In a recent virtual Christmas party with my Toastmasters International Club, we had fun answering impromptu questions asked during the Ms. Universe 2021 competition but with a twist, assigning each participant a country, such as Ms. Russia to a member who’s based in Moscow and Ms. France to me for having been posted in Paris…
Category: Life and Inspiration
Pan de Salawal, joie de vivre, and the Filipinos
A mysterious child with healing powers. A septuagenarian ravaged by a kidney disease contemplating ending his life. A community of people with various maladies and unfulfilled dreams, living in a poverty-stricken section of the city. These were my observations in the first few minutes of the movie Pan de Salawal, an official entry to Cinemalaya…
To you, little one
Welcome to the world. ❤ You, a wonderful creation from the love of your parents, a miracle of life, a child of both the earth and of the universe, mortality running in your veins, yet with a bit of the cosmos’ timelessness. I cannot say how the world will be by the time you gain…
A Different Perspective
When I was in high school, I thought college students were old. But I didn’t feel old at all when I was in college. I felt so young, in fact, meeting my classmates and professors, and realizing that there are so many things I needed to learn and that there are so many years ahead….
Buhay Dorm (at isang boarding house): Mga Alaala ng UPD
Ngayon ay Biyernes ng gabi. At last, makakapagpahinga na rin matapos ang buong linggo ng pagpasok sa trabaho, lalo na’t may mga isyung nangailangan ng aksyon at atensyon sa panahon na nasa transition period ang opisina ko sa DFA. Dapat ay maaga akong matutulog dahil reward ko sa sarili ang pagtulog at pagpahinga. Ngunit, heto,…
Change
The only thing constant in the world is change. How many times have we heard this quote by the Greek philosopher Heraclitus? I suppose, several times. Did this thought comfort you during the adjustment phase when you tried to change an aspect of your life? Did it make you feel guilty for choosing not to…
World Mental Health Day
Today, October 10, is World Mental Health Day. Today, let us take a few minutes to pause from our daily routines or our busy schedules and take a closer look at ourselves. How do you feel right now? Are you happy with the way things are in your life? Is there something that has been…
Adieu
Yesterday, I was still wrapping my head around the death of a colleague when another sad news came–my uncle suddenly passed away from a heart attack. That time, I had not even written a condolence message for my colleague–a fashionable, ebullient, and high-spirited educator loved by students–because I could not put into words what I…
Rain
Paris, 24 July 2021 at 8PM Ten minutes ago, it rained so hard. But like the way the rain came, now it stopped although there’s still a drizzle and occasional distant thunderstorms. I’m not used to heavy rains in Paris, so that was a surprise. The weather is usually calm here with just varying levels…
Before They’re Gone
One of the things that the COVID-19 pandemic made more conspicuous was our mortality. At the height of the pandemic in 2020, there were news of people getting infected with the virus and dying a few days or weeks after, causing anxiety to many. At certain points, it did enter my mind that I could…
Beyond Routes 