Passionately M

  Last night I watched Netflix's three-episode documentary "Aftershock: Everest and the Nepal Earthquake". Many times I held my breath. It is like a movie with a scriptwriter behind, but it's real. It really happened -- shocking, keeping me awake for some hours.  With many bad news around, I really feel scared with what is going on. There are some missile tests and nuclear war threats, not to mention the coronavirus and other health challenges to humanity. Am I overthinking? Just living alone without the immediate family in a foreign land is very tough. Focus is on daily survival. When the day ends, I gather all strength remaining for another day.  Of all, emotional strength matters, and at the core of it, my faith in God. Hope -- always hope -- is a propeller that keeps me going and believe that things will get better. The priorities of many of us is survival -- how to get through each single day for self and for the families if there are dependents. My heart goes to

"Always expect the unexpected," so they say. The beginning of the year 2020 welcomed us with many unpredictables which we haven't witnessed for many years, or maybe, in our entire life. Recently President Rodrigo Duterte sent a rescue ship to evacuate overseas Filipinos in high-risk areas amidst tension in the Middle East.  (Read more  here .) Many disasters happened that claimed lives, injured people, killed and harmed animals, destroyed trees, properties and other non-living things. Whether they are natural or man-made or partly natural and partly man-made, we do not know. All we know is that the world is in pain. When our smallest finger is hurt, the whole body feels it. I have my own struggles and worries but heavens hear how grateful I am for my life, for the roof over my head, for every single day that I am alive. I am not complaining about the present load of challenges. Who will complain when you watch on your mobile phone or laptop those unfortunate