Thoughts
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I rarely recommend a drama series, even if it’s a Kdrama. But I just finished watching one of the most heartwarming drama series on my list since I became a Kdrama fanatic. Revolving around a school setting, this Kdrama somehow depicts the struggles of teachers (in the Korean education system) as they pave their ways…
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It felt surreal the day I took the oath of office exactly one year ago. Not long after, I landed back to the planet black and blue… Working in the public sphere makes me more grounded, forever grateful for the values impressed on me by my former company; I get to use them in full…
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Kindness is often overlooked and misinterpreted these days. Being unkind becomes the trend as can be seen in social media, TV shows, at work, at home, everywhere. People love themselves too much. We live in a culture where loving oneself is greatly promoted. Nothing wrong with it except that it’s taken wrongly out of context.…
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Riverside, August 2021, after jogging time. Around this time, God put the desire in my heart to go home. It meant letting go of my old job and a chance to climb one rung up the corporate ladder. After many hesitations and prayers for clarity, I handed my resignation letter and headed home two months…
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August 4 is celebrated globally as the Single Working Women’s Day. Single Working Women’s Day was created by Barbara Payne to honor the significant contributions of single working women in the economy and society. There was a time in history when women struggled to work through life on their own just because they’re women. They…
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I tried really hard not to be fierce but in the end my pen prevailed. It’s not intended for anything other than for my own sake, to let it off my chest and once again be freed from that frustrating feeling. “When will you marry?” Did someone happen to ask you this question? And when…
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To the Long-Serving MCR, I honestly didn’t know how to write the first paragraph, but let me start with your words that resonated with me the most—that I’ll probably remember for a long time. “Let them exist in this world.” These words, to some extent, reflect your heart for people. Civil registration acknowledges the person’s…
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Ever wondered what your future would be like with the man of your dream?Or maybe the question is, have you ever dreamed of it? For some people, that dream had gone out of the window a long time ago, while others are still dreamy over a fairytale-like, prince charming-thing, Cinderella love story. Ladies today (not…
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It’s two weeks past MOTHER’S DAY, but maybe this month is emblematic of the musing I’m having these days. If you’re a mother— most likely you hold the rangiest influence within the family. You’re called the “Ilaw ng Tahanan” for a reason: The WARMTH that enfolds home in the coldest seasons, and the BEAM that…
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One morning a few weeks after Tiger’s disappearance, I suddenly asked the Lord in prayer, “God, is there a cat in heaven? If there is, then I am more than blessed to see Tiger there someday.” Losing a pet, for me, has always been the same as losing a family.I lost one recently, and perhaps…
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Six days down the 2023 lane, I finally held my pen and notebook, dashed off and put together the bits and pieces from last year’s highlights… I couldn’t be more grateful to God! Having been able to reach the end of 2022 alive and sane is already a miracle in itself. I kickstarted 2022 in…
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November 25, 2021—Exactly one year ago, I made a dubious one-moment decision of adopting these cuties… I gaped at them while they were being laid in a box, my eyes sparked with curiosity, my heart wailing. Their eyes half opened, their faces blotched and messy, their meows feeble and low. I tried negotiating them with…
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Today I met someone who told me these words: “Everybody wants to talk, so it’s hard to find someone like you who prefers to listen.” These words mean a lot to me. It’s a compliment to be noticed for something that’s part of who I am. To be silent is not totally me but is…
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I wandered around finding home. Today He prompts me in Matthew 2. Jesus, as a child, went here and there, too. And even as an adult during His ministry days, He was an outcast in His own town. Yet He knew who He was and His earthly purpose. I pray that as I navigate life,…
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My Korean Journey of A Thousand Miles (Part 1) Year 2009. Someone gave me a book entitled Employment Permit System Korean Language Test 1 (EPS KLT 1) along with other modules for studying the Korean Language. Since I couldn’t read a single Korean character, curiosity brought me to open the pages and try to study…
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Inked on my right hand is a faint initial of my name. Fifteen years ago I patterned this by myself out of impulsiveness, as a result of emotional turbulence and despondency, a maladaptive coping mechanism, and teenage rebellion. For many years it was nothing but dirt on my skin… It was a symbol of shame…
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One prominent word that you associate with Korean is K-pop. If you are a Korean language learner (or even if you are not), you probably heard that term. K-pop or short for Korean pop is a genre of music originating in South Korea. (Wikipedia) An idol, in fandom culture in South Korea, refers to a…
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Following the “shocking” news of BTS’ hiatus from group activities, I got into some personal reflections, not as a fan but as an individual who, like them, is also experiencing issues on which direction to take. The glitz and glamour of this world are not enough to make you stay where you are. You can…
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Dogs are man’s best friend. Would you believe that I experienced having a dog as a best friend – literally? To put it simply as to why, you see, I was a lonesome ranger when I was younger, had no close friend close enough to consider my best friend. The one right by my side…
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July 19, 2019 The white dog is the happy-go-lucky one. Her name is Chuchay. She roams around the neighborhood day in day out and barely stays around her original home. The brownish dog, on the other hand, is the homebody. Her name is Panda. She can’t go farther than her master’s yard. She is scarred,…
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Youth. Who could forget those memories, of a drifting boat in a calm pond, the cool humming breeze of yuletide seasons, the summer heat that stung our bare faces, the playful looks, the soft strum of a guitar, the sweet smell of stationery, of roses and woods… Who could not smile, a bittersweet smile, as…
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10 years ago fresh from college, I was lost not in many crossroads but in one particular road, not knowing how to start the trek. I had nothing in mind but to get started and then just cross the bridge when I get there. So I was thrown in a job not related to my…
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In a world where almost everything is instantly served, it is incredibly difficult to stay in line and wait. While waiting requires faith and patience, it entails disappointments and setbacks. Today I’m about to reach one of my finish lines. It took me nine long years to finally be able to let go of something…
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Being a watcher during my three younger siblings’ quests to find their spots in the profession they chose to pursue, I became not just an eyewitness, but I also bore half of the demands and the overall weight of aspiring to become a police officer… To be a police, in general, is both an honor…
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Triggers or “being triggered” is often casually used nowadays. But there is more depth to it than what we already know. There is a distinction between discomfort and being triggered. Discomfort as the word implies is the feeling of not being comfortable when dealing, hearing, or seeing certain things or phenomena. While a trigger has…
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Disclaimer: Passive aggressive personality disorder, or PAPD, is not an actual medical diagnosis (it was a proposed diagnosis but was removed from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders, Fifth Edition), and is now considered as a personality trait, behavioral pattern, or a personality syndrome. (medicalnewstoday.com) However, it can point to an underlying…
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You can say it differently. People say things in different ways. We say words based on the mood of the moment. We would verbally express ourselves based on our feelings, emotions, circumstances, the situation, people we’re talking to, and it all depends on variables. But how many regrets have you had in life because of…
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The opposite of love is not hate, it is indifference. It’s when your heart hardened. Calloused. Stiffed. Cold and hidden.You don’t necessarily hate a person, you just don’t care. So it is broken. Darkened. Bound by selfish concerns. And worst, it beats just to make you exist. But never to live. To counterattack indifference, I…
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Afternoon of August 1, 2021, I saw this little kitten in the street, picked it up and took to the house. The kitten was abandoned, bound to straying; dirty and stinky, tiny and weak I could barely hear a ‘meow’ sound, didn’t have any desire to eat or drink, eventually died after some time, after…
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Long time ago (again I say this was a long time ago), my older brother was my definition of pet peeve, sometimes the devil. First and foremost, it sprang from an unmet expectation; of a big brother who protects and cares for his little sister—because that’s what I saw from other siblings in our class.…
That Girl, Novate 