Family, Faith, Culture and Community – A Reflection on my 2nd Face to Faith VC

Last Thursday, I was able to experience my second Face to Faith Video Conference. I was suppose to blog about it right after but because of the fact that I was really tired when I got home last Thursday and the past Friday, Saturday and Sunday were very hectic days, it’s only now that I get to write about the experience and my reflections.

Before the conference started, I was really excited to start because of the fact that I was really curious about what Indonesians thought about faith and what their high school experience is like.

We started the video conference of by introducing ourselves and talking about the things we like to do. It was really cool how a couple of the Indonesians also enjoyed reading and writing just like me. After a few introductions, the first topic we dwelled upon was the importance of family for us. It was nice to see how similar the role of their families were to us. We were easily able to relate to each other for most of us came from strict familial backgrounds.

They were also very interested in our school activities, most especially activities that involved the community. We were more than proud to talk about all the different committees and clubs Xavier has. It’s amazing how interested they were about our community and service programs. You could see that they really took service and relief operations seriously when they started talking about their service programs. Their desire to involve themselves in programs that make a difference in the community was laudable.

My Singapore adventure: A world with no boundaries

Taken from: http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/113191/my-singapore-adventure-a-world-with-no-boundaries

It’s been two weeks since the financial management program for young adults I attended in Singapore ended, yet I still vividly remember all the surreal moments I had.

It was such an awe-inspiring experience meeting so many unique individuals from different countries and cultures. Everyone had his or her own story to share, and each one brought a unique and diverse personality to the mix. There were so many talented individuals that I felt really fortunate just to be in the same room as them.

There was one Indonesian participant who was only 18 yet already finished with her university studies. On the other hand, there was a Singaporean who was just starting his first year of college at 20 because he had to go through two years of national service.

There was another Singaporean who had finished his masters in New York University and was about to start his legal career. And of course, there was all 17 years of me, still enjoying what’s left of my final year in high school.

Quite extreme, huh? Well, the diverse profiles of every individual combined to create an unrivaled learning environment. The advanced thinking skills and maturity of the older participants, fused with the overflowing creativity and youthful exuberance of the young bloods—it was basically the best of both worlds.

Back to the Senior Year Grind – Living in the Present

It’s been a week since I last blogged. The past week, which I spent in a management program/seminar in Singapore was such a jam-packed week that I never really had time to just sit down and blog about all the awe-inspiring and novel experiences I had.

Right now, I’m back to the daily grind and these first two days back to school have been really tough and challenging in all aspects. During the one week I was gone, I missed out on so much things here in school. Aside from the fact that I missed out on a lot of lectures and I’m in the process of catching up right now, I also missed quite a few big events and opportunities.

First of all, I wasn’t able to attend the ECA fair and promote my committee, the Green team. I also wasn’t able to try-out for a debate tournament in Thailand. I also missed several college talks that I think are very important right now, especially since I’m a bit confused as to what the best path is for me. I honestly got quite depressed when I found out that I missed all these things because I went to Singapore.

Riding a horse — just one of the unique and novel experiences i had in SIngapore

However, as I looked back at all the novel and unique experiences I had in Singapore, I can’t help but be glad that I did go to Singapore even if I missed out on all those things. Attending the management program in Singapore, learning invaluable lessons and skills and meeting people from all over the world with such diverse stories are unparalleled experiences that mitigate all the regrets I have of skipping one week of school and missing quite a few important events.

 Everything in life has a cost. Everything in life has a positive and negative side. Sometimes, we have to weigh the consequences and look at things from a cost-benefit point of view. We can’t have everything and there will be times that we make the wrong choice. Right now, with the way things turned out, and with everything I missed out on, I’m not entirely sure if I made the right choice of going to Singapore—– only time can tell. 

Right now, I can’t worry about the past and what I missed for there’s not going back. The best thing I can do is live in the present.

I honestly miss working and spending time with these friends I met during the one week I spent in Singapore 😥

I’m honestly still feel nostalgic. All the surreal experiences I had during the Singapore Management Program last week are still sinking in. I’ll probably write about all my takeaways from my experience last week in the upcoming days, but as of now, I have to get back to form.

Senior year has only just begun. This is only the 3rd week of Senior year so I can’t lose my focus. Every single day counts. I’ve been feeling a bit stressed out with everything the past two days but I now have a renewed zeal. It’s quite amazing what sitting down, reflecting about life, looking at the bigger picture and writing about all these realizations can do. I feel a lot better right now and I’m ready for the next few days, weeks and months of Senior Year!

-DOitChoco