Myopic Thoughts

I didn’t know missing someone could be so nauseating. My heart aches and, try as I might, for the life of me I can’t…I don’t understand why. It drains the life out of me, and I do not like it.

I’ve already submitted the requirements for my application to med school.

I’ve passed the entrance exam (98.5%, -not bad, I guess).

The doctors who’ve interviewed me declared me eligible for enrollment.

This is it. Five years after college and the doors of opportunity are gradually opening…for me. Thank God for dreams. Thank God for family. Thank God for perseverance. Thank God for hope.

Ooooookay. It’s kinda interesting to note that while dishwashing may be a gruesome task for most guys, it also provides crucial moments to improve your singing prowess (or not). Seriously, as much as I hate getting my hands wet with soap, stain, grime and grease (not to mention other people’s drool - hello…fork and spoon in-and-out-of-yer-mouth! Blech!), somehow it’s quite a feat to finish cleaning those stacks of plates (yeah, stacks, with an s) and ridding silverware of food particles. I say, what an achievement. And you know what? You actually learn stuff. I mean it. Here are some examples:

1) When it comes to dishwashing ease: porcelain > plastic. Ever tried washing tupperware (or any plastic container imitations)? Man, it’s hard to get it squeaky clean on the first try. Of course, it depends on what detergent you’re using. Still I’d go for ceramic, pyrex or silverware anytime.

2) In terms of priority, I go for the glasses first. My mother used to tell me it’s the glasses that get broken 80% of the time. Why?  I dunno. Probably because of the cluttered basin. It’s easier to topple or drop these ‘drinking devices’ while they’re slippery, unlike their more stable, flat cousins- the plates, of course. Sometimes though, I go for the spoons and forks first.

3) How to clean drinking glasses effectively and efficiently: Hold the base as it rests on the palm of one hand, the walls secured by the fingers, tilt the glass a bit, and with a scouring pad in the other hand, clean the rim and the inside of the glass by rotating the ‘base hand’ in a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction (similar to the movement made while opening a jar lid). Do the same when rinsing, putting the glass directly under an open faucet. works for me everytime.

4) On being thrifty: at home we seldom use dishwashing liquids as cleaning aids. Detergent bars (or ‘cakes’ as they’re often called by market vendors) are actually effective in removing grime and grease from most plates and other kitchenware. Very cheap too.

5) Warm water cleans better than cold water. Plus, it feels nice.

6) I prefer the rough scouring pad over the sponge. Although, it can leave scratches on your thin plastic plates, which allows microscopic dirt build-up -difficult to remove unless you soak your plates in a detergent solution for a decent amount of time.

7) Dish racks must have a dripping tray underneath so as to collect water from still-wet plates and utensils. This tray must be cleaned everyday, or if you’re a lazy bum, at least every other day.

The most often neglected parts are the handles (spoons, forks, ladles, pots and pans). These must be cleaned too, since bacteria/germs cling to these parts as well. Scrub away!

There many more details on dishwashing I can make a discourse on, but hey, this isn’t an advice column. So I’m gonna stop here, shut my trap and go do something more productive than blogging …………………………………………………………………………..

……………………………………………………………sleeping.

Darn… Alonso won the Barcelona Grand Prix last night. 62 laps. Schumey already got into pole position late in the race, but somehow lost it to Alonso in the final 7 or 8 laps. He (Schumacher) came in 2nd.

I was…disappointed. Archie, you feelin’ dis?

Schumey, get back in the friggin’ race, will ya?