October first 2014 is a new year for me. It is the first day of my back-to-work day after twelve years of attending to my one and only child full time. For twelve beautiful yet challenging and very toxic years, from changing diapers to shopping for sanitary pads, I have no job-related encounter with people in the academe. (Although I had at very short stance with co-faculty members at a college near our apartment but due to nanny problems, I had to resign after only a couple of semesters.)
Now, I see professors. Researchers. Administrative staff. Support people. Adult learners. I see them 9 hours five times a week. I do not like to over react on this matter, but the truth is, twelve years of working at home -- being a full time mom and part-time online teacher, kinda isolated me from the world.
Starting over through the NTTCHP (that is short for National Teacher Training Center in the Health Professions at UP Manila) is like getting my first job right after getting out of college. There's fear yet that fear is more on relational because I have to face it, I am now twice my age since I left my beloved alma mater-- UP Diliman.
But the beauty of this new workplace is that the people are nice, and they love to eat. Food has a way of making a tensed heart loosen up. Starting over through NTTCHP becomes easy when all are busy chewing and munching and thinking of the next course.
However long --- or short, I may stay here, just like food, I have to enjoy the bite and chew it well.
