Enchanted farm girl for days

Over the course of my three-year stint of being brought around (and even out of) the country while doing service work, it was a no-brainer that a couple of scenes would charm me here and there. As for the case of the Gawad Kalinga Enchanted Farm in Angat, Bulacan, it seems that on every visit and in every corner I turn, there lies something so mesmerizing to see and heartwarming to experience. It's a delight to have this haven that's full of life and promise just an hour or so away from the bustling city, the perfect respite despite almost-always being there for work. Today, I look back on the special memories spent there, which never fail to put a smile on my face and I know will be treasured for a long time.

Long gone summer

The typhoon season is back and now it's full of wrath more than ever! Mario has been showing off since last night with non-stop heavy rains, strong winds, loud thunders and flashy lightnings. Dreadfully scary stuff going on right outside my bedroom window. I was up at 4:30 this morning and haven't gotten back to sleep since, thanks to all the noises. Clearly, classes were suspended early on and the no-work announcement came a bit later.

I'm basically done with all my deliverables so I'm planning on staying in bed the entire day, marathoning some cool shows and movies, eating the meals prepared by my sweet ol' landlady (she offered to feed me for the whole day since we're practically stuck here anyway) when I get the chance, and hopefully catching up on some blogging. So far, it seems like I'm doing a pretty good job at it, eh?

A look behind the Legacy

As interesting as the interviews and narratives we gather for our halfway-done year-long project of a mini-documentary series are the silly tales I collect behind the scenes. I, for one, am a sucker for good back stories, especially those that are picturesque as well as will potentially give me a nice laugh even in years to come. It's these moments that are worth remembering, worth sharing, and assures me that what I'm doing is worth the while.

I have returned

A couple of months after my first visit, the team and I trooped back to Tacloban early on Labor Day to witness what has progressed since. All throughout that weekend, I've seen the people in the city and its neighboring towns smile better as thousands of volunteers from across the country and around the globe came to help rebuild their homes and their lives.

Some shenanigans

Contrary to popular belief, it's never just "all work, no play" in the kind of career I'm pursuing. History is often tagged as boring and as the new breed of nation-builders it's our job to make things a lot interesting or simply shed light on these misconstrued assumptions. The first quarter of every year is the busiest season for the Commission, I've been told and so I've experienced. But that clearly won't stop us from sharing a good laugh or two in between flying in and out of the capital for field work and cramming/pulling all-nighters/chasing deadlines as if we never outgrew college. (Aren't we too old for this? Uhm, nope.)

And it was all yellow

It used to be just another holiday marked in our school calendars and I barely knew much about it, with its tale taking up only a third of a page of my age-old Philippine history book, but the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution was actually a huge deal. And who knew that one day I'd find myself working for a Commission whose sole purpose is to celebrate the said shiniest event in our country's recent past which toppled down a ruthless, decades-long dictatorship. Let's blame it on the generation gap or that Hekasi was never my favorite as well as strongest subject (obviously) and leave it at that...

Humbled

Not so long ago last year, our dear country has faced many a tragedy in only a matter of months. But we have proved time and again that no earthquake, siege, or typhoon can weather the Filipinos' resilience and bayanihan spirit. We've seen their strength, hope, and willingness to help one another amidst the adversities, and it's at moment like these that make me proud to be a little brown sister. And to be immersed on the ground and to witness then document these said inspiring stories makes me love my job even more.

With arms linked and hearts for the nation

It's been a long time coming when finally our most-anticipated and thoroughly-prepared-for Salubungan Workshop has seen the light of day in mid-January. Hundreds of student, youth, and government leaders from across the country made their way to the heart of the nation to learn more about taking their nation-building advocacies to the next level. Along with our commissioners, we gathered experts on the field of advertising, media, community development, and business to impart to the participants on how to up their causes. We also had a few tricks up our sleeves and a couple of surprises in store for our guests.

Like clockwork

Just when I thought that the busyness was over...well, it was just getting started. My overwhelming but bearable October, November, and December in Malacañang was filled with days out of the office, overtimes, and weekend work. Thankful for what has been the gift of grace under pressure.

White hat's on

I got hooked on the amazing political thriller that is Scandal around the same time I started working in our side of the world's White House and you could only imagine how much of a giddy fangirl, taking her obsession to heart and all, that made me sound. In fact, I was in the middle of my season two marathon when I was sent on my first assignment on the field literally on my first day. There I was able to squeeze in a few episodes while on the road and during our down time.

But mind you, I'm no Olivia Pope or any of her associates. I'd like to think, however, that I may be called a "gladiator in a suit" (or business casual, in our case) in my own right. I believe anything is possible if we all work hand in hand to make this country achieve new heights. That said, I have always wanted to serve this great nation and I can't be more glad to be doing so with my writing.

This opportunity has exposed me to worlds I could not have been to alone and under any other circumstance and to inspiring lives which continuously motivate me to write. Each day I have seen the seemingly-impossible turn possible because of the bayanihan spirit which resonates around the Philippines amid the inevitable natural and man-made disasters. The experience has been humbling, to say the least.

It's no walk in the park, in all honesty; serving the "bosses" aka fellow Filipinos has its trade-offs.

#justanotherdayattheoffice

Through out the course of my my short, two-months journey of working at the travel magazine, I took necessary pit stops, entertaining a handful of interesting, creative ideas whilst on trips or being stuck at the office. I must admit, they all seemed brilliant at that time. But one that stood out the most and actually saw the light of day was my simple photo series which allowed me to share to friends and family where "my office" was on certain days with the aid of my okay-quality camera phone. Eventually my little project welcomed the possibility of on-location Skype dates and later (d)evolved to the usual documentation of somewhat typical office affairs. As all things, however, it was fun while it lasted. Until the next crazy adventure! (More snippets after the jump.)

Challenge accepted

From the phone: Last night's pizza party at home, sponsored by the twentysomethings to kickstart an adventure-filled week · K, gotta go. Wish me luck!!! :) · Interesting photo from work of the day: the corkboard at our pantry. Around the world map are post-its of did-you-knows. So far, my favorite: "Walt Disney was actually afraid of mice."
Today marks my first day at work and because I'm still at a high from it, here's something I've grown to love over the years, and especially now at my job—a list:

1. Waking up to my alarm at 5:30am, leaving the house by 7am, being at the office by 9am, leaving work at 6pm, arriving home a little past 8pm, and then having trouble sleeping... They told me wrong. This isn't like high school nor college. This is high school and college combined. And I love it!
2. In connection to #1, the long, gruesome commute from Las Piñas to Ortigas (tricycle, two jeepneys, train, and a fifteen-minute brisk walk) and back (said brisk walk, train, bus, jeepney, and tricycle).