Boracay is AMAZING!

I never realized that learning a new language can be fun (and too damn expensive!), AfM makes it more interesting by having the instructor not say a single English or Tagalog word during class hours. Anyway, here’s what I learned after 48 hours of French Language classes:

Bonjour! Je m’appelle Rowan, j’ai vingt-sept ans. Je suis philippins. J’etudie le français à l’Alliance française de Manille. J’habite à Laguna, mais je travaille dans Alabang. J’adore l’art, l’écriture et les voyages. Je rêve de voyager sur les sept continents et à être un bon père à l’avenir. Au revoir!

I basically learned how to write a boring online dating profile. LOL!

Even so, I’m back for Module 2, and I hope to be patient (and loaded) enough to stick to this until I get to converse properly in French without looking at my notes all the time. Wish me luck and au revoir!

Photo credit: AfM website.

—

You can contact  Alliance Française de Manille at:

Alliance Française de Manille
209 Nicanor Garcia Street,
Bel-Air II, Makati City,
Philippines
Tel.: +63 2 895 7585
+63 2 895 7441
Fax.:+63 2 899 3654
Email: info@alliance.ph
Website: www.alliance.ph

“In three words, I can sum up everything I’ve learned in life:

It goes on.”

- Robert Frost

1. Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
2. When you lose, don’t lose the lesson.
3. Follow the three R’s:
   -  Respect for self,
   -  Respect for others and
   -  Responsibility for all your actions.
4. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.
5. Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.
6. Don’t let a little dispute injure a great relationship.
7. When you realize you’ve made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
8. Spend some time alone every day.
9. Open your arms to change, but don’t let go of your values.
10. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
11. Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and
    think back, you’ll be able to enjoy it a second time.
12. A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.
13. In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don’t bring up the past.
14. Share your knowledge. It is a way to achieve immortality.
15. Be gentle with the earth.
16. Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before.
17. Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.
18. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.
19. If you want others to be happy, practice compassion.
20. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.

In the same post, I wrote that I hoped to “go to places I haven’t been to, and experience things I haven’t experienced”, which I’m happy to say that I did. I was able to meet adventurous new friends that were able to take me food tripping and photowalking in Binondo, camping at Anawangin,visting Marinduque, road tripping in Pangasinan, and exploring (and almost dying in) Cebu.

This year didn’t come without crazy ups and downs: I became friends with several awesome people at work, some have left but were replaced by equally amazing people, I bought a notebook that was eventually stolen and was immediately replaced with a sexier notebook. I was also able to enroll and finish module one of my French language classes at Alliance Française de Manille and I was also able to buy an Android device which was the first real expensive(?) thing I bought since I bought my old, trusty Nokia 6600 (I’m cheap, what can I say).

Last year, I was also complaining of my lack of direction in my so-called career. I think I started to do something about it when I applied, and got the RTA apprentice job at work. I know it’s not that big of a deal, doesn’t pay a single centavo more than my current pay (boo!), and causes me to be hated constantly by people I yell at; but it’s the new tools, new lessons that I learn that keep me wanting to learn more about how the industry works. And hopefully, it’ll be a step towards finally finding the direction I’m always looking for.

Hopefully, the next year brings us more blessings and more experiences. More friends, good health and more chances to be a better us. I’m not really into resolutions but mine falls to the lines of  getting a better health, 365 photos, 100 movies, 50 books. I’ll work on the specifics within the year. Have a great year you guys!

]]> http://rowantiangco.wordpress.com/2012/01/02/looking-back-looking-forward/feed/ 2 rowan http://rowantiangco.wordpress.com/2011/12/29/because-my-life-isnt-complicated-enough/ http://rowantiangco.wordpress.com/2011/12/29/because-my-life-isnt-complicated-enough/#comments Thu, 29 Dec 2011 04:56:26 +0000 ecoboy http://rowantiangco.wordpress.com/?p=1081 ]]> I started using this complicated (but insanely cool) keyboard for my phone.

Also, I think no one in their right mind would want to borrow my phone to send a text message anymore. Take that load bummers!

I think the video hits it on the head when discussing these factors. And I think that it holds true that no matter how one seem to really enjoy money (we all do!), we still all need to have these intangibles to survive the daily grind in the workplace.

Wala akong masagot.

I haven’t been into many relationships. And I’m clearly not an expert on such matters. But the earliest and the most precious lesson I learned about relationships is about respect.

Relationships are based on mutual respect for each other. And when you lose that respect; either for your partner, or yourself; even if you love each other, the relationship will crumble.

The only way to repair it is to restore that lost respect to your partner, or to yourself.

Howdy kids! I still have no laptop so posts are going to be limited until next year.

In the mean time, my phone’s become my new bestfriend. Here’s a sketch I did using Sketchbook Pro app for Android.

Excuse the poor sketch, I have big fingers and a small screen to work with.

‘Til next time, cheers!