happy new year!

It’s already the 12th day of January and I haven’t written yet my farewell to the year 2009. To put more drama and to set the mood on what I was thinking to write, I was initially planning to do it on the New Year’s Eve in Laguna but decided to just enjoy the moment with my in-laws.

2009 has been a tough year for me. Well probably many would agree that it was not an easy year. We felt the effect of the Global Economic Crisis that exploded on the last quarter of 2008 – and I am one of its casualties. First half of 2009, I was jobless. Instead of going back to Philippines, I decided to give another try and look for possible employment here in Malaysia or Singapore, good thing AIG gave us a good separation package, that I must say enough to support us for 6 more months.

June 2009, through continuous prayers and Faith, I was able to get an employment in one of the local companies here in Malaysia. To date, I am still connected with the company and currently involved to several projects.

It was also the year that we became closer to Him. Through the Couples for Christ Community we met new friends that helped us to strengthen our Faith and balance our spiritual life. We will continue to be active on this organization for this is our way of thanking and bringing back to Him all the blessings that we are receiving.

Moving on, I am now officially opening this formerly “anonymous” blogsite to my friends. I am now letting go of the pain that the economic crisis has brought to me and welcoming this year with faith and high hopes that are plans will be done according to His will. Let my past year be a reminder that nothing is permanent in this world and despite of these trials there would be always our God who would strengthen and guide us.

Cheers to 2010!

“Thank you Lord for all the blessings that you have showered upon us for the past year; For our Jobs that support our needs; For keeping us safe; For the good health;

As we journey the coming days of 2010, Please continue to guide and bless us.

Amen.”

home

Playing on my background is a song by Daughtry called “Home”. Let me share some of the lyrics:

"Well I'm going home,Back to the place where I belong,
And where your love has always been enough for me.
I'm not running from.
No, I think you got me all wrong.
I don't regret this life I chose for me.
But these places and these faces are getting old,
So I'm going home.
Well I'm going home."

Actually, it is not advisable to listen to this song when you are an OFW (Overseas Filipino Worker) or if you are miles away from your friends and family. It will just make you sad and makes you feel you want to quit and go home in an instant! I don’t know, but for me, whenever I hear this song, my thoughts will be immediately filed with memories of being home. I can clearly feel the atmosphere of the activities that I used to do.

On the lighter side, 7 days from now, we will be going back to Philippines again for a 2-week vacation. The past weeks have been a very busy week for us. We attended the Couples for Christ Christmas Party and I was tasked to bring one of the dishes. Guess what, I cooked “Binagoongang Baboy” (Pork with shrimp Paste). I must say that I was able to give justice to this dish for everybody enjoyed it. One time, I will post my recipe that you should try! The night of that same day – dec 5, we attended another Christmas Party in Cyberjaya, it was organized by some of our Filipino friends, technically, they are the officemates of Michelle. Since I gained some good reputation in cooking to them, I was assigned to bring Leche Flan! I prepared it the night before the party and finished at around 3am. Not being over confident with what I prepared, again, it tasted really good!

@Couples for Christ Group, Villa Impiana Condominium

@ Cyberjaya
We also bought some “Pasalubong” (Gifts) for our families and friends. We took advantage of the Mall wide sale here in Malaysia. Usually it happens whenever there are occasions like Ramadan, Christmas and other special occasions. It’s not just a 3-day sale, it’s like, 2 months or all throughout the season and I must say that the prices are really LOW! But of course we never splurged on shopping, remember, it’s recession so need to set aside some ringgits to fund unexpected expenses in the future.

Right now, we are literally counting the days, excited to be back home again.

“Pilipinas, Buhay ay Langit sa Piling Mo”

christmas tree

It’s the time of the year once again. Christmas is just around the corner and everybody is already feeling the cool breeze of the season. Last night after meeting my wife at the train station, we headed to Endah Parade Mall (just a small shopping complex across our condo) to join some friends who invited us for dinner. Actually it was not in the plan for as much as possible we avoid dining out in exchange of just buying fruits and eating home cooked foods. Because for the past weeks, we felt that we are not getting a healthy diet.

Anyway, after the dinner, on our way to the grocery store, we saw the Christmas Decors Section. My wife and I have been planning long time ago to buy a Christmas Tree, so we tried to look around and we spotted this best buy Christmas Tree! 7.90 MYR (Malaysian Ringgit). I know you want to convert, its roughly 13.50 PHP = 1 MYR. After that, we added 3 sets of Christmas balls, 1 Christmas light and this long shiny thing that I don’t know how it is called.

This is our first Christmas Tree since we got married, we never had the chance to buy one when we were still in Makati. That’s why we are very happy and excited with this one. It actually feels good to see our humble Christmas Tree from our living area, making us more excited to be in the Philippines again. 28 more days and we’ll be home once again.

So here is our 3-ft slash low-cost slash but loved Christmas Tree!

Ooops, if you are wondering where the “Star” is, we’ll be buying a small one probably this weekend.

future plans

This week, I am a bit free for my immediate supervisor is on leave. Technically, I have a lot of things to finish, it’s just that, I can do it on my own pace. The past weeks have been a very busy week for me. Change request from our client needs to be attended and everything is urgent for we are nearing the deadline - Nov 15. Thank God I was able to surpass that week and comply with the deadline. So for this week, I think my boss is also giving me time to slow down and relax, though I am not sure, I am just assuming. Right now, I am attending to other requirements and some minor requests.

Being free now, made me think and allowed me to do a lot of things. It allowed me to update this blogsite again. Ofcourse, my mind has been occupied of future plans. My wife and I have been working here in Malaysia for almost 2 years. I can still remember before leaving Philippines, I told to myself that we will just finish the contract and will return to Philippines to continue with our career. But with the recession and my previous job loss, I think we need to extend to atleast recover and further help our families. Infact, we are enjoying our stay in Malaysia. We have our friends be it Filipinos, Indonesians, Indians, Chinese or Malay. We have our Couples for Christ Community that enriches our spiritual lives. We enjoy the food and we are learning the diverse cultures that Malaysia has. The only thing is that, when you want to go back to your hometown like Bulacan or Laguna to relax, to eat a good food and be with your family, it will just make you sad and miss these things, what you can do is divert the attention to avoid any drama. (Just like what I am doing now). There is no way to do that anyway for we are 3.5 hrs plane ride away from the Philippines so better to think of happy thoughts. As of now, we need to focus with our work and live our lives on where we are.

I am also thinking say after we have saved enough money here in Malaysia, are we going back to the Philippines? Continue to stay in Malaysia? Or try our luck in migrating to other countries?

I am always like this, I like bothering myself with future plans especially when I am free. I will even create an excel file for budgets and timelines, word document for list of goals. Well it’s better to plan the future ahead while we still have the time than regretting that you have never tried.

Btw, I passed the Comprehensive Exam for my Masters. I will now be working on my last subject – to develop the system that I have proposed last semester. I have also submitted my Application for Graduation and I am now officially a “Cand”- Candidate for Graduation.

“Thank you Lord for all the blessings and please Lord, help us to accomplish our future plans. We know that everything will happen in your time. Amen.”

recreating those days

I took a day off from the office to review for my comprehensive exam tomorrow. As I read my books, browse the net and move around the condo alone, the feeling during the time that I was jobless slowy started to fill my mind. The same exact feeling of being worried, fridays that are not exciting as it should be.

I have been back to the work force since June 2009 but I just realized the trauma that the Financial Crisis has given me is still fresh in my memory.

I decided to turn the negative thoughts into something positive that will inspire me and make me more productive. I tried to recreate the routines that I was doing back when I was still jobless. I turned on the TV and watched Travel and Living (and yes, everytime I hear the theme song of the show, It brings back the days that I am waiting for a call from an employer). Then after lunch, I took a nap, then did some laundry and went to swimming at around 5pm. While doing these things, it made me to appreciate and love more my job despite of some issues that I think is normal in any working environment. That waking up early in the morning to go to work should not be avoided but instead should be looked forward. That being so busy and pressured at work are challenges that you can learn something after acomplishing it.

I think I need to go back to my review now.

Be inspired. Be blessed.

looking forward

It's been a long time since I last updated this page, my last entry was dated 5 months ago. Remember those days when I was waiting for a job to come? Those days that was full of worries and uncertainties? Yes, finally I managed to get an offer last June 2, 2009 and immediately started on June 8. I am now working as Senior R&D Engineer in one of the local company here in Malaysia. The business mainly deals on development of software protection programs (not an antivirus), how should I say it, anti piracy programs. This is far different from my previous work experiences for I used to handle ERP Systems for a Financial Institution. I am with the company for about 4 months already but still I need to learn a lot of things. This is a permanent position, but as of now, I cannot say if I will be staying with the company for I am more comfortable in dealing with ERP systems.

It is true that worrying will never help you to accomplish something valuable, instead it will cause you delays and interrupt your focus towards your goal. I must admit that it was hard to follow for I myself worried for a number of times when I was still at home, waiting for a call, email or job offer. I am telling you, when God moves, instantly He can give you what you have asked, just in time.

Let me share some of the highlights for past months that I have been inactive in the blogsphere as well as some of the plans for the rest of 2009.

April 2009, my wife and I went to Langkawi Island to celebrate our second wedding anniversary.

May 2009, I had my interview with my company that I am currently connected with. Interview plus a take home project.

June 2009, Answered Prayers, got a job offer and I went back to work. I can still remember that I was very excited on my first day- my mugs, long sleeves, toothbrush are out again. Also, during this month, my wife and I joined the Couples for Christ Community here in Kuala Lumpur.

July 2009, Busy catching up with work and school, plus our weekly Christian Life Program(CLP) for CFC; My sister also passed the June 2009 Nursing Licensure Board Exam.

Aug 2009, I ran my first 11k marathon; We completed our 6 weeks Christian Life Program(CLP).

Sept 2009, We are now active on CFC Household activities; This is also the end of my 1st semester in UPOU leaving me one comprehensive exam and one project to complete my Masters Degree.

Oct 2009, We will be watching the ATP Malaysian Open; we will be also joining the Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign Walk for World Pink; and at the end of the month, I will be taking my comprehensive exam for my Masters Degree.

Nov 2009, my wife's birthday celebration.

Dec 2009, we will be going back to Philippines to celebrate Christmas and New Year!

The plans are online once again, up and running and hopefully in God's time we will be able to accomplish our long term plans. Let me thank all the people who have been very supportive during the time that I was jobless, special thanks to my loving wife for continuously giving her full support- salamat sa inyo!

"Despite of Life's challenges, there are still a lot of reasons to celebrate life. Thank you Lord for the everyday blessings that you are showering upon us."

Looking forward for a good life ahead. Cheers!

have you just been retrenched? 10 tips to remain sane

Source: http://pinoyworld.org/2009/03/15/have-you-just-been-retrenched-10-tips-to-remain-sane/

I have a lot of free time, job postings are very few, so I tried to browse for blogs that has the same case as mine and hit on the tips below:

The global economic crisis is taking its toll on many companies in the Philippines. Is your company one of those? And are you one of the long-term, loyal employees that have been sadly retrenched? Here are ten tips, eleven actually, which can hopefully see you through this difficult storm.

1. Chill. Don’t Panic: It’s natural to feel a loss of self-identity and sense of security and these almost always make you panic. Take sometime to adjust to your new reality and let the dust settle. Job-hunting right before you have processed what just happened to you will just add to your stress. Look at it as that week-long vacation you’ve always wanted to take but couldn’t take. However, make sure you get off that couch after a week. You don’t want to make this a habit.

2. Talk about it: There is no practical reason to hide the fact that you were laid off and are now looking for work. Your family certainly needs to know that you are not just in an extended sabbatical so that they can support you. Your friends and colleagues will be encouraging as well. It’s not embarrassing ― it happens to everyone, even CEOs, bigwigs and sacred cows. Your contacts can recommend leads and suggestions for jobs.

3. Don’t Splurge: If you’re lucky enough to have gotten a severance package do not look at it as a windfall. You have no idea when your next paycheck is coming in. Put the money in a low-risk mutual fund to stretch it as far as you can. If you are among the few who started on a personal retirement saving, don’t even think about touching it for now.

4. Examine Your Household Finances: This is a good time to take a really close look of your household financial situation. Do a budget and stick to it, eliminate unnecessary expenses and be really honest about what’s necessary! This is something you should have done long ago. Whatever you accomplish here will be useful even after you start on your new career.

5. Evaluate Your Options: Now is a great time to examine your options. Have you always wanted a career change or start a new business? Now may be the best opportunity to take advantage of these new endeavors. If you were happy in your previous job/career, great! That’s your direction going forward. If you’ve always wanted to change careers, now’s the time to explore it!

6. Rework that Old Resume’: If your decision is to go back to the workforce, start writing your resume’. Resume’ writing rules change. Don’t use an old copy when interviewing for a new job. Go to the library, a good bookstore, or the internet to research on resume writing.7. Reconnect: One of the best ways to find your next job is to use your network and the network of everyone you know. Think about family, friends, neighbors, previous co-workers, church and social groups you belong to. Touch base with people who may know where your next position is. Give them a call and let them know what’s going on and specifically what you’re looking for. Social networking sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, or Friendster are useful tools. People like to help, so use them!

8. Always be on the Prowl: You are job hunting so act like a real predator. Be alert of what’s going on around you. There are opportunities where you least expect them to be. Read the want ads, surf the internet. The more you know, the greater your creative agility will become as regards to seeking out jobs, finding interesting companies, and gaining confidence in an interview or networking situation.

9. Stay Focused: You probably won’t get hired on the first interview so just keep at it. Don’t lose sight of that goal. It doesn’t matter how many times you fall down what counts is the number of times you get up. Dust yourself off and learn from the experience. Don’t look back; keep moving forward.

10. Don’t Give Up: You need persistence and staying power to continue job hunting. It is much like running a marathon, you need to be prepared and you need to pace yourself in order to finish. Keep moving even when the road seems endless. You will eventually reach the finish line. As long as you are mentally and physically in the zone, you will be able to cross the line with a new job and a renewed sense of self.

11. PRAY: So what if the title said “Top 10″! The first ten are things for you to do. But you can only do so much. In the end, after you have done what you are suppose to do, leave everything to God. Imagine being in the last few seconds of the 4th quarter of a basketball game with your team down by one and you have the ball. Who would you rather take the last shot you or Michael Jordan? You see, you can only do everything humanly possible to succeed, but in the end it depends on whose hands it’s in.