My North Sydney Premonition

I officially started my job search one month after I moved, what with the cold winter upon my arrival, that made staying at home a better option, as opposed to going out - not even for shopping.

I went mostly to online websites like www.seek.com.au for advertisements on job availability and requirements. For a period of four months, I had four interviews in North Sydney that I joked that I will be working in the area. That was before I got lost and missed one interview - when I sat down in one of the benches and cried before God out of desperation, just because my husband printed for me a small map of my destination.
Sometime in October, on the very day of my friend Althea's birthday, I had a scheduled interview in Parramatta, for this organization that I am working for now. In the course of the interview, it came up that they are scheduled to move to the city - to which I shamelessly said that it is because I will be joining them that they have to change locations.
To give you an idea, Parramatta is an hour and thirty to forty five minutes train ride for me from Sutherland counting the time to walk from home to the train station and office. As long as I get on my train platform as scheduled, then I am alright. It is during the times that I get up late and had to drag myself out of bed that I find myself sprinting instead of my usual 10-minute walk that I had to gasp for air (I know Bexz, I should have gone jogging with you!) when I get on the train. Other than that, there's always things to do - reading, listening to music from my reliable phone, people watching, praying or just staying quiet on the whole ride.
As I type this morning, I am sitting in my new desk in our new Pacific Highway Office in North Sydney. It is way bigger, and the whole National Office will stay in one place instead of two offices. Oh, and did I say that I took the 8:05 express train (as opposed to the 7:26 if I was going to Parramatta) from Sutherland and got here at 9:00 AM?
Disclaimer: It is usually a busy morning but the movers are still in our old office and wont be here before lunch. Otherwise, I wouldn't have the time to blog on the first day after a long Easter break!

PuRely mY SeNtImEnTs

A few years ago I discovered that I would be happiest when I work in organizations that seek to make a contribution in community development.

For me to actually resign from a well paying job in a universal bank seemed like madness that my own mother thought I was crazy to give it up so I can do something about with my newly discovered passion.

I don’t know…I just get a natural high knowing that what I am doing is making a contribution towards the betterment of the society.

For four years I have been pursuing a career in the non-profit industry and I can say it has it rewards. In fact I can go on to say that what I learned for eight years in the bank, I already did for a few months in my new industry.

I got to meet important, unassuming, down-to earth people who has no qualms about who they are or their stature in the society. Which is the exact opposite of my former boss!

Working in ngo’s as I said has its share of highs. And low’s depending on how you look at it. I remember organizing an event, and having to pick up the guest speaker on the day of the activity itself, host the program when we arrived at the venue, took pictures, and help facilitate one of the working groups during the breakout sessions. Whew! You would think I was superwoman! But I wasn’t and I am not. There was just no one else who was available to do it. There are other things too. But my point is, all these things all the more strengthened the joy I derive from such activities.

Mind you, I am a very hardworking person. I can spare myself of so many luxuries, be it time, money or what have you, just so I can deliver the expected results, as long as things are clearly laid down to me. I want to know my boundaries, I like to work in an environment where I am free to deliver certain objectives in such a way that I can freely choose certain options that I have laid out, unless of course there is a standard operating procedure that has been clearly discussed and understood prior to embarking on a project.

As a professional I hate to do anything that would put my integrity and reputation at stake. That is why it takes me forever to finish something that the way I see it, is not in line with what I believe and stand for. Sometimes I am too obedient, many times, too much for my own good. But anyone just has to ask me the right question to get the truth out of me.

As I said I always work with a passion, many times at my own expense just to get things done. But cross the line that will jeopardize what I stand for and I will be the first one to run.

I am so grateful for the many opportunities that my jobs since four years ago have brought me. I know that I have more things to learn. But for now, I know for certain that it is time for me to leave and venture in other career opportunities somewhere.

Who knows where God will be pleased to take me!

The Grass is Greener Somewhere Else?!?

The Filipino diaspora all around the globe is very common that I am almost certain that there is at least one member of every family who lives and works abroad.

I remember a time when my father went to California to settle the sale of a family property. I think he came back after over six months impressed and mesmerized with the US of A that I had a feeling he wanted to move all of us there.

I was a sophomore business student then, actively participating in rallies and other campus activities in an effort to point out errors committed by the government, and at the same time promote social awareness among fellow students and the Cebuano community. It was at that time when I could vividly remember the street chants that my father arrived from his trip.

While he was sharing his accolades, I can still recall how he looked when I dismissed him with a shrug. I was so convinced that if all the good people will leave, the corrupt will remain, and this nation will be reduced to utter ruin.

Don’t get me wrong, I never had anything against those who go abroad from the very start. I just didn’t think it was my path.

It was not until I became actively involved in my church  that I had a change of perspective. From day one, I was told to get a passport, among others. What with a vision to honor God and advance his Kingdom by making disciples, training leaders and planting churches in the Philippines, Asia and the world.

My myopic focus on my own little world had to leave as I started to look beyond. When I drafted my personal mission statement, I did not confine myself with what I can see. It included the world. Thus I can go anywhere, given a purpose worth pursuing.

Of course being able to help our family is a good one. This is often the reason why husbands or wives leave their families behind for greener pasture. I know of someone who works tirelessly just so he can help his dad and close relatives financially. I deeply admire his steadfast resolution at such a time as this.

However, I don’t think the provision is enough to justify being apart from your own family. I know of people whose children go astray because of absentee parents. Having money for the children's future is pointless if the children are already addicted to drugs, or alcohol or bad influence of friends. For me, money is not enough payment when I look at the price they have to pay for it.

If parents, or one of the parents plan to leave, I hope they include bringing the whole family along. When I get married, I don’t think I can afford to be away from my husband and children for over a week. How much more for years? It is just not healthy, not for the marriage, or for the children.

God's original design for the family is for them to be together, not apart, NOT even in the guise of making money for them.

On a personal note, my brothers will attest that I have already traveled the world if we are to talk about the countries that I planned to go to...I am a dreamer and I don't hesitate to talk about my dreams..( talk about someone who has a wedding plan with a minor hitch - no groom! hahaha) Wherever God will take me in the next couple of months, I hope it is somewhere where I will meet someone who will pay for my plan...bwahahaha! Seriously, (and there's no need to take me to the hospital) wherever that is, i know it is a place where I will fulfill God's purpose for me...and who knows...maybe even make some money!

blog..blog..blog!

So I haven’t written in a long time….again! What kept me busy? I have no idea! Oh…wait..I was beating a deadline..The project that I am involved in for over a year now is ending soon..Oh yeah…I’ve talked about this before..Well, we’re still in a crisis mode. I pray that the people who gave their word will truly meet the deadline.

I also went home to visit my parents. My father complained since I haven’t been home for two years yet I only stayed for less than 48 hours…hehehe!!Busy career..duh! He said I should just stay with them and work on a business with them. Pretty tempting, I must say…but I do have my reasons..For one I don’t have a local church there..Most importantly, there is no market for me there…LOL!! He won’t read this anyway! Hahahaha!! Next year my sister will join us in Cebu for the uni. I don’t know if I will still be here with her by then..lol!

And the series of parties! It started on the 15th. Globe invited us at work for an event they call High Five! It was fun..The first of their many parties that I actually enjoyed..And then Abel’s b-day on the 16th….We stayed up until midnight just talking. And then Friday night….we didn’t party, but we were very busy packing our Christmas presents..Saturday lunch was our party at work…It was very laid back…plenty of food for all ten of us plus a few guests…there was sooo much left over it could have been worth a week’s meal…well..except that…*sigh*

I was part of a mini E.B. (read: eyeball) with FFF chatters. Except for the regulars, I got to meet a few others, one of whom happns to be a cousin of my first cousin. It was the first time I met her..I just heard of her..I thought the facts that she mentioned matched so I asked for her family name…and bingo! Small world..We parted ways with the FFF folks..all nine of us at around midnight, but I moved with some of them to another bar where there’s a live band playing to wait for some friends. We stayed there til one a.m. which was a little late since I didn’t finish my Christmas wrapping for our church party the next day. I couldn’t work when I got home so dozed off I went and put off the work on the table til very early morning…Grrr…we didn’t finish till 11 A.M. and had to rush to the 12 noon party..By the time the party was over, I was so beat. I attended the 4p.m. service really sleepy, it was a miracle I didn’t sleep through it.

When I got home at 7pm, I was so tired I hit the sack in record time. I woke up drowsy by 11:30 pm and still managed to balance my business books at 1AM.

Three more nights and I will wake up in the island paradise of boracay. I can’t wait to be there. In the meantime, I have to endure the boredom of coming to work without anything to do except, well, blog..hehehe!

Wax it PRINCESS (?)

Not too long ago I mentioned about going into business armed with a formula that will surely revolutionize women’s perception of smooth, hairless skin!

Like I mentioned, my friend cum business partner and I have been using the formula for a while now, and true enough significant changes have occurred in our previous shaving lifestyle.

First of all, I am fair complexioned, thanks to the genetic heritage of my parents. But that in itself did not guarantee a flawless armpit, among others. While my mom didn’t have to worry about unwanted hairs, I had to shave at an early age, being a sleeveless fanatic that I am. However I had to make sure that I don’t show my armpit because it could be very embarrassing. After shaving for a long time, what we term as “chicken skin” seemed to grow and dark spots in the shaved area showed shamelessly. Not only that, I had to shave everyday, considering the fast growth in the very area where I would rather have them disappear.

I must admit it somehow affected my confidence. For a long time I wondered if there was someway to get rid of the problem, apart from the usual super expensive regimen. Wax it PRINCESS came as a manna from heaven!

Second of all, I have realized that the product is not just made for ladies. I remember watching a Mel Gibson movie called “What Women Want” wherein he actually used hot wax to remove body hair. Which led me to believe that Wax it PRINCESS is not only for ladies but for princes as well.

Last weekend, my youngest brother sent me sms informing me of his desire to have the wax tested on his facial hair. As an exemplary sister that my three brothers always fondly think me, I gladly applied the wax on him. Today, I can only wish I took his picture before and after the application so the difference could have been observed. I guess he will be glad to speak of his waxing experience, not because we are siblings, but because he saw a happy difference out of it.

After several consultation with friends, a conclusion has been made. The waxing experience should not be limited to ladies. Men can also avail of it. Thus the change of name. When we finally register our product with the department of trade and industry, we will call it:

HairFree
for smooth, hairless skin



In the meantime, you can already enjoy the wax in our test marketing stage. For inquiries, orders and demos (demos limited to Cebu residents only) please email me at hairfreecoldwax@gmail.com and I will get back to you in a flash.

if i were a piece of thread...

i would have long disintegrated..did i say thread? hehehe!

it's been really busy at work for me..what with our MAJOR anniversary celebration, project that is about to end and deadlines that have long expired and yet remained undone.

and then there are questions about career path..my work's relevance to my purpose, mission and vision in life and the question of whether or not I will eventually get married.

last night i had a brawl with myself due to weariness, loneliness and stress. sheezh whatta lethal combination plus of course add to that the above mentioned scenario and you will get an explosion.

well, i didn't at least not yet..but there are few things that add up to the questions that i have been asking myself. what is the relevance of english proficiency in my life that i had to attend that orientation earlier? of course the free lunch was a favor because i asked for it but what was my boss thinking? i guess i should call on a meeting with him already.hmm...

and i am writing this blog because i was asked to write another message for our souvenir program one more time at a very short notice. and yes, i am still in the office at 9:30 pm with nothing but a blank page on Microsoft Word staring back at me.

i need a life...hmmm...things would have been ok if there's a so called lovelife..but that is an entirely different story that deserves another blog.

it is an overwhelmingly sad day....

...today!

we had a project review at work which actually made the project team as well as the ever helpful project officer from our funding agency help us see how far behind we really are from the project workplan.

problems that we did not see in the beginning are coming up and a back up plan is in the works. i am very sad because it entails a lot more work to the load that i am already in...the thought of it is just so overwhelmingly heavy it makes me cry inside..

God help me meet the deadlines. sometimes it makes me ask if this is actually what i want to do in the long run..

truthfully my job is pretty exciting and it has uncovered talents that i would otherwise not be given an opportunity if i was in another organization. however i feel so stretched to the limits that it is beginning to look like all this efforts is not really what matters in light of my lifelong dreams, ambition, mission and vision.

Lord give me strength and encouragement in this otherwise heavy day!

i gave up...

...my monday to friday two-hour tutorials since sept 27.

it's sad, but i am left with no choice, really! The 11-year old girl, Kelly, called me up. She practically begged me to stay. In a way I am glad that their mom finally has time for them. Though on the other hand I am sad because I won't be seeing them. And I will miss seeing their youngest 3-year old brother William, with whom I have a huge crush on! lol!

i learned so many things from that 6-week experience.
when i grow up and have children of my own, I promise to:
> make time for them
>i will be a mother and friend to them
>i will get to know them
>i won't leave them to the care of the maids
>i will personally be there for them
>i will personally tutor them (or homeschool them..hmmm..)

NOW...where's that man that I will have the pleasure of co-laboring with? ~winkz~

guess who walked out....

of a tutorial session????

Hard to tell, but I DID!

I am usually a very patient person...and I always try to see the good in people but today, I just had to walk away.

Three kids aged 10, 11 and 12...yep...that's how old they are...ooooOhh...they talk at the same time too..I think I am now on my sixth week, and somehow I thought I've had it figured out. Of course they have to work on their assignments first, then I will just have to check on their work afterwards..But there's a problem if they didn't understand their lessons..I have to be able to explain it to them...And then there's the time that they clamored for my attention at the same time..Can't they see there's only one of me and three of them??

The worst thing is when I am trying to explain to them something and they pretend to be bored or sleepy because they find the explaination too long and they want a shortcut. It would have been good if the understood the explaination in the end...the sad thing is they don't.

Now I am contemplating on whether i should go back or not. After over a month of tutoring them, I still haven't negotiated my rate..Sometimes I would think that it would be understandable if their mom won't pay me. I feel like it is a waste of money to keep meeting with these kids because they are so NOT interested. I don't know if they even understand why they are in school in the first place.

When I grow up (lol) and become a wife and mother someday, I will see to it that I tutor my own children myself. It's a pity, because children won't be kids for a lng time...As for me, I would like to be available for them, be their friend, and teach them the ways that they should go, so when they are older, they won't depart from those teachings.