Our firm's fun-tastic Friday

Our office has this annual tradition of dressing up our work spaces for Halloween and handing out treats to the kids. This started four years ago. Basing on FB, seems most offices already do this. It's one of those Western customs we are now Filipinizing. Or just our way of saying Trick or Treat-More Fun in the Philippines.

For the first year, our department's theme was Harry Potter. I had just given birth to R that time so I was on maternity leave. For the following year we went with Super Mario Brothers. R went as Princess Peach and got her share of treats (see picture here). As mentioned in my previous post, we weren't able to go last year because of the heavy traffic. Nevertheless, my groupmates dressed up our area ala Andy's playroom in Toy Story.

This year it was all about positivity. Our group's theme this time was fun in the carnival:

Well, so did two other groups:

Other areas had a fiesta theme:

This one went with Santa's workshop in the North Pole. Quite practical since the decors could stay on 'til Christmas hihi.

Eto Ipad lang ang peg. Kume-Candy Crush lang:

Another group transported us to Legoland:

All those pics I took early in the morning when I arrived, that's why you could still see some kalat. But the areas were magical came afternoon. Everyone transformed into their characters once the kids came.

And here come my kids. Ok so much for preparing this Halloween (see previous post here). I was super busy so I went retail/RTW for their costumes. My super heroes:

R as Wonder Woman, enjoying her popcorn:

JD as Spiderman being carried by the carnival's wizard, one of my officemates:

Here they are fooling around in my cubicle:

All in all, R had fun with her loots (which I sifted through at home - limiting the sweets and retaining biscuits and stickers). 'Til next year!

Working weekend, talo pa USTe, oh please be good to me birthday

Missed me? Sorry if I haven't posted about a stress-free/pasyal mode weekend with the family, it's because I'm like this:

Image from here

Yep I'm drowning in office work since last Friday. I have over a hundred page report and still halfway through last Saturday. It broke my heart that I wasn't able to play all day with my children, specially R who would shut my laptop lid whenever she'd come near me. She's really not used to seeing me work at home. If I bring home work, I usually do it when they're asleep. But this weekend, I had no choice really.

Tapos syempre late na 'tong post na 'to. By now everyone knows La Salle won. But that Saturday, despite the busy working day, siningit ko ang panunuod ng finals in our living room with my brother. I guess in every household there really is that friendly rivalry especially if each of you comes from a different Alma Mater. My dad and almost all his brothers were from La Salle, my cousins and specially my brother all came from the same school as well. Me, my mom and hubby of course are from UST, as well as hubby's siblings and mom.

Sabi ko pa kay bro C, sino matalo bili ng pizza. Eh nagugutom na ko, sabi ko "order na tayo, bayaran mo na." Bro C said "ayoko nga hindi pa naman tapos ung laban, ikaw nagugutom, ako kaya ko pa magtiis." At hindi ko na talaga natiis I ordered pizza, which seemed like a bad omen pala, natalo nga ang USTe! Hay, after all the bashing, chants and hiyawan namin ni bro, in the end ganito rin kami like the Teng brothers and enjoyed our pizza:

Image from here

After pulling and all-nighter, we got to have our family day in Trinoma after mass. Didn't shop that much, lumalakas na ang will power ko yey! We just basically enjoyed the day with the kids at Timezone and ate at Burger King for meryenda. Daddy A just bought me some tank tops and a blouse at Landmark for my coming birthday. R naman is at this stage na she would ask for "something", like a cheap pasalubong (like food) when you come home from work or buy something before going home (like stickers, or some cheap item like cute clips or panties etc.). Sinanay kasi ni Lola P and Wowa C niya na laging may pasalubong pagdating galing Divisoria (tsk tsk!). So before going home, we bought her a hanky. Masaya na siya dun. I just have to explain we can only buy her stuff if she's been good or doing well in some area (e.g. toilet training). And nothing above Php50!

Anyway, as of press time, I've submitted the draft report na binu-buno ko. I also had a wonderful birthday celebration with my family. Will tell you more in my next post.

My typical 24 hours

Here's a peek into what my typical day and night looks like:
4:30-5:30am : JD's first morning feed. I try to squeeze in a pump as well on the other breast. I usually blog around this time, pero most of the time weekends na.

5:30-6:30am: Prepare for work, which includes preparing my pumping gear, cooler, my clothes, banyo rituals, and squeeze in a few kisses and cuddles with these cutie pies:



6:30-7:30/8am: Drive to the office. I say my morning prayers, I put on my makeup, and manage to eat a sandwich, all because of the horrendous traffic.



8:00-8:20am: First pump. Check emails and to dos. I also eat my cup of oatmeal or a bagel. Here is my workstation a.k.a. battlefield. You could see my pumping paraphernalia to the right. Baka sabihin nyo area ng tamad ung cubicle ko dahil ang linis and walang files. I just strictly comply with our clear desk policy given the confidential nature of our work. And I really can't work well with clutter.



8:20-10am: Work mode

10:00-10:20am: Second pump pero multi-tasking parin with work. I have a double electric pump and my hands-free bra. Take note my area is hidden and I have a breastfeeding cover. Check out my pumping gear in this post.

10:20-11:20am: Work mode

11:20-12:15nn: Lunch then afterwards brush my teeth and clean my pump.

12:15-12:35pm: Third pump and surfing the net.

12:35-2:00pm: Work mode.

2:00-2:20pm: Fourth pump and I squeeze in a snack and work parin.

2:20-4:00pm: Work mode

4:00-4:20pm: Last pump while working parin.

4:20-5:00pm: Work and prepare to leave the office.

5:00-6/6:30/7pm: Drive back home. Ugh hello again horrendous traffic! Unpredictable talaga, it doesn't matter if I leave at 5pm, I still don't get home at the same time. I even experienced pumping in the car because of the terrible traffic (I know bad driver).



6:30-8:30pm: Breastfeed JD, catch up with R on how her day was, then dinner. If hindi overtime si Daddy A, complete ang family for dinner and we get some family cuddle and playtime as well.

9:00-10pm: Put the kids to bed. I do get to fall asleep as well. Daddy A and I get to catch up on our day's happenings.

10:00pm-2am: Uninterrupted sleep (fingers crossed). Sometimes JD wakes up 12mn for a short feed. If not 2 to 3am na.

2:00-5am: JD feeds, I try to squeeze in a pump as well to make up for lost pumping time during the day.I also do some work (if meron) and blogging time as well but it's usually early morning na. Sometimes I don't get to fall back asleep narin, derecho na until JD's next feed and preparation ko for work.



So that's my typical 24/7. Somedays aren't perfect and most of the time I don't get to strictly follow that schedule. Adjust adjust lang.

Every morning I just pray to God to make me work efficiently and to bless the traffic so I'll have more time with my family.

Murphy's law

Have you ever had those days which you think starts out great, then suddenly everything goes kaput?! Well last Thursday lang naman I had my own share of Murphy's law. According to Wikipedia it's an adage that is typically stated as: "Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong".

I thought everything will be ok, since I was able to leave the house early to avoid driving through terrible EDSA traffic. My car had an appointment pa naman at 8am sa casa for its regular check-up and service. Ayun, hindi pa ko nakakalayo I heard this rumbling na parang lata (ung rim na pala un). Dapa ang gulong ko! Homaygad, I don't know how to fix a flat tire, yan ung sana natutunan ko kay Papa. Good thing I was still within the vicinity of our village so I called up my mom and bro. To the rescue si bro C kahit puyat.

Mahirap pala talaga magpalit ng gulong. Sana nga napicturan ko or navideo ko para meron akong "How-to-guide". Pero mukang hindi ko talaga kakayanin mag-isa next time (God forbid). Those nuts and bolts sa rim are so hard to pry with a wrench. Ung jack kaya ko pa siguro ikutin, pero ung mga screw sa gulong, kung di sobrang masikip, baka maluwag ko namang maikabit mas lalo pa ko madisgrasya. Sabi sakin ni bro, kung mangyari sakin uli un at talagang malayo siya, ang gawin ko daw ay pumara nalang ako ng "mukang mabait" na taxi or jeepney driver para sila ang magpalit ng gulong at abutan ko nalang ng isang daan. Pero parang takot din ako dun. Note to self: Learn how to fix a flat tire during the weekend.

To continue with my day, I was able to go through with my car's appointment naman in the casa, un nga lang shelling out moola - unlike! Tapos instead of going home with a spic and span car, ayun it drizzled and the car had some alikabok from the ongoing construction/renovations in the casa.

Sa office naman Stress Drilon! Dalawang project lang naman ung hawak ko and the other one really absorbed all my energy dahil sa isang dokumentong dumating (tadadadan)! Not to dwell on it further because of confidentiality, but it just sucks out everything from me, actually from the whole team that's involved in it.

Sigh, just one of them days.

Fully loaded Monday

Yesterday, was a full day. Full of work, full of rains, and full of hope for brighter things to come.

Despite the busy day at work, I felt so accomplished. Natapos ko ung mga to dos ko for the day just in time before leaving for Tito D's (my father's older brother) 65th surprise birthday party. Plus I felt the excitement of having to start a new project at work this week (May sapi lang? Dagdag load pero masaya?) I guess I really love what I do, I just have to admit it to myself. It helps talaga pag may to-do list ka lang everyday para hindi ka ma-overwhelm. Ang saya kasi makakita ng check.

Anyway, back to the full day. After work, I rushed home (harurot levels ako sa kotse) so we could avoid the traffic going to Tito's birthday. Ayun pag sinuswerte nga naman ang lakas ng buhos ng ulan = traffic jam. Buti nalang si bro C na ang nagdridrive. Nasurprise na si Tito wala pa kami. We finally reached the party before 7pm, they were finished eating na. But it was so nice to see our relatives from my father's side, specially my cousin C and her son who came from the States.

Everyone noticed how JD looks so much like Papa. Sabi nga nung isa kong pinsan "nagpalit lang ng katawan si Tito, luma na daw kasi ung dati niyang katawan" hehe. We enjoyed the sumptious buffet at the intimate venue in Royal Palm's clubhouse. It was so nice to see Tito D looking well and still full of stories. You see, right after Papa's passing, he was also diagnosed with lymphoma. I was crushed again, because he is also like a father to us and is one of Papa's closest brother. I was glad to hear that he was able to attend Fr. Suarez' healing mass and is undergoing natural healing through Graviola. I truly pray for more fruitful years for him. Hope he gets to win the battle for our family.

Here we are with more chitchat after dinner. R and her cousins enjoyed dancing to Talking Angela's (Ipad app) music video. Thanks ate C for the pasalubongs!


Happy birthday Tito D! We love you and God bless!

Back to work and lessons from Working Girl

As I've said in my previous post, I just got back to work last week from my two and a half months long maternity leave. Nakakapanibago talaga, if only I could be with my family 24/7. But the ardent drive to work is still there, that's why I still don't have the guts to be a full-time housewife and mom, well apart from the fact that it would be difficult for us to sustain a single income source household.

Coming from my long hiatus, I needed some quick pick-me-ups just to get me to the working girl vibe. And what a coincidence, the 1988 romantic comedy "Working Girl" was on cable last weekend.

From Wikipedia: It tells the inspiring story of a Staten Island-raised secretary, Tess McGill (Melanie Griffith), working in the mergers and acquisitions department of a Wall Street investment bank. When her boss, Katharine Parker (Sigourney Weaver), breaks her leg skiing, Tess uses Parker's absence and connections, including her errant beau Jack Trainer (Harrison Ford), to put forward her own idea for a merger deal.

Consider that inspiration talaga since the main character and the plot closely relates to my field. Although the movie is already 25 years old, some lessons are still quite timely and apt in this day and age. Hopefully, I could apply these myself =)

Here are my favorite inspirational quotes from the film:

1) "You know, you don't get anywhere in this world by waiting for what you want to come to you.  You make it happen." The corporate world has no place for Juan Tamad (who waits for the fruit to fall off the tree) nor those who are shy and timid. Grab hold of your career. Kapalan na ang mukha. Tell them what you want to achieve and be in the future, and ask how you can get there. No one else will make your dreams come true but you, through hardwork, prayers and lots and lots of guts. Applicable din to sa love, so go out there and get the man of your dreams.

2) "I read a lot of things. I mean, you never know where the big ideas could come from." I loved that Tess got the idea of the Trask-Metro merger just by reading the New York Post society pages aside from Forbes. It's amazing how big deals just simply come from nowhere. So may sense din pala ang pagbabasa ko ng lifestyle section, society magazines and Cosmo hehe.

3) "I'm not gonna spend the rest of my life working my ass off and getting nowhere just because I followed rules that I had nothing to do with setting up, OK?" We are bound by rules no matter what. But I just love Tess' go-getting attitude, and how she tried to pull-off being an associate for a mergers and acquisition company. Sometimes just by being confident, people really can't tell if you're just pretending to be an expert or the real deal. Pero syempre don't forget lang that in the end trust is the most important thing in any relationship, whether it be love or business.

4) "You can bend the rules plenty once you get to the top, but not while you're trying to get there. And if you're someone like me, you can't get there without bending the rules." Nakakaloka rin when Tess and Jack gate-crashed the wedding of the daughter of the owner of Trask Industries just to get to talk to him. Ewan ko lang kung merong sneaky and gutsy enough to do this since it's unethical and impolite. But most of the time you just got to think outside of the box when trying to score a big deal.

5) "People's impression of me starts with you.  You're tough when it's warranted, accommodating when you can be, you're accurate, you're punctual, and you never make a promise you can't keep." This was Katharine's line to Tess regarding her requirements as an executive assistant. Just like any employee, you need to give a great impression because you represent your boss and your firm.

6) "Dress shabbily, they notice the dress.  Dress impeccably, they notice the woman."  - Coco Chanel. Again this was Katharine quoting Coco Chanel, and it's true, nadadaan talaga sa porma. This is one of the things that I like about working, wearing stylish and elegant clothes that make me look smart hehe. I'll probably write a post on dressing for success so watch out for it ok.

So there you have it working girls and working moms, aim high and stand proud on those stilettos.

On everyday politics

You may wonder about this type of post here samantalang hindi naman mala The Professional Heckler  ang category ng blog ko. Also, it isn't even timely, given the campaign period and national elections are long over. Let's just say wala lang, feel ko lang. Kasi ganun naman ako pag inspired sumulat eh. I just write from the heart. 

So moving on to the topic - Politics. The dictionary defines this as "the art or science of government or governing, especially the governing of a political entity, such as a nation, and the administration and control of its internal and external affairs". Through this post, I would just like to show the many valuable lessons we could learn from this science because politics is not only found in a nation, it is evident in any entity such as the workplace, school, or home. Basta anything being governed, administered or controlled, something that has a system.

So to start off syempre in a political system, we have to nominate/elect/appoint who will take control of the entity. Sila ang magiging leaders/bosses/administrators. So who are our usual cast of candidates or nominees? Unfortunately, not all are qualified, if not most are unqualified. For me, here are the usual suspects:

image from the web

1.  Manok ni San Pedro - Such a very lucky candidate/nominee, as they would say, eto ung the favored one. Paano, padrino/backer lang naman nya ang may hawak ng susi ng langit. Sureball na ang panalo, promotion o appointment nya.

"All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others" - George Orwell, The Animal Farm

image from the web

2.  Nancy Binay - Eto ung mga tipong anak ng vice president o may-ari ng kompanya with questionable qualifications/performance. Sige na pagbigyan na, nagOJT naman daw ng ilang taon eh, at andyan naman ung tatay to guide and support her.

“It is better to deserve without receiving, than to receive without deserving.” - Robert Green Ingersoll

image from the web

3.  Bitter Ocampo - Eto ung walang ibang ginawa kundi mag question bakit ung iba ang nanalo, napromote or naappoint. "Bakit hindi ako? Di hamak naman na lamang ako ng ilang paligo sa kanya. Bakit sya eh wala namang laman utak nyan?" Instead of assessing another individual's abilities/performance objectively, they tend to veer towards self-righteousness and have a biased view of themselves.

image from the web

4.  Cut-off - Parang sa instant noodles commercial lang na umiiyak ung bata: "12 lang ang nakuha sa practice, pang 13 ako, practice ako ng practice, may uniform pa ko, nay bakit?" Or by comparing with the recent senatorial elections, eto ung kawawang nasa 13th place. Dahil may cut-off, kahit na qualified ka pa, hindi ka makakapag-lingkod.

5.  Pity vote/Pasang-awa - Eto ung mga nakalusot, nanalo, napromote. o naappoint ng dahil sa awa at hindi dahil sa exceptional qualifications. Perhaps magaling ung campaign manager o image consultant nila. 

6.  Highly qualified but low popularity/unrecognized/underrated - Parang Dick Gordon o Risa Hontiveros lang. Eto ung mga kahit may very impressive track record na, sadyang hindi talaga mataas sa survey ratings at hindi nakakalusot sa election. Aantayin pa bang mamatay kagaya ni Jesse Robredo bago makarecognize ng mga matitinong leader o tagapaglingkod? For companies or organizations naman, you should nurture this rare breed of talents, otherwise run the risk of them resigning or being pirated by your competitors.

Here are some wonderful insights when you encounter the aforementioned in any entity you are in such as the workplace, school, or at home. I got these from The Prince and the Pauper by Jaachynma N.E. Agu:

1. “Don't underestimate your worth by comparing yourself with others.” - You are a unique individual, capable of contributing something to this world which others are unable to. So never let yourself be intimidated by what others can do. 
2. “Don't blow off another's candle for it won't make yours shine brighter.” - In other words itigil na ang crab mentality. In the end baka pati ikaw mahila pababa. Try to be the one that pull others up. Working together may actually bring out the best results.
3. “Don't set your goals by what other people deem important.” - You alone can know what matters most to you and what your own definition of success is.
4. “You are not in competition with anybody except yourself; plan to outdo your past not other people.” - Like the 1st and 2nd quote, just give your best in everything you do for God's greater glory. Keber na sa ginagawa ng iba. Always try to be a better version of yourself.

Lastly, you really cannot change the system but you can change how you react to the system. You can chose to go or stay. I leave you with a nice verse I got off the internet from an anonymous author, just to keep things in perspective: 

You need not stay where you are; 

there are other places you could occupy, possibly more happily than where you are now.
What keeps you were you are?
If there is nothing, walk away.
If there is something, you will know why you stay.

Coping with common work challenges

What a hectic 3-day work week it was! But I'd rather be tired those three days than work 'til the holidays.

Because "Stress Drilon", "Hagardo Verzoza", at "Pagoda Cold Wave Lotion" ako nowadays, I decided to release stress through my words and write this post on common challenges at work and how to cope. By the way, if anyone I work with reads this, wala po akong personally pinatatamaan. These are general views which I believe are experienced by anyone who works in any field or any type of workplace.

Here they are:
1.  Unreasonable and challenging boss - For me, with every person you meet, you need to try and understand their personality. If you can learn about their background or life story go ahead. It will give you an insight on their character. Like if you have a demanding boss, try to assess why they are like that. Most probably they worked their ass off to reach their position and state in life, and probably they see some potential in you that's why they challenge you to the brink. But remember also, challenging is different from being rude and abusive. If your dignity and self-respect are battered to the ground, it's time to think things through. Is this the kind of person I look up to and would want to work with, or worse, be like in the future? Remember, we tend to get traits from the people we look up to. If you have an understanding and unselfish boss, you tend to be like that to your staff too, or the other way around.

2.  Demanding clients/war-freak contacts - When you are in the service industry, there are just clients who think they not only paid for your services but for you as well. These are those who expect you to be at their beck and call, as if your banyo time is being paid too. Sometimes naman ung direct contact mo sa office nila mga super antipatika na susungitan ka everytime you ask information from them. Hello! If you're a consultant, or auditor, or researcher, natural na manghihingi ka na documents or magtatanong ka ng information. Trabaho lang po, kaya gawin mo rin ung sayo. Kaya ka nga inappoint na contact eh. (Parang may pinaghuhugutan hehe)

Well in my opinion, pagsinungitan ka ng mga taong ito, deadma nalang (kakarmahin din yan, mag LBM yan or magka pimples yan for ilang days - sumpain ba? hehe). For clients, try to address their concerns right away. Whether it be a call or an email, try to respond to them, specially if you cannot accommodate their request as soon as possible.

To serve people takes dignity and intelligence. But remember, they are only people with money. And although we serve them, we are not their servants. What we do, does not define who we are. What defines us is how well we rise after falling. - Lionel from the movie Maid in Manhattan

3.  Backstabbers and crabs - Eto na ung mga may crab-mentality. Pagchichismisan ka nila pag coffee break o sisiraan ka sa boss. For me, kahit anong paninira ng mga yan, if your work output is really great, it will show. Ika nga ng kanta ni Rihanna, "shine bright like a diamond". Mag ning-ning ka sa trabaho mo at hayaan mo sila mainggit hehe. Kidding aside, just try to do your best in everything you do and work for God's greater glory and He will give you what you deserve. If you also have friends in the workplace who are achievers, be happy for them as well, maya ilibre ka pa pag na promote sila =).

4.  Tight deadlines - Hay eto ang pinaka kalaban ng mga working moms/dads. Tipong wala ka ng magagawa sa deadline dahil set na talaga un at hindi na mauurong. For me it's really just about focusing on your goal and finishing your task. I'd rather work overtime on weekdays matapos lang ung work, than compromise my weekends and holidays with family. Just concentrate on your work/task at hand and avoid unecessary activities (e.g. internet, chikahan).

It's truly a great blessing to have work which provides for your family's needs. But don't also compromise your health, your sanity and most of all those that really matter to you - your loved ones. Pray for patience, a strong mind and body, and offer your work to God.

Image from the web

Working Mom Woes and Making Up for Quality Time

How do working moms survive instances like this?

One morning, R woke up and caught me as I was about to leave for work (she was teary-eyed):
R: Mommy dito lang tabi ko tulog
I lay beside her for a few minutes. She calls out to her dad.
R: Daddy opis
Me: Mommy office too.
R: No dito lang mommy tabi ko tulog
Me: I'll come home early anak, play tayo later
And I left, even if it hurts to see her crying behind.

These past few days are even tougher. At present I'm in the middle of a big engagement at work, and with my dad in the hospital, I can only spend a couple of minutes or luckily a few hours with R during weekdays.  Weekends are different though, cause I really made a vow that those are sacred for my family. My full time is devoted to them during those days, which I will share in a different post.

I'm quite lucky to be in my present job and department with flexible hours and provisions that sometimes allow me to work from home when necessary. My regular schedule (if I have no tight deadlines or big engagements) is from 8am-5pm. With that, I can be home by 6pm (or 7pm if sobra traffic) and just focus my whole attention on R. We either sing and dance to Barney, Dora or Blues Clues. We play luto-lutuan, parlor-parlor, doctor-doctor and kung anu-ano pa. We also love exploring apps in the Ipad. We eat dinner together and have story-time before I tuck her in bed.

Here are a couple of  our precious moments during hassle free weekdays:

Blowing bubbles

Coloring and tracing

Story time before bedtime

So how can we working moms make quality time during weekdays, here are just some tips I apply:

1. Strictly follow your work schedule and to-dos for the day to avoid overtime. Avoid procrastinating or wasting time on social networking sites (hondali sabihin noh?!). I try to blog when my child is asleep during the night or early morning before going to work.
2. Manage not only your time but also your superiors' and staff. Agree on deadlines and try as much as possible to stick to it.
3. When at home, be at home. Honestly, I'm guilty of this. Because I leave early from work, I have the tendency to still open the laptop at home. If you really need to work, just do it after your child has fallen asleep.
4. Make your child feel that he/she is your top priority. Ung siya naman ung boss mo ngayon. Do whatever they want to do. Kung gusto ka nila puluputan ng kung anu-anong borloloy sa katawan, go lang. If gusto nila magsayaw kayo or kumanta, go lang ng go, keber sa kapitbahay.

Those are just some of my tips based on my learnings/experiences sa aking two and a half years experience of being a working mom. I'm sure maraming batikan moms out there na mas madami pang ways on how to balance work and quality time with their kids. What's important is knowing your priorities, and everything you do will subconsciously be geared towards that.