Birthday Countdown: Day 2 ~ Blast From The Past

Oh yes. Two more days and its my birthday. Not that I am expecting something spectacular to happen, its just that having a day off from work on my special day is a big bonus for me.

Today, I share pictures I dug up from old files. My very own blast from the past. 

I was born on November 13th, a Friday, in a small hospital, then known as Delgado Clinic, in Kamuning Road, Quezon City. I was barely 5 pounds at birth. I guess being tiny at birth does not equate to being "tiny" for the rest of your life. :)

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I spent my grade school years in Maryknoll College (now Miriam College). This is our Kindergarten class picture. I am in the second row, fourth from right. :)

My parents decided that spending one more year in grade school (7th grade) was a waste of time. They made me take a high school entrance exam in another Catholic girls school. Unfortunately, I passed. (haha). So I transferred to St. Paul  College in Quezon City where I finished my secondary education.

This is my high school graduation picture. Arrgghhh! Such an unnatural pose for me. After spending 11 years in Catholic girls schools, I was excited to experience what college was all about. 

My dad disapproved of my dream to enroll in Journalism. He said there is no future in Journalism and that I would end up as a writer for comic strips. Unsure of what to enroll in, I opted for a business course at the University of Santo Tomas. Eventually, I shifted to a pre-med course in the same university. After 3 years and two summers, I graduated with a degree in Zoology.

I breezed through the National Medical Admissions Test. Enrolled in the College of Medicine immediately after. Unfortunately, I dropped out in my junior year of medical school. No regrets. I had three beautiful children and found a job with the government.

The Officers and staff of the Ordinary and Cadastral Decree Division. (Second row, middle)

The meager wage I was earning with the government was not enough to pay for my children's education. And so, I found myself boarding a plane to work for two years in Taiwan, taking care of old people. It was a big learning experience for me. A challenge to stay strong and to keep my focus on my goal. I learned a new language, a new culture, and gained new friends.

A visit to the Taipei Film Museum in Shilin

Back home, I joined the call center industry. It was tough learning to stay awake at night and sleep during the day. These crazy bunch of friends were mostly "call center virgins." The toughest of the tough, we spearheaded a pioneer telco account. From Wave 1 (that's us), to Wave 100+ currently.

That's me - second row, left

And so my life goes on, still working, still striving, never giving up. From daughter to mother; from government employee to nurse aide, to call center agent, to Quality coach, to Virtual Quality Analyst, to Lender Relations Liaison, to Quality Assurance Specialist. 

I have enjoyed each and every phase in my life. For all the lessons, the smiles, the tears, I have nothing to regret.