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...
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...
Health is that elusive state of being that we all strive for, yet never quite seem to reach. We all have our own definition of what it means to be healthy, whether it's the absence of illness or the ability to run a marathon without breaking a sweat. But the truth is, defining health is no easy feat. It's like trying to catch a greased pig - you can chase after it, but it always seems to slip away. So, let's take a lighthearted look at the complex nature of health and how we can try to define it. I have come to understand that determining who is healthy is not as simple as it may seem. The connection between norms and health is intricate, and there is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. In my experience, health is not just about the absence of disease but also about meeting societal norms. For instance, a patient who presents with symptoms of depression and anxiety may be considered unhealthy, even though there is no physical ailment. This ...
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...
According to the recent Happiness Index and Positive Experience Index (2015), Filipinos are considered one of the happiest in the world. There are many empirical evidence supporting this, including the magnitude of resilence and effectiveness of Filipinos in coping with several calamities and personal challenges. There are ofcourse scepticism on these researches, given that happiness could not even be measured objectively, and even more difficult to be compared. Happiness is indeed subjective, such that it is experienced differently among various persons with unique backgrounds and histories. Therefore, it is a challenge to make a summary or list of what makes one happy for a certain group of people, such as Filipinos. However, there are similarities among Filipinos that one could deduce effectively to answer what makes Filipinos happy. This is the focus of this blogpost. Family counts first. Family is most powerful source of motivation and happiness for Filipinos. More importantly,...
Since June 2014, the average oil price went down from 110 dollars to less than 50 dollars per barrel. This news would have not caught my attention if I was not observing the same trend with the exchange rate between Norwegian kroner and Philippine peso, given that I started sending money for my family at the same period of time. So I asked myself how does the current situation affect us OFW's (Overseas Filipino Workers) working in oil exporting countries (primarily from the Middle East, Norway, Canada etc.) in the long-term. To give a concise overview of what has happened. The current oil price downward trend has been primarily due to the oversupply of oil following oil shale boom in the United States, slowed oil consumption following slowing economic growth in the Eurozone and China, and the OPEC's (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) decision not to cut production from its current levels. On the other hand, we see other factors that potentially increases the pric...
In this time of convenience and efficiency, the need for trust and to be trustworthy is very eminent. It would seem then that all people have their own motives in every step they take. All of us are guilty of the cycle of deception and mistrust. This is the focus of this article. Trust seems to emanate from infancy specifically from our parents or caregivers. The consistency of the attending our needs during this crucial period defines are ability to trust others when we grow up. This also determines our ability to form relationships with others, as we mirror how we were raised to how we communicate and deal with others. Many people have said that without trust, one cannot effectively develop friendships and associations with others. Some may have established relationships, but should trust be absent, the formed relationship is considered just existent outwardly, but a failure in its essence. Trust is indeed basic. It is simply knowing and feeling that someone will care for ...
Over eleven million Filipinos either live or work outside the Philippines. This statistics is said to have almost reached its peak, given the emigration pace is a little less faster than expected, perhaps due to developments in the country. However, the fact is still remains that over ten percent of the population resides abroad. This challenges pose a big challenge, not just the society in general, but also the concerned individual. The challenges and experiences are sometimes underestimated by those who never had to undergo the ups and downs of being an overseas Filipino workers. In late 2013, I took the chance of starting a new life in Norway, a country I hardly knew before, inspite of me interested in world history and geography. The first few months literally caused a culture shock and somewhat short period of "depression." It was not easy. There are things that I did not expect even though I was financially prepared of it. Much worse, I went to a country where as a hea...
While browsing my Facebook newsfeed, I came to realize how our country - the Philippines is plagued with not just prevalent corruption, but also with direct and indirect mob rule. People who seems to have control and followership tends to use extra-judicial means to assert control or push for decisions and situations for either their personal advantage or the organization they represent. In this blogpost, I will not single out any organization or issue to help people understand the characteristics of mob rule. This is to provide awareness that mob rule and democracy are concepts on the opposite sides of the continuum. I allow my readers to use the knowledge they get to evaluate situations either current or past, whether these situations fits to the criteria of mob rule. A controlling authority attempting to utilize extra-judicial means The authority maybe an individual, a group or a large institution with objectives they need to pursue and meet for their own growth, survival or adva...
When is the right time for everything? Is it today, in the near future or perhaps few months or years from now? This is a perplexing question anyone is confronted. But when can we really say it is the right time? This is the main theme of this blogpost. When you have the courage Courage is a feeling and act of valor inspite of uncertainty and danger. This is I believe the only kind of feeling we need to act. We do not need to feel happy, contented or secured, before we act. When we wait to feel better first before we act, then better do nothing at all. That will certainly take time. Feelings vary from time to time. But courage often happen instantaneously. Do something, rather than waiting for the right feeling. The right time is when you feel brave enough. Just be courageous. After all, if you commit mistakes, you can still rectify them and do better perhaps in another time. When you have reason Many of us will never take the risk of acting on something before all the necessary i...
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