Hi fellow read.cash users! How's your day? Are you with your family today? If so, I'm jealous. Just kidding, I still had my family, though they lived on the other island of the Philippines, Cebu, while me I stayed at Negros Oriental to study. It's so hard to go there during this pandemic, and it made me regret my decision, though the pandemic started unexpectedly.
How did I stayed in Negros Oriental in the first place?
Everything has a reason, including how I got here in the first place. So, I studied at a Science High School near my Grandma's house. Before that, I was trying to apply at Philippine Science High School Central Visayas Campus to study with my 2 classmates with me. Unfortunately, we didn't get accepted by the campus. I feel defeated that time I failed, I thought my family are angry after that, but the helped me instead to study on a different science school. They think about the Science High School in Sibulan, where my grandparents lived. They told me to apply there instead. I was so glad that they given me an another chance to apply on an another school.
Before I could go study there, I had to take 2 different test. School Test, where all students within Sibulan and other places takes the test, and Regional Test which is part 2 basically. If we ever passed it, we will get interviews to see if we are able to study there while speaking either of these 2, Cebuano and English.
After 2 tests, I managed to get into the interview stage! I was so glad I could able to pass the test! But with a mix of my nervous self, I couldn't think of anything else after I heard there's an interview test. I'M BAD AT COMMUNICATING! HOW CAN I ABLE TO PASS IT IF I'M SO BAD AT GRAMMAR!
Few months after the test, we were called to come to the campus to take the interview. I'm so nervous about it. But with the help of The Lord, I managed to get away with my grammar mistakes, a bit. I can't forgot that time I was sweating after those crazy English sentences and questions, and I even don't know what's my grandparents' address, exact address! XD, oh I can't.
But after that, my mom took me to Dumaguete to celebrate my victory.
Few days later, I got a message
Congratulations Stanley, you are now accepted as a Siscian!
AHHHHH, I'm so glad! I can study at Negros now!
But... I can't meet my parents for a long period of time. But they promise that they'll come visit us every last Sunday of the month, and we'll return home whenever it's vacation day.
All was going well. I cried since I missed my family, already, but my new classmates help me to calm down. Masaya ako! But, this happened...
The Pandemic Started Unexpectedly
On March, I was excited to meet my family and taking a vacation, but the "first" COVID-19 case is within Dumaguete, and just by few days. All the Earth stopped. Quiet, feeling isolated, and scared. But what's makes me worry more after I heard that all transportation from every single island has to be stopped till further notice. Di ko talaga expected to dahil gusto ko na umuwi. But it is what it is.
How we Communicate in these times
We eventually call each other and video chatting as well on FB Messenger. We talk about our distant learning progress, our status in life in here, while they talk about their life in there.
The Transportation, both water and air, came back after some months of Isolation
After we heard about our municipal's announcements, we can now travel back to Cebu with no Swab Test or any other costly requirements! Finally, but we had 2 weeks vacation, so we had to use our very time. I don't wanna explain about what happened while in Cebu, but it's a blast and fun, and kinda make me go back.
But after few weeks when the cases in Negros Oriental became huge, the transportation is cancelled, again, and probably that's the last time we travelled back without any requirements.
What's our plan to go back?
This August, my mom now actually got her piggy bank full, and used it to both me and ate to go back. But after I heard we need RT-PCR test, I'm scared. Though it's been 1 year since we visited Cebu, so mother planned to bring us back to Cebu as she worries about us, and she missed us as well. She wants us to go back bringing all our belongings and stay in my hometown again and study there instead.
I'll probably make an article about us rushing to go back, with mom's impatience xD.
We really got homesick during this pandemic, we miss them, even my cousins and neighbours. Hope I got negative in my rapid test probably by tomorrow.
The feeling of staying on a different place and your family is staying on your original home. It's very sad when I actually got worried about them getting sick, have problems, and so on. The feeling is that you can't tell but you can see it by your feelings, I will instantly hug them after arrival, because I missed them and I'm now starting to feel lonely without them.
I Regretted my choices, can you comment I did my decision on going in the school where I could take my chance to improve but going far away from my family or I did it wrong?
That's the end of my article, hope you enjoyed!