Few Mondays Changing My Succeeding Days

 Asian Festival 2013

    From the first Monday of 2013 that I was able to sit in his class, my Mondays with him and with my classmates had then became so different from the previous Mondays of my life. The timing was indeed perfect because the class came in at the time when there were a lot of reflection papers to be done in other subjects and reflecting has then become challenging. That class came in at the perfect timing because it has re-defined to me what reflection really is. The way that the discussion flowed has something to do with how we are able to think over how things were usually done, how we had been submissive to the system, how evasive changes has been for us and how we had been perceiving and acting upon on the call of the times. Ever since that first Monday, the act of reflecting has been an exciting and fruitful journey. Since then, reflection has become so vital and much beautiful. 

    We started with a very mind-enriching introduction about culture. I thought that I had understood what culture means until Sir Gois posed to us several points to think about and that has revealed to me that something to be attentive about is how culture is for us, and how it is really a part of our life or not a part of us anymore. I had then found myself so guilty for seeing culture as something being put into exhibit. I had witnessed and in a way, supported culture becoming more of a commodity and a showcase activity. And that class really challenged me to go beyond that. Though culture is something not clearly defined and not easy to define, it is certain that our culture is part of who we are. However, we negotiate our identities every day. We are constantly changing and it is part of dynamics of culture. If culture does not evolve, it becomes static. It dies. In a way, I was able to see human beings to be like that. We are constantly changing, not just biologically but in all aspects. In a deeper sense as well, if we remain so stock in just one way of thinking, one way of doing, and then confined in a box forever, we are also losing much in our lives. 

    The concepts introduced in Asian Studies are what seemed to be like a paradox to me. One of the first statements that struck me is this: the first thing to know about Asia is that we don’t know Asia. Sounds weird, but upon reflecting on it, it is really making sense. I had lived 22 years in Asia but I don’t it yet fully, not even Philippines or even just the Visayas island. Our discussion about Asia’s history of discovery and colonization is also a realization to me that arrived like a paradox. We were so diverse and when we realize our differences, part of our psyche is a struggle of preserving identities and independence. But once we become independent, we should think as well of how we will deal another struggle, as the struggle becomes inside. In my personal life, I think I had several instances of fighting for freedom as well, and then moving the struggle within, addressing doubts and conquering fears, and then, learning lessons. I can also say now that Asian Studies class is a class that has enlarged the classroom. It has enlarged the classroom into Asia and into the world! 

    The journey towards understanding Sufism as one of the worldviews and that of my classmates was a journey of entering the socio-political and cultural milieu of the previous time in which they emerged and how that had triggered transformational processes. As Professor Gois said in class, if we stay stock in the realm of religion, we will have problems in interpreting our life today. Whatever it is that we believe, we should have deeper understanding on it and appreciation of how it could make us better persons yet still critical, sensitive and responsive to what we are called to do in the present times. And so, therefore, true to what has been said in the beginning, the views that we had been holding, defending and using as guides in our living, will then have an impact not just to ourselves but to the society as we promote peace and fight any form of violence and injustice. 

    Asian Studies will also be a very memorable subject for me because of the Asian Festival. It felt like we had placed the entire Asia in a single room. It felt like we were trying to put the different periods of history in a single event. What has made that night different from all the other nights was our convergence itself. As I’ve said before, coming together was not easy! We were really so diverse and our differences had even made the meetings and the practices, all the preparations and everything that goes along with it, much exciting and challenging. There were some misunderstanding and little tensions, communication barriers, and different point of views on how things are to be done--- and that was understandable as we come from different backgrounds and has varied cultures and beliefs. Looking back, I was able to say that the event was successful not just because of the positive feedback from our guests but more so of our harmonious convergence. Our success comes from being able to work as one despite our differences. We can all work together for a common goal, and then triumphed. From that moment, therefore, I was able to capture the energy, the courage and the inspiration that I can always hold on most especially in facing adversities caused by our differences. 

    The attempt to have a much analytical look of the situation of street children in the Philippines has also challenged me to be critical. When this world is really an awesome place to live in, I had to recognize that there are so many things that have to be changed in this world. And our Asian Studies class is actually a persistent call for me to be part of the struggle for change. We could be happy to be called as social workers, priests, nuns, development workers and so on, for it gives us something to do. But in one of our sessions, Sir Gois has asked us to think, and really think. He challenged us to reflect on what we are actually been doing. Have we questioned when will the problem end, or are we just embracing the idea of just keeping the issues years and years? We were challenged to come out of our comfort zones and go beyond. 

    This is a world where there is so much to fight for. But before anything else, we should start by really believing that there is something out there worth fighting for. We could not just continue thinking only for ourselves. We could not just accept how things are because we felt we are really not affected that much. We should find what we can do to make this world better and fair. Asian Studied has helped me re-discover the world with more understanding eyes and responsive soul. There is not just one way of looking at the problem. We should value and encourage collective thinking and find the richness therein on the sharing of views and acting together. 

     Asian Studies is not just a subject but a process. This is a process that has helped me feel free to think and reflect and then motivated me to see in a different, and a brand new lens what can I be part of. We could go out into the world as someone with a master’s degree but what is the use of that if we had not been of impact to the larger classroom? Change could come not so fast but our willingness to be part of the process and instead of maintaining the systems, challenging them, could actually be doing some impact. As Sir Gois said and I had found myself accepting the challenge, something we have to work out in our generation is how we develop the great capacity to reflect and then to lead change. We should bring in much thinking into the process especially that the struggle we are faced with could have last for hundred years. This is a struggle that we should not surrender easily, and at the times that we are already on the fight, we should grip in at those moments. 

      Asian Studies has helped me a lot in my process of becoming critical and appreciative at the same time. It has helped me towards becoming someone who is reflective and hopeful. My greatest glory then, is to be someone who can bring out change everyday, someone who has never given up the fire that has burnt, and the hope that can be passed on to others and to this planet. And as my life goes on, my struggle towards peace, justice and integrity of creation goes on too. And that was how few Mondays of 2013 spent with him had then changed all the days of my weeks for a lifetime.