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...
It was quite unfortunate that just few weeks ago when all of us in the nursing home I worked for got a bad news that my ward will be closed by the Oslo municipality. The main reason was based on statistics of the slight decline of those who are over 80 years old, which they attribute to the Second World War. That was a brilliant alibi of the city government and its agencies to cover up political intentions, which in philosophy is a valid socialist measure. However, the news threatened us to be unemployed for a time, given that the process of determining who are to lose their jobs have been started just few weeks ago. Personally, I was very worried, but I handled the situation well. I know that everything depends on a stable job, which includes my papers in Norway. I was uncertain if I would be "saved", given that I have just started less than a year ago. In short, I am one of the few with the shortest work experience in the nursing home. The only thing that could save me i...
Today (November 30) marks the birth anniversary of the known Filipino hero Andres Bonifacio. Many including me are used to hearing Bonifacio's name but never really got to deepen the appreciation and knowledge about him. There were controversies and unresolved issues regarding the motivation, personality and death of Bonifacio; but in this blogpost, the focus would rather be on the learnings we could possibly derive from the story of Bonifacio and how we could reflect on it when applied on our own respective lives. Family and friends first At the age of 14, Bonifacio needed to stop going to private school to support his five other siblings because both their parents died of illness in a duration of a year. Because of this, he earned a living for his family until his siblings had been regularly employed thereafter. On the other hand, by mere impression, Bonifacio treated Rizal as a friend or as an important person of the Filipino revolution. Motivated by this, Bonifacio with his c...
Bullying became a hot topic in Norway today after a young teenager died of emaciation due to eating disorder that was primarily linked to anxiety from bullying at school. This was quite taboo in this Scandinavian country, given the nation is very keen on respecting socio-cultural differences and on protection against any form of discrimination. Discussions have been made on how to handle and prevent bullying and who takes the responsibility in these cases, whether the family, school or the State. Personally, I was not reacting in anyway as my mind says the concept is remote and almost impossible to happen in the Philippines. Perhaps, I was referring it to death, but not to bullying. However, after several days I was quite uneasy on the topic and further asked myself if I was ever bullied before and what it has caused me in the long-term basis. To my surprise, bullying was a crucial point in my childhood. My coping skills allowed me to hide in my consciousness what had happened...
When people ask me what was your job before? I answered I worked as a nurse and a teacher before for almost 4 years. Upon hearing this, they have a different kinds of reaction, but the way I understand their reaction, it was more of disbelief and doubt. Yes I worked as such. I never regret any moment of it. I am quite young and some may even think I was not yet fit for the job. Honestly speaking, I considered that seriously. Feeling people doubt you because you are young as a teacher challenged me a lot to do better. I was thinking I was getting better but somehow I lacked something. A different perspective in life, a different flavor. This has contributed me to go abroad and leave my job in the Philippines. Worrying, ofcourse is always a result of the decision of leaving your comfort zone, but now I realize I need to see things in a larger perspective. From my present standpoint, I could see myself before very contented with my chalk or my white board marker, going to school, do...
At sunset, a tourist was walking down a deserted beach. As he walked along, he began to see another man in the distance. As he grew nearer, he noticed the man he saw was a local native. The native was leaning down, picking up something and throwing it out into the water. Time and again, he kept hurling things out into the ocean. Curious, the tourist approached even closer, he noticed that the native was picking up starfish that had been washed up on the beach and, one at a time, he was throwing back them into the water. Puzzled, the tourist said, “Good evening friend. I was wondering what you were doing.” “I’m throwing these starfishes back into the ocean. You see its low tide right now and all these starfishes have been washed up onto the shore. If I don’t throw them back into the sea, they’ll die up here from lack of oxygen,” the native replied. “I understand” the tourist said, “but there must be thousands of starfishes on this beach. You can not possibly get to all of t...
The mere thought of coming home after several months of being away from home makes me feel very anxious. I know others feel the same. The reasons maybe complex but these are shared by everyone who went beyond their comfort zone in search of greener pastures. Here are the three most obvious reasons why I am afraid. I do not know how I will react with bad news I do not know This is everyone's fear. Being away for a significant length of time, family and friends would sometimes opt not to tell you some bad news, especially when it can make one confused and distracted. Instead of being able to deal with the problem, I fear if this will happen to me that I am left with no option but to cope as fast as I could, especially when I can not do something about it. Although, I just hope that I can handle pretty well. Wish me luck. I do not know whether I could keep up with high expectations Ofcourse, this is an inenvitable fear. People would ask how I was in the last few months. Whether I ...
Being the Danish nation’s northernmost town, Skagen is known for the Skagen Odde peninsula located in the North Jutland Island. The town also houses the world largest fish oil factory. The sand and fish port factors make vacations to Skagen peninsula a very unique experience. This has been made more special during my visit in the winter season in February when spring pauses occur. Thus, my short trip became a combination of sun, snow and sand in Skagen. Skagen Fyr The Skagen Lighthouse was a reconstruction of the White Lighthouse, which is primarily used for exhibitions nowadays. This lighthouse has been useful in preventing invasion of the Danish capital Copenhagen by Western countries like the Great Britain. Grenen This is Denmark’s northernmost tip where the North Sea and the Baltic Sea meet. Grenen literally means the branch, showcases a very beautiful landscape and sea horizon. Sandormen It is a wagon pulled by a tractor carrying ...
As an introvert, I've often been labeled as timid in various situations, which tends to carry a negative connotation, especially in our fast-paced world where introversion is not typically favored. However, there's an aspect that is frequently overlooked – being timid can come with some unexpected benefits. While there are advantages to being timid, it's also important to acknowledge the potential downsides. First of all, being timid can hold you back in social situations. If you're always hesitant to speak up or put yourself out there, you might miss out on opportunities to connect with others or pursue your goals. You might find yourself feeling left out or overlooked, which can lead to feelings of loneliness and isolation. Another potential problem with being timid is that it can lead to low self-esteem and a lack of confidence. When you're always second-guessing yourself and holding back, you might start to believe that you don't have any...
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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