NUS - 2005 to 2006, 2008

There was a time in my life when I truly became unsettled; I made so many mistakes. And one of these mistakes was coming to the National University of Singapore in 2005 to 2006. They offered me a Research Scholarship actually for four years, renewable every year in order to do PhD Economics. Wahhh, panga'n lay nindut ato but kalisud n lng jud sa life! Kaniwang2 gud ko didto. Hurot ako oras ug tinubag sa problem sets nga di jud tawn ko kamao! When I came home in June 2006 my mom told me not to go there again. Kay niwang mn ko kaju. Maklaro na gud akong bukog sa abaga. As early as March 2006 niwang na ko ato. I was taking up Health Econ, Micro and Singapore Economy that sem. For my 1st semester I took up Macro Theory, Econ Growth in East Asia and International Banking and Finance. But despite of what happened, I learned a lot from that experience. I knew what Economics is at the international graduate level. So many students diay got into the same predicament as I did. Si Dai Jianzhong who was my classmate in ISS also downgraded to Masters. He did ECD n gani sa ISS. I even took over his carrel unta sa PhD Room. Wa n lng ko nidayon. Si Deepti had to withdraw pud from the scholarship program. I think she paid before she left. Preparation ra mn gud kuwang naho. Di na maapas if didto p ko magreview. And wala pud lagi koy study group nakit-an! And I realized that kuwang mn diay ang akong trigonometry from high school and integral calculus pag college. Pwede ra mn gud unta ug wa n lng ko ato nilarga to SG. I had an invitation gud for a refresher course in Nepal that time. And admission from Utrecht University as an external PhD student. Saun mn lagi nga nainsecure mn ko kay di lagi ko mathematical sa ako econ. Econ Dev ra mn gud ako gihandle ato, sa PolSci students pa jud. Mao I felt left out, nga di n ko part sa USC Econ. I had a schedule pud of teaching Health Econ sa Nursing for TTH nga mobreak ra ko kung maglunch. Kay 730-900, 900-1030 and 1030-1200 mn to. Then 130-300 and 300-430. Then ang MWF na ato maoy luag2. So when my NUS Research Scholarship came, I grabbed it like a hot potato. Besides, I asked if I could defer it to January 2006. Nicky said man that wala nay scholarship sa January 2006 mao nilarga n lng jud ko ato. When I got my NUS scholarship on the mail diay, that was the time of the late Sir Eche's death. Rest in peace Sir! But despite all of these things, si Sheryl Navarez who I met there as a Masters student told me that 'Singapore may be a mistake to you but it was a blessing to me coz I met someone like you'. Thanks a lot, She. Nagkita n mn mi diri Cebu last December 2019 coz they came here for a vacation man. And from Cebu they went to Bohol. Ako n lng ilang giari kay wa mn lagi koy bisita2 nilas SG. I paid up my outstanding balance with NUS man jud last January 2020 during the start of the covid pandemic. I requsted for TOR too so na'na koy transcript of that particular experience. I even wanted to visit Singapore in June last year but my ticket got cancelled of course due to the pandemic. Hasta akong Cebu to Bangkok nga ticket pud nacancel and tuas travel fund good for 3 years daw. Malargahan ra to phn kay need n mn jud ko magparenew ug passport ani. I left USC in November 2007. I took a leave without pay for one semester. I came back to NUS in January 2008 then dropped out and went to Cambodia in February 2008. I didn't want to return to USC anymore. I came home from Cambodia in October 2010 and started in CDU in November 2010. The next day niopen pud ang S&R nga among silingan. Surprise jud ni Lord ang CDU kay niari gud ko ug Cebu ato para lang makigkita ni Ms Ching nga kauban ug work in Ate Ica and mother of my former student there. But nag-anticipate ra pud ko nga interviewhon ato. I remember that I changed clothes n lng gud at the toilet in Chinabank Magallanes kay for interview mn kos CDU lagi. And gipasugod ko dayon. So pagkagabii n gud ko lagi after dinner with Ms Ching ato nauli sa Palm Heights. And si Bantil niari to'g Cebu kay ijang gihatod ahong mga sanina for work. I have been with CDU since! Jia you Doki. Everything will be alright. Zephaniah 3:13 or 39 ba to? Amen!