Another year has ended, and that's just how fast time flies swiftly to end an era and let new beginnings open its door for us to explore.
But before I begin sharing my new adventures this 2025, lemme share some few significant moments that I had before 2024 finally came to an end.
Sour Oranges
While Christmas and New Year was supposed to be a time where families are together, my shift didn't let me do that. I have work since the entire December was tagged as Critical Working Days which means the HR won't be tolerating absences during the peak season. That's why during my rest days, I went home before New Year to pay them a visit and check on them. It should be nice if I can stay longer but the means of transportation there is limited, so I went back to the city the next day.
Before I went back, I noticed our sour oranges (Dalandan in the local dialect) in the backyard full of ripe fruits. I really love this fruit since I was a kid. Then, in the next moments, I was there already at the branches of the tree, picking the fruits and dodging the thorns.
This fruit bearing tree is similar to Calamansi, just much bigger and sweeter but same thorny stem and branches. This time, I've got an assistant. My baby girl was collecting the fruits that I would throw down at the bottom.
She's having fun with it at first. Later on, she complains that I have already picked a lot and we should stop now. Haha, she was just tired picking them up one by one. There wasn't even 20 pieces of them, yet! 😆
CHED Scholarship Qualifier
Right after I was back at the city, this was where I went straight. The office for scholarship funds have notified me that I qualify for the CHED scholarship and I should attend the Christmas meeting together with all the existing and new qualifiers in our college's stadium.
I really thought that it would be just the scholar of our college who will be attending this event. Surprisingly, all of the CHED Scholars in Bacolod were invited. Just imagine how crowded it was in the place when organizers have compressed over 5000 students in one stadium that has only a standard capacity of around 2000 people.
It was a joyful moment which eventually turned to a disaster.
The air conditioner couldn't handle the heat inside and it's a bit suffocating. Especially when they started giving out gift packages to each one of the students, at first, it was still organized, but when some politicians have left the place, there was almost a stampede. Students were all in a hurry to go home because it was already evening and it's not yet finished. Most of them were cutting in the line and pushing everyone to the front.
It hurts my back even more right after I went home. But at least, I was still happy and blessed to know that starting next semester I'll be receiving my scholarship funds. Moreover, I went home with a sack of 5 kilograms of rice in my arms and a pack of spaghetti in my bag. That was the gift package that they're giving before the students leave the premises.
My Last Cup of Coffee
It was a cold night since it has been raining since morning. Before going to the building, I went first to the main building to submit some documents and then we decided to drop by at Dunkin Donuts to have a hot cup of brewed coffee to warm ourselves first. If it's already cold outside, then inside the office is freezing. It was like a working inside the freezer of an ice cream.
That cup comforts me a little since this will be the first time that I'm spending my New Year working completely until morning. Gladly, the company is always thoughtful of their employees. They organized a catering inside the pantry so that all of the employee could have a meal for free for two days. I mean, I'm not that sad. Since it's a working holiday, what motivates me more to work on this day is the double pay that I'm getting on the next cut off.
Just sharing these moments that made me feel good before 2025 started. I'm wishing you all a prosperous New Year. God bless our future endeavors.
Thanks for reading!!!