Twenty Twenty-One

How do we summarize the year 2021? It is quite complicated as it seems, especially who works as a nurse in the middle of the pandemic. However, I will attempt to summarize into three parts: work, personal and general reflection. This will be the focus of this blogpost.

TWENTY highlights of my work situation.

1. Alpha variant. The year started with long bout with Corona virus at work. 
2. Beta variant. Yes we were hit the British variant as well. 
3. Delta variant. It was very sporadic, but nevertheless, I felt less the brunt of the delta variant at work. But from time to time, some of my colleagues are affected.
4. Omicron variant. Well, as of this writing, we are hearing some cases at work. Hopefully, the situation will not get worse.
5. End. Yes, I ceased to work at a nursing home where I had a tenured part-time work.
6. Start. I started anew with night shift tenured work in one of Oslo's most modern health facility.
7. Reduced. Given that I began anew at one public nursing home, so I decided to reduced my working hours on a private nursing home.
8. Three workplaces. Yes, I managed to joggle those three workplaces despite the pandemic.
9. Repeated tests. As a consequence, I needed to test more than forty times, just to ensure I am risk-free to do my job.
10. Almost no vacation. Yes, I only had 1 week vacation outside Oslo. Whereelse would I travel? Nowhere. 
11. Busiest. This year, I can say I had the busiest shifts I had since I lived in Norway. 
12. Getting used to. Despite the tremendous effort required I am actually getting used to such tempo. In my mind, well that is the choice I made as a nurse. 
13. Missing colleagues. I actually miss some of my colleagues who I worked with before I ended my tenured contract. 
14. Gaining new colleagues. Well, I gained new colleagues at new workplace. Quite interesting mix of personalities. 
15. Full-time night duty nurse. With all those changes combined, I have a full-time tenured night shift work.
16. Extra work. But I still work AM and PM shifts, when I want. I wanted to do this, so my circadian rhythm will not be dependent to being awake at night.
17. New leaders. I have to be acquainted with new faces, who has the authority and supervision on me. Well, I think I am not just a "passive all-yes" employee. 😄
18. New tasks. Given that I work at one of the most modern health facility, I get to be accustomed with the use of technology in health care. This is something I find exciting honestly.
19. More independent. Since I work at night, it comes with my job to be extremely independent. I do take crucial and sometimes complex decisions alone for thr best of my patients.
20. More confident. I think I have gained a lot of confidence recently. I think it comes naturally with varied experience.

TWENTY events characterizing my personal life.

1. Facial mask. I think this year, I have spent time outside almost everytime with facial mask. Well, I mean it serious, even when I am in the resting  room, I still have my facial mask on. As a nurse, I have learned not to touch the facial mask when it is on, so I just wear it throughout then.
2. Living today. Some people I am very serious and structured. Well, those people who know me in that way really do not know me at all. I can say, when I work, I work hard. When I play, I play hard, as well. 😄
3. Moving on. This year I learned to move forward. I don't know how but suddenly, I was actually moving forward. People around me noticed that as well. 
4. Looking back. In contrast, I am still looking back. I mean it literally. 😝 I still make mistakes. The road towards moving on is rough and windy. 😅
5. Memorable vacation. I visited my sister and brother-in-law in Northern Norway. Strange to see them after two years in person, with my 1-year old niece. They eventually visited me in Oslo few weeks after. That was memorable.
6. Almost there. 2021 was also a year when I was in my second year of masters degree. All lectures were conducted online. I really do not know how I passed exams with me being the ultimate absentee-student.
7. Goal unmet. I was supposed to buy an apartment this year. I realized it was so early for me to jump on this venture.
8. Changed address. Nevertheless, I needed to continue renting, but my rent contract expired. So I transferred. I did it almost alone in the middle of the pandemic with full-time job at night. So imagined triple degree of stress. I survived!
9. Gaining control. I admit I really need to have some control like on my finances. I keep a budget for 2 years that is quite detailed.
10. Letting go. For things that is out of my control, I just let go. This is something difficult before, but now I am quite good at this.
11. Adjusting goals. After I was not able to meet my goal of buying an apartment, so I adjusted my goal, and made the plan more specific but flexible. Let us see what happens next.
12. Evaluating what works. I realized one should not waste time with things that does not work. This applies to work, or even in my personal life.
13. Still fasting. I am still doing intermittent fasting almost everyday, a minimum of 14 hours daily.
14. Learning to cook. Well, I am quite experimental. That hidden chemist-physicist in me wants to try new things in the kitchen. 
15. Expanding horizon. After changing address, I was able to see the other side of the city. Working in the eastern part of city made me realized a lot of things.
16. Being open. I have learned to be more open about my feelings, especially when I feel down. There is no shame in feeling sad.
17. Being private. Well, I have learned to keep some important things to myself. Private things will remain private.
18. Taking risks. I have made extreme changes in my work situation in the middle of the pandemic. That was quite risky, I must admit. 
19. Still the same. Many aspects have changed but I can still say I am still the same person - that Filipino with ambition and grit personality.
20. Better one. Yes, I strive to become the better version of myself. And yes, I am still single but I am still okay with that. 😝

ONE word to summarize year 2021: Endurance

2021 was like running several marathons with overlapping start and ends. I just needed to endure from January to December. My personal goals made the year more complicated, but I can say, I survived the year. I survived the countless sleepless nights, and perhaps "days without sleep." I just moved from one thing to another to accomplish what is needed to be done. I have learned my lessons pretty well. Sometimes, I wonder why I needed to go through the same challenges, even though I have already recognized the main lesson, and eventually learned. I was really required to endure. I think I did. I endured.

Lastly, the last 365 days went paradoxically both slow and fast. Slowly, when I have to endured those physical challenges, as well as social restrictions brought about by the pandemic. The year went relatively fast with all the changes that happened this year. It went fast, that most of the days were almost the same: work, test, quarantene, little time outside, then work again. I do not complain though, I can say I was still productive. I learned a lot, and I became better generally as a person. 🥰


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular This Week

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

Crab Mentality among Filipinos

Image
Many times people get accused of possessing the Filipino negative trait of crab mentality. It is  a state wherein people act like crabs when put inside a basket or a container, pull each other down for them to get out from it. One must further dissect the magnitude of the problem and reasons behind it to distinguish ways on how to deal with it and perhaps minimize it. One of my Facebook friend said that crab mentality among Filipinos is already a disease. The way she said it, it seems crab mentality can no longer be cured and is highly contagious. It is quite true because based on my observation, we can notice crab mentality everywhere. One time I made a comment in Youtube about one issue that lead some Filipino netizens to react. I was expecting they will provide further valuable insights about what I said. I have no problem with others disagreeing with my thoughts, given that everyone is entitled with their own thoughts. Suprisingly, one of those who commented, criticized my u
Read more

3 Comparisons Between Norwegian and Filipino Values

Image
I am entering my fifth year of residing in Norway. Many things have happened during this short period of time, both good and bad. However, one of that is worthy to highlight is how I realized the big contrast between prevailing values between Norwegian and Filipino cultures. I can only talk about these two in particular, although there are somehow similiraties between the Norwegian culture with those of coming from Europe, as well that with Filipino and other Asian societies. This blogpost will present three comparative points to exhibit the diversity of culture. COMPARISON 1 Norwegian: Able decide independently for oneself Filipino: To fight for what is most important Freedom and passion may not be on the same side always. Freedom is the ultimate virtue in the Norwegian culture. One may or may not be passionate of what Norwegians are doing, but most important is that they decided on them by themselves, such that no one has dictated on them what they are supposed to do.
Read more

Bullying: A Part of Filipino Culture?

Image
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
Read more

Filipino Body Language

Image
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,
Read more

7 Reasons Why Many Filipinos are Good Singers

Image
One thing that makes me proud of being Filipino is that there are many good singers in our country. I am not saying that the Philippines has the best singers in the world, but it is obvious that many Filipinos have showed to the world the God-given talent they have. 1. Parents encourage their children to develop their singing talents Children singing old songs and acting as if the song fits them well. Love songs, rock, whatever genre songs maybe Filipino children can sing that. Some even report that children learn humming a melody before able to speak well. Ofcourse, parents are very crucial in the development of this talents. If a talent has been acknowledged at an early age, this provides time for child to improve his or her talent in singing. Watch the newly-launced TV show Voice Kids Philippines. 2. Competition helps produce more good singers The most-watched Television shows in the Philippines are singing competition. Most artists are discovered in these platform
Read more

Solve: Why Math is Hard?

Image
Before I became a nurse, teacher, licensed real estate appraiser, I became first as a mathematics lover. Some consider me a geek then, but I was not, I just simply love the logic of mathematics. Now, I can say my mathematics skills have deteriorated significantly, when I am confronted with numbers, I do not leave my chair not until I somehow figure out what could be the problem. So, why then mathematics is difficult to many of us? Is there something can be done? Mathematics is much more than counting and simple arithmetic. It is a cumulative science in which new results are built upon and depend on earlier results. Humans have accumulated a huge amount of mathematical knowledge – far    more than a person can learn in a lifetime, even if the person spent all of their time studying mathematics. This history perhaps will give us the impression the necessity of mathematics. We may not appreciate the subject, but it useful because without it, the world will end up in chaos, for sure
Read more

Debt of Gratitude: A Filipino Social Phenomenon

Image
"Scratch my back and I will scratch yours." - This describes the prevailing Filipino social phenomenon of debt of gratitude. It is an attempt of one to repay the other, who in the past had done something good or beneficial to him or her. This has been magnified by other social phenomena such as the continued emigration of Filipino workers outside the Philippines, such that remittances are actually in the form of payment to their families, as an expression of long-lasting debt of gratitude. This is just an example of how this phenomenon has shaped the Filipino society and culture. In this blogpost, an in-depth analysis will be made to showcase the advantages and disadvantages of this phenomena, as various concepts and ideas revolving around it are enumerated throughout the discussion. 1. It exists in any type of relationship; familial, working, spiritual and others. Because of man's social nature, there will be periods of self-sufficiency and vulnerability. During time
Read more

Shikata Ga Nai: New Perspective

Image
The first time I saw this phrase was in Facebook. It caught my eyes because it is associated with being negative but quite common and seemingly normalized. It intrigued me because it somehow compares to the Filipino saying, " Bahala na. " Literally, this Japanese phrase means "nothing can be done about it." This expression has contrasting themes, and this will be the focus of this blogpost. Have dignity in difficult times. Force majeure, a situation beyond our control. This is perhaps a tragedy, calamity or perhaps an accident, economic hardships, or just as simple as an end of a relationship. All of these situations are difficult to handle. However, even these are stress-provoking, we have to maintain dignity in ourselves. Even though one has little or no alternatives left, he or she is expected to accept and endure the pain or consequences in a dignified manner. For example, if one has budgeting deficits, one has to accept to work for long hours. So be
Read more

Happiness is Like a Glass of Water

Image
The constant struggle of finding and experiencing happiness is always present. Many people try different ways to achieve a state of satisfaction and contentment that people seem to observe from others than being innately within themselves. This makes happiness seem a phenomenon of the third person than being owned. The reason perhaps why we think this way is that we see happiness more than how we should see a plane glass of water. This blogpost will focus on this. When you see a glass of water what would you think? Do you think of the glass that contains the water? Do you seem to make expectations on what the water should be before you drink it, cold or warm or perhaps sparkling? Do you think of water only when you are thirsty or not? These are the guide questions, this blogpost will revolve around to make an analogy between happiness and a glass of water. The Glass What shows on the outside is not necessarily what is inside. The glass sometimes influence our thirst. We human beings
Read more