The Oh-Ten Dozen

One of last year’s top life events was …

   1. Getting published on paper for the first time. Wow, I have got to admit, this was HUGE for me. This is definitely last year’s top event for me. I was really hoping to get my name on paper, but I didn’t expect a piece of my article and my own face, especially, to get printed out on a national newspaper, and not just any paper, broadsheet at that! On Philippine Daily Inquirer!

       2. Getting to sing solo at CCP. Like getting published, this was also a biggie for me. As a singer, getting to sing at the Cultural Center of the Philippines was a dream for me, and being able to finally do it, experience it, and finally singing there at that exact moment, even if it was just in a small gallery, felt like floating in a dream.

             3. Getting to sing at PICC. Another WOW-er. I still sing at the Philippine International Convention Center every other Sunday, and it still amazes me every time I get up the stage as part of a chorus. Gosh I remember the first time, I even cried. O_0

            4. Getting to be an art researcher and writing a wall note for an exhibit for the first time. For those who don’t know yet, I’m an Art Studies student from the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City, and I have been studying my ass off for more than four years now to critique and write about art. As luck would have it, I have been really fortunate to become a part of last year’s Walong Filipina exhibition, a prestigious annual art exhibit. Me and seven other students worked as art researchers for this year’s exhibit to which I owe getting published on paper and getting to sing at CCP for the first time; and of course to top all of that, seeing my article finally being published as a wall note on one of CCP’s galleries is the icing on top all of my hard work studying.

  
             5. Getting my own works of art exhibited for the first time. No, not on CCP, haha. It was exhibited at the lobby of our school’s faculty center, but of course, because it’s a first, it’s still a major biggie for me. I still got a looong way to go if I would want to pursue being an artist as a professional undertaking, but everyone has to start somewhere right? Well, this is mine. Read more about it on a separate post HERE.

 

       6. Getting a regular teaching job at a daycare center in Mandaluyong. My mother has been teaching for more than 40 years already, and maybe I might have inherited some of her talent, but I never dreamt of being a teacher not even in my wildest dreams. I don’t remember how it all started exactly, it just happened. I was just looking for a job, then they were the first who contacted me – I didn’t even apply for it! I was just PRAYING for a job to be exact then this came – through Facebook! Haha. Then all I had to do was say yes, and then I reported the next day…and then..voila! Instant “Teacher Virna”. BUT what I didn’t expect was the positive response from kids and parents, which lead me to thinking, “Hey! Maybe this is a calling? Maybe I should listen to it and consider it as one of the many possibilities that I could go for after I graduate”.  To top that, I’m so proud to say that all of my Nursery students can read now!

             7. The fulfilling feeling of teaching kids with special needs and seeing their progress no matter how small it is.  Whew, I have got to admit, teaching toddlers and Nursery is one thing, but teaching special children is a whole new issue. I have taught two special children last year, the other one’s kinda rich and I got paid pretty WELL, while the other one’s more of a responsibility that I took to contribute to the world – OR to make it simpler, I taught the other one for free. The first few days were the hardest, I couldn’t even get near at one of them so I had to use a paper puppet, but after a few weeks and a whole lot of patience, when I saw concrete improvements, oh man. I can’t help but sing my victory song: yes Lord, yes Lord, yes yes Lord, amen!

           8. Being part of two choirs, the FEAST Manila Bay’s Music Ministry and our subdivision Palmera 2’s Dos Koros. The FEAST, to those who are unfamiliar with it, is a Catholic celebration every Sunday headed by Bo Sanchez, the author of many best-selling inspirational books here in the Philippines.  The whole event starts with a Eucharistic Celebration, and ends with charismatic fun fun fun worship and a truly inspirational talk by Bo. It’s to them I owe getting to sing at the Philippine International Convention Center every other Sunday. With the other Sundays that I have, I spend it singing for our village’s local choir – Dos Koros; BUT I’m proud to say that our choir is not just any choir, some of my choir mates sing on TV masses alternate Sundays as well, and our guitarist is the lead vocals of the band Manila Bus. The FEAST was also televised before on channel 5 but I think it’s not aired anymore because they’re still negotiating on available time slots and other technical stuff. I’m sure though, that when they get this fixed, we’ll be on TV again in no time. :)

             9. Darrel finding his own way back into studying and me being able to help him already with his tuition. This is really fulfilling. Darrel has been planning to continue his studies since almost forever and now he finally got himself enrolled and I’m now able to help him with his tuition from time to time. This was definitely the best part of earning my own money.

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             10. Going to Palawan for the first time. I’m part of a small family (there’s only three of us because I have no siblings), and both of my parents are senior citizens already, so we don’t travel that much. This is so far, the farthest place I’ve reached alone. It was so much fun, and the trip was the last blog that I posted before I disappeared, haha. You could read the whole experience HERE.
             
              11. Doing things I wouldn’t usually do like riding a plane, snorkeling, eating a worm, learning how to ride a bike, and zip-lining for the first time. I’m the type of person who doesn’t let chances and new experiences pass. Whenever there’s a chance to experience something new, I definitely never pass out and I don’t allow my limitations and fears to get in the way. Of course I’m not ready to go sky diving just yet, but in the future maybe, who knows? I’m not ruling out the possibility. Haha. These experiences give me so much pride whenever I remember doing them. Riding a plane is not really an experience that you would call extreme, but because it’s my first time, and especially because I’m not with my parents, it was a biggie for me. Snorkeling is also not a big thing for most people, but to me it really was. I’m SCARED of water. I’m not hydrophobic as in I don’t take a bath everyday anymore, but I’m hydrophobic to a certain point, like I can’t jump into pools, I get hysterical if I get thrown into one, I can’t slide, and of course I can’t swim! But as I’ve said earlier, I never let a chance to do something new pass, even if it does require me to conquer my fears, and jumping off a boat in the middle of the sea.  My taste palette definitely doesn’t include exotic food but whenever there’s a chance to finally taste one, then I go go go! There’s a wood worm in Palawan called Tamiluk, and…well…it tasted good! Another first was riding a bike. It felt like a dream popping out of a Koreanovela when my boyfriend offered to teach me how to ride a bike. The experience was not only fun, it also gave our relationship deeper meaning, and the romantic boost it needed. Lastly, zip-lining at Bicol’s Lignon Hill was so much fun! I experienced this while sitting down, maybe next time I’ll try zip-lining all stretched-out, Superman style!

            12. And lastly, doing my best to finish my thesis to be able to graduate this March on top of EVERYTHING. This is still an on-going experience, haha. This is also the hardest. My parents have been expecting me to finish my studies already for the longest time, and of course I have been working hard for it as well. I really do hope that I’ll be able to finish my thesis in time for my graduation this March. Phew. I can do this. AJA!

Need I explain more why I disappeared for so long?? But anyhow, thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for still welcoming me back. Cheerio!