If you’ve ever attended a Filipino gathering, you’ve probably encountered someone who insists on being addressed by their full professional title — even when the situation absolutely does not require it. You might be casually asking where the bathroom is, and the person will say, “Doon sa kanan. By the way, I am Engr. Junjun.”…
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Vienna: Remembering My First European Trip 20 Years Later
February 2006. I still remember the feeling in my chest—something between excitement and disbelief—as I prepared for my first-ever trip to Europe. It felt surreal, almost cinematic, like stepping into the pages of the geography books I devoured as a kid. Long before I ever held a passport, I had already traveled the world through…
The Day I Lost a Classmate, and Gained a Reminder
One morning, I received news that left me still and quiet. Harold, a college classmate — someone whose face I can still picture so clearly, whose voice I can almost hear if I try — passed away. It’s strange how memories can suddenly feel so alive when someone is gone. As if they’ve been waiting…
The Silent Sting: Emotional Impact and Coping Strategies for Ghosting
Have you met someone, communicated regularly via phone or social media, and then the other party abruptly disconnected, never to be heard from again? Or has a close buddy you trust and adore abruptly decided to remain silent and break off communication with you? There’s a colloquial term for that: ghosting. That means someone just…
The Christmas Spirit
I think it’s fitting that after a whole year’s worth of hard work and patience, we finally reach the last month as “the most wonderful time of the year.” The excitement starts even before the third quarter concludes and promptly starts with steady radio airplay building up the standard “Jose Mari Chan” classics evoking memories…