Grace, then greatness

The universe was watching.

On that stage stood Pia Wurtzbach, representing the Philippines at Miss Universe 2015.

Confident. Prepared. Composed.

Then the mistake.

Another name was called.

Another flag raised.

An ending, prematurely written.

On live television.

For a few seconds, it seemed over.

Yet she did not crumble.

She did not protest.

She did not panic.

She stood still.

In that pause,

we learned something.

How to lose with grace.

How to hold dignity

even when the moment feels stolen.

And when the correction came,

she walked forward without hesitation.

No theatrics.

No visible anger.

Just certainty.

And when the crown was finally hers,

she did not gloat.

She did not diminish anyone else.

She smiled.

She thanked.

She honored the moment.

In that,

we learned something else.

How to win with humility.

How to be magnanimous in victory.

Like someone who had always believed

she belonged there.

That moment mattered.

Not only because she won,

but because she showed us

how to stand in both loss and triumph.

Beyond Asia, beyond doubt

We stayed in The Rocks.

Where old stones remember stories

better than people do.

Where mornings feel slower.

Where nights feel earned.

We crossed the water to Taronga Zoo.

Posing with koalas and kangaroos

we used to see only in books and documentaries.

Suddenly, they were real.

Blinking.

Breathing.

Existing in front of us.

So were we.

Whenever we were hungry,

we kept finding ourselves

near the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Sharing fish and chips

as our go-to merienda.

Salt on our fingers,

wind on our faces.

Coming back again.

As if the view needed to remind us,

over and over,

that this wasn’t a screensaver.

This was our life,

at least for a week.

We dressed up.

Trench coats on.

We strolled like tourists who finally made it

along Hyde Park and George Street.

We slowed down inside

the grand Queen Victoria Building,

staring at windows

we couldn’t afford,

and smiling anyway.

In the evening,

with confidence borrowed from movies,

we stepped into the

Sydney Opera House

like we belonged.

Carmen was in French.

We understood almost nothing,

but applauded anyway. 

Whenever we wanted a sweet fix

on the way back to our hotel,

we would either stop by Copenhagen for its gelato,

or by Godiva for its drinks.

Treats we knew would taste different

once we were home.

Come morning,

we would wander through the weekend market,

letting time slip through our fingers

without guilt.

Simple.

Perfect.

When it was time to go home,

we packed our bags

with Vegemite,

Beerenberg jam,

and TimTams.

Back then,

Sydney felt impossible.

Going beyond Asia was too ambitious.

A dream you postpone

until “someday.”

And yet,

there we were.

First time seeing

how wide the world could be.

First time realizing

that distance is often

just doubt

wearing numbers.

If you are reading this

and thinking,

“Maybe not for me,”

Let this be your sign.

Be brave.

Try.

One day,

you will stand somewhere

you once thought

was unreachable.

And you will smile,

quietly.

Because you made it.

2 definitions of greatness

When Manny Pacquiao faced Floyd Mayweather Jr. during the "Fight of the Century,"

the world stopped.

It was about two legacies

meeting in the same ring.

On one side was Mayweather.

Undefeated. Perfect record.

Every fight calculated. Every risk measured.

Every move designed to protect zero.

To him, greatness meant one thing:

Never getting beaten. Not once.

On the other side was Pacquiao.

Eight divisions.
A climb across weight classes no modern boxer had ever completed.

He did not just defend titles.

He chased bigger challenges.

To him, greatness meant this:

Keep moving forward, even if it costs you.

One built his career on control.

The other built his on courage.

One mastered defense.

The other mastered ambition.

When they finally met,

those philosophies collided.

Mayweather fought to preserve perfection.

Pacquiao fought to expand legacy.

And on that night,

perfection won.

Twelve rounds.

Unanimous decision.

Still undefeated.

No knockout, no dramatic finish.

Just points. Distance.Discipline.

For many fans, especially Filipinos,

it felt incomplete.

We expected fireworks.

We got chess.

We expected emotion.

We got calculation.

It was not a battle of power.

It was a battle of styles.

And in that ring, precision beat passion.

Defense beat offense.

Planning beat momentum.

That is not always exciting.

But it is often how real competition works.

Greatness does not always look heroic.

Sometimes it looks measured.

Even boring.

Sometimes it looks like refusing to take risks

when everything around you wants spectacle.

Pacquiao lost the decision.

But he did not lose respect.

Mayweather won the fight.

And proved that mastery can be quiet.

That night did not give everyone what they wanted.

But it revealed something clearer than a knockout ever could.

There are different ways to be great.

One protects perfection.

One chases possibility.

They met once.

And both walked away legendary.

Postgrad tip

The days of avoiding the real world are finally over.

Jokes aside,

I will miss postgrad school.

The late nights.

The mental stretching.

The pressure that forced growth.

Having finished mine,

here’s one piece of advice for anyone taking,

or planning to take, postgraduate studies:

Ask questions.

The line that separates school from work

is the freedom to sound “stupid.”

Graduate school exists so you can ask

what your boss does not have time to explain.

The things you do not know yet.

And the things you did not even know

you did not know.

It will be tough.

It will test your patience.

Drain your savings.

Challenge your weekends.

But unlike the stock market,

this is an investment you actually control.

Postgrad life is not college life.

Do not show up just to pass.

Do not aim for the diploma.

Aim for the learning.

The quest for a few extra letters after your name

should not be easy.

So if you ever find yourself

writing “essays about life,”

sitting through filler lectures,

or enduring college-style presentations,

Pause.

Demand your money’s worth.

Do not pay tuition for theory.

Pay for transformation.

Ask questions.

Ask professors who have done the work,

not just read about it.

Seek mentors who can connect

the classroom to the boardroom.

Because in the end,

graduate school is not proof

that you are smart.

It is proof

that you never stopped learning.

Will it be on the test?

In school, one question always floated around the room.

“Will this be on the exam?”

If the answer was no, everyone stopped listening.

We finished assignments because they were required.

We studied to pass.

We checked boxes,
submitted outputs,
and called it a day.

Then we went out,
played,
or partied,
because the work was done.

School trained us to think in tasks.

To wait for instructions.

To do only what’s graded.

Especially in postgrad,
there is no "Loyalty award."
"Most punctual,"
"Best in recitation."

Maybe that’s why so many people carry the same mindset into work and life.

We look for checklists.
We wait for deadlines.
We rush to finish
instead of learning to grow.

It’s how the system trained us.

Not to explore,
but to comply.

But life outside the classroom isn’t graded the same way.

There are no rubrics for growth. No medals for curiosity.

In the real world, no one hands you a score. You make your own.

So stop asking if it’s on the exam.

Do it because it’s worth learning.

Do it because it makes you better.

Because the real test never ends.