Been a year or so...& 8 mos.

 It's been a year since I started with this thing called data ANALYSIS.

Around the same time last year, I was preparing to get back to Toowoomba for the final semesterS of my studies (or I thought so, haha). So I packed some stuff to bring: 

-fave childhood goodies (chocnut, curly tops and Jolly biscuits)

- a jar of ube = purple yam delicacy

- SPAM tocino + canned corned beef for pasalubong

-bottled dried fish and/or Spanish sardines

Unloaded some of those at my Gold Coast home away from home.

I finally arrive at Toowoomba.  Hopped off  Translink bus 907 at the USQ stop near Alison Dixon Theatre (reminds me of Alice Dixon the actress, haha).  The Australian air, hmmm. No smoky scent yet. Across the stop, I see familiar faces over at K-Block.

That was roughly a year ago, amidst the writing, I spent quality time, not just with fellow humans but quality time with Toowoomba. This sojourn of mine was a lot of ME time. These days, roughly 8 mos since TaalV eruption  and 6 months of being in a mix of GCQ, MECQ and ECQ = Enhanced Community Quarantine,  my forms of escape are really just my memories, daydreaming, productive googling...and still, this thing called research.

Productive googling = Sabina Murray's blog; VICE News articles; Noor gallery of photo-journalists and stories they bring to the fore

Memories = high school days with my BFFs; Davao time with my BFFs; trips to Anilao beach with my lovelies; days of being a much younger teacher and adventuring through Cuyo and Romblon while doing volunteer work; days with Wordlab teachers where I met Teacher Vic, Mimai, Lilette, Mailin, Candy, Hazelle, Mary, Nanay Conching, Kuya Sonny= that year I worked with my best friend and a former teacher idol, Teacher Dina.

I'm not exactly missing recent memories of Builders School, must be cuz it's recent memory. Then again, the very recent memories of Toowoomba always crop up:

> lazy Sunday mornings, passing the time by going to this church or that, 

> walks crossing the Japanese gardens to get to USQ -- and the scent of ducks, the feel of the frost 

>my spot at the library, that coffee machine

> late walks along that university avenue listening to Dua Lipa playing on my phone

>those convoes with myself, an imaginary friend or with God.

>my jog-walk-run routine

>TRAG

I guess, in this pandemic, one can only try to hold on to happy memories. Or convince myself that better days will come as long as I keep myself busy with K12 Journey webinars, crafting a new research project, RWLeague, doing a few firsts = like OIC for Dean Baggy, delving into epistemic cognition, collaborating with HDR-LA, UPOU ethics app, ...almost anything, anything to convince myself that THIS reality is now my reality and whether next year will be a better year, I really don't know anymore, or shall I say rather not look that far as we Filipinos need to bear this all for a few more years under this f***ing regime!!! Gohhhd, I hate him.

One day at a time...this thing called research will keep me afloat. 

This thing called Toowoomba Sojourn will make me look forward to graduating and having that #31 on the menu, for one last time before I die.

In between, I'm quite content with payback famtime or at least thankful for having the time to spend great meals with my loved ones and just seeing and smelling my mammals still. Should better days no longer arrive, then I know, for certain, I really, really, really managed to have gudt days in this time of Corona.