Posted by Diadem in : Lessons in life ,
“Watch your thoughts, for they become words.Watch your words, for they become actions. Watch your actions, for they become habits.Watch your habits, for they become character.Watch you character, for it becomes your destiny.”
Looking into where I am now, I can’t still believe that I have gone this far. I never thought that I will become an empowered young woman ready to take life’s challenges.
Yesteryears, I was just a little girl playing around with my brother and cousins. I remember my brother and I became very resourceful in producing our own toys because our parents could not afford to buy us one because of scanty income.
We turned empty cans into cars, mud into clay pots, guava branch into slingshots, matchbox into spider house, scratch papers into boats and airplanes, and many other recyclable things. While other kids of our age enjoyed luxurious toys at that time, we had so much fun with those fancy toys from our waste bag. We did not only derive fun from it, but it taught us how to become resilient, innovative, and creative and, in the process, strengthened our sibling relationship.
Unlike other parents, ours were not college graduates and therefore lacked the much-needed know-how in assisting us in our school assignments and projects. On the other hand, we were taught early in life to do household chores and fight our own battles. But these proved to our advantage (for me and my three other siblings) because we became independent, analytical, and humbled by our limited resources. Today, we are all professionals with independent lives, with our feet on the ground, and bonded our strong relationship molded by those fancy toys from our waste bags two decades ago.
We were also trained to manually plant and harvest pechay ang mongo bean from the one-hectare farm of my lolo every summer. I cried at the end of the day because of my burnt skin from the scorching heat of the sun, and my body ached because of the back-breaking toil.
But when I got the prize from my harvest, joy replaced those pains. Those were hard-earned money that we used to buy school supplies for our schooling. These experiences opened our eyes to the reality that money did not grow on trees. Thus, the virtue of spending money wisely was deeply ingrained in our young minds. I carried this virtue once I took my first step in the professional world. I always made sure that, at the end of the day, I accomplished something worthwhile for my company. This attitude made me rose from the ranks at a blistering pace that I, myself, could hardly believe. With pride, but with humbleness, I am now one and the youngest members of the Management Team of my company. This only proves that hard work pays off.
When we were small children, I also remember that other kids would bully us whenever they saw us enjoying our “little” games and fancy toys. But I can’t remember fighting them back. After all, I thought, “bad kids” would not enter heaven. This is true in my adult life. People suffer from crab mentality especially when one climbs up the ladder of opportunity. Though hurt, many people misinterpret my culture of silence because I know that I am doing well in my endeavors, and that “bad people” will not go to heaven.
I still have a long list of realizations from my childhood days that shaped my character. But the one big realization that I have is this: Character shapes one’s destiny. I am thankful to God for making this “neneng a person that she ought to be.”
Posted by Diadem in : Travels ,
Last July 2006, I was among those “chosen few” who participated in the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Youth Friendship Program (agriculture sector). We were sent to Japan for cultural immersion and, in the process, serve as Philippine Ambassadors of Goodwill, especially among the Japanese youths. Overall, I found Japan as a wonderful country rich in culture and history, not minding our unpleasant experience with this imperial country of long ago. I was given an opportunity to learn a little about their language – nihonggo – and it was indeed a wonderful experience. Arigato gosaimasta!
I love the way they preserve their unique cultural heritage. The Japanese people are very disciplined and hardworking, though they seem to be serious at all times.
Historic Osaka – home to the famous Osaka Castle – is a wonderful place. I enjoyed shopping electronic gadgets in Nippon Bashi at a much cheaper price. And of course, I won’t forget the magical experience in Universal Studio. Wow! Nothing like it!
Kyoto is very awesome! Here, you will see elaborately-designed fortresses built in the 15th and 16th Centuries.
I won’t forget Akita prefecture for its beautiful landscape and hospitable people. I enjoyed picking junsai (looks like kangkong here in the Philippines).
Yamagata prefecture is equally beautiful for its mountains, museums, and summer ski resort. Apples and cherries are all over Yamata, which add more color and vibrancy to the prefecture.
Though my stay in Japan was just a breeze, the memories will linger…
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