The Ocean of My Being

They say that the only thing constant in this world is change! I do agree with this. Big time! However, I'm, at the moment, wondering if all changes are needed. Though I understand that not all changes are for the good, I still can't help but wish that all changes did people good or sometimes I even wish they never had to take place. Now, don't get me wrong, I like change. Really. I'm quite resilient when it comes to changes in my life and my situation. I'm not one to dwell in and continuously wish for what's gone and past. Except that lately, there's been a great change, that has taken place, which I wish just never took place. I'm not talking about something physical. I'm talking about something that has to do with worldview, with perception, with feelings. I'm talking mind and soul. The kind of change that actually feels like a monster that slowly devours you piece after piece until it completely consumes you one whole. The thing is, I came to...

To many people, Valentine's Day is a day for those who are in love. The fact that it's otherwise known as Hearts' Day says a lot. It's a day for love, romantic love that is, and lovers. To some lovers, it is an excuse to be mushy and, sometimes, even corny. It's considered the most romantic day of the year. Japanese girls give chocolates to guys they like. It is their chance to make known their feelings to the guys they secretly crush on or secretly love. For the Philippine Presidential candidates, it's a special day to woo voters. Hehe:) For me, Valentine's Day has always been Friendship Day ! Back in college, my friends and I, that is Voltext and Daimos , made sure we were free on the day so we can have our V-Day group date. It was a day that we always looked forward to. We'd usually get together for lunch and spend the rest of the day chatting, laughing or just plain hanging out. It was always fun, fun, fun! When I lived in Manila, we (those of us w...

I've just found out that the results for the recent Nursing Board Examinations (given in November 2009) has been released. Immediately, I googled it and checked some names. I was so happy and proud upon seeing familiar names in the list. In my experience as a teacher, it's always great to see names of your students in lists such as this. Seeing your former students successful in their fields makes you really proud and feel like you've done a pretty good job. Not that they owe you anything, but you just really feel like a proud parent. I can't imagine how happy and proud their parents are. Also, it's much greater and more wonderful if the successful ones actually are very close to you. So, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate our new nurses: Fatima and Khadijah Abduljalil . I know how hard this pair of sisters have worked for this. I am so proud of both of them. And, I am pretty sure that they will be successful women in their own right. Now that th...

Just before 2010 started, there were some things I listed down in a list of things I want to do more of this year. Two of these things are: blogging and watching movies . I want my blog to become as active as it was before. Okay, okay, so maybe not as active, but, at least, more active than it currently is. And, I want to add movie-watching to my hobbies because I believe that I sometimes need some distraction from reality. 2010 will be my 7th year of blogging and so much have changed since I started. There is so much more to write and share about. Thing is, I just don't have as much time to write as I used to. And, I remember that when I was still very active in blogging, my mind would always be in blog-mode. This means that whenever I see or experience or hear about something interesting, I'd automatically think of writing about it and describing it in my blog. Nowadays, though, I just don't really have that anymore. And, I don't exactly want that, I just want to bl...

My first entry for 2010! I actually wanted to write an entry about the year that just passed, but it was just a tad too difficult for me. So, when I chanced upon Kars' Year-End Report , I felt that it was the perfect way for me to be able to write about 2009. Thank you, sis! :) ------------ 2009 Year-End Report What did you do in 2009 that you’d never done before? -Handled a Major class, fish massage and got Mehndi (henna tattoo). Those are the only things that come to mind right now. Did you keep your New Years’ Resolutions, and will you make more for 2010? -Uhm, I don't do New Year's Resolutions. I believe in Daily Resolutions. Did anyone close to you give birth? -Yes, many of my cousins gave birth in 2009, and 2 of my closest friends, too. Did anyone close to you die? -My dad. And, that makes 2009 one of the worst years, if not the worst, of my life! Also, one of my favorite and closest uncles passed away last year. What countries did you visit? -Thailand. What would y...

I have a close friend who got married recently and she asked for a very weird wedding gift, that is, she asked me to write her vow. I've actually known her before she met the love of her life, so she said it'd be a piece of cake for me to write it. But, vows are supposed to be very personal. Not even the best writer in the world could match the words that actually come straight from the heart. I told her that. But, there was no changing her mind. She told me that it was the only gift she wanted (read: demanded) and she's not going to take no for an answer. Therefore, I had no choice. I asked her how she felt for her "baby" so that I could just get the feel and attempt to write as if I was actually the one feeling it. Being thousands of miles away didn't exactly help. Or did it? After some meaningful exchanges, I came up with something and she liked it (in her exact words and spelling, she looooved it soooo much! ). Despite being a little lengthy, she promised ...

It's been 4 days since Christmas Break started. What have I been doing? Well, for most of the time, I've been sitting and lazing around at home as I was sick for the first two days. I think it's my body telling me to just slow down because I'm not as young as I used to be. When I was younger, er, younger than I am right now, I was so used to immersing myself completely in things that I needed to work on. I could go for one whole week with only 3.5 hours (that is 30 minutes of sleep every night). I could go on for three straight days without a single minute of sleep. That was the kind of life I led. But, now, it seems like age is taking its toll on me. Fatigue and exhaustion have caught up with me. And, until now, I find it weird and unbelievable that I can't even last 2 straight days of no sleeping without getting sick or sleeping the whole day on the third day. Now, I understand what my seniors used to tell me, savor your youthful strength and do the most out of it...

After 8 days in Thailand, I came back home exactly a week ago. I've been pretty busy making up for lost time, working on some things I missed when I was away and writing the reports I need to submit. And, because of all these things I've had to work on all at the same time, plus my classes, I've come down with a fever and really bad colds and cough. Oh, but despite, feeling under the weather and all, the trip was all worth it and I've learned so much and gained new life-long friendships. And also, I got to see my beloved Thai foster family, with whom I stayed with nine years ago when the Ship for Southeast Asian Youth Program brought me and 300 other youth participants to Thailand. Seeing my Thai family again was one of the reasons why I was so excited to take the trip. All in all, I can say that the whole trip was truly fruitful. It was fun, educational, enriching, unforgettable, relaxing, and really heart-warming for me. It was definitely something I needed. I enjoye...

Alhamdulillah. Praise be to God. I am now in Bangkok, Thailand for a 5-day Young Asian Muslim Women Leadership Training Workshop. I got here last night and it feels good to be back here after all these years. I am excited about the Workshop, especially after meeting some of the participants (some haven't arrived yet). It's always nice and interesting to meet young Muslim women who are, in their own way, empowered. We are all so different, yet so much the same. So far, there are 10 (2 from Iran, 2 from Burma, 2 from Thailand, 1 from Pakistan, 1 from Bangladesh, 1 from Cambodia, and myself) of us who are now here. We are still expecting more. At breakfast, we casually discussed some issues concerning some Asian countries and the West. It was nice and I could see that we are all united in wanting the region to prosper and reach its full potential. There were some sensitive issues that were mentioned and made two of our co-participants a little emotional. I could feel how much bot...

The new semester officially starts on Monday. Just this afternoon, I had my class masterlists printed. I'm ready to roll!!! :) I'm hoping my classes will be as interesting, if not more interesting, both for me and my students as the previous semesters. I am handling a major subject for the first time and, while I am a little bit nervous, I can't wait to start. English 150 , whose course description is Survey of World Literature , was one of my favorite subjects back in my undergraduate years. I remember how exciting it was for me. We discussed Homer's The Iliad and The Odyssey , Virgil's Aeneid , Dante Alighieri's The Divine Comedy (I remember our reporter almost fainting when she found out that we were to discuss all three books: Paradiso , Purgatorio , and Inferno !), Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's Faust , Miguel de Cervantes' Don Quixote and some other famous literary classics of world renown. And, of course, how can I forget my report-- One Thousand...