Year of the Franc or is it?

It's really dificult to assess if this were a good or bad year... definitely hit some milestones... but a large part of th year was real difficult at least stress wise... on the other hand, there's also a travel galore with 10 out of the country trip and a domestic tip during the year...

2008 was the year I transitioned from Audit/Accounting to Finance and eventually learning the ABCs of raising funds... which at this time is difficult due to the credit crunch but the nice part of it was that I raised the long-term funds on time... The experience no matter how tough was a reward in itself and should do well in my career in the long run...

Travel has been hectic but I'm glad to be able to sneak in vacation in Australia, Hong Kong and Palawan during the year... and various trips to Cambodia, Taiwan, Vietnam and Singapore... A middle ground having my share of foreign travel but having most of my time at Home...

Friends has been over the world and glad that during this foreign trips I get to touch base with some of my foreign based friends... and back home there's still those routine getaways and birthday gatherings... a nice chance to reconnect...

I can say 2008 was more of a rollercoaster year but ended up on a good note...

2009 and beyond

I'm looking for less stress... more focus on my personal life... more travels... savings (I can't say more savings since there's none to start with)... and a lot more adventure with family and friends... I think the bottom resolution is to try to be more positive and be more decisive in making decisions... =>

Road Trippn' Holiday

When you have a very long vacation you tend to forget which day it is... Finally checked my calenday and it is still December 29... still in the middle of the long holiday...

We'll been hitting the road real hard the past week... With Christmas in Baguio and back to Manila early morning in December 26... and off to the long road to FAA's Little Bridge in Taal, Batangas... I guess everybody had the mindset of spending post Christmas in Tagaytay as SLEX was jampacked and you have to wait for two hours just to be able to seat at Josephine's... Got to Little Brigde at past 5 pm and the resort and the resort is now fully operational...

Next day was drive back home... but not without a stop over at Enchanted Kingdom... Same old enchanted kingdom but the place was jampacked for the holidays... there was snow that was more of bubbles in Brooklyn Area... and did spend some money on souvenirs here... and then we were back home... Southern Road trip over...

Yesterday was the northern part of the road trip with a trip to Subic... NLEX and SCTEX was smooth... Went to Ocean Adventure to watch dolphins and seals show... Not much really though I guess it would be a different feel if it were these dolphin and whales encounter package... After the show... Next stop was Duty Free shops in Subic... and then our way back... Smooth trip except for bottleneck traffic in Balintawak area...

Today was a bit lighter with just a trip to the mall and then it'll be our trip to Baguio... and then it's gonna be a different year before I get back to Makati again...

Excess Inkblogs: Just in case you got a who you message from me when sending your new year's greeting... My motorola V9 is under repair though the good part is that it is still under warranty... =>

Merry Merry Christmas to All!!!

At the onset of Christmas, I was really trying to find ways to spend it differently... Christmas in Baguio for the past has already been more of routine than celebration... So there must be something to add spark to the celebration...

Good for me, I thought of a formula to package the exchange gift + magic sing + raffle + cash prices... and it was a fun Christmas again... Everybody had to sing before they can get their gifts since the scores would be the basis of the raffle and the highest scores had cash prices... A bit painful to the pocket but at least, everybody had a great time...

The rest of the celebration had to do with some wines and tequilas... and of course, it made the night much more fun and everybody was set for a rematch on New Year's day and as for now back to Christmas celebration... =>

Excess Inkblogs: Off to manila tonight and we'll be on a series of out of town starting tomorrow... Taking advantage of the long vacation...

IBlog: Cool Xmas

On my way home to Baguio for Xmas... Will skip work tom though I'm sure there's gonna be some calls... Other than that its a well deserved Xmas break in the cool climate of home... =>

It's Christmas!!!

Finally, after all those difficult times... and the mood for the festivities is here... and the symptoms of the season has been felt in so numerous ways...

1) Long Queue parking
2) hectic days finishing work, meeting friends and buying gifts...
3) Unending traffics...
4) Malls are open til midnight and are still pack until closing time...
5) People are easier to get along with...
6) Hard getting solid output from people who are in holiday mode...
7) Everywhere you go there are so many people...
8) Gifts... Gifts... Gifts...
9) 13th Month Pay...
10) My credit card has been swiped numerous times...
11) Morning Masses
12) OFW Friends are back...
13) Longest Weekend Upcoming (December 24-January 5)
14) Out of Town trips are so enticing...
15) So many more attractions to visit...

I could go on this list forever but I'm just glad that events have shifted towards a good Christmas... It's really such a delight when hard work pays off... and Christmas is not just around the corner but right in front and telling people to have a great time... =>

Good or Bad Christmas???

It's just days before Christmas and I'm still in the middle of the pendulum which would either be a good or bad Christmas for me... a sudden twist of fate and it's totally different but those are life enticements... Nerve-wracking moments that at times sucks but on one hand it shows a clear sign that the heart still beats... and at such a fast pace...

It's been stressful times; but, I'm still in high hopes that all the hard work will pay off... and yet even if the stress level is at an all time high, I still have a childlike personality that takes as much time to enjoy the finer side of life... family... friends... travel... parties... outings...

Come to think of it... The difference between good and bad Christmas is the choices we make... and I choose to have a good time whatever happens... A bit of the Christmas spirit hasn't entered my system... The times are different but in time, the mood should swing back to those happy days...

The long Christmas break should be something to look forward to... I have now come back to the old tradition of spending the Chirstmas holiday in Baguio even if I would still spend most of the long break in Manila and beyond... The cool gusty northern breeze should usher the spirit in...

So It'll be a good one... at least by choice... =>

A Peek of Dawn

After all the dark days and all those hard works that came months ago... I can take a peek and somehow see a ray of sunshine upcoming... but with my luck, it could revert to those hard times... My fingers are crossed...

Funny thing today that after all the work, I did catch up with the Company Christmas Party... and though it seemed like eternity... I got my 5 years service award... and to add the thrill to the award... when I didn't like the one handing the award... I had to pull our CEO to make the award himself to me... Hehe... I could be stubbornly crazy at times...

Almost done with the funding activity that brought about so much stress the past few months (that's an understatement)... but I guess it's all charge to experience... I just hope no more surprises will pop up though there's still some road block but I just want to stay positive... too much skepticism already for me...

As I said it's just a peek of dawn... but I'd rather have a peek than darkness forever... at this time and age... you just have to take all the blessings you have even if it's just those little things... lots of luck to me... =>

When Will Hard Times End

I thought that things will be light this week but like a seemingly endless tale of misery that some stories convey... The finish line has been elusive as of late... and twist and turns have been popping non stop... The thrill has been heartbeat stopping... and I'm left with the thought on when will hard times end...

A tight rope act... A long-drawn out struggle has enveloped the past few months... Complex... and somehow, rather than listing milestones... I guess I'm also counting the headaches that came with the milestone... A senseless compromise...

There's always a concept of balance... the sun comes out after the rain... day dawns after the night and so on... so that's a piece of idea that makes me think that hard times do end... but just don't know when... =>

IBlog: Way Back Home

Awaiting my flight back home and even if it's a short visit in Saigon. I did have a nice time. Decent hotel at Bong Seng... A nice tour Around the city at night which included a cruise and dinner at the bay and mass this morning at the famous Notre Dame cathedral. The city had a touch of French infrastructure being a former colony. Hmm... Why not to go Paris again??? We'll see...

This has been my 10th international trip and probably the last... Too much travel already better keep my passport so I can say this is my last trip this year.. Travel mode off... =>

I Survived...

The days have passed seemed impossible with me starting my Cambodia visit with tons of backlog for the board meeting and some issues unresolved but as a twist of fate... Somehow, we managed to finish everything in due time (Thanks Jing for all the help... We'll have smoother times ahead)... )... Impossible things are possible...

Then the next burden was to present it well and be able to answer all the queries... which I was able to do... I don't know even if I came in unprepared and almost out of time, I somehow was a bit relaxed this time... and then it came to a choice I have to make...

It's a middle ground approach that I missed out on an opportunity but also missed on a risk as well... I guess not everything can be measured in terms of prestige or financial rewards but somehow, I am proud that I was able to remain firm on a decision and even if the results were not too ideal... There'll be a time and opportunity to address the minor nuances...

Glad that we survived and a few baby steps away to have another milestones... but in the meantime I'm on the tail end of my trip now on tourism activities in Vietnam... More on that at some other time... =>

Hanging Around in Ho Chi Minh

I'm in the tail end of my connecting flight to Cambodia in Ho Chi Minh and glad that there's Wifi here even if I'm stuck in the far corners of the airport since signal is stronger here... hehe... At least, I'm not bored and is able to chat with friends...

It's a bit of a bore here since there's just so few shops... but will be back here after the board meeting in Cambodia to spend a day in Vietnam... hopefully, still in one piece... hehe... Paging Banggigay... My itenerary... hehe...

Anyway, I'll be boarding shortly... lots of luck to me... =>

Finished or Not Finished Pass Your Papers

I guess it's time to press the panic button... I can officially say that I'm in a point that I am unprepared to go to the board meeting... I haven't really gone through the figures yet but it's gonna be a tough nut to crack this time... I just hope that some headaches would go away once some projects are in place...

I just hope that instead of people trying to give me additional responsibilities... they should ought to take some off... Firm, I am on not taking on improbable challenges... A place and time for everything and as of now, I just want to go on the Christmas holiday and just relax but I have enormous odds to hurdle... and even overseas vacation in the past has been disrupted by work... so even wishful thinking won't do me good this time...

If things don't change then I better accrue some miseries along the way... Well, I don't want to whine or something but I'm just tired... real tired... really really tired... I said my piece and hope that a good night sleep will change my perspective but as of now, I'm stucked in the situation where - finished or unfinished pass your paper... It's obviously unfinished...I'll just have to live with it... =<

Excess Inkblogs: I'll be fine soon...