A Sister from Another Mother

         Good day everyone. Today, I will introduce to you one of my best friends. Her name is Jen, currently a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science at the University of Cordilleras in Baguio City. Our friendship began last 2019. Before that, we only knew each other as classmates. She was a friend of my cousin, who happened to introduced me to her. Admittedly, we were not really sure when we started being best friends. To my best knowledge and her recollection, it all started when we come together at the canteen with our other friends to have lunch. From then on, we became friends who go out together and even become partners or groupmates in class activities. We also learned to have each other's back in times of need or should say loneliness.

 

        So, who is Jen in the eyes of her friends? In my point-of-view I would like to think and describe Jen as a very jolly person, She always wears a smile on her face. She is an out-going person who likes to be around her friends whenever possible. She always has a ready smile and is definitely a caring friend. Her attitude towards life is that of always finding the best in every situation. I noticed that it seems nothing can dampen her spirits aside maybe from the hustle and bustle of city life. She told me that Baguio City requires a fast-paced lifestyle, far from what she is used to in her hometown. Although she will not shy away to go out with us for some meals, she confided that a simple, chill life is better.

 

But who is Jen really? Let us know more about her including her hobbies and aspirations.

        Ms. Jen is a member of the Kankana-ey ethnolinguistic group, one of the many groups under the Igorot ethnolinguistic group. Ms. Jen hailed from Kapangan, Benguet where her parents grew up with, but she is currently residing at Baguio City with her sister while she is taking her bachelor’s degree.

 

        She grew up in a place where she is exposed to the beauty of nature. Based on her description of their place, which happens to be in the mountains, she is surrounded by trees, grasses, and rivers. She recalled that it is not uncommon to be awoken by the sounds of roosters and birds or to wake up after smelling the freshly brewed coffee made by her father. She recalled that last time she went home, she planted several plots of string beans which she hoped will be sold when they produce fruits. There are also times that she would go with her friends to tend to some reforestation plots in the mountains. Due to this, she finds living in rural areas better than living in highly urbanized locations.

 

        And perhaps due to her early exposure to nature, she had developed a passion for documenting its beauty. Her hobbies include landscape and wildlife photography, reading, gardening, and outdoor activities such as hiking and biking. Although she took Bachelor of Science in Political Science, she had experienced working in the field as a wildlife researcher by participating in fieldworks whenever she could. This provided an opportunity for her to not only visit other places but also to get exposed to the life of other people.

 

        Speaking of travels and fieldworks, here are some photographs she had taken while at home and during those travels. I am grateful for the opportunity she had given me to use these photographs.

        This was one of the many waterfalls she encountered during her hike. This one is located in the forest in their community which according to her is accessible to locals.

 

        She mentioned earlier that she also loves wildlife photography. Here is a picture of the frog she helped collected when she participated in the survey of amphibians and reptiles in the forest ecosystem in Carranglan way back in 2017. According to her, this specie of frog is found only in the Philippines and only in clean rivers and streams in the mountains.

 

        She is also an avid bird-watcher, that is, she loves documenting the different species of birds. She has several books on bird identification and a pair of binoculars to watch birds in their area. She fondly recalled how one time she helped a woodpecker escape from a net established by a hunter. She was really happy that she was able to let that poor bird escape the trap.

        Aside from doing fieldwork, Jen also dabbles in gardening. This is even before the words “plantito” or “plantita” became common. This was a photograph of one of the plants she bought from a garden show in UP Los Banos in Laguna.

 

    Jen, being an adventurous person do not shy away from outdoor activities. Here she is, inspecting one of the upland rice fields in their community. This was taken during their hike to one of the nearby mountains in the area. She mentioned that she certainly misses the opportunity to move around and go hiking due to the restrictions imposed due to the quarantine. Staying at home for a very long period tends to get boring according to her. Luckily, she has pets and books to help during this quarantine period.

 

        Listening to her adventure stories, I become more interested in her life and in a way, I was inspired to follow her hobbies as I am not as an out-going person compared to her. What she does instill curiosity and awe. Hopefully, I will have the opportunity to join her adventures.

 

        So what are her future plans? Jen aspires to be a successful lawyer while also keeping her hobbies. She plans to take the Board Exam or to take a Master’s Degree. But for now, she is looking forward to finish her studies while also keeping on doing what makes her happy despite the hectic schedule associated with a student’s life. Together, we will reach our dream and will continue to inspire one another to achieve our goals in life and to be a productive part of the society.