Time Management

I super duper hate people who cannot meet deadlines! Ugh!

It is not okay for you to not turn your deliverable on time. It is not okay for you to be clueless when someone had sent three separate e-mails leading up to the deadline. It is not okay to use "I was busy" as an excuse. All of us are busy; that's why we're getting paid.

Teamwork = everyone's work is all dependent upon someone else's productivity. Ride the same wave, people.

Loving the Job

Today, after some four weeks of starting my other part-time job, I finally took advantage of the various "amenities" available with working in Downtown Seattle: I shopped after work.

When I was living in Manila, going to Megamall, The Podium, or Shang after work was an every day thing. It was so convenient to grab dinner or to just drop by to buy my favorite hopia because the malls were down the street from my building. Well, it's the same situation for me these days. Shops, restaurants, movie theaters, oh my! And with my ORCA card (bus pass, for you non-Seattle-ites), I don't have to worry about parking at all.

I swear, there are so many pluses that comes with this job. The only thing that would make it the best thing ever is if it becomes full-time, but that would just be icing on the cake.

Life with Meaning

While shopping this weekend, I also returned three Coach bags that totaled $200 (forgive me, I had a moment of weakness during the after-Christmas sales). Having those bags while I watched footages of Haiti just didn't feel right so back to the store they went.

I want to add "be part of a disaster relief mission" in my imaginary things-to-do-before-I-die list. I know in order to be one of those volunteers, you have to have a certain skills set and I don't really know where my marketing/graphic design/web design skills fit into that. ;P

Eventhough I lived in the Philippines, I don't really know what it means to be poor or to have nothing. I went to a private school and was never really exposed to poverty. Sure, I saw poor people, but I couldn't say that I knew what they went through on a daily basis. Even when I went back in 2002, I lived in an all-expenses-paid house and in 2006, I earned enough to live in a high-rise condo. When friends came over and saw our ancestral house in San Mateo, their eyes would light up and say how it was like a resort. Having grown up and spent time there every Sunday, it was just the norm for me. When we moved to the US, the transition from life there to here was smooth; there wasn't this huge leap that I had to go through and struggle with. And having this background I think is what pulls me to want to experience things that would fill that void of knowledge regarding being poor. Does that make sense? Normal ba ito? ;P

As I get older, I realize that I want to live a life full of compassion, to be able to give even when I know that I won't get anything in return, to be able to make a difference without a spotlight or headline associated with it. Gusto kong maging...politician's wife. HaHa! Kidding! I hope that God will continue to give me opportunities to "broaden my horizons". Sana si future papa ganyan din (at talagang humirit pa).

Girls Just Want to Have Fun

I remember once when Pen was telling me that she bought slacks at Gap for $20 and I thought it was too expensive. That's only because I've found them to be $10 or less at Gap Outlet for the same quality. Shorts for $.97? Why, I have them in five different colors, thanks to Old Navy.

I used to agree with people that buying clothes in the Philippines is quite cheap, but I don't think so anymore. Can you find shorts for P100 in the Philippines? Never! Besides, the clothes at tiangges lack the quality for them to be called "great buys."

I didn't do anything, but shop this weekend. Clearance items at Gap Outlet were 30% off, plus I had a coupon for an additional 20% off. Plus I still had a $20 reward coupon that I received awhile back for converting my Gap card to Gap Silver. Basically, half of my stuff were free. I also found this awesome navy blue semi-formal dress at Banana Republic Factory Store for $27 (originally $110) which I can wear at Anton's wedding this spring. You can really replace your wardrobe when sales like these come up during the end of each season. And since madaling mapagsawaan ang mga gamit, I don't want to spend a lot on clothes anymore. Back in college, I wouldn't think twice about buying Abercrombie stuff every month, but these days, no thanks. Mas masakit pa when I took my clothes to Goodwill knowing that I barely wore them and were just giving them away kasi wala na akong space sa closet.

Whoever buys clothes at regular prices are crazy (or genuinely rich). I find it much funner when I find great bargains unexpectedly. I used to hate sorting through racks, but have made peace with it. Actually, it's not so bad if it's Gap Outlet or Banana Republic because at least they sort the madness by color. Old Navy, umm, I just go there kapag bored ako and trying to kill time because you really have to be in a certain frame of mind when you're sifting through their dump (and that's why probably no staff ever arranges their clearance sections!).

I also went to the mall today because I had to buy shampoo and visit the Apple Store and realized that it has been a long time since I've stepped into a mall...and my closet reflects that fact.

Unlucky

Supposedly, the unluckiest Chinese sign this year is the monkey. Great, just great. But it has also been said that this year is lucky for career, but unlucky for love. Well, how much worse can a lovelife get if it's currently zero?

I hope this prediction brouhaha is just that; I'd hate for the Year of the Tiger to take away what the western calendar just gave me to start the year off.

Aged to Perfection

I was going through my archives last night after I posted my entry and realized something.

I can't ask God for a "twenty-something guy" anymore! He has to be "thirty-something" now! OMG!

2NE10

It's 2010. Has it really been 10 years since my first year of college?! Time truly flies by.

I can't really say 2009 was bad for me. Sure, I didn't work full-time for most of the year and there were times that I was paralyzed by hopelessness, but I don't think I was extremely saddened by all of it. In fact, I was really grateful about many things that have happened this year:

• God helped me leave my horrible full-time job


• Finished my Graphic Design Certificate and then some...for free


• Fulfilled my childhood dream of going to Japan...and Korea


• Witnessed the power of networking and people's willingness to help me out


• Saw how Elections/ballots processing work in this country


• Being able to pay for my WV child sponsorship dues despite my unemployment


• Reconnecting with people from the past


• Knowing that accumulation of material things isn't what life is about

Perhaps I'm getting old and have begun to appreciate life that I found satisfaction in all of that. And as if I passed my life's lessons in 2009, God granted me gifts before the year closed: two part-time positions that I am truly happy about getting. Imagine that.

I'm looking forward to 2010 and even wrote down resolutions on paper last night which I've never done before. This year brings a new milestone and I want to make some changes in my life to ensure that this coming decade is indeed new and not simply a repeat of what has been (Naks, so serious!).