Driving

At the age of 14 I guess, we had a small car and we used to call it tarak-tarak. It was perhaps because the color was yellow, it was very small, the design was unusual like I have never ever seen a car such as that; not even now that it's gone already. Unique as it was, that was the first car I was able to ran. Well, making the car run was easy and having it stop was much easier (that it fully stopped and turned off..hahahah). But, how I wish driving is as easy as that (I was driving in a very open field then).

Last year, I had to master driving because riding a taxi was and is very expensive. We had to hire a taxi or borrow a multicab driver to bring mama to the hospital or the stroke rehabilitation clinic more than twice a week. It was very expensive of course. It was either we minimize going to the clinic or I drive the multicab for us. The first choice was feasible so we did it and I enrolled at driving school so to master the technicalities and principles of driving. After 5 days, I was able to drive busy streets, although I still struggled with uphill driving. I hated it when motorela and other PUV drivers would suddenly stop while driving uphill just to load or unload passengers; some doesn't even have tail lights, back lights, and signal lights. tsk tsk tsk..

However, mama and papang pushed me to find a work so my degree wouldn't be wasted, besides I am not getting any younger and I definitely need one for my future's sake (esp. that I'm getting married). Actually, they pitied on me because I cut my VSO opportnity just to attend to mama. It was actually ok with me. hehehe..I was confident that God will give me a job whenever I need one. He did! When mama and papang told me to find a job, I got opportunities right away. God is gracious, indeed, and worthy of all praises!

So, this work thing, defeated the purpose of cutting the taxi expenses or driving mama to the clinic. Anyhow, God provided us din naman with all our needs. He met even our wants. I did save from daily travel expenses. Aside from the fact that my BA sends and fetches me to and from school everyday, I drive my way, too, when he couldn't make it and I drive the multicab when I love doing it.

Every driving moment was and is an experience. Every time I drive I learn new techniques and new ways and I enjoy it a lot. Every time I drive, I learn to communicate better with other drivers, I learn to read between the traffics, and I learn more about timing and proper orchestration of my feet, my hands, my ears, my eyes, among other senses. Certainly, I grow as a person because along the way, I learned a lot in as much as I realized so many things; that driving is not just about learning how to make the car run or stop. Driving is reality. I need to determine right timing, right pacing, right motions, appropriate signal giving, decision making, responsible driving, among others. Traffics taught me to wait than rush, which I might get into much trouble. I have become more responsible as a pedestrian as well because I know now how it feels to be driving in streets where people are crowding themselves seemingly unconscious of the street they're at.

Now that I am already 27 years old, I am still riding a cute tarak-tarak (as it may appear beside extravagant and vintage cars). It may just be a multicab, but two things are certain, I am a better driver now and I have a better citizen now.

My Night with TM Club of Macajalar Bay

I knew it very well that I'd be called for some roles.

Tonight, I was asked to call the meeting to order, to introduce the guests, and to count the "crutch" words during the educational meeting of Macajalar Bay Toastmasters Club.

Meeting by meeting I learn new things and I grow in confidence. I once thought that I can speak so much better in a crowd. But, gone are the days where thoughts just come easily into my head. Gone are the days where ideas just flow hastily in my mind. Gone are the days where words just come out from my mouth in their proper sounds and diction. Today, it seems like, words slip off my tongue and I cannot simply control my jaw that I miss the right pronunciation.

One thing I appeciate with toastmasters club is that I get constructive criticisms. The club understands that the reason why I join is that I want to develop my leadership and public speaking skills. And, true enough, meeting by meeting, I learn new things and I learn how to handle new roles because I accept tasks handed to me. I accept them not because I am confident of delivering them, but simply because I want to challenge myself; I want to know more about the role or the task; I want to assess myself as to how far can I be in taking roles. Meeting by meeting I have known myself and my capacity to lead and to speak. Indeed, meeting by meeting I grow up as a person.

Earth Hour in Cagayan de Oro

For two years now I have been participating in Earth Hour. Simply because I am cognizant to the domino effect of global warming.

Last year, I turned off the lights at home for one hour. This year, people at home did the same as well as our neighbors, while I was at Kiosko sa Kagawasan watching with XU people and other dignitaries in the city counting down for earth hour.

The celebration at Kiosko was stunned by the presence of Fr. Jett Villarin, SJ, an environmental scientist - President of Xavier Universty-Ateneo de Cagayan, Ms. Borje, the Undersecretary of Energy, CDO Mayor Tinnex Jaraula, Cong. Rufus Rodriguez, City Councilors, among others who watched the artistic performances of various artists from Cagayan de Oro, Iligan, and Camiguin. I think those thespian performances were directed by Mr. Hobart Savior, the Culture and Arts Director of Xavier University.

The countdown excited I guess everyone who wished to witness how dark the quest could bring on. At zero,there was significant darkness although it did not come out simultaneously. Jollibee-Divisoria, the nearest food chain, did not turn off everything for safety and security reasons of people eating inside, the manager told me. Street lights switched off a little later among other establishments.

Candles illumined the area while artistic performances went on.

As the 60-minute earth campaign came to a close, a shorter countdown took place and in a short while the program ended.

Counting my days again..

I am counting my days again. I have yet 4 more days to stay or report in XU. Yeah, I'd say goodbye to a permanent job. A decision that I deliberated well eversince I affixed my signature in XU.

I do remember all words spoken out last June when I was interviewed by three nice people from the Office of Student Affairs. I remember being asked, How do you see yourself 10 years from now? Looking up too high at the thought of being in an ateneo school, I did answer, Should I be accepted, I even see myself grow old here. Certainly, I had high expectations of.. well, practically, the pay among other benefits, set and just systems, better leadership considering that my leadership skill was well honed by this university, if I may recall my first and second years in college.

Looking back, I remember being taught by this university about changing unjust structures and not to profit from unjust structures. I was defined here, although I grew well in MSU. My leadership, principles, and paradigms were formed by the trainings I received when I was yet a sophomore. This thought excited me to join XU and much much more excited to be the Student Activities and Leadership Development Program Assistant.

In the job, I met a lot of people. Within 9 months, things went too hasty. A month after I started, I was afforded the opportunity to be with renowned and prominent people in the university. I thought it would end their. Later, a memo crossed with my name again in the execom. Meetings with university directors were at first a bizarre, as if I have never ever spoken yet with and in front of dignitaries; meeting by meeting, I realized that they are like me, too, subject to frailties. In fact, while working with them, there were days that I longed to not to have known them. I did ask while in one of those smothering hours, who would they be in my thoughts had I not worked with them (not all of them though)? Yet, knowing them is knowing myself as well. It was an opportunity to grow as a person and as a leader in my own ways.

I really appreciate the richness of my short stay. Students leaders in XU are so passionate to the point of losing themselves in the midst of their own system. They may be blemished by the jumbling of aggresiveness, naivity, and venturesome characteristics, I am happy that I grew with them and by them. I appreciate XU's desire of molding future leaders. I appreciate student leaders' authentic quest for Magis (for more).

More so, my own office, my boss, and our assistants, they are very nice friends, very thoughtful people, worthy to be called my friends. I am pretty sure that even after XU, we'll still be hanging out with each other. We have created a bond, so unique that I could and would look forward to still hang on with.

Yet, I have to move out of here. I must go simply for more personal growth and development. I know deep within that I would be happier if I work on things that I could do best. I am convinced that I can do more than the daily tasks I do in XU. While it is true that I did desire of going back to the academe, and that I was happy of joining XU; my head desires for more, more than the daily papers that I need to file, more than the daily proposals that I need to receive, and so much more than the daily talks and occasional leadership seminars that I need to attend. In principle, honestly, I am not growing in knowledge to contemporary leadership styles. While the world out there are busy training people for consensus and participatory approaches, and with contemporary leadership trends, my world here is still with the traditional and conventional boss-centered leadership.

(I will post soon another blog about leadership trends, which will include of course the traditional boss-centered leadership.)

Well, somehow I did grow in character like I have become more patient now, understanding, submissive (non-insistent anymore), and diplomatic. hehehe

Kaya, let me sip the soup while it's hot.