How I Spent My Two-Month Leave
Taking a sabbatical is something I just pondered on towards the end of 2013. As dad says, taking MA while working is really a balancing act. It would be such a feat to do both without sacrificing quality, else one has to give. And so I wrote a letter one month before my scheduled leave, explaining how the progress of my thesis so far requires more time for data gathering, writing, and preparation for the defense.
Things went well for the first two weeks of January, where field work and radio monitoring were completed. Transcribing each interview soon after these were conducted and printing data sheets for the monitoring results, the third week was just for analysis and telling the story.
But aside from academics, I also spent time on the following:
1. Enriching relationships - Going places with my parents is a staple of my weekly schedule. It may be a simple snack outside, malling, and other bonding activity. With more free time than when I had to go to work everyday, my close friend Serge was also able to visit us at home for a number of times. We became closer with our increased communication.
2. Passport renewal - What better time to prepare requirements and go to the DFA than when my day time is completely free? One afternoon was all I needed to complete the process at the Megamall branch.
3. Reading the Bible - We used to start reading the Bible by going directly to the books such as Genesis. But I recently appreciated the introductory essays in the New American Bible (The New Catholic Translation): The Purpose of the Bible, The Bible and History, How The Bible Came About, and How To Study The Bible. These give advice on how to approach the inspired writings given the different conditions during the times they were produced. The readings also call our attention on wrong approaches such as "Words-to-live-by" approach (searching the Bible for texts to prove a moral argument that we have already decided on, flaunting our own knowledge of biblical references) and the "So there!" approach (treating the Bible as a collection of proofs, the last word in any debate).
4. Watching the news and senate hearings - Yes, I am able to stay updated through radio, online articles, and TV even when I have work. But exposure is greater now that I am on leave. I am able to follow as the stories unfold and at the same time admire the creativity and excellence that reporters manifest. My current favorites are Bam Alegre and my batchmate Jam Sisante. :-)
I have two more weeks left and going back to work is also exciting. I anticipate a lot of changes in the process, given the dynamic nature of the business. Most importantly, I will be working with my new supervisor Carl after being with Team Chris for two years. In the meantime, let me end this post and go back lounging. Hehe.
Things went well for the first two weeks of January, where field work and radio monitoring were completed. Transcribing each interview soon after these were conducted and printing data sheets for the monitoring results, the third week was just for analysis and telling the story.
But aside from academics, I also spent time on the following:
1. Enriching relationships - Going places with my parents is a staple of my weekly schedule. It may be a simple snack outside, malling, and other bonding activity. With more free time than when I had to go to work everyday, my close friend Serge was also able to visit us at home for a number of times. We became closer with our increased communication.
2. Passport renewal - What better time to prepare requirements and go to the DFA than when my day time is completely free? One afternoon was all I needed to complete the process at the Megamall branch.
3. Reading the Bible - We used to start reading the Bible by going directly to the books such as Genesis. But I recently appreciated the introductory essays in the New American Bible (The New Catholic Translation): The Purpose of the Bible, The Bible and History, How The Bible Came About, and How To Study The Bible. These give advice on how to approach the inspired writings given the different conditions during the times they were produced. The readings also call our attention on wrong approaches such as "Words-to-live-by" approach (searching the Bible for texts to prove a moral argument that we have already decided on, flaunting our own knowledge of biblical references) and the "So there!" approach (treating the Bible as a collection of proofs, the last word in any debate).
4. Watching the news and senate hearings - Yes, I am able to stay updated through radio, online articles, and TV even when I have work. But exposure is greater now that I am on leave. I am able to follow as the stories unfold and at the same time admire the creativity and excellence that reporters manifest. My current favorites are Bam Alegre and my batchmate Jam Sisante. :-)
I have two more weeks left and going back to work is also exciting. I anticipate a lot of changes in the process, given the dynamic nature of the business. Most importantly, I will be working with my new supervisor Carl after being with Team Chris for two years. In the meantime, let me end this post and go back lounging. Hehe.
