My Life's Most Difficult Questions 1 and 2

1. Ano na mga naakyat mong bundok? What mountains have you climbed already?

I will pause and think, "Is this serious? Do I start naming the mountains I've climbed now?"  And I will have a conversation with myself to discuss how best to answer.

     (a) If I say, "Talamitam, Batulao, Gulugod Baboy", surely he'll have an idea what I was talking about if he has at least climbed once - because these mountains are usually for first-timers and beginners.  Chances are, he has already climbed one of these.  Or maybe not one of these, but at least he had climbed once and, during that climb, been accompanied by experienced mountaineers and guides and locals and had conversations about Philippine mountains and climbing and heard this mountains' names mentioned.  BUT, what if he has no clue?  All these mountain names are just blah and I'm not the promo-girl type.  I would not want to indulge into the long lectures about mountain climbing.  Pardon me.

     (b) I can just say, "Marami na rin." I've been to a few.  That's a safe response.  It could either (1) end the inquiry (which I undoubtedly prefer) because, usually in that case, it means the person asking has no inkling as to what he wants to know, or (2) push the inquisitor to make his question more specific.  Then, we can talk.

All these in consideration, I find it frustrating that, sometimes, after I respond as best I could, I would hear, "Have you been to Pulag? Mayon? Apo?"  Ahhhh, yes.  The famous ones.  I should have known.

BLAH.


2. Athlete ka ba? Are you an athlete?  Palagi ka ba sa gym?  Do you regularly go to the gym?

I just finished undergoing the company's Annual Physical Examination.  As usual, the findings say that my pulse rate is below normal, i.e. my heart beats slower than what is deemed normal for a human being.  It's at 53/min versus the normal 60-100/min.  I believe it's lower this year than last - 55/min.

Then the questions follow.

Are you an athlete?  The answer is no.  Not a professional, at least.  I am a part of the company's track and field team.  But, unlike pros, we only do our trainings two months every year.  I climb, if that matters in this regard.  But when I say that, the doctor does not hear.

Do you regularly go to the gym?  The answer is not "No", it's "Never."  If this gym means lifting those weights, running on the treadmill, biking on the stationary bike, then yes, never.

I do Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in the gym once or twice a week - I goal of doing it three to four times a week.  But how do I say this to a medical doctor.

Me: "Doctor, I do jiu-jitsu."
Doctor: "What's that?"
Me: "Uhhhh...."
<END>

Somehow, given what I do and don't, I am not warrant to have a slow heart.  I've been asked the follow-up questions:  Do you experience difficulty in breathing? Chest pains? Constrictions?  I responded:  None that I remember.  And since my case might require further and deeper examination, I was disposed with, "See a cardiologist when you experience chest pains or have difficulty breathing." I nodded.

I have concluded that I am either gifted with an athlete's heart (though I'm no pro-athlete) or have a major heart disease.  Whatever it may be, I am yet to see.  I'm just glad that for another year, I won't have to think about answering questions.