Marathon

The DEVCOM Week 2012 came and went. It was a crazy-busy week, yet I am grateful that I survived it. Yes, it was stressful but it’s part of the package.

Here is a look of that very eventful week, in pictures!

(This highlights the events last Friday and Saturday. )

Friday: “SIBYA” (1st Northern Mindanao Student Communicators Congress)

The congress focused on “Social Media for Social Change” and featured a power house cast of speakers led by my idol, Maria Ressa and her Rappler team: Patricia Evangelista, Chay Hofilena and Josh Villanueva. It was a very enriching experience to be listening to them, especially to Maria. It was the first of its kind in the region and I am very happy of the outcome.

Standing next to THE MARIA RESSA (one of the Philippines' best journalists!)

Team Rappler meets Team DEVCOM

Saturday: “The Gahum Fun Run” (Breakfast)

I woke up at 6AM! I was supposed to be at the university at 4 or 5AM but somehow, my tired body got the better of me. I hurriedly went to Manresa, where the finish line was and where the awarding ceremony was held. Thank goodness I made it there on time! I did not plan to run as I felt that I was not physically ready for it but I managed to fulfill my duty: giving out the awards and prizes to the winners!

Posing with our dean (middle)

Saying my thank you message to the participants

“Alumni Eyeball” (Lunch)

Shortly after the fun run, I proceeded to meet fellow DEVCOM alumni at the meeting (aptly called “eyeball”). We are organizing the grand alumni homecoming in December thus the need to meet and discuss details. It was a delight to see former students, a former teacher and former school mates and colleagues. Seeing them was enough to take away (a little bit) the weariness that was slowly creeping in.

The alumni who showed up during the eyeball.

“DEVCOM Night at the Oscars” (Dinner)

I found myself totally unprepared for the night. I could not find a dress to wear and I was feeling very very tired after the early day’s events. But I told myself to go as it is the last event of the week. So I managed to find a “dress” and dashed to a beauty parlor for a quick make up (look how I turned out!). I am happy with the “look”, though it did not hide the circles under my eyes. Just the same, I looked gorgeous! The event itself was very nice. It was so refreshing to see students “transformed”, looking so elegant and dashing.

As the night was about to end, I realized that it was the perfect way to end the DEVCOM Week. We all deserve it. I went home very tired but very very happy.

Yeah, that's me.

A "wacky" shot with the seniors!

With a freshman student, Christer

A photo with Irish and Chum

With my "crazy" colleagues!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So that was the week I had. Exciting, wasn’t it?

Cheers!

V Day

Scenes today:

Flowers.

Chocolates.

Stuffed toys.

Cards.

Hearts.

Smiles.

Love is in the air.

Happy Valentines Day! Celebrate love in all its forms.

Love. Love. Love!

xoxo

Happy DEVCOM Week!

This week, my department is celebrating DEVCOM Week 2012. The theme for this year is “DEVCOM Unlimited: People. Passion. Pride“.

We are celebrating more than thirty years of awesome existence.

GO DEVCOM! ♥

“Happy Holidays!” – ISS

Yesterday, I received the holiday greeting card from ISS. Well, it is not really a card but it does resemble the usual Christmas card. It was mailed last 16 December; arrived here in the city on 6 January and in the university on 9 January. For some reason, it was not immediately given to me.

Anyways, it was such a delight to get the “Happy Holidays” greeting from ISS. Then it hit me, has it been five months since? Wow. Time is swift. In an instant, I was brought back to that beautiful summer and the happy feeling it gives. Yes, I had an unforgettable summer last year!

The greeting starts with: “It was good to have you with us at the International Summer School (ISS) last summer“.  Reading that made me emotional. To that, my reply is “I am GRATEFUL to have been given that opportunity to spend that GREAT summer with you, ISS!“

Then somewhere in the middle it tells of some relevant information about the next summer school session.

And the last line hit me too. It says,”In the hope that this vision (international understanding and peaceful coexistence) will inspire you in your future work, we send you our best wishes for the holiday season, for the New Year, and for the years to come”. Just very very nice.

It is so heart-warming and again brings back that spirit of gratefulness. I am forever grateful to have spent six beautiful summer weeks in Oslo. I feel honored and privileged to have been there.

I do my best in living out the lessons and the experiences that ISS gave me. More importantly, I keep the friendships I have formed with the amazing people I met there.

Thank you, ISS!  Keep up the very good work and best wishes for 2012.

Cheers*

Here is that greeting card in English:  And in Norsk version:

Cheer Factor

I found myself sacrificing my week end for a very important planning workshop. It was both good and bad. Good, because we came up with concrete plans; and bad, only because it zapped the energies out of me. After two days of listening to colleagues and sharing ideas, I felt drained.

Week ends are the only times when I am able to “recharge” my personal batteries in order to be prepared for the next week. But this time, I could not recharge and the sad thing is, I have a full week ahead!

Last evening though, someone cheered me up… by calling me, waiting for me to go on skype and “listening” to my rants. I was very very tired and it was such a relief to “unload”  all my worries and cares to someone.

He was such an angel last night and I am grateful.

Thank you! You know who you are.

:-*

Nansen and Me

During my last day in Oslo (04 August 2011), I decided to do a quick visit to the Nobel Peace Institute and the Nobel Peace Center. I do not know why I was not able to visit those two very important places. All I remember is that I wanted and needed to be there,  but had to forego the trips for other stuff, thinking that I can “always” visit them. But in the last weeks at ISS, there was just no time to do so!  Especially that the last week was spent on writing the essay (the final exam).

Anyways, I was fortunate to have finished my essay just before lunch that day so I went on to do the visits, alone. Yeah, I could not bring anyone to come with me as my classmates were still busy finishing their essays!

I went anyway as I thought that I may not have another chance to go.

I first went to Vigelandsparken – a famous park which boasts of 192 bronze and granite (human) sculptures! Actually, I met a fellow (Tindi) ISS student on my way there (we met at the metro)  so we went together. It was a very interesting visit and I am glad that Tindi was with me, otherwise it would have been difficult to take photos of myself there. Unfortunately Tindi can’t go with me to my next destinations so I went on to downtown all by my lonesome.

The Institute was already closed when I got there (they close at 15:00) so I just took photos of Alfred Nobel’s bust statue outside the institute.

From there, I walked to the Nobel Peace Center. Along the way, I passed by Henrik Ibsen‘s museum and the Holmenkollen Office.  At the Nobel Peace Center, I met Mr. Fridtjof Nansen (the title of this post refers to him).

The center is awesome! It is a good thing that I got a student pass so I got in free of charge. It has so many features which are highly informative and interactive. Very cool!

Then came Mr. Nansen. In that part of the center, one can have a photo taken with the famous Norwegian (it’s actually just a replica of him standing there) and all you need to do is work on the machine and pose beside him. Unfortunately, it took only 5 seconds for the automatic camera to take a snapshot! Then lo and behold, I was not “properly” posed with him. Sighs!

So here is that photo of Mr. Nansen and me. In the photo, I am referred to as the “unknown helper”. It is really funny but I love it! Thanks to the amazing stuff at the Nobel Peace Center, I have a souvenir photo with the Nobel Peace Prize Winner.

That quick trip was a very nice one for me! At least I managed to go despite my very hectic schedule at the summer school. I also love the fact that I did it alone.

After that, I headed back to the dorm to prepare for the closing party, the packing and the leaving (most of us left the next day).

Cheers, Mr. Nansen!

Lull

Well, it is definitely a challenge to keep this blog up and running! It has been ten days since I promised to update this regularly.

Sighs.

Obviously, I am still busy. We’re having the midterm exams this week – which means no classes. But “no classes” do not translate to “no work“.  Since Tuesday, I found myself in meetings and more meetings! There seems to be an endless list of meetings to attend and people to meet (in meetings).

So now, there are only a few days left before regular classes start again. But there are still meetings to attend until Tuesday at least.

Note to self: you have loads of papers and student projects to check!

I hope the meetings will take a low down. Otherwise, I need to do a better job at juggling my time and multi-tasking.

For now, I hope this will do. I am off to, yes, a meeting!

‘Til later!