I'm here by the computer with a lousy internet connection, killing time. I'm waiting for a fateful phone call from the Vice President of Maersk Canada.
It has been a couple of weeks since the application phase for expatriation of the MISE 2004 batch ended. With 221 choices from countries all over the world, ranging from the wealthiest to the poorest, from the warmest to the coldest, from the most exotic to the most seemingly mundane, I picked out three positions and applied for it.
The three positions are as follows:
1. Communications and Corporate Affairs Manager, A.P. Moller - Maersk, Toronto, Canada
2. Assistant Manager for Marketing and PR, Safmarine, Dubai, U.A.E.
3. Global Process Excellence - Process Control, A.P. Moller - Maersk, Copenhagen, Denmark
And I have set my heart on the Toronto position.
Form the moment that Stella called me one early Sunday morning and declared, "This position is for you!" I knew it. I know deep down in my heart, I am meant to be there. I am meant to have that job.
A week ago I received an email from Maersk Canada HR, asking me to:
1. Submit 2 documents that I have written recently, in Word format
2. Submit 1 Powerpoint presentation that I have created recently
3. Set a date and time for an interview
Having accomplished the first two (the entry below "More Than Just a Training Program" was actually one of the pieces I submitted, which I believe is my winning piece), I now sit here waiting for the phone to ring. I have been waiting since 9pm (since the time zones are completely opposite, I have to stay up). Butterflies are fluttering in my stomach and I am a bit nervous.
There is no doubt in my mind that I am going to get this position. It's for me. I believe so.
Now all I have to do is win them over, impress them and convince them that I am indeed the best person for this job.
I'm all jittery.
This is my career in line.
My life on the line.
Wish me luck and send a little prayer for me!
* * * * * * * *
I just finished the interview. And you know what? I think I nailed it! Well... I hope I did. :) That position is sooo mine!
I'll have to wait till September to find out. :) I'm keeping my fingers crossed!
Saturday, August 26, 2006
Friday, August 18, 2006
Guilty Pleasure
I was telling Tata that I love surveys, but I don't like posting them on bulletins coz other people should not be bombarded with my self-centered guilty pleasure. Haha. So I'm posting it here, in my very own nook on the wide wide web, where anybody who doesn't want to read my survey answers can just get the hell out of here.
Haha. Angst, anyone?! Haynako, survey na nga! :)
Haha. Angst, anyone?! Haynako, survey na nga! :)
[A is for age]
-- 22 years and 9 months
[B is for beer of choice]
-- San Miguel Super Dry
[C is for career]
-- Communicologist. Astig! Hehe.
[D is for your dog's name]
-- Buster and Dash
[E is for essential item you use everyday]
-- Cellphone, Shampoo and Conditioner.
[F is for favorite song at the moment]
-- Paano - Originally by APO Hiking Society
[G is for favorite games]
-- Dynomite and Planarity! (madami ako niyan, wala kasi akong ginagawa sa office. Hehe joke lang Sir Jude.)
[H is for hometown]
-- Las Pinas
[I is for instruments you play]
-- Triangle, and damn good at it!!! hahaha
[J is for favorite juice]
-- Does iced tea count? If not, Watermelon Juice (serious, meron niyan sa HK)
[K is for kids]
-- Wala, isip bata lang.
[L is for last hug]
-- Mama
[M is for malls]
-- BTC (as in Banilad Town Center in Banilad, Cebu) Hahah. Pero dito sa Manila, ATC of course, Megamall, Southmall, Mall of Asia... (Siyet dapat bayaran na ko ni Henry Sy.)
[N is for name of your crush]
-- Crush? I'm 22 for goodness sake, di na uso ang crush sakin noh!!!
[O is for overnight hospital stays]
-- None. Ever! Yay. I hate hospitals.
[P is for phobias]
-- Failure.
[Q is for quote]
-- Passion can make you crazy but is there any other way to live?
[R is for biggest regret]
-- Not learning karate when I was a kid. I could be kicking butt now. (I still kick butt, not in that way though. *evil laugh*)
[S is for status:]
-- It's complicated. Naks parang Friendster! Haha. Seriously. Next question.
[T is for time you wake up]
-- Depends on the day of the week.
[U is for underwear]
-- Comfy herbench undies
[V is for vegetable you love]
-- Young Corn (does that count?). Shitake Mushrooms. Lettuce but not too much. Tomatoes.
[W is for worst habit]
-- Being impulsive
[X is for x-rays you've had]
-- None since I was in college
[Y is for yummy food you make]
-- World's Best Spaghetti! (yabang), Torta, Sinigang, Adobo and Pork Steak (try me!)
[Z is for zodiac sign]
-- Proud Scorpio
More Than Just A Training Program
Most Filipino graduates share one dream: that at the end of 17 long years of schooling, the perfect job in the perfect company will be there, waiting to be seized. In 2004, I was one of those hopeful dreamers. Armed only with my optimism and a fresh college degree, I scoured job fairs, newspapers, internet job portals, and virtually every avenue available to me to find and land that perfect position.
In March of 2004, I was hired by a multinational company as a management trainee. I was fresh out of college, and all I had with me was my idealism and the relentless passion to make my dreams come true. At that time, “Management Trainee” was the buzz word of the corporate world and could mean a multitude of different duties for different companies. It ranged from selling insurance policies and taking down the minutes of a meeting, to heading a creative team to plan a product launch and attending classes during the weekends.
Two years later, I find myself reflecting on the path that I have chosen. Being a MISE trainee has educated me far beyond the theoretical and practical training that was promised to be part of the program. What started out as a serendipitous opportunity that I took as an idealistic college graduate has turned into a journey towards higher learning and self-discovery.
Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that I would be thrust into the world of almost 300 individuals from over seventy nationalities. I met trainees of every language, color, race and faith. During the times when we converge at common areas for meals, classes or activities, I cannot help but feel overwhelmed at the wealth of cultures that has been placed before me.
Certainly, it was the chance of a lifetime to be able to immerse myself and discover the uniqueness of different cultures as embodied by each of my co-trainees. This experience has underscored the importance of appreciating similarities and respecting differences. It has taught me what it means to be a citizen of the world. It has taught me how to enjoy being in the company of such a large, diverse group. But above all, it has taught me that ultimately, one’s language, color, race or faith is immaterial. The most binding cause that any two people can ever find is humanity – the fact that despite everything, we are all people, people who hurt, love, fail, laugh, cry and dream. This is the reason why I am not surprised that I found a friend in each of those 300 individuals. And not only this, I also know that because of this learning, I will be able to find a friend in the all the persons that I will meet in the future.
Indeed, during the past two years, I have been able to build a network of friendships across the globe and have had fun with them both during and outside the modules. But at the end of the day, we still remember that we are trainees and that the program should be taken seriously.
In no way is the MISE program easy. It is tough, and consequently, it teaches one to be tough. There are requirements to be met, grades to be maintained, attitudes to be honed and improved, values to be learned by heart. There is the constant pressure of living up to expectations – not only of others, but more importantly, of yourself.
Personally, this experience has pushed me to my limits and has taught me to always strive for something even better than excellence. I cannot say that I went through all these unscathed. In fact, I do bear the scars of failure, disappointment and frustration, but I bear them proudly because at the end of the day, the most important thing is that I survived. The program has shown me that I am stronger than I give myself credit for, and that nothing is truly impossible if only I try. The only limits I have are those that I have set for myself... and now, there are none.
Someone once told me, “No one said it would be easy; they only said it would be worth it.” My days as a trainee have ended; now, I face the world as a graduate. It is not the title that I am proud of; I believe that being a MISE graduate is not enough to show the world that you are something special, nor is it a reason to feel superior to others. The only thing I am proud of is the wisdom that I have gained, and the fact that I have gotten to know myself and my abilities a bit better through this experience. That is what made the program worth it.
As I sit here reflecting on the two years that have passed, I feel a sense of closure. I will always look back fondly on the memories of the past two years, of the laughter and tears, of failures and successes, of learning things the hard way. But now, I am ready to live my future and seize my dreams, knowing fully that expatriation is my next great adventure.
In March of 2004, I was hired by a multinational company as a management trainee. I was fresh out of college, and all I had with me was my idealism and the relentless passion to make my dreams come true. At that time, “Management Trainee” was the buzz word of the corporate world and could mean a multitude of different duties for different companies. It ranged from selling insurance policies and taking down the minutes of a meeting, to heading a creative team to plan a product launch and attending classes during the weekends.
Two years later, I find myself reflecting on the path that I have chosen. Being a MISE trainee has educated me far beyond the theoretical and practical training that was promised to be part of the program. What started out as a serendipitous opportunity that I took as an idealistic college graduate has turned into a journey towards higher learning and self-discovery.
Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that I would be thrust into the world of almost 300 individuals from over seventy nationalities. I met trainees of every language, color, race and faith. During the times when we converge at common areas for meals, classes or activities, I cannot help but feel overwhelmed at the wealth of cultures that has been placed before me.
Certainly, it was the chance of a lifetime to be able to immerse myself and discover the uniqueness of different cultures as embodied by each of my co-trainees. This experience has underscored the importance of appreciating similarities and respecting differences. It has taught me what it means to be a citizen of the world. It has taught me how to enjoy being in the company of such a large, diverse group. But above all, it has taught me that ultimately, one’s language, color, race or faith is immaterial. The most binding cause that any two people can ever find is humanity – the fact that despite everything, we are all people, people who hurt, love, fail, laugh, cry and dream. This is the reason why I am not surprised that I found a friend in each of those 300 individuals. And not only this, I also know that because of this learning, I will be able to find a friend in the all the persons that I will meet in the future.
Indeed, during the past two years, I have been able to build a network of friendships across the globe and have had fun with them both during and outside the modules. But at the end of the day, we still remember that we are trainees and that the program should be taken seriously.
In no way is the MISE program easy. It is tough, and consequently, it teaches one to be tough. There are requirements to be met, grades to be maintained, attitudes to be honed and improved, values to be learned by heart. There is the constant pressure of living up to expectations – not only of others, but more importantly, of yourself.
Personally, this experience has pushed me to my limits and has taught me to always strive for something even better than excellence. I cannot say that I went through all these unscathed. In fact, I do bear the scars of failure, disappointment and frustration, but I bear them proudly because at the end of the day, the most important thing is that I survived. The program has shown me that I am stronger than I give myself credit for, and that nothing is truly impossible if only I try. The only limits I have are those that I have set for myself... and now, there are none.
Someone once told me, “No one said it would be easy; they only said it would be worth it.” My days as a trainee have ended; now, I face the world as a graduate. It is not the title that I am proud of; I believe that being a MISE graduate is not enough to show the world that you are something special, nor is it a reason to feel superior to others. The only thing I am proud of is the wisdom that I have gained, and the fact that I have gotten to know myself and my abilities a bit better through this experience. That is what made the program worth it.
As I sit here reflecting on the two years that have passed, I feel a sense of closure. I will always look back fondly on the memories of the past two years, of the laughter and tears, of failures and successes, of learning things the hard way. But now, I am ready to live my future and seize my dreams, knowing fully that expatriation is my next great adventure.
Thursday, August 10, 2006
What I Love About Cebu
Last January 8, 2006, a cloudy Sunday night, I took a fateful one-hour flight from Manila to Cebu. Fateful, because it marked the start of my “rotation” to our company’s Cebu branch. I was going to be living away from home for the first time in my 22 years of life. And for me, that thought was unnerving beyond comprehension.
Ok, I will be honest. I felt like an OFW. The 300 miles between Manila and Cebu felt like 300,000 miles. The tears would not stop flowing – from the time I was seated at the gate waiting for the boarding call, until I was on the plane and fastening my seatbelt, from the time I was by the luggage conveyor belt, until I was on the taxi to the hotel, and up until I was on my hotel bed that night. I was crying my eyes out.
Now, eight months hence, believe me, I still cry. I still get homesick and there are no words to describe how intense the feeling is. But I am pulling through... day by day... I survive.
I had programmed my mind that I would be back in Manila by August. Every inch of me is craving to be back home. It’s not that I haven’t been back since January. Quite the opposite, I actually travel back and forth to Manila as if Cebu was just Tagaytay or Bulacan (Oh yes this is a popular comment from friends). But there really is something different about being home. Really home.
Anyway, I just received news that I might be here until October. Don’t even ask me how that made me feel. It deserves an entirely separate entry.
And so to comfort myself and to try to nurture some kind of acceptance, I have decided to come up with a list of the things that I love about Cebu. Here goes… I hope it works.
1. No Traffic. Or let me just put it this way: traffic is way better than Manila. I don’t really know why because Cebu does have quite a number of uncouth drivers (think worse-than-Faura/P.Gil-jeepney-drivers) but you can get yourself around while encountering very minimal traffic. This also means I can get up later than usual – 8am to be exact – and still get my ass in the office for the 8:30am call time. All this compared to Manila living when I have to wake up at 6:30am because I have to allocate at least 1-1.5 hours of travel time from Las Pinas to Makati or Ortigas.
2. I get free gas. And I use the company car. With gas prices hitting the high Php40’s, this is definitely an advantage. The only problem is I don’t really have a lot of places to go (since everything seems so near here, plus all my barkadas are in Manila) so my full tank actually lasts for a month. Sometimes I take road trips just so my gas can register a few lines lower in the gauge. But, heck, I’m not complaining. Anything that’s free, bring it on!
3. Food = Cheap + Good. Very, very bad for the diet though. But diets are no match for the many places that serve delicious food at rock-bottom prices. There’s the Tong’s Eat-All-You-Can meal at Php 149.50, the yummy barbecue ribs at Casa Verde for only Php 120.00, the to-die-for Kinamatisang Kawali at Dessert Factory for Php 150.00, the Cream Cheese and Garlic Burger at the Burger Joint for Php 65.00 – I can go on and on. One thing’s for sure, even if you’re on a tight budget, you’ll never go hungry in Cebu.
4. CnT Lechon and Carcar Chicharon are sinfully amazing. And so amazing are these two, that they deserve a separate category. I am a CnT Lechon loyalist. I cannot remember how many people I have brought to their branch in North Reclamation (in front of SM Cebu), but I brought in every single person I know from Manila who came to Cebu. If back in Manila my picker-upper was a Starbucks Rhumba Frap, in Cebu, it would definitely be a 1/4 kilo serving of CnT Lechon with their signature dip – soy sauce and vinegar. Makes my mouth water just thinking about it. As for the Carcar Chicharon (by the way Carcar is the name of the place where this yummy chicharon is made) – it will give Chicharritos and Lapid’s a run for their money. Ahhhhh. So many good things are bad for the body – this you will realize over and over again in Cebu!
5. My culinary skills have evolved. Whereas back then, my cooking involved only simple frying and some minor boiling, I now know how to cook a mean Adobo, Pork Steak, Torta and Sinigang. I have also perfected my Spaghetti recipe and learned some new garnishes like this shredded radish thing and kamatis with bagoong. And most important of all, I am now more successful in my rice cooking attempts, sans the rice cooker!
6. The work environment is really good. Don’t get me wrong, the workload is still there; if anything, the workload has actually increased. The responsibilities have gotten bigger in scope and I also have to render overtime on some occasions. But the environment here in the branch is much more laid-back and relaxed. Partly also because life here in Cebu is still relatively more unhurried and leisurely, despite the fact that it is as metropolitan as any city can get. And add to that the fact that I have the best manager in the world. :)
7. Having so much freedom has made me grow as a person. Like I said, it’s my first time to live outside of the house where I grew up. Meaning: no parents, no curfew, no nothing, just do whatever you want! It’s so easy to go overboard and just throw your life away, you know, just live like a careless 22-year-old. But instead, this experience has taught me discipline. Freedom really is such a privilege and it must be used well. I have had a lot of fun times in Cebu, but I can also proudly say that I have chosen to uphold my principles and keep myself in check most of the time, despite this being very difficult to do when you’re alone and without supervision. I truly believe that discipline is best exemplified when you choose to do the right things while knowing fully well that nobody’s looking.
8. I’m living life by my rules! I still control myself but this doesn’t mean that I never have fun. No curfew – let’s talk more about that! Honestly, my dad says he prefers that I’m in Cebu and he doesn’t know what I’m doing or where I’m going, than me being in Manila and him worrying every other minute. And really, it works for me just as well! It only means I can get a coffee fix anytime I want to (like, say at 11pm in the evening), or go out on Sundays and watch a movie with a friend (which is impossible when I’m Manila because Sunday is a family day). I can go out on weeknights and I have way looonger Friday nights, if you know what I mean. I can also stay in bed on weekends as long as I want (without having to be guilty that everyone else is up and doing some kind of chore) and have TV marathons till my eyes hurt. I have a choice whether to have dinner or not (which is not allowed in our household – you gotta be present at the dinner table whether or not you’re eating – family tradition, you know). In other words, I make all the calls for myself and take responsibility for each decision and action. And you know what? It feels so damn good!
I once read in an Arlene Chai book that migrants are never complete, that they will forever be broken people. In every place you go to, you have to build a “home” – it is a place that signifies security, comfort, peace. Eight months have passed and building a home in Cebu has been inevitable, despite my constant longing to be back in Manila and Las Pinas.
What I’m driving at is, I have realized that though in a few months’ time I will be moving back to Manila, it will not be too easy to leave Cebu. In retrospect, it has been quite an experience to be here. I learned many things in such a short span of time. I feel wiser and more mature, and in fact, more prepared to face new challenges that I know will come my way real soon. In reality, I did find a lot of things to love in this place.
*sigh*
And I thought I won’t be able to come up with anything for this entry.
Ok, I will be honest. I felt like an OFW. The 300 miles between Manila and Cebu felt like 300,000 miles. The tears would not stop flowing – from the time I was seated at the gate waiting for the boarding call, until I was on the plane and fastening my seatbelt, from the time I was by the luggage conveyor belt, until I was on the taxi to the hotel, and up until I was on my hotel bed that night. I was crying my eyes out.
Now, eight months hence, believe me, I still cry. I still get homesick and there are no words to describe how intense the feeling is. But I am pulling through... day by day... I survive.
I had programmed my mind that I would be back in Manila by August. Every inch of me is craving to be back home. It’s not that I haven’t been back since January. Quite the opposite, I actually travel back and forth to Manila as if Cebu was just Tagaytay or Bulacan (Oh yes this is a popular comment from friends). But there really is something different about being home. Really home.
Anyway, I just received news that I might be here until October. Don’t even ask me how that made me feel. It deserves an entirely separate entry.
And so to comfort myself and to try to nurture some kind of acceptance, I have decided to come up with a list of the things that I love about Cebu. Here goes… I hope it works.
1. No Traffic. Or let me just put it this way: traffic is way better than Manila. I don’t really know why because Cebu does have quite a number of uncouth drivers (think worse-than-Faura/P.Gil-jeepney-drivers) but you can get yourself around while encountering very minimal traffic. This also means I can get up later than usual – 8am to be exact – and still get my ass in the office for the 8:30am call time. All this compared to Manila living when I have to wake up at 6:30am because I have to allocate at least 1-1.5 hours of travel time from Las Pinas to Makati or Ortigas.
2. I get free gas. And I use the company car. With gas prices hitting the high Php40’s, this is definitely an advantage. The only problem is I don’t really have a lot of places to go (since everything seems so near here, plus all my barkadas are in Manila) so my full tank actually lasts for a month. Sometimes I take road trips just so my gas can register a few lines lower in the gauge. But, heck, I’m not complaining. Anything that’s free, bring it on!
3. Food = Cheap + Good. Very, very bad for the diet though. But diets are no match for the many places that serve delicious food at rock-bottom prices. There’s the Tong’s Eat-All-You-Can meal at Php 149.50, the yummy barbecue ribs at Casa Verde for only Php 120.00, the to-die-for Kinamatisang Kawali at Dessert Factory for Php 150.00, the Cream Cheese and Garlic Burger at the Burger Joint for Php 65.00 – I can go on and on. One thing’s for sure, even if you’re on a tight budget, you’ll never go hungry in Cebu.
4. CnT Lechon and Carcar Chicharon are sinfully amazing. And so amazing are these two, that they deserve a separate category. I am a CnT Lechon loyalist. I cannot remember how many people I have brought to their branch in North Reclamation (in front of SM Cebu), but I brought in every single person I know from Manila who came to Cebu. If back in Manila my picker-upper was a Starbucks Rhumba Frap, in Cebu, it would definitely be a 1/4 kilo serving of CnT Lechon with their signature dip – soy sauce and vinegar. Makes my mouth water just thinking about it. As for the Carcar Chicharon (by the way Carcar is the name of the place where this yummy chicharon is made) – it will give Chicharritos and Lapid’s a run for their money. Ahhhhh. So many good things are bad for the body – this you will realize over and over again in Cebu!
5. My culinary skills have evolved. Whereas back then, my cooking involved only simple frying and some minor boiling, I now know how to cook a mean Adobo, Pork Steak, Torta and Sinigang. I have also perfected my Spaghetti recipe and learned some new garnishes like this shredded radish thing and kamatis with bagoong. And most important of all, I am now more successful in my rice cooking attempts, sans the rice cooker!
6. The work environment is really good. Don’t get me wrong, the workload is still there; if anything, the workload has actually increased. The responsibilities have gotten bigger in scope and I also have to render overtime on some occasions. But the environment here in the branch is much more laid-back and relaxed. Partly also because life here in Cebu is still relatively more unhurried and leisurely, despite the fact that it is as metropolitan as any city can get. And add to that the fact that I have the best manager in the world. :)
7. Having so much freedom has made me grow as a person. Like I said, it’s my first time to live outside of the house where I grew up. Meaning: no parents, no curfew, no nothing, just do whatever you want! It’s so easy to go overboard and just throw your life away, you know, just live like a careless 22-year-old. But instead, this experience has taught me discipline. Freedom really is such a privilege and it must be used well. I have had a lot of fun times in Cebu, but I can also proudly say that I have chosen to uphold my principles and keep myself in check most of the time, despite this being very difficult to do when you’re alone and without supervision. I truly believe that discipline is best exemplified when you choose to do the right things while knowing fully well that nobody’s looking.
8. I’m living life by my rules! I still control myself but this doesn’t mean that I never have fun. No curfew – let’s talk more about that! Honestly, my dad says he prefers that I’m in Cebu and he doesn’t know what I’m doing or where I’m going, than me being in Manila and him worrying every other minute. And really, it works for me just as well! It only means I can get a coffee fix anytime I want to (like, say at 11pm in the evening), or go out on Sundays and watch a movie with a friend (which is impossible when I’m Manila because Sunday is a family day). I can go out on weeknights and I have way looonger Friday nights, if you know what I mean. I can also stay in bed on weekends as long as I want (without having to be guilty that everyone else is up and doing some kind of chore) and have TV marathons till my eyes hurt. I have a choice whether to have dinner or not (which is not allowed in our household – you gotta be present at the dinner table whether or not you’re eating – family tradition, you know). In other words, I make all the calls for myself and take responsibility for each decision and action. And you know what? It feels so damn good!
I once read in an Arlene Chai book that migrants are never complete, that they will forever be broken people. In every place you go to, you have to build a “home” – it is a place that signifies security, comfort, peace. Eight months have passed and building a home in Cebu has been inevitable, despite my constant longing to be back in Manila and Las Pinas.
What I’m driving at is, I have realized that though in a few months’ time I will be moving back to Manila, it will not be too easy to leave Cebu. In retrospect, it has been quite an experience to be here. I learned many things in such a short span of time. I feel wiser and more mature, and in fact, more prepared to face new challenges that I know will come my way real soon. In reality, I did find a lot of things to love in this place.
*sigh*
And I thought I won’t be able to come up with anything for this entry.
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