Baguio: Rice & Kimchi

#Listentoyourheart - D.H.T

I did not know to spend money. I learnt Accounting and Finance but they did not teach me about how to manage money earning by myself as well as saving it. Those years I earned money seemed easy for me. Not too much but enough for me to buy clothes and cosmetics and travels, sometimes helped family. At that time, I had nothing for saving and never thought about saving for getting married. It was the most crazy thing I heard from my parents, of course, I didn´t let it in my mind and absolutely disagreed with.

Until that day I decided to go to Baguio and learned English, one of my dreams but it also was the moment I realized that I didn´t have enough money for my dream. It was lucky my friend helped me. I stayed in Baguio when my pocket was only 3,000 peso for a month after paying tuition and deposit for academy. Week days´ meal were prepared by academy but on weekend I had to prepared by myself. For saving, I chose only bread and noodle. It was bad, they made me hungry. A hour after having lunch I felt like I did not eat anything yet. So I decided to cook rice and ate with kimchi that was free and available in fridge, academy sent it to us every week. Hence other friends traveled on weekend or went to club, pub or good restaurant and SM, so kimchi was not touched except me. I used to ask ¨how can Korean people eat rice with kimchi only, it´s very spicy and only vegetable¨ when watching Korean movie. And now if you ask me the same question, I can answer clearly that it is not only a vegetable meal, it is so amazing! I constantly ate 6 meals only rice and kimchi bonus a cup of water and the results were my face had a lot of pimples and then I had trouble with my digestion like having digestive disorder. What could I do? Nothing! I did not tell my family, it only made them worry me. I also did not tell my friends, we just met several weeks, they might not understand and laugh me. I did not wanna take risks. I remembered the time spending to buy clothes over $100 per time, equivalent to 6,000 peso. The time spent more $200 for 3 - 4 days travelling because of a little of sorrow but after a time sorrow came back naturally. It made me quite hurt. ¨How did I live¨ - that question repeated in my mind nearly all the time I stayed in Baguio and until now.

If you were me, what would you do? I bet that you were not me, you were better than me. I always thought the whole world revolved around me! That I could get the job easily. That always has someone who was available to help me when I failed. That everything could be solved by money. That money could be earned anytime. But rice & kimchi told me another true, very reality!

I wish someone told me that ¨Let go, go far to see who you are¨ instead of telling me ¨Don´t go, you are super and safe here¨. I believed the define of myself who everyone expected from. Like you can listen to and follow up the advice of people who are successful and famous easily but it´s difficult for you to listen to its from someone that is fail. But the most important is, have you ever listened to yourself, your heart, your desire and dream naturally? Have you ever wanted to overcome your limitation? Have you ever wanted to fight with myself to change your life?

I could convert $100 into 6,000 peso for exchanging entertainment and food and traveling in Baguio but I didn´t. I always kept $100 in my book but only 200 peso in my pocket. I knew it was time I should learn the lesson of my living attitude. Humble attitude is the important thing in life to see who we are!

#Tell me your story that changes your life please!