What's up?

It has been a while since I had the chance to sit down in front of the computer and pour my thoughts over something that is 'less academic' (Let's hope this is sensible at the very least!) and not a requirement. It is refreshing, I must say.

Almost finished! :D

So what's up with me these past several months? Apart from uni, work, the occasional social life, a fair amount of 'me' time and a little bit of travel (which I will talk about in my next entry) are the things that are keeping me pretty much busy. Was there ever a time I felt homesick? Well, I cried once when I saw my brother's graduation ball photos. Haha! His graduation was the first family affair that I was not present. Other than that, nothing else. I guess I'm too busy or too tired to even feel homesick. But definitely, I miss the little things back home like the food or when my mom or brother gives me a back massage or the longer mall operating hours.

It has been almost eight months since I left. I'm lucky that I didn't have a hard time adjusting. Even if I don't have any relatives here, having a friend and living with a half-Filipino family who willingly and voluntarily helped me was a big factor in my smooth transition into a new environment. Let me share snaps, random instances and spontaneous light bulb moments from these past several months.

I have learned how to smile at and greet random strangers. I have learned how to say thank you to bus drivers. I have already developed a standard reply such as, 'Hi! Yeah, I'm good. Thanks.' and 'Oh no, I'm good. I'm just looking around.' to basic questions that I am repeatedly asked of when I go out.

In true Jana fashion, smiling at strangers is not me. It is not. My. Thing. Ever. (Well, until recently, that is.) I am a happy, giddy, smiling person -- to people that I know, not with strangers. I can even greet you as wildly as I can, call or scream out your name in public for all I care, if we are friends. I even find a smile from a stranger, depending on the situation or the way that person smiles, either: 1. quite creepy; 2. weird; or 3. no big deal. So when someone smiled and greeted me randomly here for the very first time, I was like this:

Or this.

Okay, NOT REALLY. Hahaha!

More of like this. I think.

HAHAHAHA! Less funnier, though, I suppose! (Jess, FTW! ;p)

ANYWAY... You get the point.

I eventually got used to smiling back and responding to anyone who greets me. I am actually starting to initiate the greeting a few times now. Saying thank you everytime I get off the bus is already like a reflex for me. Don't get me wrong. My parents and teachers taught me so well but we don't practice saying thank you to bus or jeepney drivers (I say thank you to a cab driver though) in the Philippines. We just say 'Para' or 'Sa tabi lang po' when we want to get off.


I thought I knew English perfectly well until I heard an Australian speak.

There was definitely something wrong with my ears or my comprehension during my first few months here. I remember having a conversation with my patients and there were moments wherein I totally didn't get what they were saying. It's either I didn't understand what he/she meant (like an Australian slang or some sort of an Australian idiomatic expression) or my ears didn't quite catch what he/she said (like talking too fast in a very strong Australian tongue). Sometimes, it becomes too obvious in my face because I'm trying to think of what he/she said or meant and trying to smile at the same time. Hahaha. So I apologize and ask them to repeat what they said or ask them what they meant. Or I just nod and smile and pretend I understood (Unless I think it is something important!). Or they just tell me straight away, 'You didn't get what I said, did you?' then they laugh. Luckily, my patients gladly explain things to me. It's quite embarrassing and totally funny at the same time.


"So where are you from?" I'm from the Philippines.
"How come you don't look like a Filipino?" Uhhh, I do not know? Haha.

"You sound American. Are you from America?" No.
"But did you study in America?" Nope.
"How come you sound American?" I don't know. Haha.

"So are you Chinese or Korean?" None of the above.
"Japanese?" Nope.
"Then what are you?" I'm Filipino.
"How do you say Good morning in your language?" Magandang umaga.
"Ah. Definitely not Chinese." 

(Speaks to me in English)
(I reply in English)
Few minutes later.
"Uhm, are you Filipino?" Opo.
"Ay, ano ba yan! Ini-english pa kita! Di kasi ako sigurado, para ka kasing Korean."

Usual, curious questions that I get from my patients, workmates or the nurses working at the hospital where I had my pracs.

Korean/Chinese/Japanese saan banda? Filipina na Filipina kaya ako!

I have learned how to juggle school and work.

In full gear. (First day of pracs!) 

Back home, I was amazed with students who managed to juggle working and studying because I wouldn't be able to do that. Until I moved here. I am studying full-time here (the load is way lighter than my load back in uni in the Philippines though) and working part-time, too. It was tiring during the first few weeks of doing it both but I eventually got a hold of it so it's all G.


I realized I need two jobs or one job and one activity that are totally unrelated with each other.

First out of town getaway. :)

My enjoyment at work always seems like a fleeting feeling. :D Back in the Philippines, I thought the problem was with the job that I had or the people I was working with. Apparently, I realized it is me who is the problem. I find myself either bored, too stressed or fed up if it's too much of the same, damn thing every single day because I am stuck in one job. This is probably why I was so stressed in college because I stopped my extra-curricular activities the moment I started freshman year. The degree that I was working on was my excuse. Now that I am a working student here, I am looking forward to working by the start of the week and going back to my schoolworks by the end of the week. So yeah, I need (Yes, NEED.) another job or another major activity or project in between to break that. A change of scenery every once in a while or else, I'll go cray! Haha.


My poor or seemingly non-existent sense of direction actually exists and is improving!

Probably the longest walk in my entire life.

My friends can attest how bad I am with directions and I get lost most, if not all, of the time. When I moved here, definitely, I have no one to call to pick me up when I get lost and no one is there to actually get me when I get lost. Nevertheless, I must survive and unleash the inner and hidden Dora! Hence, Google Maps is my new bestfriend. Maps are starting to make sense to me now. I'm not entirely good with it because I still get confused and lost (less frequent than I used to!) but at least I can somehow understand it now. Cheers to that, y'all! Hahaha!


I prefer brown hair and brown eyes than blonde and blue eyes. But regardless of the hair and eye color, I believe my heart will still beat for a Filipino man.

My eyes seem to pop out of their socket and my smile shines so bright that it is so obvious whenever I see an Australian guy with brown hair and brown eyes and dresses really nice. It makes me imagine how cute our babies will be like. (WHAT?! Hahaha.) However, when I snap back to reality, I still prefer Filipino men. I am not saying Filipinos are better but I prefer a man who belongs to same culture as I am. I prefer how Filipino men pursue a woman. I prefer how Filipinos express their love in general. I prefer how Filipino families are. Even if we live in a modern age, I believe Filipino men are still quite conservative. Being exposed to a different culture makes me appreciate even further not just Filipino men but our own culture as well.

Then again, you never know. I might fall in love with an Australian after all! Haha.


We have good education system in the Philippines.

We asked ourselves countless times why we need to study all of these subjects and why we have to repeatedly do some of it until college. We thought it was all too much and too hassle. We thought our teachers and professors were downright cruel for making us stay up all night, for making ridiculous deadlines and for making us do gazillion of things just because they say so. We answered questions in exams about topics that weren't even discussed because our teachers and professors can ask these questions. However, trust me when I say IT WAS ALL WORTH GOING THROUGH. :)


You do not wait for an opportunity. You chase it or you make it. At your own pace. At the right time.

Opportunities are everywhere. If you are lucky, it is sometimes handed out to you or you just have to dig deeper to find one. Either way, you choose which one you want to embark yourself in. If you haven't found one that suits you then widen your horizon and look further. If all else fails, go and make one for yourself. It is not as easy as I make it sound like. Mine took four long years. Four long years of chasing and trying until I realized out what I really want and what is right for me, in accordance to God's plan. Apparently, what I need is a set of more, if not better, opportunities. Maybe, probably, this is my right time. When I am totally ready to come armed and grab that opportunity God has laid out for me.


Life is good. And it can be better.

Australia didn't taught me that. It is just worth saying all over again to remind ourselves that life is superb! Regardless of what is going on in between and the highs and the lows, the mere fact that we are alive, breathing and screaming is already amazing enough. How we choose to live it is solely up to us, which is the exciting and challenging part. :)

And I choose to live my life in the best way that I know. :) 

More photos to wrap this entry up! :)

Kareena's despedida

For first sem. :)