Woah, where did the time go? Wasn't it just October last week?

The year's coming to an end soon as well. How? Wasn't it just 2016 last month? Where did all that time go?

Wahhhh, on the other hand, this year has been one of the longest.

This year, I've learned so much about science and myself. I became a student ambassador for science in May and since then I've been asked to present about science and life at university to several high school students. It's incredibly daunting - I'm always so nervous whenever I have to present because I'm all too aware that when I speak sometimes, it has a touch of my Filipino accent, and I'm not sure why that embarrasses me.

Though to be honest, I enjoy doing these science presentation and I think it's great that I get to practice speaking with confidence in public. I love talking about science and all the things I've learned so far in my university career. Before, I was always doubting about whether or not this was the right path for me, but now I know that I am actually really passionate about science - to be more specific, biotechnology.

In my presentations, I also have to talk about the future in a science career, so it's got me thinking about what I could do with my degree when I finish university. One of the professions I've learned about and considering in pursuing is a science communicator, which I think is and will continue to rise in demand considering how connected our world has become (through social media, for example), how much easier it has become to collaborate with other scientists, and how much research are actually being conducted. I know I love writing and I love discovering the world, so this could be a future endeavour for me.

Academically, I am so proud to say that I achieved high distinctions for my assignments in Trends and Genetics. I don't think I've received such a mark since high school! It's very encouraging - receiving great marks for those subjects have made me want to study harder. Final results have not come out yet, but fingers crossed they are not so bad that my WAM (weighted average mark) suffers again. (Here's to also hoping that I pass Chemistry this sem...)

At work, I've gotten a lot more shifts, especially now that uni's over for the year. Sadly, I think all my money went to eating out, though I'm pretty sure that I went out a lot less this year than last. Argh, I don't know! I'm hoping to get more shifts this summer before we go to the Philippines so that I can at least have some pocket money. Oh LORD help me save up!

Currently, I'm reading Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng. It's endearing and nostalgic. I might write a review later, I haven't written a book review in a while... Or an essay.

Two weeks ago (17 November), we went to Sam Smith's concert! I wanted to write about it, but that weekend was exhausting. We first attended a close family friend's baby shower - I drove! I usually just ride in someone else's car when going to family friends' events, but I had to drive because of reasons (can't remember why tbh). And driving is tiiiiring.

Sam Smith was f-cking fantastic! The concert was so intimate and it was just a night of singing! Our seats were actually so good, too. I love concerts because it's the one place where there are lots of people and you can dance without worrying about others judge you (other than a club, of course). I'm not the best dancer and when I do it's like a fish struggling to survive on land. Anyways, Sam really encouraged everyone to just enjoy themselves and dance and live in the moment.


We also went to Bruno Mars' concert this year, and it was fantastic! Being in that arena, seeing thousands of people singing along to his songs, dancing like nobody cared, waving flashes of light, it was breath-taking. All the support from his fans, the successes he had achieved... It made me feel proud that Bruno Mars was this fellow Filipino, who has accomplished so many great things already. It was, as Jenny Zhang has described in one of her essays, "a stab of pride that comes with associating yourself with something powerful".

I worry too much about what others think. Which is why I think my job as a kids entertainer (at the fairies) and science ambassador is good for me, because they are teaching me to be more confident and to just have fun.

This Saturday, I worked as a Christmas elf balloon twister in the city, which meant having lots of interactions with people. Before, I would have been embarrassed about the costume and my job but guess what? I pulled through and just acted silly in front of the children, their parents, and any passersby. I realised that I enjoy this job because I get to play pretend, one of my favourite activities when I was a child. "This is a magic balloon from fairyland! And Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer is my best friend!" 


I remember running around with my cousins in the Philippines and we would pretend to be these characters from this popular fantasy teleserye, Encantadia. We waved sticks around and called them swords, we twirled as if we were dissipating in thin air, we flung our arms around like we controlled the air, the water, the ground, the fire.

On the flip side, I occasionally make the mistake of comparing myself with my other friends. There they are doing adulting so well, working in offices, wearing a staff lanyard (I want one!), and dressing in business attire. Yet, here I was, still doing a silly job... Although the more I think about it, the more I realise that I probably won't be able to stand it, having to sit still in a 9-5 box... I don't think I can!!! I would just end up endless monitoring the clock until it's home time. Well, at least for now... Who knows, in the future, I might end up in an office?

I'm happy to be where I am today.

How is your year? Was it as eventful as mine? Are you happy to be where you are?