Monday, September 26, 2005

i am an "everything pizza"!


Diverse and adaptable
You enjoy the full buffet of life
It's hard to you play favorites with friends... or flavors
There's very little that you dislike!

missing soa...

SOA is an acronym for socially-oriented organizations of the ateneo. currently under it are 12 organizations. last year, i was the executive officer (EO) of the SOA Executive Board (EB).

last night, i got an email from bel (current SOA EO), asking how i dealt with non-performing EB members. while answering his question, a lot of things came rushing back, mostly about my 7 co-officers. how all of us were actually performers most of the time. how passionate we all were about what we were doing. how hard we tried to fulfill our responsibilities and help each other out, despite our heavy academic load (7 of us were seniors). how much fun we had, and how they serve as an inspiration to me, even now.

we haven't seen each other for some time now. i think the last time we saw each other was during may, as we helped the new EB in their formation seminar. that's why i miss all of them so much. i sometimes wonder if during our one year stint as SOA EB, i was able to let them know how much they meant to me, not just as workmates, but as friends too. sometimes, i don't think so. but they do mean a lot to me, and they do serve as an inspiration to me now. worthy of special mention are de-anne, mana, trina & ginger.

why? because i feel that they are truly living out the SOA and the ateneo vision. they are being persons for others in what they are doing now. both de-anne & mana are working in malacanang. ginger is a jesuit volunteer in samar, while trina is working for philippine business for social progress, an NGO. i often find myself wishing that i am with them too, or if not, i'm in the line of work that they are.

this is not to demean myself, nina and fred, because we are in the corporate world. nina is in glaxosmithkline, while fred is in sony life. i honestly believe that we can live out the SOA vision anywhere, even in the corporate world. in a way, it's actually more of a challenge for us to continue being SOA, as we are in institutions where the bottom line is profit. still, despite the happiness i feel right now, i can sense that something is missing.

i never imagined that a year of being part of the SOA EB could make such an impact on my life. in just a year, i met people whose passion in what they were doing made me feel ashamed of myself, and made me realize that contrary to my previous beliefs, i've got so much more to give. in just a year, a lot of the plans that i have made for myself are being replaced by plans that i'm weaving right now - plans that go beyond me, my family, and my future family in scope, but i believe are attainable nevertheless.

i miss SOA. in my mind and heart, i have resolved that i will never forget where i came from. i really pray that whatever happens, i would never doubt that i can do something to change the world.


The SOA EB after last year's SOA Awareness Day, with Sir Redg Plopinio of the Office of Student Activities. Clockwise from top right: Trina Yabut (Finance Officer), Sir Redg, Ginger Ramirez (President), Mana Domingo (Secretary-General), me, Fred Yang (External Affairs Pillar Coordinator), De-Anne Palapal (Community Building Pillar Coordinator), Janina Millan (Education Formation Pillar Coordinator), and Nats Llorente (former Organization Development Pillar Coordinator, current SOA President).

Monday, September 19, 2005

blogger once more!

yup, i have decided to blog again (that is if my first attempt which resulted into two posts counts). i sure hope that i can actually maintain this blog, considering that i am working already. busy, busy, busy!

well, it's been three months since i started working as a management trainee for a commercial bank. thankfully, i think and feel that i have made the right decision in choosing where to work. the people are very nice. most of them go out of their way to teach us the ropes of the profession. they explain to us the concepts, give us exercises (some of their work, actually), and take us with them to client calls whenever possible. hence, i have already learned a lot. nevertheless, i have a long way to go. i have yet to learn many of the basics, not to mention prove to my officemates that i deserve to be an officer after eight months. easier said than done, but that's the challenge for me, and for my fellow MT's.

on the lighter side of things, it's nice to earn money! it feels good to have something that you know you worked for. being frugal by nature, i'm setting aside most of my salary for savings. my mom has been on my case lately, as i don't contribute to our household budget. BUT i did buy a new refrigerator last july, and i'm buying a waffle maker for my sister later. :)