Here I am again --- the feeling of I-do-not-know-how-to-start-my-annual-speech feeling. Hahaha! So how do I start this? How do I start this really?
So is this my third introductory paragraph? Seriously me seriously? Hahaha! Okay stop stop. Just seriously, stop. >:)
Well, 2015, well, it marked my first year of being finally out from school (like yey! no more exams, quizzes, projects; no more review, board exam, just no more school! yey!). But not literally. Haha! I found myself going back to school after becoming an engineer. This time, as a teacher. :)
I don't know if I have mentioned this on my 2014 speech but, I made a promise to God that if and when I would pass the board exam, I will do my share of service by teaching. And so I did. I find it fun. I find it happy. I found my happiness. It is with this happiness that I will surround my speech this year. I just felt oh so genuinely happy all throughout this year that I really feel so grateful to everyone who have helped me achieve it.
I would like to thank first my alma mater, Ateneo de Davao University, especially to the School of Engineering and Architecture for giving me the chance to teach. I was a fresh graduate. I just came from the arduous battle of the board exam. Yet you trusted me and gave me loads more than what a fresh graduate could ever think of. It even continued until summer, until first sem 2015-2016, until now, second sem 2015-2016! I even have my own space at the new faculty! Thank you oh so much! Thank you for the love! For the family! For the sense of belongingness! For the trust! Thank you!
Next, since I already thanked first Ateneo, why not continue it by thanking my fellow teachers! Yey! Thank you to all my colleagues in the faculty, from my former teachers up to my "age mates." Hahaha! Thank you for helping me with the basics and for inspiring me to do more than what you're tasked because really, being a teacher is not easy. I kind of underestimated before. But I'm learning. I'm adjusting. And I think I have cope with the system already. Thank you! :)
Third, I'd like to give a loud shout out of THANK YOU to my family! Mommy, Papa, Arvin as well as Nanay! Thank you for supporting me in what I wanted to do after the boards, in what I want to do now as I'm juggling teaching and reuniting with good 'ol friends (as well as making new ones), and in what I would want to do 3 - 6 months from now. I know you just want what's best for me but thank you for not really pressuring me that much into keeping up with the pack because you know that I am an alpha and that I could make my own pack eventually. Worry not, I know what I am doing. If ever I fail, let me be. Let me stand up on my own feet and let me learn from my mistakes. I know too that whatever I'll do, you'll all be there, loving, caring, and cheering me, and I thank you for those. Thank you most for letting me live MY life this 2015! For letting me do the things which I wasn't able to do when I was still studying! I think you have lived up to your promises? Hahaha! That when I'll get my diploma, I'll be more free in what I want to do. Go home late, overnight stays, travel with friends, experience the world, THE BEST! LIFE! THANK YOU!!! :)
Travel with friends? Achievement unlocked! Dash! Yabee! Dear TRIPOD beshies! 2015 was our rebirth year! Like literally, we baptized again our friendship! Meetings at least once a month, food trip, pig out, coffee, cakes, staycation, movie, anything under the sun! We were even crazier to book a flight to Manila and even MORE crazier to book a flight to Bacolod! Hahaha! Srsly. Our #TripodMNL and #TripodBCD trips are the highlight of my 2015! I had only imagined those travels with you when I was still a student but now, holy moly, surreal! It finally happened! Thank you thank you thank you! I have seen how cooperative we are, how UNDERSTANDING we are, and how caring we are of each other, never leaving someone behind! The trips made our bond stronger than ever! Again, thank you thank you thank you! Looking forward on our next #Tripod adventures! Will it be #TripodSG? Let us see. Hopefully. :)
Fifth? Is this the fifth? Yes. Haha. The Mighty 13 ECE Family Solid Forever - six engineers, four 3/4 engineers, and three exploring more life's great wonders. We are mostly separated now due to the career paths we are pursuing. It makes me sad somehow because there are times that I miss the things we used to do - both fun and stressful - from the ktv sessions up to the sleepless project nights. But it's the sweet kind of sad. Those are the memories we would keep and look back the next time we meet. I'm excited however on the new memories that we would create as we let ourselves grow individually, together with the new environment we have chosen. Again, as I said, graduating doesn't mean forgetting. We are still going to keep in touch. And we are still going to push an annual Christmas get together, no matter how small participants would come. Haha! Although, on 2024, the 10th year from which our batch graduated, we should be all complete, regardless of where we'd decide our get together be! Will it be already in Japan? Hahaha! Wherever we may go, let us always bring with us the ECE13! Never forget! :)
I would also like to thank all the students who had been under me since second semester 2014-2015, summer 2015, first semester 2015-2016, up to now, second semester 2015-2016! Even those students who were not under me but I met along the way (school hallways. haha!), THANK YOU! College Algebra, Advance Algebra, Trigonometry, Analytic Geometry, Advance Engineering Mathematics, Differential Calculus, Integral Calculus, Basic Electronics, Review Class, Robotics, Android, Principles of Communications, I can't believe I have taught a bunch of subjects now. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to lengthen my patience and to understand different types of personalities. Thank you for teaching me how to keep my temper and instead, convert that temper into the brightest smile I can possibly flash. Thank you also for keeping up with my shortcomings and understanding also that sometimes, teachy is not the best teachy in the whole universe. Hahaha! Mostly, thank you for teaching me life lessons. I have learned a lot from your perspectives. I have learned a lot from you just by being with you everyday. I hope you have also learned something, if not a lot, from me. Rest assured, Ma'am Dinz (Ma'am Aubs) will strive harder to be the best teachy that I can be (!) ; to bring you the best teaching service that you all deserve! My goal will always be that, I will be one of the reasons why you'll succeed. Ambitious, but I hope I will achieve that goal someday. :)
Allow me also to dedicate a part of this speech to a specific student whom I met last summer. That one student who was absent during our first meeting. That one student who did not show any bit of shyness when I told the class, "I have a beef and cheese rice meal here, Who wants to have it?", stood up, walked directly towards me, smiled, and got the meal box from my hands. That one student who always asks me what's the answer of the seatwork, but I don't tell him the answers really. Instead, I ask him what's his answer and 99.9% of the time, he's correct. That one student who were always present during exams until one day, he had to be absent. Elmer, wherever you are now, I hope you're happy. Thank you for being an inspiration to us, one way or another. Little you know, our Integral Calculus class last summer became actually close. I can see that even after we all separated ways, your classmates from CE, ChE, IE, ECE, EE, and ME, still actually say hi and hello to each other. Of course, I, myself, also still say hi and hello to them. Thank you Elmer. Be happy up there! :)
Kids! The kids of my life! Hahaha! Actually kids have been extended now. Well, the more the merrier granny would be. Hahaha! Thank you for putting a smile on granny's face all the time! No matter how kulit you are, I know that you love me and that is just your way of saying I love you to me. Well kids, I love you too! Hahaha! Study smart kids okay? Granny can't wait to see you wear a toga, walk to the stage, and receive your diplomas. Hihi.
SEA Women's Basketball 2015-2016!!! The road may be rocky and bumpy, and a big avalanche is on our way, but it's still a road! It's passable! So let's pass it together! We're engineers! Let's build a 4x4 off road car and use it to pass the rocky and bumpy and avalanche-y road! Hahaha! I know you can do it. I know we'll make it. Trust. Team effort. We can! We will!
Finally, to our Almighty Father, the Supreme Being, THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING THAT I HAVE NOW AND FOR EVERY THING THAT I AM NOW. All that I have and all that I am now are from you really! Without you, I am nothing! Thank you for blessing me with all of these! I know, you know that I am not yet where I want myself to be, but at least I am far, very much farther from where I am yesterday. You know also that I am not sure yet of what I want to do really. I do not know what my future holds me. So again, I am praying to you, TAKE ME TO WHERE YOU WANT ME TO BE. LEAD ME TO THE PATH WHERE YOU THINK I SHOULD BELONG. I do not wish for grandiose material things. I only pray for genuine happiness, success, and contentment in life, dear God. Continue to guide me and my family also. Protect us always from any harm and danger. Keep us safe. Give us good health, and keep us away from any diseases. Again dear God, THANK YOU IN ALL LANGUAGES!
I'd like to end this speech with a quote from my great thesis partner, Meg.
"We don't have to be in the best position to make the best decision."She said it's from a song. I searched it on Google and I was surprised with the results! I don't know if she meant really from this song and artist but yeah, I find it just so timely. So here you go, I'll end this speech part 2 with words from Justin Bieber's song, Purpose.
"We weren't necessarily put in the best position to make the best decisions."Why timely? Because for the first time in forever, this 2015, I actually liked a whole Justin Bieber album. Haha! Am I now a Belieber? I don't know. Just that, I like his new album. And one of my favorite songs from it is actually, Purpose! And actually, the title of the album is Purpose itself! Okay so many actually's now. Hahaha!
To more decisions that I'll make this 2016! To more decisions that I'll make in the least imaginable positions or situations I can ever think! To putting purpose to everything I do! To finding life's purpose! To finding MY life's purpose! To giving purpose to others! To helping others realize their life's purpose! CHEERS! :D
PS
My real 2015 highlight? Getting braced! Hahahahaha!
PPS
Eeyore, for the second straight year,
Somewhere down the road
Our roads are gonna cross again
It doesn't really matter when
Somewhere down the road
I know the heart of yours will come to see
That you belong with me
