I don't want to say goodbye....

I don't want to say goodbye...

...but I have to do.

This would be the continuation of the phrase title of my blog entry today if I had to continue it.

Last Thursday, February 23, I reach my last day of training in Philippine Airlines (PAL). It has been a month of training there in the office set-up. And I experience a lot and different situations esp. a worklife environment during my entire training in PAL. My exit was somewhat a mixed feeling of I want get out of there but I still want to stay there. Weird, I don't know... I really want to get out there, since I have other things to deal with and I don't like some of my duties and "primadonna" superiors there but I still want to stay because of new-found friends I have met. And I somewhat enjoy my stay there at least.

I'll miss a lot of things there and people who were been very friendly to me...

I'll miss coffee... I usually start my morning there with a cup of coffee. I think I became more coffee addict after (Actually, I'm really a coffee addict). I'll miss Ate Vi and Ron at Sales Admin. They were been very friendly and good to me... even I exited in their department after one week. In my new department at Inflight Services Training Division (IFST), I'll miss Miss Jet, one of my co-employees there who supervises us and who I became befriend with and Liezel, my co-trainee who I am close with. I'll miss some people... whom I share my everyday there... Mam Cora's whining voice and whining phrases of "kk", her infamous questions of "galit ka?" and "are you ok?" together with her infamous eyebrow raising, Mam Glenda's nosy greeting and her phrases of "Ian, you have an assignment..." and Mam Anna's smiling face.

What I won't forget in my training in PAL is you have to smile or greet a co-employee there everytime you face them. I was trained there to have a smiling face! and I was difficult for me because I normally have serious face and not all the time I’m in the mood to smile. So everytime I go to our office, In the elevator goin up in 3rd floor (where my office is located), I started to fake wash my face with my hands and massage it so that any undesirable emotions that can been in my face disappears and make my face look delightful before I go to our department... ready to smile to everyone. It also made me set aside my bad moods and feelings to resurface in my face when I'm at the office. I somewhat feel that I was also train to become a flight steward in a moment because I have to cater a smile and a warm friendly aura to everyone. Coincidently, our department is specializing in training flight attendants of PAL.

My training is over. And I want to thank those people who made my stay in PAL an enjoyable experience and a memorable one. I want to thank Mam Angie; for always being friendly to me, Sir Rowen; aside from friendly, helped me work on my transfer at IFST, co-trainees - Vilma and Ron at Sales, Liezel at IFST and Miss Jet; co-employee at IFST and friendly trainers of IFST - Mam Glenda, Mam Ana and Mam Manette.

I don't want to say goodbye... My training is over and I'll surely miss a lot things there especially the people who have really good to me and the everyday work life we share. I'll miss the atmosphere of friendship we share and the stories we shared. I'll miss our happy moments too. I never thought that those people that I've shared a month with I'll miss them. The farewell of missing them made me think that this is like a beauty pageant where you'll stay a month in another place, meeting new people you befriend with. And after the contest is over you have to say goodbye and go back your real place. But one thing is for sure... I will never forget them.

...but I have to do it. I have to move on with my life. I have other things to accomplish. And some things in my training that I don't like, some tasks, some people... The time has come that it has to end it. It's over. I have to do it to for me to move on. I'm delighted that my training is over at least. Still, I have feelings of - don't want to let go - maybe because of the attachment to my everyday environment and of people I enjoy to be with... and bec. of the happy moments we share in a short time. And I want to explore more. But the time is calling to end it... I have to do it... I have to say goodbye.

I’m back with a 90th beauty!

I'm back with a 90th beauty!

After 3 "long-awaited" weeks of absence in posting messages, I'm back again here! During the past weeks since my last post I've been busy in finishing my thesis which slated on defense last February 18 and at the same time working on my training stint in Philippine Airlines. And I'm back with a 90th beauty! Why? Coz, we garnered a score of 90 passing grade in my thesis about beauty pageant contestants! It was really a nerve-wracking moment during the defense but I was able to answer the questions from the panelists intelligently and confidently. I'm delighted that my thesis is already finished and only minor revisions I have to work on, because in the last 3 weeks my sked was so hectic that I think I was banned in the Internet for a month! I’m glad this research is already over. Keep on visiting as I'm considering changing my site layout soon. Enjoy reading!

We Teach you… Excel!

We Teach you... Excel!

This first blog entry title comes from the brochure tagline of Philippine Airlines Learning Center. Well, its quite long time since my last post and this is the first for 2006. And for the start of this year, I've just completed my one week of duty in my industrial setting training, which started last Monday. Well, the title and tagline from brochure really has an association to my entry today. My on-the-job training in industrial setting was in Philippine Airlines, particularly in their Learning Center which is their school for training and development.

I didn't choose to be in the HR (human resources) department as the office there is dull, the place is gloomy and the commute for transportation is disadvantage. So the PAL Learning Center located at Padre Faura St. Ermita, Manila is an advantage to me... since the transpo for commuters like me is easy as the buses were just passing on the Taft Avenue. The PAL Learning Center at Faura is really suitable for my training, located at the heart city of Manila; it is near to other familiar and visiting district of the metropolis.

PAL Learning Center is the home of their training and development department. It is where their employees are trained before they go to their actual workplace. It is also where the pilots and stewardesses are being trained.

I started in Sales Admin Dept... I don't know why the HR assigned me there since am a psychology major. But at least I enjoy my work there together with my co-trainees - Ron and Vilma... who we fondly called "Ate Vi". But on Monday I'll be assigned on 3rd Floor in Inflight Services Training Department, so that I can be with Nagi, my classmate. We worked for my transfer there. And I really want to transfer there because it’s more related to my course especially training - we're also studying it.

Now that my educational and clinical setting has ended, it's now the time for the industrial setting... well, I hope that what the tagline in PAL's brochure says "We teach you... Excel!" will happen to me. May my training experience in Philippine Airlines will serve as a training ground for me to discover new learning and experiences that would help me become a better person.

New Year Diary: 2005 Year-ender Blog entry

New Year Diary: 2005 Year-ender Blog entry

It's almost few hours towards new year - 2006. It's almost 12 hours before new year to be exact... and me here writing my last blog entry for 2005. I don't have a Christmas entry as I am really busy aside from the holidays, is finishing my thesis.

Looking back, I'm glad that some of my important new year's resolutions last year have been materialized. Now, I hope that those good that I've started will continue towards next year for me to be a better person. This year one of my important resolution of not holding any firecrackers anymore continues. I've starter this last year because I realized the importance of my hands, whether it's just a "lusis" I really don't hold any in celebrating new year. Back then I realized the importance of my hands... and as a writer I really love my hands... they are my instrument to my skills in writing. I would rather celebrate the new year with a countdown and toast a wine at the strike of 12. Say what you want or call me corny or whatever but for me its better to prevent twice than regret double the times in the end.

I want to give insight regarding new year's resolution... new year's resolution should not only be made every end of the year. Instead, it must be done everyday and keep track of it everyday so you can monitor it if you're really improving especially if it is about taking away the "bad sides" of your personality. Will you wait for the end of the year to change? No... Resolutions can be done everyday as every new day is a new chance to change your self, your way of life... or whatever. Don't wait for that long, start changing today. It would be great to make it in the list your new year’s resolutions. I hope these enlighten everyone about new year's resolutions.

Thank you for those visited my blog and for reading my share of story here. May the new year will be great as 2005 and bring us more prosperity and blessings. Happy New Year everyone!!! Cheers!

The Champions!

The Champions!

Yes, we are the champions... in the recently concluded 23rd SEA Games held in our country, the Philippines won the the overall medal tally with the most medals in the games. Its the first time to happen in the history of SEA (South East Asian) Games! Philippines never did it in last 2 hostings of the event. I bet the whole Filipino athletes were fully motivated by the cheers of the hometown crowd who gave their 100% support and cheers to them. Though, I weren't able to attend the events and just watch the games and ceremonies on tv, I totally supported theFilipino athletes... I even made a support campaign in my forum signitures.

This is a revenge-comeback after Athens 2004 Olympics where we haven't harvest any medal... I hope we continue the feat of champions in the next SEA Games in Thailand. hope this will contunues on future SEA Games and other sports events. May this also serve as a stepping stone for medal harvesting in Beijing 2008 Olympics.

This SEA Games shows not only the abilities of the Filipino atletes but also the culture of Filipinos especially in the opening and closing ceremony of the games - which is colorful and festive. The overall champion shows that Filipinos are truly world-class athletes. We're the real champion! It made me proud to say "Pinoy Ako!" kaya Mabuhay ang manlalarong Filipino!

Goodbye Ian

Goodbye Ian

Today, I bid farewell to my SPED (Special Education) student "Ian" - we have the same name, because my 50 hours of training is already consumed. We bid farewell to the kids together with my classmates and co-trainees there - Nian, Realyn and Jeff. Ian gave me a ribbon award from their recognition day that made me feel elated with my name he wrote on it - T.ian (means Teacher Ian) I also bid farewell to my afternoon student, Patrick. It was an emotional moving farewell with the kids.

Along with Ian and Patrick, I will also miss Tien, Harvey, Richard and Jherold - who gave me a sweet hug in the morning of my last day there. I gave them a hug before they leave and when they say their traditional saying goodbye to teachers "see you again tomorrow", I told them "see you again someday". They become dear to our hearts and my students to me. I hope that I was able to contribute something towards their development despite of their disabilities. I know that they wouldn't understand me or remember me again someday in the future but I want them to know that I will always pray for them.

What are the things I learned? Patience. This was one of the things I learned. I really have a short temper and in SPED it really tested my patience on the kids… especially when they can’t able to catch up what you’re teaching. You also have to learned to understand them since they are special children. Our principal their gave one of the best insight during our last stay there – that the teacher’s role is more fulfilling in SPED because after all your teaching strategy to a special child and they get to catch up what you’re teaching, you feel you are more effective as a teacher and elated that a kid with a disability learns from you. Finally, you learned to love them as you get close to them.