WATCH: Seoul-Incheon, South Korea


Here is my video on my short trip to South Korea.


For more blogposts on Seoul, click the links below.


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Padayon Lang: Just Continue ᜉᜇᜌᜓᜈ᜔ ᜎᜅ᜔

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There are words that stay with us long after the people who spoke them are gone. For me, one of those words is the Cebuano phrase: “Padayon lang.” These simple words describe my life motto. It is short, almost ordinary. It does not shine with poetry. Yet it has a quiet strength, the kind that you don’t just think about but actually feel deep inside. Literally, it means “just continue” or “keep going.” But in Cebuano life, padayon lang is less of a command and more of gentle encouragement, just a soft pat on the shoulder, a light that shows you the way in the dark. I first heard it as a child, when I struggled with school and say, “Padayon lang sa imong pagtuon.” Keep studying. It is not a word of triumph. It does not promise success. Unlike congratulations or I’m proud of you, padayon lang accepts that life is hard, that the road is tiring, and yet it reminds us that moving forward, even slowly, even step by step is still worth it. It is the Cebuano spirit of resilience, no...
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Once upon a time... Summa Cum Laude

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It has been fifteen years since I completed nursing school. I culminated my student days as a Summa Cum Laude at Father Saturnino Urios University in the Philippines. It was a rare academic feat, but I managed to excel inspite of the difficulties I had back then. As I reminisce how it has been, I would like to point out the learnings I had through the years, and this will be the focus of this blogpost. Summa Cum Laude is the highest Latin honor one could get in the university. It does not just mean being the class valedictorian with the highest grade in the batch, but it means possessing a grade considered one of the highest throughout the school's history. In the Philippines, there are very few with Summa Cum Laude honors, and it is extremely rare in Nursing. Yes, I did that. Well, it was unexpected. I was actually expecting at least Cum Laude, the third highest Latin honor. However, some rules were changed, making it less difficult to get Cum Laude such that I was lit...
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Cebuano: The Language and The People

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Living in Norway for over 2 years, I have often encountered questions about the languages I speak. I usually answered I speak Norwegian, English and two Filipino languages. Then, people start asking if the second Filipino language is a dialect of the other. Given my mother tongue is Cebuano, the second language referred, I abruptly debunk the misconcept that it is a mere dialect. My most common explanation is that all Filipinos speak the Filipino language, but those who only learn to speak Filipino have difficult time understanding or communicating with one speaking Cebuano. Throughout the span of my childhood, I got to grasp the political and cultural differences of Filipinos speaking Filipino language or Tagalog as referred by most, and those coming from the Southern Philippines speaking Cebuano. The language in itself has become the boundary between the two groups of people. Due to their innate differences, misunderstandings result, not because of mere language confusion, but of cu...
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Who chooses me or who I chose?

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This is somewhat a common question pertaining to relationship among Filipinos. There is even a song written to indicate a similar meaning of the title. Who will you prefer the person who chooses you or the person you choose? The song however pertains to love not simply choosing someone. However, to make the dilemma more relatable I would opt to use the word choose than love because the former is more definitive and concrete in meaning. This will the focus of this blogpost. A question of what seems selfish. It is selfish both to choose one and choose another who chose you. To choose one is like behaving superior over the other. Superiority as perceived maybe due to wealth, status or any desired characteristic. To be superior is itself selfish by failing to recognize another person as a co-equal being. On the other hand, to simply wait for someone to choose you is also selfish. Think how much self-confidence to think this way. One is quite certain that at least one in the wo...
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Taking Chances

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The actual direction of where our lives will go is something everyone wants to know. However, no matter how we try, we can never fathom everything on it. We pray and hope for better things to come. Sometimes, we simply take chances. What are chances? This is what I will tackle in this blogpost. This is quite reflective of where I am today in my life and will definitely serve as a guide in the future for decision-making and career planning. Hence, these are the three important assumptions about chances: Chances are options. People who seems depressed and hopeless simply run out of options in solving one's problem. Everything is perceived to be tough and impossible in these people's minds. On the contrary, these individuals really have options, but they are not willing to make the chance. This is because they do not have the courage to take responsibility of the possible outcomes their decisions would yield. Thus, it does not matter how many good options we have in finding sol...
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14000 Days In: Finding Balance, Meaning, and Inner Peace

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The 21st of January 2026 marks the end of the 14th chapter of my life, which also means that another 1,000 days have passed 😂. This chapter was not only about time moving forward, but also about personal reflection, adjustment, and maturity. During this period, I searched for meaning in life, questioned my values, and learned more about the importance of human connections. It was a phase that helped me better understand who I am and how I relate to others and the world around me. Learning from Past Challenges The 13th chapter of my life left a lasting impact on me and strongly shaped the one that followed. The pandemic changed daily life, work routines, and social relationships in ways I had never experienced before. During this time, I also chose to let go of unhealthy habits and distanced myself from certain people. The sudden death of my father was the most difficult experience, forcing me to confront loss, grief, and uncertainty. These events made the 14th chapter a pe...
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Love and Order of Mathematical Operations (PEMDAS)

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Do you remember PEMDAS rule? Maybe many have tried to forget this rule as an attempt to dump mathematical concepts in our unconscious mind. No one can blame that since many find mathematics as difficult, complicated and without use, although it is not. Now, since Valentine's Day, I will try to explain love and relationship through the PEMDAS rule. PEMDAS stands for parenthesis, exponent, multiplication, division, addition and subtraction. This rule guides on how to simplify equations, or get the answer of a series of mathematical operations. Say for example below: 4^2 + 2 ( 3×5 ) ÷ 3 - 3 Using PEMDAS rule, perform the operations inside the (P) parenthesis: 4^2 + 2 ( 15 ) ÷ 3 - 3 This is followed by (E) Exponents 16 + 2 ( 15 ) ÷ 3 - 3 Then, perform (M) multiplication operations. 16 + 30 ÷ 3 - 3 (D) Division follows then (A) addition and (S) subtraction. 16 + 10 - 3 26 - 3 23 The answer is 23. The PEMDAS provides a strict guidance on how to solve mat...
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Vigelandsparken, Oslo Norway: Celebrating Human Spirit

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The world's largest collection of sculptures in a park is attracting one million people every year. The art pieces, which were made from bronze, granite and iron features the appreciation of the human spirit of Norway's most renowned sculptor Gustav Vigeland. Click the link below: http://vimeo.com/65900073 Visiting Vigelandsparken makes one realize things in life, inspired from the different sections of the park: the Main Gate, the Bridge, the Fountain, the Monolith and the Wheel of life. The main gate is very simple but elegant. It features a long pathway towards the main section of the park. It gives the visitor the feeling that life requires a pathway and direction where one should follow through. That direction is the person's purpose in his or her life, that will guide all his or her actions, no matter what situations the person will be experiencing and whoever the person will be meeting. The bridge is one of the most dramatic part of the park, which...
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Filipino Body Language

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Non-verbal communication is an essential part in a society, as well as understanding the values the community believe in. This reflects a good overview of how communication and tradition have evolved through time. These expressions are never constant, such that meaning changes from time to time, and is greatly affected by the events or the kind of environment one belongs in. Filipinos, being a society with mixed Asian and Western influences have unique facial and body expressions. These are the focus of this blogpost. 1. Silent stare Stares could mean evil look for Filipinos. It may indicate sarcasm or manipulation. It is considered rude to this, especially when in a conversation because it may also indicate disinterest or disrespect. 2. Lip/Eye pointing This is quiet funny gesture common not just in the rural areas, but also in urban communities. It is quiet hard to explain the direction in verbal language, so it is better to point them vaguely, interestingly with the use of lips,...
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When Laziness Strikes

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Why are we lazy sometimes? Is it because it is a natural tendency for humans to feel it. Alternatively, it is because we are easily affected by the things we see in our environment, such that we mimic the behaviors of others like inaction. This is the focus of my blogpost. In stress reactions, there is a phenomenon we call fight and flight response in which either our body and psyche will confront all stress-producing events, or opts not to deal with them at all. From this, we can say that human can be lazy when the things and tasks we must accomplish either no longer challenges us or simply overwhelming us. So, sudden change in the quality and quantity of to-do list can lead one to be lazy or the opposite enthusiastic response. Thus, to counteract laziness, it is crucial to adjust these lists of actions. Take it easy. Remove the most demanding and hope things become better, instead of getting worse. On the other hand, laziness can be an influence of the culture and environment. This...
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