This story is episode 03 of a blog series.
It was around 02:00 PM in Cubao LRT Station when the train arrived. This train ride was mixed emotions for me. Aside from the fact that it's my first time to ride an LRT train, this train ride would also initiate some baby steps of my nursing career.
I've worked all my life in the province and God knows how I enjoyed the previous set-up of my hospital career. I wasn't receiving a huge salary (your friend nurses working at a provincial hospital would know that) but I received much favor from them (my hospital bosses). I had a flexible schedule allowing me to go to work as early as 7 AM or come in as late as 10 AM as long as I complete the 8-hour duty. I mean, not everyone working at the hospital in the Philippines could have that privilege. I could even arrange my schedule and days-off as well and apply week-long (even month-long) vacation leaves one week before that actual leave.
Below photo is one of the old photos taken when I was still very new in my profession and I was assisting a high-caliber surgeon for breast mass excision during a medical mission in collaboration with the ISMMGH, the hospital where I worked in ▼ #VIGAN.
The foregoing are just some of the reasons why I miss ISCMMGH (Ilocos Sur Cooperative Medical Mission Group and Hospital), my former workplace. But for some reasons, I realized I should not stick with these perks and privileges because in adulting, I also need to accept greater responsibilities, new roles and challenges for me to grow.
► This Train Ride is Symbolic for my Nursehood
With me were two fellow nurses. One was Alex (she's a mom with one kid) and mommy Lourdes (widowed in her 50s with 3 kids). These two fellow nurses are Metro Manila dwellers for a very long time now and they were the friends who introduced to me the use of LRT in Metro Manila. Alex and Lourdes were two of the people who encouraged me to pursue my nursing career to a whole new level. I would say that this train ride is symbolic for my journey as a professional nurse that's elusive of a fat professional salary. During seasons when advertising is so lucrative for digital influencers, I could even earn money more than what I receive from the hospital by just doing my passion of writing, blogging and photojournalism. I mean, I know my capabilities. I know my potentials. But I think I couldn't be a young millionaire alone by being just a professional nurse at the hospital. You have to mix your nursing career with business for you to achieve your financial goals.
Anyway, as I said, this LRT journey is symbolic—symbolic for the journey I'm taking now for my nursing career. I mentioned above about being a millionaire but money is not really my motivation. I just used the word millionaire to emphasize the difference of achieving financial richness for a hospital-working nurse versus a nurse-businessman who is not practicing his profession at the hospital anymore.
Alex and Lourdes pushed me to add different flavor to my nursehood. I'm a US-registered nurse and I'm currently working here in the Philippines for an American client involved in medical necessity review. I have resigned from my hospital job for adulting reasons. Alex and Lourdes wanted to facepalm me the reality that my license is powerful and that could lead me not just to lucrative opportunities but also the American passport that could bring me to many countries around the world. Because of the helpful hints they gave me (God knows I just want to live and die in the Philippines all my life), I had to think twice and compromise. I gave it a try. To start this career journey, we took the LRT from Cubao to an agency that would assist me for my migration to the United States with an assured nursing career waiting for me—in the Land of Milk and Honey (if I will not change my mind, because 2 years is a long time and many can still happen).
► LRT Ride and Baby Steps
We entered the train, interestingly not crowded for 02:00 PM. The interior was spacious packed with LED screens and heavy advertising. The air-conditioning was working well too. I wasn't able to secure a seat so I just stood up in front of Alex and Lourdes. Nevertheless, the space inside was still healthy.
We left Cubao station and went through several stops in ▼ #QUEZONCITY with station names that aren't familiar to me. I could only remember one station and that is the Pureza Station. Anyway, our destination was the real ▼ #MANILA (not Metro Manila).
Along the elevated trail, I saw the beautiful Metro Manila skyline. Yeah, I appreciate its beauty although it has imperfections and homeless people scattered elsewhere. I realized I was already in Manila when I saw the Manila City Hall that was so beautiful. I never thought I could see it on this LRT ride. I wanted to stop to take a photo but I realized I wasn't on a motorbike that would allow me to stop anytime. It gave me chills. There's something spiritual about Manila that it causes me to be high in spirit and diving into deep introspection everytime I enter its jurisdictions. I think I'm seeing a beauty in a different dimension that even though Manila is so infamous for many reasons, I love her because she's non-pretentious.
Alex and Lourdes know how I love to blog. On this journey, my priority has shifted from reaching the agency to documenting this moment. I blog because I want to save feelings and emotions in words. I want my blog to serve as my memory vault. This isn't really meant to impress but I'm sharing it anyway just in case I could touch somebody's heart who has the same story as mine.
We reached Recto LRT Station in Manila. I've heard about this place many times and I think it's a popular area/district in Manila. What's the next step? Why this ride for me is so symbolic? What are my thoughts and discoveries in Recto? Why Alex and Mommy Lourdes are with me in this journey and what is their role in this big decision I am making now? | to be continued... |
UPDATE HISTORY FOR THIS BLOG POST
► 07-March-2019: Cover photo changed. Lay-out modified.
► 14-February-2019: Link to Episode 09 added in the series tracker.
► 04-February-2019: The tab title "BLOG SERIES" was changed to "BLOGSERYE 006 for the series tracker." The link to Episode 04 was added in the series tracker after the end of the story. Tooltip added for #VIGAN. Twitter metadata was added.
► 03-February-2019: This post was published.
LATEST STORIES COVERING METRO MANILA | SEE ALL IN A SEPARATE WINDOW
MORE STORIES COVERING LUZON ISLAND | SEE OLDER STORIES
LATEST STORIES COVERING THESE CATEGORIES | SEE OLDER STORIES
MORE TOWNS YOU MIGHT LIKE TO EXPLORE:
You cannot be your old self all the time. You need to transform for the better and powerful new you.
► I've worked all my life in the province and God knows how I enjoyed the previous set-up of my hospital career.
► I blog because I want to save feelings and emotions in words. I want my blog to serve as my memory vault.
[National Capital Region, Luzon Island, Philippines]
|
| | 1 | [MANILA] ► EVERYTHING ARRIVES AT THE RIGHT PLACE AND AT THE RIGHT TIME. IF YOU THINK YOUR LIFE IS MESSING UP, CHEER! GREATER THINGS ARE YET TO COME. |
I've worked all my life in the province and God knows how I enjoyed the previous set-up of my hospital career. I wasn't receiving a huge salary (your friend nurses working at a provincial hospital would know that) but I received much favor from them (my hospital bosses). I had a flexible schedule allowing me to go to work as early as 7 AM or come in as late as 10 AM as long as I complete the 8-hour duty. I mean, not everyone working at the hospital in the Philippines could have that privilege. I could even arrange my schedule and days-off as well and apply week-long (even month-long) vacation leaves one week before that actual leave.
Below photo is one of the old photos taken when I was still very new in my profession and I was assisting a high-caliber surgeon for breast mass excision during a medical mission in collaboration with the ISMMGH, the hospital where I worked in ▼ #VIGAN.
 |
| | 2 | [VIGAN] ► YOU CANNOT BE YOUR OLD SELF ALL THE TIME. YOU NEED TO TRANSFORM FOR THE BETTER AND POWERFUL NEW YOU. |
► This Train Ride is Symbolic for my Nursehood
With me were two fellow nurses. One was Alex (she's a mom with one kid) and mommy Lourdes (widowed in her 50s with 3 kids). These two fellow nurses are Metro Manila dwellers for a very long time now and they were the friends who introduced to me the use of LRT in Metro Manila. Alex and Lourdes were two of the people who encouraged me to pursue my nursing career to a whole new level. I would say that this train ride is symbolic for my journey as a professional nurse that's elusive of a fat professional salary. During seasons when advertising is so lucrative for digital influencers, I could even earn money more than what I receive from the hospital by just doing my passion of writing, blogging and photojournalism. I mean, I know my capabilities. I know my potentials. But I think I couldn't be a young millionaire alone by being just a professional nurse at the hospital. You have to mix your nursing career with business for you to achieve your financial goals.
Anyway, as I said, this LRT journey is symbolic—symbolic for the journey I'm taking now for my nursing career. I mentioned above about being a millionaire but money is not really my motivation. I just used the word millionaire to emphasize the difference of achieving financial richness for a hospital-working nurse versus a nurse-businessman who is not practicing his profession at the hospital anymore.
Alex and Lourdes pushed me to add different flavor to my nursehood. I'm a US-registered nurse and I'm currently working here in the Philippines for an American client involved in medical necessity review. I have resigned from my hospital job for adulting reasons. Alex and Lourdes wanted to facepalm me the reality that my license is powerful and that could lead me not just to lucrative opportunities but also the American passport that could bring me to many countries around the world. Because of the helpful hints they gave me (God knows I just want to live and die in the Philippines all my life), I had to think twice and compromise. I gave it a try. To start this career journey, we took the LRT from Cubao to an agency that would assist me for my migration to the United States with an assured nursing career waiting for me—in the Land of Milk and Honey (if I will not change my mind, because 2 years is a long time and many can still happen).
► LRT Ride and Baby Steps
We entered the train, interestingly not crowded for 02:00 PM. The interior was spacious packed with LED screens and heavy advertising. The air-conditioning was working well too. I wasn't able to secure a seat so I just stood up in front of Alex and Lourdes. Nevertheless, the space inside was still healthy.
We left Cubao station and went through several stops in ▼ #QUEZONCITY with station names that aren't familiar to me. I could only remember one station and that is the Pureza Station. Anyway, our destination was the real ▼ #MANILA (not Metro Manila).
Along the elevated trail, I saw the beautiful Metro Manila skyline. Yeah, I appreciate its beauty although it has imperfections and homeless people scattered elsewhere. I realized I was already in Manila when I saw the Manila City Hall that was so beautiful. I never thought I could see it on this LRT ride. I wanted to stop to take a photo but I realized I wasn't on a motorbike that would allow me to stop anytime. It gave me chills. There's something spiritual about Manila that it causes me to be high in spirit and diving into deep introspection everytime I enter its jurisdictions. I think I'm seeing a beauty in a different dimension that even though Manila is so infamous for many reasons, I love her because she's non-pretentious.
|
| | 3 | [MANILA] ► TWO HEADS ARE BETTER THAN ONE. MOMMY LOURDES AND ALEX ARE MY CURRENT COLLEAGUES IN A US-RN JOB IN THE PHILIPPINES AND THEY TOO ARE MY SUPPORT SYSTEM IN THIS BIG DECISION I AM MAKING NOW. |
We reached Recto LRT Station in Manila. I've heard about this place many times and I think it's a popular area/district in Manila. What's the next step? Why this ride for me is so symbolic? What are my thoughts and discoveries in Recto? Why Alex and Mommy Lourdes are with me in this journey and what is their role in this big decision I am making now? | to be continued... |
▼ BLOGSERYE 006
► BLOGSERYE 006: MY FIRST LRT RIDE | You're on the Episode 03 of this series.
[METRO MANILA] ► My First LRT Ride: Thoughts And Reflections | Imagine that good feeling when I experienced the Metro Manila LRT for the first time and it exceeded my expectations!
[QUEZON CITY] ► Cubao LRT Station: My First LRT Station in PH | I was with fellow nurses. We were going somewhere, a place where we could do the first step of maximizing the potential of our nursing career and this LRT station was part of that journey.[METRO MANILA] ► Cubao to Recto via LRT: Symbolic Ride for the Nurse in Me | You're currently on the episode 03 of this page.
[MANILA] ► Recto LRT Station: Why I Felt So Rich? | The pathway we took revealed to me a reality that's facing Manila's urbanity now. Manila is the capital city of my beloved country but she is facing challenges right now.
[MANILA] ► Doroteo Jose LRT Station: Grabbing an Opportunity | ...listening to the words of the experts are fascinating but hearing the stories of normal individuals are more heartfelt and genuine because they share stories based on what they feel and what they have experienced.
[MANILA] ► Why My Principles Changed from Y.O.L.O to REALITY? | While it isn't bad to travel non-stop, the question is could you sustain it without compromising your future?
[METRO MANILA] ► My First LRT Ride: Thoughts And Reflections | Imagine that good feeling when I experienced the Metro Manila LRT for the first time and it exceeded my expectations![QUEZON CITY] ► Cubao LRT Station: My First LRT Station in PH | I was with fellow nurses. We were going somewhere, a place where we could do the first step of maximizing the potential of our nursing career and this LRT station was part of that journey.[METRO MANILA] ► Cubao to Recto via LRT: Symbolic Ride for the Nurse in Me | You're currently on the episode 03 of this page.[MANILA] ► Recto LRT Station: Why I Felt So Rich? | The pathway we took revealed to me a reality that's facing Manila's urbanity now. Manila is the capital city of my beloved country but she is facing challenges right now.[MANILA] ► Doroteo Jose LRT Station: Grabbing an Opportunity | ...listening to the words of the experts are fascinating but hearing the stories of normal individuals are more heartfelt and genuine because they share stories based on what they feel and what they have experienced.[MANILA] ► Why My Principles Changed from Y.O.L.O to REALITY? | While it isn't bad to travel non-stop, the question is could you sustain it without compromising your future?Maps Showing the Location of METRO MANILA
► FOOTNOTES, DISCLAIMERS, ACKNOWLEDGMENT, ETC
✈ This post was filed under the category "En Route." See more posts related to this below.
✈ The maps I used on this post are from maps.google.com.ph.
✈ All photos are mine.
✈ The insights, condition and name of places or properties I mentioned here are based on the facts and situation on the day of my visit. Take note that you may have a different experience when you try the activities or see the properties/places mentioned here. Names of places and properties may also change by time.
UPDATE HISTORY FOR THIS BLOG POST
► 07-March-2019: Cover photo changed. Lay-out modified.
► 14-February-2019: Link to Episode 09 added in the series tracker.
► 04-February-2019: The tab title "BLOG SERIES" was changed to "BLOGSERYE 006 for the series tracker." The link to Episode 04 was added in the series tracker after the end of the story. Tooltip added for #VIGAN. Twitter metadata was added.
► 03-February-2019: This post was published.
LATEST STORIES COVERING METRO MANILA | SEE ALL IN A SEPARATE WINDOW
MORE STORIES COVERING LUZON ISLAND | SEE OLDER STORIES
LATEST STORIES COVERING THESE CATEGORIES | SEE OLDER STORIES
QCVSDBPBP P KLSV
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