Thumbs Up for 2008

2008 has come and passed... but it left me great lessons and great experiences. Add to that new friends and a renewed spirit. Here are some of the highlights of 2008 with no particular order...


Work
Start of the year of the rat, was also the pivoting point of my management career in Manila Water. As I was assigned to manage my own area in Makati, I was able to decide on my own with matters of work. TP26 was quite a challenge especially with the big receivables of the area... but I guess I did well cutting the AR days low and meeting my collection target, or surpassing it, month after month. TP 26 was also a challenge with regards to NRW and old live lines in the area... but with that I was able to practice project design.... =)

I am actually reading my fears now in my blogs last year and I was proud that I overpowered my demons. But reading through that I saw time and time again how I was ever since, I have low self-confidence. I seem not to know my capabilities... it would always be others who will see them. =(

With the good performance in TP 26, I was transferred to manage a bigger area with a huge responsibility, TP 6. Until now, I have to put up with a continuous struggle to keep the area in a not so chaotic state. TP 6 and TP 26 is 360 different. But TP6 is not new to me, as this is my training ground during cadetship. TP 6 equals major accounts, unbreak People's Organiation, and a mix of the elite and the low-income families. Add to that the issues on disputed lands where the local and national government puts a finger into since election time is almost near...

Highlight of work in 2008 was my successful events management... I was able to pull off A Day with the Key Accounts... I guess I have to thank SILAB for this as each year during my residency, we have a lot of events to hold to publicize SILAB then.

Ayala Olympics took also the spotlight for 2008. Why not??? If the company bagged almost 3/4 of the golds in all events and winning the Championship for the Ayala Olympics and even the 2 MVP titles. We even got tired of cheering the same cheer, the cheer for winning a gold since its always that... wahahah!!!And the event only takes place once in every four years. So I might be out of Manila Water before it will happen again.

2008 spells transitions in work... a lot of colleagues have left Taguig and has transfered to other departments. There was Ma'am Linda, Sir Sundy, Jhap, Boss Pete, Bles, Jalil, Jep, Sir Lanier, Badet, Ate More, and Jacki. Ryan left the company last year. But out with the old, in with the new. Batch 17 came which are Jovert, Chel, Bing, Lati, Aaron, and Neil. Sadly Aaron and Neil did not finish the cadetship training. Then Boss Bob also took the position of ABM... and there was of course Rocky who came in at the end of November.


Great Travels and Visits
Last year, I had a bang with seeing the world... uhm, just the Philippines, as starter. I headed the beach for quite a number of times. First was the Zambales trip where we set foot to an island with no amenities and a dead spot for our celphones. Anawangin and Capones was an escape-ala-survivor trip as we pitched our tents, make (just make, we don't have to search) our own food on the island, and fetching water from a deepwell. And reaching the lighthouse made me remember a teacher way back in highschool when he got angry at the creme de la creme of the batch... he said "Be like lighthouses. They don't need to speak up to be noticed. They just light up." --- wahahaha!!! Di connect. Hehehe!!! but seriously, it almost made me quit on pursuing the lighthouse but going through it made the top more worthwhile. On that trip, I gained 3 more friends: Donna, Bembem, and Yuuji.

And there was the company outing, also in Zambales. I should have included this in the highlights of work but I guess I enjoyed it too much it wasn't work at all. I got to bond with my batchmates and my colleagues... and got rid of the killer looks of the oldies as we had them understand the beach fashion of our generation as the cadets strutted the beach with our bikinis.

Included in this list is the Laoag-Vigan-Pagudpod trip. It was fun to discover North Luzon and its rich political culture and history. And the experience on reaching the Bangui windmills is the highlight of that trip... and the picture perfect sites... I so love the north! Lesson on that trip: magtanong lang...di ka maliligaw!

Last year gave me an opportunity to go home for quite a number of times... if I remember it right, I went home 5 times last year. Thanks to Cebu Pacific low fares... and the free one, I was able to go back to Mambucal, do a real Visita Iglesia with my brothers and cousins, set foot to Sipalay, countless get-togethers with my barkada and the family, catch the last events of Masskara, was able to see the Ruins and Balay Negrense and visit Balay Alibangbang as well. I was able to go back to Pala-pala and Balaring and had a sea-food overload diet. I was able to hit cafes like Bob's, Bascon Cafe and Kuppa and had my caffeine tolerance challenged. Super yummy!!!! Going home also spells cheap spa experience and getting de-stress sessions when we get our nails done.

2008 is not only about us going home... we also had visitors from the province and elsewhere. Manong came over for vacation here.. a highlight of that visit is the trip to Manila Ocean Park... and our fun finding it...we had a chance to visit Luneta Park because we got lost going there. Mama also came here to attend the Food Convention at the World Trade Center. It was really of a bonding trip for me and Ma and Ma and Mel. I brought Mom to the La Mesa Dam to her delight! Cyhna also came to Manila for an interview...together with Mel, we bond around the city's great malls and of course feasted on food! Diane also came with Ads to Manila. Diane had her eyes lasered to decrease the grade of her eyes. Paolo had his visit here in Manila alone and so is Ji... they also had a visit together... wahahah!!!

Other highlights of 2008 in terms of going around is the trip to Manila zoo with Mel which was so fun... the Kinder zoo was a new experience. Going around the metro with SILAK and SILAB for the Ilonggo Tour was for the nth time fun even though it was tiring...and to cap the events in Manila is the EK trip I had with my co-cadets in Tpat!


2008 Spells Drama
As for my other addiction aside from travel, theater, I was able to expand my theater experience... It has notched up a little bit as aside from Dulaang UP or Repertory Philippines, now I look forward to PETA... and Stages... I still have to save up on plays shown in CCP though... their's smells expensive...


Assets
2008 equals great buys for me. I have acquired a new digicam at the beginning of the year. I love the cam as it is very handy and user friendly not to mention the price and the discount I got. I got it from ebay with only 13k while the price market at that time is 33k. =) That was the 1st online transaction I had... and so far so good.

I don't know if this is an asset but Mel and I got ourselves Aurora, our chowchow for a pet. We got her when she was only 3 mo...and now 7 months after, we are still hoping she is a good investment and soon to be helping us with our finances as we'll be breeding dogs this year, to get another breed of dog everytime she gives us a litter of pups... hope through Rori, we will have a pug, a shih tzu or a chihuahua...or perhaps a yorkie or a pomeranian...yeah! The list goes on... hehehe!!! I almost cried (I think I got teary eyed while withdrawing) when we acquired her since it really cut my salary to almost nada!

And in the the end of 3rd quarter, i bought myself a refrigerator...now we are enoying icecreams, and ice box cakes. We could throw in stuff to make a salad... and we could now store cold cuts... and our left overs too... One thing I can't forget too on acquiring a ref is the first hand lesson I had on credit limit and intallments... hehehe... (read previous blogs).


Money Matters
2008 was quite a spending year. But I forced myself to save. I enrolled in our WASSLAI, a savings and loan in the company... And every pay day, I had my salary cut off a few thousands for savings....and it earned a few dividends for the year... =) And I can't afford to have my atm run dry... I always see to it that it doesn't get so low to the point where I could not have for emergency like sickness or worst being hospitalized... We don't have family here and it would always be hard to acquire money when you really really need ASAP.


Health
I'm proud to say, I gained about 8 pounds the whole year. I'm back to my original college weight. I lost so much weight during plant design and reviewing for the boards... and then amidst bumming before getting into Manila Water, I still haven't achieve what used to be my weight. Then I entered the company where I slaved myself... wahaha!

It is only in 2008 that I began to appreciate my earnings and treated myself to little things like bread talk, icecreams, dinners with friends, Krispy Kreme... i have this thinking at the back of my head that I deserve to treat myself with good food... =)

I'm still tired with getting exercise. Tina and I started jogging at Boni Highstreet before but eventually quit doing it.. Then Kat and I have our sessions of jogging too at UP.. but due to change in her scheds we have to quit on it. And of course blame it on the non-existence of persistence in my system..hehehe!!!


Fam
This year was a big challenge for the family. Papa got sick in the middle of the year. He had problems with his gall bladder. And with the complications of his heart, we could not get the gall bladder out which is the supposedly the solution to the problem. Papa's condition had me fly to Iloilo in a rush...hehehe!

The family business is growing in an awesome note. I was actually thinking of quitting work and help the fam on the business but I have to have other means or work in another company in Bacolod...and I'm thinking of teaching while doing all these... plus we need to find a place for the dog breeding...

Had problems with relationships within the family at the end of the year. I don't actually know how this started. I don't know... ='( I'm praying for this...


Friends
A lot of friends has come this year in 2008... and a lot has left or moved out of the country. Batch 17 came in this year... and new batches in SILAK and SILAB joined the number. Reunion in the organization gave us the chance to meet a lot of other alumni...Meet-ups with the cadets in Tpat is a venue to know those that left the portals of Taguig and the company... The barkada is now growing as the boyfies are now introduced and is included in our gimicks... got to meet Johnnar, Boy's boyfie and Rafael, Ate's boyfie at the end of the year... hope I could introduce mine soon...wahahaha!!!

On the otherhand a few people moved out... Ron and Mike went back to the province, Yvette went to Singapore for work and Ryan left the company and is now at Japan (I think)..Diane left for the States at the end of the year.. =(


SFC
The most important in 2008 is I guess joining SFC. I haven't blogged about the weekly sessions (Tuesday) we have at Delaney Hall last year, afraid that I might end up not finishing them. I haven't miss any session amidst my laziness...I gained more friends... got closer with the girls in my household. And most importantly is that I have renewed my relationship with the Lord. Although I still have to work on my bad habits and I admit I am still so so far from being a saint, but I guess, this is my start... my transition... to just let go and let God.

-o0o-
2008 was a great year. It gave us opportunities.. at work I gained my confidence in myself... yet at the same time, I learned to be humble. Travels gave me opportunities to appreciate the time that i have and the location I am in... include to that are the people I am with. Family and friends are my constant support...they have boost my morale after a great battle. SILAK and SILAB have always been there.. my second family in Manila... we're not related by blood but we're related by promise. SFC, hands down... I just don't know the feeling each time... can't put it to writing... =)

2008 is over... and it left me with a smile in my lips. (",)

Happy New Year everyone!!! Hope to have a bang with all of you this year!