Medical students just wanna have FUN!
By: Laila Tahir
So came April. Sem's over and finally it's summer. My mind automatically went summer = fun!
But summer also meant "community" for us medical students in ADZU-SOM. And FYI community is short for community exposure, which has been brilliantly intergrated in the med school's curriculum to serve the communities in the region while adding up to our experience as medical students for a more holistic learning. But it also means having to be assigned to a place far far away for one month without the comforts of home and the relatively urban world. Or the simplest way to put it is community = bukid, malayo sa kabihasnan.
For our group, "community" was a 12-hour bus ride plus some more 2-hour habal-habal ride to Barangay Lower Sto Nino, in the Municipality of Mahayag, Zamboanga Del Sur. I make it sound like it was such a bore or like it's the saddest thing ever for summer. But it really was not. Surprisingly, the experience was super enjoy. We had all sorts of fun.
Having to live in the bukid was fun in itself. For us bukid was very literal because we stayed in the middle of a farm. Ricefields all around. One hour ride away from the nearest market, we had no choice but to rely on the veggies and rekados around us. The place was such a bounty, and we thank the Almighty for that. We just plucked okra and sili and malunggay around and voila! We had ulam already!
Harvesting was fun but cooking was even more fun. We had no stove so we used firewood. We had no kitchen so we just cooked outside the house. What with all the wind and the fact that we were using firewood, the flame was hard to control. Felt very much like Survivor. And to think that we did that for a month! I can proudly say that we have conquered the fire. Hahaha! But we were equipped with matches and gas so... So much for bragging! Haha!!
We also had the loveliest neighbor. And they were so jolly especially MJ, the baby we were all doting on. They were very accomodating lending us kalderos and palangganas and stuff. It was fun chatting with them. Plus they like to party. We partied along with them. Oh yeah! And by party I meant handaan. Because that's party to me already. Hahaha!!!
We also went to a spring resort in Tuburan. The place was really really wonderful! They turned what seemed like a river into swimming pools so that water was flowing through the pools. It was really refreshing. Plus the fact that the water was very cold. The people there submerge bottles of soda with stones and leave them that way for sometime to cool their drinks as if refrigerating them. The water is that cold. I even saw raw fish being submerged at some secluded area in the pool. Whoa!!! Double purpose swimming pools. Only in Mahayag. Amazing!!! Hahaha!!! But what was really fun, in fact the most fun part was when we were taking underwater pictures. It was such a challenge to take underwater picture in itself cause you have to consider the clarity of water, the timing and all. But it was even more challenging because of the cold water. Vain as we were, we wanted to have the best underwater shot. Something worth posting on fb. Haha!!! So there we were. It was really funny cause the others were really shivering already but were very determined to have that awesomest shot. And that needed several takes. It was really crazy and fun and sobrang nakakatawa! Hahaha!!!
We also got to ride on horseback. Well, at least for a few moments just for picture-taking. Haha!!! There was only one horse so we had to take turns. I was very brave and eager at first. Then came my turn. The moment I sat on the horse, I turned stiff as a stone. I was afraid to fall. But I managed to have some decent photos taken. I was very relieved the moment I was off. I have mixed feelings for that experience. But what was funny was seeing some of my groupmates ride the horse. The look on their faces were priceless. They were even more scared than me. It was sooo funny! Hahaha!!!
We also had our share of scary experiences. It was really enjoyable listening to my groupmates' ghost/aswang stories. It was really fun joking around and playing pranks on each other. Each of us had nicknames also based on our personalities. But all together, we call ourselves Team bully. What with all the bullying we do to each other, it is imperative that we be called that. Hahaha!! We do the funny, clean bullying though.
It really is not as fun as when you've experienced it first hand. And actually, it's the little things that turn out to be the most awesome. We got to spend summer in a different way. Different yet still super fun. Next summer my mind will automatically be like summer = community = fun! Im so looking forward to the next exposure.
