Happenings on this Voyage

A teacher is a parent, a friend, a confidante, and a stable constant in a student’s life. I first met Teacher Ola as a student of Maris Stella School. She was a cool, hip, and young female teacher who had a contagious laughter that caught even the students’ attention. Teacher Ola, as even us grown up former students of hers still call her, taught by example. Her passion is evident in the way she teaches and approaches her students. I recall vividly teacher Ola’s fairness to all students whilst recognizing our differences. She is attentive to the needs of her students and more importantly, is responsive knowing that in order to be successful and get through to the students, a one-size-fits-all approach cannot be the way. Discipline is a value of hers but she is cognizant of the different personalities and capabilities and takes time to understand students so she can better and more effectively teach and nurture the academic development of the students. I would be remiss though not t...

No two sunsets are the same. Even with each passing minute, a sunset changes. We as individuals are unique, down to our genetic make up. Our time on this Earth is numbered and one day, our time will end. As the sun sets on one's life, may we who continue to live, be reminded of all the beautiful souls that made their mark on this earth through the sunsets, as beautiful and as unique as each one is.  Let us be reminded that how we feel about life is not the same everyday. Some days are cloudy and the sunset isn't always as promising. Some days are sunny, and the sunset is expected to be epic. And on some days, the clouds just part enough to let you see the yellow-red-orange rays of the sun peeking through one last time before the day turns into night. And so on days when it feels like your breath has been sucked out of you and all is gone, look at that small ray of sunshine peeking through the clouds and hold on to it. That is hope. That is a promise that beyond the st...

On the eve of the seventh anniversary of my father’s passing, I cannot help but reflect on the life he lived, the father he was to me, and the years that have passed that I have been without him. My father was, is, and will always be my greatest inspiration, my greatest motivation and my most humble foundation, my Bapa Udi. Anyone who knew my father, can attest to his consistency, his discipline, his dependability, and soft-hearted nature. My father was… Welcoming My earliest memory of my father was in a full home, our home with 5 doors that all opened at sunrise and closed only when the house turned in for the night. In this home we all lived, my parents, all my siblings, several cousins, and my maternal grandparents, all of whom stayed with us – and regular visits and sleepovers by my paternal grandparents. I remember that when my father was around, which he always was, he made sure there was food and coffee and that everyone was well-fed and taken care of. The fi...