WengOnline

I went to the doctor for a checkup and a CBC just to confirm that my sore throat was viral and not bacterial. The doctor said the CBC should also determine if I had dengue. (Note: I look very healthy and the doctor thought I was accompanying my mom for a checkup.) She said that the bacterial or viral infection rarely manifests itself unless the subject is already weak to being with. Three liters of unsweetened apple juice and half a day after being poked by a needle, I got an all clear sign. For now, I’m recovering, but I still have a runny nose. It’s uncomfortable and also contributes to a bit of tiredness, but it shouldn’t stop me from getting a few things done.

One interesting thing that the doctor asked me was if I drank or smoke. I guess it was normal for her to ask, but to ask someone my age was quite unusual. She asked what my job was and I told her QA — she immediately thought of call centers — no, I do not work in a call center. She said that she had encountered many young professionals who did drink and smoke and they were mostly from the IT and call center industry. It further supported an article over at Inquirer.net about the younger generation being used to having a lot of disposable income and wasting it on cigarettes and liquors. I know of several friends who work in call centers, but none of them drink or smoke. In my office though, probably half of the employees smoke. I’m not so sure on the statistics on the number of smokers in the Philippines, but it seems like it is a very high number and many of them are the twenty to thirty-something crowd. It does seem like a growing number, thankfully I’m not one of them. My vices — just my morning fix of coffee and the internet.