Happy Birthday Archie Boy!

Yes, it's my birthday! Happy Birthday to me!  That's why I'm having this special entry even if it's not yet a weekend.

Well I didn't really expect anything big today, for one, my birthday falls on a Monday and that means the beginning of another work week. I know that the day won't be similar to the previous birthdays I had where people surprise me in the dorm as early as when the clock ticks 12 and that you'll receive big greeting cards from different friends and orgmates. I know my birthday this year will just be simple.

Indeed, it was simple, but it was special!

It was special because it was when I realized the importance of small things, like when your friends both old and new extend their greetings through email, ym or text… like how your family becomes excited as well about you growing up to be an older and a more mature man… like how someone can otherwise make you smile on your day in spite of your initial impressions and thoughts about her… like how someone can inspire you through his words… like how the Yellow Cab pizza becomes the best treat on your birthday… like how hugmate can make time for you and be there with you at your birthday mass… like how easy and light your feeling is because you're thankful to God for the life given to you…

At this time, this is the most important gift on my day - the feeling of satisfaction and hope, because amidst the very busy life given all priorities and responsibilities, you know that life is still good and that life is worth living to the fullest. A friend at work told me today, "the answers to your prayers may not be the answers you wanted, moreso, not the best for you, but it's always the best for the greater majority - especially for your loved ones."

Life is indeed simple. Life, in itself, is good. What complicates life is what we do. But then there's always you who can always renew the way you live life and the way you love life!

My Greenbelt Weekend

For three straight days, I found myself hanging out and strolling around the Greenbelt area and what makes it special is that each day was spent differently and that each day had something to tell about the so-called "growing up" phenomenon.

Friday Night:

It's our celebration - the GBS All Stars Champion! We had our dinner in National Sports Grill where we just ordered anything we want, from main dish to dessert, to drinks and beers, absolutely free. Expenses are covered by the Ayala Mall gift certificates that we received as our prize. Next stop? Red Box Videoke! As people were singing, I'll always remember how Eric and Denise made the most out of their acting talents using the wall telephone and the sofa lights. I'll always remember the one when you held the phone while slowly leaning ang going down the wall, the kind of scene you see in teleseryes when the girl is crying to her boyfriend over the phone. Plus the scene of widows talking to their husbands in the coffin. Again, was that supposed to be a drama or a comedy act? Really very funny!

I spent the whole Friday night till 3am in Greenbelt. It was really a night of celebration and indulgence without experiencing much of its cost.  Lesson learned?  I'm growing older! Celebrations are now intended for great accomplishments, like the recognitions in the company for example, and I felt the ambience of working people as we took our dinner. Yes, it's fun but really different to celebrations experienced before. 

Saturday Night:

It's 6pm and I just came out from a shower in Mandarin Gym when I received a text from Doryll inviting me to hang-out tonight in Greenbelt. Ros, Doryll and Ka were in Mcdo Cafe and Nina just had a dinner in Cyma, Greenbelt 2.  They're inviting me and Jekki to just come over and spend Saturday nights outside. As I was thinking of a nice work-life balance (yes, I'm thinking about it), I immediately replied yes even if I was only wearing slippers coming from workout that night.

The whole night of conversations and sharing stories and again, drinking beers (ei, I just realized it's Octoberfest), can be compared to one of those movies, the one that we can entitle as, "We All Have Problems" or "Life Sucks". :)  The setting started when I came in Mcdo Cafe and I met these 3 ladies talking about work life. And as each one was telling stories, you'll then see a flashback or a scene where you can visualize their daily work encounters - of how it can be stressful and unfulfilling at the same time.  And so the rants went on - about 'why are we again working like this?' or 'is this the price of my Ateneo education' or 'where now is the passion?'. Good thing Jekki arrived for enlightenment because he's the one who's fulfilled by following his passion and interests in ANC.  We were also talking about dreams and future plans, like setting up a business which entertained the possbility of setting up taxi cabs and restaurants, or some ways for work-life balance like doing yoga and all sorts.  Lesson learned? Life! Oh well, life.

Tonight, I went home late again around 4 in the morning. From Greenbelt, we went to a small bar in Ortigas, the name goes like Stir Crazy and from there, we headed towards the area of Metro Walk where we ate sisig in Jay n Jay's. Yummy sisig!

Sunday Afternoon:

After hearing mass in the Greenbelt chapel, I went on to my first facial treatment together with my hugmate in 'Let's Face It' located in Greenbelt 1. Actually, it was my first time to be in Greenbelt 1 and unlike Greenbelt 3, the stores there were less high-end and also the place contains less people. Going for a facial is actually one of my birthday treats to myself since I wanted to try out stuff I haven't yet done.

The first 30 minutes was totally relaxing! I was lying down beside hugmate as our heads and faces were massaged. The music was also calming and the ambience was truly destressing.  But the comfort began to veer away the moment they began removing blackheads! I didn't imagine it would be that painful to the point that tears appear in your eyes. I couldn't remember how many times the facial lady wiped the tears off my eyes. Lesson learned? Growing up is like having a facial massage. The early stage is exciting until you reach the point where you want to pursue your dreams.  You'll experience pain and tears before you attain the prize.  Connect the dots? Haha!

The whole facial experience was new and it was fun especially that I did it with hugmate. Afterwards, we took a yummy and cheesy beef-filled pastry in a Jamaican store nearby. We really enjoyed our day.

3 days in Greenbelt..  3 hangouts to be remembered… In less than 12 hours, I'm turning 22!  What a pretty good treat!

Melancholy

Long have I not shown real emotions inside. Life must just go on. Melancholy wraps around me - of dilemma and uncertainty, of passion and its loss, of seemingly infinite demands and needs, of pressure, of longingness. Time is an abstract fact and distance is a sad reality. Feelings are discarded and overruled. Thoughts are endless in my mind. I am quiet outside, I am shouting inside. Must go on, must move on. I want to do other things but I have no choice - responsibility. I'm torn and I'm broken. I'm tired but I must not be. Happiness has long been a dream, fulfillment seems nothing but a dream. Everything seems to be a dream.

No control of what's happening. No direction where I am going. Or am I just wrong? Hopefully, I'm wrong.

Certainly not me. Somebody save me.

Simply the Best: GBS All Stars!

Last Friday was I think the best night ever since I came in P&G. A ballroom competition to be participated by all P&G business units in the Philippines was set in this year's Pension Plan Night held in NBC Tent, The Fort. This year's theme is 'Simply the Best', showcasing how P&G makes it to the greatest of all time.

Competing groups were MDO (Market Development Organization, the one that's located in 6750), Cabuyao Plant in Laguna, GBS (Global Business Services, that's us in Petron Building), and last but surely not the least, the Leadership Team composed of Jim Lafferty and Patrick Wong, to name a few.

Historically, GBS had never won any Pension Plan competitions in the past. That is why every year is something to be looked forward to from the new hires who, by tradition, are the ones joining the competition. And certainly, this year marked a record. As part of the GBS All Stars who performed that night, I'm proud to say that we made it to the top! We won! And we are simply the best!

<video of the Pension Plan Ballroom Presentation to be posted here soon once made available>

Here are some of the pics that Friday night. Thanks to Richard for these awesome shots, they made us look like real performers on stage.

If there's one thing I will truly treasure from this experience, it would be the friendship gained across different service lines in GBS. I realized the value of diversity and the culture of winning despite conflicts and odds. Because of this event, I somehow found my place in the competitive yet fostering environment of the company. Kudos to the GBS All Stars and I will surely miss our late night practices.

Extra-Curriculars at Work

I spent my whole Saturday outside today. Most of it are P&G but outside-work related. Get it?

Morning:  I joined the P&G group that regularly goes to GK Baseco for the first time and we held arts and crafts workshop and storytelling - pretty much what I used to do before in college. It was fun, the kids were generally attentive. I've been looking for opportunities to go to CSR activities before, but the weird thing is I've felt a certain level of indifference. I haven't explored yet the reason for it may entail a lot of reflections which I fear might end up breaking myself. There's a feeling of indifference but a calling to do more. I know it's quite paradoxical but perhaps I'm just used to knowing the families of the children and having personal relationship with the people. The fact that this is a one-day, one-time event and the feeling of not being able to sustain what has been done might be the reason of such indifference.

Lunch:  Bonding with fellow new hires. Just plain and simple conversations which made us know each other better.

Afternoon:  The whole afternoon was meant for ballroom rehearsals for the upcoming Pension Plan next Friday.  We will be doing swing, boogie, waltz and pasa doble.  The last time I remembered dancing these steps was during High School when we have to do a school play - so long long long time ago. Nevertheless, it was fun and the feeling that you're doing something outside work makes it more reasonable to engage in these activities. It makes me want to love my work even if it is technical.

Evening:  I accompanied my hugmate as she went home to Las Pinas. That afternoon, she came from UP to arrange some school papers. The time spent together was a bit short but it's better than not meeting at all. She's going to Davao again and GenSan, all for the same week. I know she would be busy in the next few days.  I would be busy too (what's new?) for Lunch&Learn and Pension Plan rehearsals on top of projects everywhere. I'm just hoping I can manage my time and workload better. Surely, I don't want to miss those simple yet most important things in life.