Dealing With Tough Times

Every individual here on earth have, in one way or another, experienced some hardships or tough times in life, whether it be about school, about family, about career, or about love. Tough times may vary from one person to the other. What you consider a major problem may just be a minor one to some and a 'matter of life and death' kind of thing for you may just be a 'walk in the park' kind of thing to someone else. Whether it is a major or a minor problem, I am pretty sure that you have dealt with a mind-boggling, energy draining, what-to-choose, where-to-go, I-don't-know-anymore, and please-help-me kind of situation at least once in your life and I, just like all the other people out there, am not an exception from this.

Yes, just recently, I have experienced being tormented by overwhelming thoughts and decisions. Blank stares happened quite often whenever I am alone or have nothing to do and there were a number of sleepless nights caused by overthinking and some fear of the unknown. With that, I chose to write this not to tell you about the problem that has brought me in such a low point, but to share with you how I managed to hold on and keep it all together.

So what does a 23-year old do when he/she is experiencing some tough times? Well, I could not really speak on behalf of all those in their early twenties because everyone has their own way of coping up. Some of them are already so mature that they easily deal with anything that life throws at them while there are some who knows that they are not teens anymore but still cannot consider themselves as adults just yet. So let me just share with you my ways of coping:

1. Eating

Many people eat whenever they feel down and I am one of them. Food is a trusted stress reliever, which gives me immediate comfort and alleviation of stress. Whenever I go out, I always look forward to eating. I, basically, eat anything provided that it's not poison, but I am also keeping in mind to set just an appropriate budget for food tripping to avoid overspending and becoming gluttonous.

2. Spending time with a close friend or a family member

From time to time, we also need to vent our feelings to someone we can rely on. As for me, I am so blessed to have a number of close friends whom I can trust, a father whom I can goof around with and invite into spontaneous trips, and a mother who just knows what I'm feeling even without me saying it. These kind of people helps a lot in easing the burden that we feel whenever we are down, and even though they cannot provide us with the exact solution to our problems, it's a relief to know that you have someone to lean on.

3. Praying

As I have said earlier, it is good to vent your feelings, but there are times when you just don't want to express anything to anyone at all. At times, I refrain from sharing because I am afraid of being criticized or misunderstood or sometimes, I feel that talking about my problems will only aggravate the problem itself. So, I end up not expressing at all. But whatever the reason is, whenever I feel like shutting my whole world to others, I always go to a quiet place and pray. In praying, I am able to say anything to God without the fear of being judged. I can cry, shout, and be completely true to my emotions. Also in praying, I am able to offer everything to God and leave it all in His will.

But aside from those mentioned above, there are still 3 things that have truly helped me in keeping myself together in the past few days and these are: Running Man, EXO, and SHINee!

For some of you, you might be wondering what Running Man, EXO, and SHINee are so, allow me to give a brief introduction of them. Running Man is a variety show in South Korea with games and missions as its theme. The seven permanent cast of this show (Yoo Jae Suk, Ji Suk Jin, Song Ji Hyo, Kim Jong Kook, Lee Kwang Soo, Haha, and Gary) battle against each other or go against different set of guests through a series of mission for a coveted prize at the end of each episode while EXO and SHINee are male K-Pop groups, which are also from South Korea. EXO is a current 9-member group (consisting of Suho, Xiumin, Lay, DO, Chanyeol, Baekhyun, Kai, Chen, and Sehun) under SM Entertainment while SHINee is a 5-member group (consisting of Onew, Jonghyun, Key, Minho, and Taemin) under the same agency. 

So how did they, exactly, help?

Running Man (photo credit: koreaboo.com)

It was one of my cousins who introduced me in watching Running Man and I tell you, once you have watched one whole episode, you cannot help but ask for more. Their missions are a mixture of physical strength and mind-blowing puzzles, which make the audience, like me, jump out of their seats because of excitement. It is also undeniable that this show is very funny that even though the mood of the episode is quite serious, you'll still end up laughing because of the unexpected twist of events courtesy of the cast, most especially their resident comedian, Lee Kwang Soo. The whole show is composed of humor, skills, wit, and charm altogether. Watching this is, truly, a stress reliever for me!

EXO (photo credit: koreaboo.com)

SHINee (photo credit: soompi.com)

For EXO and SHINee, I have to say that I’m quite surprised, myself. To be honest, I wasn't really into K-Pop (Korean Pop) before. I have a number of friends who are really K-Pop fans, but no matter how much they try to introduce K-Pop groups and sing K-Pop songs to me, I just always end up knowing "Sorry, Sorry" by Super Junior, "Gee" by Girl's Generation, and "Gangnam Style" by Psy. So I guess, liking EXO and SHINee was an accident, but somehow, a blessing in disguise as well.

It happened one day when I was browsing through YouTube and got curious about a music video entitled "Call Me Baby" by EXO. I played the video and right then and there, it got me. I cannot really understand the lyrics, except for the English words, but I really loved the beat and the melody. Plus, the dance that comes along with it was, undeniably, great! Right after that, I started searching for their other songs and, to tell you the truth, I really liked them. While searching for other EXO songs, I came across “Everybody” and “View” of SHINee, which made me become interested in their group as well. A song, usually, gets me through its melody even without watching its music video, but when I started searching for more EXO and SHINee music videos, I became more fascinated by them because of the members who are really good-looking and charismatic. Some people may love the members individually but you cannot take away their charm as a group. 

Aside from the fact that they sing good songs with unique melodies and remarkable dance moves, I can’t really explain how they ease my burden when listening to them. You may call me weird but it’s like magic. Listening to them or watching their music videos give me a sense of relief, as if someone is telling me that no matter how tough my day has been, I should just take it easy because everything is going to be alright. Like what I have said, I cannot understand their lyrics that much but their catchy melodies bring me to a whole new world where I do not have to think about anything. It’s like a quick escape from reality that you can instantly get without the need to go to far places. I guess I am a fan now. J

That’s, basically, it! If ever you experience some tough times lately, you may want to try watching Running Man or try listening to EXO or SHINee if you still haven’t. I may not know much yet but I hope to be able to know more about them as days go by. I am also planning to visit South Korea in the future and I think it would be very nice to meet them and thank them personally, right? I know it’s quite too much to ask but who knows? *wink* I would really love to meet them personally! J Blank stares, overthinking, and sleepless nights were lessened because of Running Man, EXO, and SHINee. Kamsahamnida! Saranghamnida! (Thank you! I Love You!)

Tough times are inevitable and dealing with it is like a survival game. You just have to find things and people who will help you get through them. I have found mine. I hope you find yours too! J

Life's Lessons (By My Mother)

There is a saying that goes, "Never stop learning because life never stops teaching." And yes, we learn every minute of our lives through different experiences and through different people, but most especially, through our mothers.

I can still vividly remember this one particular moment when my parents and I went to this tourist attraction in Singapore last April, 2014. It was called Cloud Forest. It is a huge dome where there is a huge waterfalls surrounded by all sorts of plants. You can enjoy a lot of different things inside but one of the main activities there was the Cloud Walk, wherein you can have a feel of walking through makeshift clouds several feet above the ground in a bridge that they made. I heard some people say that it looks exciting and fun and that they hurriedly climbed up to experience it. But as for me, it's no fun! As an acrophobic, anything that involves heights is a no-no! But since we already paid for the whole Cloud Forest experience, I have to go through the Cloud Walk.

While climbing up, I felt nothing. At the back of my mind, I was thinking, "Pssh. The bridge has hundreds of metal support attached to the walls of the dome. What could possibly go wrong? Everything is just going to be fine." But when I reached the start of the bridge, my body began to freeze, especially when I saw the heavy mist that welcomes you at the edge. I sat for a while on one corner and my parents can already see the fear in my eyes. I was waiting for them to say, "Ayaw mo na? Di mo na kaya? Sige, let's go back na." But what I heard was nothing close to it. I heard my mother said, "Let's go, Anak! Kaya mo 'to!" Upon hearing that, I started screaming inside, "No ma! Hindi mo ko naiintindihan. Hindi ko kaya." But as I stared at the starting point of the Cloud Walk, I saw no one coming back and upon looking right back at Mama, I saw the firmness in her eyes. So I stood up and started to walk. Papa went ahead of me and Mama, trying to show me that nothing could go wrong. When I saw that Papa was already enjoying and was starting to take pictures, I gathered enough courage.

As I took a few steps, some things prevented me once again from continuing. Even though the bridge was made from metal, there were still times when it's shaking and when you look down, the only part that was covered was the middle part of the bridge, so from the sides, you can still see the ground and you can see how small the people were from where you're standing. Upon that moment, I literally started crying. I didn't care what people would think and say but I immediately turned back and decided not to push through with the walk anymore. But before I could go back to the starting point, Mama pulled me back. She saw that I was already crying, but instead of comforting me and treating me like a baby, she said, "No turning back, Anak! Listen to me! Andito ka na. Hindi ka babalik dun. You can hold onto me. Let's walk together. Tatapusin mo 'to!" I don't know if she's angry or was just really firm, but I was pretty convinced to finish the walk.

I held onto my mother's shoulder and I was still crying a bit. She was laughing at me. We walked slowly and I just tried to keep my eyes closed, but maybe she realized that my eyes were shut because the next thing I heard from her was, "Open your eyes anak, and see how beautiful the view is." (Pertaining to the surroundings of Singapore) And true enough, the view was breath-taking! It was still a long walk so Mama told me to just divert my attention by looking far away at eye level or just sing in my head. I did as I was told and before we knew it, Mama and I have already reached the end of the Cloud Walk.

I was extremely happy and was just letting things sink in because for a person who seriously has fear of heights, this was a big deal. I sat on one corner once again and while I was staring at my hands (which were still quite shaking), Mama started to have a short lecture: "O, see? Natapos mo rin! Ganyan lang, Anak! There's no easy way out. Hindi ka basta-basta pwedeng mag-quit na lang dahil lang bigla mong naisip na ayaw mo na. Pag nasimulan mo, tapusin mo! Worth it yung experience diba? Ganyan ang buhay! You'll never know until you give it a try!" Upon hearing that, I was supposed to look at Mama with my "Ma-you-are-such-a-drama-queen" face, but then I realized that everything she said was true. So I looked at Mama and Papa, smiled, and jumped like a 5-year old toddler who received a lot of gifts and said, "Ang saya ko! I did it!"

The words that Mama told me one year ago at the Cloud Walk made a great impact on me, since I was able to use them just recently in my life:

1. Sometimes, we are afraid to try things out and we are left with no choice but to try them.

2. Once we started something, there is no turning back. There is no easy way out. We have to finish it and do our best.

3. We can cry all we want, but life won't treat us like a baby. So we can divert our attention from time to time, or sing our hearts out in times of difficulties, but we have to keep on walking no matter what happens. And as they say, when we try something that's not in our comfort zone, that's when we learn a lot and end up enjoying a lot.

4. We must keep our eyes open. Life offers us a lot of wonderful things. Even though there are times when we seem to give up, life still gives us something to hold on to.

5. We might not know it and others might not say it but there are a lot of people who believes in us! We just have to believe in ourselves as well! God put us in this world because He knows that we will be able to surpass anything that may come our way.

And most importantly...

6. We won't have to walk through life alone. When Mama told me, "Hold onto me. Let's walk together.", I knew she wasn't just pertaining at our walk that time. She was also pertaining about life!

Thank you so much for everything, Mama! I Love You so much!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!

Welcome to the Philippines, Pope Francis!

In the year 1995, a well-loved Pope (Pope John Paul II) came here in the Philippines to be with the Filipino community, especially the youth, for the World Youth Day. And this year, 20 years after, another well-loved Pope has arrived for his Papal Visit! Welcome to the Philippines, Pope Francis!

Pope Francis standee at UST Church

January 15, 2015 – Pope Francis was scheduled to arrive at 5:45 PM at Villamor Air Base via the Sri Lankan Airlines. From there, the Pope will have a motorcade on his way to his official residence here in the Philippines, which is in the Apostolic Nunciature along Taft Avenue. On this day, I was able to see Pope Francis closer than I expected. Maybe it was meant for it to happen, so allow me to share with you an experience that I will treasure forever. 

Since last year, when it as announced that our beloved Pope Francis will pay a visit in our country this year, every Filipino Catholic’s dream is to be able to see him even from afar. So, when the Pope’s official itinerary was released, I was happy to know that he will be visiting UST on January 18, 2015. That’s when I was planning to see him knowing that I will have a greater chance since I live just across UST and I am a Thomasian alumni (I’ve heard that there will be gates allotted for the alumni and the rest of the Thomasian community). I know that I won’t be able to get close to the Pope because I know that there were already a lot of chosen participants. Nevertheless, I am hoping deep in my heart that I will have a chance to get close.

I wasn’t really planning on going out on the day of Pope’s arrival (January 15, 2015) because I wanted to see, even just on TV, the whole coverage: from the landing of the Pope’s aircraft until his motorcade to his official residence. But then I realized that I still need to fix something regarding my postpaid plan and that I needed to fix it on this day because it will already reach the cut-off date. So I immediately went to SM Manila, together with my mom. We were both in a hurry because I told her that I needed to catch the coverage. Unfortunately, the Globe personnel in SM, wasn’t able to help us so he referred us to Robinson’s Manila. Though a bit pissed, my mom and I still went to Robinson’s hurriedly just to fix the plan and to be able to still watch Pope’s arrival. After that, my dad met up with us after his training in his office nearby. It was around 3:30 PM, then, and I was already eager to go home to watch the Papal Visit coverage when my dad asked, “Gusto niyo salubungin si Pope?” Then I jokingly answered, “Asa naman na makasalubong tayo. For sure madami ng tao sa dadaanan niya.” But my mom said, “Subukan natin?” All of us wanted to see Pope, so we walked and walked towards Taft, which was just near the mall. We still went even though we were not sure if we will be able to see the Pope because of the large volume of people who were already there since morning. 

A portion of the crowd eager to see Pope Francis.

After a few more minutes of walking, we were able to find a good spot. It was just around 4 PM that time and though we know that we are still going to wait much longer, we decided to stay. We have gained a few acquaintances while waiting. We talked to each other and ate some snacks to divert our attention. But one thing is for sure, each and every one of us there were so excited to see Pope Francis. Another fact, we were actually fortunate enough to be staying beside a TV coverage, which kept us updated from time to time.

A TV coverage just beside us.

The sky is getting darker, then, and the crowd is getting really excited to see the Pope, but the people still kept on coming and no one wanted to go home when suddenly, the crowd started cheering. That was when we realized that the Sri Lankan Airlines, where the Pope is, have already landed. On that moment, you can feel each and every one’s energy. Every one became so alive, including me, as if we did not wait and stand for hours! This is it! We are going to see Pope Francis!

A 'selfie' while waiting for Pope Francis.

We actually waited for a few more minutes but it doesn’t matter any more. When I saw lights approaching, I knew that it was already the Pope’s motorcade! All of me cheered so hard! I kept on shouting, “Pope Francis!” and when I saw him right across me, I was speechless but there was a huge smile on my face! It felt as if it was a dream, but it was true! It was happening! He was so bright and looked like he was glowing and he was smiling all the time. It actually happened so fast because the Pope mobile was, well, really fast. It was just approximately 2-3 seconds, but that 2-3 seconds, surely, have a special place in my heart! 2-3 seconds that I will treasure forever!

Here are a few snapshots from Pope Francis' motorcade:

(These snapshots were screen-captured from my video which you can see on my instagram account: eunicehermina)

When we were on our way home, my mom and I were sharing our experiences. Mine was, “Oh my gosh! Nakita ko si Pope Francis! Waaah! Super saya ko. Super pagod ako, actually, at super sakit na ng likod ko pero nung dumaan na siya, nawala ng lahat. Parang panaginip pero totoo! Ang saya ko, super!!! Kahit super bilis lang, worth it ang paghihintay! Di ko inexpect na ganun siya kalapit sa atin. Thank you, Lord! Love you!” 

My family!

Pope Francis gives me so much hope and I’m sure the same goes for a lot of people. I don’t know how, but he surely does it. Truly an instrument of God! Thank you, God, for this wonderful and humbling experience! Looking forward to seeing Pope Francis again in UST on January 18, 2015! 

I am hoping to see the Pope also in Vatican, hopefully, in the near future! J

Eunice At 23!

January 7, 2015

23. Yes. 23 years of existence in this world and counting! :)

I woke up early and as I went downstairs, I was greeted with a loud 'Happy Birthday' and a tight hug from my parents! Hooray! It's my birthday! After a quick breakfast and a bath, I went to UST Church to attend a morning mass. I always start my birthday with prayers and gratitude to God for another year! :)

Fast forward to 4 pm when we (mom, dad, and I) went to SM Marikina because we have a dinner reservation at 6 pm at Vikings. I'm so excited because aside from the fact that we are complete this year, we... are going to eat!!! Hahaha. I love eating! :>

When we arrived, the staff in Vikings accompanied us to our seat and said that we could already start in the dinner buffet. So, we started trying out each cuisine and came back to the food that we loved. My mom loved their sushi, my dad loved their chicken barbecue and some vegetables and fruits, and I loved...everything! Hahaha. But I have to say that towards the end of our dinner, I kept on coming back to their dessert station because of their sumptuous desserts. Here are my favorites.Actually, these are the only ones that I was able to take a picture of. I guess I was just too busy eating. Oops!)

Desserts!

We availed their birthday promo which means that I eat for free as long as I am accompanied by at least 1 full paying adult. As part of their birthday promo, some of their staff will sing a mash up of a random song and the birthday song for the celebrant. They will also give the celebrant a small cake and will make the celebrant wear a headdress of a viking while in front of a Happy Birthday sign. Instant photo booth! When the staff approached our table, they gave me the headdress and the random song that they sang for me was "What Makes You Beautiful" by One Direction. I loved it!

23!

Vikings!

My Family!

Blow the candle!

Birthday Cake!

Today's over-all experience was superb! Dinner buffet with the people I love most during my birthday... I cannot ask for more! Thank you, God, for all the blessings! Thank you, God, for another year! Looking forward to more awesome experiences!

Family Love!

Eunice at 23!

Here's to a BETTER ME! :)

Let's Do This, 2015!

2014 has been a great ride for me. A lot of things happened which I would keep for the rest of my life. So, allow me to look back for awhile.

During this year, I was able to watch my very first, and not to mention, my favorite international musical, Wicked! The Australian cast went here in the Philippines for their tour of the said play and it was truly an incredible experience. I was able to watch it twice with two of my awesome musical buddies, Bea and Julia. As an added bonus, I was fortunate enough to meet the cast up close, interact with them, and spend time with some of the ensemble at Starbucks across CCP during their break in between their matinee and evening show.

I also got the chance to travel abroad again last April, 2014 as a promise from my dad for passing the Nursing board exam in 2013. I, together with my mom and dad, went to Singapore. I really had a superb time and I'd love to go back! :)

And, one of my highlights this year was my first job as a company nurse in a well-known supermarket. Though the job was just contractual, I enjoyed my stay and I learned a lot more. I was able to gain a lot of new experiences and new friends as well.

But now, 2014 has come to an end. It's now time for a new year! Hello, 2015!

Me with Lola and some of my cousins.

As a tradition of my family, we always spend our New Year's Eve preparations in my Lola's (mother side) house together with my mom's siblings and my cousins. Usually, we stay in the dirty kitchen, which is like a big kubo, where we cook the food and grill barbecues, share stories with each other, and bond with one another.

Fountain.

Media Noche.

     
Then, a couple of hours before the clock strikes 12 mn, mom, dad, and I would go back to our house to celebrate the New Year countdown. We would light a couple of fountains just before the countdown and light the rest of the fountains after. I would shout, jump, and blow the torotot during the New Year. I would also take time to look up in the sky and thank God for everything. Also, I always look for the dark and bright side of the sky. My mom used to tell me, "Sabi ng matatanda dati, pag tumingin ka raw sa langit sa New Year, makakakita ka ng mejo dark na part tsaka mejo bright. Yung dark part daw yung last year at yung bright part yung bagong year. We start anew. Clean slate. Fresh start." Every year, I always believe that bigger, brighter, and better things will happen. :)


Welcome 2015 and... Let's do this! :)

My Family.

*And if the mean girls wear pink on Wednesdays, we wear red every New Year. :)