I am awed at professional athletes and musicians, researchers and scientists, leaders of advocacy groups, and anyone who has maintained his/her zeal and enthusiasm in attaining his/her goals for years, despite the odds. Can you imagine training ten (10) hours or more a day going over the same routine, practicing the same movement over and…
Courage to Love
Our pet kitten, Pepper, died recently. My siblings and my daughter were heartbroken as I was. Pepper was rescued in early 2022 from our backyard in my hometown, then a teeny-weeny, thin being with scant fur, and with a meow scarcely above a whisper. I usually described those trips as somersaults of the emotions–the thrill…
Flow
I wouldn’t deny it. The results of the recent national elections in the Philippines left me stunned and broken-hearted. For a few days, I walked with a cloud hanging over my head. I feel better now so I am able to write about this matter. I am not being self-righteous. Neither am I naive to…
A Research on District 75 Toastmasters International
Yesterday, I met Mr. Joseph Adonis “Dodong” Baduel, District Governor of TI Philippines in 1983. He was one of my interviewees for a research I did on Toastmasters International almost a decade ago. We were supposed to meet after my research so I could give him a hardbound copy of the research, but I changed…
Petty
So it’s just two (2) days before the national elections in the Philippines, and people are still actively exchanging views on social media in support of their candidates and to attack other runners, and thoughts are swirling in my head. But instead of writing them down, I thought of writing something petty on a Saturday,…
What’s in it for me?
I remember in school, when speech writing and delivery was discussed, one of the things emphasized was “What’s in it for me?” According to our prof, you should think of the audience and what they can gain from your talk. In that way, she said, they will pay attention and listen more. After several years,…
Still Thinking of Taking the FSOE?
I wrote about this topic in two previous entries. But there were a few queries I received recently about FSO life; that’s why I thought of writing a few tips again. Also, I have an upcoming online career talk in a university, where I will share some insights to students about foreign service as a…
A Dash of Salt
It’s a weekend. You are in the kitchen wearing an apron, while the most delicious scent wafts in the air. You get a spoon, taste the sauce a little, wrinkle your nose a bit, add a dash of salt, taste the dish again, and smile. Yes! That’s what 1/8 of a teaspoon does. Now, imagine…
Beyond Routes 