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Showing posts from December, 2016

2016: The Year That Was

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Twelve months have passed. Now, we are about to celebrate the new year. Many of us are quite nostalgic of the 2016. There were certainly changes, challenges, surprises and beginnings. From these various experiences, we learn and hopefully become a better person thereafter. Personally, 2016 was unique year. Generally, it was better than the previous years. However, there were still events that shook me and gave me a sort of struggle. But as they say, that is how things are. This blogpost will somehow sum up the experiences that left most mark in the last year. Travel year So far, I have visited 13 countries and lived in 2 countries (Norway and the Philippines). I began the year with a trip to Stockholm, Sweden. After Easter, I went to Germany (Berlin and Dresden). After I went back to the Philippines, I had a short trip to South Korea. Moreover, I visited Czech Republic, Hungary, Austria, Slovakia, Poland and Belgium the rest of the year. It was indeed a busy travel year. I traveled l

23 Signs You Have Lived in Norway Long Enough

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Norway is one of the northernmost country in the world. Many can not even accurately pinpoint where it is located in the globe. I was like many, who knew little of this Scandinavian state. For now, it has been over three years since I took my chance in starting a new life here. In that period of time, nothing I can consider easy. It was full of challenges to be integrated in the relatively conservative Norwegian society. However, I see my experience not as a mere struggle, but as part of my continuing personal history worth remembering for. So now, I will be presenting the 23 common signs that one has lived in Norway long enough. 1. You love the sun . Even it is about 12 degrees Celsius but there is sun, you could see people in light clothing. With that, I mean really light. People sunbathe wherever and whenever there is a warm sun. This is quite surprising for me, given I originally come from a tropical country. 2. You appreciate snow . If you come from the Northern region or the mo

What Christmas Means To Me This Year

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When I was younger, the yuletide season has always made me feel excited and happy, regardless of how we celebrated it. There were difficult times for my family such that we could never afford to celebrate Christmas in the extravagant manner others could. It was simple but during those times, what matters most is the time I spend with my family. I think that is the essence of Christmas. However, this year something is different, my primary family is away in the Philippines. Although I had built a new network of individuals whom I consider part of my family in Norway, the fact that I am still long for Filipino Christmas. But to how my view on Christmas has changed this year is something interesting. From religious to being more reflective It is part of the Philippine tradition to attend religious activities during Christmas. These activities certainly provides more meaning to the Yuletide season. It is the time of sharing and celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, the saviour of mankin

Res Ipsa Loquitur: In A Non-Legal Perspective

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Res Ipsa Loquitur in Latin means the thing speaks for itself. This a legal doctrine that somehow gives the inference of negligence from the action itself which the doer has an exclusive control over it. The classic example is in malpractice cases where injury is obvious on the direct recipient of the action, especially related on health issues of forgotten surgical instruments inside body cavities after a surgical operation, or perhaps burns from unregulated heat application. These are few examples of the legal doctrine, but in this blogpost, I will not delve deeper on this. I will utilize the doctrine as a springboard to show how our beliefs, emotions and principles cloud our understanding and logic in our analysis of daily events. This is what I meant of a non-legal perspectives. Our previous experience hinder us from seeing the obvious. Humans are historical beings. We remember our experiences, create inferences and make decisions from our memories. We avoid a situation that will

Questions on Mortality

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One is certain in this world. We all know at one point in time, we will all die because we are mortals. However, this fact is sometimes avoided or denied as the focus is more given to life itself than the end of it. It is also an inconvenient topic to discuss about death. People are afraid and most often associated with the most painful life experiences one could ever had. Moreover, the way towards death is something left undiscussed, and much controversial is what happens after death. All these things and questions will be tackled on this blogpost. Is death a time to remember? What if one dies unnoticed? Does that dimish the essence and worth of dying? These are very complex questions. First, one has to deal of the need of the person to be acknowledged. This is a need for the living, but the problem exists on this need continues to be a need at the time of time, or even after it. Many cultures in the world commemorate dead loved ones by visiting their graves, praying or simply remem

Everything Takes Time

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Patience is a virtue I learned most since I had decided to live in Norway. To wait is something I did not like before. Today, sometimes I see the advantage of waiting, deliberately delaying things or perhaps unintentionally making mistakes that results for processes to take time. This is a contrast to what I have experienced in the Philippines, my home country where life's tempo is way much faster than that of in this Scandinavian land. In this blogpost, I will attempt to shed light on five perspectives why everything takes time. To wait for something better to happen . There is always something better. If one does not work, there is always an opportunity to find something better. What maybe the best thing to do today, may not be the best approach for the same problem or situation. It is usual that delays occur. However, a person with grit personality learn to set the brakes on to see a better view of the things passing or events happening. To take time to avoid mistakes . A pe