paalam

Parang kailan lang ay inaabangan ko ang paglipat ng headquarters na ito at maging dalawang kalye lang ang pagitan sa aming bahay. Matagal ko na kasing pinapangarap na mapabilang sa brigadang ito, yun nga lang may kalayuan at hindi daanin ang luma nitong lugar. At nalipat na nga sa malapit samin, ngunit dahil ako'y nasa kolehiyo pa ay pinigilan ko ang aking damdamin at inilaan muna ang oras sa pag-aaral (ows?). Sa ilang pagkakataon ay nakikigulo din ako dito; nakiki usyoso, nakikipag kwentuhan tungkol sa sunog at nakikinuod ng TV kapag wala nang mapag kwentuhan. Minsan nakikigamit din ako ng radyo para makasali sa ilang NetCall.

Makalipas ang ilang taon ay naging karaniwang tanawin na lang sakin ang headquarters na ito; siguro'y kusang isinantabi ang bugso ng damdamin at naging parte na lang ng nakaraan ang lumang pangarap. Hanggang bigla na lang ulit itong nabuhay at bigla ko na lang naalala ang dating isinantabi. At ganun na nga, nagsimula na ang aking pagsasanay at nagsimula na din ang bagong takbo ng aking mga gawain: excited kapag gabi dahil baka may sunog; kapag nakadinig ng sirena ay agad dumudungaw o kaya naman ay nagbubukas ng radio o nagte-text para magtanong kung san ang sunog; natutong tumambay sa kalsada katabi ang fire truck; tumakbo na bitbit ang PPE para habulin ang fire truck; sumabit sa tumatakbong truck at; magpa cute habang nasa ibabaw ng fire truck. May nadagdag din sa aking termilohiya na dating sa silid aralan ko lang ginagamit o nababasa ko lang sa aklat: kupling, ppe, scba,psi, nozzle, flushing, flashover, back draft, task force alpha-bravo-...., 10-codes, paggamit ng numero bilang panghalip panao sa mga miyembro ng brigada at kung anu-ano pa. Masaya ang samahan sa brigada kasama na din ang ilang hindi pagkakaunawan sa pananaw at sa gustong channel sa TV (buti na lang at dalawa ang tv at dalwang channel lang ang pinag aawayan). Bukod pa sa food trip (balot, *.silog, chicharon, footlong, champorado, lugaw, pansit, at mga pagkaing galing sa kung sino man ang may handaan) at DVD marathon (mapa-series man o collection ng kung sinong lumang artista, documentary o kahit love story pa) na gawain ng lahat ay may sarili akong kinawiwilihan kapag nasa headquarters at ito ay ang mag online. Nakakasagap kasi ang headqua (nga pala ang headquarters ay tinatawag din naming hq o mas madalas headqua) ng hot spot mula sa hindi malamang mapagbigay na nilalang. Kaya't dinadala ko ang aking ThinkPad kapag duty ko at nagliliwaliw sa cyberspace sa forum, social network at blogs kahit na nag aabang ng sunog (syempre kapag dala ko ThinkPad wish ko walang sunog hehehehe). At syempre hindi mawawala ang chat na kadalasan ay bumbero din ang ka-chat ko mula sa ibang brigada at pinagyayabang kong hot spot ang hq namin hehehehe...

At ngayon wala na sya, tutuo nga naman kasing bawal sa pinag tayuan namin at kahit ilang signature campaign pa o sinong taga barangay o pamahalaang pang-lungsod pa ang sumuporta sa amin ay mali talaga. Mali din na isipan na sana ay masunugan ang mga gumiba sa hq dahil trabaho lang nila yun, ang nakaka asar lang sa kanila ay gusto pa nilang mambakal sa mga ginibaan nila. Hay! Buti na lang at sa kalibang kalye lang ililipat ang headqua. (",)

I get by with a little help from my friend

What would you think if I sang out of tune
Would you stand up and walk out on me
Lend me your ears and I'll sing you a song
And I'll try not o sing out of key

Oh, I get by with a little help from my friends
Mm, I get high with a little help from my friends
Mm, gonna try with a little help from my friends

(from The Beatles' I get by with a little help from my friends)

For about a week the biology-blog has three entries about friendship or more scientifically the symbiotic relationship called commensalism a relationship between two organisms where one benefits and the other is not significantly harmed or helped. The term derives from the English word commensal, meaning "sharing of food" as we have in human social interaction; which is derived from the Latin word com mensa, which means "sharing a table". I find it very interesting to read because they are well titled:Beetles Get by With a Little Help Beavers: Dam good for songbirds and another Beetles get by with a little help from their friends. Plus the fact that I am playing or getting with this facebook app Dungeons and Dragons where I need friends to play with me to make my adventures and quests more successful. I now have three on my side and we are helping each other by giving each other a buff or speed up their healing time. Need to go now, need to check my game. (",)


Even the bravest hero gets by with a little help from his or her friends.

excited or what?

Jump kit, climbing provisions and VHF set up are just a few of the things I am indulging myself these days. The list is always never ending but this time they are more realistic. I am also wishing for a paddle and a wall climbing harness but they're for another blog entry.

The Mount Apo climb is getting closer and having a good jump kit would be very vital. I really never wish to use them but it's best to have one. It would be like life jackets of the airplane and the lifebuoys of the ship. They are best to have and kept in best shape but its better if you won't need to use them. And so goes with my climbing provisions, although I've been used to climbing with a team I wish to have a self-contained pack and see how good I am with backpacking.

I am getting more eager to set up my shack starting from renewing my license, reviewing for a license upgrade and purchasing a power supply. My only worry now is how can I get back my coaxial cable and antenna from the headquarters which I lend while waiting for the Brigade's new one--but there's no new one yet. At least I could have an external excuse not to have my set up yet.

GAME OVER

Last Monday I joined my colleagues to a badminton game in Cubao with the possibility that I could have my wall climbing while they are playing. The gym is the one that I mentioned in my blog about 2 years ago, it has eight badminton courts and on the far side it has wall climbing structure. They advised me to bring along my racket in case the wall is occupied and to maximize our court reservation of 3 hours. There were only five of us, we played doubles with a reserved player for whoever gets tired even within the set. And after more than an hour of smashing and picking shuttle cocks, we decided to rest for a short while. The wall is unoccupied and the staff is just sitting on the side texting his hours away. I approached him and asked about climbing the wall which lead to talking about brigades, associations and fire alarms (found out that he is also a fire fighter). But while still having a briefing on how to scale the wall a colleague waved at me and signaled time. We have to cut short--GAME OVER.