Inspirations are Everywhere

Last Saturday, my good friend and I attended a seminar about personal finance that left us nothing but inspired about a lot of things.  Before the seminar, we had lunch at Jollibee and since we haven't seen each other for more than a month, we had a long catching up about life, work and what-have-yous.  The usual topics resurfaced.  The seemingly increasing toxicity of life, homesickness, vague future, creating friendship, etc.

Buti na lang nag-attend kami nito

The seminar was opened by a talk from the sponsor, major homes, about their project in Manila now: the condormitel.  It's a term for a dorm which has the amenities of a regular condo.

After that was a talk about asset allocation by Jess Uy. This talk was aimed at showcasing the importance of having a balanced portfolio.

He divided the group into 5 sub-groups and did a simulation activity.  Each group acted as a fund manager for a $1M fund, with aims of reaching a 10% annual growth.  And since it was a simulation activity, we were informed about what was happening in the world at that time.  We were tasked to invest for 3 consecutive years. And in each year, there were world events like crisis, war, opening of economies, martial law, etc.  It was exciting :) At first, most of us were lost at what he was saying: large growth fund, large value fund, bonds, etc.  But after the first round, we felt like we had a clue of what we were doing (feelingera lang :).

For the first year, our group was the nearest to the target.  The second year was a year of loss.  For the third year, we were the second best group.

It was fun and informative.  Basically, what i got from the exercise was:

• it is important to have a balanced portfolio because it balances your gains, and also your losses
• stick to your strategy
• moderate your greed :)

After that, Rico Hizon did a pep talk! He talked about how the Philippines was always in the backburner in the previous years, but now, we are starting to shine!  A lot of people are interested in us.  And he was encouraging us to be proactive, have the initiative to take part in this "take off".  It was a short but nice talk.

Rico Hizon giving a pep talk (sorry malabo pa yung kuha ko)

And then, it was Randell Tiongson's turn to inspire people.  He talked about achieving financial peace.  It's a long step, but a very doable one :)  These are the steps he mentioned:

1. Increase your cash flow
2. Get out of debt
3. Create emergency fund (6 months worth of living expenses is ok, better though if you can save 1 year's worth of living expenses)
4. Ensure proper protection (life, health, non-life)
5. Build long-term savings
6. Preserve your estate

Other take home that I took note of are:

• Save/Invest 30% of your income and live on the remaining 70% of it.  The 30% comes first because when you get your pay, you should automatically exclude this amount and work on the remaining 70%, not the other way around.
• Personal finance is 80% behavior and 20% skill.  The behavior counts more.
• As with a lot of things in life, patience is a virtue :)  One will not achieve financial peace overnight.  Therefore, take baby steps, be patience.  Eventually, you'll get there.

Overall, the seminar was very very good.  The talks were very informative and empowering.  And personally, it was not just a finance talk.  It was also a talk about life and inspiration.  Although Randell talked mainly about financial peace, he also factored in some thoughts on life, family, community, giving back, and God.

One of the organizers (in white) with Randell Tiongson (in  black) and Jess Uy (in stripes)

Yes, money is money.  We need it because it fuels a lot of things in life.  But in the end, it's just that, money.  We can't take it with us when we die.

Finally, I noticed that the organizers were quite young, which I found inspiring because we see young people doing things that make a difference in other people's lives. Average yuppies I suppose who are making positive changes in their own little way.

Inspirations are indeed everywhere.

Happy moments in class

Last Sunday, we had a revision of last meeting's lesson on adjusting window size, moving the window, scrolling up and down, etc.

One student was called in front to demonstrate how to adjust the window size.

I know this one has a problem with controlling the mouse.  She's not very comfortable with the mouse yet, sometimes she presses it too hard, sometimes too light. 

So when she was called, she knew what she has to do.

She positioned the arrow at the edge of the window but not enough to transform the pointer to a double-headed arrow.  She repositioned it again, and again, and again but she was having some trouble moving the mouse to the right place.  Then finally, the pointer became a double-headed arrow!  But she might have released it or something because when she moved the pointer, it went back to being a single-headed arrow.  It was a tension-filled moment.  All of us were silently hoping that she would make it.  And then finally, she did it! 

The room was full of applause haha And she breathed a sigh of relief. Whew!

Everyone was so proud of her :) The main teacher, Edwin, and I were so proud of her too. 

Ganito siguro maging teacher haha

Fix You

A song that always inspires :)

uncertainty

today, i surrendered my pass and medicard to hr.  they've also punched a hole on my staff card although they said i could still use it until my access have been cancelled.  it was a sad time.

i remember that i had the same experience when i surrendered my student pass a year ago. surrendering that card was not just a simple act. senti na kung senti but i felt that was symbolic of surrendering the end of a chapter. but of course welcoming a new one.

one year of working here had been challenging. 

after finishing my masters, it took a month for me to be called for an interview. and a day after that to be offered the job. but the actual contract didnt come until after 6 weeks. and it took some more weeks before i got to formally start working.

while waiting for all the papers to be processed, i was having second thoughts if i made the right choice.  my school was offering me a more stable job, with an opportunity for a part-time work while waiting for the papers to be done. but i chose this. because i was so keen on doing real academic research at that time.

finally, april came.  i started working on the 19th.  first day was not what you would call an ideal first day of work.  people seemed to not know that i was supposed to start work that day. but i just smiled. i was that cool headed before.

adjusting to the workplace was not easy. i came from a large office where people would chatter nonstop. that place where smile was so generously given. where you could just hug anyone if you feel down. where you could just grab anyone if you wanted to vent. although yes, most of the time, it's the same people who annoys you :)

but this was so different. people seem nice but reserved.  we would say hi to each other on the hallway. or have occasional chats.  but i had a tough time connecting. maybe it's the language. maybe it's the culture. i had a tough time adjusting. 

a month after i started work, my boss went on a two-month leave. his wife was going to give birth. so work was light. i had a lot of free time. something which i was not used to. and sometimes, too much free time gave me stress.

when my boss came back, i was excited.  i felt like we're gonna go full-on busy with the project.  we scheduled a meeting to talk about our activities for the project.  and then his sudden passing happened.

i felt uncertain right that very point. i felt a warm paralyzing energy passing through my entire body.  i couldnt believe it. my head was filled with questions. is this true?  what happened to him?  what will happen to me?  will i be out of job this soon?  i wasnt ready to lose my job. i had only been working for a few months.

but the school assured me. im gonna keep my job. there will be changes though. im gonna be transferred back to my school. and i felt excited.

but the process took so long.  and during that entire time, i was anxious.  i dont know what happened with my ability to handle stress. i was so good at handling stress before. why cant i handle stress now?

i struggled to keep myself calm.  it was a conscious decision. i was forcing my mind not to wander too far and focus on today.

at the start of this month, i finally signed my contract with my school. but a few weeks after, they had to make some changes with the contract. there was an issue with the funding agency. it was frustrating. and scary too.

so now, i know i shouldnt worry too much. i have a new contract. but it will take a few weeks to process all the documents.  i know that everything will be fine. i pray that to God everyday. and i trust that it's all gonna be fine. that after a month or two, il just look back on this day and laugh at my sillyness.

but it's just so damn tough to be in this moment. this moment of uncertainty.

Beauty

http://youtu.be/litXW91UauE

I've seen this in Facebook a few months back but I didnt click it thinking it was just another one of those beauty ads.  But I saw it again on Patty Laurel's blog and I clicked it.  And Im glad I did.

Yes, we have to remember that we are all beautiful. And yes, it's a marketing campaign but I really admire Dove's campaigns on beauty.  I remember they had another one about the color of the skin, and the weight of the person. And now, our own perception versus that of another's person.  Of course this does not apply to everyone.  Some people may be confident about how they look, about how they are as a person.  But yeah, I think this social experiment brought up what many women are struggling with, the confidence in their appearance, and the confidence in themselves.

Thanks Dove.

that story: part 1

on their way to dinner at the usual place, one of her friends ask him to join them.  he declined saying he had a previous commitment. he and his friends will go some place to eat, as part of a food trip thing that they have.  she thought hey, this is a cool guy, he loves food.

one time, after class, they were walking with their usual group.  the girl has what her friends call a dry sense of humour. she likes sarcastic jokes. and during that time, they were both laughing from the sarcastic jokes that they were exchanging.

there was an afternoon when the girl came late to their class. her friends from home were in town so she accompanied them somewhere before coming to class. she just had a henna tattoo on her leg.  when she came to class, the prof was already on his chair, talking. there was no available seat on the side of the room so she walked directly to the back, with her head bent, looking on the floor. but she saw on her peripheral vision that the guy was looking at her from the time she entered the room until she reached that seat on the back.

she doesnt know what happened but regular dinners with their classmates became a staple. after their friday class, they would always go out to eat.  being the wide-eyed student who was still very enthusiastic about her experience as a foreign student, she enjoyed those dinners.  she doesnt talk that much but she always laughs at comments and jokes she found funny. when asked, she would gladly share her thoughts about her culture, politics and her experiences in her school. 

the guy on the other hand was articulate. he seemed free-spirited and funny. he laughs a lot.

before the semester ended, he planned for a sem-ender thing for the class. so he asked for her number. no big deal.

there were political rallies happening during that time. the country was soon having a big election and the opposition seemed to be gaining popularity. one of their classmates was running for public office. it was an exciting time for the place. she wanted to go and see for herself how things were. she asked her classmates, including him. but in the end she didnt manage to go because she fell sick.  he didnt know she was sick. thinking that she went, he texted her, asking how her experience was. and they ended having a long conversation about politics.

during their sem-ender dinner, they were seated at the opposite ends of the table.  it was a good night. everybody had a good time.  they transferred to a beer place. she was looking at the shelf, inspecting the beers and he was kidding her about her alcohol intake.  she playfully hit him on her arm, like how she does with her guy friends.  on the beer table, they sat opposite each other. she was teasing him about his facial washing habits.  she thought he might be gay.

for the summer break, she was out of town for a monthlong trip. and she stayed in her country for the rest of the break.  he wished her well before she left. 

connecting

i find listening to people opening up to me quite therapeutic. I know it sounds weird, or even condescending for some, but it's true. and i mean it. maybe it's because of the fact that listening to their stories make me realize that we are all the same. we all have our issues and it's ok to cry. unloading is a normal part of the process. that there's nothing wrong with being weak. maybe because by helping them process what they're going through, i also make sense of what im experiencing. by talking, i get to listen to my rational voice. by telling them to calm down, im also telling myself to calm down. chill. relax. it's gonna be fine.

excitement!

something to look back to when i feel down

hello there, excitement. we havent met in a long while. glad that you're back :)

it's true, i havent felt genuinely excited about anything for a long time. yes, there are those moments when i would feel excited because i should feel excited and not because i really feel it. ok im mumbling.

what im excited about.

1. im gonna see kulasa and bugoy soon
2. side trip and the idea of roaming around in that city on my own
3. things could happen. things are possible. i just have to be patient and trusting
4. financial literacy
5. % greens to become double digits
6. giving back
7. a friend's one-day visit here

change

i used to write what i felt with total disregard of how it sounded like. i didnt care whether it would sound right. or silly. or offensive. and yet when reading those posts now, i can feel the heart in it.

now, i feel that i have unconsciously changed into someone who thinks a hundred times first if what im gonna say or write is politically correct. and oftentimes, id get lost in the process. or id fall into the trap of indecision causing me to just abandon my thoughts and leave them there, unresolved. or id write what i think is correct even if i feel otherwise.

im not sure if it's a good or bad thing.

i noticed though that because of this - i feel lke im writing without a heart. rants are still expressed but only after way too much thinking instead of just typing them directly. i dont know if this is what you call maturity. or sensitivity. or emotional castration.

a few weeks ago, my former colleague sent me one of my old mails to them, written when i was still new here. she said she found it after rummaging through her emails and she didnt stop from laughing while reading it. i was also laughing while reading it because it was so funny. so raw and filled with politically incorrect thoughts. reading it made me see the excited and free-spirited self/writer that i once was, filled with life and enthusiasm about what's happening around. genuinely interested and uninterested about her surroundings at the same time.

i miss that aspect of me.

of bosses and staff

i think i can say that im quite lucky to have nice bosses.

si ltc idio (i dont know what his rank is now)

for my first job, my first boss was very patient, very organized and very disciplined. and he was an army man. i remember that he would always come to work on time (in his red car) and seemed very serious (with matching kunot noo) when studying documents. since our office acted as the secretariat of one of the many committees in the military, he always stressed the importance of doing "complete staff work".

as a family man, i see how he was as a father to his sons and his daughter, and how he was as a husband to his wife. he would always call home to check on how the kids are doing, especially his little princess :)

he loved playing table tennis so during athletics (physical fitness), he would always invite me and some of the sarges to play with him. i learned how to play table tennis because of him.

and one of the things that he said that i remember vividly is, "gi, go out. interact more with people. dapat dinadagdagan mo ang iyong social presence" or something to that effect.

we just worked together for a few months though. he was transferred in the field after that. even when he was in the field, we would exchange text greetings during special occasions such as christmas and new year but we lost contact eventually.

si sir allen

ltc idio's replacement as head of our division was an air force guy. he was smart. and he knew it. he was good looking. and he knew it too. i remember that in the first few months of working with him, id always have the jitters during our one-on-one meetings because i was paranoid that what i did may not be too good for him or he may ask me questions that i cant answer. i think he may have noticed that because he softened a bit and tried to become more chill.

what i really liked about him is the way he "fights" for us researchers and made us feel secure about our value in the organization.

at first, i didnt know much about him as a private individual because he didnt talk much about his personal life. it is only much much later that i got to know about his family. and i dont know how it happened but he managed to get into our group and became one of our friends. there was even a time when he would tell us to just call him allen when we're out of the office. he was so integrated into our gang that i remember when i was heartbroken, he was there with us, sitting in a bar, drinking, listening to my story and watching me cry.

until now, we still keep in touch and get together group once in a while. he wrote a work testimonial for me when i was still applying for a job.

si major buca (i think he's ltc now

i had a long working relationship with this boss, also an air force guy. he's the epitome of a "chill" boss. he's always so relaxed that you won't feel the stress even when the workload is too heavy. one thing i would never forget about him is he was always smiling and he easily laughs. he always had new gadgets at work: usb drive - new at that time, the funky stapler/binder, etc. and he had a lot of excel tricks.

it was during his time when our division became very busy (because of constant changes in directives about a certain plan) so we would often work late nights and even on saturdays. sometimes his wife would come with him and we would chat for hours. his wife and i became officemates later on.

si sir ex

sir ex was like a father to me. he was very kind and protective. in him, i saw how it is to work without having to kiss ass. one could sense his frustrations over office politics but would always detect the wisdom that he had gained over decades of working.

on a personal level, his way of handling family and retirement will constantly remind you to not lose sight of what really matters.

si miss butch

miss butch is a smart, cool, and funny boss. i think that professionally, i learned the most from her. working with her is always easy because she is always in a light mood. even when we're busy, you wont feel so stressed out because she always keeps her calm. she knows the policies by heart but she doesnt act like a know-it-all. she suggests but never imposes. she guides me in a way that will encourage me to form my own opinions, decide on myself but if things don't go well, she's there to support me. i've had a few blunders but i never felt for once that she blamed me. if something goes wrong, she sits down with you to discuss what needs to be done. there, she's very good at handling crisis. she makes you feel proud and happy about your little successes. and in her you could see that in perfecting a task, walk the talk is a very efficient strategy.

that's why moving was difficult.

prof wayne

i just know a few things about him. he asked me about my hobbies and my family during the interview which was one of the reasons why i accepted the job. for me, that was an indication that he recognizes me not just as a staff but as a person with different aspects of being. he asked me to just address him in his first name, which was difficult for me because im not used to such power equity. he sounded very excited when he said that he would be on leave for two months because his wife was going to give birth to their second child. it's just sad that we didnt work for a long time. until now, the news of his suddent death still has a surreal feel in it.

prof chou

for the past few months that we have been working together, i can sense that she is a considerate and humble boss. she always says please, even with an apologetic tone sometimes, whenever she needs you to rush something. and she shows how much she appreciates your work whenever she's happy with it. she asks you how you are. she says thank you.

my bosses are not perfect. they have their idiosyncracies. sometimes i complain. but most of the time, im thankful because they were/are my bosses.

medicalization of suicide

http://youtu.be/e5M93Yl8adU

i may not agree 100% with sir gerry but i would always have high respect for him and his analysis of social issues. and he keeps the fire of idealism burning.

i got most of my understanding of sociological theory from him because of his ability to make those abstract and complicated concepts easily understood by young, college students. i wish i had the mental capacity to grasp the point of all the readings he assigned to us before. sayang, kahit anong basa ko kasi hindi ko maintindihan minsan eh :P

sa jollibee, bida ang saya

jollibee opened last week at lucky plaza. and since it's food from home, i made a mental note to go there one day.

so i emailed the ntu pipol and set a schedule for a jollibee visit. the sched was tonight. a lot couldnt make it so it ended up with maj, mike and vicky, and i.

i went to lucky plaza ahead of them because i had to go to iremit first. the queue wasn't that long so i was done in about 20 minutes or so.

jollibee was at the 6th floor. while walking towards the store, i could see a small crowd outside the store. there were about 20 or more people in queue so i thought, hey this is not bad at all. i was expecting worse than this. and while approaching the store, i even saw a lot of vacant tables so i thought that "hey, we're lucky". seems like the crowd has died down and having a taste of that familiar chicken joy and spaghetti would be a breeze. and then my eyes were directed to the cashier area. "ok, that's quite a crowd". about 100 people maybe? so i thought of texting the others if it was ok for them to queue. and then i saw the end of the line. which was not found inside the store. but on another vacant space adjacent to the store. and was separated from the crowd by a dropdown door. which was already closed. and guarded by a staff. slowly, donned on me, "uh oh, we might not have that chicken joy tonight!"

i asked one of the ladies waiting outside "ibig bang sabihin hindi na sila magpapapila?". and she said "oo yata." and another lady asked the staff who was guarding the door and the staff said "it's already full." then another guy from the crowd shared that the crew seem to be a bit slow. his daughter was at the queue from 6pm and it was already 740 but they were still waiting. the lady whom i asked earlier asked me "umaasa ka pa bang bubuksan nila yung pinto?". i said "mukhang hindi na."

so i called up mike and texted mike to relay the sad news. no jollibee for tonight :( maybe next time. maybe next month.

inspire 2013

i was at the bayanihan center last sunday to learn about the basic computer course that they're offering. my friend's friend, who recruited me in the program, has been volunteering for four years now. her post as a teacher would be vacated because she will be moving to program development.

in the briefing, i met 2 fellow volunteers. one is from ilocos and a former student of the course. another is malaysian, who just loved the philippines so much when she lived there for 6 months as an exchange student that she decided to volunteer for the program.

very inspiring people.

i have a resolution for 2013. write more. this has been part of my previous resolutions and sadly, this, like some of the other resolutions i have had, remained a resolution. but next year, im determined (oh yeah)and driven (di nga?)to do it more regularly.

i may have written a lot of crap but when i look back at some of my previous entries, i sometimes am surprised at the way my mind worked at those particular points of time. turns out... sometimes i make sense.

and i need the exercise for my line of work. and probably, for some future endeavors.

RIP

i heard sec robredo was a good man. ive read news about him before. and his passing is really a loss to our country.

===

i was on my way to the toilet earlier when i saw some students in the pantry. i waved and one of them confirmed that i was working for my boss. when i said yes, she readily knew that i didnt know yet. and she broke the news that my boss passed away last sunday. heart attack.

it is surprising. really. i was supposed to meet him at 2pm. that's why i was on my way to the toilet. to freshen up for the meeting. we have a lot to talk about. he is supposed to tell me what data to gather next. and i was supposed to ask when would he want to have the meeting with one of our point persons. after two months of coordinating, we are moving forward with our project.

but life has other plans.

===

may they both rest in peace.

Reproductive Health Bill

binasa ko ulit kanina ang kopya ng reproductive health (RH) bill na kasalukuyang pinag-uusapan sa kongreso. at upang malaman din ng iba pang pilipino kung ano ang nakasaad sa inihahaing saligang batas, malaking bagay sana kung basahin ito ng buo kesa ibatay lamang ang opinyon sa mga nababasa o naririnig tungkol dito.

narito ang kabuuan ng kontrobersyal na RH bill.

medyo mahaba sya(24 na pahina) ngunit madaling maintindihan. at salungat sa mga sinasabing dahilan ng mga kumokontra dito, hindi itinataguyod ng batas ang "paglaglag" (abortion). para sa akin, ang mga pinakaimportanteng punto ay ang mga sumusunod:

Sec 3. Guiding Principles

f) The State shall promote, without bias, all effective natural and modern0methods of family planning that are medically safe and legal

j) While this Act recognizes that abortion is illegal and punishable by law, the5government shall ensure that all women needing care for post-abortion complications shall be treated and counseled in a humane, non-judgmental and compassionate manner

SEC. 16.Mandatory Age-Appropriate Reproductive Health and Sexuality 0Education. -Age-appropriate Reproductive Health and Sexuality Education shall be1taught by adequately trained teachers in formal and non-formal education system starting from Grade Five up to Fourth Year High School using life skills and other approaches...

Age-appropriate reproductive health and sexuality education shall be integrated in all relevant subjects and shall include, but not limited to, the following topics:

a) Values formation;
b) Knowledge and skills in self protection against discrimination, sexual violence and abuse, and teen pregnancy;
c) Physical, social and emotional changes in adolescents;
d) Children’s and women’s rights;
e) Fertility awareness;
f) STI, HIV and AIDS;
g) Population and development;
h) Responsible relationship;
i) Family planning methods;
j) Proscription and hazards of abortion;
k) Gender and development; and,
l) Responsible parenthood.

biyernes na!

sumama ako kaninang tanghalian sa mga kasalamuha kong estudyante dito. lahat sila ay tiga-tsina at ako lamang ang pilipino. isa sa kanila ang nanlibre para sa pagbabalik ng kanyang asawang galing alemanya at isang taong nanatili doon bilang isang exchange student.

unti-unti na kong nasasanay sa pagkaing szechuan ngunit ito pa rin ang pinakagusto ko sa lahat: dried fried string beans.

for sojourners...

A Place to Lay my Heart

i read this article on a friend's wall yesterday and it just hit me hard.

ang agosto...bow

1. isang taon mula ng ako'y matutong umawit...mali, mali. hanggang ngayon hindi pa rin ako marunong umawit. ulitin natin.

isang taon na pala mula nang ako'y magpaalam sa aking dating trabaho upang ipagpatuloy ang pag-aaral ko dito. limang taon din akong nanatili sa kanila (1 taon nito ay nakabakasyon bilang estudyante) at sa loob ng limang taong iyon, marami akong pinapagpapasalamat: kaibigan, kasanayan lalo na sa pakikitungo sa mga tao, at libreng biyahe.

ngayon 3 buwan na ako sa aking bagong trabaho at kasalukuyan ko pa ring sinasanay ang aking sarili sa bagong kapaligiran. may mangilan-ngilan na akong kabatian ngunit wala pa ring maituturing na malapit na kaibigan. hay nakakalungkot. kaya kailangang maging mas palakaibigan! kailangan kong matutunan ang kasanayang iyon!

2. 3 taon na mula ng pumanaw ang dating pangulong cory aquino. naalala ko, umuulan noon ngunit sumuong kami ng aking kaopisina upang makita ang kanyang labi. mahaba ang pila at medyo mataas ang baha ngunit tumuloy pa rin kami. isang pambihirang karanasan! (mababasa dito ang aking sulatin tungkol sa aming karanasan)

3. sumulat ako sa aking mga kaibigan gamit ang wikang filipino kanina at ito ang naging resulta, mga likas na makata :)

"Ngayon din pala ay ikatlong taon ng kamatayan ni Corazon Aquino. Taon na rin pala ang binilang noong sinuong natin ang Maynila masilayan lang ang kanyang labi "

"ako ay buhay pa naman dapatwat ang mga dpat gawin ay prang bagyo na di mapigilan bglang bumubuhos.. prang mga alon sa baybayin ng maynila na humahampas sa panirangtubig (breakwater)"

"Nakita ko nga ang iyong sinulat sa pader ng Facebook. Sana magtagumapy ka sa sa iyong mithiin na gamitin ang ating wika ng buong buwan. Nawa'y hindi magdugo ang iyong ilong. Binago ko nga pala ang nakasulat na paksa sa liham na ito upang maging akma sa ating pag-uusap."

"karumaldumal naman ang inyong naranasan na paglubog sa napakaruming tubig..na puno ng mga rumi ng daga, aso, pusa...buhangin..lupa..putik...at kung anu anu pa"

TWN (tumatawa ng malakas).

buwan ng wika

(http://guroako.blogspot.sg/2012_06_01_archive.html)


alam ng bawat pilipinong lumaki sa pilipinas na ang pagdating ng buwan ng agosto ay nangangahulugan ng pagpasok ng buwan ng wika. noong ako ay nasa elementarya, naaalala kong madalas ay may pagdiriwang na isinasagawa sa aming paaralan. kung anu-ano ang mga aktibidades na iyon, hindi ko na maalala. ngunit malinaw sa akin na bawat taon, isa ako sa mga may hawak ng gunting at gumugupit ng mga naglalakihang letrang ipapaskil sa entablado para sa pagputong ng korona para sa mga napiling ginoo at binibining buwan ng wika.

ngayong ako'y nasa ibayong dagat, ingles ang wikang aking ginagamit sa pagsusulat maging sa pakikipag-usap sa mga bagong kakilala at kaibigan. malaking tulong ang pagiging bihasa sa wikang ingles ngunit iba pa rin ang ginhawang (?) idinudulot ng pagsasalita ng sariling wika sa pakikipag-usap.

noong ako'y nasa kolehiyo, madali para sa akin ang pagsusulat ng sampung pahinang papel gamit ang wikang filipino. ngunit ngayon, nahihirapan ako sa aking ginagawa. ilang beses na akong sumangguni sa google translate para sa tatlong talatang sulatin! hindi ba ito isang kabalintunaan?

kaya ngayon, sa buwan ng agosto, tatangkain kong sa bawat sulating aking ilathala sa pahinang ito at sa facebook ay pawang filipino lamang. hindi ito pagtalikod sa wikang ingles ngunit isang pagsisikap na maibalik ang aking pagiging komportable sa pagsusulat sa wikang filipino. sana'y swertehin ako sa aking mithiin :)