And this is life...

How time flies, it's now the fourth month of the year and shortly will just realize that another year is going to end, looking forward for the new year.

This recent break has allowed me to contemplate again on things and ask questions which most of the time I don't know the answer. Thoughts about the recent disappointment, about life and happiness, living differently and doing other things instead. Thoughts that I hoped to be asked or shared with someone who do knows me, or much better if it's someone who knows me more that I knew myself. And how I wish Ann was here, if only she was here.....

14th floor at 4PM, that is our usual meeting place. The place where will have our afternoon coffee break and chat about our never ending issues at work, people that hurted or influenced us, places where we wanted to go, our individual dreams and plans, our life existence, our beliefs. And when there's nothing to talk about, we just sit there quietly while drinking our coffe and watching the magnificient sunset. And though I see the sunset daily, it's like there's always something to be watched for, the scene is really wonderful and lovely just to be contained in a day from that floor. But something came up which made her to decide leaving and do something which she believes is the best for her. With a very promising career and talent, her decision is a total big NO for some, but for me, that decision was quite admirable, for it takes a lot of courage to do so.

With none so near trusted friend, I find it difficult to open with the family. In a way, I don't want them to be so worried about me or maybe there's just really things about ourselves which we feel more comfortable talking with a friend than family, because friends can relate more to the situation. But then at the end of the day, I'm still thankful to have a family who is with me at this depressing moment in life and for a God who is not letting go of me who promised that everything will come to pass.

I also wanted to share this text message sent by a friend, " Even though friends can be a help, only JESUS can reach beyond our tears and touch the dip hurts of our hearts. His comfort can carry us through the struggles of are lives until that day wen GOD himself wipes away every tear from our eyes."

Should I or Should I Not

Many things happened these past months, things that can be given only to some, something which can be the ultimate fulfilment of a dream, one considered to be as life changing. But once you're there and it's just beyond your reach, something will happen where you'll say "let's pause this moment for a while", but at the same time your doubting to step back because you also don't want to miss the thing and just hoped and prayed that everything will turn out just fine. And then eventually, it will turn upside down, nearly to cause everything, left nothing but to ask, "What should I have done instead", " Did I push for something regrettable later on?, or "Was it a mistake?"...ah, all questions that I never knew the answers if I did it the other way around.

They have been asking me for a while, but I already said NO. They become persistent and asked me for the second time, and this time, the knock of opportunity is indeed appealing. Everything was arranged, settled, and by end of the month, I am scheduled to visit their headquarters for final assessment. I know something is wrong before the big day, reason that I took common medications to counter the symptoms. And when that day arrived, a feeling of hesitation is still there. But after seeing my suitcase, it landed my feet heading towards the door. While on the way to the airport, I closed my eyes and said to myself, " I can do this, it's not my first time, just relax, take it easy and see everything will be fine, you're here, this is it!"

The body do reacts on how you think, and that's what I did. All along, I fought hard between mind and body and kept thinking repeatedly that the pain will leave me if I'll refocus positively. It helped me in a way to survive and was able to enjoy my last night, until it triggered back on my actual departure. My rehearsals seem not working and this time, I panicked. Consciously that I'm still miles and miles away from home, I asked the flight attendants for medical assistance. They were really helpful and have explained to me that I need to stay for another day for the check-up and see if I can handle the long flight. It was a point where I got involved in a very tight situation, where past experiences cannot be compared to put into resolution, nevetheless, I need to make a decision either way.

I paused to think and pray, it maybe the first time where I prayed so hard for God's deliverance to endure a bit and to bring me home safely. I realized now, that when you're there, when there's nothing to hold on too, it's only between you and your faith that will bring you out from misery. And He was indeed merciful, the flight attendants had been so nice for treating me well too and I was able to find peace on that long journey. And so, upon my arrival, there's no wasted time but to go immediately on that place. Yes, I was hospitalized and have traces of it until this time.

Happy New Year!!!

Wow, my very first entry for 2008 after a long silence in this blogosphere world...hehe...and better late than never, would like to greet everyone a blessed New Year!


So, where am I and what's going on for the past month? oh! it's almost 2 months since my last post and that would give an impression that I'm lazy or just not a real blogger...ha ha. Hey, spare me, please be kind, I'm still an apprentice and really doing my best to write out of this busy (yeah) world.


And what am I supposed to write would be of course the highlights of my holiday season. Lucky me, I was able to spend it simply with family...yeah, I was again in the Philippines, good boss I have for this second time break of the year right...^&^



And there's really no place like home where I could just be myself. Nothing to worry or think about to much. No need to rush in the early morning for work where I can sleep or wake-up till my head hurts and just be lazy for the whole day. Where I can eat anything I like to my fullest and play with my niece&nephew till my stomach burst with laughter and same as them. It sometimes made me think then of going back to childhood where everything is simpler and funner. Ah! and the best is to ponder on things, talking anything whether it makes sense or what, just anything, to catch-up those missed time. And how time fies that I had nieces&nephews now which are on teen years, good though it means I'm getting old. They can start to accompany me as real friend or barkada. The whole 2 weeks was a real feast, not minding If I'm still on diet, whatever, I just wanted to eat, it's just so so good to eat...he he



Then we had this chance to pay a visit to Tagaytay which is an hour drive away from our place. It was chilly at the time, much colder I may say than my winter experience. So, we're really not prepared with jackets et al, just the same were able to put that big grin in the camera and attaching are some fun memory photos of that quick peek in this coldest side of Manila .

November audit craze

When I said before that I'll prevent blogging work matters topic, I actually didn't believe it. How can I share other stuff when my 14hrs in a day is consumed to working. And if our company will have a loyalty award for expats, definitely I'll be one of the nominee. Imagine, I'm the only survivor out of the six expats previously in our department. Meaning, I'm the only foreigner, which I won't brag about but I'm really proud of it, pinoy ata ito!

Anyhow, I hoped you won't get bored reading again this sort of lenghty blog about my entertaining job...hmmp, maybe entertaining only for me...ha ha

Yesterday my end, end customer had an audit. And when you say audit, everyone is in alarm level#1. But I'm somehow confident because last Friday, the premier#1 brand worldwide (S...)had an audit. And this end, end customer of mine is also from Japan and in cases like this, there must be a translator which of course is not me. So inside the meeting room are multi-cultural people composed of Taiwanese, English, Japanese and yours truly.

My first job was a Jap firm and has spent almost a year. Hence, I can still vividly recall some words and so, when I introduced myself in Niponggo, they were surprised...ha ha ha. My company then offers training in Japan and I was the first in our batch to got the privileged of a six months training program. Unfortunately, it wasn't pushed through as my visa was denied. I said to myself at the time, ok lang yun...but thinking it now sayang s'ya, If I just waited for 3 more moths to re-apply for the visa as their pushing to have me stayed, I could have been there already for free. Well yes, knowing how expensive travelling to Japan nowadays will make me to reconsider. Anyway, I resigned and the rest is history.

Going back to the meeting room, aside from listening to and discussing the agenda in which I also prepared myself. I can't help not to stare and observed how could one recognize this seemingly same individuals. Local folks says that Jap consider themselves as superior among their race, well for some reasons I agree because when you said made in Japan...wow, it must be good, the quality I mean. And while pondering, I think the identification trademark would be the eyes.

So we went into the line and not wondering why the English guy keeps beside me. Of course, I'm the only one he could understand. And has spent an hour of more blah blah blahs. Then they departed to the other floors of our building to continue the audit with another entertainer. After they've left and while returning some audit items, the production supervisor asked me "How many Chinese words could you say?" Oh well, I said itien-tien (means little), then both of us laughed afterwards.

Having said that, given the chance to be a customer in the future, wow, really hoping for that chance, I could somehow communicate with them right? cause I know itien-tien...ha ha ha, kidding aside though, but I do hoped that my mandarin skills will drastically improved next year as one of my goals.

To close with , we finished at 5PM with minor findings. Very nice, and then requested our team to attend dinner with them. For past experiences, although it's time to have that bonding, it usually ends up to a working dinner. And though I liked one of those Jap end customer, coz he defended us from our end end customer, I declined and headed back to the office where I'll just start going over on other pending activities...whew! tough job isn't it, but entertaining...^&^

Time to move on?

There are just so much that I would like to write, but once I started to hit my laptops keys, it has left me clueless or better say speechless to be exact.

Whilst the cold breeze of winter, I decided to walk going home. Hoping that the 30minutes walk will allow me to ponder on things and finally have a decision upon reaching home. This is one of those times that I just wanted to be alone.

Recently, I received a job offer back home and weighing on things, the only topic for discussion is the salary. Significant difference of course, on the side, I could finally be with my family.

I like Taiwan a lot and have iterated so many times how I love my lifestyle here. But the question that popped out of my mind is that until when I could stay here? Money for sure is important, but is it the bottom line of everything?

I'm not saying that preparing for the future is not important. Indeed it is, I'm not just the type who plans and sets goals to have much, for example, this year I'll have this, next year this one, and so on and so forth.

I always believed that sufficient for the day is what's important, for tomorrow will worry for itself just like what the bible says. But then again, I guess I don't have that enough courage to go back. It takes a lot of faith to do so considering the status of the Philippines.

When you had that experience to leave outside and go back home say for vacation, you can't help to compare and hoped that the pleasures outside is the same thing in the Philippines. Never knew and understand why from a well-known developing country in the 70's has turned into a 3rd world country in the 20th century? In which the current economy greatly depends on OFW's remittances. And what will happens next? I don't know either.

And since there will come a time for me to come back, I wanted to settle for sure in the Philippines. I just hoped that I have the confidence to say that my family has a future. Having said that, I think I should keep my feet here for now!

After 10yrs and still counting....

I'm actually not into writing this post because it's so late now and I should start to snooze. But upon realizing that it's a special day to me and the rest of MIT-CHE batch'93, I got that adrenaline to reminisce a bit.

Wow, it's been 10 years already, the moment after 41/2 years of sweat, tears, hunger and countless sleepless night with matching sunog kilay has paid. Upon calling my name and stepping finally at the stage to get that much awaited diploma has come into reality. I graduated at last!

Looking back then, I never knew I will take such course and study in MIT. At the time, the most in demand course is either PT or Com Sci. And usually, a fresh grad from high school doesn't have much in mind for what direction to go through aside from the fact you wanted to be with your barkada's. Sunod lang ika nga...

Our food store in Makati was just in-front of the former P&G Plant now transferred to Laguna for environmental reasons. And it's one of our customer who encouraged me to try MIT, he said I had big chances to enter this giant company which we all knew offers great security.

And so, I tried, sige try lang naman, let's see how it goes. I still have fall backs after all. Know what, I was actually part of those last batch of examinees and enrollee. And thinking it now, God indeed send that guy to encourage, or better say guide me.

Although studying in MIT was quite difficult and challenging. In which you need to maintain a certain grade in order to stay, I finished my studies with flying colors. Not saying though that I never got 5, but the thing is I graduated ahead of time. One thing is sure, I loved my college days and has treasured every moments of it until these days.

And today, 10 years to be exact after our graduation. I would like to greet fellow MIT-CHE Batch'93, we made it guys!

Here it goes again

Just 2 weeks ago, I had written on my last post that I will try to avoid writing work related subjects. Apparently, it won't be the case as we encountered once more another strange case.


And so, I'm back to the same workaholic full-mode, a slave maybe the exact word. And thanks to that smooth sailing process one month break, mind you that we pinned down the last one. I was able to recharge, and now wanted to shout " Panahon na para ilabas muli ang isang daang porsiyentong kapangyarihan" (in English, "It's time to unleash my 100% power")...ha ha ha, funny as it sounds, but I like it, it's very appropriate. Hey do you still remember which famous cartoon show tag line it was? I already forgot, it's one of my fave back then.


Actually this one is more critical than the last one, considering the failing rate is quite low. Imagine, they will be flying back again next week. Oh well, maybe they just like me that much...ha ha ha


And you may say, hey it's kinda serious and should be taken seriously. Yes, I am, I really am taking that into that level. Obviously, I just wanted to use another approach and see what happens next.


I just learned from previous experience that, I usually put additional pressure on myself for motivation. Don't know why, maybe it's just my style in order not to loose momentum of what I'm doing. But realized at the same time that the more I put myself into pressure, the more I can't move. So this time, I would like to try like playing, but surely hitting the nail and I believed that it's more light and fun.


I'll end this post for now and let's see how my next entries goes, better watch for it...@_@


Have a nice weekend every all.