Seasons Greetings

This entry is a few hours late. Nahuhuli yata ako sa maraming bagay ngayong Christmas kasi medyo nagkasakit ako (fever due to cough and colds). Hindi ako nagising para sa Noche Buena kasi hindi no drowse ‘yung gamot na ininom ko at hindi rin ako nakapunta (for the first time) sa Varsi Amihan Christmas Party kasi nga masama ang pakiramdam ko. Nagbunga na ang ilang gabing pagpa-party at bumigay na talaga ang resistensya ko. Anyways, para sa mga grammar gurus d'yan, pardon the “TagLish.” I just want this entry to be as spontaneous as possible, especially because I want to use this space to extend my Christmas greetings and wishes to everyone dear to me.

'Eto na… In random order, below are my seasons greetings to all the people who have made me a very happy and blessed person --


For Carli – Sorry for missing-out on a lot of things lately. I know you understand and like what you’ve said, makaka-adjust din tayo sa mga pagbabago sa buhay natin. I wish you happiness. ‘Yung totoong happiness. ‘Yung tipong kahit na hindi ka naka-smile or tumatawa, mukha ka pa ring masaya. Good luck sa career! I hope 2008 brings you closer to your dream job! All the best! Muwah!

For Feli – I’m not really sure how you’re doing right now. I hope we’ll have time to catch-up soon. Ikaw ang isa sa pinakamabubuting tao na kilala ko (for sure, maraming mag-aagree sa’kin) and for that, I will always pray for your success and happiness. Cheers!

For the Salvosa Family (Kris, Ipe and Joey) – It’s your first Christmas with Baby Joey! Great things are happening to your family. Your family has been very blessed that I actually don’t know what to wish for the three of you pa. I guess, more success and good health na lang. You’ll be moving-in to your new home soon. Pa-sleepover ha? Para naman I can bond with my inaanak na up to now ay hindi ko pa rin nakikita. Sigh!

For my other Varsi Amihan friends – So far, everybody’s doing well naman. Lynda has found the man of her dreams, A is loving her job at GMA, Luwi has a great career with Business Mirror, etc. etc. Sana tuloy-tuloy ang pag-ulan ng blessings! Be happy everyone! Sabi nga ni Reyann, na alam kong masaya na rin sa US, life is beautiful! Ang maidadagdag ko na lang, life is what we make it. Let’s choose to be happy and be the best that we can be.


For Vene – I’m very happy to have been able to rekindle my friendship with you. I know you’re living your life to the fullest. Atta girl! What you are doing right now (exploring life and improving yourself) is a good step to achieving the self-fulfillment that you’ve always wanted. I wish you a fruitful journey, my friend.

For my other ICAManila barkadas (Ianne, Aileen, Irene, Elena, Edna, Candy, Margarette and Roselyn) – I hope we get the chance to have a reunion soon. I’m looking forward to hearing your stories. Paniguradong mahaba-habang kwentuhan ‘yun. Wherever you all are, sana you’re all doing well. God bless always!


For Noreen – I haven’t heard from you. Kumusta ka naman? You’ve been an angel to a lot of people and I can only wish that life treats you well in return. I miss you. Sana magkaron ng part two ang Singapore at Malaysia adventure natin. Ingat palagi!

For Rhea – You’re the strongest woman in the whole world! Haha! I’ve always admired your strength and courage. I hope you continue to keep the faith no matter what. You’ve been through a lot and for sure, wala ka nang hindi na kakayanin pa. Good health, happiness, and great life for you and Johann!

For my other UST buddies – Ugie, have a happy married life! Aaron, same goes to you! Haha! Have a blissful existence you all!


For Pangga and Anson – My “Singaporean/OFW” friends (hehehe), I hope you reap the fruits of your hard work and sacrifices soon! I know it’s not easy to be away from home. I admire your courage and determination in achieving your goals in life. Be happy and don’t forget to take a much deserved breather every once in a while. See you soon!

For my other Accenture buddies (Cecille, Khalil, Jonax, Maridor, Bernard, Elena, etc.) and teammates (Accenture Research Team and Enterprise Search Team) – Less “OT,” increased “engagement,” and more “balance” for all of us! Enjoy the break for it’s not everyday that we get to have some time-off. Cheers!


For Erwin – Our relationship will be a year older this January and I just hope and pray that we continue to grow together in the coming years. May we be able to carry-out all of our plans and may we never drift apart come rain, come shine. Good luck to us!


For my Family – I will forever be grateful for your love and understanding. I can never be the perfect tita, daughter or sister, but no matter what, you will always be on top of my priorities. More blessings for all of us!

I hope these people get the chance to read this entry. For those whose names I missed, pasensya na po. HAPPY HOLIDAYS na lang sa lahat! Be free to wish for the stars, but never forget to focus on the essentials. Ciao!

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Updates!

As expected, I knew I wouldn’t be able to write entries for this blog as much as I want to because I’m back here in Manila. My work schedule here is definitely tighter and longer than my strictly 8am to 5pm office hours in the US. Aside from that, I have more things to do here because this is home and I guess, the limitations of not being very familiar with a place no longer restrict me from doing things. So, aside from work, what have I been busy with since I got home?

***
REUNIONS

So far, I have been able to meet with Varsi Amihan (former staffers of UST’s The Varsitarian) friends (Carli, Feli, Ipe, Kris, etc.) over dinner for a number of times. To be honest, among my friends, they are the ones that I really missed most when I was away from home. Well, that’s because they (especially Carli and Feli) are the ones I usually hang-out with after a stressful day in the office and back then, that was almost every Friday at the Gateway Mall in Cubao.

One unfortunate reunion that came real unexpectedly happened at the burial of one of the Amihans, Ace, who died due to asthma attack. I haven’t seen Ace since I graduated from college and I think, our last exchange of text messages happened more than a year ago. I remember him as the guy whose editor’s table at the Varsi office was positioned in front of my table. That’s basically how we started to become friends. Things started from small talks to more serious conversations. Ace used to tell me to always smile (no matter what) because he thinks that my smile is my best asset. I’m not quite sure if that was true. I’m thinking, he was probably just trying to cheer me up, but nevertheless, I’ve always appreciated the thought of him wanting to make me feel better. Ace is most likely just my age because we graduated from college at the same time. He’s very young and his death was definitely a surprise to everyone. I didn’t take a look at him inside his coffin during his burial. I don’t know, but I just don’t want the mention of his name to paint a picture of his face framed by his coffin’s glass. I guess that was my way of preserving my good memories of him.

To Ace -- You’re a good man and you will always be remembered that way.

MORE REUNIONS

Aside from Varsi friends, I also had the chance of being reunited with one of my high school barkadas – Vene. I haven’t seen Vene for almost a year already, but no matter how long we haven’t talked or seen each other, Vene has always been one of those people that I never have awkward moments with. We started with a simple dinner in Makati and since then, we have texted each other more often and our best gimmick together so far – Babyface’s concert at the Araneta Coliseum!

It was so much fun. I must say, Babyface really has the gift of being able to write and sing songs that warm the hearts of his listeners. His concert ending with the audience giving him a standing ovation was not surprising at all. The day ending with Vene leaving me behind trying to catch a glimpse of Lucy Torres was not surprising too! Haha! Vene has always been the extra spontaneous type of person and that’s why it’s always so much fun having her around. That’s also why I am looking forward to more gimmicks with her soon.

DRIVING LESSONS

I have taken 10 hours of driving lessons and I have just completed those hours yesterday. Yehey! The big question now is -- Am I going to be comfortable driving without an instructor in the passenger’s seat? Hmmm… I’m not really sure, but at least I was able to jumpstart my driving already. The bigger question – Will I have the resources to buy my own car? Hehehe! Hmmm… I’m not really sure (again), but (again) at least I was able to jumpstart my driving already. Hahaha!

BATANGAS BEACHES

I have been to two Batangas beaches since I got back – La Luz and Tali. Both out-of-towns were fun. It gave me the chance to spend more time with Erwin and get to know some of his college friends. I can’t really say that the trips were very relaxing because long drives with just an overnight stay can be really tiring (and I did not even drive!). Nevertheless, nature, good food, and good company are always worth the effort!

Speaking of Erwin, my last “monthsary” entry was for our six months together. Well, guess what? We’ve already turned nine last month! Time really flies when you’re having fun. Hopefully, there are more memories that we’ll be sharing together.

LITTLE GIO AND MYSELF

Gio, my nephew, was three years old when I left. He started going to school while I was away. Now, he’s already a year older, but he acts and talks like he’s not just a four year old kid. I’ve been spending some time with him at home and it’s completely amazing how smart he has turned-out to be. He always comes home with a “good job” stamp on his hand and his teachers say he has always been at the top of their class.

Gio is a constant reminder that I really am not getting any younger. He’s growing-up so fast and so am I. Well, for me, it’s not literally “growing-up.” I’ve actually just turned 26 last October 8 and being 26 is no joke. I was having a chat with one of my Accenture buddies and we both agreed on the fact that at our age, it has become very difficult to make decisions, especially when it comes to quitting. That’s because we no longer have the luxury of time to start things over. We should be “somewhere” way over than the starting line by now. Oh well, I guess it’s really time to grow-up, be tougher, and take things more seriously.

***
Well, so much of these things for now. All Soul’s Day is over and the Manila North Cemetery should no longer be crowded today. I have to go pay my Tatay a visit. Belated Happy Halloween everyone! I hope everybody enjoyed the long weekend!

PS: See photos @ http://picasaweb.google.com/aljbundoc.

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What have I been doing since I got home?

That's all for now... I'll be writing/posting more when I get the chance... Hopefully, soon... Until then! ;D

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Six Months and Some “Defining” Experiences

I’ve read somewhere before that everyone in their lifetime will go through several “defining” experiences. And for me, the past six months have been full of those things – “defining” experiences.

Six months ago, I had a talk with my project manager and I told her what my primary goal was at that moment. I wanted to be more financially sufficient mainly because I wanted to start extending some help to my family. I remember her asking me, “So, it’s savings over career right now?” and I said, “Yes.” I was holding a fairly significant role in Manila back then, but that didn’t stop me from leaving because I had my mind focused on something more important than just holding a highly visible position. Then, I left home to play the game plan. I’ve never lived on my own before and that’s probably why Nanay was quite worried about me leaving. I remember her asking me more than once, “Kaya mo ba?” and I consistently answered her with “Oo naman.” Home has always been my comfort zone. I remember always getting teary-eyed each time I talk to some friends about leaving them and my family for a work abroad. It was not easy, especially because I’m the type who is just so terrible with “goodbyes.”

For almost six months now, I’ve been away from my comfort zone and from everyone who has made that “zone” more than just “comfortable.” I’ve been blessed with very fun-loving and extremely supportive and loyal friends back home. I can go on and on just talking about them, but simply put – they (and my family, of course) are the reason why home will always be home. Luckily, I met some people and made some really good friends here too. Everyone has been great so far. I guess it really is “Pinoy nature” to develop a certain bond and really stick together when living in a foreign land. Well, it looks like leaving home was not 100 percent “goodbyes” after all. Several “hellos” were also made and I must say the stand-outs were “Hello new friends!” and “Hello new lessons-learned!” Yes, there were a lot of lessons-learned and the most significant one would probably be the importance of doing and sharing things with and for your loved ones. My point – everything will be meaningless if you don’t have someone to share it with.

Now, why do I consider these things my “defining” experiences? Simple… They are the bitter-sweet experiences that define, shape, and strengthen my values and goals in life. And because they also happen to instill a very good definition of what’s important and what’s not important to me, they are also the experiences that bring me closer to my dreams and the things that will really make me happy.

By the way, it was also six months ago when something really significant happened. Six months ago, for the very first time, I took a chance on someone and I have to say, that chance was indeed worth-taking! And I guess I can also say that event could be considered a “defining” moment too. Why? Because like what I’ve just said, defining experiences/moments – they bring you closer to the things that will really make you happy. So – HAPPY 6th MONTHSARY, HONEY! See you real soon! ;D

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Top Three “I DON’T LIKE” Things

1. I don’t like people who love to talk, but don’t know how to listen. "Give and take" is a key thing and it's very impolite to cut people when they're talking. Listening seems to be a weakness of people who “think” that they are extremely intelligent. I guess they just feel like they know it all, so they just won’t/don’t listen and that’s just so wrong. Even the most intelligent person in the world should listen to other people. No one is a master of everything. There will always be something that you don’t know and listening (really listening) might just be the key to learning it.


2. I don’t like people who don’t know how to say “THANK YOU.” When someone does something for you, it’s either (a) they are just being nice and kind or (b) they owe you that something. Needless to say, “THANK YOU” should be said to nice and kind people. But guess what? People who give you what they owe you deserve a “THANK YOU” too. Why? I think people always have a choice, so be thankful every time somebody chooses to be responsible in giving you what is rightfully yours. I don’t think more analysis is needed here. “THANK YOU” is very easy to utter and it wouldn’t hurt saying it.


3. I don’t like people who rant about things. Hmmm… I think I just did that through this entry. Haha! I guess the tip here is that if you feel like ranting about things or people, get a pen and paper or open your computer and start writing or typing your rantings/angst. Spare other people from negativity! At least, if you write everything down, you still get to release your thoughts and emotions. And if you decide to post what you’ve written somewhere (in a blog or something), you don’t force people to hear you out by giving them a choice -- they can choose to read or not read what you’ve written. Hey, I think you've just chosen to “listen” to my thoughts! Thank you. Stay positive, okay? (*wink!)

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