Photos: (left) the port in one of our river communities (right) boats are used to hop from house to house, some places have worse scenarios. :/

"Today, i thank You, Lord, for keeping me safe.
Forgive me if I was ranting about dripping ceilings and flooded floors.
When my brothers and sisters out there were homeless.
Their shacks washed out by the swollen rivers.

Lord, make the rain go away.
We've already had too much..."

when it rains, it pours...

i remember ranting about the ceaseless rains we've had here at faraway land.
(and how it turned out that i ate a meager meal because of it... review feb 15 blog)
it was rude of me to have said that. sheer apathy. how insensitive of me. :(

weekend passed and i began grasping information on damages caused by the week-long rain.
thousands were affected. houses shoved by the riverflow, straight out to sea. countless were homeless. all they have left is their mere lives. ricefields turned into seabed as rivers swelled.
i saw some of with my own eyes, the devastation was spine-tingling.

and there i was ranting about wet feet, soaked in flood. dripping ceiling turning my foam into waterbed, while some are out there in the cold, with nothing to eat, heck, they don't even have homes anymore.

how could i be so shallow. and selfish. my demeanor was saddening.
so i'm taking every awful word i said. i should have known better.

FYI. click on the stories below

This one's as of today:

East Samar now under state of calamity

Authorities in Eastern Samar province have declared a state of calamity after continuous rains that have triggered floods and landslides killed at least five persons and affected more than 10,000 families. Flash floods and landslides still loom over Bicol and Eastern Visayas.

For full story, pls click on: http://www.gmanews.tv/story/81164/E-Samar-under-state-of-calamity-toll-at-5

 

Got this one yesterday:

Landslides, floods isolate Eastern Samar

 Representative Teodulo Coquilla of the lone district of Eastern Samar also reported that farmlands in his hometown of Oras and the municipalities of Dolores, Can-avid, Jipapad and Taft in the northern part of the province were flooded after rivers swelled.

For full story, pls click on: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/regions/view/20080218-119660/Landslides-floods-isolate-Eastern-Samar

 

thank God, we're okay. though trapped...

Faddergalan 10ar: Plan Sweden's 10th Year Anniversary Gala.

The real thing. on rough video, taken from fritzie's camphone (again:D)
Behind the scenes. You can even hear the Swede team speak as they beam things from Faraway Land to Sweden (Sverige as they call it).

I was nervous. Felt stiff and frozen. It was raining out, and thank God it stopped when it was my turn on the "hotseat".

Blooper: Count how many times i said "they were able"...
tsk tsk. halata tuloy na kinakabahan! ngar :/

Oh by the way... The Swede team gave us a copy of the whole 4-hour gala. I hope i could find a way to upload the real thing. it was so cool:)

A video taken from fritzie's camphone. (Super thank you, sandwich girl!)

I got hooked for a live interview for Plan Sweden's 10th year Anniversary Gala.
Behind the scene. During the rehearsals. I didn't realize it was this nerve-wracking!

And we were timed, by the second.
whoa.

Taken from the "sub" story mentioned from the previous blog.

The 1st Provincial Anti-Poverty Summit in Eastern Samar came to a close at around three this afternoon.

So what? Allow me to give a "front seat" perspective on the things that transpired on the two-day meet. Bear an open-mind, take a seat and chill.

Photo op: making a mark. I signed a pledge of commitment in behalf of our organization. This could've been you PUMski, and/or Brother TORPD. haha. Right beside me is the head of VSO here in the Philippines. (What's his face? I forgot his name. I'm sorry:/ )

how did this happen again?

between ten and eleven pm on the 7th of November, i got a message from our manager...

"mids, gusto mong mag-attend ng Summit? i'll leave the invitation on your table."
what will i do there? participant lang po ba? what time does it start?
"yup. wala namang kailangang presentation. mag-aattend lang. i think mga 830. check the invit."
okay, i'll attend. thanks for the info:)

(as if pwedeng tumanggi diba? of course i didn't say that to his face. silly, self-talk yan. teehee. )

so there. that's how everything started. i was told to attend in behalf of our organization .
i honestly didn' t feel like going cause i wouldn't want to burn a hole in my chair, seated restlessly. but i already said yes, and maybe, being there could be a privilege(?).

thank God the pre-summit didn't start at 8am. even if i had to get up earlier than usual because i thought it would, it's still a breather that the actual confie's gonna start after lunch. which means, i could still spend my valuable time on FAR MORE important things...

the clocked ticked one. dragged myself out of my desk to head for the Provincial Capitol. why do i feel so lethargic? is this because of the vacay blues? snap out of it, you should be on work-mode now, dearie!

and so i was there, seated amongst those labeled NGOs/POs. looking around, i can see that there are indeed several distinguished people as attendees. man, this summit was bigger than i thought. did i feel a tad out-of-place? perhaps, but well, i have to suck it in. i'm already here to begin with.

i'm not gonna give you the nitty-gritty on the things that transpired on the two-day activity. 'cause i might bore you to sleep, and you wouldn't understand things i'd say anyway. but to put things in a nutshell. they practically gave a situationer. how's the province in terms of the poverty-meter and the 13+1 (basic) indicators that call for it. sounds promising.

i felt a surge of hope mixed with tons of cynicism flow through me. well, it's a good take that they're FINALLY focusing on the RIGHT STUFF. seeing the basic social services as a means to alleviate poverty, instead of focusing on hardware - infrastructure support that is synonymous to bagging loads of each taxpayer's hard-earned money. yes, i speak in spite because i feel strongly about tax and the issues underlying it.

i sat there with much thought. i do hope that they would put these things into flesh. this would make everyone's lives easier. thank God that the Local Chief Executives (aka Municipal Mayors) were there. thank God that they had to see the harsh realities in their respective localities. thank God that they got alarmed with the "figures" shown by the (recently collated) survey. and yes, even if they'd want to defend the flashed facts, the hard truth speaks for itself. (buti naman at natatamaan rin pala kayo ng kahihiyan. so ano naman ang sunod niyong rekurso?) i pray to our Good Lord, that these LCEs would step up and REALLY do something to reduce poverty. that's their responsibility, that's the reason why they're seated where they are. mahiya naman kayo sa balat niyo.

well, honestly,  the summit was nothing new to me. them identifying the issues, trying to flesh out interventions. thinking of ways forward. setting goals and targets inlined with the MDGs, a better Eastern Samar by 2015. steps i could even think of in my slumber. we practically breath, eat, and live that in development work. kulang na lang masuya ako or masuka, sa paulit-ulit na proseso.

yes, that's how things are in the "path" i'm currently taking. and i know that i don't have the right to complain. i'm still a toddler in this, learning the process and all. but what's my point exactly? funny how we know what to do, but still we opt not to do it. well, if people are kind enough, they'd do halfofit. but in doing things partially, still, the goal won't be achieved. we would still be the same poverty-stricken country come sundown. IF ONLY, we would all get on and move to finish things. sigh.

i skeptically snorted at every remark i heard from those at the government. man, i even sat beside someone who's from the same field, yes, a government worker indeed. and yes, she was as skeptical as i am. IF ONLY they'd do things as they say they would...IF ONLY.

the whole two-day affair was promising.  i just hope that we could collectively put our hearts and hands into it. making those wishes and dreams a reality. sure, no one wants to be forever stuck in this mud called poverty. shove those vested interests aside. won't you feel better knowing that everyone (yes, even that twit lurking in the street) is able to meet his family's most basic needs? i still believe that the Philippines is not entirely poor, it's just that resources are not equally allocated. if only each one could have a share of that "heaven"... then everyone would be happy.

will this day ever come? let's all pray that it would.
and yeah, we all have to act on it too..

and so i digress: AAACCCCK. I DIDN'T MEAN FOR THAT TO BE THAT SERIOUS. I GUESS I JUST GOT SO OVERWHELMED...

on a lighter note, i'll share a weird yet unexpected experience i had during that summit...

one of the organizers approached me and asked if i could speak a pledge of commitment in behalf of our org. and shakily replied with an uncertain "sure".

shuuuucks. i've never been this nervous. i was scared.
me, a twenty-something lady would speak before everyone who's almost twice my age (and older). people who were brewed with work experience, leading their various fields, would listen to a "child"?

good Lord, what have i gotten myself into?!?
but there's no turning back. this is a privilege. a rare chance.
i should own this, and exude (faux) confidence.
kaya ko rin to. aja!

I bet they were stunned to see the little me stand amidst the crowd as i was called by the emcee. i was shaking, i can feel my muscles trembling. i thought i already overcame stagefright, can't let this eat me up.

And so i spoke. in fluent english, with the foreign twang. (haha. i need not say that, i know)

"In behalf of our manager (who is in bangkok-haha, of course I didn't say that), we at...blahblahblahblah..."

and capping it  off with,

"We can't say that we would be here forever, and finish the Province's goal by 2015. But we would still be here until each child has reached his full potential." - i know. the statement that's so tacky in our organization's lingo. but they wouldn't know right?

and everyone was floored.
and i left the mic, with a light head. i couldn't even remember the exact words i uttered. but i know that people who knew me (well, yeah there were some who did) were proud that i completed the task. it feels good actually. i faced the challenge and completed it with a huge smile on my face. it was elating. i love it. i'm starting to like public speaking more and more.
ayos.

and of course, i quickly channeled the whole ordeal to our dear manager...
(yes, this is the verbatim version. forgive the gay lingo etc)

me: Pumski, pinagsalita ako ng commitment chorla. Nakakakaba pala. First time kong manginig. Cyempre usual chenes... CCCD and commitment to areas, waaaah. sharing lang.
bosing: Wahahaha! Ayosss! Syempre, major impact ka. The youth speaks amidst the oldies, ehehe.
me: Mismo. Wahahaha. and as usual, brief and straightforward. pero promise, kakaibang kaba, ganun pala yun. Pero pumski, nakakairita kasi yung mga iba, very particular about distinction, title etc. wahaha.
bosing: Dapat you also insisted to be addressed as the Hon. (my whole name). whahahahaha! e di kinailangan mong i-acknowledge all those present before your speech? :)
me: I didn't na, hindi naman ginawa ng lahat. Sinabi ko na lang, "in behalf of our program unit manager, state name, who is bangkok" wahaha. sosyal.
bosing: Sosi talaga. hehe. Nandyan c GMA?
me:nandito na siya kaya minadali ang program. Grabe ang mga tao, OA kung ma-rattle. Im gonna blog about this experience. whahaha.
bosing: Look forward to reading that, hehe. Front seat perspective. :)
me: mismo. sana masulat ko ng maayos. Haha. mixed emotions ako dito e. Abangan...


at dyan nagtatapos ang aking karanasan.
front seat perspective sa isang milestone, activity sa probinsya ng eastern samar.

sana hindi sumakit ang mga mata niyo sa pagbabasa.
worth-read naman diba?

aminin niyo, nag-enjoy kayo ^.^

The recently concluded 1st Provincial Anti-Poverty Summit was held at the Provincial Capitol in Borongan City, Eastern Samar on November 8-9, 2007. Her Excellency Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo graced the event, as the keynote speaker in its culmination.

Aack. drop the crap. i don't mean to make this into a "journalistic" entry, acting as if i was one of the press who actually went there to cover the event. Let me have a take that is different. As a citizen, who used to be semi-nonchalant about the world. (are you saying that you're suddenly "involved" now?) I didn't really have to be here in the first place - a sub, yes that's what i was 'cause my superior had to go somewhere (more?) important. a whole different story right there...

well, in the natural way of things, i had to "follow orders". it's not that i'm doing this disdainfully, but i just felt that my presence would be irrelevant anyway. but yeah, i kept my word and spent a day and a half in attendance to the summit. (i'm gonna write more about that in another entry, wait for it.)

i'd say that i had an emo-mix in being there. hope and cynicism rushed through my veins. like a child waiting for the rain to stop or counting sleep before a family outing, i sat there restless. i guess my "marshmallow" was the fact that i could see THE PRESIDENT in the flesh, is that "reward" enough?

funny how everyone was rattled when they heard "she just landed". the summit's closing program was cut short. just because HER EXCELLENCY got to the place earlier than expected. (and yes, i know that the more i bash, the more i'd put myself into trouble. so what?) yeah, it's a given that people would act the way they did. excited, nervous, anticipating. it's not everyday the country's TOP LEADER would go all the way to faraway land to talk for less than an hour. yeah, she awarded "grants" to selected areas as funds for their projects. Having done that was great honor for the whole province. (i could just imagine those selected few who were able to shake her hands. bet they won't wash them for days.)

was i thinking out loud? was that uttered in spite? envious cause they were that close, they got that close? why? 'cause the closest i got was a mere three-to-five meter distance. at the back of the stage? so much for connections. well, i got "locked" inside the capitol building. was too lazy to get out of the room, 'cause of the sun's scorching heat outside the grounds. well, that's what i got for delaying everything. and if it were not for the uberly strict guards, i would've taken a good photo of HER. (way better than the one i posted, and yeah, you should've seen my other snap, a tiny WOMAN in light blue. HER BACK facing me. and huge images of a Mr. Striped Shirt and Ms. Shiny Hair. how's that for a mental picture?)

so i just recant images of her from memory. man, they were way waaaay better i tell you. close glimpses of  the President. she was thisclose, and yet too far at the same time. damn you, PSG. (well, i know they were just doing their job. but it's not like i'd take her soul with one good photo op!)

guard:"mam, bawal pong mag-picture."
me: "eh, kasali naman ako sa summit ah." (shows my ID to his face)
guard: "okay lang naman po sana, kaso wala sticker ang camera niyo."
me: ampf. (i didn't want to push it, he had a point. pero sayang pa rin.)

like a child in disappointment, i went home with a half-heart .
the only reason i stayed in the afternoon program was the "chance" i thought i'd have to have a good photo of HER EXCELLENCY.
so much for my goal right?
but still, it's the experience that mattered.

like i said, it's not everyday that you'd get to see the President in person.
and i was thisclose to it...

August 28-31, 2007
The week-long launch of the Women and Child Protection Unit

AVP of the snippets of the week-long event. from kick-off on day one till the noise-breaking concierto on the 31st.

note to self: save your work. intermittently. so that you wouldn't have to redo things midway. shucks. muntik nakong maiyak. to think that i had little time. tsk tsk.

OMG!!!!
ohhh emmm geeee!!!

as i was browsing for something significantly relevant for the Women and Child Protection Unit IEC i was making, i stumbled upon this site  and i was dumbfounded.


segue: during the early part of this month, i got interviewed for a local radio show. why? because we were disseminating info for the grand launching of the WCPU, a one-stop shop to cater for abuse cases. didn't know that it was a live interview. that my colleagues were listening as i was on-air. twas a cool take on things. tough luck, didn't get a copy of it as proof (i'll try to get one just so you won't say that i'm making things up)



so there. didn't know that everything i said and uttered was documented. and is now on the worldwide web. coolness. well, at least something more relevant about my life is now in the know
(well, other than my pesky love blunders. and random rants at work. haha)

Start:

Aug 3, '07 06:00a

The Women and Child Protection Unit,
is a center where YOU CAN GET HELP
for child abuse cases..

JOIN…
Photo Protect: The Photography Contest
on Child Protection
A photo contest to stir awareness for
the WCPU Launching in the Province of
EASTERN SAMAR.

Open to ALL PROFESSIONAL and
NON-PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHERS across
the country.

POINT AND CLICK on any subject with
themes related to CHILD PROTECTION
(e.g., child abuse, child with
disabilities, commercial sexual
exploitation, child labor, children in
conflict with the law, children in armed
conflict, child trafficking)

Submissions must be ORIGINAL, UNEDITED,
AND UNPUBLISHED. Photos using films must
be printed in 5R size. All digital
photos should be in JPEG format of at
least 300dpi.

Send A MAXIMUM OF TWO (2) PHOTOS as
entries (with title and short caption on
the subject). Attach your personal
profile and email them for preliminary
screening to photoprotect@yahoo.com c/o Doy.

More than the pot money,
BEST PHOTO gets to be the official IEC
material (poster, tarpaulin, etc) for
Child Protection campaigns!

SEND YOUR ENTRIES NOW…
Deadline is on AUGUST 15, 2007!
For more details, please contact DOY @
09178051738 or call us at (055) 261.3251

brought to you by:
The Provincial Government of Eastern Samar
Plan Philippines
Unicef

Start:

Aug 3, '07 06:00a

The Women and Child Protection Unit,
is a center where YOU CAN GET HELP
for child abuse cases..

JOIN…
Photo Protect: The Photography Contest
on Child Protection
A photo contest to stir awareness for
the WCPU Launching in the Province of
EASTERN SAMAR.

Open to ALL PROFESSIONAL and
NON-PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHERS across
the country.

POINT AND CLICK on any subject with
themes related to CHILD PROTECTION
(e.g., child abuse, child with
disabilities, commercial sexual
exploitation, child labor, children in
conflict with the law, children in armed
conflict, child trafficking)

Submissions must be ORIGINAL, UNEDITED,
AND UNPUBLISHED. Photos using films must
be printed in 5R size. All digital
photos should be in JPEG format of at
least 300dpi.

Send A MAXIMUM OF TWO (2) PHOTOS as
entries (with title and short caption on
the subject). Attach your personal
profile and email them for preliminary
screening to photoprotect@yahoo.com c/o Doy.

More than the pot money,
BEST PHOTO gets to be the official IEC
material (poster, tarpaulin, etc) for
Child Protection campaigns!

SEND YOUR ENTRIES NOW…
Deadline is on AUGUST 15, 2007!
For more details, please contact DOY @
09178051738 or call us at (055) 261.3251

brought to you by:
The Provincial Government of Eastern Samar
Plan Philippines
Unicef

Start:	Aug 3, '07 06:00a
End:	Aug 15, '07

End: Aug 15, '07
The Women and Child Protection Unit,
is a center where YOU CAN GET HELP
for child abuse cases..

JOIN…
Photo Protect: The Photography Contest
on Child Protection
A photo contest to stir awareness for
the WCPU Launching in the Province of
EASTERN SAMAR.

Open to ALL PROFESSIONAL and
NON-PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHERS across
the country.

POINT AND CLICK on any subject with
themes related to CHILD PROTECTION
(e.g., child abuse, child with
disabilities, commercial sexual
exploitation, child labor, children in
conflict with the law, children in armed
conflict, child trafficking)

Submissions must be ORIGINAL, UNEDITED,
AND UNPUBLISHED. Photos using films must
be printed in 5R size. All digital
photos should be in JPEG format of at
least 300dpi.

Send A MAXIMUM OF TWO (2) PHOTOS as
entries (with title and short caption on
the subject). Attach your personal
profile and email them for preliminary
screening to photoprotect@yahoo.com c/o Doy.

More than the pot money,
BEST PHOTO gets to be the official IEC
material (poster, tarpaulin, etc) for
Child Protection campaigns!

SEND YOUR ENTRIES NOW…
Deadline is on AUGUST 15, 2007!
For more details, please contact DOY @
09178051738 or call us at (055) 261.3251

Start:	Aug 3, '07 06:00a
End:	Aug 15, '07

The Women and Child Protection Unit,
is a center where YOU CAN GET HELP
for child abuse cases..

JOIN…
Photo Protect: The Photography Contest
on Child Protection
A photo contest to stir awareness for
the WCPU Launching in the Province of
EASTERN SAMAR.

Open to ALL PROFESSIONAL and
NON-PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHERS across
the country.

POINT AND CLICK on any subject with
themes related to CHILD PROTECTION
(e.g., child abuse, child with
disabilities, commercial sexual
exploitation, child labor, children in
conflict with the law, children in armed
conflict, child trafficking)

Submissions must be ORIGINAL, UNEDITED,
AND UNPUBLISHED. Photos using films must
be printed in 5R size. All digital
photos should be in JPEG format of at
least 300dpi.

Send A MAXIMUM OF TWO (2) PHOTOS as
entries (with title and short caption on
the subject). Attach your personal
profile and email them for preliminary
screening to photoprotect@yahoo.com c/o Doy.

More than the pot money,
BEST PHOTO gets to be the official IEC
material (poster, tarpaulin, etc) for
Child Protection campaigns!

SEND YOUR ENTRIES NOW…
Deadline is on AUGUST 15, 2007!
For more details, please contact DOY @
09178051738 or call us at (055) 261.3251

this is what i get for growing up in the metro THEN having to work at  faraway land .

who would've thought that i would be celebrating my 2nd year at work a month from now.
people who were deployed to various provinces, as part of the network i'm in.. have left me behind:/ whoa. so much for survival of the fittest. right?

anyhoo, as a refresher. i'm giving you snippets of the simple life i've been in. and the musings i've had ever since. felt like a little girl, seeing things for the first time. and i mean that in every literal sense of word... again, that's a whoa right there.

shall we begin?


                        sun, sand, and the sea.

one of my simple joys here at faraway land.
i smile whenever is see blue waters kiss the tip of the shore. in melancholy, felt like (my) worries ebb away with them.

so what if i get tanned, every once in a while? the skin's gonna go back anyway. who would've thought i'd get to such places? ah. the beauty of nature. at its finest :)


                                  fun under the sun

an unplanned adventure. i tagged along for a shoot we did with studio 23. did the coordination and everything. since we were on break, my workmates prodded me to try snorkeling. well, i know how to swim and all. but i have that inch of fear for depths. heck. gave it a try anyway. twas fun! :) haven't done it again... hecticness at work sucks bigtime :/



                                      the simple life

walked around a far-flung village. got "tired". took some rest. oh look, there's a chicken. tried to call it, as if it were a pet dog. funny.

thank God it didn't run after me or something. my workmates thought it was cutesy and funny. ginaya ang concept ko, at nagpa-picture rin. sometimes, i think these people lack the "fun and quirky" perspective on things. kidding y'all.


               there's a first to everything

one of my many firsts since i got to work here. we had nothing to do one saturday, so decided to go to the beach at the spur of the moment.

went there to lounge around and "feast". alas, my workmate's "friend" was there, carrying a skimboard so i bravely asked if i could give it a try. had free lessons for more than an hour. twas an exciting take on things, even if it meant my limbs full of blacks-and-blues all over. haha.


              overcoming "stage fright"

i remember getting butterflies and/or big beads of sweat everytime i get tasked to speak in front of a big crowd.
i know that i'm not much of a people person. i would rather write the things i need to say than actual say it.

who would've thought that God would bring me to a "job" that would entail a lot of public speaking. well, He can be very unpredictable at times. oh well.


                         i miss doing this :(   

i studied child development for four years in college. was grateful that i got a job related to it. and yes, it wasn't teaching preschool kids.

apart from the elite perception that our course entailed, i opted to take the road less traveled, i felt that they needed the same opportunity. in child development, there is no delineation between the rich and the marginalized. every young child deserves a fair start in life...


      immersion: the real experience

back in college, i remember taking units in community development. and yes, part of it was an immersion to a rural community. hearing my other friends "experiences", i thought that ours would be just as sucky. turns out the immersion was actually an "excursion" because we visited a coastal community and was treated with prime hospitality.

years after. that zaps us to the present...

our manager thought that it would be good for all of us to do  Participatory Rural Appraisal in full force. Hence, the week-long ala survivor type of task. and yes, it was complete with no access to outside technology. no electricity. and scarce water supply. no, we didn't die, silly.

it just made me realize how (some) people could live with this much. so what made me think that i couldn't? it was a humbling experience. made me more grateful for the things i have. sigh.

and yeah, those photos right there were just "samples" of the firsts i've seen in my entire life. Top: Palawan. a local root crop. People here in the Visayas are fond of tubers. Well, it tastes good. Had a photo op because i didn't realize that the slices i had came from a source that big. whoa diba? Right below it: "kalabasa yan?" i didn't realize that it grows from a vine. silly me. it wasn't my fault that i was grown to just see squash straight from the marketplace. haha. nakakahiya. hence the photo op

I didn't mean to bombard you with my "experiences"... we're coming down to the last two. I promise! (big grin, right hand on swearing gesture).



                             life is suh-weet!

it certainly is! another photo op. why? because i wanted to keep a memie of my first sugar cane. haha. twas my first time to try and eat it. yes, it's sweet. duh.

these made me realize how much i missed from childhood, being in "civilization" and all. well, twas never too late. at least i lived both worlds right? SUH-WEET:)



                   livin la vida "jetsetter"

growing up, we were meagerly traveled. the farthest i've been to was Baguio, frequented Batangas since twas both my parents' province. i thought that going from here and there would be a distant dream.

i had a goal to "circle" the whole country before i could fly away and explore the outside world. that used to be a bleak cloud. looks like tiny hints of sunshine are now creeping in. cool-ness:)

         IN CONCLUSION...
life has been an emotional roller coaster for me. and i don't need to give much definition to it. let's just say that there are tons of blissful opportunities from "work", but it also has a handful of setbacks. for one, i am too far from home. and that sometimes (well, often actually) gets to me. i do get "recharged" every time i get home. but that could only last for how long.

i guess things would've been better. if only i could be there in a heartbeat. then back..
too bad "teleportation" isn't realized in this lifetime...

i'm missing a lot for sure. i miss home. terribly miss home.
sigh... heavy sigh.