Dawning as Alenna

In line with our efforts to grow this community, we hosted "Tech 3.0: Together Towards Tomorrow" as one of our campus-based meetups. Tomorrow, we will be having our 3rd General Meetup in partnership with Globe and Here Technologies.

As part of the initiative to accelerate the diversity and inclusion of the female representation in the tech world, Coding Girls Manila continuously creates partnerships with universities through student organizations.

In partnership with AIM, a team building activity for the incoming CSB leaders of Coding Girls Taft was conducted last May 26,2018. The purpose of the activity was for leaders…

Empowerment leads to Innovation

“Innovating Ideas through Empowerment” was the theme during the first campus meetup of Coding Girls Manila held at the Universidad de Manila last February. This was a partnership of their campus-based Junior Philippine Computer Society organization.

Watch the video coverage here.

With JPCS officers and professors from Universidad de Manila Mission Possible: Coding Girls Manila

Alenna Dawn…

The Future is Now: Coding Girls

Gone were the days when the words girl and code won’t make sense when placed in a single sentence. As we advance in our pursuit of technology, more and more women are engaging in the tech world.

To welcome the new year, Coding Girls Manila held its first meetup last January 26. This was an effort to finally step up the club’s participation in the coding scene of the Philippines. To start this…

Life in Mapua: Student-Athlete

With a year left, coming back to play Taekwondo one more time for my university is as important for me as to finishing my degree. Once Mapua Institute of Technology, now Mapua University; my life in MU (although MIT sounds great) is at its peak intensity.

Throughout my stay in Mapua, I’ve been constantly asked by professors, classmates, and friends the same question:  “How do you do it?” or…

While enjoying my train ride towards the south of Taiwan, I received an even more joyful message from Pia. She complimented my efforts in my previous lectures and asked me if I wanted to be one of the guest lectures for an event in Taichung. Without hesitation, I said I’d love to be part of it. She immediately put me in contact with Phoebe, the teacher who’s organizing the event. We kept in…

Whenever I’m asked why do I make time for these people that I don’t even know, I always smile and say, “Because I can.”

A week after I held my first lecture, I was scheduled to hold another #TWIYC.tw lecture in another high school. This time, it was in New Taipei City. I had no idea where “Bei Da Senior High School” was located. Luckily, Teacher Irene was kind of enough to offer me an easier method of going there: by being picked up from where I lived. She contacted me weeks before that day to coordinate with me about how the sharing would proceed.

With her kind request of me holding three lectures for that day, I was excited to meet all the senior high school students in all three classes. Prior to my arrival, they got a brief background of who I was through this blog. Teacher Irene showed them my blog and asked them what they wanted to learn from the lecture. I was given questions about the Philippines such as politics, tourist spots, traditions, culture, festivals, and food. Other than that, they also wanted to know more about why I chose Taiwan and how my life as an exchange student is and was (when I was in Korea). These enthusiastic inquiries that they had gave me more enthusiasm to meet them!

At around 8’o clock in the morning, Teacher Irene arrived at my doorstep and drove me to the school. She told me she was worried that it was going to be hard for me to commute to the school, so she decided to pick me up instead. It was really nice of her. Meeting the first class, I noticed that the students were a bit shy. Since they don’t speak much English, I tried my best to communicate with them in a phase that would make them feel comfortable. Fortunately, they became comfortable enough to interact and talk more. At the end of that lecture, we were bonding like friends! Two sweet girls even handed me origami of crane birds and a friendship bracelet to show their appreciation.

Afterwards, I had lunch with Teacher Irene at a Japanese noodle house. We talked about how these kids need encouragement on their English speaking abilities as well as on their confidence about exploring their potentials. This talk inspired me to focus on the importance of balancing education with other aspects in life. As students, we are said to focus “solely” on our studies. However, I think otherwise, I feel like the pressure of obtaining academic success is too much for these kids. Thus, I decided that I’d share my perspective on this topic.

Being given this opportunity, I grabbed it to show them that life is more than just about books. I told them about my observations about the behaviors of students from Philippines, South Korea, and Taiwan. Comparing these, I emphasized on the fact that the pressure burdening shouldn’t stress them out. Rather, they should find the balance between studying and enjoying other things such as sports, music, literature, or whatever that takes their mind off of that pressure they deem stressful. From my personal experience, doing so made me more motivated to perform well in my academic life while still relishing my passions such as writing, sports, and traveling.

One of the highlights of my lecture was increasing their confidence to speak in English. For these Taiwanese students, English is very important for them to reach out to a other people who do not speak Mandarin. “Practice. Practice. Practice.” I repeated this word for nth times so as to encourage them to do it. “Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, it’s part of learning. That’s how you develop your skills, you make mistakes then you learn from those mistakes.” I knew that their fear of trying is rooted from their fear of making mistakes. However, I believe that mistakes aren’t failures. Not trying at all is failure itself. That’s why I assured them that it’s okay not to be perfect. Trying is a success already. Through practice, development is achieved, thus, more success is attained.

It was a heartwarming experience for me. My childhood dream which was to be a teacher when I grew up came true. (It was exhausting. Now, I finally understand how teachers feel after a whole day of work.) In my own little way, I hope that I inspired these students to learn more about life by traveling to places that they’ve never been to, discovering diversity through people, and experiencing authentic adventures they would remember for the rest of their lives. I believe this jump start for their journeys would help them along the way!

After a whole day of discovery in Yilan, I rode the train from Luodong to Hualien. I sat down in the empty train and read Infinite Jest. After about more than an hour, I arrived at my destination. Another city I haven’t been to, I strapped on my backpack and was ready for a new adventure. Willie, my AirBnB host, picked me up from the station. Arriving at the Backpacker Dorm Hostel, I quickly…

Waking up to the sunlight piercing through the translucent sliding doors, I got up pretty early today. I didn’t want to get up so soon, but my body clock urged me to do so. Packed my two day traveling needs and I was good to go. The MRT was a few minutes of walking away. I started my morning with a smile from a lady walking across the street, “Zao an!” she greeted. Brightened up, my excitement…

At around 2’o clock in the morning, Kike arrived in Zhongli. Good thing I was able to wake up since I was extremely tired throughout the previous day and haven’t had much sleep in a while. Wanting to catch an early train, we decided we’ll head out at 6AM. We did but, ended up taking the bus since it’s more comfortable. (Plus, we could charge our phones in the bus!)

After more or less 4 hours, we…

Last April 26, I received my list of matches for “The World in Your Classroom – Taiwan” project from the organization. Quickly after reading the matches, another email popped up in my inbox. Teacher Tracy (Hsuan Chen) greeted me with a warm message. One of the highlights of her message must be her introduction of the students. This part cracked me up, so much laughter!

Please allow me to…

Chased out of Fulong by the scare of thunderstorms, Dennis and I headed back to Taipei for an activity that will fit the not-so-pretty weather. (We didn’t want to risk being struck by lightning, even though I reckoned the statistical probability is slim.) Lots of ideas popped up as alternatives to our diving plans but, we both agreed the best place to go was the National Palace Museum. I haven’t been there yet, neither did he.

Feast for the Eyes

Amazed by how the museum looked like, we got off the shuttle bus. (I was totally right that the bus stopped at Jiantian MRT station.) Upon entering the museum, we were greeted by a crowd of Chinese tourists. There were lots of them. Dashing in groups with their tour guides, I knew immediately that it wouldn’t be a quiet stroll at the museum. 

We approached the counter and purchased our admission tickets. Just beside it is the counter for audio guides. Of course, we grabbed them for a more elaborate learning experience. As techy as this museum can get, they provided iPods with a whole app for the museum. Audio guides, slideshows, articles – name it and it’s there. There is also an information section and portal for tourists. Wonderful enough, they sectioned the guides by themed collections as well. I must say, this is a feature every museum must have.

Rich with a variation of artifacts, the historical timeline of the dynasties were presented in an organized manner. Personally, my top picks are the Buddhist artifacts, Garland of Treasures, and the jade collection. The Buddhist artifacts showcased a variety of bodhisattvas in which each had their own symbolism. I admired the Avalokitesvara since the miniature figures if her differed in very meaningful ways. Flowing with an abundance of luxury, the Garland of Treasures showed how lavishly the rich spent their money. From overly decorated ensembles, gemstoned vases, intricate headpieces and accessories, these only depicted the life they had as the upperclassmen. Lastly, the jade cabbage is a stunning piece of art. Most people would mock its exposure and say it’s overrated but, I honestly think it’s a precious piece. Its simplicity exudes a beauty no other piece in the museum could compare to. Every detail of this jade cabbage surpassed the grandiose presence of the other artifacts.

Mouthful of Goodness

What’s a touristy day without savoury eats?

As a snack before heading to the museum, we filled our stomachs with falafel from Hagar’s Kitchen! It’s my first falafel and it’s absolutely great. I loved how the flavors came together inside my mouth. It’s a perfect vegetarian food. The deep fried chickpeas patty stuffed into that flat bread along with vegetables was enough to make you full! I wanted more though.

Going Indian for dinner, we went to Out of India. The restaurant has quite a nice vibe to it and the place is well decorated. Not that it’s extravagant, it’s just the adequate amount of embellishments. The food was great as well. Not my favorite Indian food place but, they served decent dishes. I specially liked the eggplant dish. (I wish we had our dishes spiced up, I love spicy food!)

As if we weren’t stuffed enough with so much food, we marched our way to Banana Crepe. I didn’t want to get dessert but, the crepes looked amazing! Time to take put my emergency stomach – room for dessert! They are definitely mouthwatering. I got a crepe with strawberries, brownies, cream, cheesecake, and ice cream topping all these goodness. Every bite is mind blowing. I loved it. It’s definitely my favorite dessert place in Taipei now. 

Based on Sakyamuni Buddha’s life as written by Venerable Master Hsing Yun, Siddhartha The Musical was a fascinating spectacle at the Great Enlightenment Auditorium. With the elegant costume design, powerful vocals, and graceful movements, the Fo Guang Shan Academy Art of the Philippines delivered a stunning performance.

The show opened with Ananda narrating the beginning of the story. As most…

I used to close my eyes and picture the lovely memories I had with him. I tried doing so today, but I couldn’t. All those good times went blurry. What I saw was him holding a glass filled with ice cubes as beer overflows on his right hand and a cigarette halfway smoked on his left hand. Not a pretty picture, isn’t it? I tried. I wish I could have saved everything. But, I failed. Now, I know why he…

Leaving the Philippines last February, the last two familiar faces I saw were Kike and Blanca‘s. Meeting them last January was one of the highlights of my comeback in Mapua. I met Blanca first when AJ wasn’t able to meet her as the student buddy. A week later, Kike arrived from Spain. I definitely clicked with Blanca right away. With Kike, it was until maybe later that we became closer. Before leaving Philippines, I traveled with them (together with Zeus and other international students in Mapua) during the weekends and we partied together every Thursday (ifykwim)! Both of them became really close to my heart.

Keeping in touch with them, they would send me photos of where they are traveling and I would do the same. Eventually, with all the talk of visiting, they booked a ticket to Taiwan! (They missed me too much. Haha. Just Kidding!) Kike then told me that his friend, Daniel, is gonna come along. He told me that his friend wanted to party in Taipei. Constantly pestering me, we made plans on what we will do when they arrive.  Checklists made, AirBnbs booked, couchsurfing hosts confirmed – everything was all set!

Filled with excitement, I started packing my bags the night before they came. I arranged their sleeping areas for when they come to my dorm since Mr. Lin told me that they could stay and sleep when they arrive from the airport. Having a delayed flight, they arrived Zhongli at around 4’o clock in the morning. I waited for them outside the dorm. Hugs! I was so happy to see them again. It was also nice to meet Daniel for the first time. Unluckily, no eating place was open so their first meal in Taiwan was from Family Mart. (So sorry guys! I brought sushi from the night market, that should be fine. Haha.)

 Day One: Taipei

Up after 3 hours of sleep, I was excited to showcase my Chinese speaking abilities to my friends. We went to a breakfast shop and I ordered them my favorites: zhua bing and dan bing. Of course, nai cha! Walking towards my university, we grabbed some xiaolongbao and went to sit down at one of the benches in the campus. 

Since it was almost 10, we took the bus to the train station and arrived in Taipei at around 11. Since it was already 11, we decided to check in our AirBnb place. Funny as it may seem, we got lost! Apparently, the map on the app was different with the address. An hour of searching for our place, Daniel found a Mexican guy with his Taiwanese girlfriend who helped us on locating Mia‘s Bnb! 

Exhausted with all the walking (we had our huge bags btw), we rested for a bit before meeting Victor and Chingching who just came from Xiangshan (Elephant Mountain). Finally, I got to meet Victor from couchsurfing! As everyone’s tummies growled, Victor suggested that we have beef noodles soup for lunch. We went into a nice Taiwanese place and had a hearty meal! Kike’s chopsticks skills were so terrible that he had to use a fork. Hahaha! (Sorry Kike, I just had to. The first time we ate at Chinatown, I thought to myself, “Why the hell does this guy not know how to use chopsticks?”) 

Heading off to the famous Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall, we watched the ceremony. I was quite surprised to hear that Daniel knows about the history of Chiang Kai Shek! Impressive. He was narrating the background as if he were a tour guide. Applause, Daniel! 

Having Mankiw arrive at CKS, we split up with Victor and Chingching since they wanted to visit the library. Blanca’s wish was granted: we headed to Longshan temple! Mankiw showed us around the temple while explaining how the prayers work as well as what kind of gods and goddesses were in the temple. We even tried the wishing thing with the wooden crescent moons! I got a “Yes!” for my question. 

Rain started pouring and everyone was just dead tired. We did our last walking tour at the Bopiliao historical block and hopped on the MRT back home. We decided we needed rest at home before partying. One funny thing is when we were searching for home, these kids were wondering what we were asking. I forgot what Watson taught me, the Chinese of McDonalds which is mai dang lao. After a while, we figured it out and they led us to the McDonalds. Thanks kids! 

Rested up, we prepared for the party at Halo. My friend who’s the DJ of NekBrace, placed us on the list of Halo and Elektro. I met him on the party bus for the Spring Break on the beach, crazy times. Since Jay told me we could meet at 12, we went to Shilin Night Market first which was terrible that night since it was raining! Arriving at ATT4Fun, we saw my friend, Phillip! It was a nice encounter though he was partying at a different place. We went up to Halo and was greeted by Jay at the door. (Thanks a lot, Jay!) We had a few drinks by the DJ’s area and eventually started dancing at the middle where the party’s at. 

Funny story! My friends actually met Dennis that night at the party. He wasn’t supposed to come, but he came in at the last minute. (All the way from Tainan!) I’m so glad he did, my friends met him. He even clicked with Daniel. Partying with the cool squad, we had such a fun night. I met this woman named Chao Anni who just smothered me with drinks. (Okay, maybe smothered is too much. Haha.) Due to that, I got my ass super wasted that I couldn’t remember what happened next. As Dennis told me, he had to carry my ass back home. Piggy back ride, yo! It’s even funny that I slept on a bush. The rest is just too embarrassing to say. (Shoutout to Dennis for taking care of me!)

 Day Two: Taichung

Waking up late, I had to meet my friends at the Taipei Main Station so that we can catch the train that brings us to Taichung before 12 noon. Got our HSR tickets on time, but missed our train right before the door closed! It was quite embarrassing since Dad Vincent came to pick us up at the station and Rose/Jo-Tsen, my university buddy, is waiting for us at the restaurant.

On a hilarious side note, there was this Taiwanese girl who was taking selfies before getting on the train. She was actually pretty! And she knows it, lol. Betting on how long she would take more selfies on the train, Daniel and Blanca were shocked that she took more time than they expected. Kind of self-absorbed, the girl was on Daniel’s eyes the whole train ride. He tried to say goodbye to her when she was about to get off the train, but she was too busy thinking about her self. Crazy, I know!

Arriving Hsinchu, my dad came back to the HSR station since he thought we took a taxi to the restaurant because our arrival was later than expected. (Sorry, dad!) Hugs when we saw each other again. Vincent looked dashingly handsome on his vest and whole outfit. My friends instantly loved him. After a short ride, we finally came to the restaurant where Rose was waiting for us. My Mom Miranda, Brother Neil and Baby Felix came to meet us for lunch! “Happy Birthday, Neil!” I blurted as I hugged him out. I was so happy to see my Taiwanese family again since I missed them so much. Our lunch celebration of my brother’s birthday was amazing since we were at the really nice Wuwei restaurant. The food was exceptional; from the main course to the desserts – our tummies enjoyed the delicious feeding session. On top of that, we experienced a tea ceremony which was so different from what I saw in Korea.

Hugging everyone goodbye, I had to go back to Taipei for my meeting with TWIYC.tw since I’m volunteering for them. I met up with Dennis after to party at the Triangle where Jay DJed amazingly with his hiphop hits. I wasn’t much of a mess that night.

 Day Three: Hsinchu

9:30, I am still in bed trying to make my way up. I jumped right out and hurried my way to the train station. Dennis told me that I am in no way reaching my train at 10:00. He even told me he’d get me a nai cha if I can catch my train. Luckily, Chi-Yu, booked the tickets early so I only needed to rush into the train. At 9:58, I arrived into the Taipei Main Station and ran as fast as I can to the TRA area. Chi-Yu waved at me as he was past the ticketing area. He handed me my ticket and we entered our train at exactly 10:00. Phew, that was a rush. I was breathing like a maniac! (Dennis, you owe me!) Kike, Blanca, and Daniel are supposed to arrive at Hsinchu at around 10:45 or something. We arrived at 11:00.

On our way to Hsinchu, I got to know Chi-Yu better. He was supposed to host me and my friends in Tainan if we wanted to go. However, I already have planned the Taichung and Hsinchu trips that’s why we just met up for the weekend. He joined us to Hsinchu which was really nice. He’s a neuroscientist who studied in Japan and is now going to the US for his internship from May to August then pursuing his PhD in the UK next year. How great is that!? I’m kind of jealous of how smart he is. I was so fascinated of what he has been doing. Thanks couchsurfing, I’ve been meeting a lot of amazing people here in Taiwan.

Hsinchu, at last! Poly waved at me as we exited the train station. He came with his wife Jenny and their friend Kevin. Just right on time! My friends came in first. We went on a drive for lunch and had some Taiwanese food. Since the plan of hiking was scratched, we went to the Hsinchu coastline for leisurely biking. We walked around the local fish market first and grabbed our bikes for the 34KM bike ride!

Beaches, lakes, farm fields, trees, wind turbines – it was a perfect day with the perfect weather. I was awed with how beautiful the bike ride is. Relaxing as it gets, we even had ice cream on one of our stops and some fresh pineapples at the lighthouse.

As we head back, me and Kike were pedaling so fast that we lost the others. Even though Daniel got past us and reached the finish line first. Coincidentally, we saw a pug on our way back! I biked really slowly since the pug was on this family type of bike that has an electric machine. I was biking behind them and staring at their cutie pie. Kike took some nice photos, muchas gracias!

After our bike rides, we headed to Poly and Jenny’s place to have dinner. We ate Taiwanese food and had a really delicious Taiwanese dessert! Since Daniel had to catch his flight, he didn’t stay for the night and Chi-Yu went back to Taipei since he’ll meet us at Fulong the next day. We thought the night was done, but Kevin came over bringing his craft beer! It was an amazing beer tasting experience (with funny drinking games as well). He actually told us that he started making his homemade beer just because he liked beer. Now, he’s selling his beers all over Taiwan! As VIP as we are, we got to taste the experimental batch. I loved all of his beers. The first two were fruity and very light which I appreciated more than the darker ones. Trying his beers that are on the market already, one tasted like coffee since it’s made from malt. However, the other was black IPA and also really nice. I am definitely coming back to Hsinchu for more beer tasting sessions.

 Day Four: Fulong

Last day before two of my good friends leave Taiwan! We woke up really early, 5 in the morning! Kike was awake already since around 1:30 because I woke him up when I got out of bed to niao niao. Dropping us off at the train station, Poly headed off to work in Zhongli. We waited for our train to Fulong. One of the highlights of bringing my friends there is to scuba dive. Even Chi-Yu was convinced to try scuba diving for the first time! I was so excited for his first scuba diving experience and also for my first dive with El Kike. That’s one thing we shared, our love for scuba diving. I think that’s why we became really close – one of the reasons actually.

Arriving at Fulong, we went to a breakfast shop and saw Paul. He was heading to the Scubar to open it up. After breakfast, we met Nigel at the shop and had our equipment prepared. It was a fun day for a dive! I was trying to convince Nigel that he should bring us to a nice dive site since Kike will only dive once for the day because of his flight. (Risk of nitrogen narcosis if you dive then fly, 12 hours for a dive and 18 hours for two.) Luckily, he brought us to Garden of Eden! Ian, Irene, and Aaron were all there too! Yay, fun dive! Indeed it was an amazing dive. We went around a wreck and enjoyed the whole dive site with its marine life. I personally think it’s the best dive I’ve been in Fulong, yet.

I would dive again with Nigel, Ian, Irene, and Aaron, but I didn’t want my friends to wait for me. We had curry for lunch and ice cream – lots and lots of Nijel’s Ice Cream! (My favorite part of the day.) So, we decided to chill and walk around the nice temple overlooking Fulong beach.

We went to Taipei then and saw the Grand Hotel. The hotel’s architecture was quite stunning. Entering its lobby, we were fascinated with how red everything is. There was a pianist and violinist playing soothing music perfectly matching the place’s ambiance. We walked around before hopping on a bus to the Shilin Night Market.

Blanca’s words, “This is so different from what we saw a few days ago. It’s an entirely different place.” There was no rain and there were a lot of people. It was definitely the famous Shilin Night Market! Bustling with crowds, we went on food booths and filled our stomachs with satisfying night market food. With all the walking, we agreed to call it a day. Everyone was 0% energy-wise.

Getting off the MRT, Chi-Yu went home and we went off the Taipei Main Station. It was sad saying goodbye to Chi-Yu since he’s going to Washington soon. But, he’s doing his open water diving course with Nigel when he comes back! I’m so glad he said that. Coming to the end of their trip, I said my goodbyes to Blanca and Kike. I didn’t want them to go, actually. It made me quite sad that the four days went by so quickly! But then again, I’ll see them when I get back to the Philippines. Adios, te veo pronto!

Last Saturday, I came all the way from Taichung to Taipei on a tiring three hour train ride. As exhausted as I am, I powered through to attend to the training day with TWIYC.tw. Arriving Taipei Main Station, I hopped on the MRT and went down Guting station.

It was a rainy evening and already 18:30. The schedule of the training is supposed to start at 18:30. I’m late, I know. I hate being late. But, I briskly walked through the rain carrying my huge backpack. I have no idea where National Taiwan Normal University is. Pulling out Maps.Me, I spotted its location which is very near the exit I came out of.

While I was across the university, I received a call from an unknown number. Answering the phone, “Hello! This is TWIYC (pronounced as tweek) Taiwan. I just want to remind you about our training today. Are you on your way? Do you need help with getting here? Just let me know.” I was glad that they checked if I was about to come.

Finally getting in the venue, I thought the NTNU campus was beautiful. Its structures were interesting. Similar to my university (CYCU), it also has a vibe that is relaxing to students like me.

Entering the room, I was given a lecture copy and flyer that introduces the organization. Just in time! They were starting the program with an ice breaker. Given the card that says, “Why do you want to join TWIYC?” Lisa Ueno approached me introducing herself. She’s a Japanese student who studies in the other university in Zhongli. What a coincidence! I was surprised when she said that her favourite city is Taoyuan. I didn’t hesitate to ask, “Why Taoyuan!?” That’s how we discovered that we live in the same area. Making a new friend, I told her that we should go to my favourite dessert place near CYCU since she always goes to the Chung Yuan Night Market.

Switching partners, I met Summer, a Taiwanese teacher who’s also volunteering. She’s a really nice woman who speaks good English. I was amazed by how she spoke. As our activity ended, we started the lectures. For the foreigners, we transferred to another room for the English lecture. The lecturer shared her experiences and taught us on how be good lecturers.

Finishing the training, we went back to fill up evaluation forms and eat more pizza + dessert! I then talked to Maria who’s a teacher in an international school in Taipei. I discovered that she goes through Asian countries that need teachers. Coming from South Pennsylvania, she started teaching in countries and living there for a couple of years. It was actually amazing how she also became a teacher in a rural part of South Korea! I was inspired by her experiences as a teacher traveling around the world.

Meeting people, learning techniques, preparing for volunteering, and eating lots of pizza – it was a perfect event! Thank you, TWIYC.tw for warmly welcoming us with open arms. I’m looking forward to my lectures with the three schools I matched with! (Also, thanks for the take home pizza.)