there) and the kahalayan pictures we took of ourselves. The water at the Papaya river is crystal clear and so cool. It refreshes a person's body, after grueling hours of climbing. I took a bath in my bikini, since this was my last climb. Wala nang hiya-hiya noh! I don't have boobs naman kaya hindi malaswa tingnan yung hitsura ko, wahehe. We were able to reach the peak at around 9am, way out of our schedule which was 8am. The ridge was breathtaking! As you can see from the pictures of my entry, My Last Climb Part 1.

Sobrang lakas ng hangin! (I think I mentioned this already) But all those hair-whoosh experience was so worth it! Heck, wala pa akong alam na mas gaganda pa sa Tarak. Although my friends from Metropolitan Mountaineering Society (MMS), Emma and Kieth, say that it's better at Mt. Daguldol (which hopefully I can climb this weekend). Mas maganda pa raw ang ridge dun... Well, I hope I can come. Anyway, here are the second batch of pictures from my Tarak climb. Enjoy!!!


Posing mo Edz! Haha! Ano kaya ang nasa dako roon?

Eto pa! Ano ba yan?!

Kitang-kita rito ang kagandahan ng Pilipinas...