Climbing Up Emily Hill (a status update)

It's been more than a month since my last blog post. I'm sorry about it. I decided not to write anything the past few weeks because I wanted things to sink in and just start flowing into my system. You know what I mean? I also realized that people DO follow what I write in my blog and others can be very critical. For example, I was criticized for claiming to be a "cultural worker" by someone who thinks I'm actually not. I can write more about this, but then again I don't owe anyone an explanation so let them think what they want to think. I am aware and very reflective of the things that I do and what I want to do, and I'm trying to figure out how to do things better (I guess, that's why I'm in a school called "Intercultural Theater Institute"). Hence, that blog description shall STAY! :-) Suck it up! Haha!

I consider all these as part of my journey. Climbing up that hill will never be easy.

(This is Emily Hill, and our school is located on top of it. I guess they strategically situated the school on the hilltop as part of the challenge for the students. Imagine, we climb it everyday for 3 years.)

Everytime I climb Emily Hill I think about how long this journey is going to be. For someone who gained knowledge through numerous workshops and seminars that normally run only for days or weeks, a 3-year study feels like forever. Not to mention the change of lifestyle and the adjustment to the culture of Singapore and many other cultures since, you know, I am in an "intercultural" school.

If you know my lifestyle in Dumaguete, it would really be difficult for you to imagine how I'm doing this. I now wake up as early as 5:30AM to cook our packed lunch and read some articles and books at the same time. 

(My "balunan". Ted cooks the rice and boils the egg, while I cook the dish. It actually feels good to cook again, although it's not so nice when the smell of onions and garlic stays in my fingers)

There's one week every month that we are assigned to clean the school. As in mop the studios, clean the kitchen, etc. This means we have to wake up even earlier because cleaning time is 7:30AM and our first subject starts at 8AM.

Usually, our first subject is Movement which is around 3-4 hours everyday except Wednesdays. So, yeah, after cleaning the school we need to MOVE! How haggard is that? Haha!

(Example of what we do in Movement class. We play with boxes and sticks, mop the floor in different positions for 45 minutes, etc. Core... it's all about the CORE)

My other subjects this semester include Taiji, Acting, Humanities, Tech,  Intercultural Exchange where we get to share to each other a piece of our culture, and Noh Theater, which is a Japanese traditional theater form.

(Our Noh Theater gear. My Tabi, a Japanese traditional socks, and Ougi, Japanese fan)

As I said, this journey will never be easy. But with all your support and by God's grace I shall endure and finish this. My eyes are on the finish line, or should I say, on the hilltop. I am a work in progress, and forever will be. Work work work work work, as Rihanna would sing. Coz one big truth about life: no work, no pay. 

UNSA DAW???