Confirmed: I am positive. Hello, folks! How are you doing? I hope you're all healthy and well. I can't say the same for me because, as you may have known, my previous post was me thinking that I might be infected with Coronavirus. And well, yesterday, I had the chance to have my PCR test taken. Results came out today, and I am, indeed, positive for COVID-19. I won't say that I did not expect it. I was expecting it at all, though a little part of me is still hoping that this…
I think I got the Omicron variant. Hello, everyone! It's been days since I last posted an article here. Am I busy? Hmm, actually, I am not. The past few days I just decided to rest and from time to time, go to certain attractions near my area. In the last few days as well, we were able to celebrate the birthday of one of our dorm mates here. It was a surprise late birthday celebration for her, we decided to eat in an Indian restaurant, and it was way too good! So, I just…
Summer break is here. Hello everyone! How are you? I hope you're all doing fine in whatever it is that you're doing. I intended to post something but don't have any ideas or thoughts to share. So, I just thought maybe to give you an update on how's my life lately in Japan. The Spring semester had just ended for me. The last class that I attended was last July 28th, yet we still had a day trip to Osaka to visit the Osaka-Ukiyoe Museum and watch Bunraku. According to…
New PH Laws Before I begin writing this article, I would like to say that I am not an expert in Philippine government laws, although I try to be aware of such, especially the new ones that benefit the people I care for. In this article, I will only select certain laws that I think are relevant to many people today. I won't even bother those asking to rename the airport of the Philippines into something else, well, it's just a bill, but hey, aren't there other bills which are…
Booster shot: Done I can't believe that we are already in the 8th month of the year 2022. It all seems to go by so fast. I arrived here in Japan on the last week of November last year, and now, as I look back, I can't help but feel bittersweet because I only have a few months more of staying here. Anyway, I just wanna share with you my experience in getting my COVID-19 vaccine here in Japan. Before I came here, I was able to get a vaccine in the Philippines in June and July…
History is not gossip. "History repeats itself." This famous saying is related to what George Santaya, a Spanish philosopher once said - "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." For me, it doesn't necessarily mean that everything that has happened in the past will be bound to happen again. I think it is called "deja vu", more commonly in a paranormal realm. It just suggests that maybe the same bad things can happen again if the present people don't…
Kansai? Nara? What is that? Just to give you a brief background, I am from the Philippines, and is currently living in Nara City, Nara Prefecture in Japan. I am staying here as a scholar of Japanese government for special program for teachers. It's actually a short stay because I will only be here until March of next year. So, here is a list of some information about Japan that I have learned while I am here. Some are general information, and some are focused on where I live…
Let's know about the "kawaii" culture. Disclaimer: I am the sole author of this article. Some parts of the article were part of my paper submitted to one of my subjects called Japanese Culture. In case you don't know, kawaii (かわいい) is a Japanese word that literally means "cute". It is a generalization of something that's adorable, or lovable... some articles also mentioned that the meaning of kawaii implies someone or something without any negative traits. Japan = cuteness…
Flower power If you will choose what kind of flower are you, what will it be? As for me, I don't have anything in particular when I was younger. Maybe it was red roses at first for this is the most common flower that I see when a man courts a woman, or especially during the high school prom, etc. I didn't even realize that there are so many other kinds of flowers out there to choose from. When I was in college, I decided that I like to receive a solitary white rose, I don't…
There's no such thing as ready. "There's no such thing as ready..." Do you believe in this statement? Actually, there's a statement after it, but I'm going to reveal it later. Let's first talk about the meaning of this, and why is there no such thing as it. I'm contemplating this ever since my friend said these statements back in 2013. She was a young journalist who had ventured into street photography, and eventually published a photography book. During that time, she met…
Fresh (grads) in the flesh... Are you a fresh graduate who just recently finished his/her bachelor's degree from a college or university? You might hear people say to you "Welcome to the real world!". Funny, because these are the very words that I was thrown at when I was in your very situation. Why is it called the real world? Does it mean that the university isn't? I thought effective learning should be experiential, it should at least give us a glimpse of the "real world"…
All will be alright, in time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCd1nAI-po4 I want to share with you one of my favorites from one of the most successful musicians in the Philippine Music Industry - Ben&Ben. This song is entitled "Leaves". Ben&Ben is a 9-part band led by the twins Miguel Benjamin and Paolo Benjamin Guico. At first, they were known as "The Benjamins", obviously because of their names, but later on, became Ben&Ben who popularized the music genre folk-pop. I've…
I am such a crybaby. Today, I cried... Yes, it's super normal to cry, right? But, is it still normal when I tell you that I cried in front of my Japanese supervising teacher? As some of you may already know, I am currently in Japan as a teacher training student under their government scholarship. I am one of the lucky ones who were able to join the roster of scholars coming to Japan for exposure to their educational institution and research. I am considered lucky because I…
Fix You Do you have a song that you play on loop whenever you feel sad, and down? This song by Coldplay always pierces my heart whenever I listen to it. Let me share with you a link to its music video, just in case you don't know it yet. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4V3Mo61fJM This song is about the singer-songwriter (Chris Martin) wanting to help the one he loves overcome a struggling situation of losing his ex-wife's (Gwyneth Paltrow) father. Though this is not…
It hurts to be poor. "Ang hirap maging mahirap." The direct translation of this in English is "It's difficult to be poor.", or to make it sound more poetic, "It hurts to be poor." as shown in my title. Do you agree? I think it's agreeable, especially when you experience it in your face. Now, I am kind of experiencing it, without the intent of experiencing it. It's just funny because in the last article that I've written, I talked about people saying that money can't buy…
Some say money can't buy happiness... Sumimasen... Have you watched a short video on Tiktok or YouTube shorts or Instagram Reels with this audio and then suddenly, with a (sounded like a) short laugh tell you "Sumimasen... come to Japan."? What's the connection, right? You will know when you'll be able to watch it, so I will try to post my own version of it here: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ZCK-M2VE-wE Well, come to think of it. If you'll not be "too serious" about it,…
My Journey to the University (as an undergrad) I don't know about you, but when I was young, I always wanted to grow old faster. When I was in grade school, I was not into the childish things that every other kid is going crazy about, I always thought, I am an old soul trapped in a kid's body. During those times, I always think of myself as a successful person. When I was a kid and I was asked what I want to be when I grow up, I would definitely say "I want to become a…
Nihon is home. Do you like manga or anime? When I was a kid, I enjoyed watching Magic Knight Ray Earth, Doraemon, Mojacko, Ghost Fighter, Slam Dunk, Lupin III, Zenki, Flame of Recca, etc. I watched these Tagalog-dubbed anime, but, I did not become a super anime fan despite having watched all of the above-mentioned animes. Some people are exposed to anime, manga, and the like, so they were also more exposed to the Japanese language, known as Nihongo. There are others who even…
How do you restart? This article had been hanging in my saved articles for a while. It seems fitting now that I am asking this question. Yes, how do you restart? Rekindling your love for writing is not as easy as A-B-C or shutting down your laptop or your mobile phone with just one click. It is way more than that. To restart what you've stopped doing for a long time seems like an impossible task. Why? Because you're not used to it anymore. Gone were the days when you were…
Just when you thought everything is okay... Shit happens. I've not been able to write articles for a very long time since I got too busy with my transition to living abroad. The last article I shared was 7 months ago, telling you about how I'm waiting for my departure to Japan where I am currently living. It was mostly about my journey - the successes, struggles, and the in-betweens... before this very life came into existence. Now, I am here. I came here last year,…
I'm back... It's been months since my last article. I became so busy with work that I was not able to make a life update. Well, if you're following me, you might know that I have applied for a scholarship in Japan, and it was a dreadful waiting time since July... Since I applied for the scholarship, I had to file for a leave of absence from my full-time job beginning July 1. For the whole month of July, I was teaching in my part-time job as an online English tutor, but come…
Easier said than done Do you have a new year's resolution? It might be too late for me to ask you now, but, did you make one last year and pledged to be doing it this year? Before, I was fond of making new year's resolutions, but I ended up not making anything because it is so easy to write it down on a piece of paper, yet, it's so hard to actually do make it happen. Sure, I may have written once that I'd be healthier in a new year, yet, I was just healthy "at the…
On holding on and letting go Nakapag-let go ka na ba? There are many reasons why most people are afraid to let go. Some of these reasons stem out from a former experience or heartbreak or past trauma. In this article, I will share some of the reasons why people stay where they are, too afraid to move forward. I can't let go because... I am so used to it. It's hard to let go of something (or someone) that you are used to do (or used to have). It may be familiar with the…
Loving the Unlovable Would you agree if I tell you that it's easy to love someone if you know that he/she loves you in return? I think of us would agree that it's easy as ABC or 123, it's like breathing in and out, it's normal, it's natural... there's nothing too difficult in doing it. But have you ever thought of the kind of love that is defined as the greatest? If loving someone who loves us in return is too easy to do, will we be given credit for doing it? Sure, yeah. But…
Why it pays to wait... At the brink of technology nowadays, people tend to be impatient. Why? Because we want our questions to be answered by Google right away. When we want to send a message to a loved one who is living in another part of the country or in another country, we can just get out phones, connect to the internet, and voila! make a call or even a video call. When the connection's lagging, we tend to get angry. Am I right? To give you an overview, I will try to…
Doubt your doubts. If there's one word that would encapsulate what describes my life right now is the word doubt. Sure, I've been talking about faith, hope, and love... but I am also diving into a sense of uncertainty. Does this mean that I have no faith? No, not at all. Here's why: I've mentioned before that I am a worrier and an over-thinker. I tend to think about the possible consequences of whatever decision I will be making. I would like to see myself as a…
________ is equal to an "I love you". The last article I wrote was about how to respond to an I love you... There, I've discussed 4 common responses most people utter when someone tells them that they love them. Here, I will try to put myself on the side of the one who utters the word, or more than the utterance - how a person shows love in many different ways. Here's a list of how people tell that they love you even without them telling. "How's your day?" is equal to an "I…
How do you respond to "I love you."? How do you respond when your life partner tells you "I love you."? I have here four most common responses: A. I love you, too. B. I love you more. C. Thank you. D. I love you, always. In this article, I will discuss what these replies mean only based on my knowledge. Disclaimer: I am not telling you that how I interpret these replies means the same to your other half. But, I'm still sharing it anyway. A. I love you, too. I think this is…
Why worry? I am a worrier. I tend to worry about the future, about what might happen, about my career and life choices, about my future family, about my finances, almost about everything. I always worry about tomorrow that sometimes I neglect to be in the moment. I realized that I am really a worrier because when I submitted my application to the scholarship program, I worry about the consequences of it - having to give up my full-time job because it will not be favorable to…
Leave of Absence When I graduated in 2009, I was one of those fortunate enough to land a job right after my graduation. It was not my dream job, but it was okay to start my "working adult" journey. I stayed there for 2 years without knowing what would happen to me. When I got the opportunity to become a teacher, I grabbed it, and the rest, they say, is history. I've been employed in the institution for a total of 10 years last June. I had little idea of how it is like to…
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