Mga Istoryang Sinauna: Oink, Oink, Oink

From Jumanji. Thank you!

As I've mentioned many times in the past, I grew up in a farm -- you know, with cows, pigs, rabbits, chickens, numerous dogs, a cat that kept on returning to our house despite my parents' best efforts to get rid of it. My parents used to raise pigs for slaughter. What a tragic life for those pigs, right? Well, those pigs supported my education. *Hats off to you, dear piggies.*

Anyway, at the close of the high school freshman year, I got chicken pox. It was awful, not only because of the terrible, terrible itchiness and scars it brought, but also because I transmitted it to everybody in the family. By the time I got well, Madear and Fadear were in their heights (or depths?) of the illness and had severe rashes all over, so I was tasked to care for the dear piggies. If memory serves, there were ten -- five on each pen.

They were a cute, yet very rowdy lot. Come feeding time, nag-uunahan sila sa food. Mga dayukyok. I bathe them after feeding, and one time, while showering them using a water hose, I turned my back to them and next thing I knew, my shorts were down the floor. WHAT. THE. EFF? Apparently, one of the darn pigs bit and pulled my shorts down. I SWEAR, each and every one of those pigs were LAUGHING at me.

Here's my final word on the matter: Ang sarap ng bacon!

Mga Istoryang Sinauna: Schadenfreude

Ilang taon na pala since I passed my physical therapy board. That was in, oh, never mind na lang -- magkakabukingan pa na thandercat na ako. Naalala ko lang kasi around the first week of August ang examinations and not even a week later, lumabas na ang result.

I have one bad memory of the examinations. On the last day, half day lang ang exam, and around noon, on my way out of UE, where the exams were held, nasalubong ko yung isang volunteer physical therapist sa isang military clinic where I was assigned for a month. I don't know why sabay kaming nag-take ng board exam eh ahead sya sa akin a year or two. Full disclosure: For some reason or another, medyo contentious ang relationship ng batch namin with her, and she didn't go with us sa grand duty. ["Grand duty" refers to a celebratory out-of-town trip or merely eating out together at the end of the month of internship.] Enjoy kaya ng grand duty namin -- sa La Union, free food and accommodation!!! Four days kaming nagbabad sa beach. Di ako nakilala ng parents ko pag-uwi ko kasi ngipin at mata lang ang maputi sa sa mukha ko.

Anyway, here's the verbatim exchange when we saw each other after the exam:

TPS: [cheerily, akala ko naman kasi wala na syang sama ng loob sa amin] Hi, Ma'am! Sabay pala tayo nag-test. Kamusta test mo?
Volunteer: Okay lang.
TPS: I hope pumasa TAYO.
Volunteer: Okay lang sa aking bumagsak sa test BASTA BAGSAK KA RIN.
[WTF, right?!]
TPS: Okay lang sa aking pumasa ka BASTA PASADO AKO.

Come Thursday, both our wishes were only half-fulfilled.

Schadenfreude.
 
Sorry, I'm all too human.