☺

jessa

—

Everyday Stories, Lived

Relationships

  • First new year as …

    Sure, we have different stories to tell about all our firsts. Still, we often retell them through rose-tinted lenses, always beautiful and romantic. We always find joy in our firsts: first time to hold hands, first time to embrace, and first time to kiss. For me, today is my first time spending the new year… Read more

    —

    in

    , ,

  • Social events

    Joining an academic social event means you have to interact with other people and internationals, get to know them better, and share academic insights as the direction of conversation permits. And I noticed that people with the same interests could also share the same energy towards certain activities, such as socialization. While others can still… Read more

    —

    in

    , , ,

  • Being the foreigner

    Being in a foreign land is exciting, and it feels like all your senses are heightened because you start to hear things you’ve never heard before, like foreign languages. But then, the more you listen in to the words you don’t understand, the more they become muted like white noise until you move on to… Read more

    —

    in

    , , ,

  • Becoming a burst of sunshine

    Being there for somebody else, especially when you help them see a kind of tomorrow they never imagined possible (yet), makes you a burst of sunshine in their lives, revealing a beautiful landscape no one sees in the dark. Read more

    —

    in

    , ,

  • Proximity, shared experiences, and fostering relationships

    We often get attracted to people we often spend time with. Why? Because we begin to know them deeply the more we have shared experiences with them. And they will also have the opportunity to know more about us as we interact with one another. The words we say and the things we do reveal… Read more

    —

    in

    , ,

  • The little sparks before the fire

    If you let the little sparks of annoyance vex you, you can feel how your nose starts to burn. And then your heartbeat picks up its pace. You start to breathe in and out heavily as if the surge of your emotions cannot be contained. Now, you are in a moment of choice: add wood… Read more

    —

    in

    , ,

  • Hard words break no bones

    Even when you scream the most vile thing you can imagine, those words would only harden someone’s heart against you. But to speak kindly breaks bones. Done right, kind words bring you favor. It’s something I learned from: By forbearance a ruler may be persuaded,And a soft tongue breaks the bone.Proverbs 25:15 (NASB1995) Read more

    —

    in

    , , ,