An Inspired Newcomer Here!

An exploration of the world of blogging

Hello everyone! This is Simplybil from Cebu, Philippines. I am 44 years old and a mother of two daughters. I've been married for 16 years and I am thankful to have a responsible husband. This is my first time joining the world of blogging, and I find it amazing because I can now use my free time for writing, where I can enhance myself and learn more new things around us. I have the chance to get to know others through writing. I am also excited to read the stories of different bloggers from all over the world.

My Biography

I am very simple, the way I dress up is plain and I can easily get along with others. During my younger years, I didn't have any beautiful dresses or shoes bought from the mall because my parents prioritized food and our education. My mother is a tailor who sews our dresses and blouses personally in our house, while my father is a driver. We live a simple life, with no luxury and no time to hang out because the budget is tight. I did not attempt to complain about the way they raised me because I understand the situation, but what matters most is that we have food to eat and can share it as a whole family.

I am the eldest child and I have two siblings. I have great responsibilities in taking care of them when my parents are out to earn a living. I am the one who cooks food for my siblings when my parents are busy. There are times when both of my younger siblings cry because they are looking for our mother, but I try to comfort them.

I have something to tell you that, at first, surprised me. My father had many relationships before he met my mother, maybe he had five women, including my mother, and he had kids with those different women. He promised us that we would be his last family because he is old and can no longer work hard to support another family, and we accept the situation.

I can say my father is responsible despite his age. He allowed me to study in college to get a Bachelor's degree in education even though I know we can experience financial difficulties. Life is full of struggles and challenges. When I started college, there were days when I didn't have a transportation allowance, so I needed to walk from school to my boarding house. There were times when I skipped meals because I didn't have money to buy food. The only way to calm me was through sleeping. I wished that my parents would send me money so that I would no longer suffer from hunger. Communication was difficult at that time because cellular phones have not yet been discovered for us to use in case of emergencies. I thought a lot about how I could save myself from hunger, so I contacted my classmates and asked them if I could do their projects and they would pay me a small amount, which was enough to buy food. On the positive side, I pursued my education while trying to find extra income that could cover my allowance and personal needs. Poverty did not stop me instead, I used it as my inspiration to reach my dream and become a teacher.

Exactly, I graduated from college and passed the board exam when my father got ill. We needed to bring him to the hospital for some medication, but the problem was that I didn't have a job yet and didn't have any money. As a responsible daughter, I borrowed money from neighbors for the hospitalization. While he was lying in bed, I asked my mother to take care of him because I had to look for a job so that I could repay all the borrowed money. But life had to end, and my father couldn't bear the pain in his lungs any longer, so he passed away.

A Passionate Teacher

Teaching Reading During Pandemic

Years passed, and I applied to public schools twice for teaching. Luckily, I was accepted, and I am happy that this time I can help my mother and younger siblings with their education. Despite all the hardships in life, I am thankful to God that I have been connected to the Department of Education for 16 years. Currently, I am teaching Grade 6, with 30 learners, and managing all 8 subjects from morning until afternoon.

Being a teacher, mentor, and second mother at school is challenging work to do. Having learners with different abilities, knowledge, and behavior could definitely test the patience of a teacher. It is my utmost desire that I can have a productive and well-disciplined individual. I never stopped giving them moral lessons and motherly advice because, as I have observed, children nowadays behave differently compared to my generation. All of my efforts paid off when they started learning new insights and responding in class. It has been my achievement when struggling learners showed improvements every day.

My Fantastic Hobbies

Aside from writing in my free time, I also love cooking, gardening, biking, exploring beautiful places, and taking care of chickens and pigs. I cultivate different vegetables at home and school. Sometimes I harvested some of them and cook them for my children. Above all, I really enjoy cooking different dishes for my family and visitors.

Who brought me here?

_{Photo taken from @naymhapz}

I am very thankful that I have been allowed to join Hive. I am so grateful to my brilliant friend @naymhapz, together with @indayclara , @ybanezkim26 , and @intoy.bugoy who finally introduced and discussed us to this beautiful and helpful platform that will surely help boost my confidence in writing. Let us enjoy every moment because life is precious. Hope you will follow my next blog. Thank you for spending your time with me.