Life of a Kat

So, this is how it feels. Last year was a bit better because Tita Gladys was here and I didn't really need to celebrate alone and heartbroken. Also, my Japanese, then-couple-now-newly-wed couple prepared a very nice Christmas dinner. Tonight, I was thinking of dropping by The Bar for the countdown and downing one drink then go back home for bed and let the night pass by. But of course, the kind couple thought of adopting me once again for the night. It was just wonderful as usual. I am grateful. Mrs. Y brought a Pablo strawberry cheesecake given for free by the shop-owner as they had excess baked goodies for the day. So, we got a fancy Christmas cake for free! Then, we lit up and candles and sang a Happy Birthday song for Jesus Christ. After all, it is but fair to dedicate that at least sole minute because if not for his birth, we won't be having reasons to celebrate. Also, the first Christmas wasn't a moment of festivity for Joseph and Mary. It was series of rejectio...

365 QOTD Today, I chose to __________. Wake up early and have a good chat with newfound girlfriends. I chose to reconnect with someone who would just randomly send message but did took time to make a few exchange of updates today. I made a few more runs in Daiso and the drugstore for little additional pasalubongs for family and friends. ****** Quite a slow day at work today but still managed to update the cards of the kids, but I am still with a writer's block on what to write about our monthly newsletter given to the kids. It was a task done by my former Japanese colleague but now, I have to do it. Though the idea excites me honestly, it also brings me that internal chaos of which topic to prioritize and how to do so. Another is that I need to soften the radicalness of the ideas that I have in mind and just focus on the message. One thing I need to significantly learn is the art of delayed judgment and avoidance of being easily triggered. It is hard, but I have to lear...

365 QOTD What is the last place you visited online? Facebook. LOL. ***** I really need to limit my social media exposures. So bad. Working on it. Working on it. And drowning. Help. I have been in not-so consistent but updated contact with a former colleague who seem to be having struggles finding a job abroad and she kept saying that is about to give up. I actually don't know the right words to say except to keep reminding her that all the things that's happening to her will pass and things will only get better is she doesn't give up. I know, it is quite a sad story on a Christmas season, but if I go back to it, the first Christmas wasn't about festivities and celebrations. Joseph and Mary were having a hard time finding a resting place and was offered a manger where the lambs and goats stay for shelter. The first Christmas was a moment of searching where to lay the purpose, of humility and of acceptance to what is being offered at the time being. Still praying f...

365 QOTD What are the three things you need to do tomorrow? Clean up. Attend Japanese class. Assessment Cards of the kids ******** Today I did a little experiment with the level 5 class. In terms of the CFER level, for their age and level, they are already in the border of the A2 and B1 provided that constant interventions and exercises are given today. The activities in the book are too easy and so I usually have to improvise other activities. Since there are four of them in the class, I tried to do Speed Chatting this time. The mechanics are the same of that in a speed dating activity with a 2-minute interval for the switch. The set of questions are either conditionals or listing of anything based from their personal experiences, with the challenge of being able to keep up the conversation flowing. I was actually proud of the output of the activity, they were all into it, and willingly moving and sharing. There were times that the allotted time was too short for them t...

This morning, I went for an annual physical check up. Compared to last year, we were sort of confident that we will all be able to handle this one on our own time and schedule because the clinic is just across the office building. Being pre-occupied with many things recently, I failed to fill out the form that needs to be filled before coming to the check-up schedule, but I thought it won’t be a hassle because they would still need to verify my answers and most likely they have translation manuals to cross reference the questions to and since I can speak the minimal conversational Japanese, I know that I will be able to make my thoughts come across to the best of my ability. Upon checking in with the receptionist, I told her that I speak very little Japanese, but I did read my name loud enough for her in katakana as she pointed them out, but I wrote my address on the paper in romaji, which was then verified by the other nurse and wrote the kanji equivalent on ...

365 QOTD How was your day today? It was cold in the outside but totally warm in the inside. ******** For some reasons, I woke up way early that usual. Around 4am and I read a random message from somebody whom I had nice personal conversations quite a few times this year. It is always nice to be remembered, but the somersaults in my chest aren't good indicators of how that person had been making me feel whenever he makes his presence felt, that's not even in person, what more if I see that person on a more regular basis, I probably die sooner due to too much throbbing of my heart like that of a teenage girl who internally squeaks and screeches whenever she sees her crush. LOL. But, the way things are, it seems that this is a far as this connection could get. I am way out his league and not his type. I tried to go back to sleep again because I have to get up a bit early for a beginner's computer programming exam courtesy of my friend. To which I scored 3 out of 20...

I'm single and I think I'm slowly getting settled into the idea of being single for a long time moving forward.  But I have loved a few men in my life and there are three that I will always cherish and will always be my firsts-- my father, my oldest brother and my lolo on my mom's side.  I guess for most girls, their first love will always be the dad. Mine isn't a different story. As a first-born girl in the family, I feel that I had gained almost and always my father's attention. He had always been my go-to person when I am a bit confused. The first person I would always think of when I achieve something and the first man who gets his heart broken when I did something disappointing. He had given me that kind of love that no matter how much I had been lost and failed, he has always been there to look after me. Scold me. Remind me. Preach on me. Dust me off, then push me to get my life back. So many times.  My oldest brother and I grew up like cats and dog...

365 QOTD What was weird about your day today? Weird? Hmm.. I felt so busy, but still I forgot a lot of things. And I just did the laundry this evening before this journal entry. I should have done it in the morning, it was sun and shiny day today. ********* Wednesday mornings are dedicated for Japanese classes. I am so grateful to have a very good Japanese teacher this time. Fujisawa-Sensei had been so generous of her time and knowledge and the hour we spend together are always productive and fruitful for me. And it seems that she is also having a great time. I really hope so. I wasn't able to go to the bank to open another account, but tomorrow, I hope to get up early and be able to do just that, but I realized that I dont have my hanko with me, so I need to move that schedule for Monday. I need to have another account open if I really am serious with managing my finances. I swear, I am serious. I forgot that I had an online conference at 2pm, but A and I were able to ...

365 QOTD What are you passionate about? Hmmm... I am passionate about finding what my real passion/s is/are. It is just difficult to pinpoint which is which but I am very much passionate seeing people feel successful when they try to learn something, I love encouraging people and seeing them try hard and be good at something. I like connecting people. I like giving and sharing and seeing something good come out of it. ********** Today, my local grandma and grandpa took me to Udo Jingu. They let me buy a goshuincho and have it with a goshuin. We visited the shrine, we threw stone at the turtle's back in the ocean. They said that if the person who threw the stone can successfully shoot it into the hole, the person will receive good luck. Out of all the 15 stones I had thrown, none had made it to the hole. With that, I refuse to rely on it for my future. LOL. Udo Jingu is said to be the place where couples come for requests and prayers of fertility and conception. After ...

365 QOTD What do you wish your job was? Hmm.. I actually wouldn't wanna have a different kind of job. What I wish for is that I am teaching in a university so I can train more future teachers. Well, being in a regular classroom would be nice as well. I just really wanna have the opportunity to see if my efforts would really bear fruits. If I teach younger kids, it may take a while or I may not be even able to see if they will turn out to be productive citizens eventually. It is really my desire to land a better teaching job somewhere that's why I am persistently wanting to complete this master's degree. ****************************** 縁がある /en-ga-aru/ - to be linked by fate I have been contemplating on this one since Wednesday. One of my students is a classy, businesswoman and she told me this. From the first time I had seen her in our office lobby, I knew that she is such a powerful lady with a business empire of her own. I asked her, "How old were...

365 QOTD What makes you sweat? Being under pressure. Hot weather. When lying. High humidity. ********** The first week of handling the youngsters classes all on my own is quite a breeze. And I love it. I hope they are also seeing how good they are becoming every single time that they end the class with me. For the higher level, I made it a point that they rate themselves at the end of every activity. It gives them the time to reflect on their performance with respect to their personal learning goals. They check their own achievements and also establish their own steps on how to be better. I am just there to facilitate the questions, lead them back if they seem to be astray, translate if necessary, give further examples. I make very minimum comparison of one against the other. I try to make them see their own being from their own perspective and not from what others expect from them. My final project for one subject in grad school is almost finished. I am at par with ...

365 QOTD What memory do you want to keep from today? Oh. If it's gonna be about myself. Today is such a good day for survival. No good sleep lately, body pains and cramps due to menstrual periods, too much eating and spending. Just too much eating and mood swings. Oh my goodness. But one good memory will always be about classrooms! Today, I visited the nursery kids next to our school. We do have a bi-weekly contract with them and I get to teach the kids nothing but songs, 1 or 2 words in English and more sings and actions in English. My frequency of visit had built a routine and I also now get warm hugs and super bright smiles from the kids. My heart would just melt. The other elementary class was always my favorite in terms of achievements and naughtiness. They never ran out of things to annoy me and make fun of each other. The all-girls higher level class had also shown very good confidence. At the end of every class, I ask them to rate themselves and talk about the t...

Today is quite a day. I had been throwing a lot of science concept curve balls to my student. I told him that I am just stretching his skills in explaining in the L2 (second language). If it were in the L1 (first language), he probably would be able to explain the chains of events I had been asking him about. “I’m so bad at it.” He said. “You have a very good education system in Japan and you are a very good student as well, these kind of things just takes a lot of practice. It doesn’t happen overnight.” I tried to tell him. “I don’t think so. Japan education system is bad. Why do we have to learn /genome/ as /gi-no-mu/? Why can’t we just learn these words in their own language?” He muttered. “Have you taken Japan history?” I asked. “No, I cannot take Japan history as part of my academic track. I have to take World History.” He explained. “There is so much love-hate relationship with regards to learning English in Japan that goes back to hi...