ariellalisan.org – Homeward Bound

WHY NOT? There’s plenty of opportunities there? What you can earn here for years can be earned abroad in just a few months!

Graphic from http://ofw-bagongbayani.com

Tempting, isn’t it?

I once wrote for a locally circulated newspaper where I spilled my thoughts on going abroad. I was steadfast on my belief that I can achieve the kind of life I dream of even if I stayed here.

Today, I had a conversation with one my co-teachers and she told me about her plans of going global. She pointed out the advantages of working abroad and earning dollars for your family.

WAS IT fun?

Sure, sure. Haha. As I’ve anticipated, it was quite stressful because of some eventual glitches. But a dip in the crystal clear water, a sumptuous meal of grilled talakitok and malasugue, kinilaw na maya-maya, among others, and some hearty laughter with co-teachers were are worth it.

It’s been over a year since I last went to Gumasa. There were some developments — the road from the Poblacion of Glan was being concretized and new resorts have opened. In fact the venue of the event was a new resort called Coco White Beach.

So why were we there today?

I STILL couldn’t believe I did it.

No, I’m not being a menace. I just did it for our upcoming Alumni activity.

I was assigned in the promotion of our Alumni Homecoming scheduled on December 26. (As early as April, we’ve already planned about it but we did not promote it yet because the decision was not yet final. The pioneerig batch sort of has a final say on the matter.) I did some things already to make way for the realization of our plans. I set up our e-group so that we can communicate with one another and we can gather suggestions and ideas from the rest of the alumni. I also created a website to facilitate the dissemination of information. I sent messages to alumni I found on Friendster.

In addition to these online promotional activities, Margie (co-teacher and ANSHS alumna) and I went to ABS-CBN to have our even announced on TV Patrol SoCSKSarGen’ Community Billboard and over MOR. One of the alumni now works at Bombo Radyo, so we have free announcements through the radio station.

So why did I climb up NFA’s fence?

IT DOESN’T always feel like this, but there’s a kind of gloom reigning in the atmosphere today. Is it the rain or my poor health condition? Whatever it is, like it has always been said, the show must go on.

It must.

Let me tell you about what happened last week. It’s been raining here, like, forever, you know. Despite my good diet, intake of food supplement, exercise, and enough rest, my immune system still broke down. So, I was absent for two days last week but still had to report to school Saturday for the entrance exam for incoming freshmen students and Sunday, I had to attend my class.

THERE ARE many reasons why I think today was freaky.

First, the rain. Did it rain here the whole week? I almost feel like I’m in Forks. (Haha. Watch Twilight the Movie at the theater near you on November 21 November 26.) Our school grounds, which is already swampy, now looks like a lake. I’ve always arrived home drenched and chilling because the local trike here doesn’t offer enough protection from the rain.

Second, I felt so tired the whole day even if I didn’t have much activities. In fact, I postponed my class activities. And well, the students were busy with their researches. And that leads to the third and the very reason why I call this day, a Freaky Friday.