Making A Difference

Have you asked yourself that lately?

What's the point of going to your work? Do you do it to finance your hip lifestyle? Do you do it so that it'll help you better yourself in the future? Do you do it just to make yourself famous someday? Here's a question, what will it do to help someone, or better yet, help society?

Early in life, being raised in a family of leftists and revolutionary thinkers (and a few hippies here and there), I grew to learn how to think beyond personal needs, but for the betterment of all. I had this need to make a point and ensuring that that point was going to make an impact. I had a goal to help.

I've asked myself that when I left college. At first, taking a call center job waiting for my license (hoping against hope that I pass the boards) would pave the way for tomorrows party's and drinking sprees, yet problems that my family encountered steered me towards a question: How can I help?

Then I heard of this call center who helps the deaf community communicate via the phone and hell they paid good money for it. I found a wonderful 'helping' job that would help me and my family as well. Two birds, one stone, if you will.

I passed my boards, became a nurse, stood as the breadwinner of my family for a time, and finally an opportunity to become who I studied to be presented itself. I took on the challenge of capitalism and suffered through the ill-profiting racket of a private hospital in trying to become a nurse. And a nurse I became.

A year went be and money constraints fed through my dream of helping medically so I needed to leave the white walls of my nursing job. But I left for an NGO that was still in line with providing people security from hazards that hospitals engorged our sewers, lakes and garbage dumps with. I joined in this crusade, still driven by my passion in life of helping.

Here I was exposed to more than my childhood lessons with my relatives have provided. I learned to reach out to society in a larger scale. It was rough, tiring, mind-consuming, but it was worth it. Not to mention it had good pay compensating for your time and effort. But the point is, we were fighting the good fight. All these placards, campaign materials, forums, etc, were aiming to make a change for the better. And change is what we did.

Now as I pack and embark on a new frontier, as I search for myself yet in other, greener pastures, I will never leave my advocacy in a shelf just to be a well-fed sheep of some corporate slave driver. I will make a stand, and shoot a flock if I have too, with this tiny pebble given to me that I call me.

I will make a difference. How about you, have you asked yourself that question lately?

Post Hiring Woes

I'm officially a nurse. Finally. This is what I've been waiting for.

But, everything has a catch.

The stress that comes with the work is definitely not something I wanted. I have to push myself everyday just to be able to get myself to go to work. Being a nurse here in the Philippines is such a burden that I'm surprised that there are any nurses left in this country.

I know there are nurses who are in far worse situations that I am now that I have no right to complain, but it's too much to keep inside.

I don't think that I can go through retelling my story, though. I just felt the need to complain. Anyway, I shall brave through this ordeal. I shall soon overcome the learning curb and rise above it, better.

Hail all the nurses in the Philippines. Dakila tayo!

Crossroads

So many things are to change this coming July.

So my mom's coming back home from the states. After months of working there, unfortunately, we weren't able to save up money since I don't have a job. I'm still doing my volunteer work and doing a few designing stints here and there.


Another thing, my volunteer contract is to end this July, so I have to wait for the hospital to call me when I'll be able to work for them as a floater.

Here's the thing, we're kinda in a rut financially (that's nothing new) so I think I'll have to find a job just to be able to help around the house while my mom finds new work when she gets home.

As of now, there are options, and the last of the list would be being a floater in WCMC.

But here's to hoping things would be better. It sure would be nice to have me and my mom's plans come to life.

I just need to have patience and stay solid with my practicality.

Wish me luck.

A nurse who needs to leave the Philippines

I really don't want to leave the Philippines.

I'm jealous of the people who can afford to live here and work. As for me, I love being a nurse. I think I was meant to be a nurse. But why must I be forced by this global and national economy to leave my homeland and work for a foreign country?

When in any lifetime is that fair?

That's why I miss my mom. She needed to work elsewhere so that we'd have a better life here in the Philippines. So far, it's only a bit better. But not enough to get us out of this financial rut. And I'm just below the average living range, imagine how life is for those who are really really poor.

I wish I wouldn't need to leave. I wish for a lot of things.

So where does that leave me now? I still need to slave over in this country while I wait for better opportunities open for me outside the country. It's sad, but that's life. You can't always have your way.

nurses, do you have spare time on your hands?

who:
feu batchmates, nurses who doesn't have anything to do as of now? (yung tipong tambay lang kayo as of late)

what the hell for:
i'm thinking of shooting a very short feature film about us, the nurses. fresh graduate in a very competitive industry in a poorly paying profession, in a economically dismal country.

purpose:
i would like for people (most specifically the government and the parents) to hear our views on how it is like to be a professional nurse in our current situation. with our personal problems, as well as our problems as branch of the health care setting. i want our voices to be heard, with whatever point of view we want to say.

what i need:
- someone (preferably just a handful of people just to make sure that different points of view are tackled but not too much people to 'cause a riot) to help me build a short script
- people with video cameras and know hows on video stuff ('cause i have no idea on how filming should go)
- people who would like to act (if the people who help with the script would like to act then well and good!)

the reason why i came up with this:
truth be told, i'm dead bored!

if you're interested just message me in whatever social networking site i uploaded this blog (friendster, multiply, facebook, blogger, etc.)

i'm not particularly positive that people would actually get back to me with this, but i am hopeful. it's a good idea, and it might end up being good. so give it a thought!