the lone bright spot

London Heathrow Airport, February 2021 As I am writing this, I’m currently in my 8th day of mandatory isolation post arrival in the UK, as things are quite stable now, I got plenty of time to think and reflect on what happened to me during past few months.  Thought I owe myself a write-up to catch up with life per se.  I’d like to begin with the idea of a dream I planned to pursue which started in 2019. To provide some back story, I had a stable job back then, even quite promising in terms of security and career growth. However, I had felt that I was yearning for something more, something bigger. I was hungry to do one thing that will prove myself that I can. And I wanted it so bad. I wanted to liberate myself from my own doubts and fears. I have long been in search for true freedom - the freedom to become who I am destined to be. And so was the dream seeking greener pasture, in the hopes of reaching greater heights and endless possibilities.  Hence, the road to UK. 🇬🇧 ...

Exactly 5 years ago today, I officially started working for this institution. It wasn't even one of my childhood ambitions yet stroke of fate has brought me here and so now, here I am, doing this work while trying to find meaning and purpose in what I do every working day. PHC Radiology, February 2020 I randomly took this photo last month during the end of my shift for some reason that I felt exhausted but accomplished at the same time so I still managed to wear a smile. Weeks later, who would have predicted that our situation could get seriously worse. We have been infiltrated by a COVID19+ patient which forced the hospital to lockdown services to a number of patients with cardiac problems, resulting to limited manpower/skeletal workforce due to mandatory quarantine of exposed staff, which poses higher risks for the rest of the medical frontliners - putting our physical health & emotional well-being in danger for an indefinite period of time.  But we have to carry...

In few days’ time, another year is about to end and it’s that time of the year again to reflect on the sentimental journey it has been. I would say that this, by far, was one of the most challenging years I’ve had. And to be able to emerge from it eventually is something I am more than grateful of. There are five particular things which I’d like to focus my thoughts on and as part of my reflection process, I am asking my 30-year-old self these questions. #1. What did you accomplish this year? Life seemed latent for me for quite some time - until this year. I feel I have done many things in 2019 that I would consider as great achievements. It was a year of growth in terms of career and personal development. The greatest among these is being able to gain an international qualification in my profession. Apart from that, I was able to learn and apply another imaging modality (i.e., ultrasonography) which I was dreading to learn in the past. This is also the year that I obtained...

IDP Manila, May 2019 IELTS, or International English Language Testing System,  is one of the most widely accepted english language exams  for non-native English speakers necessary for purposes such as immigration, international studies, and employment in English countries across the globe. And never in my dreams have I considered giving this a try. Yes, being employed  as a health care provider overseas crossed my mind but I didn't have a clear vision of how to realize this ambitious daydream. Not until such time that I've learned how necessary it is to sit an IELTS exam in order to meet the language proficiency standards of English countries such as US, UK, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. Each country has its own required Overall Band Score which will serve as an individual's basis for qualification, and as a radiographer wishing to apply in the UK, I needed an OBS of 7.0 with a minimum of 6.5 in any of the four subtests.   You might be wond...

Mt. Tapyas, Coron, Palawan, September 2018 It all dates back to the time I was hit with a dawning realization. I started year 2019 on a low note without much expectation yet with good grounds for hope. I thought I was already satisfied with how my life's going. I have a decent job with a reasonable salary. On top of that, I get to travel for recreation in an attempt to maintain work-life balance. Everything seemed fine until I began to question the way I was living life - go to work, get back home, eat out, travel out of town. Eventually, it felt dull and repetitive. It's like draining my energy inefficiently and I knew something  was lacking. I didn't have a clear direction or blueprint for my life. I can't tell exactly if I stopped dreaming or I stopped believing in my dreams (or both), to the extent that I felt I was no longer growing, not even making an impact.  This led me to decide to look at life on a different vantage point. Somewhere unfamiliar ...