Ramblings from My Soul

One of the reasons why it always takes me quite a while to finish cleaning my room is that I tend to become nostalgic every time I come across my things from when I was younger (note the -er since as of this writing, I am relatively young). And by younger I am referring to myself when I was in college. I agree when people say that the best memories are made in high school. But there are also a lot of memories made in college that can whisk the nostalgic scent. Here are a few of them: Far from being narcissistic, I am actually taking a risk at becoming the ridicule of my friends, and probably even my students, for posting this photo. This one's from my high school yearbook. Why include this photo when I am supposed to talk about my college days. It is for the simple reason that the Erwin who entered the college halls was largely a product of my high school years. When I was in high school, I was so engrossed with joining school organizations. I can not recall anymore exactly how ...

Ironically, I spent World Teachers' Day by being a student. I became a student of the renowned Francis Kong. I have always shied away from attending motivational talks for two reasons. On a more practical matter, I'd rather save my money for something else. Second, as aptly put by one of my friends, we already know what those speakers are going to talk about. But since fate literally handed out a free ticket to me, my first reason was invalidated. As for my second reason, the talk was an event hosted by a friend for which my training team sponsored. So there, I found myself amidst approximately a thousand persons who were eager to hear Mr. Kong speak. Among the things I learned from the multi-awarded speaker were (1) You will never be happy unless you are productive and (2) The curse of business is inertia, the solution is momentum. These and a lot of others insights were very enlightening. But what was perhaps the most important realization I had was that even if I ...

In his hand, he is clutching an empty pack of Marlboro red. He didn't expect to find it in his car's compartment. He opens his hand and stare at the pack. And a floodgate of memories open. They met in school last semester. She always came in late. The teacher would always find a way to make a joke of her coming in late. He would laugh together with the rest of the class. That was how it went until the end of the sem. But as the days were numbered, he started missing her on days she was absent. Once, when he noticed that she was worried about possibly failing in class, he texted her through a number she gave him through a casual conversation after class. This led to friendship. As the days went on, she wanted more. But he was hesitant. And it remained like that for a couple of weeks. Sembreak came. They continued communicating. And then they went out. After a few drinks, they decided to go out of the bar and stay in the car. She lit a cigarette and offered him one. T...

Today, I blow an imaginary candle on a make-believe anniversary cake. It was exactly a year ago that I bade goodbye to the corporate setting and ventured full-time into the world of the academe. It was a big step for me. One that was borne out of several years, not months, of discerning. It was not an easy decision to make.   Although it was clear as midday sun to me that I had a passion for teaching, what I found hazy was what was to become of me and my plans in life as soon as I take a different route.  When I was still in the industry, I had my plans laid out per year. I was calculating about how much I needed to earn and save for my life projects. I have plotted the target years that I was to own a house, a new car, and everything else. You see, I have always mostly been like that --- calculating and forward-looking. I felt safe and content that everything was going according to my plans. But as ironic as it may sound, behind that contentment and feeling of sa...