A Wish for PWDs

We've been going out a lot more for errands lately and it's been hard for us. I was advised by my doctors and pulmo rehab team to use a wheelchair to get around. I can walk, but my heart and lungs are not able to cope with so much effort. I'm not supposed to overwork both since I'm due for surgery. 

The boys take care of me when we're out, but getting around is hard. Local establishments try to be PWD friendly, but I don't think they have tested their premises with PWDs. Here's a list of what they can improve on:

Fixed a week after, you can still see the area that was fixed.

• Doors - make sure they can be opened fully. The doors at some malls require 3 people. Two to hold 2 doors and one to push the wheelchair. 
• Ramps - I had a hair-raising experience in one establishment that had a ramp to the elevator. It was steep, short and cracked. I had to get off the wheelchair whenever we rode the elevator. Getting up and going back to the wheelchair drained my energy. Good thing the guard probably reported it and a week later the chipped areas were fixed, but it was still very steep. 
• Sidewalk entryways - this has always been problematic especially at parking garages. I also experienced a commercial establishment where they put a huge planter box which made it hazardous to pass through the ramp on a wheelchair. I would have probably fall if we tried it.
• Pedestrian walkways should be flat and not use uneven pavers. It's like riding a bumpy rollercoaster when you're on a wheelchair. 
• Establishments without wheelchair ramps. We went to eat at a resto which had quite a steep ramp to its doorstep, but when we got to the door there was no ramp to get in. 

An architect mentioned to me before that there is a code for making establishments PWD friendly. He explained it even goes down to the angle of the ramp. Sadly, it's just an afterthought here and it's not enforced by building officials. I'm lucky I'm still able to stand up and walk (I just can't get too far), but there are those who don't and are dependent on their wheelchair. Maybe establishments can test their premises to understand what they need to improve on.

So far, the only place that has been pretty seamless for me is the new building of the mall near us. I only get up when I want to sit on a chair if we're dining out. They need to seriously get a new elevator for their old building. It can only carry about 4 to 5 people including the elevator person.

#BeKind #StaySafe

Bougies!

I was baffled when I first encountered the term "bougies". I think I was watching a YouTube videos and the vp gger kept calling bougainvillea, "bougies". I have to be honest, I'd rather call the plant by its proper name, bougainvillea.

Well, the next plant to produce flowers was one of the bougainvillea plants beside the Gumamela (hibiscus) that flowered last week. It really likes the warm, sunny weather and promptly produced flowers. There would have been a lot more, but I trimmed them a lot since I was getting random wounds on my arms and legs. I also want their stems to become sturdier in the next few months. 

That's all for now. Internet connectivity is down, so I'm saving bits in case the issue isn't resolved soon.

Happy Saturday everyone!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Swimming with a Mumu

I like watching scary stuff. I just watched the second installment of ABS-CBN's "Philippines Most Haunted" where they featured a ghost in a pool. It was well narrated by Mr. Joonie Gamboa (he's perfect for this series IMHO). 

This wasn't the pool. It was pre-internet era when I swam with a mumu.

Anyway, the episode this week featured a ghost in a swimming pool. It reminded me of a story I wrote way back (I used to write ghost stories in my blog, "Tales of the Moonless Sky"). I was a student when we went to a resort in Laguna for a team-building activity. 

I'd go for a swim in the mornings and thought the black shadow I saw in the pool was just my eyes doing tricks on me. I found out it wasn't later in the day. An entity was living in the pool. Creepy! Full story is here.

I have forgotten about it already since that happened over 3 decades ago. It was actually featured on Qtube way, way back (post is here). It's been a long time and I haven't had any visits from the other kind. I prefer it that way and I already have a lot of other things on my plate. If ever, I just pray. I have also been wearing a St. Benedict medal for protection.

Tagaytay in 2010

One of our favorite places to go to is Tagaytay. We go at least once a year. Lately, we go just to have brunch, have coffee and buy some plants and veggies at Mahogany.

One reason we go is when we have relatives visiting from abroad. And that was why we went back in 2010. My sister was visiting from the US and we had a day trip.

The Taal volcano back then wasn't active and  was very green. The weather was also cooler back then. The volcano was grey and was releasing some gas when we went last weekend. I didn't need to wear my cardigan at all. 

There's Something Bad in the Air

My pulmo describe my asthma as mild, but it can be easily triggered by a number of things. I noticed I've been having asthma attacks almost everyday for the past week. I even had it twice last Sunday.

Ugh. I abhor it when I have prolonged attacks especially when I'm outside. It easily dissipates when I'm home since all my remedies are within reach. Good thing I bring my inhaler whenever we go out. I've been doing this since the haze from Indonesia has been oddly reaching our shores.

I've been careful with food, avoid areas where people smoke, and I use a mask whenever I'm out (and even while gardening). The one thing unavoidable is heat. It hits me fast. Yup, I need to always be in a cool place since I had heart surgery. 

Oh well, I hope things will be better in the next few days. I had a relatively good days and survived our meeting with architect. 

#BeKind #StaySafe

Ughhhh

I've been having asthma attacks almost everyday.

Just resting for now :(

#BeKind #StaySafe

Repair vs. Buying New

After almost 5 years our beds were showing signs of wear and tear. The outer area still looks good, but the area that supports the mattress was broken.

Bed frames are expensive and I remember it took a year of installment payments to finish the bill. It's not in our budget to buy anything new. Luckily, our foreman lent his lead carpenter. 

He visited us and checked the bed frames, made a list of materials to buy. He finished adding support to three bed frames in two hours! Wow! He was fast because he used to be the lead carpenter in a hotel, so fixing beds was probably something he did everyday :)

#BeKind #StaySafe