On Marijuana Possession

Being born and raised in Philippines where addictive drugs are considered illegal, I tend to think that all people who take them are bad influence and should be avoided at all cost in case I find myself being pressured / tempted to join their club. So, it was a bit liberating to see marijuana up close and personal in Belgium without fearing for my own safety and freedom.

This is NOT my joint. PROMISE!

It seems to be normal for some to be smoking joint in the house so when someone asked me if I wanted to see how it was prepared, I immediately came running with my camera in tow. A pack with 30 pcs cigarette cost about 6 Euro in Belgium (20 pcs cigarette pack cost 40 pesos in Philippines) so people tend to buy a can of tobacco and just roll it into a piece of paper along with their favorite ground marijuana.

I thought that it’s a greenhouse with lots of exotic and beautiful flowers inside but it turned out to be the owner’s precious marijuana. Nyahaha.

Speaking of marijuana, this made me remember of a Dutch guy I once knew. If I remember the story correctly, he was in Cebu one time when a guy approached him with a packet of marijuana. Suddenly, police cars came that made both of them run in different directions but after a while, Dutch guy was caught and brought to the police station.

Police: Punishment for possession of dangerous drugs is life imprisonment to death and a fine ranging from 500,000 to 10 Million pesos blah blah blah but I’ll set you free if you pay 200,000 pesos.

Dutch: Sir, I don’t really have any money. I don’t even have a job back home.

Police: Alright, 100,000 Pesos then. You can call your family to help you out and give you the money.

Dutch: I don’t have any family anymore.

Police: Alright 60,000 Pesos then.

Dutch: If you check my pockets, I don’t really have any money at all.

Police: Give me 10,000 Pesos plus your mobile phone then.

Dutch: I don’t even own a mobile phone.

After a while, the Dutch was set free without giving a single cent to the police.  I wonder if it was a set up between the other guy and the police to scare foreigners into giving them money.

P.S. Smoking marijuana in Belgium is NOT allowed if done in the presence of minors!

Travel Kit – 11 Medicinal Must Haves

I’m off to wonderland next week so in preparation, I’ve been boosting my immune system with vitamins and minerals to be healthy and energetic enough to pull/push that huge luggage filled with frying pans and brooms.

Since being sick during holidays is such a killjoy, I went to our clinic to avail myself of travel kit loaded with medicines and dosage info in case of emergency. These medicines are available in Philippine local drugstore:

Celestamine / Antamin for allergies; take 1 tablet 3 x a day

Bonamine for motion sickness, nausea and vomiting; take 1 tablet affords protection for 1 day

Kremil – S/ Edroxid/ Simeco for hyperacidity; take 1 tablet after or between meals and at bedtime

Diatabs / Imodium for diarrhea; take 1 tab/cap every loose stool maximum of 8 tab/cap/day

Biogesic / Saridon/ Termagen/BioFlu for relief of fever, toothache, headache and body pain; 1 tablet every 4/6/8 hours interval

Carbocisteine / Ambroxol / Tuseran Forte for cough; 1 tablet / capsule 3 x a day

Mefenamic acid/ Midol for relief of mild to moderate pain including muscular, toothache and Dysmenorrhea; 1 tablet/capsule 3 x a day / as needed

Buscopan / Cospan/ Gasmid for stomach spasm, stomachache and gas pain; 1 tablet 3 x a day / as needed

Alaxan/ Advil for muscular and body pain; 1 tablet 3 x a day / as needed

Strepsils for sore throat; 1 lozenge every 4/6/8 hours interval

Neozep / Decolgen / Symdex/ Sinutab for nasal congestion, headache, fever associated with sinusitis; take 1 tablet / capsule 2/3 x a day

Know what’s the most important medicine here for me???  Medicine for my vomiting butt.   

Random Test

I got a call from our company nurse requesting my presence because according to her, I needed to fill out some forms.  I just finished eating my breakfast so I went to the clinic wondering if there’s a promo going on and that I won something.  As it turned out, it was a trap.

Nurse told me that they got names randomly and that I’m one of the lucky winners for FREE DRUG TEST.  At least I don’t have to get one when I renew my driver’s license later this year.  Yes, drug test is a prerequisite in getting a license in Philippines which expires every 3 years so that our corrupt government has a constant income.

I wasn’t allowed to get out of the clinic because nurses feared that I will warn the others so I was forced to drink 5 glasses of water just so I could fill up their test bottle.  Talk about Pee Pressure.

Nurses sure take this test seriously because a female nurse went with me inside the bathroom to make sure I will not cheat.  Right!  Like I would dare hold a bottle of other people’s urine.

The result? Negative. Wheeww!

So what will happen if found positive?

You will not be fired from work yet of course but will be advised to undergo rehabilitation treatment at your own expense.  Good luck!

Do you get tested randomly for drugs at work too?