My new all-time favorite cinematic scene comes from the Academy Award-winning genre-bending movie dissecting nihilism, absurdism, and existentialism in the setting of a multi-verse. The scene was purely brilliant and genius, it was Absurd! (Of course the entire movie is extremely masterful deserving of an Oscar Best Picture!)
The Rock Scene featured two boulders in a parallel universe where no life could form. Imagine pitching this idea to the would-be producers and saying, “In this sequence, two rocks engage in subtitled conversation for a whole two minutes. Yup, that’s it.” GENIUS.
Lately, life in Residency has been extra exhausting. Being a senior with added responsibilities and commitments on top of the workload and research requirements has been overwhelming and draining. I often find myself wishing I turn into a Rock.
So my leave couldn’t come at a better timing. This month, I had the privilege of taking time off work, and spending it in ways that allowed me to be Human.
Soon, I’ll have to get back to doing “everything, everywhere, all at once”, but for now I take the remaining hours, minutes, and seconds I have to Process the moments I am grateful to have had.
Part 1: Everything
The entire month wasn’t particularly reserved for play. In fact, a majority of it was spent fulfilling tasks that come with senior year plus plus. I presented our Grand Audit,
Organized a 2-part Evidence-Based Medicine Workshop
Was OIC for 2 days:
And in between arranged schedules, wrote papers, and attempted to be productive while balancing it with self-care activities (ie, sunset walks and coffee runs)
I guess my greatest takeaway from this is that it is entirely possible to live a life where work and rest can coincide – where we are able to pour without emptying the proverbial cup. The daily grind at work disillusions the best of us. Most of the time my Idealism gets the best of me, but still I continue to dream of a reality where work-life balance is normalized, where doctors are allowed to be Humans. There is a lot of work to be done in this aspect, but it is a noble and worthwhile undertaking.
Part 2: Everywhere
This break I get to spend in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao!
I get to spend time with amazing company!
I started reading Ryan Holiday’s the Obstacle is the Way, which in practice translated into turning a 6-hour delayed flight (The Obstacle) into a Search for the (Second HAHA) Best Cebu Lechon (The Way)
Balik daw kami next time for The Top One hahaha
Our gastrocnemius had the full work-out as we climbed 700++ steps
but as a reward, we get to enjoy this amazing view:
We also get to swim in crystal clear waters:
Coron was breathtakingly beautiful! I remember having the same feeling of awe when I first laid eyes on our majestic Mayon Volcano on a trip to Legazpi. It felt like I entered a postcard scene, like I was back in picturesque Batanes
We are blessed to be living in such a beautiful country! I know I’m not the most adventurous person out there, but I look forward to exploring the Philippines’ beautiful destinations!
And the best part is getting to spend time with Mama and Papa! (even if it means having to eat gulay hahaha)
Kabahan na ang #KathNiel at #LizQuen sa #TonStella HAHAHA
Part 3: All At Once
This month allowed me to find that blissful balance between work and rest. I was able to accomplish tasks without the added physical exhaustion from a duty, or the emotional, mental, and psychological toil that comes with having a patient die under my care. But I think, the best thing I did this break is to set aside time to meet People and engage in honest, deep, and vulnerable conversations with them. As a Type A/Virgo/Enneagram 1 rolled in one TM, I have a separate planner to organize meet-up with friends. That way, I can mindfully and intentionally allow for quality interaction.
It baffles me every time I recognize how lucky I am to be existing in the way that I do, blessed with Friends and Family whose lives intersected with mine by some mixture of miracle and favorable statistical probability
The first two days of April I spent with this amazing company! Because Cess and Don know me too well, they organized a staycation in Makati incorporating lots of nap time in the itinerary! (Hi Kel!)
They also bribed me with coffee. Ika nga nila, Knowing is Loving.
Belatedly realized I didn’t take a photo of us in my favorite (secret) Japanese restaurant, so this Chickenjoy breakfast will do:
Ambilis ng mga pangyayari with my favorite people with the kindest hearts:
featuring Ena Wong teaching Joyce to be #Palaban HAHAHAHA
my seniors/mentor-mate Ates/co-Titas rolled in one:
This #StepUp2018 #Kakayanin2019 #Eventually2020 #Kaligayahan2021 #Aynako2022 (haha sabi namin #BreakingThrough2022) #BeHappy2023 Human I will keep on coming up yearly hashtags with forever ( #Japan2024 na lang no) HAHAHA
The regular Moiza stakeholders meeting featuring the multiple ways one can say “Ayoko Na” HAHA
This PBB Housemate who really is the toxic Catcher between the two of us:
These soup-loving seniors:
This “random assortment” of bowling-playing pediatricians (HAHAHA wow), miss you AQ!!!!
This Balikbayan I toured around PGH featuring Rem in his maroon scrubs!
The random Rob encounters leading to Kiddie Meals for Kids at Heart:
This Stellar co-marupok (Hi Shai and Nik we missed you!) taking me to the best coffee places in our City!
As a bonus, here is a true to life anecdote that is such a Maryan story:
Thea got me two red candles (HAHAHA kay #Lovelife2023 daw lagi). After lighting our candles and while praying, a soft wind blew towards our direction putting off the light on the red candles while all the other colored candles maintained their flames. HAHAHA salamat po sa sign, Lord.
After sharing experiences like first year first-blood January NICU, The Legendary 23-mortality PICU month, and a Kinder CPU month with Ate AJ, we get to Escape PGH and share happy memories in Coron!
where I also got to meet Ate Tin! 🥰
and we all didn’t want to go back to Manila! HAHA
After surviving (10 plus plus) years of my signature Maryan Taray Moments, I am proud to update that the three of us are still friends HAHAHA
and as another MeMaryan anecdote, while we were walking in the mall, Sammy saw a common friend so she remarked, “Best friend ko yan si [redacted]” to which I said, “Excuse me?!?” so she had to retract and say, “Ay, friend ko yan si [redacted]” HAHAHA Sorry, you get to keep this clingy brat forever!!!!
Got to go home to this bunch that always forgets to take complete family photos (Hi Kuya and Jan!)
featuring spa day of the Tiongson girls:
Plus all the moments my camera did not take photos of, but my brain saved in its core memory – in an airport, on a rooftop, in my favorite Diner.
With everything I had been given, and everyone I am lucky to have met, I can only ever be grateful for every moment, every conversation, every interaction I had the privilege to experience.
Residency, and Medical Training, really, are not easy endeavors. It’s so easy to get fed up with a problematic system we feel powerless against. Waymond had a wonderful strategy in EEAAO that is pretty much applicable in Life:
“When I choose to see the good side of things, I’m not being naive. It is strategic and necessary. It’s how I’ve learned to survive through everything.”
I still have 8 months left in Residency. That’s still a lot of sweat, thousands of steps, liters of tears, and plenty of problems to be facing. But there is Great Comfort in understanding that I’m not doing any of that alone.
Knowing this with crystal-clear Certainty is Enough.
xxx
medschool panacea 