Illustration by Pete Rich (2011)
Illustration by Pete Rich (2011)

 

My love affair with words began at a very early age. I was three years old when I first started to read, and the first word I ever remember reading well was, “business,” which I then pronounced, “boo-see-ness.”*

(The next word I remember was “tabasco.” Clearly, I liked picking up whatever I could find around the homes and reading their labels.)

After reading came writing, and the first decent piece of work that I remember writing was a letter to my dad. I was six years old then, and I apologized to him and my mom because I was part of a class that was going to be “accelerated” from first grade, and that meant going through second-grade during the summer season. I remember writing that I hoped they weren’t “disappointed” in me for having to go to summer class; naturally, my dad laughed it off and said that, no, they weren’t “disappointed” at all.

(In hindsight, I must have thought then that “disappointed” was a pretty cool, complicated word to use, which was why I must have added it to my sentences.)

My first published piece came at age 11, when I contributed to my parents’ employer’s newsletter, Philippine Airlines’s PALiner, and I wrote about what it was like “being the kid of a jetsetter.” I wrote of missed birthdays and Christmases and holidays, because both my parents had been flight attendants and had spent most of their careers–and most of our family’s growing up years–away from home. My mom told me that many of her colleagues ended up in tears because of that piece.

Instantly, I was hooked. I saw that there was power in words, and that someone seemingly insignificant like me can make her voice heard on a page.

It’s been 25 years since that time, and I’ve never stopped writing.

* * *

What you’ll see in this revamped version of Niña’s Notebook is more than just a “portfolio website.”

It’s a peek into my world of words–the words that I’ve dared submit for publication, on a wide variety of subjects, and the words that I share on my social media pages**, just because. This new version merges my professional work with my personal writing because, for someone like me, there are no real compartments in life. There are buckets of time that I devote to various endeavors, true, but the Me that shows up for work is the same Me you’ll find everywhere else.

Of course, for ease of use, I’ll be organizing my work a bit more cleanly so that those who are looking for professional portfolio pieces will easily find what they are looking for.

So, without further ado: WELCOME! May you find even just a sliver of enjoyment and inspiration reading the pieces here, as I’ve had writing them; may I always have something to write (and write about); and may I somehow find the time to put them all together.

*Love, light, and joy to you, always*

~ Niña

*I am now in corporate communications, and thrive being in the business world. That first word must have been prophetic.

**Click on these links to find me on Facebook, Twitter, InstagramLinkedInand my purely personal blog, Little Rich Girl.  If you wish to know a little bit more about my professional background, please click hereTo reach me, you may simply send an email to [email protected].

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