Thoughts from a young girl 2 and more office kwentos.

I have a simple wish right now with regards to work. I hope that the vacation house we’re working on will finally materialize and I’ll get to work on the DD of that house.

I also hope to work with more people in the office.^^ I find my officemates funny. To talk about one in particular, I have an officemate who strikes me as one of those “passionate about architecture and art” types, and who’ll probably debate about anything under the sun.

He has this odd pieces of objects stuck to the monitor of his computer. Well, to enumerate the objects one by one, there’s slanted cut piece of a Starbucks styro cup, a twisted piece of corrugated cardboard, and some material that I forgot. I soon found out that he positioned those objects in such a way that he gets to see the people behind his computer through those objects at a particular angle that he likes. Oh well. EWAN KO LANG KUNG BOLA LANG ITO OR WHAT.

I guess I just find it funny the way he switches from one topic to another. He asked me whether my honey and I talk about architecture a lot, and when I answered him yes, lo and behold, he suddenly pulled out this tally sheet. Apparently, he’s been trying to survey couples about this particular topic. He even showed me a list of the songs he plans to sing in their next Red Box night out – yep, I guess he’s that passionate about videoke.

Thoughts from a young girl.

Today was my first day of my review classes for the board…well. 2-3 months of self-imposed dull weekend mode. I decided to enroll myself in a review school in Manila at the time I was still unemployed, so tada! Actually, I still am not planning to take the board exams, but wonder of wonders, I was sitting with a roomful of January 2006 board passer hopefuls for the entire day today. I even made a couple of friends in the review school.

Anyway, I think I made a good choice. I think I’ll learn a lot in that review school – which both excites and alarms me. Learning something new is always good, but kinda makes me reflect on whether I really learned anything with my work experience. Waah…talagang effort to study! I always have no clue to what the teacher in front of me is talking about. Normal ba yun? Hehe.

Iniisip ko na lang, it’s a good thing I’m not yet planning to take the board exams. Based on the amount of info I learned today, (not RElearned as I thought the case should be.) it’s pressure on my part to be catching up on all these info if I were really to take the board exams this coming January…and no breaks too.:( There’s work 5 days of the week and review 2 days of the week. My mom asked me why I even chose to review, since there’s no immediate need yet.

Hay….

Hayyyy….

Adult life is getting to be really corny, promise.

***
I am amazed at times when the little kid in me resurfaces. Hindi ko alam kung in denial ako or what. Just a couple of days ago, I learned that a friend of mine would be leaving for greener pastures. Reason? Primarily to save up for the future…to someday settle down with his girlfriend and have a family.

Hindi ko ma-imagine, hindi ko ma-imagine. I know he’s a guy and he’s supposed to be thinking about these things eventually, but he’s just about my age. Gosh.

Yeah I know. There are a lot of things that we do today that we do not just because we are in it for the present, but mainly to establish some sort of foundation for whatever future plans we have. I mean, for example, people don’t normally choose to take graduate studies for the noble cause of self-actualization and nothing else. It’s usually a stepping stone to something.

Anyway, I was just thinking of my friend who’s making all these decisions that I associate with adults. I think it’s great that he’s finally moving closer towards his goal, but in a way I can’t help but think what I would do if I were in his shoes.
Pressure pressure.

Or siguro naiisip ko lang itong mga bagay-bagay na ito ‘coz at this age I’m now just thinking of myself for the moment – thinking about self-involved, self-actualization geared plans like taking the board exams, pursuing graduate studies, etc. Maybe it’s still hard for me to comprehend that there are people my age who are actually making more adult/selfless/responsible decisions at this point in time. Or maybe I’m just in denial…

Ang labo ko ba? Anyway, this is my blog, so I can be as abstract as I want.^^;;

Pitter Patter

Earlier, on my way home I decided to pass by SM Bicutan’s baby section to browse through possible gifts for my friend’s upcoming baby shower. She’s probably on her 8th or 9th month already. The last time I bumped into her, she was with her husband and nephews. The scene touched me – she was positively doting on her nephews like mother hen. She was glowing under the bask of becoming a first-time mom, and I couldn’t help but feel so happy for her.

I had mixed feelings though about browsing through all the baby blankets, bottles, jammies, and all the other oh-so cute baby stuff on display. Of course, I was really happy to be taking part in a friend’s milestone – being a mom! I can’t believe the fourteen-year-old kid I used to hang out with is finally having a baby of her own. Well…yeah, there’s the indecision on my part – I also wanted to give something that would be significant and helpful to my friend, and there’s also… a weird feeling. Maternal instincts started kicking in.

You see, I’m an only child. So, whether I like it or not I don’t think I could help but think of the “me” most of the time – for the most part of my life I didn’t have anyone to think of or take care of. It has always been that way, and it’s only as I grew older I realized that I need to get out of my shell and look out for other people like friends. But it still doesn’t come to me naturally. I’m also a loner by nature, and it’s hard for me to relate to people easily at first try.

And I’m also not close to my mom. Whenever I think of my mom, images of doting moms singing their kids to sleep, nursing their wounds when they get hurt, or making them smile when they’re sad do not cross my mind. She is just like that – simply a utilitarian, no nonsense person.

It has always been that way and I’ve learned to accept that. I guess there are things which are better just…understood.

But anyway, I can’t help but think about it while deciding what to get my friend baby girl. (Yup, by now she already told us what the gender of her baby would be.) I know my friend has long wanted to have a family of her own, and I know that she’ll make a great mom.

It also dawned on me how really great it must be to take care of a little one. Well, I’m sure being a mom would come someday. But right now, it’s just really nice to be feeling something good and selfless as imagining yourself taking care of a child. At least I think I’m not as self-absorbed as I feared thought.

My friends at JRPA made caricatures of the people in JRPA. I think they downloaded a program from the net that enables one to make Southpark character-looking characters out of people. They even made me one.



Cute 'no?^^

I finally have an mp3 of the theme song from Attic Cat....the song that keeps playing in my mind for weeks now.


YAHOO!!!!!

It's a great day...^^

I'll just be posting a shot from Hanzel's birthday party. His birthday was last Thursday, and I was able to seem some of my friends at my former office. Saya nga eh.:)



From L to R: Nick, Betty, Des, Irene, moi, mama Joyce, and idol Armand. Hanz was the one who took the pic. Sayang wala si Alan tsaka Zet.:(

MONDAY

Today was my first cut off day in my new job. My new officemates were really helpful – I have yet to get used to the relatively advanced way of doing “accomplishment reports” in that office.

***
Anyway, most of my close friends know this, but to make it clear in my blog, I managed to find a job in one of the best and well-known architectural firms around -- after hopeless bum for grand total of two weeks.:) Hehe, biased!:D What’s truly amazing about it is that I never expected to work for that firm. I didn’t even consider applying for that firm when I was a fresh grad. I thought that it was one of those firms who relied on the strength of their name to get clients rather than what they came up with at the present. Besides, I didn’t relish the thought of working for free. So there, I just didn’t entertain the thought of applying in that office.

BUT what like I said earlier, fate and circumstances have a funny way of leading you to things that you don’t expect. I passed my resume thinking there’s no harm in doing so, and besides, what are the chances that there’s an opening for a relatively inexperienced underboard arki grad such as I was?

But I got called back…and the rest was history.

I remember having feeling a kind of relief when I first accepted the job – more of, I was relieved that I already have a job that seemed okay. Nothing more. But it hit me when I went home from work on my first day – my being out of work was truly a blessing in a disguise. If it wasn’t for the dire circumstances I found myself in, I wouldn’t have the privilege of being where I am now. I like my work, the people, and everything that makes up my job!:D God answered my prayers - He gave me the opportunity to be where I am now. I can almost liken the experience to….being accepted in UP. At first, I wasn’t really looking that much forward to it, but I later realized that I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else but there….so there.

It feels somewhat…strange to be in another office, but a really welcome change! For the first time, I could honestly say that I like what I’m doing – doing and redoing schemes for a simple vacation house. It’s not really as “knowledge-intensive” as my two other previous jobs, but I feel that I’m being a designer rather than merely being a sponge, hehe.:D I also feel that with my current boss, I’m at the hands of a master. Hands down, he’s the coolest architect I’ve ever had the privilege of meeting and working for. Over the past year, I’ve gotten disillusioned with just about any other so-called “great” architects out there that to think this way of a mentor is definitely something great. It’s nice to work for someone who’s good and nice for a change. ^^

To my friends -- it’s a relief to be where I am now. And to think just over two weeks ago, I was nearly at the end of my rope! Hehe.:)

As requested, this is an update from yours truly.

***
SUNDAY.
This is my 3rd weekend as a…vacationer. Hehe. My accomplishments so far were catching up on sleep & some Korean soaps, and editing my transcript in Photoshop. (Clumsy old me lost the original copy of TOR somewhere. Good thing I was able to scan it. Should prove to be okay until I could request for another copy of my TOR.)

In the past two weeks I spent at home, mulling over things, cursing and eventually, convincing myself into resignation (pun intended) that things probably worked out for the best, I thought it’s best to make a thank you list – in no particular order.

1. Thank you to my mom. She’s the best. I thought I would feel worse with expected remarks like “I told you so” or what, but I was wrong. This time, I’m glad I was wrong.
2. Thank you to the fact that I don’t have to wear heels anymore. (Hopefully.) I hate corns! I still don’t know what to do with them.
3. Thank you for the fact that I can still live with failures and setbacks. I’m young, I’m single, I don’t have any major obligations just yet.
4. Thank you to my friends, who patiently listened to me rant my heart out and for convincing me that there is indeed a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
5. Thank you to my cousin who accompanied me jobhunting. I love you cuz! *mwah*
6. Thank you for the fact that this experience taught me to keep myself in check…always.
7. Thank you that I was able to make such great friends in the offices I’ve worked for.
8. Thank you for the fact that in my own little way, I left a lasting good impression on the people I’ve worked with. It’s priceless to hear from friends how missed you will be.
9. Thank you to the fact that I don’t have to deal with crap difficulties anymore.
10. Thank you that I was able to see a glimpse of heaven in one of my site visits.
11. Thank you to Alan for the Beatles’ “Come Together” mp3.:D
12. Thank you to Hanz and Irene for introducing to me President’s Ave and Sinangag Express.
13. Thank you to my ever dearest honey…for making me feel special and loved, especially when I was down.
14. Thank you to God…for making me realize that He’s just there. He made me realize that things happen for a reason. Thank you for giving me breathing space and time to think. And for providing third, fourth, fifth…endless opportunities.

A friend told me life is not meant to be lived in a straight line. How true. How very true. Thanks My.;)