I miss being a full time student - seriously.
After I completed my undergraduate course, I was immediately hired and started working. I keep on studying part time while working though making the entire experience challenging. Now that I am a mom of two with full time work, I wonder how I will ever manage when I return to school again to complete my PhD. We'll see....
During the follow up program of IDEAS last year, there were 9 of us who participated from 9 countries (Philippines, Thailand, Pakistan, Myanmar, Nepal, Cambodia, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka). Each of us was asked to present on our respective country experience on how we were able to cope with economic and social resilience.
In March 2011, Japan was hit by a 9.0 magnitude earthquake which took place 231 miles northeast of Tokyo. It was considered as the fourth largest earthquake on record since 1900 and the largest to hit Japan. That earthquake even caused a huge tsunami which damaged nuclear reactors in the area not to mention massive infrastructure. Even Japan is the most prepared country on such disasters that I know of, no amount of actual experience on dealing with this kind of catastrophes can one ever deal with.
Our follow up program was the second year anniversary of this event :(
What I presented was how our country was able to cope after the Typhoon Ondoy in 2009. ["After a Storm, We Rise: How the Philippines cope after the devastating Typhoon Ketsana (Ondoy) in 2009]. Around September 26-27, 2009, Manila was submerged in waters; everyone did not expected this to happen. Our house in Antipolo was filled with water until the entire first floor level; the rise of it was so fast that my parents did everything they could just to save the most important furniture in our house and moved to our second floor. I was not there when this happened :(
We learned a number from the Ondoy experience. Government failed to predict the scale of disaster. Damages reached around $270 million. After this, LGUs became more prepared and civil society became more active in responding immediately to such situation.
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| It was nice to be back and I feel like I was a full time student again :) |
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| "Kampai" during a welcome ceremony of the program |
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| Met my former language sensei and colleagues since 2001. The vendo deserves a huge photo too hehe. |
Even if I miss being a student again, nothing can beat the everyday learning I get from my two children. I would not trade this for anything now :)
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