Category: Work and Career

Posted on

Anilao Getaway

Last May 26th and 27th were epic. Two days of pure fun and relaxation. We had our office outing/team building at Vista Aplaya Resort, a pretty little beach resort in Anilao, Mabini, Batangas. Trivia (at least for me): Anilao is one of the barangays in the municipality of Mabini. It was just an overnight stay but we made the most of it by enjoying the beach. We ate delicious, home-cooked food and snorkeled to our hearts’ content (while our rich boss was diving in the deep).

Untitled
by the infinity pool

We were lucky to have the place all to ourselves because we arrived there on a Monday and left the next day (both weekdays). I loved everything about it, from the accommodation and the Instagram-worthy infinity pool and gardens to the buffet meals served to us and the great service. We would have extended our stay except our budget was limited. Haha.

Continue reading “Anilao Getaway”

Posted on

A Cultural Soirée

I’ve never attended a soirée before. Last night was the first time and it was a pleasant experience for me. Just to be clear, I didn’t go there as a guest. It was purely work for me and for my officemates. But we did get seated in one of tables (this rarely happens) and we took advantage of that opportunity to enjoy the rest of the night.

photo 1(1)
table setting

The cultural soirée was for the participants of the World Economic Forum for East Asia which the Philippines hosted this year. As expected, it was attended by our President (and one more leader), a handful of local and foreign ministers, members from the international business community and media and private individuals representing their respective groups and organizations. It started with cocktails, then dinner and ended with a cultural show.

Continue reading “A Cultural Soirée”

Posted on

Dieting in the Office

I find it hard to limit my food intake during weekends. It’s really hard because that’s the only time we get to dine out and the only time I get to cook a lot. So, imagine my relief to be in the office all weekdays where I can watch what I eat and control my portions. Yes, dieting in the office seems to work for me.

In the office, we get free packed meals during lunch time. While I appreciate the fact that they’re given to us for free (subsidized by our office, no less), I appreciate it more that they’re usually boring and tasteless. I get to eat only a small portion of it and sometimes, none at all. (Don’t worry, it doesn’t go to waste nor do I get hungry because I bring the packed meal to my in-laws’ place where the hubby and I have lunch together every weekday.) So, it’s either I let my husband eat it and then I eat the available food at my in-law’s kitchen. Or, the hubby and I don’t eat the packed meal and let the house dog (hello Ondoy!) feed on it and then we eat the available food in the house. Smart, right?

Continue reading “Dieting in the Office”

Posted on

There’s a Lot to Improve On

When you’re doing a job for more than a decade already, it’s safe to assume that you’re now at a certain level of competency at it. But then, that’s not always the case. There are some people who never learn. People who remain semi-capable or worse, incapable, of doing their job despite the length of time they’ve been doing the same old tasks. How frustrating can that be for the people who work with them?

As for me, I’m happy to report that I’ve already developed a system when it comes to how I do things at work. But just like what I learned from the 3-day seminar I attended last month, one should never be too complacent. There’s still a lot to improve on in whatever you do. In my line of work, I know there are still some things I’m not adept at and that’s why I continue to work on it. I never stop finding ways on how to do things more efficiently.

Continue reading “There’s a Lot to Improve On”

Posted on

Working Momma

My mom has always been a homemaker. When she and my dad got married in 1984, she stayed in the house and took care of their home and children. Yes, we had a one-income household which was quite okay for a family of six like ours back then.

My mom has had a few jobs when she was still single, though. Given that, she really knows how it feels to work and earn money. She’s in her late 50’s now but is still very active and young-looking (according to her). During the past three years, she’s been privileged to do part-time work at her friend’s flower shop every Valentine’s Day. We didn’t really force her to work there, though. It’s just that she enjoys doing it and she can’t say no to her friend. The money she earns from it goes straight to her “shopping funds.” Haha.

Continue reading “Working Momma”

Posted on

An Answered Prayer

Every day is a gift. Now, more than ever, I appreciate the married life the hubby and I share. It may not be perfect (and will never be), but it has all the components of a blessed union. Just recently, the hubby has received a blessing that’s sure to add a certain level of security to our finances — a job promotion. I’d say it’s long overdue considering the length of time he’s been doing a good job but as they say, it’s better late than never!

I love it when our prayers are answered. With this particular one, it’s like an affirmation from God that the hubby’s career is right where it is now. He’s very happy (and I’m super happy for him, too) because he had prayed for this for so long. And I think he’s long been prepared for the new role. When you are rewarded with something as delicate and significant as a job promotion, you take care of it and make sure to show everyone that you deserve it. Also, getting the reward is one thing, managing it is another. I just hope the hubby gets to live up to the expectations of his boss, his peers and his subordinates.

Continue reading “An Answered Prayer”