Polaroid A930

It only proves that God does hear prayers and they do go up and blessings go down.

You can call it luck but last night I won myself a A930 Polaroid Digital camera. So cool!

We were at the Rizal Stadium for the annual Company Mini-Olympics. It is during these times where almost 15 branches come together to compete, mingle and interact with one another showcasing sportsmanship, determination and camaraderie.

This is my 2^nd time to attend this event ever since I became part of the company since last year January.

The mini-olympics consists of sports games such as 100-meter dash, obstacle course run, relay and cheerdance competition. Just imagine – half of the Rizal Stadium was full considering that some employees didn’t even attend. Lol. Just imagine if every single employee attended the event; I bet the whole stadium will be filled and that is just the Metro Manila branches – provincial and Vismin not yet included. Hehe.

So with that picture, just imagine how many entries were dropped in that tiny raffle “tambiolo”? Only 18 digital cameras were given away and I bet that the entries there are what – more or less than 500?

I was just actually blankly staring watching the on-going preparation for the last wave of games and was thinking “Can I ever win there?” and “How I wish my entry gets picked so I can win”.

I think everybody knows how I’ve always wanted to buy a camera because it’s one of my hobbies. I am actually saving and planning to buy something by December and I am still contemplating whether to get a laptop or an SLR first but definitely I will buy both. Not at the same time though. LOL.

So when my name was called I was shocked and literally I was shaking. Hahaha. Hey I’ve never won anything in my life from raffles before. Hahaha. I don’t think I am lucky with these kind of things so I don’t really put my hopes up too much. But last night was maybe my lucky night or maybe God did hear my prayers. It was timely that the prize was a digital camera. Weee!

It’s a 9MP digital camera. Not bad. Besides, my only concern is that at least I now have my own cam to take photos with. Hehe.

God has been good to me ever since last year. I’ve counted my blessings and I am truly grateful for all the things that He has given me. I’ve already proven that He is there for me so I really thank the Lord for this.

Here are photos of the camera. It’s Pink. Hahaha!

  

Happy Secretary's Day!

 Re-post from DA.

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This would probably be my first blog entry in DA and an update to my existing ones (Gosh, its not really because I don't have anything to write. I have a lot of stories in my mind that I would like to write but I don't have time at all. huhu.)

Anyway, it's Secretary's Day today. So to all my fellow secretaries out there - this is our day. Hihi.

For a brief background, this is what I got through the internet (wikipedia): :

Administrative Professionals Day (Also known as Secretary's Day) is an unofficial secular holiday observed in the United States on the Wednesday of the last full week of April to recognize the work of secretaries, administrative assistants, receptionists, and other administrative support professionals.

National Secretaries Week was created in 1952 through the efforts of Harry F. Klemfuss, a New York publicist.[1] Working in conjunction with the National Secretaries Association, later known as the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP), Klemfuss wanted to encourage more people to consider careers in the secretarial/administrative support field.[1]

The official period of celebration was first proclaimed by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Charles Sawyer as "National Secretaries Week," which was held June 1–7 in 1952, with Wednesday, June 4, 1952 designated National Secretaries Day. The first Secretaries' Day was sponsored by the National Secretaries Association with the support corporate groups.

In 1955, the observance date of National Secretaries Week was moved to the last full week of April. The name was changed to Professional Secretaries Week in 1981, and became Administrative Professionals Week in 2000 to encompass the expanding responsibilities and wide-ranging job titles of administrative support staff.

Truthfully, I had no idea until a co-worker called me over the phone and greeted me. Oblivious that I am I just said huh? lol. I have forgotten that I researched about this like 2 weeks ago and Ms. Miyan reminded me about it. haha.

When my boss arrived, he greeted me. He brought his nephew with him to help me with filing all those documents that's been clogging up my desk drawers. Argh. I really wanted to do them but unfortunately with all the ruckus going around those 37 malls, I really don't have time to do it. I work for the biggest mall here in the Philippines and I work under the Sr. Asst. VP for Operations. And yes, we handle all 37 branches. :O_o:

Anyway, I have been with the company for one year and four months. It's one of the blessings I got from God last year. And so far so good. The job isn't easy mind you. But I like and enjoy it. So maybe that's why I'm still here.

At first, I just needed a job. But I never take jobs just because. I don't like company-hopping. I always go for long term. You can say I don't give up easily on things because I always try to see the positive sides of it.

As I've said the job isn't easy. Being a secretary isn't easy. If people think we just sit all day, stare at the computer or file our nails as what movies and t.v portray them - they're dead wrong. It's tedious, frustrating and stressful at a certain point. But it all really depends on how you look at things. Some people won't understand us until they step into our shoes.

For me, being a secretary will majorly test your patience. Especially in my case, where we deal with 37 branches nationwide, talking to at minimum of 37 people a day, suppliers not included, staffs not included, with only me and my boss handling our department. Oh boy, I tell you it ain't easy.

For a brief background, we handle the customer service for the company. We develop, plan, design and implement new ideas, concepts that can be beneficial to the company. We cater to requests of branches for graphics, layouts, consultations, etc. We coordinate, follow-up and communicate information to all as needed. Sound easy? Well, I hope so. LOL.

Sometimes, I think eight hours is not really enough to get things done in a day. Just making calls takes time. Writing emails takes time. If I'm going to time all the things I do for a day, I bet it will take more than eight hours to finish a couple of tasks.

But I like the job - not just because of the financial stability it provides me but because I like what I'm doing. It has given me freedom to do things that I wanted to do like graphics design and photography. I get to meet people and learn interesting stuff from others too.It has also supported my other hobbies outside of the job. So overall, I am happy with where I am now.

However, not all the time it's fun and happy. I've had my fair share of disagreements with my boss and with people around me. I've had my buckets of tears because sometimes you just can't hold it anymore (The PC monitor is my witness. But I've also cried in front of my boss already. wah! My boss is male btw. And he's American). I've been stressed and frustrated with people you're trying to get info and you can't seem to get hold of them. Sometimes, it takes forever to call one person because his line was always busy or because the trunkline to head office is messed up. Sometimes there are mis-communication and you get blamed for the mishap that has happened. Sometimes you  know you're right but because they're the higher ups you really can't do anything but shrug your shoulders and say oh well when in the end they revert to your suggestion. Sometimes you just ask yourself "why am I here or why am I putting up with this?"  Yup, I've already been all through that and I know there is more to come. But at the end of the day, I am thankful enough I have a job, I have a nice boss and I have nice co-workers. I am thankful enough for the experience, the learning and the everyday stress it gives me (haha. It's better than nothing. It actually challenges you more :) ). Remember, one doesn't succeed without falling down on his knees. Failure is all part of it. No Pain, No Gain they say.

Anyway, my boss treated us to lunch at Italliani's along with Ms. Lourdes, the branch secretary and Ms. Malou, the executive secretary of my boss' boss. Her boss is also there so it's a bit awkward you're dining with your boss and his boss. haha.

I heard from the other branches that they were also treated to lunch and some were given bouquet of flowers as token of appreciation for all the dedication and commitment they have given as secretaries. My boss gave me chocolates and a fair amount of cash - which he said was better than flowers. Lol. Then he sent a heart-warming message over the text:

"Thank you for all your hard work, dedication, staying late. Without you I could not make it happen. Thanks again. - Sir Mark"

This day had been nice and quiet. And most probably the reason that inspired me to write something up now. To all the secretaries out there - Happy Secretary's Day! Let's enjoy it today for tomorrow is another stressful day. hahaha!

I am sharing a few photos I took at the office. I borrowed Lourdes' boquet. hahaha. :)

Tips for making Good New Year's Resolutions

Yup, 2010 is just around the corner. Three weeks to go - woohoo! and goodbye 2009. Well, 2009 seemed to past me swiftly. It has been a rigorous year but it is probably one of the best years I've ever had. Now that 2010 is just a few days away, I suddenly thought of starting my New Year's resolution already or if not, just plan about it for the moment.

Anyway, we all know that every year we normally come up with these so-called resolutions for the upcoming year. We make up a long list because as I remember it's normally part of a school project. Haha. But the question is do we even achieve these goals we had thought about?

I'm probably one of those millions who will say "Errr..not really." (Shame on me. Lol).But it's never too late to try right? haha.

So before I start listing I would like to share some tips on how to make good new year's resolutions. I found this site myGoals.com and it shared a few pointers in trying to achieve our next year objectives.


Tips for making Good New Year's Resolutions

There is a right way and a wrong way to make a New Year's resolution. Here are a few expert tips to see that your resolution actually makes a difference:

1. Create a Plan


Setting a goal without formulating a plan is merely wishful thinking. In order for your resolution to have resolve, (as the word "resolution" implies), it must translate into clear steps that can be put into action. A good plan will tell you A) What to do next and B) What are all of the steps required to complete the goal.

2. Create Your Plan IMMEDIATELY


If you're like most people, then you'll have a limited window of opportunity during the first few days of January to harness your motivation. After that, most people forget their resolutions completely.

It is imperative that you begin creating your plan immediately.

3. Write Down Your Resolution and Plan

Find a way that will help you formulate a plan, which you can stick to. You can commit your resolution and plan to writing someplace, such as a notebook or journal so it may help yu remember of your goals.

4. Think "Year Round," Not Just New Year's

Nothing big gets accomplished in one day. Resolutions are set in one day, but accomplished with a hundred tiny steps that happen throughout the year. New Year's resolutions should be nothing more than a starting point. You must develop a ritual or habit for revisiting your plan.

And finally...

5. Remain Flexible

Expect that your plan can and will change. Life has a funny way of throwing unexpected things at us, and flexibility is required to complete anything but the simplest goal. Sometimes the goal itself will even change. Most of all, recognize partial successes at every step along the way. Just as a resolution isn't accomplished the day it's stated, neither is it accomplished the day you reach your goal. Rather, it's accomplished in many small increments along the way. Acknowledge these incremental successes as they come.

So, what do you think?Are these tips helpful? Did it give you a new motivation in trying to accomplish your New Year's resolution? Well, I hope. Lol. NYR's are not mandatory but at least it helps us set goals in our lives. Remember, we should always have a purpose to prevent us from going off-track. We may not be vigorous in making them happen but at least we know for ourselves that we have things we would like to reach and finish doing. We all have to start somewhere, right?

With all that shared, I would have to start doing my NYR. And oh boy, I'm sure it's gonna be long. wah!

Nov One

November 1. All Soul’s Day. It’s a holiday! Yeah right. It just so happens it’s on a Sunday. Lol. Sunday is my only day-off. I really am not aware of any holidays. I don’t think they exist. Haha.


Anyway, Vance texted me the other night “So do you have plans for tomorrow?” I said,”None.No cosplay event.lol.”

“Wla lang kakaladkarin ka lang namin. Sumama ka lang.” – oooookkkkeeeeyyyyy. I wonder where. Not that it really matters. I would rather go somewhere than stay at home. I have nothing much to do anyways.

“So what time are we meeting?” – Warning! OC attack.lol. I always need to know the time. When, where and what exact time. OC. Because I normally plan my day by the hour; of things I need to do. Especially during Sundays because I have to do a lot of chores. Ironic, it’s my rest day – my ONLY restday- yet I don’t seem to use it for rest. Instead, all the things that needed to be done, people to see and places to go to fall on this single day. Rest? What rest? You gotta be kidding me! Lol.

“8am”. Ok. Let’s just meet in Net@Crossing.

It’s 3am already. And I am here in Café Havana, Greenbelt, chillin’ with Rench & Philip. They dropped by SM Makati to meet me and we decided to have coffee in Starbucks. It was Halloween a couple of hours ago and we had an activity at the branch where I sort of “cosplayed” alone. Lol. Actually I am still in my dark angel mode as I am still wearing my huge wings of black and white. What do you want me to do? Carry it around when people can obviously see it’s a wing anyway? It has a clear plastic bag for travel and storage. But at this moment I’d rather wear it as it is easier. At least I would still have my two hands free to carry my other luggage and I won’t be worried that my wings would get deformed or something. It’s a wing and it’s suppose to be in my back and besides it’s Halloween – all the more to be weird. Haha.

We decided to go home 4am. Got home 430; fixed my things till 5am; slept till 6am; woke up; did laundry till 7am; bath till 730am and on my way to Net@Crossing by 7:45. OC. Lol.

“On my way to Net@Crossing”


“Hala, tulog pa si Vance.4am na umuwi. Gumimik pa sila kagabi.”


“Ako din naman e. 430 na nga ako umuwi. Naglaba pa ako.”


“Di ko alam 8am pla usapan nyo. Sabi ko nga gumising na. Sabi ko nga lagot sya kasi alam mo naman kapag nagsabi ka kay Izabel ng oras sigurado yun”


“Dito na ako shop”


“Daan ka na lang daw haus. Bili ka pandesal, milo at noodles sabi Vance.”


“Tadyak gusto nya?”Lol.

No choice. Haiz. I just sigh when my schedule gets disrupted. But anyway things like that happen - a lot.lol. And my friends already know about it so they’re a bit cautious in giving me schedules. Hahaha.

So I just bought bread (where the hell am I gonna buy pandesal?), noodles and Energen and went to Vance and Tina’s apartment. (Vance - you are sooo dead. lol)

The 8am meet-up became 10am. haiz. If I only knew then I could have slept a bit longer. Oh well.

We’re going to Cavite. To visit Vance’s parents. Okay.Cool. Change of scenery. At least I get to go somewhere.hehe.

Wow. Almost 2 hour ride. My butt hurts. And we were laughing about it.

Help! I am suffocating. Too much clean air. Must… have… pollution. LOL.

Yey! Food! Gawd. How hungry we were.

Provinces really gives you a different feeling. So quiet. Feels peaceful. It’s actually nice to be in places like this every now and then. As I’ve said, change of scenery. And you’re with people you call friends.

So that was how I spent my 2009 All Soul’s Day. Supposedly, it’s a holiday the next day – Nov. 2 - but as I’ve told you I know no such thing. Haha. Tomorrow? It’s back to urbanity. Workaholic mode. Next Sunday – It’s AOF. Woohoo!

Halloween at SM Makati (10.31.09)

Late Post. gah.
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Okay. So its Halloween and there were a lot of cosplay events. Wah! I wouldn’t be able to attend because (1) its Saturday. Have work. Ugh.

Happy Halloween!

Orange and Spots

Anyway, there was an activity for the back office. They don’t normally have this, but this year they decided to have one. The office was instructed to dress up their departments for Halloween and winner will receive a cash price of 2000. There will also be a trick or treat event for the kids of the back office managers and supervisors so each department is required to at least prepare loot bags for the children. I wanted something different so I suggested to my boss that instead of candies, we’ll be giving apples. Hehe. Snow White’s poison apples (the truth is I don’t have the time to re-pack the candies and I am too lazy to do it. HAHA).

wah! my table is in chaos!

cheetahs

SCO Dept.

HR Dept.

FAS

EDD/Display

OBM

Aside from the area decoration contest, back office personnel were also encouraged to at least don a costume so that when the kids go trick or treating they will be able to see something different. I didn’t need to be told but I informed them I will be bringing my wings (the one I used for my Guilty Gear-Dizzy cosplay) but I won’t be wearing the matching cos (too sexy.lol). I just mixed and matched an ensemble from my closet and came up with a dark angel theme. Well, that was what people think anyway as they will not recognize the character.

SM normally has a set-up activity for the customers. And this is simultaneously implemented to all SM stores especially during these kinds of occasions. In SM Makati though, they required the business units to get representatives and put them in costumes to add to the attraction in the selling area. And the group with the best costume wins 3000 pesos. In short, not only is the activity for the customers but also for the employees. And I think it is good that activities like this are done. It lets the employees explore their creativity and have fun while working.

Sailor Moons

Fairies

Street Fighters

Powerpuff Girls

Princesses

Bratz

Women Heroes

After lunch, I already changed into a gear (dizzy-remember?) and decided to walk around the store during my lunch break (cosplay mode.lol). There were a lot of kids and people and the initial reaction I get is complete amazement because of my wings.

The wings are quite huge. Arms wide when flattened. I had it specifically made when I decided to do Dizzy’s costume for Guilty Gear. I don’t know. I guess I fell in love with the wings when I saw it and it seemed that there isn’t a lot of cosplayers that do costumes with huge wings. I paid for it (a bit expensive for my frugality record) and had it made because I didn’t have the time to do it (though I can). But after contemplating much, it was well worth it. A lot of people appreciated it and complimented me for it.

joining the pep talk

People often ask me if its real and they normally try to find out how I put it on because it’s not that obvious. Well, it is real-made of real chicken feathers.lol. One is black and one is white because that is how Dizzy’s wings are. The white one is Undine and the black one is Necro. (Read about Dizzy here). It is not heavy as most people think and it can be folded for storage. Hehe. People also ask why the colors are different and normally presume that it’s the balance of good and evil or that it’s a dual-personality angel.LOL. I just say yes to these assumptions because it’ll be very hard to explain in truthful detail the reason behind it.

After my lunch break, I had to go back to the office since it is still a working day and we are still required to work. But the funny thing was, our branch manager requested me to just hang around the lobby area as I proved to be a crowd favorite among children and I became an attraction all by myself.HAHA. She actually asked permission from my boss that I be allowed to just “cosplay” for that day. LOL. Well, my boss agreed and so that is how I technically “cosplayed” for SM Makati. So even if I didn’t get to attend the other cosplay events, I had a whole event and mall for myself. HAHAHA!

I also walked around Glorietta and they have their own Halloween activity there. People had called me Alwina, Aviona, Mulawin, Angel, etc. and had asked me to have a picture taken with them. Even foreigners come up and ask where did I get my wings and sometimes just to tell me that my costume was nice and good and that they really appreciate it. It’s actually nice to hear that somehow people do appreciate the effort you’ve put for your costume.

Later that night, two of my new-found friends dropped by and we decided to go to Greenbelt and have coffee in Starbucks. And since it was Halloween, it was all the reason to walk around in costume. So it was a dare to go have coffee with me wearing my wings which I did. LOL. After coffee, we hanged around Café Havana and saw some people in costumes too (mostly foreigners).

I went home 4am (of course I took the wings off as I will not fit into the taxi.lol), slept a bit and woke up 6am because I’m going to meet my friends – Vance and Tina. It’s November 1 and they’re taking me to Cavite to visit Vance’s parents. Details of this will be on the next blog. LOL.

P.S. I wasn't part of the contest for the MBU's because (1) my boss was the judge.LOL. But if there was a category of "Crowd Favorite" I would have won for it. HAHA.

face painting at Toy Kingdom

Trick or Treat

There was a promo for baicapture. For every 1000 peso worth of purchase, you can have your photos taken for free at the baicapture booth. It's an instant photo booth allowing you to have 4 shots. But you'll have to pose fast as it only gives you 4 seconds for the next shot. hehe. And you get to get your printed copy less than 20 seconds! 'twas a lot of fun. They have ready accessories you can put on. They also upload activity photos in their galleries so you may get a copy of your photo.This is a great attraction to any activity or event that you will have. You may want to check their website. Photos below were taken with my officemates before the store closed.

Other photos are uploaded in Facebook and Multiply.

October Birthdays

41 days to go before Christmas. Gah. Time really flies that fast. Lol.

I had been so BUSY these past few months that I didn’t even have the time to update my blog. Lol. But as said, it is better late than never so let me rewind a bit on major happenings I want to talk about.

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Happy Birthdays – Clyte, Jyas & Ann

Firstly, Clytemenestra celebrated her birthday last October 10. This has been the 2nd time we’ve attended her annual celebration since she joined www.mygimmick.com & www.katext.com. And though, we did the same thing as last year – glutton all the food, showered our esophagus with booze & presented to be a nuisance to the neighbors all thanks to magic sing – it was still a perfect time to see friends and catch up a bit on what’s happening in each other’s lives.

Happy 40th Birthday Clyte! Life begins at 40! HAHA.

P.S. I have no pics. T_T. I’ll post when I get them. I forgot to grab then from Tina’s FB.

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Another friend also celebrated her birthday last October 13 and we decided to meet up to have a small dinner. I was actually craving for KFC so I suggested we just get a bucket meal (lol. I’m not the celebrant yet I demanded the option.haha).

Jyas - the celebrant

KFC!

Cat design. Yay! o.O y tina? lol.

izabel and tina

 

photo ops

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Although she is not here, I would also like to mention and greet Ms. Annalyn Tugagao-Buena a happy birthday last October 25. WE MISS YOU GIRLIE! WAH! All our love goes to you all the way to Dubai. Hehe.