WATCH: Amsterdam, Netherlands


Here is the video of my short trip to Amsterdam.


For more blogposts on Amsterdam, click the links below:

Amsterdam Part 1
Amsterdam Part 2

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular This Week

The Butterfly That Can Not Fly

Image
In a beautiful garden, a man found a cocoon of a butterfly. It has a small opening in it. Very eager, the man sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole. Then, it seemed to stop making any progress for although it appeared as if it had gotten so far as it could, it could go no further. So the man decided to help the butterfly using a pair of scissors by snipping the remaining bit off of the cocoon. The man saw as expected the butterfly emerged easily from the cocoon but to his dismay, the butterfly it had a swollen body and small shriveled wings. Moreover, the wings never enlarged and expanded to be able to support the body. From then on, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around and never was it able to fly. The man in the story did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening were God’s way of forcing fluid from the body...
Read more

Cebuano: The Language and The People

Image
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...
Read more

Padayon Lang: Just Continue ᜉᜇᜌᜓᜈ᜔ ᜎᜅ᜔

Image
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...
Read more

The Misunderstood Cebuanos

Image
I tell to most of my friends that I actually do not speak Filipino as my mother language. Ofcourse, the most natural question I get is what language do I speak? I answer Cebuano and explain that it is the second most spoken of the Philippine language. It is not a dialect, and the people that speaks it are popularly known as Cebuanos. However, due to the cultural and linguistic diversity among groups in the Philippines, misunderstanding occur very often. And this blogspot is all about the often misunderstood Cebuanos. Fatalism, Realism and Resilience The Cebuano has undergone a lot of bad things in the past. Cebuanos in the southern island of Mindanao could be followers of Islam or belong to an indigenous group. Being part of another religious and cultural group could mean oppression by a larger group. The Spaniards and Americans tried to suppress any resistance in the group. When the country became independent, co-Filipinos in Manila oppressed and associated the Cebuano cu...
Read more

Thirteen Years After: My Nursing Journey

Image
Time went by so fast, and 13 years have passed. I passed my licensure exam in nursing in the Philippines last 2009. Since then, a lot has happened, and with that, my experience varied significantly. This is the focus of this blogpost. The day after I pass the exam. I remember that day. I was quite busy. Many expressed their congratulations. It is because I just did not pass the exam, I became somehow the talk-of-the-town instantly. Well, that will be noted in another blogpost later on. However, I proceeded with the plan of the day. I was helping nursing students in their thesis. It was actually a work that is in the "graysone" of things. We were actually doing most of the things for them - from revising to coaching for their thesis defense for a price. The payment we received was cheap compared to the quality of research paper we produced in a short time. I continued with that work for few months. So, I can say immersed myself in research, and fundamentally that s...
Read more

Look North: A Birthday Poem For My Sister

Image
This is quite strange to celebrate your birthday on different cities on the same country. Perhaps, this could be true in other occasions as well. However, today (February 11) marks your 32nd birthday, and this is the third consecutive year I am writing on your birthday on my blog. However, due to the odd circumstances we are currently in, I will be writing a poem for you this time. Weeks ago you made a decision to go north It was unforgettable travel for me back and forth I was anxious for reasons I honestly do not know Optimistic it'll be worth it, only the future will show The world is full of hard challenges and surprises But there is still optimism anywhere as hope arises However, we just need to believe, all turns out well That is life we live and describe it in a nutshell. You might feel fear and uncertain sometimes Those are just tests, normal ofcourse at times. This is just a start in a seemingly isolated place But you will eventually cope well with gr...
Read more

Even Monkeys Fall From a Tree

Image
In the heart of Korean wisdom lies the saying, "Namoo-eh-seo tteo-reo-ji-neun won-soong-i," which translates to "Even a monkey falls from a tree." This proverbial gem encapsulates a profound truth: even the most skilled or experienced individuals can make mistakes or experience failure. Let's delve into the significance of this saying in Korean society and culture. This is the focus of this blogpost. Within Korean culture, this saying reflects the value placed on humility and perseverance. It encourages individuals to approach success with humility, acknowledging that setbacks are a natural part of life's journey. This mindset fosters resilience and a willingness to learn from mistakes, traits highly regarded in Korean society. In contemporary Korea,  the proverb remains as pertinent as ever. In a society known for its emphasis on academic and professional achievement, the pressure to succeed can be immense. As a person who was focused on academi...
Read more

My Hardworking Father

Image
I admit that I am not as close with my father as I am with my mother. There are times that I do not agree with my father's decisions but I totally respect and admire him as the head of our family.          Life was not easy for my father's family. They have to struggle for daily needs. Due to this, my father was left without option but to stop going to school. Aside from that, he is the eldest of five children, so he was expected to contribute financially to meet the needs and for the benefit of the whole family. His name is Julius, named after a Roman emperor, who changed the world forever. In my life, Julius made me realize how I should see the world and live the way I should - that is, to care for others regardless of what the person I achieved. Aside from my mathematical skills and obvious facial resemblance with him, I inherited his people skills founded on empathy and humility in accepting that one needs another to survive in this wor...
Read more

Noblesse Oblige: A Guiding Principle

Image
Some ideas refuse to disappear, even when the world changes around them. One of them is the French expression Noblesse Oblige. It simply means that privilege comes with responsibility. If life has given you education, opportunity, influence, or success, then you have a duty to use those gifts for something greater than yourself. It is an old idea, perhaps even an unfashionable one, but I think it still deserves a place in the modern world. I have thought about this a lot over the past few years. When I left the Philippines and moved to Norway, I did not arrive with privilege. Like many immigrants, I started almost from the beginning. I had to learn a new language, adapt to a different culture, rebuild my career, and prove myself again. Nothing was handed to me. Every step forward came through long shifts, sacrifices, studying after work, and refusing to give up when life became difficult. Today, I live a life that my younger self could only imagine. ...
Read more

Cultural Differences: East and West

Image
Being new to this Scandinavian land, it has been one of my objectives to allow myself to integrate into the society, not just to have more opportunities and establish social networks, but also for me to learn new things, enriching the values I had before coming here. On the other hand, there are also from the West who are wiling to embrace a new culture from the East, bringing forth the necessary cultural exchange that may augment understanding of similarities and differences. This is enabled by those living on each side of the globe. This is the focus of this blogpost. When East meets West The East is composed of diversed groups and ethnicities, but there is one common among all those groups, collective representation and gain. What one achieves or does, whatever it is, is a representation of the group he or she belongs. By saying whatever means anything from taking pictures during travels, taking education or doing good at work. This is because most from the East loves to give prid...
Read more