Vivir en otro país

Wow, it's been a long, long time since I updated this -- mainly because I don't have very interesting topics to blog about. And another, when I want to share something, I usually just Plurk (yes, I think micro-blogging sites make people lazier haha) it.

I read from another person's blog about his "adventure" to the U.K. From what I understood, he got there through a scholarship grant. So I got inspired to post something about traveling and living in another place (which is also an option I can settle for, but I'm not too keen about it for now, at least).

Let's just say that I kinda envy him for having the courage and sense of adventure in his being, for wading through an entirely different land, and living with different people bearing a different culture from ours (I heard people from the UK are more discriminating than Americans). Part of me wants to maximize the Green Card I have, but a bigger part of me is very anxious in carrying that out. Anxious because I do not know how I would start a new life in the US if ever I settle for that option. I guess I'll have to see how things will go after I apply in January 2011 for this thing I wanna do.

Las cosas que hago normalmente en una día en mi vida.

I hope my title makes sense because I'm still a beginner with this. Haha. During our Level 2 classes with Prof. Sandra, one of the writing activities she asked us to submit is a description of the daily things we do. So here's mine (already corrected by our professor):


Normalmente, cuando tengo clase de español, me levanto a las 6 y cuarto de la mañana. Me ducho y me visto después de levantarme. Y después, desayuno un café con leche y spam con arroz o pan con mantequilla. Despúes de desayunar, me lavo los dientes. Salgo de casa a las 8 menos cuarto. Voy en jeep hasta T.M. Kalaw. Entro a Instituto Cervantes para mi clase, escucho a nuestro maestra, y participo en clase. Despúes de clase, voy a mi casa. Salgo de Instituto Cervantes a las doce. Vuelvo a mi casa a la una más o menos. Como en mi casa, y despúes duermo la siesta a las 2 y media. Meriendo un café con leche y bocadillo o pastel a las 3 de la tarde. Repaso las lecciones de español. Descanso a las 5 y media. Navego por Internet hasta las 7 de la noche. Ceno con mi familia. Veo la televisión, navego por Internet, y después repaso otra vez las lecciones de Español. Antes de acostarme a las 10 y media o a las 11, me lavo la cara y los dientes.

Los sábados, yo ayudo a limpiar la casa y friego los platos. Pocas veces por la noche, mis amigos y yo vamos a la cafetería: charlamos y nos reímos mucho mientras tomamos café.

Los domingos, me quedo en casa, pero algunas veces voy a ver una película con mi hermano y mi futura cuñada.

Eso es todo. :p

The translation (Apologies for the unsmooth transition of sentences when translated into English. I'm still on the basic level :p ):

Normally, when I have Spanish Class, I get out of bed at 6:15 a.m. I take a bath and dress up after getting out of bed. And afterwards, I eat breakfast: coffee, spam with rice or bread with butter. After breakfast, I brush my teeth. I leave the house at 8:45 a.m. I take the jeep until T.M. Kalaw. I enter Instituto Cervantes for my class listen to our professor, and participate. After class, I go back home. I leave Instituto Cervantes at 12 p.m. I arrive / get back home at 1:00 p.m. more or less. I have my lunch there, and afterwards, I take a nap at 2:00 p.m. I take coffee and pastries for my snack at 3:00 p.m. I review my Spanish lessons. I take a break at 5:00 p.m. I browse/surf the Internet until 7:00 p.m. I eat dinner with my family. I watch T.V., surf the Internet, and after, review my Spanish lessons once more. Before I sleep at around 10:00 or 11:00 p.m., I wash my face and brush my teeth.

On Saturdays, I help clean the house and wash the dishes. For a few times / on some occasions at night, I go out with my friends and head to a coffee shop: we chat and laugh a lot while having coffee.

On Sundays, I stay at home, but sometimes I go watch movies with my brother and my future sister-in-law.

That is all. :p

Now posting this reminds me that I have to review for our evaluation on Tuesday. Haha. I hope I do well. :)

Off to Level 2

I'm glad that I'll be proceeding to Level 2 next week (July 1st). My goal right now is to reach up to Level 3, which is the level cap for level A.

It's fun to study another language. It keeps my brain active for until next year--until I apply, get accepted (hopefully), and enroll under the program I wanna study. Hopefully, Level 2 Spanish will be as fun and informative as Level 1. I also hope to get the same Professor (Francisco Garcia).

Hasta luego!

¡Hola!

Hola mis amigos! Haha. So I'm trying to revive this blog of mine. I'm gonna try typing in what I have learned from Level A1 Spanish in Instituto Cervantes. Yes, I enrolled in I.C. because I think it would come in handy in the future, especially if I really ever migrate to the U.S.

So allow me to introduce myself in Spanish.


Me llamo Red. Soy estudiante. Soy Filipino. Hablo Filipino, Ingles y un poco de Español. Tengo veinteun años. Vivo en Ciudad de Quezon. Estoy soltero. Estudio en El Instituto Cervantes, Te Eme Kalaw, numero 855 Ermita, Ciudad de Manila. Eso es todo.


I omitted the part where I give out my exact address and contact numbers, since anyone will be able to read this. Haha.

So there, I hope I can update this more regularly.

Hasta luego!

Going Up

It's been a while since I last updated this. I had a lot of thoughts I wanted to put into writing, but I was just too lazy to blog it, and I just ended up plurking them.

I want to be direct this time. I feel that I am not in the greatest of moods lately. I guess this is because I still have no clear pictures of what I am going to be in the very, very near future. I do have plans, but here I am doubting every single one of them. And I really am starting to hate myself for that. The plan of pursuing medicine is still there, but I feel it's dwindling -- it's not as strong as before. I think this is brought about issues on financial assurance and other internal issues I have.

With that, I am again thinking of back-up plans. So IF I won't go for med, what else can I do? I guess I can look for Master's Programs that would suit me. I was thinking of Clinical Psychology, but I'm not yet firm about it. If I take that track, and finish it, I guess I could try teaching? I don't think doing psychotherapy would be profitable here in the Philippines. I could use my US immigrant status to work in the US, but I can't imagine myself braving the new environment there yet.

There's office work I could try, but I don't find it appealing (at least I'm sure of that).

Hay... I really don't know.

As what Thea have said, I will soon find out what would suit me. I just hope it comes to me real soon, like tomorrow!

I came across Prof. Marshall Valencia's (my psychology professor) facebook status, and it said, "

" "Mistakes" in life are not due to WRONG DECISIONS... it's mostly due to INDECISIONS... kaya strike while the iron is hot, seize the day, carpe diem, just do it, don't look anymore just jump, haste doesn't waste, risk!"

It hit me big time. I guess the reason why I am afraid of doing or trying out a lot of things is that I am really afraid of failure. This facebook update inspired me. I really can't be afraid forever. I agree that I should take more risks from now on.

Lost

Many of my friends know what happened to me, or what I have decided upon, regarding my recent career dilemma. I do not want to write it down here anymore because I have been typing it out a lot of times on YM, and I got tired already.

Whatever that decision is, I am happy with it, because right this moment, I am starting to feel lost and uncertain again. It is good that I did not jump right at the thing everyone wanted me to pursue.

Just when I thought that I would be ready with my plans for the next school year, here I am starting to doubt myself again, and question what I really want to do. It is really hard to discern which way to go when your options seem equally interesting and challenging. I feel as though I have nowhere else to go.

Am I just thinking too much? I really need to pray for discernment.

Back to Square One

Graduating from one of the Top Universities of the Country, I have always been positive and confident that I would land myself on a very prosperous career path. That has always been my defense everytime my parents would open up talks regarding our future migration to the U.S. I always say that I don't see the reason for leaving, as I know that my future will be bright here in the Philippines. I try to persuade them and tell them of all my dreams and ambitions for myself and for our family.

I had high ambitions for myself. And these ambitions of mine sometimes lead me to undermining certain jobs which I find too mediocre for me to take on. I know. How dare I judge? I have always been quick to judge when it comes to job applications. When I see that the workplace of a certain company looks distasteful, my desire to continue my application with that company quickly goes away.

Maybe more determination is what I need. I want to be faced with more reasons to work, and I think I have found these reasons. Just this week, I found out that my "chance" for Med School has poofed. My name was not included in the list of wait-listed applicants. Now why am I affected even if I really don't want to go to Med School? Well I think it's because I know that I will be disappointing a lot of my relatives, as they want me to enter Med School. Secondly, maybe because I still think that studying is more fun than working simply because you don't have to worry of earning money for yourself or your family. Third, a profession in the Field of Medicine will surely give me a wonderful life -- all that wealth, prestige, and good reputation.

Well, that's God's Will. I should just accept that. Disappointments are never uncommon, anyway.

Yes, I am back to square one. With my career options narrowed down, re-thinking must be done again. And I am now considering these jobs which I didn't imagine myself in. I hate being judged for things that I do or in this case, the job that I might be having. But what the heck? It's a job, and it's offered by a very stable and prestigious company. Being choosy is just not what I need to be right now.

Things are still uncertain. I have yet to attend the interview. We'll see from there.