Academic Break

It's been months and I got tons of school activities that I haven't updated in a while. Yesterday, it was  announced that we're going to have an academic break for one week until 1st day of November. It's a long weekend and I need to catch up for my subjects because I'm having a hard time to adjust and find my effective study habit.

Let's talk about Series!

1. Breaking bad (2008) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - This is the first series I've finished when I was in college. The story revolves around Walter White, a chemistry professor who attempted to secure his family's future by becoming notorious drug kingpin after he's diagnosed with an inoperable lung cancer. It's really compelling to watch and the plot twists are exciting. As the show progresses, I found myself contemplating about certain scenes; How Walter's erogenous ethical beliefs biased by his own self interest or selfishness can harm not only the innocent people but the one closest to him. What really makes life worth living in the verge of dying?  

Irayang Salog

You know that familiar feeling when you recently had an amazing vacation on a place that when you finally got back to reality, your body refuses to accept what your mind tells you otherwise. Well, I had that kind of feeling when yesterday I just got back from the province. It's just taking a break for three days, a short time but I had some stories to share.

A Voyage for Madmen by Peter Nichols

I've always like stories about voyages and the sea. I grew up in the province in my Grandmother's home offshore that overlook the wide sea where I can smell the ocean breeze and hear the sound of waves. While reading this book, I imagined every words of adventures each of the sailors had gone through in almost a year of racing out of the sea.

Being quiet in a world that can't stop talking

Growing up as a quiet person, my quietness bother those who aren't used to silence. Ever since I was a kid, I can't count the numbers of "most behave" awards I've received. I always thought that type of recognition was an achievement. When I entered elementary, I felt the downside of being the most behave of them all.

The Joy luck Club by Amy Tan

As I was scrolling through twitter, I've seen a tweet that says "You think you can hurt me? I'm the eldest daughter in an Asian household." it's kind of funny and bitterly relatable. I mean no offense, why am I even saying all of this? It's because I've just finished a new 1989 classic novel written by an Asian woman herself entitled, "The Joy Luck Club" which tells a gripping different stories of four Chinese women who are immigrants in San Francisco and how their past intertwined to the lives of their daughters born and raised in America. Somehow this book celebrates being an Asian woman and all the realities that comes into it. 

1948 Japanese Novel: No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai

As I was laying in bed, I just finished reading Osamu Dazai's 1948 Japanese novel, No longer human. I tried to contemplate and think through the pages which are written on a first person narrative. It's quite compelling to read and interesting to follow the poignant life of a troubled man named Oba Yozo. Written on the pages of notebooks he left like a memoranda, As in his own words, "‘I can’t even guess myself what it must be to live a life of a human being," he often contemplates about what it means to be "human." I find the book distressing yet quite fascinating at the same time.

Meraki

 Meraki [may-rah-kee] The idea of adding love, and the essence of yourself to everything you do.

Yesterday, I went to the medical school I got accepted into and officially enrolled for this upcoming school year. 3 years ago, I was frustrated and anxious, yesterday my heart is so grateful. After few years of waiting and taking a leap of faith, it's finally a Road to MD moment! I'm clueless to what's ahead of me. Yet certainly, God will bless my plans.

Ascend

They said if you climb way up to the mountains if your heart is grieving, you'll feel like it's the same as facing obstacles along your way through life. I made my own version of climbing the way to the top of that mountain. At first everything seems bright, the path is easier and wider without growing bushes or plants with thorns that might cut you. 

A Trip to Sagada

The usual time of travel from manila to Sagada is about 8-9 hours but unfortunately, ours took longer than expected due to traffic from a road accident. While on the road, I keep my composure and just listen to some random funky music to ease my frustration. Some of us are quite nervous because the road to Sagada includes steep and deep sided cliffs that could make you feel anxious if you're not used to the breathtaking view.  Our trip became a whole day.

Summer

It was May, and I feel the warm summer wind as I enjoy a few bites of sweet cookies and read one of the works of an inspiring author I truly admire. I woke up at exactly 6AM, not my usual time of breakfast but when you're in the province, the time runs differently compared when you're in the city. Summer in the province is warmer than ever, I thought a lot of trees would absorb the heat but it didn't spared me from having sunburn.

Quaranthings

Albeit spending almost two years of my life in this difficult season, stuck in a pandemic & enduring long hours of reading novels in spare time just to save myself from the most mundane of things. I realized how I've come to appreciate a bunch of small stuff - I called it Quaranthings. I'm a notorious homebody and I need good reasons to go outside. I realized how these small stuff helped me to cope during languishing hours.

Exhalation by Ted Chiang: The Merchant & The Alchemist's Gate

What if you could travel back in time or see what's in the future? a lot of people would desperately want to return in the past and make different choices. Maybe for the better, because who would want to go back and make things worse? or maybe you could have a glimpse of what's ahead of you, if you'll make it, 20 or more years from now. Recently, I've finished the first story out of nine compelling short stories in Ted Chiang's book, Exhalation. The story revolves around a Portal through time, a merchant & an alchemist. Honestly, the whole book reminds me of the Netflix Series, Black Mirror.

A mind relieved

As I sat quietly in the kitchen with the laptop in front of me, I saw an email from the medical school that I'm now accepted as an incoming freshman for SY 2022 - 2023. Looking back 3 years ago, I was lost and I'm unsure. Now, even though it's not yet fully official (since I haven't enrolled yet) I've come to think of those past years full of worries and anxieties. 

Welcome 2022 & Goodbye 2021

I know it's quite late to greet everyone a "Happy New Year" because days gone so fast and it's already 5 days ago since we celebrated the start of this year. I really don't know if it's actually a "Happy" new year because like 2021, we're still facing a pandemic and some of us (including me) celebrated New year with a heavy heart because of losing some of the most important people in our lives. Some people would say that it's unlucky to start the year by being unhappy because you'll get sad for the rest of the year, but let's just be honest: 2021 is the worst year from start to finish. Although there are happy moments, the frustration and heartache that the pandemic has brought into our lives prevailed.