Roommates

“I don't need to pay a therapist to give me crap. I have a roommate that does it for free.” -Ally McBeal

This month, I have three roommates who visited me. Three different roommates, three different room.


1. Moji, room no. 3, Graduate Hall, year 2009-2010 - She's a faculty now at a state university in Mindanao. She stayed with me this summer, she finished her Masters and now applying for a PhD in Japan. She's from my hometown also and she's the most neat roommate I was fortunate to live with. We love animes and asian series. She told me she's planning to get married next month (her boyfriend happens to be a good friend of mine). I wish her well and I pray that whatever decision she makes will make her happy in the future.


2. Ate Grace, room. 2, Graduate Hall, year 2010-2012 - She's a faculty also at a state university in Mindanao (different from Moji). We like to eat out, drink a lot and jog the day. I terribly missed her when she went to Mindanao. She said that she would always think of me everytime she tries something new in her new place. We worked in different offices but at the end of the day we would always ask each other how our day went and exchange gossips. I missed that a lot and I was sad to her go but I know that accepting  faculty position would elevate her career.


3. Ate Fair, room 7, Makati Boarding House, year 2007-2009 - She works for a Canadian NGO and I really treasure her friendship. She was one of the reason I was able to apply to graduate school, she supported my idea when I told her I wanted to go back to school. We email back and forth and we had trips together, this is her second time visiting me. We are both idealistic and wants to change the world. We are currently setting our goals and hopefully we could work together in the future.


I'm really lucky to friends with all of my roommates, at times I talk too much and share too much and drink too much but they are still there not because we share the same room but because they actually cared. I'm away from my family since I was 16 and having roommates that easy to live with, to laugh with and exchange intelligent conversations with...jackpot.


and so I will end this post with another quote from Grey's Anatomy: "Intimacy also comes attached to the three R's... relatives, romance, and roommates."

the hopeful graduate

After 2 and half years of struggling to get my graduate degree, I finally have my Master in Marine Affairs. I did not attend my undergraduate graduation six years ago so I made sure my mother and my sister will be able to see me get my degree this summer. My mother actually cried and I know how proud she is of me. At the baccalaureate, the speaker advised us graduates not to be consumed by careerism, to not become people who are so focused on their career and do not mind stepping on anybody to reach the top. He said that Alma Mater is Latin for lactating mother and that we should not waste UP's milk because we are "Iskolars ng Bayan". I like his closing sentence: "You are not defined by your transcript of records but the choices you make and the deeds you do".

I would like to thank all the people who have supported me in my studies. My family who did not question my capability to go back to school and friends who have loaned me money and laptop, understanding officemates and roommates who were my stress-relievers. Indeed, kindness can go far and I experienced that as I conducted my final research paper. I thank God for blessing me with helpful and generous people.

Now that I have my degree though, I'm still confused on which way to go. I have resigned from my position as a Museum Technician and applied as Research Assistant for a one year project. I'm crossing my fingers again, just like the last time I resigned as call center agent, I need to go out of my comfort zone and explore the world I worked hard to fit in. I'm hoping this new environment would give me the experience I need and will prepare me for my next goal, a PhD. I'm hopeful.