the perils of

Just got back the from a trip to Manila with my coworkers in local government. In all my years as a working professional, this was the first work-related out-of-town thing I'd been invited to. So I was pretty nervous. But the days came and went really quickly. And I'm happy that I got to know my fellow LGU people better. And I got some sage advice from one of the older Sangguniang Bayan members during a brief, random heart-to-heart moment while standing in line for ice cream.  I told him about the pickle I've been in with Rap, where we don't know where to go after our Doctors to the Barrios contract ends in December. I've been pushing for Nasipit, while he has been pushing for South Cotabato.  SB said we have to pick a place where we'll both be happy. If I force him to go to Nasipit, where he has no roots, no friends, and no family, this could cause tensions to build in the relationship and possibly drive a wedge between us.  I could say the same for South Cotab...

These days, I've been so restless.  I woke up one night at 2 AM to two shadowy figures shining a flashlight into my apartment window. I was frozen, confused, disoriented, unsure whether I was still dreaming. As my brain powered on, I realized the shadows were indeed descending the back wall of my apartment, coming towards me, and that this was, in fact, real life.  I didn't know what to do. Ignore them? Call the cops? Make a sound? Turn on the lights? Bar the doors? What if they have a gun and decide to kill me? I should warn the other people in the apartment.  My body felt like a rock. After what felt like hours of being frozen, I managed to command myself to unfreeze, hide under the blanket, and reach for my phone.  Is anyone awake? My fingers felt heavy as lead as I pulled up the apartment group chat.  Two strangers on the back wall of my apartment. Lock your doors. Be alert  Peeping out from other the blanket, the intruders had now passed my apartment a...