#Nursing Abroad Opportunities

[arjunbnair]

Searching for lucrative nursing jobs abroad: the gateway to global healthcare opportunities.

The world of nursing has come a long way since the days of working in a hospital in your home town. Today, nursing jobs are popping up all over the world, offering exciting and fulfilling opportunities for healthcare professionals who want to take their skills abroad. In this article, we’ll look at why nursing jobs abroad are so popular and how they’ve become a great entry point into global healthcare for nurses who want to expand their knowledge and skills. The appeal of nursing jobs abroad There are many reasons why nursing jobs abroad have become so popular. First, they provide nurses with the opportunity to work in different healthcare settings, learn different techniques, and be exposed to a wide variety of medical conditions around the world. This global experience not only enhances a nurse’s professional development, but can also help them pay off student loans and save for future endeavors. Financial incentives are also a big factor in the popularity of nursing jobs abroad. Many countries, especially Middle East countries, offer very competitive salaries and benefits packages. These packages often include tax-free incomes, accommodation, healthcare benefits, and transportation allowances.

Various Nursing Positions Abroad

Internationally, a vast range of nursing jobs are accessible, accommodating different specializations and interests. Typical possibilities include:

Travel nursing: This enables nurses to take on brief assignments in other nations while learning about local cultures and healthcare systems. Permanent Placement: Nurses can find jobs abroad that are permanent, frequently in nations where there is a dearth of medical personnel. Volunteer nursing has a significant impact on global health since many nurses opt to offer their services in underdeveloped areas. Experienced nurses who want to share their knowledge and expertise with healthcare professionals in other nations can take on teaching and training responsibilities.

Frequently Visited Places for Nursing Jobs Abroad

Although there are nursing possibilities in many nations, several locations are renowned for their need for international nursing staff. These consist of:

United Arab Emirates: With excellent pay and a cutting-edge healthcare system, the UAE is a popular destination for nurses looking for opportunities abroad.

United States: The USA continues to be a prominent destination for nurses from around the world due to the ongoing demand for healthcare professionals.

United Kingdom: To help with staffing shortages in the country's healthcare system, the NHS accepts nurses from other countries.

Both Australia and Canada have strong healthcare systems and aggressively seek out foreign nurses to fill open posts.

Challenges and Thoughts to Consider On

Although the idea of nursing work overseas is thrilling, it's important to be aware of the difficulties that come with it. It might be difficult to acclimatize to diverse healthcare systems, cultural norms, and licensing requirements. When beginning an international nursing career, nurses should also take into account the effects on their personal life and families.

In conclusion, nursing positions overseas offer fantastic chances for nurses to advance their careers, encounter different cultures, and have a significant impact on the world of medicine. Nurses may open up a world of options in the healthcare industry with the correct training and attitude, and they can also reap financial benefits that can completely change their lives.

In the end, choosing a nursing career overseas is more than just a change of employment; it's a life-changing journey that enables nurses to serve as global healthcare ambassadors and advance healthcare systems around the world. Nursing jobs abroad may therefore be the next chapter in your wonderful journey if you're a nurse thinking about expanding your horizons.

[edwisefoundation]

10 Best Abroad Study Courses for Nepalese Students After High School

Choosing the right course after high school is a critical decision for Nepalese students aspiring to study abroad. The blog post on "10 Best Abroad Study Courses" highlights key academic programs that provide global exposure and align with Nepal’s growing job market. From Computer Science & IT to Nursing and Biotechnology, these fields offer promising career opportunities both abroad and back home in Nepal. Each program focuses on building essential skills, like advanced software use in Civil Engineering, or developing financial modeling expertise in International Business.

Explore the full list of top courses here for more details!

[studyhiveimmigration]

Exciting Job Opportunities for Nurses in Germany! 🇩🇪 Join a healthcare system known for its excellence and innovation. Explore a fulfilling career with competitive salaries, advanced training, and a chance to make a real difference in patients' lives. Apply now and take your nursing career to new heights!

[astrobiscuits]

Astrocartography notes

🌍 Do you want to study abroad? Work abroad? Your MC lines show what domain to pursue:

Sun MC: photographer, actor; check the planet ruling your Sun's zodiac sign for more details

Moon MC: nurse, preschool/elementary teacher, childcare worker/nanny, doula, housekeeper

Mercury MC: librarian, language teacher, speech language pathologist, translator, working in academia, journalist, PR agent, receptionist, secretary, architect, economist, comedian

Venus MC: modelling, artist, fashion designer, hairstylist, makeup artist, art director, interior designer, garden designer, florist, wedding planner

Mars MC: surgeon, firefighter, working at the police, sportsman (the type of sport depends on the zodiac sign Mars is in your birth chart, for ex. Mars in Pisces = football, swimming; Mars in Libra = gymnastics); fitness instructor

Jupiter MC: international driver (driving to your Jupiter MC line brings bonusess💰💰), flight attendant, hotel manager, tour guide, philosopher

Saturn MC: general practitioner, dentist, law, working in the Parliament, working in public institutions, business (CEO), historian, construction worker

Uranus MC: STEM (engineering, ecology sciences, biology), electrician, weather presenter, astronomer/astrophysicist, astrologer, sociology, social worker, advocate for human rights/activist

Neptune MC: choreographer, scenographer, film/theater director, actor, ballet dancer, music composer, rehabilitation worker, bartender, yoga instructor, meditation teacher, reiki practitioner

Pluto MC: adult actor, therapist, psychiatrist, any job regarding forensics (detective, toxicologist, forensic accountant etc.), embalmer, funeral director, loan officer, research analyst

🌍 If you have no astrocartography lines passing through the country you lived for most of your life, you probably don't feel at home in that country and have always wanted to relocate to another country

🌍 When you have atleast 2 lines "conjuncting" each other through a certain country, the planet that is more dominant in your birth chart will have a higher effect in astrocartography

🌍 Mercury IC line can show where one of your siblings or cousins relocate at some point during their life

🌍 If you're a girl and you have daddy issues (hey, we don't judge here!!), travelling to Saturn DSC line will likely bring you lots of opportunities of meeting your perfect partner, but also harsh lessons regarding control in a relationship (this is a good line for you to heal your daddy issues)

🌍 If you want to meet your future spouse and you (personally) find international guys attractive, travelling to Jupiter DSC line is a very good idea. Your future spouse might also be a foreigner in that country, just like you :)

🌍 Sun ASC line shows you where you can find your life's purpose. Also your depression:📉📉 0%, while your happiness:📈📈 100% (unless your Sun is in your 8th or 12th house, then the mental health effect is the complete opposite)

🌍 You could give birth on your Moon IC line😳 or your mom could have given birth to you on that line

🌍 Venus ASC line shows you where you could take lots of pictures (of yourself, of the sightseeings). Also, where you could get diabetes where you will want to try every type of sweets you find there

🌍 You will either get very drunk, consume drugs or smoke some weird shit on your Neptune ASC line (pls take care of your health)

🌍 You could randomly meet an ex or someone who resembles your ex while travelling to your Chiron DSC line

[mana-jjk]

thinking really hard about a college au because i enjoy them a lot more than high school aus.

yuuta - pre-med, in school to become a doctor

toge - divided between computer science and dropping out of college to pursue opening his own café with a garden.

maki - pre-law, in school to become a lawyer

panda - zoology

yuuji - business degree that he’s just doing for his grandfather, will graduate but goes on to be a firefighter.

megumi - animal sciences, going on to enter veterinarian school to become a vet.

nobara - fashion design/marketing degree

gojo - a sadistic physics professor with multiple degrees, both through education and honorary, because he got bored. sometimes he picks students out to give full-ride scholarships, because he self-proclaims having too much money.

getou - philosophy professor that enjoys playing the devils advocate and watching his students squirm.

shoko - oversees the university hospital and occasionally recruits for the pre-med program

nanami - graduated with a business degree, agreed to give yuuji an internship

ijichi - gojo’s overworked TA

i just think maki and yuuta would struggle through graduate school together. their cabinets would be full of instant ramen, cabbage, junk food, and ungodly amounts of coffee. the only real food they get is because toge cooks for them and gives them the stink eye every time he opens their cabinet.

toge doesn’t really have room to talk though, he overworks himself and ends up going far too long without sleep. hours on assignments that make him miserable, burned out from the moment every semester starts. too often does yuuta find him dissociating, something he’s all too familiar with. yuuta himself suffers from insomnia, so it’s not uncommon for him to settle on the couch and run his fingers through toge’s hair until his eyes close.

toge probably had a really difficult time getting the courage to either drop out or just really not use his degree as intended. i can’t picture him genuinely enjoying higher education. even in this happy, no one dies world, his family is with the second years for a reason. computer science was appeasing enough, but the unhappiness is so draining that everyday getting up and going to class feels so impossible. he feels his happiest at the gardening club, cooking for his friends, not sitting in a lecture hall with a preview to what awaits him. but ultimately, i think the independence and knowledge that he wasn’t alone or abandoned was enough to push him into the decision. luckily enough he was a scholarship winner (gojo lol) so he wasn’t in debt, and gojo even offered to fund him through culinary school with the promise of free sweets forever.

with yuuta, i think his history of being hospitalized and the accident with rika (who is not dead here !! but she was paralyzed and had to move with a different family member who was able to support her) definitely pushed him to medical degrees. he was probably stuck between being a physical therapist, nurse, and full-fledged doctor. he still keeps in contact with rika, who is one of his biggest supporters when it comes to his goal, but he has a mental breakdown every week thinking about getting a medical degree. shoko definitely takes notice of his talent, and has extended opportunities to intern with her. gojo also found that they were distantly related, and not only paid for his entire education, but also the apartment he rents with maki and toge. he tried refuting, but gojo kept insisting that he was tapping into the family inheritance that technically belonged to both of them.

toge is more than a little devastated when yuuta decides to study abroad in their undergraduate, i actually think that’s when the fully misery of college hits him. not having an unhealthy classmate and friend to look after forced him to focus on himself, his least favorite pastime. having the first years helped, but it also forces him to reflect how much he cared about yuuta past being a friend too.

anyway, i have so many ideas for this au so um please ask me so i can word vomit everywhere. also normalize more college aus so people like me can still relate lol <3

[ohtobeleah]

Jake Seresin

One-Shots

Best Worst Christmas// After some life altering news. You confide in Hangman which leads you to ticking off something incredibly important on your bucket list.

Roughing It // Jake Seresin begged you, his best friend to go camping with him and Bradley Bradshaw—but not for the innocent reasons you might think. A simple camping trip turns into something much more unholy.

Concussed In Love // When Bradley & Jake take their playful banter to a new level, Jake ends up with a concussion. Bradley knows all to well the hell he just created when he knows there’s a pretty good chance you’ll be your fiancés attending ER nurse.

GQ— Man of the Year // After the events of TopGun, Jake Hangman Seresin finds himself being awarded the prestigious GQ, Man of the Year award. With his best friend in toe—Jake finds himself in a whirlwind of confessing his undying love for his best friend.

Way Down We Go // Burnout isn't an academic exercise. No. It's an all-consuming, systemic condition. It's your entire body sending you one clear message. Something has to change and it has to change now.

Scream // When home alone on Halloween Eve, someone keeps calling you from an unknown number. As fear begins to consume you and panic builds as you run for your life, the masked stranger really takes advantage of the pretty girl he’s decided to hunt down. (Halloween Special)

Series

Was It Over? // When Jake is tasked with taking his kids this festive season, he never though he’d get a call in the middle of the night that would change his life. Marriage is tougher than it seemed on paper—but whats harder than accepting your marriage is crumbling around you is watching you ex wife slowly fade away.

Secret Sacrifices // Jake’s got his eyes set on the new Hard Deck Bartender who seemingly appeared out of nowhere. With a traumatic past and hundreds of secrets to keep close to your chest—it’s hard to play ‘pretend’ when everything feels so real with a certain Naval Lieutenant who won’t take no for an answer.

Bruises // After a mission goes south, Jake finds himself captured by insurgents that show no remorse. But what’s worse than knowing he failed his mission? Knowing that the Weapons Systems Officer who trusted him to bring her home safe was in the same cell as him. Collecting bruises that match his own. (Complete)

To Have & To Hold // Jake Hangman Seresin had been called a lot of things. But a good husband? Wasn’t one of those things. Being called back to TopGun has him trying all over again to win over the love of his life. His ex not yet divorced wife. You. Lieutenant Commander Y/n Seresin. (Complete)

I.R.I.S // When Jake Deadman Seresin spilled some drinks on you at the Hard Deck, the last thing he thought would come of that would be an entanglement that could ruin his entire career.

Father, Son & The Holy Shit // Jakes son, Kian Seresin is dating Y/n Y/n, or to be more specific, Y/n Bradshaw. Bradley Bradshaws estranged daughter from a relationship that past him by. What happens when Jake starts to develop an extremely dangerous kink that may involve messing around with his son’s girlfriend.

Roll Of The Dice // When Jake ‘Hangman’ Seresin is brought back to TopGun, he ultimately has to face the gut wrenching truth that the woman he loves is never coming back. (On Hiatus)

Minimal Losses // A suspected serial murderer is posted abroad. Liaising with the NCIS, special agent Y/n Y/l/n is tasked with an undercover investigation after the FBI uncovers that her killer is…Navy. With the help of the Navy’s finest special detachment crew—Lieutenant Jake ‘Hangman’ Seresin soon meets his unlikely life partner.

Two Part Series

Nosebleed Section // Jake ‘Hangman’ Seresin & Y/n ‘Brawler’ Abbott have only one thing in common. They suck at communicating their feelings. So when a bar fight breaks out? Things start to bubble to the surface. (Complete)

Kink.com // You’re offered an opportunity you just can’t refuse ~ To shoot a kink .com video with Jake Seresin and Bradley Bradshaw, two of the worlds most renowned BDSM dominants. (Complete)

[krikeymate]

I had a thought! What if we put Sam in Wednesday as Wednesday's big sister... Wednesday is still very much Wednesday, but Sam (we can rename her, but I have no ideas right now :P) and Wednesday have a different bond. I imagine it could be similar to how Wednesday reacts to Uncle Fester, she just genuinely adores him and can't hide it, and it's the same with Sam. So, Sam's the odd one in the family. She loves them, but they're just too weird for her, and she just wants to be normal. So once she's 18, she leaves. She keeps in touch, though. Leaving behind her siblings and especially Wednesday doesn't feel good, but she can't stay either because she's not happy about their parents' parenting style. She knows they mean well, but she's incredibly over-protective, and watching her parents poison the food or celebrate the kids for almost killing each other is too much for her. She leaves before the relationship between her and her parents can get even more strained because it gets harder and harder for her to watch it happen.

Since she's keeping in touch, she knows that things grow difficult between Wednesday and the parents, too. Wednesday is getting in too much trouble, and her parents don't seem to have it handled at all. So Sam returns, but Wednesday has already been sent to Nevermore. Sam visits her there. Maybe she even takes a job as a teacher later on, to be closer to her sister. God, imagine how much fun it would be to watch Sam absolutely lose it because she's trying to keep Wednesday safe and out of trouble, but Wednesday is an absolute nightmare to keep safe. Like, she understands that Wednesday wants to solve crimes and stuff and that her sister is weirdly fascinated by it, BUT Wednesday's way of solving crimes is literally walking into traps and seeing what happens next... Sam would have a horrible time as Wednesday's big sister :P

Also, Sam getting her hands on Tyler after the season 1 showdown... she always thought that Wednesday was the violent one in the family. Turns out she has a pretty violent side, too, and she even enjoys it :D And Wednesday watching Sam do her thing with Tyler... she adores her big sister even more after it.

Ok so like the idea of Morticia and Gomez just having a relatively normal child as their firstborn is so funny to me. Imagine how relieved they are when they finally have Wednesday and she's their normal. They were doubting themselves for a few years there, as their firstborn was nothing like any Addams that came before. It feels like all the Addams' weirdness was saved for their middle child, because even Pugsly doesn't come out quite so strange.

They love all their children and they do their best to raise their firstborn in a way that fits their needs. Despite their differences, Samantha (her name is supposed to be Satana, but the nurse at the hospital misheard her when writing the birth certificate. They call her Satana anyway, until Sam puts her foot down and demands to be called Sam), adores her weird little sister. And Wednesday adores her back, in her own little way. Wednesday is even gentle with her big sister, she didn't even need to be told that her big sister is... special, that she has special needs, Wednesday just knew. Her intelligence and observation skills become apparent so young.

Sam chafes under her unusual family, always feeling like an outsider. Wednesday listens to none but her big sister, will accept advice from no one else. She's on a school trip when Nero gets killed. She comes back to a crushed little sister, quiet and withdrawn. Wednesday pulls away after that, shies away from her touch. Sam lives for the moments she slips her hand into hers anyway. The little moments that remind her that her little sister is still there.

School is a nightmare. Wednesday gets bullied. Sam does her best to scare the bullies away, but it's fruitless, she isn't there to protect her. She learns Wednesday can protect herself. At 18, she gets an opportunity to go to college abroad, to study Psychology. Her family are so so proud, even after they realise it won't involve dissecting brains or lobotomies. Sam's hesitant to go, with all the problems at school Wednesday's been having. Her sister tells her, in her own stoic way, that she is foolish if she were to consider passing up the opportunity (that she'll miss her, that she understands, that Sam needs to find out where she belongs). On the day Sam leaves, Wednesday lets her hug her and kiss her on the cheek. Their father and Pugsley are sobbing and begging her not to leave. Their mother lets out a few tears of her own, her baby is going out in the big wide world alone, going where they can't reach her if she needs her. And so fragile. They try to send Thing with her. Sam reminds them that Wednesday and Pugsley will need Thing more. That she'll be okay. That the world isn't as scary as they fear it is.

Sam gets frequent letters from her parents and Pugsley, tales of Wednesday's schemes and heartfelt I miss you's. She gets one a quarter from Wednesday, all matter-of-fact and a succinct summary of the past months. Then the letters stop for a while, and Sam hears nothing. It worries her. She books the first flight home for Winter break. She learns her little sister almost died. Did die. The way Wednesday brushes it off infuriates her.

She registers for a position in Nevermore. Her mother's wry smile as she passes by her that evening looks suspiciously knowledgeable.

Wednesday goes back to school, exasperated, with her big sister in tow.

Enid LOVES Wednesday's big sister. She's like how the fuck are you two related. She gets major hero worship for Sam. Wednesday gets SO WEIRD about it. She feels possessive over Sam. She feels possessive over Enid. Sam's the one who realises Wednesday is jealous, and that's she's jealous because she has a crush. She is so excited to finally get to tease her sister about something so normal. She'll cherish Wednesday's blushing face for the rest of her days.

When Tyler comes back, Sam realises she really is an Addams after all. Wednesday has always reiterated that Sam is an Addams, no matter how abnormal she may be, but she's never felt it until the moment she blinks and finds herself over a bleeding body, her awestruck little sister smiling up at her from the floor. The bruises on her cheek, around her neck, they fill her with an all-encompassing rage that she grinds her teeth to hold back. She steps away and picks her sister up - too enamoured to care that her reputation is being ruined. Sam finally gave into the darkness, and she did it for her. This is the best day of Wednesday's life.

[irithnova]

Notes on "Empire of Care : Nursing and Migration in Filipino American History"

Filipino nurse migration to the United States is just one aspect of a larger global flow of predominantly female migrants from the Philippines to over 130 countries.

This migration trend contrasts with early Philippine immigration, which consisted mainly of male labourers to the United States

The migration of highly skilled nurses across borders is both a celebratory sign of their training and expertise but also highlights global power dynamics, where nurses from countries with severe nursing shortages migrate to provide care in highly developed countries like the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

Despite the important role of Filipino nurse migrants, little is known about their development and experiences.

Existing studies often group Filipino nurse migrants with other Asian professional migrants, which masks the unique aspects of their migration.

These studies often explain Filipino nurse migration through U.S. immigration legislation and economic opportunities, such as the 1965 U.S. Immigration Act and nursing shortages after World War II.

The "brain drain" theory is commonly used to explain professional migration from Asian countries, suggesting that professionals leave due to a lack of opportunities and economic incentives in their home countries.

Filipino nurse migrants are sometimes depicted as impersonal objects of study, preventing a comprehensive understanding of their multidimensional roles as historical agents, professionals, women, and immigrants.

The migration of highly skilled nurses reflects a global power structure where countries with nursing shortages, including the Philippines, send nurses to provide professional nursing care in highly developed countries like the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. The World Health Organization (WHO) report highlights the inequitable distribution of nurses worldwide, with developing countries having only 15 percent of the world's nurses despite housing two-thirds of the world's population (Empire of Care).

The culture of migration, shaped by narratives about the promise of immigration to the United States, including media portrayals and experiences shared by Filipino nurse migrants already in the U.S, plays a significant role in motivating Filipino nurses to seek opportunities abroad.

U.S. hospital recruiters actively collaborate with Philippine travel and recruitment agencies to aggressively recruit Filipino nurses, shedding light on what some researchers call the "institutionalisation of migration." However, these aspects are often overlooked in research, leaving a "critical void" in understanding the dynamics of Filipino nurse migration.

The lack of study about the exploitation faced by Filipino nurses from both Philippine and American recruiters and their American hospital employers is concerning. Additionally, the scapegoating of Filipino immigrants during challenging political times and the absence of professional solidarity between Filipino and American nurses remain underexplored issues.

The studies that include Filipino nurse migrants also marginalise and simplify the complex and dynamic history of the colonial relationship between the United States and the Philippines.

Pervasive myths of U.S. exceptionalism and benevolence persist and influence the perception of colonial history, downplaying the violent conquest of the Philippines and the racialized hierarchies it created. These myths are also perpetuated in contemporary times through media narratives about immigration and the incorporation of the "Third World" into the United States.

Despite their highly educated and skilled backgrounds, professional Asian immigrants, including Filipino nurses, still face resentment and hostility, as exemplified by the case of nuclear physicist Wen Ho Lee.

Foreign nurses, especially Filipino nurses, have been criticised for "taking jobs" from American nurses, leading to debates about their immigration and examination requirements. This criticism often overlooks the complex factors involved in Filipino nurse migration and the collaboration between Philippine and U.S. entities in facilitating the process. It also implies that Filipino nurses exploit the United States, rather than the reality of the situation (the United States exploiting Filipino nurses).

The history of U.S. colonialism in the Philippines perpetuated the interrelated myths of "white love" and "little brown brothers." These myths claimed that Americans embraced their colonial subjects with benevolence and enlightened American systems of education, infrastructure, and public health. Not only does this further promote the myths of American benevolence and American exceptionalism , it portrays Americans as superior to their Filipino counterparts in a racialised hierarchy.

American Exceptionalism in this context means Americans juxtaposing themselves against their "Brutal, European counterparts" in order to paint themselves as a benevolent force in the Philippines.

[lveclouds]

↬ pairing/characters: music major dokyeom x nursing major reader, other members will make appearances/be mentioned, some ocs 

↬ genre/aus: fluff, heavy angst, college/university au, non idol au, established relationship, long distance relationship 

↬ summary: in which dokyeom is always there for you, through the good, bad, and the ugly, even when you’re apart. 

↬ rating(s): pg15, nc17 (see warnings) 

↬ tw: heavy swearing, mentions of burnout/stress (brief), mentions of alcohol/mild intoxication (reader and the members get a bit tipsy), mentions of breakdowns (very, very brief), reader works in a hospital, dokyeom is also an absolute sweetheart (wbk), mentions of a long distance relationship (brief)

 ↬ wc: 6.2k

↬ note: hello loves! here is yet another seventeen college au fic :) i absolutely love writing these, and i hope you enjoy reading them <3 also, the title is from a song i’ve been obsessed with lately, and if you can guess what it is, i’ll give you a virtual hug hehe + i also really wanted to write a fluffy, cheesy fic about dorks (affectionate) in love to remind myself that i’m single :’) also, for a visualization of what dokyeom looks like in this fic, think excalibur dokyeom <3

 ↬ disclaimer(s): i am in no way an expert on medicine/nursing, so aspects of that in this fic may be inaccurate. also, i know nothing about italy, so i apologize for any inaccuracies. 

the hospital was a flurry of activity, with nurses flitting about, attending to patients, the obnoxious shrill of the phone ringing every few seconds, no doubt a doctor calling to give yet another order, and patients speaking in low, hushed tones in the waiting room.

 you were currently sitting at your small desk amongst the chaos, head throbbing as you typed out a care plan for a patient who had been hospitalized for a few days post surgery. 

as soon you finished typing out the last set of instructions, you let out a deep sigh, slumping in your blue desk chair. the past few hours had been absolute hell, with a flurry of patients coming in and out of the hospital, along with a near-mishap with medication. 

you felt your heart ache, the way it always did whenever dokyeom drifted to the forefront of your mind. the aforementioned male was currently studying abroad in italy, likely going to fancy restaurants and attending operas every night. 

while you were thrilled that your boyfriend had gotten the opportunity to experience and enrich himself in italian culture, you wished that he were back in seoul, no more than a phone call or text away. it was absolute hell to be apart from him, for he was the person who kept you grounded and sane during the long clinical shifts you had throughout the semester. 

dokyeom was always there, there to support and comfort you in any way he could. one day, during a particular long shift at the hospital, he had stopped by to bring you a bag full of sandwiches from the cafe on campus, insisting that you eat something before you passed out, knowing that you’d probably forget to eat at work. 

then, dokyeom always listened, no matter what. you’d had a terrible habit of rambling and ranting whenever you were stressed or angry, and he would listen attentively, even if it was complete gibberish. he’d always lend you a shoulder to cry on, and was always there to gently wipe away your tears with a tissue or with the soft pad of his thumb, cerulean eyes soft. 

you felt your face grow hot, and soon, you were a sobbing, shaking mess, burying your face into your hands, feeling as if your heart was about to crack entirely. it was pathetic, you supposed, to be crying over your boyfriend as if he’d broken up with you, but you couldn’t help it. 

sniffling, you hastily wiped your tears away with the back of your hands, feeling utterly pathetic. “y/n, are you okay?” a gentle voice said from behind you. “i’m fine.” you mumbled, trying and failing to keep your voice steady. 

you looked over your shoulder to see your best friend, astrid, lingering at the entrance to the nurse’s station, a deep frown etched on her gorgeous face. “you don’t look okay. besides, we’ve been friends for four years now, i can tell when you’re spiraling. what’s wrong?” astrid demanded, albeit gently. 

you let out a shaky sigh. “you’ll think it’s stupid.” astrid rolled her eyes. “i bet i won’t. tell me.” before you could stop yourself, the words flooded out of you, and by the time you were done speaking, tears were rolling down your face once again. a beat of silence, and then, “oh, y/n.” 

astrid crossed the distance between you in no time, pulling you into a hug, and you melted into her embrace, burying your face in the crook of her shoulder. astrid smelled like the perfume she always wore, amber and lavender, and it was almost comforting and familiar.

“it’s that boyfriend you’re always going on and on about, isn’t it?” you let out a small laugh. “y-yeah.” “do i need to kick his ass or slash his tires? did he cheat on you?” astrid demanded, and you chuckled, shaking your head resolutely. “n-no, he’s just studying abroad in italy, and i.. i just miss him.” “how long has it been since you last saw him?” 

“t-three months.” you muttered, feeling your heart ache irrevocably, and felt astrid’s arms tighten around you. “are you able to talk to him at all?” 

“n-no, i mean, w-we text and call sometimes, but with our clinical shifts and the time difference, it’s hard.”  “how about this? as soon as this awful shift ends, let’s go to that stupidly expensive bar downtown and drink away our sorrows.” “y-yeah, i’d like that.” 

italy was quickly becoming one of dokyeom’s favorite places in the world. the food was exquisite and the people were bright and welcoming, but it lacked one thing: his girlfriend. 

god, he missed you, more than anything, and you were all he could think about as he attended operas at the teatro alla scalla in milan and teatro la fenice in venice, and while wandering the streets of sicily, admiring rounded balconies and flowery windowsills. 

though his time in italy had been nothing short of amazing, having been able to attend many opera shows and enriching himself in the culture and cuisine, dokyeom was a bit homesick. he missed the serenity of his college campus and the sharpness and softness of his mother tongue. 

 most of all, dokyeom wished that you had gone with him to study abroad. he could imagine the look of awe and delight on your face as you’d take in the flowery windowsills and the noble palaces of sicily, and how you’d urge him to take pictures. 

“you okay?” dokyeom snapped out of his mini trance, bringing himself back to reality. he was sitting at a corner table in la casa del caffe tazza d’oro with joshua, one of his friends that’d actually decided to study abroad with him, eyebrows drawn together in concern. “i’m fine, i just miss home. that’s all.”

joshua hummed in agreement, downing the rest of his coffee. “tell me about it. as much as italy has amazed me, i’m craving korean food.” “i also miss y/n.” dokyeom mumbled, hoping he wasn’t blushing as he took a bite of his croissant, feeling the powdered sugar dusted on top melt on his tongue. 

joshua’s hazel eyes flashed with understanding. “i miss her too. she’d love it here.” he said wistfully, and dokyeom nodded, feeling his heart ache. i hope she’s eating enough and that she’s holding up okay. “what if we book the next flight out to korea tonight?” dokyeom nearly choked on his croissant. 

“w-what?” he stammered, voice a bit hoarse. “we book a flight out to korea tonight. then, in just a few hours, you’ll be reunited with your lovely girlfriend and i can be back in the warmth and safety of my dorm.” joshua declared, hazel eyes bright.

 “a-are we even allowed to do this?” dokyeom managed, and the former shrugged. “dunno, but the professors that came with us on this trip are probably too exhausted to care.” “i-i should text y/n then, tell her-” “no.” “w-what?” “surprise her!” joshua exclaimed. “w-would that be a good idea? i mean, she doesn’t really like-” “trust me, she’ll love it.” 

dokyeom fought the urge to roll his eyes. “fine, but if she gets pissed at me for it, i’m blaming you.” “go ahead, but promise me, you’ll both thank me later.” “you’re a fucking menace, you know that?” joshua just gave him a smug smile. “sure do.”

that night, you and astrid were at the stupidly expensive bar that you’d discovered during your second year of nursing school, with astrid insisting on paying every time. you were on your second whiskey sour of the night, attempting to drown the stress of nursing school away with alcohol. 

astrid had ordered one cocktail, and then had immediately asked for a glass of water, insisting on driving you back to your dorm. as you guzzled down the drink in your hand, you couldn’t help but wonder what dokyeom was doing right now. is he watching an opera show? or maybe he’s already cheated on me with some gorgeous italian model, and- no. what the hell, y/n? stop overthinking everything. 

“the shift today was absolutely horrible.” you murmured into your glass, and astrid let out a noncommittal grunt in agreement. “tell me about it, the doctors were being extra naggy today. i mean, we’re not superhuman, we only attend to so many patients at a time.” the doctors at the hospital you worked at were notorious for scolding nurses for the smallest things. 

worst of all, most of the doctors at the hospital were predominately male. “i hope they all die alone.” astrid grumbled as she took a sip of her water, crossing one long leg over the other. a comfortable silence fell around you, save for the amicable chatter and soft pop music blaring from the speakers. 

“why have you never introduced me to your boyfriend?” astrid asked after a while, arching a perfectly shaped brow, and you felt your cheeks burn.

 “is he ugly? does he have a weird fetish or something?” you snorted. “no, he’s not ugly, and no, he doesn’t have any weird fetishes, at least, not that i know of.” astrid fixed you with a thoughtful stare, dark hazel eyes like melted chocolate in the amber lighting of the bar.

 “are you ashamed of him?” “w-what? no! i just.. it’s not that i don’t want to introduce him to you, i keep forgetting, i guess.” astrid didn’t look too convinced, but didn’t press further. “ok, but next time he’s in seoul, you better introduce him to me. i need to know if he’s treating you right.” “i will. and don’t worry, astrid, he treats me like royalty.” 

a few hours later, you were curled up on your bed, hugging the penguin plushie that dokyeom had won for you at the campus fair last spring, trying and failing to sleep. it’d been exactly two hours since astrid had dropped you off at campus, and you couldn’t bring yourself to sleep. 

you had gotten used to curling into his side at night, relishing in the warmth that radiated off his body, and feeling secure and safe in his strong arms, that the feeling of sleeping alone felt almost foreign. 

sighing, you closed your eyes once more, trying to will your body to relax, to forget about the lack of warmth beside you, when you heard the front door open. your eyes snapped open. is someone breaking in? 

your heart pounded wildly against your chest as you scrambled out of bed, grabbing the wooden baseball bat that dokyeom insisted you keep close by, and quietly tiptoed out of your room and down the hall, grip tightening on the bat in your hands. 

you braced yourself for who you’d see in the living room. i really, really hope it’s not an axe murderer. the living room was dark, and yet, you could make out the outline of a figure, tall and broad shouldered, and your heart felt as if it could burst out of your chest at any moment. then, the living room lights flickered on, and you swore your heart stopped at who, exactly, stood a few feet away. 

dokyeom was exhausted and extremely jet-lagged from the long flight and was eager to change into comfier clothes and crawl into bed next to you. he had been about to quietly walk to your room when the living room lights flickered on. 

dokyeom froze and looked up to see you standing a few feet away, dark hair adorably mussed and clad in a large white shirt, his shirt, and black sweatpants, face bare of your usual makeup, and he thought you had never looked so gorgeous. 

he also noticed the baseball bat in your hand, which nearly made him laugh, if it’d not been for the hopeful expression on your face  “dokyeom? is that you?” his heart ached at the shakiness in your voice and how your eyes were shimmering with unshed tears.

 “hi darling, did i wake you?” dokyeom couldn’t help the smile that tugged at the corners of his mouth as he opened his arms slightly. “come here.” he mumbled, and you wasted no time, the baseball bat clanging to the floor with a loud thud, running across the carpeted floor and throwing yourself into his arms. dokyeom chuckled softly as you let out a choked sob, burying your face into the crook of his neck, hands bunching the soft fabric of his sweater. 

“i missed you.” you blubbered, and dokyeom held you tighter, pressing a kiss on the top of your head. “i missed you too love, more than you know.” “h-how are you here?” “you can thank joshua hyung for that. he was the one who suggested we book the first flight back to seoul, and i’m sorry for not telling you, he wanted me to surprise you.” 

“remind me to send him a gift basket and an obnoxiously large bouquet of flowers.” you mumbled, and dokyeom huffed a laugh. “i will, and, if anything, i think it’ll boost his already large ego.” that earned him a light smack on the arm. “don’t be rude, kyeom, joshua helped you get back to me, and that’s all that matters. though, you did scare the shit out of me. i thought someone had broken in.” 

dokyeom felt his stomach churn with guilt. fuck, im such an idiot. of course you would be scared if you heard the front door open this late at night. “i’m so sorry for scaring you, i didn’t mean to. i just didn’t want to wake you up in case you were sleeping, and it obviously backfired.” you shook your head. “it’s fine, besides, i couldn’t sleep anyway.”

dokyeom frowned. “why not, love?” you murmured something incoherent, and he sighed, rubbing comforting circles on your back. “darling, you need to speak up, i can’t hear you.” 

“it’s embarrassing and cheesy as shit. you don’t want to know the reason.” you muttered, and dokyeom could imagine the adorable blush that was likely spreading onto your face. “i think i do, actually. i would like to know why the love of my life hasn’t been able to sleep.” you groaned. “fine. icouldn’tsleepwithoutyou.” 

this time, he didn’t fight the grin that spread across his face. “what was that, love? i didn’t quite catch that.” “i couldn’t sleep without you, okay? it’s stupid but i-” “it’s not.” dokyeom reassured you, carding a hand gently through your hair. he felt you melt at the gesture, body going pliant against his, letting out a soft yawn. 

“someone’s tired.” dokyeom teased, and the grip on his sweater loosened as you pulled away enough to look up at him. “i had a long day at the hospital, and then my friend astrid and i went out for drinks afterward. and before you ask and act like a mother hen, i only had two drinks. astrid made sure of that.”

dokyeom made a mental note to thank your friend for getting you home safe. “i’m glad she stopped you, or else i would’ve been extremely worried.” you rolled your eyes half-heartedly. “you absolute mother hen, i can take care of myself.” he leaned in to press a soft kiss to your mouth. 

“i know, but as your boyfriend, i am contractually allowed to worry about you.” “ok, enough talking, can we please go to bed? i am fucking exhausted.” dokyeom laughed, reaching out and flicking your nose gently. “ok, but only because i know you need your beauty sleep.” that earned him a scowl. 

“you may have just gotten home from a long trip, but don’t think i won’t hesitate to let you sleep on the couch.” you said sweetly, and dokyeom bit back an amused laugh. “ok, ok, fine, i’ll stop.” “good.” 

then, before you could pull away completely, dokyeom lifted you into his arms, causing you to yelp in surprise, wounding your arms around his neck. “asshole! you could’ve warned me. also, you don’t need to carry me, i am perfectly capable of walking on my own. besides, i’m probably heavy.”

dokyeom shook his head. “first, where is the fun in that? second, i know that you are, but i wanted to carry you. and third, you are as light as a feather. also, have i told you that you look gorgeous in my shirts?” color crept onto your cheeks. “prick.” you groused, and dokyeom laughed. “i love you too.”

getting up for your clinical shift the following morning was the hardest thing you’d ever done. it’d been extremely hard to leave your bed and dokyeom’s warm embrace, but you’d managed. barely. 

dokyeom had spent at least fifteen minutes trying to convince you to not to go, looking up at you with a forlorn expression that you were an absolute goner for, and yet you still managed to wiggle out of his arms and head to the bathroom to get ready. 

having your boyfriend home after three months apart was an absolute dream, and it’d been an absolute struggle to not jump back in bed, especially after seeing dokyeom’s adorable bedhead, peeking out from underneath the thick comforter. 

you left him with a kiss on the cheek and a promise to eat whenever you got time during your shift, and went to your clinical shift, feeling lighter than you had in months. astrid noticed that you were unusually cheery, and of course, demanded to know what had happened overnight that had made you so happy. 

you quickly informed her that your boyfriend had come home from italy late last night, and astrid had smiled, caramel eyes glittering with mirth. 

“no wonder you’re so cheerful this morning!” she’d exclaimed, swatting at your arm playfully. “you asshole, you should’ve told me that he came home, i would’ve covered for you.” “i would never throw you to the wolves like that. besides, spending time with my boyfriend can wait.” 

surprisingly, the morning had been relatively uneventful, with you and astrid attending to only ten patients with mild problems, and by the time the afternoon rolled around, you were almost bored. the hospital wasn’t swamped for once, and the hours seemed to trickle by slowly. 

you and astrid were sitting idly at the nurses’ station, with the latter demanding to see a picture of dokyeom, and you were about to show her a selfie he’d sent you a while ago, when a quiet hush fell over the nurses’ station, and you looked up to see dokyeom strolling in through the visitors’ entrance, holding a cup of coffee and a brown paper bag, no doubt filled with pastries.

astrid nudged you in the ribs with her elbow. “is that the boyfriend that you always go on and on about? he’s gorgeous!” she whispered, and you nodded, unable to keep the blush from forming onto your cheeks. 

dokyeom, who had probably just gotten out of bed, looked as if he’d just come straight from a photoshoot with vogue, clad in khaki pants that clung perfectly to his lithe figure, white sneakers, a light blue button up with a navy blue sweater vest thrown on top of it, raven hair adorably mussed. 

you also noticed that he was wearing black glasses, perched atop his nose, making him look like a young professor. and god, you couldn’t believe that this man was yours. even in the fluorescent lighting, dokyeom still looked breathtakingly gorgeous, dark, curly hair falling over chiseled cheekbones, cerulean eyes near glowing. 

“dokyeom!” you called out, ignoring the whispers of the other nurses behind you. aforementioned male turned, and as soon as his gaze landed on you, his face broke out into that gorgeous, charming smile you absolutely adored, eyes crinkling at the corners.

 “hi love! i brought you some pastries from the cafe on campus. and since i know you’re going to be here for a while, i may have gone a bit.. overboard.” he said sheepishly, placing the large paper bag and coffee he’d been carrying on the counter.

 you beamed up at him once you inspected the contents, heart swelling impossibly in your chest that he remembered that you adored the cafe’s blueberry muffins, and he’d gotten you at least four of them. 

not caring who was watching, you leaned across the counter of the nurse’s station and kissed dokyeom’s cheek, which caused the tips of his ears to turn red. “y-y/n, we’re in public! you can’t just kiss me out of the blue like that!” he hissed, color creeping onto his cheeks. 

“you do it to me all the time, so take it as payback.” you said simply, reaching for the cup of coffee and taking a light sip. dokyeom’s blush grew deeper as he realized that astrid and your fellow coworkers were watching him intently. you let out an amused laugh.

 “guys, don’t scare him off, please.” astrid simply rolled her eyes, while your other coworkers simply fidgeted nervously in their seats. “astrid, meet dokyeom. dokyeom, meet astrid, my best friend and the bane of my existence.” you teased, chuckling at your friend’s scowl. 

“nice to finally meet the guy that y/n’s been raving about.” astrid said cooly, sticking her hand out for dokyeom to shake. your boyfriend smiled, inclining his head in a small bow as he shook her hand. “nice to meet you too, y/n’s told me all about you.” astrid grinned. “good things, i hope.”

dokyeom chuckled. “of course.” “thank you for the pastries, do you mind if i share them?” “no, not at all. just make sure to eat, okay? i don’t want you to pass out during your shift.” your heart swelled impossibly, and you leaned across the counter, kissing dokyeom softly. 

“i will, i promise. i’ll see you later, love you.” dokyeom smiled, eyes crinkling at the corners. “love you too.” with a small wave and a wink, he was gone, and you reached into the paper bag for a pastry, pulling out a blueberry muffin and taking a small bite. 

your gaze shifted to astrid, who was looking at you in disbelief. “what?” “i cannot believe you didn’t introduce me to your boyfriend sooner! he’s the sweetest guy you’ve ever dated, and by the way he looks at you, i can tell that’s utterly besotted. i can see a marriage proposal in your future.”

you nearly choked on your muffin at astrid’s bold declaration. “w-we haven’t even talked about that yet. and we haven’t been together that long, there’s no way he’s-” “trust me, dokyeom’s contemplating marriage. i bet he already has a ring hidden away somewhere.” astrid said, winking playfully, and you felt your cheeks burn. 

“d-don’t be ridiculous astrid.” your friend just shrugged, her sleek black bob shifting with the movement. “you’ll thank me later.” you rolled your eyes, taking a light sip of your coffee.

 “y/n, can i ask you something?” a voice said from behind you, and you startled, glancing over your shoulder to see one of the new interns, rachel, leaning against her desk chair, lean arms crossed over her chest. 

“sure, what is it?” you asked, trying to keep your voice as polite as possible. rachel had never particularly liked you, even though you had been nothing but friendly and forthcoming towards her. astrid insisted that it was because rachel was merely jealous, but you had your suspicions that she just really had a deep hatred for you. 

“was that your boyfriend who dropped by?” before you could reply, astrid cut in. “yes, yes it was, what about it, rachel? jealous that y/n has someone to come home to you and you don’t?” rachel scowled, dark eyes blazing.

you cut astrid a glare. cut it out, be nice. astrid’s answering glare was defiant. hell no. “i’m sorry about her,” you began, ignoring your friend’s squawk of protest. “she’s uhm, protective.” rachel rolled her eyes at that. “whatever, all i wanted to know was who that guy was, and now that i know, i can go back to pretending you two don’t exist.” 

astrid clapped her hands in mock excitement. “oh goody! y/n and i will do the same! oh, you know what, we’ll do you a favor and rat you out to the higher ups for being a stuck up bitch. better yet, you’ll be so traumatized by it that you’ll never come back and we don’t have to see your hideous face ever again.” “

astrid let out a gasp, hand flying to her mouth in mock surprise. “oh, i’m sorry, did i say that out loud?” despite yourself, you bit back laughter at the way rachel’s nostrils were flaring and how her face was as red as a tomato. 

huffing, rachel turned on her heel and stormed out of the room. “you’re the absolute worst.” you giggled, giving astrid’s shoulder a light shove. your friend’s smile was nothing short of smug. “all in a day’s work.” 

the rest of your shift was uneventful, with very few patients coming in to the hospital, and doctors seemingly too preoccupied with paperwork or something else to demand nurses be on alert for any emergencies.

 “so, i was wondering, would you and your boyfriend be willing to get dinner with me tonight? i think i need to interrogate him a little.” astrid asked as you walked out of the hospital, the cool night air washing over you.

“astrid, the last time you did that, the poor guy was scared out of his wits.” your friend rolled her eyes. “that was one time, and besides, that guy was a piece of shit anyway.” you let out an resigned sigh. “well, you are not wrong about that. also, weren’t you the one who set the date up in the first place?” astrid groaned. “don’t remind me, it was my first and last mistake.”

you had gone out on a date with a guy a few years ago that astrid knew through a mutual friend, and he seemed decent enough, at least, from what astrid had said. in the end, the guy had turned out to be an egotistical and narcissistic piece of shit (astrid’s words), and you were extremely relieved that he did lost interest and decidedly did not ask for a second date. 

“i’ll call dokyeom once we’re in the car, ask him if he wants to grab dinner with us. though, i vaguely remember him mentioning a while ago that he wanted to see his friends once he got back from italy.” astrid hummed thoughtfully. “well, if anything, i would love to meet his friends.” 

you arched a brow, and color crept onto astrid’s cheeks. “it’s not what you think, okay? i just want to meet some new people, that’s all.” “sure, whatever helps you sleep at night.” that earned you a light shove to the shoulder. “i hate you.”

dokyeom hid an amused smile as hoshi’s head fell onto joshua’s shoulder, clearly shit-faced, pale cheeks red from the bottle of soju he’d drank minutes ago. to his credit, joshua didn’t seem to mind, as he continued to converse with vernon, hazel eyes glittering with mirth. 

of all his friends, hoshi had the lowest alcohol tolerance, and dokyeom would be lying if the sight of his friend pouting and muttering incoherent words under his breath wasn’t the least bit amusing. the bar, which was about a ten minute commute from campus, had become their usual place to hang out on weekends, especially when there were no classes.

soft pop music was blaring through the bar’s speakers, and dokyeom could barely hear it above the cacophony of the amicable chatter occurring around him, both from other patrons and his friends. across from him, mingyu, the tallest of his friends, was deep in conversation with wonwoo, the latter the picture of quiet calm as he took occasional slips of the beer he’d been nursing for the past hour or so. 

seungkwan semed to ranting about something or other, gesturing exuberantly with his hands, while seungcheol simply listened, a fond smile tugging at the corners of his lips. jun and minghao were talking in their native chinese, rapid conversation filling the air. 

woozi was slumped on minghao’s left, sipping quietly on the glass of whiskey he’d insisted on ordering, the picture of boredom, though dokyeom knew that he was listening intently to the conversations happening around him. on jun’s right, dino was laughing at something seungkwan was saying, cheeks flushed with red. 

you and astrid were giggling about something next to him, downing tequila shots as if they were water. dokyeom internally winced as you knocked back another shot, wiping your mouth with the back of your hand, cheeks flushed red. 

despite your drunken state and his worry of your terrible hangover the next morning, dokyeom felt his heart warm impossibly. 

you were breathtakingly gorgeous, hair tied back into a messy bun atop your head, stray strands falling across your forehead, cheeks flushed from the alcohol you’d consumed, dark eyes glittering with mirth.

 you had an effortless, casual beauty that had captivated dokyeom from the minute dokyeom had laid eyes on you on that fateful summer orientation day sophomore year, where students were gathered on the campus grounds, chatting animatedly amongst themselves.

 dokyeom had been standing with mingyu on the far left side of the sprawling lawn of their campus, the latter leaning against a tall pine tree, muscular arms crossed over his chest, humming softly to himself. he had allowed his gaze to wander, and felt his breath catch in his throat. 

standing just a few feet away, talking animatedly with a tall, slender female with a sleek bob, was easily the most gorgeous female he’d ever seen. there was a casual confidence to you, and dokyeom felt entranced by it. 

the mid-afternoon sun bathed you in golden light, turning your dark hair to a caramel brown, and dokyeom swore his pulse quickened at the sight. “go talk to her.” mingyu’s deep voice snapped him out of his trance, and he felt his cheeks burn with shame. “d-don’t be ridiculous, gyu, there’s no way i could ever talk to-” 

“y/n!” mingyu called, waving excitedly, and dokyeom just gaped at his friend, feeling utterly betrayed. to his horror, the gorgeous female turned at the sound of mingyu’s deep, loud voice, and the smile that tugged at the corners of her mouth was nothing short of captivating. 

the gorgeous female bounded over to them, eyes bright with recognition as she glanced at mingyu. “hey, mingyu, it’s been too long! how was your summer?” dokyeom could only stare at his friend in disbelief as he rattled on about the three weeks he’d spent in jeju with his family. “oh, this is my friend, dokyeom. he’s a second year music major.” 

the gorgeous female’s gaze had shifted slightly over to him, and dokyeom swore he felt his heart stop. “h-hi. nice to meet you.” he stammered, cheeks burning, and pointedly ignored mingyu’s not-so-subtle smirk. “nice to meet you. dokyeom, right? mingyu’s told me all about you.” she grinned, and dokyeom felt his cheeks burn. 

“good things, i hope.” dokyeom managed, and the gorgeous female let out a laugh that sent a shiver down his spine. “i’m y/n, by the way.” y/n. it suits her. it turned out that you had met mingyu at a party last semester, and the two of you had become close friends. “he was drunk off his ass and kept rambling about how you keep bullying him all the time.” dokyeom had scoffed. “i do not, that’s all in his head.”

mingyu had simply rolled his eyes. “sure, whatever helps you sleep at night, i suppose.” you had all but laughed at their petty argument, and dokyeom knew he had fallen, hook, line, and sinker. 

“kyeom? are you okay?” dokyeom snapped out of his trance and looked over to see a frown etched on your gorgeous features, despite your drunken state. “i’m fine love, just thinking about the first time we met.” he said, shaking his head softly, reaching over to tuck a stray strand of hair behind your ear. 

astrid turned towards dokyeom then, fixing him with a stern look. “dokyeom, do you mind if i ask you a few questions?” he felt his shoulders tense, but managed a small nod. “don’t scare him off please.” you hissed, nudging astrid softly in the ribs with your elbow. 

the aforementioned female ignored you. “so, dokyeom, what are your intentions with my best friend?” dokyeom paled slightly. “w-what?” astrid let out an impatient sigh. “when are you planning to propose to her?” 

“i-we’ve never really discussed marriage, i mean, we’ve only been dating for two years.” astrid scoffed. “so? it never hurts to plan ahead you know. and you don’t have to get married right away, you know, there’s always engagement.” “astrid-” you began, but the aforementioned female cut you off, shooting you a pointed glare. 

“w-well, i have thought about it, proposing to her, i mean, but i was scared to bring it up, i mean we haven’t been dating for that long. i didn’t want to make it seem like i was pressuring her. besides, she already has a lot on her plate, and the last thing i wanted was to add more stress to her life.” dokyeom admitted, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. 

“you should just pop the question now, you know, before i decide to steal her from you.” mingyu cut in, light green eyes sparkling with mischief, and dokyeom snorted. 

“don’t even think about it.” the former gave a casual shrug, giving you a playful wink. “i’m just a phone call away if dokyeom breaks your heart.” mingyu said to you, and dokyeom swore you looked like you were holding back a laugh. “i appreciate the offer.” you joked, and dokyeom had never wanted to strangle mingyu more for the smug smirk he sent his way. 

“i want to propose, but i just haven’t found the right time, i guess.” dokyeom amended, and astrid nodded. “totally understandable. also, sorry for interrogating you on the spot like that. what i wanted to say was that i really like you, dokyeom, and i can tell that you absolutely adore my best friend. she deserves to be spoiled. also, if you break your heart, i will kick your ass, understood?”

dokyeom paled slightly. “u-understood.” astrid smiled, seemingly satisfied as she knocked back another shot of tequila. “glad we could come to an agreement.” once astrid was occupied with debating with seungkwan about something, he felt a slight tug on the sleeve of his shirt. 

he turned to see you looking at him with unshed tears in your eyes. “did you mean it?” you asked, voice hesitant and barely audible over the capochony of the loud and obnoxious laughter of his friends. dokyeom swore his heart nearly melted. “yes, i really do want to marry you one day.” 

dokyeom noticed your lower lip quiver, a telltale sign you were about to sob uncontrollably, and panic immediately set in. “love, don’t cry.” he whispered, reaching out and gently wiping away a tear that had managed to escape with the pad of his thumb.

“i love you.” you sobbed, and practically threw yourself into his arms. dokyeom immediately wrapped his arms around you, rubbing soothing circles onto your back. “i’m sorry for turning into a sappy, sobby mess when we’re supposed to be having fun.” you mumbled into his neck, and dokyeom couldn’t help the amused chuckle that spilled from his lips. 

“it’s okay, love, i’ll always be here for you, remember? even if you’re getting snot and tears all over my favorite shirt.” “i hate you.” you mumbled. dokyeom laughed, leaning down and pressing a soft kiss to the top of your head. “i love you too.” 

a/n: no bc wtf was that ending ugh i can’t write fic endings to save my life apparently :’) anyways i hope you all enjoyed this fluffy fic, because i have another svt fic in the works that is basically pure angst soooo be prepared for that kfsjjljdklf but seriously i adore you all and to those that read my mediocre fics, i love y’all :((( anyways i also have another dokyeom fic in the works, and he’s a prince in that fic hehe 

ok bye my loves, its almost one a.m. so i need to sleep lmao till next time <3 also sorry for the inconsistency, ya girl’s a struggling nursing major who has little free time ahaha :) 

tagging: @taeyo95 , @skyjoong , @babybreadontop , @playmetheclassics​ , @shuashong​ , @saturnyeo​  + anyone else who wants to read this <3 

[museum-spaces]

Hi,

I recently graduated with a BA in archaeology and am thinking of continuing my studies in either museums or archives. I believe you either are Canadian or have worked in Canadian museums (sorry if I'm wrong) and I had a question about college vs university programs when it comes to museum studies. If you can't answer, no worries.

When it comes to employment, what difference does it make between having a college diploma or a master's in museum studies? Are there some jobs you can only get with a master's? Or are opportunities the same? Would both programs teach similar skills? I know the job market in museums and archives is rough and if a master's will get me further that's probably what I'll go with. I also know there's several diploma/certificate programs offered by universities and am unsure of where those would rank in comparison to a college diploma or master's degree.

Another issue is the main masters programs I know of are in BC and Toronto, places that are incredibly expensive to live rn, so if a college program will get me just as far, some of those schools are in cities with lower cost of living.

Thanks!

first of all; you're right I am Canadian and a graduate of a Canadian undergrad program. but my MA is from the UK.

secondly, for non-Canadians; college in Canada has a few meanings. One is very similar to the US - a particular grouping of students in a university. But the more common one is a bit harder to explain. It used to be that 'working' careers were from colleges [i.e. nursing vs. doctor; lumber jack vs. forester, etc] but these days the lines are more blurred. Colleges are seen by some academic fields as 'lesser' than universities but they actually just fill a different need.

thirdly; it depends on the job. For my job [Executive Director] you do not necessarily need a museum/gallery background but imo... you do need that. If your interest is in collections care, a college diploma in specifically collections care is very good - often better than a generalized masters because it shows dedication in that one area. If you are more interested in exhibition same thing - colleges are more likely to have hands-on mounting classes which will make you an asset.

If you want to work front of house - tours, guest interaction, education - university degrees will be seen as better because you are more likely to be academically inclined and things like that. You won't be unable to get a job like that with college, but given our sector, it will be very very hard.

I believe, but you would have to check, that UofT's ISchool has an online or distance Masters for museums you might want to check out. You could also go abroad like I did. University of Leicester [my alma mater] has a very good distance course though the fees for international students might make in-person just as hard. They're entry requirements for Canadians at a 4 point school is a cGPA of 3. Nice and attainable.

Its also worth noting that you do not need to have museum-focused degrees so long as you have work experience. Lets say your UG arch was focused on Coast Salish archaeology, a side focus on public history and volunteer or intern work experience in museums will make you more attractive to the Museum of Anthropology at UBC than my CV which has no native focus at all.

There's a lot of historic workers on Tumblr, I'll tag a few and hope a few others chime in to give you advice.

@grey-and-lavender @archaeologistproblems @chaotic-archaeologist @museeeuuuum

[ambuschool]

Personal Statement

I started my career as a monitoring and evaluation associate at NICE Indonesia in 2019. We provide a 5-year grant to 12 CSOs in Indonesia to develop their organizations. During those 5 years, we evaluate their performance annually based on the training and financial interventions provided. Some of the organizations I directly supervised include Yayasan Gerak Bareng, Yayasan Munashoroh Indonesia, and Yayasan Gema Insani.

In addition to the annual reviews I conducted, I also took on side jobs to measure the impact of several organizations. My team and I have measured the impact for Schneider Electric Foundation Indonesia, Yayasan Infra Digital Indonesia, Perkumpulan Ibu Pembelajar Bahagia (Lab Belajar Ibu), Komunitas Happiness Family, and wrote impact reports for the SMK Pusat Keunggulan assistance program in 2023 on behalf of the Directorate of Vocational High Schools, Ministry of Education and Culture of the Republic of Indonesia. I attached some files here : https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mbhbs0wAkwZtBzbxgJ-1xzdZhXMX3XdJ/view?usp=sharing 

Apart from working in monitoring and evaluation, as a registered nurse in Indonesia, I am also active in several health education initiatives, particularly regarding the impact of the environment on health. My friends and I founded the Emcekaqu Sehat Berdaya Foundation, which campaigns for open defecation-free zones in Pandeglang, Banten. We observed the impact of poor sanitation on children's health, especially given the high stunting rates in the area, and we actively campaign for behavior change to eliminate open defecation. From this work, I had the opportunity to participate in several fellowships related to the environment, such as the Young Water Fellowship in Belgium in 2017, the Young South East Asia Leadership Initiative in Environmental Management in the USA in 2018, and the International One Health Camp in Vietnam in 2019.

Besides my professional life, I experienced a turning point in my personal life when my first daughter died during the delivery process. As a nurse, I know it's not just me but thousands of mothers in Indonesia who have experienced this. Since then, I pledged to contribute to reducing neonatal mortality. I decided to become a breastfeeding counselor, and now I have more than 50 clients, both online and offline.

Pursuing an MPH at the University of Melbourne, I blend my interest in planetary health and maternal and child health. Last semester, I took nutrition policy and politics as my elective because nutrition issues are currently rising in Indonesia, and I wanted a broader perspective beyond health. This semester, I took Planetary Health and Women’s and Global Health as my electives to accommodate my interests. As an Australia Awards Awardee, I know my studies are not just for me but for the greater good of Indonesia.

My grades might not be very good because the first semester of my MPH was the first time I lived abroad with only my family of three. I juggled academic life, being a wife, and being a mother to a 2.5-year-old daughter. Therefore, this semester, I strategized to take courses with shorter durations, so I can better balance my work and life. Thus, being involved in evaluation studies in maternal and child health excites me greatly. Furthermore, 1000 Days Of Fund is one organization I keep an eye on because they address issues holistically, from cadre training to providing growth blankets to parents.

ceritanya bikin personal statement untuk ngelamar jadi research assistant gitu di kampus, hwaa bismillah ya Allah dengan panduan dan pendampinganmu :" laa hawlaa walla quwwata illa billah

[linearao3]

❔for the wip ask!

❔(Choose a random WIP and talk about it)

I’m really stretching the definition of WIP quite far here, to include “things which are mostly bullshit in my DMs with Bombastique plus a few paragraphs in Scrivener” but:

I’m quite taken by the idea of a kanej AU where Pekka Rollins buys Inej out of the Menagerie in her first week — not as a sex worker, but because Albie’s nanny has just run away with a gardener and he’s in need of a replacement. Inej spends the next two years in the countryside in Kerch, seeing Pekka only every one or two weeks, and getting very fond of the kid, who loves it when she does cartwheels. She remains traumatized by the experience of her kidnapping, and asks Pekka to teach her to defend herself and Albie, so though she’s dressed like a nice little Kerch maiden, her petticoats are still bristling with knives.

Kaz is well aware of the knives. Having no Wraith to help him advance his career, he’s a bit less prominent on the criminal scene, but no less obsessed with taking down Rollins. He’s been spying on the country house for weeks, trying to find the perfect time to begin exacting his revenge, and he assumes Inej must be Pekka’s new mistress. (Seems obvious to him! She’s very pretty!) When Rollins goes abroad for the Ice Court (an event to which Kaz was not invited, since without Inej he couldn’t carry off the DeKappel and bring himself to Van Eck’s attention) Kaz sees his opportunity, and drugs the country house’s water supply. However, Albie has refused to drink water today, and begins crying for his nurse; Kaz, exasperated, realizes he won’t be able to manage the kid alone, and takes the unconscious Inej along to make Albie be quiet.

For a long time he’s just holding onto them, waiting for Pekka to come back so he can threaten him properly. But Pekka doesn’t come back. Inej doesn’t know what to make of the young man who kidnapped her and stole all her knives, and who ties her to his bed every night before going to sleep in a chair. Albie misses his father, but Kaz is around a lot more than Pekka ever was, and Kaz is starting to wonder if usurping Pekka’s place in his family might not be the best revenge he could ever take.

(I have written all of four paragraphs of this, I don’t really know how it ends outside of the obvious points, and it would take such a long time, but it is so fun to think about!)

[youngkofigyamfi]

LOVE OF A FATHER

Tribute to The Late Apostle Dr. I.O. Boakye-Yiadom (Former Chairman, CHRIST REVIVAL CHURCH)

Written By: MATTHEW BOAKYE YIADOM

I quite remember what my father told me the first time we entered the gates of Prempeh College in 2005: “Be careful with your belongings, else they will rob you and rob your soul as well.” I never understood what he meant until I completed college. I was born into a strong Christian home. My grandfather, was a Pastor (The Late Rev. James Boakye Yiadom Owusu). His bosom friend, my father’s god-father (The Late D.K. Brifo), was also a Pastor. It was under their guidance and stewardship that my dad also, called into the ministry, became a Pastor. At the age of 19 years, he had completed Bible College at the Ghana Bible Institute in 1973. He was first posted to the church at Denyase in Asante Bekwai and later transferred to Amakom in Kumasi.

My dad was a fine gentleman who was on fire for God. He gave his life to Christ at the age of 15, when he was schooling at Bawku Middle Boarding school. Ever since that glorious day, he never turned back. He told me a story of how he met my mom and got married to her. It was his parents who introduced my mom to him. My mother was a community Nurse who had been posted to the Bibiani District at the Government Hospital. She was approached by my grandparents after church one Sunday evening. They wanted to give her to my dad who was about to graduate from Bible College.

My dad, upon returning from Bible College was told by his parents that they had found a wife fit for him. Even though he did not buy the idea of parents choosing life partners for their wards, he did not want to disappoint them either. So he prayed to the Lord for a sign, to know if this woman was really meant for him. One day, he had a dream about this woman who was very delectable and was walking past her in a boulevard. This beautiful lady was walking in a sashay, and carried this pretty grin on her round face. He yearned to see that woman’s face in the dream. He said to himself in the dream, “This is the kind of woman I want to marry.”

He woke up suddenly to realize that it was a dream. Surprisingly, it was not a mere dream. My dad beheld the face of that woman he saw in his dream, the exact attire he saw, the facial expression and every tiny detail about her. Fortunately, for both my parents, the feeling was mutual. They got married and God blessed them with four beautiful children, of which I am the last. In 1992, he had to further his education in London at the Center for International Ministries (CIM). In London, he had the opportunity to serve as a pastor in one of the local churches. He was asked to bring his wife and children with him to the UK but he declined the offer. He came to London, not on his own accord. He actually was helped by benevolent family friends and the local church at Bibiani in Ghana, who donated money for him to go and study abroad to better himself and come back to equip the church with the knowledge he has acquired overseas.

Before he traveled to the UK, he held the position of the General Secretary of the Christ Revival Church, Ghana, a church founded by his god-father, the Late Rev. D.K. Brifo. I have heard stories of my dad’s relationship with Rev. D.K. Brifo. The Great man of God loved my dad as if he was his own. The feeling was mutual. It was not surprising when he stayed with him for most of his youthful years. He would wash his clothes, iron his shirts, and ran personal errands for him. He became his personal assistant in the church which made him the General Secretary.

My dad was a loving husband and a wonderful father. There was never a dull moment with my dad. Growing up as a toddler, my mom told me I used to worry my dad a lot, even to the extend that when he is preaching I’ll ran to him for him to carry me on his shoulders. My dad used to tell me stories that are life-relating, intuitive and thought-provoking. I’d end up asking him a lot of questions. I reminisce coming back from school to get surprises every single day. It became a habit. I loved and cherished my dad so much that when he suffered from a severe stomach problem after his trip from Israel, I could not eat because I noticed he wasn’t eating.

My dad was an ardent reader. He had a plethora of different Christian literatures, story books, and magazines. He spent most of his time at home in his office, sometimes reading, or taking notes for preaching. He did not like to be disturbed. I remember I would go to his office and he’d give me many exercises just to make me busy and allow him to concentrate on whatever he’s doing. Apart from being very friendly and playful with us, he was very strict with us. He would not beat us nor infringe pain on us, but he would shout at you and make you cry.

My brothers at a point were afraid to ask him for things. They used me to ask for favors on their behalf. We gave him the hidden nickname, “Last Killer.” My sister recalls, he was the last person to sleep, and he’ll be the first person to wake up and call us for morning devotion. Sometimes, when we want to wait for him to sleep so that we could stay up to watch midnight movies, he would be wide awake and glued to the TV. He was the patriarch of our lovely family. When he speaks, it is final. We revered him for his leadership qualities. Amongst his children, he did not have a favorite. He treated us the same, loved us the same and gave same opportunities to everyone.

We have shared lovely and funny moments together. I remember most of our morning devotions in our living room. As a kid, I hated morning devotions with passion. Those were the times that you can’t have enough time to enjoy your sleep especially at dawn when you have just started to dream dreams. During devotions, he’d teach us how to lead prayers, how to read Daily Devotional Guide, how to preach, and how to pray. He’d share the program for daily devotions amongst us. One morning, during devotion, I slept off whiles praying. My father shouted my name to wake me up. Startled, I woke up and began to thank God for how far He has brought us. They all burst into laughter. I was caught right there sleeping whiles they were quiet listening to my mum preach.

My father loved kids. You would notice how he reacts anytime he found himself around them. His affection for children at church gave him a nickname, ‘Osofo Gboza’. He liked to give kids knuckles as a form of handshake. He never discriminated, he never looked down on anybody. He approached people with decorum and the respect due them. So it was easy for people to approach him and talked to him about anything. He is the kind of person who does not look down on children or the youth. He has a good judgement. He always behaved in a manner that is worthy of a father, a leader, an elder, or a pastor.

I was born into a decent home. My dad never worked as a government official nor worked with a private organization. His only job was being a pastor. My mom supported the family with her pay as a nurse. My parents made sure we never lacked anything. They groomed us to always live within our means and not compare ourselves with others. We were happy with whatever God gave us. Gradually, the blessings of the Lord started showing in our endeavor in many different ways. I recall in 2005 when I completed Junior High School and got admission to Prempeh College, my parents did not have the means to take me to school. During the time, my dad had received money from IPHC to continue with the building of the Headquarters church. He was tempted to use part of the money to pay for my school fees. He said he could never do that, but then, went for loan.

He has been a blessing to a lot of people. Because of his benevolence and good name, he has fifteen grandchildren who are named after him. Some including males, females and twins. My dad was valuable to me. He bared a name so great that wherever I go, people respected and drew me to them because of him. I know I am the dead ringer for my dad. We had a lot in common. We looked much alike, talked, smiled, and walk alike. I was also very close to my dad. I became like a friend to him. My dad may not be perfect, but I will never trade my dad for any person in the world. No one on this earth can ever replace the love my dad had for me. The kind of sacrifices he made for me is incomparable.

When I decided to get married, my dad was the first person I told him. Coincidentally, he was the one who recommended my wife to be posted to the hospital where she now works. He blessed my marriage on my wedding day. He gave my wife the best gift she received on her birthday. He was the best dad in the whole world. Even on his sick bed, he never frowned nor became sad. He was very happy always, even to the point of death. My father died a peaceful death. The kind of death I pray will take me to heaven someday.

Every evening before he died, he requested the song, “God of Mercy” to be played to him before he sleep. It was one of his favorite songs. It has become my personal favorite as well. My beloved dad served the Lord in every capacity within his power and ability. I firmly believe that he is in heaven awaiting his crown from his maker. My life would be nothing without the love and guidance of my dad. He has groomed me to become a good man, a good husband, and a good father.

I witnessed first hand, the many times my dad had to forgo everything just to be with my mother and take care of her when she was battling sickness. My mother was always full of praise for him. My father had to sacrifice taking up many leadership roles and opportunities which included traveling overseas for other important assignments just to be close to my mom. Through it all, he never complained. He was a true definition of long suffering.

At a time he was being ‘persecuted by unforeseen entities’, he never complained. I could tell sometimes that it did worry him as a person, but he never coughed. He recounts the time he was the Secretary of Ghana Pentecostal Council and there was an issue that involved him, he said he cried bitterly. He never spoke a word. In the end, he was exonerated. Jesus said in Luke 6:26, “Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets.” He knew it all. Those who spoke ill behind his back, those who despite him, those who pretended they loved him, and those who diligently tarnished his good name. One thing I always pray to God to receive from my father; his good heart. He never let anything worry him. He never held grudges.

Isaac Akwasi Osei Boakye-Yiadom is a name that will never die from the surface of this earth. Revelation 14:13 says, “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on. “Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!” My children’s children and my unborn generations will come to know this great man behind the great name! Together with Gifty, Mark, Luke, and myself, we say, “well done Dad.” You have fought a good fight, you have ran a good race, all’s left for you is the crown of glory your Heavenly Father will give you. We are grateful for your love. Before I end this, I would like to share these words from my heart to my lovely father wherever he is in heaven:

You may have thought I didn’t see, or that I hadn’t heard, life lessons that you taught me, but I got every word. Perhaps you thought I missed it all, and that we’d grow apart, but dad, I picked up everything. They are written in my heart. Without you, dad, I wouldn’t be the person I am today. You built a strong foundation no one can take away. I’ve grown up with your values, and I am very glad I did. So here’s to you, dear father.

- From your forever grateful son, Matthew.

#LoveOfAfather #yKG2024

[emirates23]

Exploring Nursing Opportunities Abroad: Top Countries for Indian Nurses

Nursing is one of the most in-demand jobs inside and outside India. A profession that is in most demand in GCC countries for Indians is the nursing job. For Indian nurses, who are looking to broaden their horizons, many countries are waiting with promising career opportunities. If you are a skilled nurse and have multilingual capabilities then wide opportunities will be there. The overseas opportunities will give you high pay as well as a high-standard working environment. The respect for nurses outside India is much higher than inside India. Nurses are being recruited through top nursing consultancy in Kerala and here is a list of the top countries that offer promising careers.  

Five top countries that offer promising nursing career

United Arab Emirates: Dubai which is an opulent city right due to cultural and development richness hires nurses from India. A large part of nurses who work in Dubai are Indian and they a decent pay but not much higher than European and American countries. But the most attractive feature of Dubai is that the nurses can take their entire income to their homeland since there are no taxes. In Dubai, there are many world-class hospitals, medical centers, and clinics that offer good employment prospects for Indian and other nationalities. 

Saudi Arabia: In Saudi Arabia, there are a plethora of job opportunities for nurses in both the private and Government sectors. They offer good pay, accommodation facilities and also travel allowances. Saudi Arabia is one of the largest nations in GCC countries and also the pilgrimage place for Muslims, the demand for medical facilities is very high. The demand for trained professionals especially from India is of high demand in Saudi. However, finding the right opportunity is a bit challenging since there is a high scam in the field of recruitment. 

Canada: Canada is a country that offers a healthcare system with the highest standard. This country is facing staff shortages and is now actively recruiting nurses worldwide. The high-quality life and the welcoming stances towards immigrants make Canada an excellent choice for nurses. The medical facilities and education are completely free for immigrants. 

Australia: Australia's flourishing healthcare industry and stunning landscapes attract nurses worldwide. With modern facilities and advanced technology, nurses can work efficiently. During leisure time, they can explore the country's picturesque natural environment. Competitive salaries and excellent benefits make it a lucrative career option. To work as a nurse in Australia, one must register with the AHPRA (Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency) and pass English language proficiency tests.

United States of America (USA): The USA boasts a robust healthcare system with a significant demand for skilled nurses across various specialties. Indian nurses aspiring to work in the USA can pursue opportunities through programs like the H-1B visa for skilled workers or the EB-3 visa for professionals with tertiary education. Opportunities exist in hospitals, clinics, long-term care facilities, and community health settings throughout the country.

United Kingdom (UK): With its National Health Service (NHS), the UK offers extensive opportunities for Indian nurses to work in both public and private healthcare sectors. The UK's Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) oversees the registration process for international nurses, which includes passing the Occupational English Test (OET) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) and meeting other requirements. Work settings range from hospitals and nursing homes to community healthcare centers.

Conclusion

If you are planning for an overseas nursing job, first research the rules and regulations for immigrants. Based on it decide which country is most suitable for you. There will be medical tests, mandatory examinations, and other verifications for each country. It is better to connect with any nursing consultancy in Kerala before you plan to move, they will guide you through the process and also provide you with data regarding the recruitment.

[lewisiana]

Stockings Over Boots

July 1927 -

Well, the other night I was just settling down to translate a chapter of the Edda, when suddenly Minto called me out of the dining room and said ‘Mrs Wilbraham is here. She says Mrs Studer has twice tried to commit suicide today. She’s got a taxi here and wants me to go and see the doctor at the Warneford. We shall have to get a nurse for Mrs Studer.’

I said I’d come along, because Minto has been rather poorly and I didn’t know what she might be let in for. So Mrs W., Minto and I drove off to the Warneford. I remained in the taxi while the two ladies went in to see the Doctor. It was about half past nine, dusk and raining... The others emerged at last with a Nurse Jones and we started off for the Studer’s.

But now the question was what to do? Madame would certainly refuse to have a strange young woman thrust upon her for the night for no apparent reason: as her husband was dead and her relatives abroad, no one had any authority over her...

Mrs Wilbraham said it was all perfectly simple. She would stay hidden in Mme Studer’s garden all night. Nurse would be put up in the bungalow of a stranger opposite Madame’s house. She must herself stay in the garden.

It was no good arguing. It was her duty. If only her nephew was here! If only she could have a man with her, she confessed, she would feel less nervous about it. I began to wish I’d stayed at home: but in the end of course I had to offer....

I now suggested as a last line of defence that nothing wd be more likely to upset Mme Studer than to find dim figures walking about her garden all night: to which Mrs W. replied brightly that we must keep out of sight and go very quietly. ‘We could put our stockings on outside our boots you know.’

At that moment (we were all whispering just outside a house further down in the same street as Madame’s, and it was now about eleven o’clock) a window opened overhead and someone asked me rather curtly whether we wanted anything, and if not, would we kindly go away.

This restored me to some of the sanity I was rapidly losing, and I determined that whatever else happened, four o’clock should not find me ‘with my stockings over my boots’ explaining to the police that I was (v. naturally) spending the night in some one else’s garden for fear the owner might commit suicide.

I therefore ruled that we must keep our watch in the road, where, if we sat down, we wd be hidden from the window by the paling (and, I added mentally, wd be open to arrest for vagabondage, not for burglary)....

I came home with Minto, drank a cup of tea, put on my great coat, took some biscuits, smokes, a couple [of] apples, a rug, a waterproof sheet and two cushions, and returned to the fatal road. It was now twelve o’clock...

My next step was to provide for my calls of nature (no unimportant matter in an all night tête-à-tête with a fool of an elderly woman who has had nothing to do with men since her husband had the good fortune to die several years ago) by observing that the striking of a match in that stillness wd easily be heard in the Studer’s house and that I wd tiptoe to the other end of the road to light my pipe.

Having thus established my right to disappear into the darkness as often as I chose–she conceded it with some reluctance–I settled down. There had been some attempt at moonlight earlier, but it had clouded over and a fine rain began to fall. Mrs Wilbraham’s feminine and civilian vision of night watches had apparently not included this. She was really surprised at it.

She was also surprised at its getting really cold: and most surprised of all to find that she became sleepy, for she (after the first ten minutes) had answered to my warning on that score with a scornful ‘I don’t think there’s much danger of that!’

However all these hardships gave her the opportunity of being ‘bright’ and ‘plucky’ as far as one can be in sibilant whispers. If I could have been quit of her society I wd have found my watch just tolerable–despite the misfortune of finding my greatcoat pockets stuffed with camphor balls (Minto is very careful about moths) which I flung out angrily on the road, and then some hours later forgetting this and trying to eat one of the apples that had lain in those pockets. The taste of camphor is exactly like the smell.

During the course of the night my companion showed signs of becoming rather windy and I insisted on playing with her the old guessing game called ‘Animal, Vegetable, or Mineral’. (Incidentally I thought I would find it more interesting than her conversation.) After assuring me that she was thinking of an animal, a live animal, an animal we had seen that night, she had the impudence to announce in the end that ‘it’ was the ‘voice of an owl we had heard’.

-C.S. Lewis

[itsgonnabemagne]

Life lately

It’s been a while since I last posted a text blog here and I can still remember how I felt back then. The pandemic has really impacted everybody and personally, as a front liner, it was really tragic. My job as an ER nurse has become really exhausting instead of fulfilling. I can still remember going to work with heavy weight on my feet. Esp during the peak of COVID delta variant, I can painfully describe how i felt like giving up. But it was also the time I realized that the support I was receiving from my workmates and friends back then has been really helpful. The team that I’ve worked with in Makati Medical Center Emergency Department has been very very lovely. I was happy.

But I still left. Why? I believed I was trapped with something that will never be in my favor. There were times that I also thought that I was contented with what’s being presented to me and didn’t ever think of what’s ahead. I wanted to achieve so much and even if I was happy, I will never get to reach them if I don’t leave.

I moved to the UK March 2023. It’s the scariest decision I’ve ever made in my life. I have been independent since I started working but the first few weeks living here has made me become like a toddler needing my mom everyday. Nobody taught me how to live abroad and when I got here, it felt like I had to discover everything on my own. Good thing that I have friends here from uni and previous work who guided me on what to do. It was a good decision choosing London over the outskirts.

4 months have passed and I’m still adjusting to the weather and culture. It is very hard to cope. I thought I have figured out my life and people think that i’m so put together when i’m actually not. There’s still a lot to discover and to explore. One of my friends told me that he was also a mess before but things will get better and that I will love London even more.

So far it has been better: Everyday has been a learning opportunity for me. I am slowly learning how to manage my task and time in my new workplace although it hasn’t been the same as the previous one and honestly, I still hate it. What’s keeping to stay is the team and people that i am working with. ;) I was able to buy things that I can’t afford before: my dream shoes, makeup, and gadgets. It’s not because I am splurging but I realized that I deprived myself to it and that I deserve and need it. (Char ngita og reason haha) I also got the chance to decorate my own bedroom and make it cozy as possible. And I get to enjoy my alone time.

I’ll be turning 30 in a few days and I just wanted to achieve peace of mind and genuine happiness. I just wanted to quote something from one of my favorite songs by Two Door Cinema Club:

“It took a little time to make a little better

It’s only going out

Just one thing then another you know

Let’s make this happen, girl

We’re gonna show the world that something good can work

And it can work for you

And you know that it will.”