"The Clinic After Dark: Two Ghost Stories from Building O"

"The Clinic After Dark: Two Ghost Stories from Building O"

By:

Virgilio F. De Leon Jr.MD

The clinic at Building O in UP-Ayala Technohub has a bit of a reputation for strange ghost sightings.

I can't personally confirm any of these stories. Whenever I'm on duty there, nothing particularly unusual happens. My patients snore while they sleep, or occasionally argue that even if there is absolutely nothing wrong with them ,that they should be allowed to go home immediately. Those are about as exciting as things get.

However, two of my trusted nurses, who are also good friends, have shared stories that are enough to make your hair stand on end.

And considering that these people are experienced and dependable, I have little reason to doubt what they told me.

Story #1: Crossing

Nurse Edward was taking a patient's blood pressure when he happened to glance toward the beds at the far end of the clinic.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a ghostly figure crossing from left to right, moving past the beds.

At first, he wasn't sure what he had seen. Perhaps it was just a trick of the light or a momentary illusion. So he asked the patient whose blood pressure he was taking if they had noticed anything.

The patient's answer was simple.

"Oo."

Yes.

That was apparently enough confirmation for Edward. It also explains why some nurses prefer to keep the lights on above the beds throughout the night shift.

Personally, I think that's a perfectly reasonable workplace policy.

Story #2: The Bluetooth Connection

The mid-shift at the Building O clinic is usually a quiet affair. There is plenty of paperwork to keep the nurses occupied, but not necessarily enough patients to make the hours fly by.

One night, Nurse Julius decided to make things a little more entertaining. He brought out his wireless speaker and thought he would listen to some music while working.

At around six in the evening, he tried connecting the speaker through Bluetooth.

It connected.

The only problem was that it seemed to have connected to something he couldn't explain.

Instead of music, the speaker produced static. Then came voices. They sounded as though they were coming from somewhere far beyond the ordinary world.

Julius immediately disconnected the speaker and took it out of the clinic.

As far as I know, nobody has tried connecting a wireless speaker there since.

I suppose some places have Bluetooth devices that are better left undiscovered.

Both stories came from people I know to be reliable and competent. I have no reason to question their accounts, even if I cannot explain what they experienced.

Of course, I also have no particular desire to verify their stories personally.

I am perfectly happy checking on patients, and listening to the occasional argument about why someone who is perfectly fine who came to the clinic should be allowed to go home.

If there are other occupants in Building O, I hope they understand that I am not interested in meeting them.

And if they happen to be around during my next night shift, they can do me a favor.

Please don't cross the beds.

And please, don't connect to the Bluetooth.

"We Are the Borg: The Cool Kid at the Star Trek Commander Table."

"We Are the Borg: The Cool Kid at the Star Trek Commander Table."

By:

Virgilio F. De Leon Jr.MD

Among the four Star Trek preconstructed Commander decks, there is always that one kid who walks into the room and immediately gets everyone's attention. Apparently, that kid is the Borg.

We Are the Borg has earned a reputation as the cool kid of the group, and it's not difficult to understand why.

While the other decks explore the familiar themes of Star Trek, the Borg arrive with a rather different philosophy: resistance is futile, individuality is overrated, and your creatures are about to become part of a much larger collective.

The deck's appeal lies in its aggressive strategy and its ability to turn opponents' resources into opportunities for the Collective. Assimilation is not just a flavor mechanic here; it's practically a business model!

There is also something wonderfully satisfying about playing a deck that makes your opponents reconsider their carefully assembled battlefields. Why build your own army when you can simply borrow everyone else's?

Of course, being the cool kid comes with responsibilities. The Borg are hardly known for being subtle, and once the deck starts doing its thing, everyone at the table knows exactly who the biggest threat is.

The other three Star Trek decks may have their captains, explorers, and legendary heroes, but the Borg have something better: an entire civilization dedicated to making sure nobody else gets to play alone.

Resistance is futile.

And apparently, so is trying to keep your creatures!

"Where Have All the Monsters Gone? A Halloween Puritan Speaks."

"Where Have All the Monsters Gone? A Halloween Puritan Speaks."

By:

Virgilio F. De Leon Jr.MD

And so, we are almost at the end of the Halloween season.

While plenty of parties were held today, October 31, I couldn't help but wear a smile seeing so many people out celebrating. One particularly massive party even caused me a few parking problems, but I suppose that's a small price to pay for seeing people having a good time.

My daughter also showed me some pictures from Ateneo, where students had been dressing up and cosplaying for Halloween. I have rather mixed feelings about this.

On one hand, I am happy that cosplay has become so widely accepted in Filipino culture. It's wonderful to see people expressing themselves through costumes and enjoying the creativity that goes into bringing their favorite characters to life.

On the other hand, I suppose I am what you might call a Halloween puritan.

I want Halloween costumes to be, well, Halloween costumes!

Give me ghouls, monsters, vampires, zombies, demons, and other creatures that belong in the realm of nightmares. Sure, there were ladies dressed as demons and angels at some of the parties tonight, although I suppose the distinction between the two might have been a little difficult to establish based on appearances alone.

I digress.

What I really wanted to see were more genuinely frightening creatures. I don't mind them being sexy, either. By all means, make your vampires attractive and your demons fashionable. Just make sure they still look like they belong in a horror movie!

I sometimes struggle to understand the point of dressing up as Hatsune Miku for Halloween. Don't get me wrong, she's a perfectly recognizable character, but you could wear that costume at practically any convention or cosplay event throughout the year. What makes it particularly Halloween?

Gender-Bent Malfoy, however, gets a pass. I'm not entirely sure why, but I'm willing to make exceptions to my own rules.

Then again, I also understand that putting together a good costume isn't exactly cheap these days. With the prices of practically everything going up, people might simply be making do with costumes they already have in their closets. Sometimes, that favorite anime character outfit is the most practical option available.

And who am I to complain? At least people are celebrating, having fun, and making memories.

Still, I can't help missing the days when Halloween meant seeing something genuinely terrifying walking around the neighborhood. I want to be startled by a monster, question whether that person is actually wearing a mask, and occasionally wonder whether I should be calling a priest.

Perhaps I'm just getting old-fashioned.

But if there is one thing I would like to see next Halloween, it's a little more creativity in the art of frightening people.

Bring back the monsters!

And if you absolutely must dress up as an anime character, at least make sure there's something spooky about it.

Better luck next year, I suppose. I'll be waiting for the zombies.

"When Christmas Made Me Sad, Jack Skellington Made Me Smile."

"When Christmas Made Me Sad, Jack Skellington Made Me Smile."

By:

Virgilio F. De Leon Jr.MD

I was pleasantly surprised earlier today to discover someone who loves The Nightmare Before Christmas as much as I do, and, more importantly, for exactly the same reason.

For a long time, the Christmas season was not particularly happy for me. In fact, I used to feel rather depressed during the holidays, although I could never quite explain why.

I can trace this feeling back to 1993, when I first watched The Nightmare Before Christmas after its release. I remember thinking how wonderful it was to see a stop-motion animated film with such an unusual visual style, an incredible musical score, and characters that were instantly memorable.

But there was something else about that movie that I couldn't quite explain.

It lifted my spirits more than any Christmas carol, exchange gift, or holiday party ever could.

That might sound strange, considering that this was a movie about Halloween creatures trying to understand Christmas. Yet somehow, Jack Skellington and his peculiar little world brought me a kind of happiness that the traditional holiday celebrations couldn't.

Things eventually changed when I met my wife in 2002. Life became different, and the holidays gradually became something I could genuinely look forward to.

But the years before that were not particularly easy.

I could be surrounded by family, friends, gifts, and all the festivities of the season and still feel lonely. It wasn't something I showed outwardly, either. Perhaps that was part of the problem.

I had become accustomed to playing certain roles. I was the dutiful son, the leader of this and that, the dependable one, the strong one. I was the person people could count on, the one who was expected to remain stable regardless of what was happening around him.

And somewhere beneath all those responsibilities was someone who could feel terribly sad during a season when practically everyone else seemed to be celebrating.

Perhaps I simply didn't know how to express that feeling. Or perhaps I had become so accustomed to being the dependable person that I never really allowed myself to acknowledge that I wasn't always doing well.

Thankfully, those years are mostly behind me now.

Still, I find it interesting that a movie about a skeleton who accidentally discovers Christmas became such an important part of my own holiday memories.

Maybe Jack Skellington appealed to me because he was also someone trying to find happiness somewhere he didn't quite belong. He was surrounded by people, celebrations, and familiar traditions, yet he was searching for something more.

Or perhaps I just really liked the songs. There is always that possibility.

Either way, I am grateful that I found someone who understands why this particular movie means so much to me.

And with the peso hovering around ₱64 to the dollar and the prices of practically everything continuing to climb, I suspect I might need to revisit Halloween Town for a little emotional support this Christmas.

After all, traditional Christmas cheer can be rather expensive these days.

Jack Skellington, on the other hand, is always available on screen.

And somehow, even after all these years, he still makes me smile.

"Make It So, One Last Time: A Farewell to Captain Jean-Luc Picard."

 "Make It So, One Last Time: A Farewell to Captain Jean-Luc Picard."

By:

Virgilio F. De Leon Jr.MD

October 28, 2026, is a day that has brought sadness to Star Trek fans around the world. Trekkies everywhere are mourning the loss of one of the franchise's most beloved figures, Sir Patrick Stewart, who passed away at the age of 86.

Although Patrick Stewart had an illustrious acting career, appearing in memorable productions such as Dune and the X-Men franchise, many of us will forever remember him as Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the USS Enterprise.

For seven seasons of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Stewart brought to life a captain who would introduce an entirely new generation of viewers to the wonders of Star Trek. He was a different kind of captain from William Shatner's James T. Kirk. Where Kirk was impulsive, adventurous, and occasionally reckless, Picard was thoughtful, diplomatic, philosophical, and guided by an unwavering sense of duty.

He showed us that being a great captain wasn't simply about commanding a starship or defeating an enemy. It was about leadership, compassion, intellectual curiosity, and having the courage to stand by one's principles even when doing so was difficult.

His portrayal gave us countless memorable moments, from his commanding delivery of "Make it so" to his thoughtful speeches about humanity, morality, and the future. He made us believe that the future could be something worth looking forward to.

And that is perhaps his greatest contribution to Star Trek.

For many of us, Jean-Luc Picard wasn't simply another fictional captain. He was an introduction to a universe that encouraged us to explore, question, learn, and imagine a better tomorrow.

Patrick Stewart gave us a character who will continue to inspire generations of Trekkies, even long after the final episode has aired.

It is difficult to say goodbye to someone who has been such a significant part of our lives through the stories he helped tell. But perhaps that is the beauty of Star Trek. Its stories, its characters, and the people who brought them to life never really leave us.

So, farewell, Sir Patrick.

Thank you for taking us on this journey across the stars. Thank you for giving us a captain we could admire and a character we could always look up to.

The Enterprise will sail on, and somewhere in the vastness of the final frontier, Captain Picard will always have a place.

Rest in peace, Captain.

We will always have you in our hearts.

And one last time, Captain...

Make it so.

"The Kobayashi Maru: Captain Kirk Would Play This Card. Then Cheat."

"The Kobayashi Maru: Captain Kirk Would Play This Card. Then Cheat."

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr. MD

The Kobayashi Maru scenario has long been one of Starfleet's most infamous tests. Designed as a no-win situation, it challenges aspiring officers to face an impossible choice and reveals their true character when everything goes wrong.

Naturally, the captain who famously beat this test was none other than James T. Kirk.

How did he do it?

He cheated.

Well, according to the story, Kirk reprogrammed the simulation because he refused to accept that a no-win scenario had to remain unwinnable. He found a way to beat the system, and as his later adventures would demonstrate, the Klingons eventually had good reason to think twice before engaging him in battle.

I feel like an old man telling this story while introducing this card, but bear with me. There is a point to all this nostalgia.

The Kobayashi Maru Scenario is essentially Demonic Contract, only blue and considerably cheaper in mana.

The premise is delightfully cruel. You are presented with choices, but regardless of what you pick, things eventually end badly for you. It is the sort of enchantment that makes you question whether the card designer has a personal grudge against your enjoyment of the game.

Of course, there are ways to get around the problem. If you can hand Demonic Contract to an opponent before you've exhausted its options, you can turn a dangerous bargain into someone else's headache. The same general principle applies here: find a way to pass the consequences to another player before the situation becomes irreversible.

And that is where the fun begins.

If you're playing Dimir in Commander, you could run both cards as redundancy for this particular brand of mischief. After all, why settle for one questionable contract when you can have two?

Just remember that these strategies require the right setup. You need a way to transfer the enchantment and a plan for dealing with its consequences before they catch up with you.

But isn't that what Commander is all about? Finding creative ways to turn terrible situations into someone else's problem?

Captain Kirk would approve.

He would probably reprogram the card, too.

And if your opponents complain that you've broken the spirit of the game, simply remind them that Starfleet's greatest captain taught us an important lesson:

Sometimes, the only way to win a no-win scenario is to refuse to play by its rules.

“Daddy, I Miss You Riding Beside Me”: A Father, a Daughter, and the Madness of Philippine Roads."

“Daddy, I Miss You Riding Beside Me”: A Father, a Daughter, and the Madness of Philippine Roads."

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr. MD

During one of our dinners, my daughter Aven told me something with a sincerity that caught me off guard.

“Daddy, I miss you riding beside me.”

Then she asked me for a hug, which I promptly gave her.

Truth be told, she didn't really need to ask. I would have hugged her anyway. I miss her every day, even when we see each other regularly. There is something about being a father that makes you miss your child even as you watch her grow into the person she is becoming.

But Aven wasn't saying she missed having me beside her because she no longer wanted to drive alone. She was talking about something else entirely: the increasingly chaotic state of our roads, especially now that the Ber months have arrived.

I had already warned her that things would only get worse as December approached. The closer we get to Christmas, the more crowded the streets become, and the more some drivers seem willing to abandon whatever common sense they might have possessed.

Aven then told me about an incident that had genuinely shaken her.

“Muntik na akong maging balita, Daddy.”

I almost became news, Daddy.

Apparently, an idiot had decided to drive against the flow of traffic on a narrow, two-lane road. With traffic already congested, this driver had the audacity to head straight toward my daughter, who was simply trying to drive safely and get to her destination.

I explained to Aven that some drivers probably use these narrow streets to reach side roads or avoid traffic. But I also reminded her that knowing what other drivers might do is part of staying safe. You cannot assume everyone on the road will follow the rules, or even possess enough sense to recognize when they are putting other people's lives at risk.

Unfortunately, that wasn't the only story she had to tell.

Another incident involved a mini truck that slowly backed into her car despite several vehicles honking to warn the driver. It took motorcycle riders banging on the sides of the truck to get the driver's attention.

The man had apparently dozed off in the middle of a stopped intersection along Katipunan.

Let that sink in for a moment.

Somewhere in Metro Manila, a driver had managed to turn a traffic intersection into his personal bedroom, apparently oblivious to the commotion around him.

If you have driven in the Philippines long enough, you know that this sort of thing is not entirely surprising. Still, there is a difference between hearing about reckless drivers and realizing that your own child is now encountering them without you sitting beside her.

Aven has begun to understand why I swear so much whenever I encounter people who break traffic rules. Name almost any violation, and chances are someone will be committing it somewhere nearby. Be it counterflowing, ignoring traffic signals, blocking intersections, or driving as though road markings are merely decorative suggestions, there is always someone willing to test your patience.

And now, my daughter is experiencing all of it herself.

As a father, I know I cannot protect her from every reckless driver, every distracted motorist, or every person who believes that the rules apply to everyone except them.

What I can do is teach her to remain alert, anticipate danger, keep her composure, and never assume that another driver will do the right thing.

And sometimes, if she needs me there beside her, I will gladly take the passenger seat.

I know she is growing up. I know she needs to learn to navigate the world on her own, and I want her to have the confidence to do exactly that.

But being a father means accepting that even when your child becomes independent, a part of you will always want to keep her safe.

So, Aven, if you ever feel that you need your dad riding beside you again, just say the word.

I'll be there.

Because the Philippine roads are already crazy enough. You shouldn't have to face all that madness without knowing that your dad is just one passenger seat away.