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Someone is celebrating his birthday today. And as a gift, I wrote him a letter because I know; he’s the senti kind of guy. So here it goes…

Pare,
Special day, special day. Pa-cheeseburger ka naman! Kidding! You know I always start with a corny joke. That’s like, a MUST before I start talking to you.

Anyway, whoa! You’re a year older again. I can’t believe it. It was just like yesterday when I greeted you a very happy 22nd birthday (wait, 22 or 23? Peace!)And now, you’re already 40 (kidding ulit!) But regardless of the age, you still look 18 to me. Promise. (Uuuy, natuwa! Haha!)

I don’t know if you feel this, but I think the two of us spent most of our college years together that we can already enumerate the things that have happened and changed during the past couple of years—your relationships, my “almost” relationship, your Math grades which are always waaaay better than mine, and your bag and my bag which are always, always in gubat mode! And there are actually a lot more, a lot more that I can not say because we promised that those things are going to be just between you and me.
Maybe, that’s the reason why we’re a good tandem. Because we can keep each other’s secret. Because, no matter how hard some people try to keep us apart, we always end up being together—not as a couple—but as partners in crime. And I will always be grateful for that.
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…some much needed rest and relaxation! My September has been incredibly hectic (and the sem isn’t over yet!) so I’m really looking forward to a break. Here’s my list so far:

1. Candy’s October issue! Because it has the COC 8 mini mag! Whee! I haven’t picked up a copy yet, but I’ll get one tomorrow. I’m so excited to see the mini mag that we’ve worked so hard on! I’m sure holding it in my hands will banish all other concerns from my mind, if only for a few minutes.
2. The Candy Fair! I’ll see you all on October 4, okay? Details here. I’m looking forward to seeing the COC8 girls. I miss them already!
3. Shopping! I need (yes, need and not just want!) to buy new shoes, since I’ve had to retire some pairs due to wear and tear. I need to get a white pair and a black pair. I also want to buy more Transformers toys, but those will have to wait until my bank account recovers from my recent splurging on food. Haha!
4. Ice cream! You might know by now that I totally swear by ice cream as an all-around comfort, and I sure want ice cream soon! I’m really looking forward to visiting The Ice Cream Bar in Rockwell, or going back to Scooperman in The Block. Or Flaming Wings—I haven’t had their Wicked Oreos in a while!
5. Catching up with friends! My BFF Chico, my youth pastor Mike, my friend Wayne whom I met in Singapore… I already have a list of people I want to hunt down and have a meal with. I can’t wait for my schedule to become less hectic so I’ll have time to meet them one by one!
6. Sem-enders! As the semester draws to a close, I’m already whipping up fun plans with my friends! The end of the sem is always a reason to partaaay! ;p

And of course, the one thing I’m really looking forward to is to finish all my school requirements, which, for me, would mean finishing college! I guess that’s one reason why I don’t mind all the stress I’ve been experiencing. It’s the last stretch for me! Yes, it’s difficult, it’s crazy, it’s absolutely taxing, but it’s the last! I’m going to give it all I’ve got.

What are you girls looking forward to right now? Spill!

Eager and excited,
Micah <3

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1. That sense of authority and responsibility.
   What if all of a sudden you realize that you hold the power to make or break someone, will you take on the responsibility, or just completely ignore it? I know some people who are afraid to teach kids because they fear they might not be able to deliver effectively; and, well, some just simply dislike kids (I respect that of course!) I on the other hand love the idea of being able to make even just a tiny bit of difference in a child’s life. It’s my way to somehow contribute to society since I fear any dealings whatsoever with mathematics. Nonetheless, it’s hard work, ha. Teaching is the noblest of jobs and it requires both skill and passion! Anyone can be a teacher, but only a few can truly make a difference.
2. The  witty lines encounter
   “My mom’s afraid of snakes, she’s so crazy!” A four year old said that. I found it very funny. There are lots more charming ones, exaggerated stories, wild imaginations, or forthright interrogations like “Teacher, why do you wear the same shoes all the time?” Ouch. “Because these are comfy,” I said. Shame. The next day, I wore a different pair! Haha!
3. Being around cute kids
   I do not wish to seem biased, but let’s admit it, 1: cute kids make our day; 2: not all kids are cute. Conclusion: Therefore, not all kids make our day. But as a teacher, I am required to love each one equally even if some kids throw the most annoying tantrums. But that’s beside the point. Despite the occurrence of such unfortunate event, there exist sweet angels that make this world a better place to live in. Here’s a video of one of the kids I absolutely love talking to: Mateo! He’s very charming and very smart! The cutest thing!

Mateo talks about his passion, Dinosaurs.

There’s a lot more to teaching, actually. Be not limited by my superficial mind. (Only superficial at the moment due to an overwhelming encounter with Mateo). There is, of course, the fact that I get to do what I enjoy doing the most—a preparation to motherhood? Which, by the way, let me emphasize, will not happen any time soon. And a dream of putting up my own preschool to help provide children quality education and to ensure that they be given the best school time of their lives. I. Thank. You. Bow. (Waves and blows a kiss!)

P.S. If you know anyone from the South in need of a tutor, let me know. I am known for giving 100% in everything I do! Haha! Shameless plug!

I Teach Kids,
Crissy

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As I mentioned in last week’s post, my thesis mates and I went back to Bacolod and Guihulngan, Negros Oriental for our thesis immersion again. We decided to go back to gather more data and footage, interview more residents and community health workers, and join the Negros Mercy Medical Mission. The med mission was sponsored by different non-government organizations such as Council for Health and Development, Negros Island Health Integrated Program, Visayas Community Medical Center, Health Alliance for Democracy-CEBU, Alliance of Health Workers-Bacolod/Cebu, and YCMC. We certainly achieved more aside from accomplishing the above-mentioned  objectives.

I wouldn’t discuss the details of our thesis anymore since I have elaborated it when I wrote an entry about our first immersion. This time, I’ll be showing you pictures to tell you about our amazing and educational experience . Special thanks to Tita Delen Dela Paz and Ariane Rimando for the pictures.

Cha wasn’t able to go with us because she attended her retreat. So Shai, Ariane, Kath, and I were the ones who went back. We also hired two production assistants to help us in shooting our videos. We were happy that we were able to rent a 3CCD camera. It’s a great video cam. The quality is really good. Plus, hiring the PAs also entitled us to audio equipment such as a lapel and boom mic. We also had a halogen lamp. Seriously, we were so prepared to shoot or docu/film. I’m excited to share this to you, by December, after our defense. Hehe!

Posing with our IDs

Here we are with our IDS. I know our names aren’t spelled correctly because the one who wrote it, Ate Girlie was teasing us.
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I belong to the organization, Association of Biology Majors in my school, the University of the Philippines. Sounds geeky right? But there is definitely more to the nerd-ish name. Just like nay other organization in UP, it yearns to mold students into holistic individuals. And what I love the most about this organization is the fact that we live to help and serve others. Last Saturday, September 20, 2008, we had our annual medical mission at Taguig City.

It was definitely an experience to remember.

Everyone went to the vicinity at around 8 am but since a few of us had exams in the morning, we just followed at around 9 am. It was so funny because the rest of us who followed got super lost. We didn’t have a hard time to reach the area because I knew it pretty well but finding the side streets and the specific place was hard. Haha! So we got lost for around 30 minutes only to find that we’ve passed a gazillion times St. Michael’s Church, the church we were looking for!

The latecomers cramming inside the car.

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