My Address is Earth: The PHA Adventure

PHA is Philippine Hospital association.

I haven't been to this convention before. And this time, it will be held at SM SMX beside Mall of Asia.

Although, I've been to the Philippine Pediatric Convention to what feels like a hundred times already. But seriously, I couldn't possibly have gone a hundred times...that's like I'll be more than a hundred years old already. I just think I'm going too often.

Vlad and the hospital director needed to attend it. It's a Department of Health requirement for hospital licensing. So, this is super important, at least for the hospital.

Our entire family tagged along. The kids want to watch "Catching Fire" on it's opening day. And I want to go shopping.(Hey, next month is christmas time already! Early bird catches the sale) Yey!

We were booked at Midas Hotel. It was near the convention site. Our excitement was slightly dampen when we learned that there was no pool. It's a major children disappointment. But hey, our room soap is labelled Bvulgari...hahaha...

The following day was convention day for vlad, movies for the kids and well ,i was suppose to go shopping, but the director asked me if I could help her buy things for the hospital. There was a long list of shopping list that must be bought at the convention site including patient gowns, eye sheet, bunch of stethoscopes, blood pressure apparatus, pulse oximeter, otoscopes, disposable probes, infrared non contact thermometer and the list goes on and on.

Vlad went to the registration area. (The hospital pre registered vlad as a delegate, leaving the director and I without IDs.) The director and I tagged along while he was standing in line for the registration. But when they instructed him to register in some other part of the site, we said we'll just shop along on this area of the convention site. There were guards checking for convention delegate IDs (meaning you can't enter the convention shopping area without ID,darn....)

While the guard was not looking, the director whispered silently "gen, let's go" . I followed her as she made her way past the guard and then disappeared into the crowd of doctors buying their stuffs for their hospital. The guard caught me and asked me where my ID is. I did not answer and pretended not to hear him. I went along swiftly and followed the director where she went . I disappeared into the crowd as well.

I think I was blushing while making my way into the crowd. I haven't been to a convention that a guard stopped me to ask where my ID was nor was there ever a time when I could not produce one. I think I'm having palpitations too. My heart was beating so loud I could hear it in my ears.

We were looking for our "suki" or the shop where we frequently buy from and that also gives us a good discount.

The director was enumerating was she needed and the seller was asking what colors she needed. The two were absorbed in the exchanges they were having. I was standing in front of the stall next to the director and I was thinking what the sizes of scrub suits would fit my kids and what color they wanted.

An old woman,no, an old distinguished lady stood beside me. She was wearing formal filipiniana clothes. She was saying something about a list or something. I think she is going to confront us for not having IDs. I can feel her aura waves reaching me. Or is that my heartbeat?

"Excuse me!" she said. There was authority by the way she said the words. She was facing the director while speaking. But everybody was too busy, there were flocks of doctors gathering on this shop perhaps they have a lot of suki. "Excuse me" she said again. Still, nobody was hearing her or nobody was listening; there were multiple simultaneous transactions being made.

I was looking at this old lady using my peripheral vision and keeping my ears keen on what she's going to say next. The director and I might just be sent out of the booths even before we were able to pay for the things we got. (We haven't got ID's, oh my goooddd!)

"Gen, there is no green colored mayo cover. Is blue okay?" the director asked me. I was startled, I was waiting for the next move of the old distinguished lady. "Blue's okay." I said. There was uncertainty in my voice.

"Excuse me" she said earnestly. But still no replies. Then ,finally, perhaps for standing there so long, she said " how much are these?" as she held a pair of scrub suits size small. All the sellers looked at her direction and answered in unison.

There was a young man standing beside her who answered too. "What sizes and colors do you need, doctora?" asked the young man.

( I wanted to add ... doctora if you do not ask for a receipt they will give you an additional 50 pesos discount!)

I think when she saw everybody was busy doing their businesses, or better yet nobody was minding her at all, she forgone busting those without ID's. hooray.

Later that day, an influx of people without ID's came rushing in during lunch time. I guess the director and I were a bit early for those without IDs.

It was half past one when our shopping for the hospital was finally over. We had lunch with the children at a nearby mall at yakimix a japanese buffet restaurant. Everybody was starving , so everybody was excited to dine in.

At quarter to two in the afternoon, that's 5 minutes after we sat down, a waitress approached me. She informed me that all the food on the buffet table will be taken away at exactly 2:15pm. (wtf!!!)

I wanted to be mad. But what the heck, i wanted to eat lunch too. We ate lunch quickly.

It was already late when we got back from the convention and from malling.

In the morning, just before checkout, I called up house keeping if we could have a one soap and shampoo. I wanted them for souvenirs. Secret. I haven't got any soap labelled bvlgari yet.

The doorbell rang and and the house keeper came with a pack of shampoo, soap, conditioner, lotion, body wash and something else.. I insisted that I only wanted the soap and shampoo but the housekeeper said they came together ,so, I just said thank you.

I thought I got bvlgari soap, but when I looked at them, they we're labelled crabtree and evelyn. (who the hell is evelyn who likes trees with crabs?, evelyn could have liked fruit trees or flower trees,but, no, she liked crabtree.)

Bye.

And incidentally,did i mention evelyn is also the name of my mother in law☺♥☺♥

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