When was the last time I wrote something in this blog? 
The answer would be a resounding…I can’t remember…ages ago.
Don’t even begin to ask why because I have tons of reasons and when I cite them, you would probably just shrug your shoulder and go away since I would sound nagging.
Two weeks ago I was in Baguio attending a seminar/workshop on communication theories and research and truly I did enjoy every minute of it. It was, for me challenging and rewarding.
The challenging part is when you, as a teacher became a student for a week and try to grasp everything about the two above stated topics you teach for one semester and jam it in your head for one week, crazy? It is true. Imagine sitting there and practically reformatting your brain so that you could accommodate information that you could share with your students. I feel so blessed because one uncanny thing about me is that I enjoy seminars.
The rewarding part is that you make friends. This is not the first time that I joined a seminar workshop, but this is the first time that I engaged my self in a seminar that is scheduled for one whole week (imagine we checked-in at 1:00 PM, Sunday, October 17 and checked-out at 10 PM, Friday, October 22).
This is also the first time I went to Baguio that is not for the purpose of summer get away and I have to say it’s really freezing! But I did enjoy the weather and of course the benefits that goes along with it like wearing cool jackets (track, racer, denim, you name it I brought it!), sipping tea, sipping coffee, sipping hot chocolate (and take note it is not drinking, it is sipping!), walking through the city (and I mean it literally) and the final benefit that I felt so blessed with is the ability to have new friends.
Before I left for Baguio I prayed that ‘all’ the participants would be at least nice. I am so petrified on that fact that I have to be there for a week and I simply cannot bear the idea that there would be people whom I will not like or will not like me. Not that I am a people pleaser but I believe in harmony. Harmony can bring the best out of every situation. Do you notice that when the crowd is somewhat pleasing they become more creative and productive?
And I got my wish. I have met wonderful people in my stay there. I have met dedicated, intelligent and self-less individuals. Three I have became close with.
These girls that I cannot name (for reasons that i did;nt have their permissions) are an epitome of ‘cool’ educators. As in. They were like me only they are more ‘self-less’.
Take for example 'maja' (lets call her maja because she looks likemy firend maja) one friend of mine who teaches in CLSU. She graduated from UP but chose to teach in a provincial state university and would even go as far as providing teaching materials to her students. She would go libraries here in Manila to scout newly published books, she would improvise techniques to which her students can better relate to the subjects which are designed for urban setting and technologically inclined. I mean, it’s a provincial state university, you don’t expect something that is highly techi in those institution (don’t frown, it’s true, in PUP up to now they still don’t have an editing equipment, consider the proximity that the school is in manila, now try to use logic, what about other state U outside manila?). Yet she is more than willing to provide up to the point that it would be from her personal stuff. Some people would say that it is too much, but if your lawful calling is teaching the word ‘enough’ and ‘too much’ is flexible, reversible and most of the time unidentifiable.
Two of my friends came from Lyceum Batangas and both had put me in awe, since they practically ‘know’ what they’re doing. A lot of times there are teachers who are classic examples of bluffers. They pretend they know what they teach but when you listen carefully they don’t.
One new friend of mine from Lyceum (let's call her 'engaged' which refuse to explaine) took time to listen to my fear in numbers and patiently taught me the beauty that was statistic. At first my head was really dictating that this would be just another stat session where in I would be invisible, but this new friend took time and engage trust. She really patiently taught me statistics. Everything that I missed back in college, I have learned in one session. From identifying if the question is nominal to revealing that there is no need to compute because there is SPSS. I laughed in the end because she broke the news that there is already a soft ware which would do everything for me (that is SPSS, and all i ahve to do is subscribe).
Last one (which i prefer to call 'jasmin'), is the person who I laughed with the hardest… We even laugh at the mention of ‘donkey’ (with the british accent) I don’t know why but we are like high school students who went on a vacation to their granny’s old house. We laugh every single minute. I was really impressed with her enunciation and her confidence in throwing wholesome jokes. She was in my system in less than two days. We laughed at almost everything, from the site of Hip Hops in Baguio up to the mannerism of every speakers (specially the ‘among others’ part) we even went as far as to texting each other while having the work shop even if we sat on the same row and just two persons away from each other. We stayed up late because we engaged ourselves with ‘lakwatsa’ and ‘harutan’.
I miss them.
I thank God for allowing me to meet three beautiful individuals. Though I am not worthy of such blessing He gave it to me that I am again in astonish of how great He is.
These people really touched my soul. And I am looking forward in seeing them again.
Lesson learned:
1. Believe in Mr. Tan when he say 'Pupunta ka ng Baguio sa ayaw at gusto mo!
2. Go to Baguio even if the temperature is sub-zero.
3. And gavie God the credit that He can arrange events that would leave you with good friends, good times and good memories.
