JANUARY 2007 - OF WORK, FRIENDS AND THE SPARKS OF THE NEW YEAR

It is almost nine months and the lazy bone did me in. I have not etched even a little bit. I have posted something about the declaration of independence last June but in reality that thing was just a copy paste affair. It does not have anything to do with my literary itch. I would have wanted to do a lot of writings for this blog but I just could not find the zest and vigor to do just that. But today I am confronted of a day in my life that made me stopped a bit – ponder and look into what had happened to me in the last nine months. I have been amiss of my blog and when I was writing the things that happened to me, streams of consciousness and memories of the months just come flowing in. I would like therefore to chronicle them to you as the months pass by. And here they are:

Upon Arrival:

After I have arrived in Kosrae, I just felt like I am not ready to do anything yet. But work was ready for me. Upon my arrival, I have to see patients referred to me at once. I did my own triaging. Which of these patients need attention first? Which of these patients need attention the least? The feeling of wariness and unreadiness started to wear off. I coasted along and got immersed with work. What is it that we get to do but to work and work and get numbed in the process? We may never want to get the melancholia that goes with the coming New Year most especially if you are leaving love ones behind. We really need to move on.

The Failure of Communication:

I was the most surprised when I got a visit in the house from “former” friends. I was glad they gave me a visit because it is about time to discuss issues that have not been elucidated upon. To put it succinctly, these used to be friends have been wondering why there was a sudden gap among us. I explained fully well and I thought they have understood what had transpired in the past. I told them that what happened in the past should be buried in the memory box and thus be part of an experience in learning. That as I have said to them, we really need to move forward and when confronted with the person of their concern, they should let bygones be bygones. The understanding was so clear and yet……….

It is such a pity that some people prefer to wallow in the dark recesses of their own suspicions – preferring to give their own versions of their own stories. Convoluted it may seem, they accept it as their own biblical truth. They prefer to believe the second hand stories that have undergone processing and details and truth have been mangled to suit the purveyor of bad tidings. Kosrae is such a small island. And the Filipino community is such a very small minority. And we expect that news caused by wagging tongues would reach the recipients of ill will. The intent has become poison and has clouded the judgment of both protagonist and antagonists carrying in the process other people.

The problem of a misunderstanding that stem from tittle-tattle of the great magnitude is that it gets to involve a lot of people in a manner of speaking. And these people have their own version of the truth. And the question now is? Who is telling the real truth?

I have been the center of brickbats of these couple. I was accused of ferreting out narratives that were allegedly not true. I feel exhausted by their implications. I feel betrayed of their friendship. And I feel insulted by their outright arrogance. But my take for this matter is that I will stand my ground. It is because I own the real story. I know the real truth will come out. (Which it did!!! This is another story anyway!!!)

On an Arriving Friend:

The arrival of Vannie in the island is a welcome respite. Vannie is my designer-dressmaker friend in the Philippines. He will be going to work with the Charley’s in their Malem Tailoring Shop. Although Vannie’s specialty is that of high fashion dresses, he is going to make a pitch for the local women’s clothes line here in Kosrae. Will he eventually adapt to the different fashion sense of the islanders? Well, let us see…….