First week in

I'm one week into my new old job and I think I'm doing ok. Feels good to be active and finally doing something worthwhile. Also felt good to go out during the weekend, since I feel it's really a weekend. That weekend actually continues to today. Work is still 3am later and I'm thinking the most of this Monday.

Nightshift work is something really crazy, but it kind of gives me the alone time I need from my family. Time away from my house and not having to deal with everyone with everything I do.

It screws up timing with the gf though, even more so when you're in a long distance relationship. Even hearing the label sucks, but I guess it's a new challenge to overcome. No challenges are boring.

Speaking of boring, the work I'm doing is getting less boring which is good. Actually any work gets interesting as it moves forward, so get things going to make things fun. And when you're done, find something else to do.

First day at old work

So my first day was over which i think was 13 hours ago. It's around 1:30 am now and my shift was 3:00 am to 12:00 nn yesterday (?). Okay that did not make any sense.

Anyway, my first day of working again was okay. Kind of nostalgic going back to an old workplace. You see the same people you've used to see for a few years and are immersed in a familiar environment of noisy people and doing actual work. Can't help but sometimes feel I've taken a step back, I saw a former work boss after my shift who was surprised I went back. He kind of did it in a mocking way and I wanted to flip his Starbucks up to his face. I just came out of a night shift.

Some things are different though, new management and a lot of new faces. Got a new boss and a new project to work on. I think what I've got to focus on are the new things that are happening. Change is new and I've got no choice but to focus on the changes to keep from feeling reset.

The only new thing I don't like is my new shift, which is screwing me big time. Discovered that in a night shift, you do your extra curricular activities before you go to work (which is what i'm doing now).

I guess that's my challenge now, to do more in an old setting.

A good thing happened today. My cousin Franco surprised us by going home from Singapore. Looks like he'll be working from home until his pass gets fixed, awesome. Had a mini family lunch out which was a good end to my first crazy upside down day. And oh yeah, NBA days and UFC tournaments are back baby!

Now it's 2:00 AM and got to get ready for work. Crazy.

End of limbo

I guess this is the end of unemployment, at least for now. This starts the next stage in getting to where I want to be.

I most excited about getting out the house and actually do something. To work hard for something I can call my own and be able to spend on the most trivial stuff. I miss that feeling so much. I've been checking out the malls for the first things I'd buy with my first paycheck. I'm thinking of getting three things:

1. Something for my family. Probably a dinner or something for the house.
2. Something that will make me seem that I'm moving forward. At least something to make me look better.
3. And something entirely useless, but at the same time awesomely cool.

It's cool to think about these things. Keeps me looking forward.
I'm also up late because I'm trying to screw my body clock. It's going to be a night shift week, meaning 3am-12nn shifts. That's a new experience.

I'm starting tomorrow going back to my old school to have them send my transcripts to graduate schools. Maybe it's because I watched a Gossip Girl episode earlier today, but I'm excited to possibly study in New York. And maybe it's because I just watched Lost in Translation that I feel like getting lost somewhere.

So MBA it is. Goal in mind.

Stocks and rogue theory

I went to a stock brokers seminar today with my bro. 9 hours of stock market foundation and techniques that drove me crazy. Made me wonder if this is something everyone has to get involved in. Well if that's true, at least I have some knowledge on playing the stocks.

I realized something. The more time you spend with a person, the more you become like that person. Which actually makes a good point for having good company. Kind of like Rogue from the X-men who saps powers, only in real life you sap habits and vocabulary. I've been hanging out with my brother for 8 months and now I'm thinking of going into stocks (which he does every day). That and just hanging around in the house. Well, you get sucked into a lot of things, especially with family. Which is good reason to get out once in a while.

Which I did. Got to meet up with my high school friends for dinner and beers. Had one of the biggest burritos ever which I could not finish.

At least a pound of burrito

Weekends are good.

The decision

Ok here's what went down.

Last Wednesday Bo's Coffee guy met with me to "give me an offer". We met up at Galleria and he let me know how I would be placed into their company. Well things look great with them, they're growing, adding more branches and looking to make their team bigger for the coming year. Pretty aggressive which is good. I would be handling the opening of a new branch in Quezon City and improve on three branches in the Ateneo area. That would be my starting point and from there I'd grow with their boom.

One bad point though is that Bo's Coffee guy said that my asking price was too high. He told me to give him a number I'm comfortable with that was below what I was asking, and let him know if I'm game. So to recap that, good opportunity, a chance to learn new things, interesting business but slightly low offer.

Then I went over to Wideout, which is where I worked before. Company's been doing fine, also growing, also aggressive. New management too so I was curious how it was. Basically my job there would have less scope than before but more focused on making a system happen. It would be less lax than before and more intense since everyone I know who's still there has picked up their game. Good thing, salary was higher than what I was getting before.

Bad points? It would be the same environment and might be considered a step back since the work has diminished a bit. Working hours would be at night to coincide with my new boss, hopefully it gets more flexible. And I guess I would be dealing with the same people, which isn't really bad but somehow people value more and more contacts. I don't understand it but I guess it might be true. 

So what did I choose? After thinking it out for a day and consulting my parents (painful but useful), I made a decision to come back to Wideout.

Well it can be viewed in a lot of ways but I guess my decision was based on these major thoughts:

1. Although the coffee place sounds like a good place to learn and experience new things, it will be worth it only if I stick it out for 3-4 years (when the work/pay ratio will be awesome). I'm considering working for one year then ship myself to MBA school. 

2. Traveling to QC and back will take crazy amounts of travel time. Wideout is conveniently 20 mins away. If you're thinking I should get out of my comfort zone, try sticking it out on EDSA traffic on a rush hour.

3. There's almost no transition stage for Wideout since I worked there for nearly 3 years. That against proving myself for a year in a new company, then ditching.

4. I believe there's a version of me who'd take a risk in a new company and do something great there but I'd leave that guy in the dark for now. I'd like to think that there's more of a challenge in doing something more in an old company.

5. I won't lie, I'm a sellout. I also want to buy a lot of stuff.

Sometimes I feel bad about the Bo's Coffee people, growing company and good people. I'll have to support them another way. Probably buy more coffee from them, Starbucks can suck it.

So I guess that's one problem down, unless this brings up newer problems. But good problems nonetheless.

Select choice

Ok so I got both offers already (well sort of). And all I have to do is make a choice. I'll give the details on the choices once I've decided. But so you know, one job's new and looks fun and another is something familiar. One I have to prove myself first and another I'm already awesome.

I've talked to the parents on their suggestions but I think I've reached the point where their suggestions and opinions aren't as big a deal anymore. I'm friggin' 27 and I think I'm experienced enough to make my own decisions. I've played enough RPGs to know how to make life changing choices, although it sucks we don't have a reset button.

Today will be thinking day and tomorrow will be decision day. I don't want to think about it over the weekend anymore. What I'm glad is both companies want me in, which is a good problem to have.

Offers

So today I'm supposedly going to get my two offers from Wideout and Bo's Coffee Club. If both give their offers it will be the first time I'll actually consider job options. That's something new to me and I might have to wing it if I had to make a decision today.

A bit of stumbling on Wideout's part, since they asked if I could wait until Friday for the offer. But nope, I've been idle for too long and I need to get out of the house. If there's still time, I'll pass by their office to talk to talk about salary requirement.

A friend said that in these situations the company who offers most often wins. It might get a little bit more complicated than that, because of the job descriptions, benefits and stuff. But let's see, this is looking to be a big day.

First job offer preview

Just got a call from Bo's Coffee and it seems they want to meet me tom at 2pm for a job offer.

Oh yeah...:)

Advertising interview

Back from my interview with McCann Advertising Group for an accounts position. One thing I discovered is true for all job interviews, you'll definitely learn something new every time. So never ever pass up on job interviews. Either a discovery that an unknown company is actually cool or even learn something you could use in your next interviews.

Like this HR guy who interviewed me this morning, he's one of those guys who gives a nice spin on everything. After telling him the stuff I used to do in my old work, he gave a a good line to use in future interviews.
Apparently "In my job experience, I was put into a lot of things I didn't know and all of them turned out to be successful". Sounds awesome, I don't know why I never phrased it that way.

Again the salary expectation question came up, too bad HR guy cringed when I said what I was earning in my last job. Well if you change industries that's what will happen, especially when you're gunning for an entry level position. Sad truth about working life.

Still keeping positive, they are always unexpected game changers. Let's see what happens this week.

One distraction down

Our PS3 broke down. At least one less thing to be bothered about. If this is the universe's way of helping me focus, it may have gone a bit too far.

I'll probably get to thinking about a new one by October, when most of the big stuff is done.

Got another interview tomorrow at some ad agency. Let's see how that goes.

Picking up and momentum sappers

While the job search is going relatively well (hopefully I choose a job by next week), I need to pick up on other things.

Recommendation letters are still not done yet by the people I asked to recommend me. I'm starting to bug them already. I thought I was early in asking for recommendation letters but apparently, everyone's a procrastinator.
Lesson: Notify people for recommendation letters as early as possible. Even if you're not thinking about studying again, ask. It could probably be used for something.

Essays are starting to come around. Once I have a set complete, I can try to reuse them for other applications. I've actually had lots of self discovery while writing, I actually encourage everyone to try writing "What are my goals?" in 500 words. What you write could be very interesting.

Those and a lot of other small things to finally finish applying to schools. Deadlines are this month and I have to send them out early.

On your way to reaching your goals, you'll definitely experience things that will slow you down. They will sap your momentum without you knowing it. Biggest culprits are:

1. Weekends - Only your work stops for the weekend. For everything else that's not work but needs to be done, they're your enemy.

2. Beers - liquid courage and social lubricant is good for a lot of things, but not all things. Definitely not thinking activities.

3. Family - they will pull you to do a lot of things. If it were only easy to say no to them.

4. Hobbies - not really a momentum sapper, but once you get in deep, then it's a sapper.

5. Internet - probably the biggest sapper. Just count the number of hours Facebook alone has taken from your life.

So when you're on your way to your goals, watch out for these bastards. Except family, they're not bastards, they're family.

7am interview

Just got back from an interview/meet with my old company Wideout Technology Services. It was just a recap on the duties and responsibilities I would be handling if ever I decide to go back to them. I kind of choked when asked for salary expectation and gave the general "something higher than my last pay". Not the best thing to say. I've got numbers on my head already but for some reason they didn't come out.

Lesson: if you have numbers in your head say them. Also shows people you know what you want.

Lately, I've been choking in interviews. Maybe it's because I'm getting closer to finally having a job again. Mixed feelings of excitement, of actually doing something. Maybe it's not wanting the bumness to end, as much as I hate it, yes I will miss it. Or maybe, thinking by getting a job I will be making it.

Just to be clear, most especially to me, this job is by no means "making it". As far as I'm supposed to know, that is when I'm like my dad who can spend (with a very clear conscience) for a working remote controlled scale model of a submarine which he will probably use on his giant pond. And relax in his bomb shelter full of toys.

At least what I have now is progress. Actual steps forward instead of intentions.

I hate afternoon interviews

I arrive and they're 6 people also in the waiting area. They all know each other and go out for a snack. While they're out I get offered some coffee by the HR. I accept and I'm given a freshly brewed cup. Then the 6 people waiting come back in, who I later figured were in some orientation (and were not given drinks). So in the waiting area, I was the douche with coffee. I only took two sips, very very awkward two sips.

For some reason they all decide they're close and take a picture right then and there. To make up for douchey-ness, I offer to take their pic so all of them can be included. I felt better after that, plus I had coffee.

Then it was game time, interview with the CEO of Bo's Coffee. I gave a less than ok performance and choked a little. This was one of the interviews where you just had to answer the questions directly with no extra stories (which I realized I'm bad at). A lot of times, I had to recall what the hell the question when I was talking. I even forgot to mention some of my major accomplishments, damn.

I was also asked what was my biggest failure in life and how did I turn it around. The first thing I could think of at the moment was not to say the Ms. Universe answer. Then, not saying that was the only thing in my mind. It was the worse thing I could say but at the same time the only thing that was going on in my head. It was like a giggle loop for the wrong answer.

"giggle loop" in Urban Dictionary

Fortunately, I was able to say an answer before the thought grew too big. The rest of the interview was harder questions and awkward answers. I was good during that morning interview last week with three different people. This was bad. I think I talk better when I'm grumpy in the morning, not when I'm steady in the afternoon.

Anyway, what's done is done. Let's see what happens.

Movies, robots and work progress

Under the weather today. Spent the day being drowsy and watched some light movies. One was Macgruber, which had the funniest ending ever and Camp Rock 2, for general Disney cheer.

On a brighter note, Anj got me some Gundam kits in the Gundam Fiesta in Singapore! Woohoo! I really means a lot when you buy your boyfriend plastic robots. :D

Got a final interview at Bo's Coffee tomorrow at 3:30 pm. I hope it's the last and there's an offer. Let's see how that goes.

Progress and robot sickness

Bit of progress today. I finished one of four essays I have to make for graduate school applications. It's crazy how much self discovery you have to get through finishing one of those essays. How does anyone clearly clearly know what they're goals are? If I get in I'll post it online so people can copy.

Plus, I'm starting to get Gundam fever again. It's that sickness where you can't help but think about getting one of those plastic kits of cool looking giant robots. You obsess about the different kinds, series, sizes, versions of these guys and even imagine you're going to pilot it when they're done. What I have is a bad case of it, because I still have quite a lot of unfinished models. Did a bit of building today which is good therapy. Hopefully get all of them done before Christmas.
 
Then I get another one, and another one...

My gf shot this in Singapore. C'mon tell me that isn't cool.

They're not equals

On a less serious note, my right bigote grows faster than my left bigote.

It bugs me.

Let them write their own stories

Yesterday, I found myself giving advice to my cousin who's a freshman in college. Apparently, she's wants to get into graphic or interior design so I told her about what what i knew about those industries. I also told her what she study and add on to increase her skills.

For that one moment, I got why parents push their kids to do all kinds of sh*t. Part of it might be they wanted that for themselves (and now can't) and want to make sure you do it. Part of it might also be they want you prepared for battle when the time comes to fight for yourself. That or some parenting thing about bragging about their kids, which I hate.

I think what's important is the choice. Giving the choice and making the choice for themselves.

See a band night

Haven't seen my friends play for almost a year I think. I actually don't see them very often, so meeting up with them and finally watching was cool. Taken by Cars is still good!

Not the best picture. I'm trying a one shot rule.

Plus some guy gave me a flyer for tattoo service. Do I look like I'd get one? I don't think I'll be getting one soon (or ever) but just in case anyone wants. I feel bad for people giving fliers so I'll help out. Good karma.

 

Quotes: Failure

"If I ever let being bad at something stop me, I wouldn't be here.
That thing that some men call failure, I call living. Breakfast.
And I'm not leaving until I've cleaned out the buffet."

- Chevy Chase as Pierce Hawthorne in Community.

Btw, watch that show. It's really funny.

What was tarot day

Today I thought about seeing a tarot card reader, that one in Rockwell near the cinemas. My friend suggested I try it out since now would be a good time for some life directions and road signs.

Unfortunately, I didn’t go there early to get a number. I picked 8th and the person in session was 3rd when I got there. So, I walked around the mall for hours until I finally decided to return the number and do something else with the tarot money.

Actually it was tempura craving that got me heading downstairs to the food floor. Discovered that Zaifu is also an Isshin, plus they had afternoon bento specials, sold!

Not bad for 150.

After that tempura fix, I decided to have something else show me my life's road signs.

Plus I wanted one of those mini Gundams.

What you get in these things is random, so I let my fate be decided by a capsule machine. Whatever comes out of the machine will give me a sign about my future. And out of all the 10 possible little-giant-robots-dressed-as-ancient-warriors, I got the baddest one of them all.

And by bad, I mean awesome looking too.

All the others were chumps.

Ok, picking up the clear bad guy could mean a lot of things: My future's in doom, I have an enemy up ahead or I need to be a bad ass. I like the bad ass meaning so I'll go with that.

For all I know, it could mean nothing more than getting lucky in the capsule machine today. But I choose to believe in fate in capsule machines, and myself.

My choices today led me to good food, less spending and a cool capsule toy.

Tarot cards? I think I don't need to have someone read me my road signs, at least not now. I'll save that one for later.

So how far down?

I’m currently out of work, spending my days at home firing up the online recruitment sites. Total count to this day is around 7 and half months. As I tell my friends, no work is only cool up to the first month. Then you start losing your mind. Even if you line up all the good video games, series, cartoons and movies, you will not feel good. Unless it does, which means you should be ashamed of yourself.

The gf is in Singapore working but god bless the internet for video chat and ym. I don’t know why but making funny faces on the webcam is damn funny. Long distance relationships don’t seem so bad now. What sucks though is the closest kiss you get is one on your bright screen. In exactly four months we’ll be 2 years together. Cool.

Continuing education is still on my mind. Apparently what I have clear in my head right now is I need to get into it. The degree, year, or school is not that solid. Still figuring out how that will work out. The advice right now is just do it. Stay in school, it’s your best move. Two sports quotes for you there.

Health is ok. By ok I mean I’m like a lot of my friends, with a little chub all around. As long as I’m not one of the fat ones, I’m good (or am i? sh*t). What I have though is a snoring problem which needs to get fixed. It’s a family thing, I didn’t start it. I simulate it sometimes when I’m awake to see how it sounds, I don’t know why I do that.

Car got hit by my damn gate. Stupid wind blew the swinging doors to hit the passenger side door. The rock stopper holding the gate open wasn’t enough for this crazy weather. F U weather! I’ll have to get that fixed, it’s bothering me.

Ok there are a lot of other things I feel bad about, but let’s stick with these first. Having more on this list will probably start depressing the hell out of me.

Hello kids and friends

One day I’m going to tell my kids or depressed friends this story of how I was down and got myself out of this rut. Well right now, I’m not out yet. By the end of this, I should be ok and making it. Or else the title would then be changed to “How a blog kept someone stuck, don’t do it”.

But I’m keeping positive.

Whatever’s here is what happens along the way.