Thoughts about Covid-19

It has been a decade already since my last post and I miss posting some thoughts so much. A lot of things had happened since 2011 until I graduated from college. I got my first job as a customer service representative in 2012 and it's been nine (9) years already. I had been into four (4) different companies during that span of time. I have met a lot people and learned a lot of things.

Then, there came this Covid-19 pandemic. It was around the last quarter of 2019 that it was confirmed that it had been spreading in China. People in the Philippines were just complacent about it until it started spreading in the Philippines on the first quarter of 2020. I was diagnosed with dengue fever on February 2020 and I didn't think about getting infected with the virus because cases related with the Covid-19 weren't high during that time. But I started to think that I might have been infected already because my body temperature was going high and low multiple times. I could also feel that the doctors who assisted me were not so sure yet if I had other illness that caused the inconsistency. I had to stay in the hospital for more than two (2) weeks because of that. Thank God, I wasn't infected with the virus. 

The government and the private sector had to make adjustments to prevent the spread of the virus. They were too many to mention here. One of them was allowing people to work from home. It has been a struggle for some of us when we talk about good internet connection and working environment. When I started working at home, I have had a good working environment but very poor internet connection. The company that I work with has been very generous. I was provided with everything that I need so that I could start working from home. I started working at home last week of March 2020. I had been struggling with internet connection until I transferred to a new home. I was able to subscribe to fiber optic internet connection which is way better than what I had before - DSL and LTE. So far, so good as far as the internet connection is concerned. 

However, I was added to the list to go back to the office. I started working in the office on October 2020. The company has been very strict in terms of health protocols in compliance with the IATF and also for everyone's health. If someone has symptoms related to Covid-19, he/she will be advised to stay at home. It happened that I got two (2) symptoms and I was advised to go on 14-day quarantine. I had to stay at home and monitor the symptoms daily. I had also to decide to have myself checked through swab testing because I am living with high risk individual. Thank God, the result was negative. Even if I am one of those who need to go the office for work, work from home set-up has been an option for some of us if going to the office is not possible due to the symptoms related to Covid-19. 

I am forever grateful to God above all, who's been so good during this time and to the company that I work with for being so generous and kind to its employees. 

WHAT AM I DOING

Human beings strive for survival. Even everybody knows that everyone will die and afraid of it but still they are still fighting to survive. How people live in this world are patterned to the trend of this world. Specifically, according to our old  teachers, everyone should go to school. The idea of better living  have been taught in schools while  teachers are bench-marking ideas from great philosopher. Now, its been three years already that I am with this trend. The idea that "you can't get a better life if you do not go to school" caught my attention. This is the trend. Primitive people did not make this an issue long time ago but because of this trend I need to go with it, I don't want to live like those primitive people either.    


I love the idea that learning is fun. Although this idea has been taught throughout centuries, especially to children, it is encouraging that learning new things is always fun.  Psychologically, not all learning is positive. The idea to acquire new things  is positive, that makes learning positive. But if we try to consider moral connotation, learning may somehow become negative.  People could learn how to get along with other people and could make friends and somehow what people have learned from school were applied. Although some norms can easily be observe in the society, but mostly the concept on how individual behave in the society are being taught in school.  It is really interesting how learning have been molding individual through the institutional collaboration.  I have posted a blog regarding doing school that last three (3) years ago I was convinced to the idea that going to school wasn't necessary. I have never made a limitations on what God could really do. That time I've tried to rely on how God would lead me. It's really hard to understand God's will. And because everyday, I am exposed of committing sin, I begin to doubt if God would still lead me. He has promised to not leave me nor forsake me and even I have been unfaithful for too long, He will remain faithful. The idea on how Satan controlled this world is HUGE. Sometimes I cannot even detect of what I have done was not good. So, why I am on this trend? It's because I did not believe that He is able, that's all.  I still believe His existence and sovereignty and this guilt inside would try to grab me from drawing near to Him.  I have thought about fixing all these mess. Sometimes, the truth hurts. Total transformation hurts me and to other people. I really don't know where to begin and I still hoped that changes would take place one day. 

AM I LIVING IN DIFFERENT WORLD & DECISION MAKING

Long time, no post. I was busy last few months. Actually, the company where I previously working was closed. The operation ended last December 2010. I'm lucky because I find another job which was related to my previous job. It was like starting a new beginning but I haven't feel any nervous because I am sophisticated enough about the field. So, that's about me and the current job that I am into.

One time I've asked this question to myself "Am I living in different world". I started comparing my life five (5) years ago. Sometimes I started to think that all those things in the past were only the part of the past. I kept on telling myself that I couldn't turn back the time. I could not even change the past. I could just say that five  (5) years ago was a different world and this current life that I am living is another world. Does it make sense? A lot of things have changed, me too. My perspectives about life was different from the perspectives few years ago. That's the fact that we couldn't deny - past is past.

I am graduating this March. I have been schooling for two years in college. For the last time, the school still offer the Associate Course, so I am graduating for an Associate Degree. Another decision-making would take place after  graduation, whether I proceed for the Bachelors Degree or I stop doing school and find a job. Maybe I could get the minimum requirement for applying a job - the Associate Degree but It would be much better if I could acquire the Bachelors. I don't know yet. Maybe I need some people to help me decide of what I am going to do. I am affected of some different aspects that I need to decide carefully. I know that everything that I am currently doing would affect my real self in the future.  Actually, I only  have one (1) year left. After this one (1) year I will be having my On the Job Training which is the requirement for getting the Bachelor. So, it would take two years for me basically. Let's see. 

ONE MORE TIME

"Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time." ~Thomas Edison


This quote poked me. I just wrote it as my status on Facebook.  It was related to a certain circumstances that I was about to give up. It was about computer errors that I wasn't able to figure out what causes the errors. Normally, when I am fixing computer, one day is too much. Reformatting computer would only take 2 hours, including the software installations. But for two days spent on fixing the errors? I came to a conclusion that I may not able to fix it. I've already explained to the owner that it would take time. The errors were hardware-related problems. I kept on trying to do trial and errors many times but I did not notice any progress. I was installing software that time. I have changed the BIOS configuration, thinking that maybe it would work. It worked, but it took one day to install an operating system while it would only take less than two hours. Strange thing. I thought the computer was in great trouble. That was on the first day. On the second day, I tried to change again the BIOS configuration. I have also googled the problem. Most results, they said, were RAM related problem, if not, the CPU. I have tried using different RAM - working RAM but still it led me to BSOD - Blue Screen of Death. So, it was not about the RAM. I thought it was the BIOS, maybe  the BIOS need to be updated. I haven't tried doing that before. Until now, I don't have enough confidence of doing so. Most people said that it would harm the system - the motherboard specifically if not successful. First of all, it was not my own computer. So, I didn't  try updating the BIOS because I really don't know if it'd be successful. For two days, I didn't see any progress on the efforts that I've exerted. I came to the point that it'd be the BIOS. So, I cleaned up the mess - I disassembled some parts of the computer and I mounted them back. I was about to give up. But before I have disconnected the different devices attached to it, I turned it on. I got a clean boot process  for the last time. It gave me life again. But, when the system tried to load the operating system, there the BSOD again. For the last time, I logged in to BIOS set-up and changed the CPU frequency, and restarted the computer. There, strange thing happened. The computer started normally, as in no errors. I was not sure yet. So, I restarted the computer a couple of times and it booted normally. That was the first that I've encountered such problem. Another thing that I've learned. 

The quote written above have given me inspiration. It would not only refer to a certain problems or circumstances but in all aspects of life. As I have said earlier, I put it as my status on facebook. Some commented on it and I thought they are thinking that it was all about relationship. Yes, it'd be, but the quote itself is not limited for relationship only for different aspects of life. 

FROM THE MOVIE: THE SOCIAL NETWORK

We were watching "The Social Network" movie last week. It was a part of our subject assignment which was about world literature. Our instructor explained to us how social networking affect the literature all over the world. At first I wonder why we need to watch it and how is it related to literatures. But after the movie, I came to realize the significance of the movie. Its been making the world more smaller. People could just sit down and get in touch with family, relatives, friends, colleagues, classmates... etc. It gave us an idea that literatures could be passed through social networking easily. Time will come that there will be online publishing which writing could be written online instead of writing it on papers and be published through printing press. Have you ever think about books will be vanished? Internet became a largest resources for anything. This is one of the great things the technology brought us. Despite of many negatives, we still thought that it is not technology that make it bad or negative, its the people who overused it. It is always a matter of choice, we can't blame technology.

The movie revealed the great challenges when facebook in on the process of improving. Mostly, problems were related to money. Money is able to do something - its nature. Again, everyone can make decisions and everyone must face the consequences on the decisions that they made. Someone said that "your choices of today will affect your future" or if I am going to re-phrase it, "my choices will make me somebody in the future". I am just trying to be positive in all aspect. I started making a reaction here... lol. So, that movie was very interesting. Facebook existed and it made people communicate easily, whether at work or during vacations. It put no limit for communication. 

WHAT, WHERE AND WHEN

I am having trouble making decisions about what am I going to do in the next few months. I am saying this because my current job is on the process of quitting. There are many reasons such as low income, not able to compete to other computer related establishments... etc. I am dependent on my current job. All the expenses since I started school was taken from the job. I have mentioned on my other post that I am currently doing school and work at the same time. I don't think that I could be able to stay with my current job while the fact is there is no assurance that this company would for last at least two years. I think, after December the establishment would stop its operation and I don't have any job anymore. If that happens, I possibly quit schooling too. I don't want that to happen. At least I could finish school until March, I wish that I could. I started submitting my CV to different establishments for any IT related jobs. The problem is most companies that I visited are not hiring. They just told me to wait for a couple of months if ever they need another employee. It's not worth waiting at all, but I still have to while I still have more days left on my current job. Yes, I started worrying but not too much. I know that there is a job somewhere for me. I believe that if I seek, I can find. That's an old quote but powerful. Sometimes I felt very frustrated but I used to think positively. "Dream big dreams" that's what someone told me. I think that helped me a lot. Focus on some great things than on small ones. Psychologically, that will help individual to motivate to do something.

So, I have no idea what kind job I may get into. I prefer IT related jobs but if there's nothing, then, I need to sacrifice for my sake. For now, I don't where of course and when would that be. Everything is unclear. I am covered with fogs that I could never see what is going to happen in the future. Well, this is life and it should be that way. Great people in the world reached their achievements through great obstacles in life. If really want to succeed, then, I'll face these obstacles of this life.

WHY NOT DO IT THIS WAY?

Probably, some people who followed my blog noticed that I posted an article which was a complaint about our drawing instructor. That was last semester. We are in second semester now. We've wished not to have him as our drawing instructor again but we got no choice. In the first place, we got no problem about him. He really cared for us - students, guided us on our activities and taught us the proper way considering the cleanliness & neatness. But talking about time management, we can't deny that he used too much time talking of  irrelevant topics than of the subject itself. Nothing was wrong with that but knowing the fact that we entered in his class for the subject, we will not allow that we can get nothing from the subject during the whole period. Most of my classmates hate drawing very much. Logically, we will be pleased if our instructor won't give any activities for us. Even though most student don't like it but of course we won't accept the concept of talking irrelevant topics.

Just last week, in our first meeting, we're having trouble. We had our drawing during 8-9 pm. Prior to that, we had no classes, so we're talking outside not knowing that he was already in the room waiting for us. Three (3) of us was already there. Few minutes after, we heard him talking to one of us and he was mad. We really don't know why. We were only less than minutes late and he told us to go. We were not interested, he said. We had a wonderful night in our first meeting...lol. There are many questions that need to be answered. The fact that we're only students in a government school, we don't have enough power to have a different instructor. We're free but there a lots of things to be considered. We would also consider his part, not just our part. 

It bothered me too, but this time, I came to a conclusion that it was not the most important. Maybe that was a part of my life. It is the reality. If I really want changes, then I'll wait for several years, such thing can't be achieved in a moment. I just hope that something would be better for the sake of the next generation. It will be a great honor for the school when they can produce globally competent professionals. How much more if a student from the school claimed it. That is something that  instructor could  do because they're playing a great role for everyone's success.