#photojourn

[medyopogiperobastos]

[mariacriscel]

Sleeping Juans

Sleeping has been a mundane part of our lives and we never fail to see its importance on our well-being. The first thing that jumps on us when we think of sleep is that it is a way for us to boost after hours of work.

We, Filipinos love to sleep not just to get rid of our tiredness, but because it has been part of our lives since forever.  ‘Cause sleeping in the afternoon has been our tradition which was brought to us by the Spaniards many years ago. We call it “siesta”, it means “midday rest”. It comes from Latin rest phrase hora sexto, which means “the sixth hour” or approximately noon. The idea of siesta has been has been around thousands of years. In fact, siestas were once thought to be physically necessity, rather than a mere luxury. There appears to be some support for the idea that people all over the world (not just those in warm climates) should rest for a short time in the afternoon to revive energy levels. Many experts believe humans are “Biphasic” and thus need two period of sleep each day: along uninterrupted period at night and a much shorter one during the day. However as most adults can attest, early afternoon often brings with it a drop in energy levels and productivity. During this part of the day, it can be hard to concentrate and think clearly. A short nap can often restore alertness and concentration, allowing us to be more productive the rest of the day. That is why those are just some of the reasons why we need to take a nap or rest every once in a while. Because of our country’s hot and humid weather, taking a siesta which is an afternoon nap taken during the hottest hours of the day is a common practice especially when your job requires laboring under the sun. But there was a phase in our lives when we are required to have a siesta in the afternoon. When we were young, after hours of playing under the sun, we are obliged to sleep and take our siesta. Our parents would say it would make us grow taller, healthier. Our immune system would be improved if we take our afternoon naps, they say. This is actually true. Because according to studies, taking a nap is good for our health. It will help us to recover and helps us energize our bodies. It strengthens our immune system to fight some bad bacteria and prevent infections, that’s why it makes us healthy. Taking a rest every once in a while strengthens our bodies and keeps us alert and mentally fit.  When our body is tired we can easily be infected with a lot of sickness because our immune system is low. Taking a nap strengthens our hearts to keep its pressure normal; it helps us lower our stress levels which mostly leads to heart attack or stroke. Taking a proper rest also helps us maintain our blood pressure and cholesterol level. It helps us maintain our memories sharp. Mostly some of us are already experiencing mental block or also known as memory gap when we are lack of sleep. I can be prevented by sleeping on time because through this it helps our brains to recover and function properly. Maybe that’s the reason why every-JUAN REALLY LOVES TO SLEEP.  

Here are photos of some-Juans that we’ve caught sleeping:

[medyopogiperobastos]

[medyopogiperobastos]

[medyopogiperobastos]

So I wrote this while I was standing inside the LRT on my way home. This is for those persons like me always act foolish in love no matter what.

[medyopogiperobastos]

[medyopogiperobastos]

Always.

[accahigan]

Stuck in the four corners of our home: From paradise to hell to the new reality

Its been a year, seven months and 17 days since the pandemic strike and shocked our country that deprived us the right and freedom to go outside and explore the world. Due to the danger the virus could brought upon us, we decided to stay at home, lock ourselves in and spend everyday inside and look for another distraction as we wait patiently until we could step our foot outside of the four corners of our home like how we used to be. 

Waking up to the sound of barking dogs, crowing roosters and lying in a soft mattress everyday was a piece of paradise for any working adults or students like me. The first three months of the quarantine was a great vacation and rest from all the heavy workloads college has brought upon. But, as time goes by, waiting and watching the clock's hand go from left to the right side, it started to become a hell of an isolation.

Even if we dont want to, our minds kept on diving into negative thoughts. News everyday, reporting numbers of deaths and current cases and how the government poorly handled the pandemic, just add up to all of our worries and fears. Little by little, the paradise I thought I was in, turned into a chaotic and fearsome space to stay.

I became so afraid to the idea of going out. I just shut myself from the outside world and let my self drown into my not so beautiful thoughts. I lost sense of time, responsibility and I became so lethargic in everything that I do and found sleeping the hardest thing to do in a day. Given the workloads the new mode of learning has bestowed upon me, I found no will and energy to even lift a finger and hold a piece of paper and pen.

But just like any other damsel in distress, a knight in shining fur has come and pull me out from that dark alley of my thoughts.

My dog, Dindin, has never failed to make me feel loved and would always remind me that I have to be stronger not only for myself but also for my loved ones. Medically speaking, having pets reduces stress levels according to U.S National Institue of Health. Also, taking care or adopting pets such as dogs or cats help us with our emotional and social skills. In this time of isolation and quarantine where people are vulnerable to solidarity and loneliness, we badly needed someone or something to always be there, and for me, the man's best friend is the most efficient way to survive this hell.

Away from what I grown accustomed to do, I needed to find another hobby or routine to survive the slow pace of this quarantine. After being saved by my dog, I decided to join my mom, in her household chores. Washing clothes was the most fun for me. I mean, I've never properly washed clothes before the pandemic happens. I would always just rinse the washed clothes but never properly hold a brush and a washing board.

Surely, the pandemic has caused millions of people to lose jobs. Caused lot of economies to go down and caused the worst contraction the world has ever experience. We keep distance from friends and family and forcefully adjusts ourselves to the 'new normal', and spend everyday inside our homes. But on the other hand, it also gave us the chance to bond with our families and to know them better. It gave us the chance to talk with the members of our family on a more personal and deeper level.

My family and I tend to clash because of our different principles and opinions. But to my surprise, the quarantine gave me the chance to close my mouth and lend my ears to hear their opinions and point of views. Quarantine taught me when to shut my mouth and starts to use my ears. Sure, I think we could never arrive to a same conclusions or opinions but surprisingly, we could listen to each other more often and more attentively than before. Quarantine gave us all the time we needed to fully understand each other. We now bond, we enjoy different discussions everyday, and we share and listen to each other's opinions more than I think we could.

Its been a year, seven months and 17 days. It goes from a paradise to hell and now to our new reality real quick. In a span of over a year, we experience great happines and relaxation. After that, we undergone a lot of mental and emotional distress, well aside from the chaotic world outside of our home, staying deep in negative thoughts never really help. As time goes by, we learn to accept that the life we have before the pandemic strike, would take a while to be recovered. Our economies has been damaged, big time. Millions of people lose their jobs and some lost their loved ones. Some has found another hobby or interest to invest and some are still trying to find one. Whatever our reality is now, the good thing is that we are healing, slowly, yes. But at least we are getting there step by step, getting ready to watch another sunrise hand in hand when the time comes.