Conozco Pablo

Running for the last available train or bus before getting late for work or an important meeting. Taking unnecessary taxi due to lack of time. Or, forcing oneself to finish the entire subject before the semester ends. It could also be just waiting for a response before the ultimate consequence could happen. This I have been experiencing either plannen or by chance. This is what we call beating the deadline. I am writing this because I have done it again, not because I actually did the entire thing but the Lord made sure I could actually accomplish it just in time. This is connection to my stay in Norway. With just few hours before I start waiting for an uncertain answer about my continued stay in Norway, then surprisingly early I got a positive response. Not to forget, I got several job interviews few weeks before I need to justify my current stay. Things had not been moving in a pace and direction I wanted few months before that. A temporary short-course uncertain contract and a term...

The exchange of ideas occur during conversations, debates or other methods, which requires people to talk on certain things. However, in these instances, people have a probability of misunderstanding when people do not grasp both content and context of the message or the topic of interest. Usually, people are aware of the subject at hand but when they start giving arguments, there seems to be a deviation from the topic, which results to unnecessary heated debates. This is called "parallel understanding." Say for example, I posted on Facebook the following: "What is happening on Philippine TV? I like romanticism but it should be a medium to deliver more than that. Appreciating TV shows is quite okay. But the use of time on debates about who or which is better is plainly garbage. Is this what we Filipinos learn from Philippine media? I understand these entertainment shows act as "stress-relievers," but it seems the young people takes it as an essential topic of...

Today (September 23,2015) marks my 28th birthday and it is a sign of relief that the previous year is done. With me now are the learnings I have gained in the last year. Therefore, it excites me how would the next chapter of my life would be, given all the experiences, surprises and challenges I survived just by mere thought of it. Should I can describe my life so far, it could be the phrase, "Live, learn and be free." This phrase is the focus of this birthday blogpost. Live No one knows what the future brings. Even the wisest person can never acquire the ability to predict and plan accordingly for every aspect in my life. For what we can do is face each day with optimism and courage and optimize every opportunity that comes. Before I was living on the past and especially in the future. Every plan I make is something related to both the influence of the what has done and what will be. Now, living means living today and making the best out of everything I have. Thus, being...

I have always have confidence on how much information my mind can hold. It is not because of its capacity, rather due to innate grit personality and enormous interest to learn as much information as I can. This effort for me will lead change for myself and for the society as well if I use these information well. However, since I am well-motivated to learn further, this has lead me to take things simultaneously which  makes me push myself to its limits and possibly to exhaustion. This blogpost will concentrate on three questions one must ask oneself regarding the need for resting one's mind like the body requires it too. This is because an unrested mind affects the way one feels and functions; and as new researches show the power of the mind, an exhausted mind makes future vague and more challenging since one's thoughts influence the way we take in the future. Therefore, it is a must to pause for awhile and make a self-awareness on three essential questions about providing our ...

Things have been gaining momentum in the past few days; but as of now, no concrete results still is evident. Personally, I do not know what I am waiting whether it is a solution, another plan or a miracle. However, one thing is for certain, things are going to change in next few weeks. This blogpost is a semi-diary and an attempt to objectively describe how I feel at the start of the month. I know I am about to face a wall and I do not know whether in that wall, there doors for me to go into. Moreover, I even do not have any idea what awaits me, in case there is an opportunity to start anew. Here, I will state the three main themes to give meaning of my current experience. Ambivalence where to go and what to expect For now, I am seeing more than five choices simulatenously. All of them must be dealt forehand; such that possibilities must entertained and initiating actions to realize these probabilities must be taken seriously rather be ignored immediately. Through experience, I have...

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...

Coming from a small country with more than 100 million people, it would seem natural to think that opportunities within the country runs out at a very fast rate. This leads for us to seek opportunities in foreign lands as a showcase of optimism of a better and more stable future, when one does not have to compete among others for the meager resources available. However, in reality, this assumptions seems to fail as one transfers to a larger market like other countries, the competition is greater than one expected it to be. Worse, cultural differences makes it more difficult for one to adapt and succeed in the more vast sea of opportunities. In this blogpost, I will present three notions on traversing this so-called sea of opportunities. This itself serves as personal objective guide for me to keep myself on the values and beliefs I have in the midst of the challenges I am personally facing right now. The sea itself is a challenge. Take the initiative to stand out. Should you think a...

As a former educator myself, it is but natural for me to have an advocacy on the significance of education. To add, my personal experiences confirms how my education aided me in achieving things I have never even imagined before. However, I am quite aware how strange the concept of education to some. Even others think, it is not as crucial as the experiences we acquire after formal schooling. By saying education; it is not simply attending class and excelling in it because it refers to the state of ongoing learning aided by a structured environment and relevance of experience to inculcate the values of determination and workmanship. In this blogpost, I will highlight the core aspects of education that helps one, not just in his or her career but also in one's life. Education serves as springboard for other opportunities. This however does not say that education guarantees better life and higher achievements because more than education is the ability of an individual to efficient...

Anyone would be happy to receive a gift. May it be small or big, the most important is that the person who gave the gift somehow took time to prepare and find the gift that suits one. In return, the person receiving a gift would weigh in whether accepting the gift is well-deserved or not. Nonetheless, a gift is something of value to show someone's worth. In this blogpost, I will present three concepts associated with gifts. This is to remind us that rather questioning on our worthiness of accepting gifts, we should rather be thankful regardless of reasons for it. This to qualify what "perfect" gifts are. The perfect gift is a reflection of another's perception to one. There will always be perfect gifts, which are suited and "custom-made" for the recipients. It is therefore correct to believe that no one other than the specified recipient deserves such gift. However, to say one recipient deserves a gift is independent from the either size, market value or...

Have you heard the statement, "I am simply not enough"? I have heard this many times and have been bothered by it; such that I kept looking for answers what lead people to think that way. Then, I realized that many of mankind's insecurity problems are rooted from unnecessarily comparing oneself to others. The purpose of this blogpost is to shed light on the effects of trying to pattern one's life from the life of others through comparing and fitting simultaneously. I mean comparing by looking unto what others have and achieved and thereafter directly or indirectly making other's traits one's own standards or goal. On the other hand, fitting refers to one's attempt to do everything to be the person one thinks he or she needs to be based on what one saw from others. Comparing oneself to others leads to loss of self-worth. When one sees a single diamond, he or she appreciates the beauty of the facets and brilliance of the diamond. However, put the same dia...