You can call me “King of Wishful Thinking.” Like everybody else, I tend to wish for a lot of things to come true. But I would not be “King” if there’s nothing worth noting. I make it a habit. I do it when I get bored, when I check exam papers, when I wander around Manila, when my excretory system works in the CR, among others. I wish for things that may happen, and I also wish for things that have no chances of even existing.
One night last year, I dreamt of being back to China, the setting was in the school canteen, I conversed in Mandarin, I wore winter clothes and the people I am talking to were from other countries who can speak Chinese as well. When I woke up, I was happy. I saw myself back in China at least in my dreams. Those were the times that I felt dead tired because I worked twenty-plus straight days (Saturdays and Sundays were not in my resting programs yet) my only time for rest is going home, eat and sleep. So seeing that in my dream gave me some reason to get over negativity.
Wishful thinking entered… I think I can earn money and give myself a treat to China. Nah. Hard thing to do. Adulting is hard, you know. Earning is a big word. Or maybe I can join the teachers in the China Summer Camp and be a teacher-guide. No, no. I plan to relaunch my webcast next year. Or what if I can drain all my resources and just go! Hell no! No, I can’t do that. Who wants screaming and shouting for breakfast? Before I left the bed, a soliloquy, sana makabalik ako kahit saglit lang (wish I could go back even for a short time).
It was no surprise to everyone (at least at school) that I finally went back to China last December 14. It really was a short notice! I was only informed that the school wants me to accompany a student at an awards ceremony in Quanzhou six days prior the departure date. Oh if you can just look at how my face gleamed with smiles about learning that after months of dreaming and longing, I can set foot again at my beloved second home! My Facebook post of me posing with a smile is a testament to it. I was so glad I saw the places I visited in Quanzhou back in 2014. In addition to that, I got to taste legit Chinese food and feel the breeze of a natural cold weather. It was only for two days and two nights, though. We had to go back the day after the awarding. Nakakabitin (Felt not enough). I wished I could go back again. But I knew it won’t be that easy, given work and time constraints. So I thought I should stop craving for China for a while.
January 7, my phone rang. It was a cool Sunday morning, I should be oversleeping that day. The ringing stopped. Okay, then. But it rang again! Oh, it’s our school principal! Despite the wondering why she called me up on a Sunday, of course, I answered it. Unexpectedly, I opened a genie in a bottle. It was a phone call informing me that I am considered to join the “One Belt One Road” Chinese Teachers Training Program for a hundred days. It is set March 3 to June 11. And say what, it will be in Beijing, China! At long last, I can be on the Great Wall and have a pic of me with the Bird’s Nest! The Principal asked me if I would accept, because I would be the Philippine representative to the event. You don’t even have to guess what my answer is!
I told my mother about it first and then my siblings. It took me a while before I finally told my students (Grade 8 first, then Grade 11, Grade 12 and Grade 10) that I might not finish the fourth academic quarter with them because of this blessing, much to their surprise, because I am setting foot on China, again, just after three months.
Leading to the day of my flight back to China, my lessons in all of my grade levels were fast-paced, because I need final grades or at least 95% of my raw scores in before I leave. Thank God I was able to do it because the Principal told me to start planning as early as January. Students took notice of me as the days passed, some of them telling me that I was getting more and more excited. Well, who would have thought that of all Chinese teachers, some of them are certainly more deserving than me, I, who has not achieved anything yet in this field, am going to China and represent the Philippines, most especially right now when China has welcomed our country with open arms once more. Moreover, meeting friends from different countries is one of the most awesome things on Earth. Whoever is in this place, they should be really excited, too.
March 1. People usually don’t feel like working on the day of their flight. But I still went to work, not because I am workaholic, but to bid farewell to all of my students and to everyone at school. It was a bitter-sweet feeling, from the day I was made known of the event until the day I leave my place in the faculty room near-empty (it used to be filled with books and papers), I realized time did not wait for me to be prepared for these goodbyes. I made sure I have pictures of the students I have handled in junior high, because by the time I come back, some of them might not be in Tiong Se anymore. As I bid goodbye to my colleagues, they all wished me luck. I left the school, with the rays of the setting sun touching my face as I walk towards home. It was about 5:30PM.
That night as I prepare to leave the house, I told my sister, “Ang bilis talaga ng panahon, parang nakakabigla ang lahat.” (Time is really fast, everything seems to surprise me.) She consoled me by saying it will be okay. On the road to the airport, my heart was giving signals like “Oh, you sure gonna miss Philippines and everybody, you ought to get sad,” but my brain was telling me “Yeah right, why am I feeling sad? One hundred days only, duh? You’ve been away for four years, remember? Going back to China, isn’t this what you wish for? If you’ve done it before, why worry now?” Giving sarcastic questions to myself helped me to man up and face everything. So I faced the entrance of NAIA Terminal 1 and went in.
(To be continued…)
One night last year, I dreamt of being back to China, the setting was in the school canteen, I conversed in Mandarin, I wore winter clothes and the people I am talking to were from other countries who can speak Chinese as well. When I woke up, I was happy. I saw myself back in China at least in my dreams. Those were the times that I felt dead tired because I worked twenty-plus straight days (Saturdays and Sundays were not in my resting programs yet) my only time for rest is going home, eat and sleep. So seeing that in my dream gave me some reason to get over negativity.
Wishful thinking entered… I think I can earn money and give myself a treat to China. Nah. Hard thing to do. Adulting is hard, you know. Earning is a big word. Or maybe I can join the teachers in the China Summer Camp and be a teacher-guide. No, no. I plan to relaunch my webcast next year. Or what if I can drain all my resources and just go! Hell no! No, I can’t do that. Who wants screaming and shouting for breakfast? Before I left the bed, a soliloquy, sana makabalik ako kahit saglit lang (wish I could go back even for a short time).
It was no surprise to everyone (at least at school) that I finally went back to China last December 14. It really was a short notice! I was only informed that the school wants me to accompany a student at an awards ceremony in Quanzhou six days prior the departure date. Oh if you can just look at how my face gleamed with smiles about learning that after months of dreaming and longing, I can set foot again at my beloved second home! My Facebook post of me posing with a smile is a testament to it. I was so glad I saw the places I visited in Quanzhou back in 2014. In addition to that, I got to taste legit Chinese food and feel the breeze of a natural cold weather. It was only for two days and two nights, though. We had to go back the day after the awarding. Nakakabitin (Felt not enough). I wished I could go back again. But I knew it won’t be that easy, given work and time constraints. So I thought I should stop craving for China for a while.
January 7, my phone rang. It was a cool Sunday morning, I should be oversleeping that day. The ringing stopped. Okay, then. But it rang again! Oh, it’s our school principal! Despite the wondering why she called me up on a Sunday, of course, I answered it. Unexpectedly, I opened a genie in a bottle. It was a phone call informing me that I am considered to join the “One Belt One Road” Chinese Teachers Training Program for a hundred days. It is set March 3 to June 11. And say what, it will be in Beijing, China! At long last, I can be on the Great Wall and have a pic of me with the Bird’s Nest! The Principal asked me if I would accept, because I would be the Philippine representative to the event. You don’t even have to guess what my answer is!
I told my mother about it first and then my siblings. It took me a while before I finally told my students (Grade 8 first, then Grade 11, Grade 12 and Grade 10) that I might not finish the fourth academic quarter with them because of this blessing, much to their surprise, because I am setting foot on China, again, just after three months.
Leading to the day of my flight back to China, my lessons in all of my grade levels were fast-paced, because I need final grades or at least 95% of my raw scores in before I leave. Thank God I was able to do it because the Principal told me to start planning as early as January. Students took notice of me as the days passed, some of them telling me that I was getting more and more excited. Well, who would have thought that of all Chinese teachers, some of them are certainly more deserving than me, I, who has not achieved anything yet in this field, am going to China and represent the Philippines, most especially right now when China has welcomed our country with open arms once more. Moreover, meeting friends from different countries is one of the most awesome things on Earth. Whoever is in this place, they should be really excited, too.
March 1. People usually don’t feel like working on the day of their flight. But I still went to work, not because I am workaholic, but to bid farewell to all of my students and to everyone at school. It was a bitter-sweet feeling, from the day I was made known of the event until the day I leave my place in the faculty room near-empty (it used to be filled with books and papers), I realized time did not wait for me to be prepared for these goodbyes. I made sure I have pictures of the students I have handled in junior high, because by the time I come back, some of them might not be in Tiong Se anymore. As I bid goodbye to my colleagues, they all wished me luck. I left the school, with the rays of the setting sun touching my face as I walk towards home. It was about 5:30PM.
That night as I prepare to leave the house, I told my sister, “Ang bilis talaga ng panahon, parang nakakabigla ang lahat.” (Time is really fast, everything seems to surprise me.) She consoled me by saying it will be okay. On the road to the airport, my heart was giving signals like “Oh, you sure gonna miss Philippines and everybody, you ought to get sad,” but my brain was telling me “Yeah right, why am I feeling sad? One hundred days only, duh? You’ve been away for four years, remember? Going back to China, isn’t this what you wish for? If you’ve done it before, why worry now?” Giving sarcastic questions to myself helped me to man up and face everything. So I faced the entrance of NAIA Terminal 1 and went in.
(To be continued…)
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