It's been 355 days since I left the Philippines to pursue a postgraduate degree in New Zealand under a scholarship program (for those interested in the scholarship, see here). Ten more days, and if I were the earth, I would have already completed my orbit around the sun.
So what? Just like the earth, it happens every year: many Filipinos around the world have successfully completed their postgraduate degrees in a foreign country. How then could this journey be different?
In a university graduation speech, the Philippines' chief finance officer said that "working hard and having fun are nothing if you do not dare to give your life meaning." Hence, I bravely embark on this ten-day series of self-discovery by giving meaning to top ten things that defined my first orbit life in New Zealand.
#1: THE SCHOLARSHIP
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| Looks like more of a 'marching order' for me. :) |
I know I sounded like I downplayed this favor from the Lord, but if I come to think of it, this is the main reason I flew 8,000 miles away from home. A good friend from the University of the Philippines, who will soon be leaving 'home,' once asked me for tips on how to cope with homesickness. I gave her a few points but on top of the list is having a goal and that goal should be very clear in your heart and mind. You have sacrificed the comforts of being in your own home and world, might as well make it very meaningful. Besides, that goal will keep you busy and focused once all the parties and the shopping had done its course.
As for my case, I made it very clear to myself that my top priority in NZ is to deliver what is expected of me by the scholarship program - that is, to finish my Master's degree with good grades. Thus, early on in the year, I developed this habit of asking this question first whenever I am presented with opportunities: how will this help me finish my postgraduate degree well? So far, by the grace of God, my first year went really good. (I'll talk about my university life in another blog.)
But more than another achievement on paper, this scholarship has allowed me to meet other young Filipino scholars who are equally interesting, exciting, fun, and promising. We only had one "major get-together" last year and I met some of them through my travels around NZ. But it felt so good to be able to get to know people who share the same reason that you have for coming to a foreign country and to just enjoy your new (and oftentimes hilarious) experiences as international students.
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| Thawing at Auckland during winter break (we're still not complete here though) |
What was most meaningful for me was the realization that we still have a great number of young Filipinos who haven't given up on the Philippines yet. Oftentimes, and unfortunately, I have been surrounded with so much negative perceptions about our country that I felt I am the only one of the very few who are fool enough to still believe there is hope in our country.
But through this scholarship, I had the privilege of getting to know some of these inspiring Filipinos better, even becoming their friends, and it is just assuring to hear their stories, their dreams for themselves, their families, their provinces, and the Philippines. It's interesting that, even miles away from home, we talk both fondly and frustratingly about our country. At one point, we even have our 'futures' planned, with most of us getting top posts in the government and business sectors and putting into reality the things we learned and discovered here.
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| Celebrating 114th Philippine Independence Day! |
And mind you, this bunch of scholars are professionals in their own rights: chemists, food technicians, lawyers, geothermal scientists, university lecturers, government employees, marine biologists, entrepreneurs, and even one court judge, to name a few. Yet it is humbling that here in New Zealand, we all come to a common ground.
While I do not know their other personal motives, but I trust that in my brief encounters with them, the welfare of the Philippines and its image in the world is part of their agenda.
Lastly, I wouldn't be able to enjoy New Zealand without having to worry about where I'll get money for my expenses if not for this scholarship. Nothing can really get cooler than that. If you just come to think of it, there is such an abundance of wealth in this world. We only need people who are unyielding and stubborn enough to believe in it for them to see it. I just did.
To my fellow NZ ASEAN Scholarship Awardees, mabuhay kayong lahat!
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