Monday, July 21, 2008  

Just for fun

My uncle sent this list of "Reasons why I live in the Philippines." I was looking at my pictures from the PI vacation last week, missing the new-found relatives and customs. Reading this list brings me back to all that fascinated and disturbed me about my visit to the homeland. Are things really this bad? Anyone who knows anything about the Philippine knows that the majority of this stuff is true, no matter how absurd it sounds. Then again, there are probably many American idiosyncrasies that foreigners find peculiar. Enjoy!

People ask me why I live in the Philippines. Well here it is.....

It is the only place on earth where...

1. Every street has a basketball court.

2. Even doctors, lawyers and engineers are unemployed.

3. Doctors study to become nurses for employment abroad.

4. Students pay more money than they will earn afterwards.

5. School is considered the second home and the mall considered the third.

6. Call-center employees earn more money than teachers and nurses.

7. Everyone has his personal ghost story and superstition.

8. Mountains like Makiling and Banahaw are considered holy places.

9. Everything can be forged.

10. All kinds of animals are edible.

11. Starbucks coffee is more expensive than gas.

12. Driving 4 kms can take as much as four hours.

13. Flyovers bring you from the freeway to the side streets.

14. Crossing the street involves running for your dear life.

15. The personal computer is mainly used for games and Friendster.

16. Where colonial mentality is dishonestly denied!

17. Where 4 a.m. is not even considered bedtime yet.

18. People can pay to defy the law.

19. Everything and everyone is spoofed.

20. Where even the poverty-stricken get to wear Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger (fake)!

21. The honking of car horns is a way of life.

22. Being called a bum is never offensive.

23. Floodwaters take up more than 90 percent of the streets during the rainy season.

24. Where everyone has a relative abroad who keeps them alive.

25. Where wearing your national colors make you baduy "means out of fashion".

26. Where even the poverty-stricken have the latest cell phones. (GSM-galing sa magnanakaw "in english "its stolen")

27. Where insurance does not work.

28. Where water can only be classified as tap and dirty.

29. Clean water is for sale (35 pesos per gallon).

30. Where the government makes the people pray for miracles. (Amen to that!)

31. Where University of the Philippines is where all the weird people go.

32. Ateneo is where all the nerds go.

33. La Salle is where all the Chinese go.

34. College of Saint Benilde is where all the stupid Chinese go and;

35. University of Asia and the Pacific is where all the irrelevantly rich people go.

36. Fast food is a diet meal.

37. Traffic signs are merely suggestions, not regulations.

38. Where being mugged is normal and it happens to everyone.

39. Rodents are normal house pets.

40. The definition of traffic is the 'non-movement' of vehicles.

41. Where the fighter planes of the 1940s are used for military engagements and;

42. The new fighter planes are displayed in museums.

43. Where alcohol and cigarettes are a necessity; and where the lottery is a commodity.

44. Where soap operas tell the realities of life and where the news provides the drama.

45. Where actors make the rules and where politicians provide the entertainment.

46. People can get away with stealing trillions of pesos but not a thousand.

47. Where being an hour late is still considered punctual (this is to much!)

48. Where the squatters have more to complain (even if they do not pay their tax)

- than those employed and have their tax automatically deducted from their salaries.

49. And where everyone wants to leave the country!


Chronicled @ 2:49 PM

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Friday, July 18, 2008  

I AM...

Someone told me that the most powerful statement one can make about her or his self is I AM.

I am happy. I am healthy. I am loved. I am loving. I am blessed. I am strong. I am courageous. I am intelligent. I am wise. I am wealthy. I am generous. I am special. I am beautiful. I am alive. I am joyous. Etc, etc, etc.

You get the idea. I am off the woe-is-me train. I am on the fast-forward to happiness train. I am welcoming all that I deserve into my life. I am open to adventure. I am appreciative of all that I have and all that is yet to come.

It sounds like a lot of self-talk, and it is. But if you're going to self-talk, why not make it empowering? Instead of beating yourself up for what could have, should have, would have been, lift yourself up for what will be. If there is something that we all have, it is potential. Remember physics class and all that talk about potential energy? Well, for those who don't, here's the Wikipedia definition.

Potential energy can be thought of as energy stored within a physical system. It is called potential energy because it has the potential to be converted into other forms of energy, such as kinetic energy, and to do work in the process. The standard (SI) unit of measure for potential energy is the joule, the same as for work, or energy in general.

We are all physical beings. By definition, physical beings store energy. This energy can be put into whatever we choose. We can sit around and do nothing OR we can see the beauty in the potential that we have and do something with it. We start by recognizing our potential, our unlimited number of joules (sounds like jewels) and lift ourselves up. Isn't it interesting? Our potential is measured in jewels - aka gems. We are valuable. We are gems. We are dazzling. We are... you get the idea.

I am...

Chronicled @ 8:50 AM

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Thursday, July 10, 2008  

Reinventing myself - again

Finding the right career fit is not easy, especially when your career of choice is one that doesn't financially sustain the lifestyle accustomed to. Or the schedule for that matter. I've tried the sales thing. I like the process, the relationship building, the feeling of success after closing the sale. I like meeting new people, especially when the circumstances are happy. I love the flexibility. I finally figured out how to block time out of my schedule so that I'm not scheduled to work from 9am in the morning to 9pm at night on Saturday. But, alas, it still doesn't feel like the right fit.

What sparked this? Well, I've been overwhelmed, but that's not it. I realize I'm still only midway through the learning curve. What really has me rethinking my career is my son asking me, "Why do you have to work AGAIN?" This was last Saturday. And it was heartbreaking. Is the flexibility during the week worth forgoing my free weekend time? I have to say no. So what to do?

I've toyed with several ideas over the past few years. I'll put them in writing, as I believe the written word has powers that the spoken don't possess.

* Substitute teaching.
Pros: Flexible schedule that works with the kids; energetic, ever-changing environment; summers off; I love working with kids!
Cons: No benefits; no summer work; working with pre-teens and up is challenging.

* Photography
Pros: Something I love and know that I'm good at; flexible hours determined by me; stimulates creativity.
Cons: There are a zillion photographers out there already; finding my niche (more of a challenge than a con); inconsistent income stream; providing my own benefits.

* Teaching creative writing to youth. I've even got a name for my program "Little Dickens" (get it - like Charles Dickens?!)
Pros: I love writing; I love working with kids; I love the creative energy; flexible schedule determined by me.
Cons: Not really any, other than the challenge of finding an audience. And the usual - the lack of benefits.

Maybe this will start the flow of opportunity. It's happened before. It will happen again.

Chronicled @ 11:26 AM

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Thursday, July 3, 2008  

A few moments of sanity

I really miss my free time. Yeah, I've lamented about many things over the past few months. I'll not rehash it here. It takes too much energy to think about stuff that doesn't bring me happiness. Right now, I've decided to put everything aside - household chores, work duties - basically anything that requires an ounce of responsibility. I've even managed to pawn off some chores on the kids - all so I can have a few moments, ten minutes, of sanity.

And I'm going to use it to blow off a little steam.

Last month was my first full month at work. And what a heckuva month it was. What I thought would be a part-time, work from home, 30 hour per week job has turned into a full-time, work from home and everywhere else I can find a free moment, 40+ hour per week nightmare. Never did I think I would dread anything more than the job I was laid off from. I am an on-call, work on my days off, never stop thinking about my job, worker bee. On top of that, I still have to figure out how to manage and maintain my house.

When I realized that it's been over a month - 30 DAYS - since I've made any kind of homemade meal, it hit me. This is not what I want. I don't want to spend hours on the road. I don't want to be sitting in front of my computer trying to figure out how in the world I'm gonna get through all of my tasks. I don't want to drive out to appointments only to have them not show up. I don't want this!!!!

So, I'm back to square one. Being the Libra that I am, I've found that I'm looking at both sides of the situation.

The A Side: OK, this is my first month. My boss even recognized that the number of appointments I went on last month (41 to be exact) was an ungodly amount for anyone, especially a newbie. They've hired another person in my area to take appointments, meaning less work for me. And I really do like the product.

The B Side: I'm working evenings and weekends. Enough said.

Just as this job fell into my lap when I needed it (what it's supposed to teach me I'm not sure), there will another opportunity coming my way. I'm hopeful.

OK - ten minutes is up. Back to work... UGH!

Chronicled @ 3:24 PM

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