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Years ago, I was so damn fit. I had ABS! My goodness. But that was a product of hours of daily football training, and, well, poverty. I hardly had money to pay for jeepneys to and around school. Friends who would see me walking out of the village or crossing Katipunan Avenue can attest to that. I walked when I couldn't take a jeep or ride with a friend. I skipped meals when I was too busy studying, training or working. It was a hard and unhealthy lifestyle, but all people ever saw was that I had a great body, I partied during the weekend (thanks to friends). I moonlighted as Princess Jasmine for children's parties to get extra cash. I sold Nu Skin products. I wrote other people's papers for schools. By no hardwork of mine, but that of my older sisters, life slowly got better. My boyfriend helped me get better too. Someday, I'll show them I was a great investment. I'm healthier now. I work, I eat, I sleep. It was a while before I got the hang of balancing it. I've finally gotten into a good groove. Now, I think it's high time I work on being fit again. This photo of me as Jasmine serves as my reminder. Not necessarily of how my body used to be, but of how my life used to be like. It's a reminder that I survived my rock bottom (long story), so I will never take for granted the blessings I have today. Btw, my gym today is a far cry from our old rundown UP Weights Room in Diliman. So yay! No excuses! (at The Beacon – Arnaiz Tower)

It was supposed to be my rest weekend, but what the heck! A quick trip up a mountain means fresh air and some good ol' adrenaline rush. #teamfliptrip #fliptripph #tripkada #hiking #picodeloro #comevisitph #exploreph #travelph #travelbug #hikeph #backpacker #weekendtrips (at Parrot's Beak, Mt. Pico de Loro)

#weekendtrips #picodeloro #hiking #travelph #comevisitph #hikeph #exploreph #backpacker #travelbug #tripkada #fliptripph #teamfliptrip

And up the hill they went, to answer the call from above. Many scenes in travels remind me of the stories of Jesus. :) #teamfliptrip #fliptripph #tripkada #backpackph #backpacker #exploreph #comevisitph #mtulap #hiking (at Mt. Ulap, Ampucao, Itogon, Benguet)

#backpackph #hiking #comevisitph #exploreph #backpacker #tripkada #mtulap #fliptripph #teamfliptrip

In Pagudpud, just by the branch, lies a small booth that sells one dish. The mouthwatering legit empanada of Ilocos. For 25 pesos, you get a Vigan Longganisa-filled empanada, whose crust rolled out with a small pvc pipe and cut by a plastic plate. It's cooked on a gas-powered pan, then drained on a dish rack. They do what they can with what they have, and they do it well! #teamfliptrip #fliptripph #ilocosnorte #pagudpud #empanada #travelph #travelbug #travelblog #visitph #comevisitph #exploreph #backpacker #backpackph (at Pagudpud Beach, Ilocos Norte)

#backpackph #empanada #ilocosnorte #comevisitph #exploreph #visitph #backpacker #travelblog #pagudpud #travelbug #travelph #fliptripph #teamfliptrip

Somehow, I was drawn to go to Guimaras. After spending the whole day catching up with a wonderful friend and exploring more bits of Iloilo, I took the last boat going Guimaras, then got on damn long trike to Alubijod. Of course, all resorts are fully-booked. No surprise there. Last minute bookings at beach areas are really just a matter of luck now. I opted to rent a hut by the highway from this retired couple. This has been my experience so far. It's not much. I'm sleeping on the floor with nothing but a blanket and a thin pillow. The electricity comes on and off unexpectedly. Twice for an hour each time, so far since I got here around 7:30pm. That's why I somehow welcome the sound of the TV playing some sort of local game show. It means there's still electricity. All-in-all, I'm still enjoying it. The delightful conversations with my gracious hosts, the cheers of their children playing on the dark, and their excited/relief when the power comes back on, the hum of the motorcycles and jeepneys passing by, and the music of Mother Nature in the middle of it all. I'm glad to be away for a little bit for now. (at Guimaras Island, Philippines)

It’s my birthday (well, it was), and you’re invited!

With the madness and overall negativity from the upcoming elections, I’d like to do something nice to change it up a bit.

What I want to do

I just turned 26, and I’m super thankful to all of you for greeting me and sending me messages to help me feel happy and loved.

I’d like to dedicate this celebration to a group of people that I spent my birthday with last year, the lovely people of the Lake Sebu School of Living Tradition in Lake Sebu, South Cotabato.

RSVP: https://www.facebook.com/events/1622019851454037/

Maria Todi and her family continue to serve as one of my great inspirations. They work to help the next generation of T’boli to learn and live the culture and traditions of their indigenous people. Because of them, curious travelers like me are able to experience a glimpse into the culture of the T’boli through their homestay. They graciously welcome us and share with us a little of their music, dances, and weaves.

That’s an advocacy that I love, and one that we direly need to help support in the Philippines. Our history and culture in the Philippines extends farther than the walls of Intramuros and of our old Spanish churches. We are more than a country that has been repeatedly colonized by foreign nations. We are also a collection of many great indigenous people whose cultures are uniquely vibrant and beautiful, and we are lucky that until today, we can find a few places and people around the country who are willing to share them with us, so that we might be able to rediscover them for ourselves.

With that, I will be hosting a simple birthday celebration on TUESDAY, April 26, 2016 at SET Artist Run Space from 7PM onwards.

Address: Unit S-III-B, 3rd Floor, The Gallery Building, Amorsolo Street Makati City

RSVP: https://www.facebook.com/events/1622019851454037/

I’ll be buying a bunch of beer, and selling them at 75 pesos each. (Please buy at least a few beers each!)

100% of everything we earn will be donated to the School of Living Tradition to help subsidize the materials the students need to practice their art and music.

If you’d like to contribute anything more, or feel like you might not be able to go, but still want to help out, just shoot me a message to find out how you can help.

We will deposit everything we raise directly to Maria Todi and the school on the next day.

I hope to see you guys there! Cheers!

P.S. There will be an ongoing exhibit of the work of my wonderfully talented friend, Eleanor Giron of Elly Paints. Her work is up for sale! Buying her work means helping her get a step closer to funding her trip to New York for an international art show where her work will be featured. An amazing opportunity for a young artist!

RSVP: https://www.facebook.com/events/1622019851454037/

#birthday #tboli #school of living tradition #south cotabato #culture #@philippines #indigenous culture

On following my dreams in 2014

Dreams favor those who are brave enough to pursue what they are sure about. It’s not a glamorous life, but I’m living my dream today, and that is rewarding enough for me.

Not too long ago, my mentor, Paul Pajo, posted “Dreams favor those who are sure”, quoting one of my teenage idols, Gang Badoy. Be certain about what you want to achieve, don’t leave space for hesitation.

Building on this, I believe that dreams favor those who are brave. Challenges will always find ways to induce fear and force you to find reasons, excuses, to fail. In truth, many fail to even begin to pursue their own goals for fear of losing what comfort or status they already have. Yet it is the easiest thing to find stories of people who have succeeded in realizing their dreams. These are the people who continuously inspire me to pursue my own.

2014 was the year that I plunged head first into a world that I merely imagined I could be a part of. The world in which I lived vicariously through the stories and successes of others. In 2014, I took the leap of faith, and I’ve continued jumping ever since.

January Applied for Ideaspace Competition 2014

February Qualified for the Top 100 then the Top 50

March Qualified for the Top 20 and entered the Ideaspace Bootcamp. AND my partner, Jackie, and I finally found our CTO, Ragde! I also appeared on a commercial that no one will ever find! he he he

April Had my first speaking engagement at the Digeratti Night, but I was too scared to do a presentation in front of so many people, so I begged them to just do an interview format and made my partner join me on stage.

May Got a LoudBasstard from one of my idols, Senator Bam Aquino.

June Won the Ideaspace Competition 2014 and one of the Top 10 startups chosen for investment by MVP and other top executives in First Pacific.

July Launched Beauty Queens Tour Philippines with only 1 month prep time. We officially started working on FlipTrip as a business. Practice pitched in front of international investors from Geeks on a Plane.

August Flew to New York to speak at the United Nations Youth Assembly

September Flew to Bangkok to speak at the ASEAN Young Entrepreneurs Assembly. Appeared on SilverKris, the in-flight magazine of Singapore Airlines.

October Finally gave the full FlipTrip pitch on my own at the Ideaspace Demo Day (Incubation Program Graduation)

November Went back to my alma mater, and spoke to tourism students about my advocacy and my dreams in the hopes to empower some of them to pursue entrepreneurship someday too.

December A wonderful month to wrap up an exciting year with lots of food, family, and friends, and food. Did I say food? A special highlight was bringing together some of our partners in Manila and hosting our first ever travel collaboration meeting.

It was really a whirlwind of a year that was in no way easy. I’ve never broken down and rejoiced so much in such a short period of time.

The challenges were really daunting, and at times, I really doubted myself. That’s why, in truth, I owe this amazing year to the people who make be brave enough to face each challenge. With the belief they had in me and the little idea I had in my head, the never ending support and patience: I’m thankful to my boyfriend, Markus, my partner-with-the-luxurious-hair, Ragde, the amazing people at Ideaspace, AIESEC Alumni, LU Crew, my high school barkada, and of course, our partners in each destination who took and continue to take a chance on FlipTrip and what we believe in.

It still boggles my mind that I’m typing this post not in my sister’s living room, at a Coffee Bean, or somewhere with free internet. I’m typing it from my FlipTrip office for the day, Alaminos, Pangasinan, before I head back to Manila to meet TeamFlipTrip for our first day together for the year.

On first love and a first farewell

At 5:45 am of April 8, 2012, he grabbed me and gave me one last kiss, as he turned toward the terminal gate to make his way to his inevitable flight. There's something about that last kiss. The lingering touch, the tight embrace; the whispering softly of the sweet promises of return. We couldn't know for sure. That he would come back, that is. All we had left was that ever-present hope and wish that fate would treat us kindly.

It was October 30, 2011. I'd decided to forgo the traditional Halloween parties at the clubs, and opted to reply to a random invitation on a Facebook group to meet up in Katipunan for a few rounds of beer. It turned out to be a get-together for Japanese exchange students and interns from the different universities. I kind of felt out of place for a few moments; albeit the fact that I managed to force Jeff, a friend of mine, to accompany me.

A few surveying glances around the room, and I spotted this gigantic man with curly "dirty blonde" hair and (what a friend of mine soon called...) misty mint green eyes. He was sitting small group with the half-Jordanian guy, Rami, and a sweet little Japanese girl, Rie. He seemed to have a jolly demeanour. He was certainly fond of beer, as I noticed that he'd already had quite a few bottles of half-litre Red Horse beers. He was certainly a very good-looking guy. But there seemed to be more to him.

There was something about him that drew me to him, so I simply followed my gut feeling and introduced myself to their little group. We talked about everything, from politics to religion, to getting drunk and making a riot at the recently concluded Surf, Arts, & Music Festival in Baler. The clincher, we discussed enthusiastically about the timeless classic, Pokemon. I couldn't put my finger on it at the time, but I knew I wanted to be around this guy more and more. He was like a child raving about all these awesome cartoons and toys he used to play with; like that mature guy who's well-read and up-to-date with the news around the world; and that all-around-fun guy who's not afraid to wreak havoc at concerts and parties.

Little did I know that only a few short days later, on November 11, 2011 (11.11.11), we'd really end up together. And that need I felt to always be around him was met. We spent practically the entire day together, meeting up with my different groups of friends. From my college orgmates, to my best friends, to my friends who love to party too. We listened to music, played silly games, drank to our heart's content, and danced the night away. That night, we had our first kiss. And well. Plenty thereafter. He was really good.

We hung out every day after that day. A few days later, we decided to officially become a couple. We couldn't remember exactly when we first decided on it, so we declared that 11.11.11 would be the mark of the official start of our relationship. True enough, it really was.

We spent every moment that we could together. Before class, after class, before work, after work. I ended up living with him, because it just felt so natural. We would wake each other up for class and work, make breakfast together, and remind each other to take a shower. On my bad days, he would even wake up extra early and make up breakfast in bed for me. While I would surprise him when he got home from school with a neatly fixed room and a cute little note to cheer him up after a stressful day at school. We cooked together, cleaned together, went out with all of our friends together, and, well, we just plain had fun together. It was a great balance of work and play, with conversations as shallow as the things we would see on 9gag, or as stimulating as politics, philosophy, and development. We were really great complements for each other.

April 8, 2012. 10:12am. Five months, five out-of-town trips, countless parties and inuman sessions, five How I Met Your Mother seasons and two Big Bang Theory seasons, and a lot of family gatherings and crazy adventures later, here we are. Thousands of miles away from each other, just a few short hours since our last kiss, and at least a year before our next. Yet we remain hopeful that fate will treat us kindly and bring us back to where we know we both belong. Side by side. Waking up to every morning together.

#long distance relationship #how i met your mother #katipunan exchange students AIESEC ASEC Ateneo

On feeling inadequate

There comes a time in every person's life when they, intentionally or not, stop to examine themselves and see what they're become. This time came for me sooner than I expected. I must say though that it didn't end up with a happy result. Therefore, this post is dedicated to the disappointment and regret that I feel for all my misinformed and/or misguided decisions in life.

When I set out to start my university life, fresh from the confines of the four-walled classrooms of high school, you would actually say that I was one of the most idealistic people you could find. Alas, years passed by and reality started to slowly creep its way even more into my consciousness. Apparently, things aren't as simple as black and white like we'd imagined it while we dozed off daydreaming during our history, religion, or, in my case, all of our high school classes.

As it turns out, there are lot of different things to think about and getting the things we want is not as simple as getting an A in class and getting rewarded. I found out that competitions are not limited to sporting activities, as I was first led to believe.This was really an alien idea to me. Competition outside of sports? Outside of football? Huh? How can there be a competition when you're not getting a medal and tons of praises in the end? I know its stupid, but yes. I thought like that.

Needless to say, I am still uncertain of so many things in my life because of this so-called competition. Suddenly, I'm not as special or as talented as I'd originally thought or been led to believe. There are evidently more people where I came from, experiencing far worse circumstances, or even better circumstances, who prove to be better choices than me.

Anyone with a basic knowledge of business will tell you that its not about how much better you are than your competition, its about differentiating yourself and finding your "unique selling proposition", if you will. But what is mine?

I think and think and think, but seriously. I don't even think I know myself enough to know what makes me unique. I've been so caught up up to this point trying to become what other people expect me to be, adapting to whomever I'm with, and trying as much as possible to please those around me. It was the everlasting quest for approval that I never got to realize.

So here I am, posting this blog. Not knowing what to do, or if I'm even actually fit to do anything at all. And so goes the result of my self-reflection. Nothing but annoyance at my own inadequacy.

The Non-Maid of Honor Speech

Yesterday, my older sister, Paulina, got married to Nacho Mendezona. I wrote a maid of honor speech for Jessica, because she was having a hard time figuring out what to say. But I figured it wouldn't be a nice idea to have her read my words, especially since its written in my perspective. I think yesterday was the first time I ever truly cried tears of joy, and, needless to say, I cried buckets and buckets of it. So this is what would have been my message for them.

-----------

Paulina is my ate. For my entire life, I was recognized as "the sister of Pauline". Its not really much of a surprise. She was great at everything that she did, and she looked gorgeous as she did them. The straight honor student, soloist ballerina, pianist, football star. Yes, she did everything. Everything she had and did, to me, was the best of everything.

I wanted to be just like her. People saw it as a sibling rivalry, but, in truth, I was always just trying to measure up to her. Whether it was in academics, athletics, or just plain drinking. She made me want to be better, and she always did push me to become just that. Yes, we always argued (understatement of the year), because I wasn't doing this and that the way I was supposed to.

I always wanted to be so like her, that anything that she would say, I believed. As a kid, she even cut off my bangs to just one inch. Take note. She didn't cut off one inch, she cut it down to one inch. It looked ridiculous, but I still felt like it was the right thing. After all, she did it.

Fast forward to our ballerina years. Just a child in grade school, she was sent off to Subic to represent the country for an international ballet production. How many people can say that they did that? She was so young, and she went on her own. No need for a chaperone. She could handle it.

When we played football, if she wasn't the best, she was definitely one of them. Amazing kick, intense speed, smart movement, and an intense amount of passion. She was Captain O.C. leading Miriam Football to what became the most successful years of the team.

I honestly don't think I would have amounted to much in anything if it hadn't been for you, Pauline. You both inspire and torment me. And no matter how much we fight over all the things in the world, I love you and I'm so grateful to have you as a sister.

I remember Pauline used to go to school in pajamas. Not caring about what other people thought of her appearance. Its UP, after all. You don't have to care at all. That's generally how she is actually. But as time passed by, my mom and I noticed that she began dressing up for school. Actually looking decent and well-kept for class in UP. As it turns out, Nacho was her classmate. Thank you, Nacho. For turning our sister back into a girl.

Nacho was always like a big brother to me. While my sister told me about all the perils of going to UP, Nacho always told me about how awesome it was to be there. Going off to college didn't seem like such a scary thing anymore, for as long as I knew that Nacho would be there.

He makes my sister happy in so many ways. I remember the way they held each other during those first few month that they dated. One instance in particular. They were in one of the nipa huts at the field of the Marikina Sports Center during the World Cup football festival that Pauline organized herself. Today, when I look at them... even when they fight about so many things, they always seem to snap back into that couple in the nipa hut. No fail. I swear.

I was always there for all of my sister's relationships. From all the teddy bears and random gifts that she would get from suitors from all over Metro Manila, to the Ateneo Football visits we made which were really just their excuse to meet up. Believe me, plenty of people wanted Pauline. I sold copies of her pictures for 300 pesos each, to boys and girls alike. They sold like pancakes.

Regardless of that, I can honestly say that Nacho is different from everyone else. He wasn't flashy like the rest, he was simple. He was unbelievably patient, super fun to be with, and crazy sweet. The best part, he loved everything about Pauline. Even the stuff that we all find annoying.

They are soulmates. I once wrote in a blog, they are the couple that we aspire to be like. They give us hope that true love does still exist and that it is indeed possible to find that one perfect match to share our lives with.

My advice is for Nacho. Hug my sister as much as you can. Because aside from Baby Zac, you're the only who ever gets to do that, and sometimes that all she really needs. A hug from you to help her calm down and feel safe again.

I love you both, and I wish you all the best.

On education in the Philippines

Does education in the Philippines fulfill the pursuit of knowledge and development? Does it continue to provide a vehicle by which our people can improve our nation?

Filipino heroes like Jose Rizal emphasize the importance of educating the youth, as they are the hope of the nation. True enough, this is a value that is imparted in a majority of the Filipinos who believe that educational attainment is the single most valuable asset that can be inherited by each generation from their parents.

However, due to lack of accessibility of “quality education”, most Filipinos are disheartened and fail to pursue their education, and instead take any means and opportunity to earn any form of living.

I personally believe that for any nation to be able to achieve any form of long-term solution to the poverty that is so absurdly rampant in our country, proper education of the masses is imperative. I do not mean the type that will teach them vocational courses so that they may become skilled individuals, but to impart unto them the same opportunity for a wider breadth of knowledge that, most usually, only the elite are afforded.

The trouble with Philippine education is that while the public school system does indeed exist, the quality of the education provided to the students is far less than that given to the privileged that can afford private schooling.

I want to emphasize here two important points: the disparity in the quality of education between private and public schools, and the ability of the great majority of the population to afford a quality education.

“To leave children in the care of the public school system, in the view of many parents today, is to automatically destroy their chances of entering a good university.” (When Parents Graduate, PDI, April 25, 1999)

Education is a right and a public good that the government should provide to its constituents. This is apparently not the case in the Philippines, where the government continually provides lackluster facilities and underpays its faculty and staff, and annually cuts down the budget allocated to education. It does this on the notion that the private sector should be the one to act to become the “movers of the nation”. This completely contradicts the role of the government in this matter and violates the right of the people who are far less privileged to have the opportunity to pursue an education of (at least) a considerable amount of quality.

Take the case of the University of the Philippines for example. Due to the high standards in order to be accepted into the university, few are accepted. Among those few, what percentage of the students would have come from a private school, and from a public school? Chances are that a majority of the students would have come from some private school (whether well-recognized or not), and the minority from some public school. Among that minority, a percentage of the accepted students will choose not to pursue their education in UP for the reason that they cannot afford the tuition (due to the increase in TOFI) and/or perhaps they cannot afford the living costs that come with pursuing a higher education.

Next, if and when students are able to afford the privilege of an education (whether at a premier university or not), are they being taught to be members of the labor force, or to be the future leaders of the country? Do they pursue their collegiate diploma with the ambition of greatness in contribution to society, or for the mere achievement of attaining a formal education and then only to settle for low-paying jobs or occupations abroad?

I have met plenty of individuals in the work field whom have graduated with degrees in engineering, computer science, political science, and criminology, to name a few, who currently work as housekeepers, and whose great ambition—after striving so hard to complete their education—is to become housekeepers aboard a cruise ship that will take them abroad. That’s it. They have worked hard. Their parents have worked hard. Only for them to settle to become the members of the “low” end of the labor force; not only that, but to become members of the labor force of an entirely different country and society. Great. This is what our education system is producing.

This poses an issue of empowerment among the masses. If and when they are able to complete their formal education, will they be empowered enough to pursue what they studied for? Or does their pursuit of knowledge and education stop after graduation? Are they left to foster an apathetic attitude towards our nation? Are they led to believe that they are capable of greatness, or are they kept to believe that they are destined to remain impoverished and marginalized?

I am a product of a private school education that has taught me that I am a capable agent of change. I am a product of a private school education that has equipped me with the necessary tools and MINDSET that have prepared me for the rigorous academic environment and training of the University of the Philippines. I know that I can contribute in the creation of nationhood in our country, but how many others are there like me whom are prepared to do the same thing?

Does the general education in the Philippines fulfill the pursuit of knowledge and development? Perhaps. Does it continue to provide a vehicle by which our people can improve our nation? Somewhat.

The government, from my perspective, does not seem to move remedy this. The government, from my perspective, seems to rely on public-private partnerships; or actually more on just private initiatives. Now, my question is: How does the government plan to rely on private initiatives, when the very same private sector that it relies on is the same private sector that seeks to keep its wealth intact and its (cheap) labor force in existence?

On being single in college

Over the past year, I've had some pretty bizarre romantic encounters, to say the least. From a short-lived whirlwind in the summer, to a bring-back-the-fire sort of thing, to month-long flings, to a two-date marriage proposal, and finally, to two marriage proposals through Facebook from complete strangers. I guess I could say that its been quite a crazy year for me in this aspect of my life. And people still often ask me why I'm still single. I'll tell you why.

I'm not in pursuit of Mr. Right, nor of Mr. Right-Now. I don't even think that the perfect man for me exists, as I can definitely say that I've dated men whom I've thought to be perfect, but turned out not so. Things usually just happen. Sparks fly and you just feel like you click. But then again, if you can't feed the fire, sparks eventually just die down. I guess that's what generally happens to me.

All I can say is that all I truly want is a partner in life. And not necessarily in a romantic sense. I want someone who'll be a jock playing football, who'll channel his inner artist when I want to go dancing at a club, or even at a studio for some hiphop. I want someone who'll have both the humor of my funniest friends, and the ability to have good intellectual conversations. And finally, I want someone who'll be game to go out on spontaneous adventures, but still would be perfectly happy to stay in watching an old movie and pigging out on junk food on a couch.

I'm still single because this partner hasn't come along yet. ;)

#single #college #mr right #mr right now

On finding a purpose in life

I came across this little girl in Katipunan yesterday. She’s definitely a lot different from the usual annoying kids that you see there, asking for change and cursing you if you didn’t give them anything.

No, this little girl didn’t ask me for anything. Barely covered in her tattered rags, she just sat in her chair, looked up, and smiled at me.

There was something about her cheerfulness that made me just want to help her in some way. We chatted a little about what she was doing there, where her parents were, and if she’d eaten already.

She doesn’t know where her mom is. Her dad is in prison for some sort of trouble. She didn’t mention where she lived. She doesn’t go to school.

I wanted to take care of her, but reality bites. I can barely take care of myself. So I just did the only thing that I could do at the moment. I bought her and her little brother dinner.

I wish I could do more for her. Such a nice little kid with a good disposition and outlook despite everything that’s happened to her family has all the potential in the world to become great.

Someday, there will come a time when I will be able to do more for the children like her that I meet. I want to make sure of that.

#purpose-driven life #street children #out of school youth

I'm kind of weird. I like to live vicariously through other people's love lives. Somehow, I guess its because I don't trust myself enough to have the same feelings for another. I don't trust myself enough to trust others. I'm not sure if this makes sense. I've got a few beers in my system right now, so, at the moment, it does.

Anyway, I'd like to talk about how it saddens me to know that the one relationship that has kept my hope in love alive might actually end. Its not very often that you'll find a couple of people who are both so different yet so similar at the same time. We usually refer to them as the golden couple. The kind that we can only aspire to be a part of.

Now that they are having troubles... if they end, I can honestly say that my hope and trust will ultimately end with it. Because it would be a testament to the saying that "all guys are the same". I didn't want to believe it, but if it is evidently true, then nevermind. I give up.

I would love to slow dance to this song with someone deserving in the future. This is such a perfect song!

On learning life from cleaning hotel rooms and bathrooms

Its been a while since I last posted anything on this blog, so here goes.

After an intensely frustrating day of tending to bathrooms at Oakwood for my OJT (yes, tending to bathrooms. Cleaning the toilets whenever "surprises" arise, wiping all the glasses and mirrors that had smudges, and emptying the trash bins of all the bathrooms in the public areas, which makes up about 4 floors, every single stinking time a guest uses the toilet.) and two more hours of waiting for an empty cab to take me home, I can officially say that this has been one of the suckiest days to date.

With so many things going through my mind, only one thought remains to help me cope. There are people who have it worse, yet find enough beauty in life to keep it positive.

Over the past summer, I've mingled with the guests, worked with the slightly better off sales executives, served at the restaurant, and cleaned rooms and toilets with the housekeepers. I can pretty much say that I've gone through all the social strata.

As much as I enjoyed the company of each group of people, the one that I've enjoyed the most is that of the housekeepers. Only a few of them actually planned on becoming housekeepers. Most of them took up a range of impressive courses back in college, from criminology to psychology, to computer science, to engineering. However, circumstances have led them to what they do now. They do probably some of the most demeaning things that I can think of. They fix crazy ass messed up beds, clean up poop, piss, and even the stuff that only lovers should see. They clean the dishes, fix the clothes, the laundry, every little thing that the guests are "too busy" to do themselves. They work incredulous duty hours and get paid minimum wage to do the things they do; yet through it all, they remain the jolliest people I've ever encountered.

Now that I'm old enough, I have to worry about things like rent and tuition, and I used to come out a stupid wreck, to the point wherein I end up taking care of neither of them, to my sisters' frustration. They worry about their rent, their food, their family's food, their parents' health, their siblings' tuition, just about everything, and they make do with their minimum wage.

Who am I to complain about anything at this point? Who am I to think that I have nothing, when, compared to these people, I have everything?

So after this super frustrating day, I'm going back to work tomorrow and I'm going to thank each of these amazing people, and they won't even know why.

thehumorplace

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