Latest weekly food friends: McDonalds caramel sundae and french fries.
Lord, have mercy!
Thursday, October 26, 2006
Friday, October 6, 2006
Purpose Driven Life
I just got back from a week-long staff retreat in Nasugbu, Batangas. Everyone who works for W0rld Visi0n in the whole entire Philippines was there (Yup, Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao). It has been a complaint of mine that in our office, there's not a papa in sight so I was truly looking forward to this retreat to a) get away from the city (and the trauma that came with the Milenyo typhoon) and b) see some eye candy to get my hopes up again that one can find love in the workplace. Little did I know that b) would be the other way around. By the second day, Kuya Orly already expressed his surprise to me that a bunch of guys from the National Office were asking about me (nagbilang pa siya ng daliri sa kamay to make sure he got the right count ha). My lovely friends would probably be rejoicing right now to find out about this, but hold your horses. We're back to the same issue again: it's not about who or how many gets attracted to me, it's about who takes some action (Yabang a, feeling madaming naaattract sa kanya. HaHa!).
But enought about my angts...
This annual staff retreat is about thanksgiving, praying, and resting for the upcoming fiscal year. An audiovisual presentation was shown on the second day about the accomplishments of last year. For the corporate world, they would probably flash sales figures and profit margins and give awards to people who made the most sales. At W0rld Visi0n, they flash pictures of children and the communities they have helped. They pray to thank and give glory to the one responsible for everything that has happened (No Employees of the Year in this organization, folks). The organization's target each year is to increase the number of children who gets sponsored and thus, gets to go to school. I can't explain how that gives me a sense of pride as well as honor to be part of this organization. I'm truly thankful that God led me here, that He heard the desires of my heart. I'm where I've always wanted to be.
But with joy comes pain, as our seminars reminded us. This career path is not a bed of roses. It's hard to find comfort in the fact that I know I'm not getting what I know I deserve (Yes, I'm greedy and selfish). It's hard to make peace with the fact that my future is not secure despite trying to give that security to others. It's hard to balance reality and idealism. It's hard to keep going on when you know that people you love the most don't want the same thing for you and you keep wondering everyday if they're right.
The underlying question that I want to know the answer to is "Is it really worth it?," but the answer lies in the end when you can't do anything about your future anymore and you don't know if you're right person to find out the answer to that question.
Praying. Truly, that's what I need to do more of this coming fiscal year.
But enought about my angts...
This annual staff retreat is about thanksgiving, praying, and resting for the upcoming fiscal year. An audiovisual presentation was shown on the second day about the accomplishments of last year. For the corporate world, they would probably flash sales figures and profit margins and give awards to people who made the most sales. At W0rld Visi0n, they flash pictures of children and the communities they have helped. They pray to thank and give glory to the one responsible for everything that has happened (No Employees of the Year in this organization, folks). The organization's target each year is to increase the number of children who gets sponsored and thus, gets to go to school. I can't explain how that gives me a sense of pride as well as honor to be part of this organization. I'm truly thankful that God led me here, that He heard the desires of my heart. I'm where I've always wanted to be.
But with joy comes pain, as our seminars reminded us. This career path is not a bed of roses. It's hard to find comfort in the fact that I know I'm not getting what I know I deserve (Yes, I'm greedy and selfish). It's hard to make peace with the fact that my future is not secure despite trying to give that security to others. It's hard to balance reality and idealism. It's hard to keep going on when you know that people you love the most don't want the same thing for you and you keep wondering everyday if they're right.
The underlying question that I want to know the answer to is "Is it really worth it?," but the answer lies in the end when you can't do anything about your future anymore and you don't know if you're right person to find out the answer to that question.
Praying. Truly, that's what I need to do more of this coming fiscal year.
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Argh!
I'm currently at work...alone.
No one told me that we didn't have work today because of the typhoon.
(Insert all the profanities in the world here.)
No one told me that we didn't have work today because of the typhoon.
(Insert all the profanities in the world here.)
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Career Year
Every time I'm in Robinson's Galleria, I always have this tendency to break out into a little smile whenever I see/pass the Figaro there. For so many months last year, I sat in the same corner at Figaro, wasting time away (with Papa, with Kuya Heinz, with Jimbo...ahhh, memories!). Funny how life is like one whole year later. Nowadays, I wish I could just go to Figaro in the middle of the day and bum around (which I did do today, but I had to leave after an hour since it was only for lunch).
But there is a silver lining. Earlier in the day, Big Boss J showed the organizational chart for the office, and there it was: my name. Right under one of the manager's box is my own little box! I wasn't too far down the food chain that I couldn't be acknowledged and at the same time, I was significant enough to be mentioned. I have never seen my name in an org chart before so I couldn't help, but take a little pride in that. Yes, another example of how shallow my happiness is. HaHa!
With a business card and an org chart box, I wonder what's next. It's definitely a career year this year.
But there is a silver lining. Earlier in the day, Big Boss J showed the organizational chart for the office, and there it was: my name. Right under one of the manager's box is my own little box! I wasn't too far down the food chain that I couldn't be acknowledged and at the same time, I was significant enough to be mentioned. I have never seen my name in an org chart before so I couldn't help, but take a little pride in that. Yes, another example of how shallow my happiness is. HaHa!
With a business card and an org chart box, I wonder what's next. It's definitely a career year this year.
Monday, September 11, 2006
Every Breath You Take
"Life is not about how many breaths you take, but how many moments take your breath away."
While my plane was getting ready to land in Davao (Yes, I know, I'm quite behind with my travel stories on this website), I looked outside the window and had that "I can't believe this is happening" feeling. I was only minutes away from fulfilling my Luzon-Visayas-Mindanao goal and it was surreal. At the same time, I couldn't help but think, "How come I didn't do this sooner?!" I could've done this in 2002 when I was earning dollars interning at the U.S. Embassy and money was not an issue or I could've done this last year when leisure time was overflowing by the buckets. But then again, everything happens for a reason.
I'm so thankful for all these experiences, the opportunities that have come my way. It's unbelievable when I think about what has transpired over the last 13 months and how they all came about. Life is truly amazing when you live it, when you put yourself out there in the world.
But don't get me wrong, it's not all jolly-bee-happy around here (Did you get the pun, did you, did you?). You'll always find me in a bad mood when it's time to walk home after work (Have you noticed that it starts raining right around 5:00-6pm? And funny because it ALWAYS starts raining right when I step out of our building. What's up with that?!). You'll always see me turning red in anger whenever I encounter horrible customer service in this country (Latest villain: Teriyaki Boy in Megamall. Grr!). If you're Tet who lives in the same building as I do, you'll always hear me sneezing inside my unit from all the dust/bad air of this metropolis. You'll also understand the frustration in myself when I tell you about my daily "orange, bold, four points bigger" endeavors at work. And if you're God, you'll always know that my head is full of confused thoughts about my existence here in Manila.
If you're just like everyone around me, I already know what you want to ask me. The answer is one because I want to finish what I started, and two because I'm still learning. Albeit it's not learning about myself anymore as it was last year, but I'm learning what I want in the future: the graphic design certificate, the husband, the kids, the house with a nice kitchen full of my Starbucks City Mugs, the immediate family being near me (Naks!), the sunny skies, the yearly out-of-the-country vacation, the volunteer work...to name a few.
And yes, we can't forget that there are still those moments that take my breath away which always remind me why I did all of this in the first place and why I continue to stick around.
While my plane was getting ready to land in Davao (Yes, I know, I'm quite behind with my travel stories on this website), I looked outside the window and had that "I can't believe this is happening" feeling. I was only minutes away from fulfilling my Luzon-Visayas-Mindanao goal and it was surreal. At the same time, I couldn't help but think, "How come I didn't do this sooner?!" I could've done this in 2002 when I was earning dollars interning at the U.S. Embassy and money was not an issue or I could've done this last year when leisure time was overflowing by the buckets. But then again, everything happens for a reason.
I'm so thankful for all these experiences, the opportunities that have come my way. It's unbelievable when I think about what has transpired over the last 13 months and how they all came about. Life is truly amazing when you live it, when you put yourself out there in the world.
But don't get me wrong, it's not all jolly-bee-happy around here (Did you get the pun, did you, did you?). You'll always find me in a bad mood when it's time to walk home after work (Have you noticed that it starts raining right around 5:00-6pm? And funny because it ALWAYS starts raining right when I step out of our building. What's up with that?!). You'll always see me turning red in anger whenever I encounter horrible customer service in this country (Latest villain: Teriyaki Boy in Megamall. Grr!). If you're Tet who lives in the same building as I do, you'll always hear me sneezing inside my unit from all the dust/bad air of this metropolis. You'll also understand the frustration in myself when I tell you about my daily "orange, bold, four points bigger" endeavors at work. And if you're God, you'll always know that my head is full of confused thoughts about my existence here in Manila.
If you're just like everyone around me, I already know what you want to ask me. The answer is one because I want to finish what I started, and two because I'm still learning. Albeit it's not learning about myself anymore as it was last year, but I'm learning what I want in the future: the graphic design certificate, the husband, the kids, the house with a nice kitchen full of my Starbucks City Mugs, the immediate family being near me (Naks!), the sunny skies, the yearly out-of-the-country vacation, the volunteer work...to name a few.
And yes, we can't forget that there are still those moments that take my breath away which always remind me why I did all of this in the first place and why I continue to stick around.
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