I am Corporate Junkie.: November 2014

Nov 28, 2014

5 Things I Love With My New Work-At-Home Role

I keep on asking myself if I miss my corporate life. During my first month, the answer of course was a resounding YES. But now, that desire is becoming a little fainter.

If there is one thing I miss most working in the office, it is the unlimited interaction with a lot of people. To some, this could be a burden, especially for anti-social people. Those who know me though, know that I am a social butterfly. I love talking to friends in the office, conversing during office breaks, even talking to my team about a project or to my boss about a great vision. This is was my way of learning. Of course, I cannot do that now at home when all I have with me is Sachi and her eyes can only implore. I really wish she could talk. Haha. I try to compensate it though by bugging all my friends over Viber.

While I miss working in corporate, I am having a new-found love working at home. It has been two months (already!) since I have quit work and so far, so good.

Since I started staying at home, I was able to increase my shop's sales because I finally had the time to focus on it. I was also able to land several writing jobs (which I love, by the way) and it comes almost every week. I have a marketing consultancy work which I attend to once a week and just this week, I landed a virtual assistant job for an awesome Australian company (which I got from a network of awesome work-at-home moms in Facebook, thank you sooo much!)

So yes, I AM BUSY :)

While it may not look that stable for me yet, working at home looks quite promising. One things that gives me a lot of confidence is when I hear stories of many WAHMs (work-at-home moms) who have been very successful in providing for their family without having to join the rat race.

So without further ado, these are my five reasons while I love my new work-at-home role:

1. I spend my time more productively and more efficiently.

Time Flies by Robert Couse-Baker
Creative Commons License 2.0

I don't have to pretend that my mind is working when it is still dozing off. As of the moment, I am required to do four hours of work each day for my role as a virtual assistant. Everything that I do is results-driven without the burden of doing it at a specific time of the day. I was told that I could do things on the time of the day that I am most productive. As long as I deliver what is required, everything is okay.

Isn't that awesome?!

For me, this has been the most liberating and more daunting task. Liberating since you don't have to do the usual time-in and time-out but it is daunting because you have to be accountable for everything that you do.

At the end of the day, your integrity plays a major role because offshore clients trust that you are doing your job during the times that you said you were.

2. I learn new things every day.

Learning by Anne Davis
Creative Commons CC BY-NC 2.0

I thought my world would end when I quit corporate. My fear was for my mind to become senile. No more spreadsheets, no more presentations. But alas, there are many new things that I learn. Every day.

Learning is everywhere.

It does not need to be contained in the office. Now that my work is based online, I get to expand my horizons more. I have discovered the amazing world of Google apps. All awesome social networking tools.

What's more, I get to upskill myself even in the areas not related to work but to my role as a wife - homemaking :)

3. I have three additional hours per day and because of that, I can do more.

What I hated most when I was working (as I am sure, with everyone else who has to endure the same) was the traffic. It took me around an hour to get to the office in the morning and it was just thirteen kilometers away!!! The worse part was the drive home -- almost two hours.

By the time I arrived at home, I was already deadpan tired.

Now, I have saved three hours just because of that -- enough time to be able to cook for my husband and play with my Sachi.

And yes, an additional hour for a little stretching or reading a chapter of a new book is not bad, too.

4. I get to rest.

I can definitely say that I have slowed down which was my doctor's requirement when she asked me to quit. Whenever I feel tired, I take some power naps. I still maintain my 6:30 AM waking hour though. But I think the naps really help and this set-up, really, is causing me less stress.

5. I actually save more because I spend less.

Save Money by 401 (K) 2012
CC BY-SA 2.0

It is quite ironic that I get to save more now with a fifth of my previous salary. But staying at home means no expenses at all. No expensive lunch outs. No gas money. No toll fees. No office clothes, high-heeled shoes or makeup to buy.

It has been a short while so I really do not know where the roads will take me yet. I am not closing any doors and I am always open to opportunity. However, for those who are forced into this stay-at-home situation for whatever reasons, there is so much things that you can do. It is not the end of the world. This I have learned.

It is all a matter of maximizing the skills that you have. What would be nicer is to do the things now that you are most passionate about since you have the option to choose what road to take. In my case, I am grateful that I am able to write again and even get paid for it.

Quitting corporate is not bad. Not bad at all.

xx,
Balot

Throwback Thursday: My First Ultralight Experience

Flying might not be all plain sailing, but the fun of it is worth the price. -Amelia Earhart

I have mentioned in my other posts how I loved my previous work so much. It gave me the opportunity to grow myself in so many unimaginable ways. I have met a lot of people and got to try activities from a grueling one-day on-the-spot contest, to a trip to Japan with some press people and even flying! Yes, you heard that right! FLYING!

I still could feel the exhilaration when I had my first ultralight experience during one of the PWD (Photography with a Difference) projects we had with the Philippine Air Force and the Angeles City Flying Club (ACFC). It was sooo fun!

Ultralight aviation (called microlight aviation in some countries) is the flying of lightweight, 1 or 2 seat fixed-wing aircraft. Some countries differentiate between weight shift and 3-axis aircraft, calling the former "microlight" and the latter "ultralight". [source: Wikipedia]

Was wishing I could still take photos while on air. Haha. Remained a wish!

Buhay pa!

Holding on to dear life!

Take me away!

Gone too soon!

But fun, nevertheless!

The Angeles City Flying Club is the premier ultralight flying club in the Philippines. It is a non-profit, non-stock corporation certified by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP).
Its outstanding facilities, aircraft, and international membership make it like none other in the world. The club offers sport pilot Training, ultralight rental, large hangars and maintenance facilities.
We have been operating since 1993 and we have some of the most experienced ultralight pilots and maintenance personnel Asia. We have three, 230 m2 hangars, a club house with office, training room, canteen, and a swimming pool with bamboo huts to shield you from the sun. This is all in a clean country atmosphere. [source: www.angelesflying.com]

If you are interested to have this experience, visit ACFC website here. Their most basic package for a trial introduction flight is at PHP1,650 (USD36++).

With a trial introduction flight, together with one of our experienced instructors, you can experience ultralight flying at its best, before making the eventual decision to become a full member and take up flight training. Each introduction flight comes with a one-day trial membership to experience the ACFC and its facilities.

If you are interested to have the adrenaline rush, visit their website today!

My First Acupuncture Experience

I have been friends with needles since the day I was diagnosed with APAS. So when two of my friends suggested that I undergo acupuncture, I didn't bat an eyelid. Needles? Meh!

Acupuncture is said to help with fertility in both men and women. According to MedicineNet, some couples are trying acupuncture to boost fertility. There is research to indicate acupuncture might improve uterine blood circulation, help regulate ovulation, increase sperm count, and improve rates of success with IVF.

In the same website, acupuncture is described as a component of the health care system of China that can be traced back at least 2,500 years. The general theory of acupuncture is based on the premise that there are patterns of energy flow (Qi) through the body that are essential for health. Disruptions of this flow are believed to be responsible for disease. Acupuncture may, it has been theorized, correct imbalances of flow at identifiable points close to the skin.

So, I visited St. Francis Natural Health Care at #19 Panay Avenue in Quezon City. I was referred to Sr. Regina Liu (her Chinese name is Shengrong Liu). Sr. She has been practicing Chinese medicine for more than twenty years and took her master’s degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine from the Academy of Chinese Culture and Health Sciences in Oakland, California. She is a California-licensed acupuncturist and herbalist.

Acupuncture is not only for fertility. There were other patients there who suffer from insomnia and other body aches.

St. Francis Natural Health Care has been operating for around ten years now. You have to book your appointment because there's a long list of clients especially for Sr. Regina. I was asked to fill out three pages of medical background.

I arrived a little early for my appointment so I drove first to a Mcdo nearby to have my lunch. When I went back, I was ushered to the cubicles where they hold the treatments. In Sr. Regina's cube, there were pictures of babies hanging on the walls. Aww...

These were the acupuncture paraphernalia. All needles are new and they sterilize the areas to be "pricked" on with alcohol, similar to the hospitals.

Acupuncture needles are really puny in terms of diameter. They are almost 10% in size compared to the normal medical syringe.

Sr. Regina asked me several medical history and checked if I brought my medical records. I didn't though but I promised to bring it on my next visit. She is very familiar with APAS. I didn't have to explain anymore my condition which was a BIG relief.

And so, the procedure. I had four needles on the head (possibly for my migraines) -

Then five on my stomach, two on my legs and two on my toes. They put Moxa (chinese herb) on the two needles on near my legs and lit it up like incense sticks.

There was also a heat lamp placed on top of my abdomen which heated in comfortably. In my research, thse lamps are called Thermal Design Power or (TDP) lamps and are far infrared heating devices used to accelerate natural healing processes.

My first visit cost me PHP1,950. I was told that the next visit would be around PHP700 (this I have to confirm on my next visit hopefully on Saturday.

What did I feel after the procedure? Significantly lighter. On the night, I felt all the gas coming out of my body (gross, sorry, TMI). However, I was quite worried of the many things Sr. Regina told me to do. Haha.

Drink less cold drinks. You should always keep the body warm; therefore:
Drink a lot of soup.
Sleep by 10:30 PM. She scolded me because I still sleep at around 12 midnight even if I have no work anymore. She told me I should rest and should let the body recuperate and be in deep sleep from 11:00 PM to 3:00 AM. Sleeping late affects fertility.
Avoid raw veggies, fish and meats.
Drink warm water.

So there. New to-do's for me which I can barely keep up with (especially the sleeping part). But yes, as with all the rest of my experience with APAS, you have to do what you have to do.

How about you, loves? Have you tried acupuncture? How was it for you?

xx,

Balot

Century City Cinema and Ikkoryu Fukuoka Ramen Experience

So last Saturday, husband and I finally went to Century City for our scheduled Mockingjay movie date. We haven't been there yet so we figured we check the place out.

I booked a ticket online because I didn't want the hassle of lining up at the ticket booth. However, you can only reserve seats at the website but still have to pay at the cinema. You also have to be there two hours prior to your movie schedule to pay for the tickets. If not, they will give your reserved seats to someone else. Hmm, that's a little disappointing, don't you think?

Since we didn't have anything to do, we went around the mall and loitered. (Two hours! Geez!)

We, then decided to have an early dinner instead and I asked Edzel if he was up for some ramen action. We decided to eat at Ikkoryo Fukuoka Ramen.

I remember the best ramen I've had in my life. It was in a very small ramen place in Dazaifu at Fukuoka Prefecture which sold for 700 yen.

I like the vibe of the place. The attendants are also very nice :)

The place kind of reminded me of this famous Starbucks at Fukuoka (en route to Dazaifu).

The husband, of course, ordered something spicy.

Why so glum, babe?

He got the Spicy Tobanjan Tonkotsu which consists of spicy Tobanjan (a spicy, salty paste made from fermented broad beans, soybeans, salt, rice, and various spices) paste at PHP380.

Spicy Tobanjan Tonkotsu which the husband claimed to be not that spicy.

He has really high tolerance for spices though ^__^

I ordered the Chef's Special Ajitama Tonkotsu which was topped with a special half-boiled egg that was fully marinated with a special blended soy sauce base (also at PHP380).

Ajitama Tonkotsu

We totally enjoyed our little ramen dinner that we even forgot to take a picture of their gyoza (PHP150) which Edzel liked! For the first time (read: he is not a fan of gyoza). Hurray for happy tummies!

Shop Information:

CENTURY CITY MALL

Level 3, Century City Mall, Century City,

Kalayaan Avenue, Brgy. Poblacion, Makati City

Telephone Number

811-0333

Operating hours:

Monday - Thursday 11am - 9pm

Friday & Saturday 10am - 10 pm

Sunday 10am - 9pm

Visit their website here.

xx,

Balot

www.iknowsquat.wordpress.com

Years go by unnoticed

We think we never change

But when you look back, you will see

Everything is not the same.

My words hung with spite and gore

In the summer after 2004

My world was made out of confusion

Of hate, of rants, of love and its illusion.

But now I see I have grown so much

From wails and sobs, I am now happy

My young years have indeed defined me

And I turned out okay, for the better, hopefully.

I started blogging in 2005 and come to think of it, it has nearly been a decade. I stumbled upon my old blogs and now, I laugh at myself -- those were the days that I talked about cockroaches, about vampires and used a lot of "stuffs" in my writing. I cringe now. *sigh* Sorry, grammar Nazis! I imported all my entries (some, I corrected) to document what a really creepy person I was before! Hahaha!

I have been soooo emo before. Some people consider high school or college as their "lost" years. This is usually the time that you find out who you really are or what you really want. It came to me quite late (pretty much like everything else). I had this moment of finding myself when I left Bacolod to work in Manila. I had no parents to scold me or to guard me if what I was doing was right or wrong. I was free to make my own decisions.

Some of those decisions I was not proud of, haha! I committed so many mistakes in my life when I was here in Manila. Yes, these mistakes, probably the most in terms of number and the worst, in terms of gravity. I ranted and ranted and ranted. I said awful stuff. Crazy years!

But those years made me the person I am now. And I am happy of what I am and what I have achieved so far. So, cheers to change! And cheers to our young, errant, wild self! And cheers to old blogs for reminding us of our wonderful journey of being a diamond in the rough.

xx,

Balot

5 Reasons Why You Are Never Promoted

I am loving my Friday's Five list. Today, I would share something that I have learned back when I was still in corporate. I have had my share of climbing up the ladder. I am very grateful for all my mentors and the two companies that nurtured my professional growth.

Over these years, I have also had my share of recommending staff and evaluating peers for promotions. I have encountered many instances when people ask, "When will I be promoted?" or "Why am I never promoted?" Well now, I would like to share with you five reasons why that prized promotion eludes some people:

"When will I be promoted?" or "Why am I never promoted?"

1. You are incompetent.

Well of course, this goes without saying. Almost ten years of working and you will really encounter people who cannot (or would not) do their jobs right! They do not have initiative to create new systems to improve current workflows. They cannot execute a plan. I could go on forever.

On the other hand, those who get easily promoted are usually the ones who are self-driven. They do things without them being asked. They have initiative. They are catalysts of the organization -- looking for ways to improve processes; generally, they help in finding ways to make things better.

2. You do not have relational skills.

There is this school of thought that argues that competence and skills are everything. However, theorist Daniel Katz outlined that human or relational skill is very important as you climb up the corporate ladder. Staff do not like slave-driver bosses nor those managers who would treat others as minions. Peers would love to work with someone who they are at ease with and bosses, they want someone who are on their side, turning their vision into smaller chunks of reality. People who they can talk to easily and can relate to them (because yes, your bosses are human, too!)

Source: http://5bs.net/management/

I learned this lesson the hard way. When I started, I was all about getting the job done and had no time for tittle-tattle.

Then, a mentor told me this (and this stuck to me really well): If you would like to request someone to do something, do not just rely on email. Give them a call, talk to them in person. Give it a personal touch. While you are at it, try to get a sneak peek of who this person really is. Build a relationship. Because this [personal connection] gets things done easier and faster. You are not in the workplace to make friends, yes. But it is sure a hell of a bonus!

3. You keep on making excuses. You are late for a meeting. Excuse. You don't show up for the meeting. Excuse. Your mailbox is always full and you do not reply to emails. Excuse. Something went wrong in an event. Excuse. You get the drift.

The funny thing that I have noticed is that most of the time, the people who are usually like this are the ones who have entitlement issues. What a pity!

4. You do not have a sense of accountability. This is one of my pet peeves - people who keep on playing the blame game. When shit hits the fan, they feel that it is everyone's fault but theirs.

In my observation, the most successful managers are the ones who rise above a calamity or a challenge and solve a problem even if it was not part of their jurisdiction. They extend a helping hand not because it is equivalent to an increase in salary or another step up in their career but because they just sincerely care.

5. You do not have passion [or love] for the company. When management decides on a promotion, they would usually evaluate their decision based on your long-term commitment to the company. Even if you are that good, you still won't get promoted if you keep on criticizing the establishment you work for. This is similar to all relationships. How you would expect your husband or your boyfriend to treat you right if you continue giving them flak?!

There is this one saying that always reminds me of this: Don't bite the hands that feed you. Sure, your company might be having some problems in this area or what-not; but seriously, which company doesn't? Cut it some slack. If you can't, the door is always open for you to look for your perfect company [which I believe does not exist]. Just stop bashing.

There you go! Working in corporate is fun and as long as you enjoy it, the opportunity for growth and learning is really immense. I would never trade my experiences in corporate life for anything else. Those lessons have made a character out of me and made me stronger and wiser in dealing with the challenges that extend to my personal life.

How about you? Have you ever asked why you were never promoted? Or if you are the boss, what is your reason of promoting or not promoting someone? Let me know! <3

xx,
Balot

Throwback Thursday: Singapore Shiok!

I have been in and out of Singapore for some of my stay in Canon because this used to be our regional office. I never got to go around though because the days were primarily spent in meetings. Last year, I was fortunate to accompany five handsome Canon photographers *wink* for a trip sponsored by the tourism board of Singapore.

With Mark Floro, PJ Enriquez, Edwin Martinez, Jay Jallorina and Jo Avila.

Arrival at Singapore with our tour guides :)

One of the places we visited was Sentosa, of course. This was at the S.E.A. Aquarium.

Photo by PJ Enriquez

At the S.E.A. Aquarium™, you can observe more than 100,000 creatures from 800 species like sharks and sting rays. They are all swimming in 45 million litres of water!

One-day pass would cost you S$38 or a little over PHP1300 for adults. Operating hours can be found here.

I also visited one unassuming place, Yong Siak Street and there I found my little heaven. A bookstore called Books Actually!

I fell in love with the place instantly. Not only does it feature local authors, it also has a very creative feel.

Cute cookie brooch!!!

I love this so much!

And of course, I had to take some home. :)

We also visited Gardens By The Bay. The photo below is a shot of the Supertree Grove. According to their website, these Supertrees have canopies with environmentally sustainable function such as harvesting solar energy to light the trees at night while others serve as air exhaust receptacles. To learn more about the Supertrees, click here.

Photo by PJ Enriquez.

Gardens By The Bay is located at 18 Marina Gardens Drive, Singapore 018953. Check out ticket rates and how to get to the gardens here.

We also visited the MegaZip Adventure Park in Sentosa. I was caught unprepared. I thought we were just taking pictures around Sentosa. [Un]fortunately, we also had to ride the MegaZip.

According to their website, MegaZip is at 75 meters high, 450 meters long and heart pounding speeds of 60 KMPH.

I am not really frazzled by heights. In fact, I take every opportunity to ride ziplines because of the adrenaline rush it brings. Unfortunately, the shoes were not appropriate for the occasion.

I was just trying to look bored. Hahaha. But really, I was hanging on to my dear shoes.

From the jungle, I landed at Sentosa Beach. Haha.

For my last feature for this trip, I present to you my second most favorite destination on my list (after the bookstore, haha) - Marché 313@somerset!

Marché is a self-service Swiss restaurant that is supposed to mimic the warm and cozy ambiance of the Swiss Alps.

According to them, they shipped original Swiss chalets from the highland around Bern, Switzerland.

Sorry for the blurred photo.

Marché has a very wide selection of gastronomical offerings ranging from their own fresh bakes, salads, an open grill, pizza, anything you can think of! Each guest is given a card which you use to "purchase" your food at the different stations. You will surrender the card and pay at the end of your meal. Pretty awesome!

Creamiest mushroom soup ever!

And yes of course, the dessert that comes with coffee!

Burp! Marché 313@somerset is located at Level 1, Discovery Walk, 313 Orchard Road, Singapore 238895. You can check out their website here.

I stayed at Park Royal Pickering and I realllyyy loved the hotel. Unfortunately, I was only able to take very few photos of the hotel (my bad!). But just to show you how it looks like, I got some free to share photos from a Singaporean photographer, Erwin Soo to show you how beautiful this hotel is <3

By Erwin Soo.
(Flickr: LIME restaurant at Parkroyal on Pickering.)
[CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

By Erwin Soo.
(Flickr: Closer to nature than to stone.)
[CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

On the way to my room.

The roof deck.

My own lousy phone shot of the infinity pool at the roof deck.

Twin bed rooms cost S$290 or around PHP10,000.

Park Royal on Pickering is located at 3 Upper Pickering Street, Singapore 058289.

So there goes a little throw-back about my Singapore trip last year. To know more, visit Singapore Tourism Board's website at www.yoursingapore.com. Shiok!

xx,

Balot

PS. According to urbandictionary.com, 'Shiok' is commonly used in Malaysia & Singapore [...] it essentially is used to convey a feeling of sheer pleasure and happiness. For example, if you really enjoyed a particular dish, the way 'shiok' would be used is 'Wow! This dish damn SHIOK, man!'.