Dance Number

Had a blast practicing with colleagues. There will be an acquaintance cum get-together party in the office tomorrow, and the Pinoy group is requested to present a number. Having several great talents in dancing within the group, notwithstanding the fact that we have an excellent choreographer, it's a no-brainer for us to choose a dance number to  be presented. The only catch: we have barely 24 hours to work out a complete dance routine...

We decided to meet and right there decided to have sort of a cha-cha/line dance combination as we cannot afford having more complex routines, the kind not unlike the ones we've done previously in other events.

After about an hour and a half of practice, the number was completed. Not yet perfect, but we're going there...

Let's see what will happen tomorrow :)

Change

There will come a time, really, that change will happen... that positions will switch - one will assume the task of the other, and vice-versa. For Alice and me, it started when we started working abroad... the change didn't actually happen overnight, it in fact actually evolved, and before we knew it we had switched tasks. First of it is when I started doing the cooking. I don't know, but maybe because of my hidden passion for cooking - and eating - I actually initiated doing the cooking everyday at night, after coming from work, and during weekends when we just stayed in the flat. I am not complaining or anything, in fact, I really relished it whenever I come up with a good recipe and Alice gives me the compliment. Cooking for Alice is a joy for me, and hopefully, when the kids arrive, I could cook for them also.

And so I cook. But I always leave the cleaning to Alice. Sometimes when I'm in the mood I'll clean before we eat, but normally I just leave everything in the kitchen and Alice knows that it's her job to clean everything when we're done eating. And it stayed that way. I cook, Alice cleans the dishes afterwards. It was the first switch in house chores that happened to us here.

Then, washing and ironing happened. Of course, back in the Philippines we don't do these things. We don't want to be pre-occupied with these little things since the bulk of work in the Philippines is just too much (if you know what I mean) for the family to survive, and thus we have our own housemates that do them for us. When we start working abroad, things naturally changed. We have to do our own washing and ironing. It started with Alice doing the washing of clothes and me ironing them. And then after sometimes, we just found out things had switched - I'm doing the washing and she the ironing. Thus another switch happened.

Right now, I'm waiting for Alice.

Two weeks before, I waited for her for two days if I remember right in the office because she has to attend to some important meetings. I remembered the times in the Philippines when she had to pass hours surfing the Web, waiting for my meeting/s to finish so that we can go home. Last week, Alice had been out of town the whole week attending to some important work, which left me alone in the flat for five days. It reminded me again of those times in the Philippines when I would attend a seminar or conference for a few days, and she calls me once in a while asking how I'm doing and telling me she's fine at home with the kids. In those five days I normally would call her and ask how she's doing and tell her in the process I'm already back in the flat after work and missing her. Then today after going back from work, her boss called her again to attend another important meeting with the Undersecretary regarding one of her works. And again I was left in the flat waiting.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining or anything. In fact, I'm proud of my wife. I actually thought what happening to her as a career woman shoud have happened to her way before, knowing her work values and her talents. It's a good thing this is happening to her now, and much more, in the international scene. I always thought she can do more, and go places, and make things happen. And the way it is now, she proved that I'm right.

Anyways, going back to what I'm saying - change happens. Before it was Alice waiting for me, and it was me spending extra hours doing extra work and building my career. And doing so, I could say that I'd been successful. All those times, Alice waited in the background, supporting me and egging me on. This time, it's her turn to be successful. And I know exactly what I will do.

Waiting in the office...

It's past 5 o'clock and I'm still at the office.

Alice and I normally go home at 4 o'clock. This is partly because the official working hours ends at 3pm, and extending another hour won't give us any harm and will build a "reputation" in the organization. :) Another thing is, since we don't have our own car, and we're using the transport service, we have to wait until 4 o'clock for the bus to arrive and for us to get back to the flat. Anyways, that's our normal routine and that's not what's happening today.

I'm still in the office because I'm still waiting for Alice to arrive. Just before lunch, she was called by her boss and asked to attend a meeting in the Ministry regarding a technical competition that I think is supposed to be held two weeks from now. It so happened Alice is one of the trainors on the technical skills required in said competition, and thus, she and another fellow trainor attended the activity. When they arrived there, Alice sent me a text message that said the meeting is not just a "meeting" but instead, they are called there to finalize the questions/tasks to be used in the competition. She said they might be there for much longer than she initially thought. I thought so too, that would happen.

And so, I'm still here, and the clock says it is already 5:24 pm. Alice had just sent another message that they might be back after 6pm. That means I still have another hour to spend blogging or surfing the Web. :)

By the way, if you would ask: at times like these (which happen every once in a while), we just take the taxi going home. We even drop by Pizza Hut before going back to the flat sometimes, which is quite good, if you'll ask me.

The waiting continues...

Busy!

Today happened to be a very busy day... actually, I should've moved office before taking the summer break because the building where I've been holding office for the past several months is due to be remodeled. However, one way or another, I was not able to, and hence I went into the break with all the piles of my work still there. When I reported for work this morning, my colleague who's occupying the same room with me told me that we have to move our things fast because the demolition is under way... thus, I didn't have a choice but to pack all things in haste, put everything inside those cardboard boxes and let the cleaners carry all my things to the other office...

Well, you know this thing about moving... once you start taking your things out for packing, you unconsciously begin to sort them also... and thus, I was able to do that during the next few hours. Anyways, after putting the rubbish in the bin and the ones I still need in their proper boxes, I was ready to go. I called all the maintenance guys and they started moving all my things - the cleaned office table, the computer and printer, all those cables, the piles and piles of papers, everything - to my new place. After a half day moving from the old office to the new one, I was able to shift all my things to the new office. And the real work begins...

What I really hate about moving is that after you have boxed all your things and moved them, you have to start unpacking them again and start reassembling your place. It really sucks! But then, nobody will do it except me, of course... and so, after half a day doing all the packing, I spent the other half unpacking all the same things and putting each of them in the proper order again. Well, perseverance really pays off everytime, and so, I finished all the work with several minutes to spare before my bus arrives. I forgot to mention that through the chaos of the day, I still was able to spend some precious minutes eating at the canteen with Alice :-). I would have to say that I love the canteen now that very few people go there because the real work hasn't started yet. I must say that I love the serenity of the place, even if it happens only very rarely...

Anyways, all's well that ends well, they say, and I finished the move to the new office before the work day ends. I would have to say the new office is a little crowded - most of us are holding office there now - because of the construction that will about to start, but then, good workers and good professionals that we are, as the saying goes, "the show must go on"... and so is our work... I just need to get a duplicate of the key to the front door tomorrow. :-)

Back to work...

Tomorrow, Alice and I will be back to work. After a hiatus of almost two months, everything will again be back to where they ought to be. It means we'll see our friends again, our colleagues, our peers, and of course our bosses. It is nice, actually, to work in an environment where there is a mix of nationalities, and for that matter, culture... It is nice to know a different custom or two, from different countries and different races. It does not only adds to ones knowledge, it actually makes one to be more enlightened... and more open, I would say. There's nothing better than to learn through experiencing things... and for our jobs, lifelong learning is not only essential, but indispensable.

Anyways, as I intimated already, tomorrow will be the big day... it is sort of starting a new journey. Well, at least, a new one towards our professional life. I know for a fact that for each and everyone of us, life is a big journey... one that is comprised of individual and unique adventures, and this is one of them. For me and Alice, and for our friends here, this is the beginning of a new adventure.

As I anticipate what will happen to me tomorrow, I got the chance to think of the things I did this vacation. What did I do with the seven weeks that were given to me to relax? Well, I had the time of my life exploring Singapore with my family, for one. I also got to at least cope up with my professional reading having read four great books during the break (I guess that will be a good topic for a separate blog this coming weeks). I also got to go back to some of my interests which I didn't actually do much the past several months because of time constraint: ebay, Friendster, etc. There's not much I'd done really... but the important thing is I got to unwind and recharge, to be as fresh as ever for the strict requirements of the job in the next ten months.

I can only say thanks for the chance to do this again and take this new journey... and hope that everything will be fine for all of us.

Paper Presentation and Barbecue Party

Yesterday, I presented a paper on the research Alice and I had been working on these past couple of years. It was about a learning model - blended learning we call it, which is a fusion of the traditional face-to-face classroom and e-learning. I am not new to presenting papers, having presented some previous works in both local and national conferences and symposia back in the Philippines, but it was my first time to present a paper to an international audience and the first time also to do it outside of my country. The feeling is really overwhelming, I would say. There is a combination of tension, apprehension, and excitement... and it was fantastic! Anyways, everything ended up well with the presentation, some of my colleagues and other guests as well commending me with it... job well done, I suppose :-)

...The organisers provided a barbecue party for all the participants to the symposium last night. The food was great, especially the salads... we had been treated to a well-deserved feast, and we made it sure that everybody enjoyed the food. It was really an opportune time to meet new friends in the profession, make friends with other Filipinos from other areas in the same profession as Alice and I are in, and just plain enjoy the day... I guess sometimes we need these moments to refresh and expand our craft as well.

Today, I still have another job - to facilitate/moderate one of the presentations for the day. Hoping this will be another productive and fruitful day.

Expanding Horizons

Last week, Alice and I got the chance to attend a 4-day seminar on e-learning... it was sort of an achievement for us, having been recommended to attend that seminar from among all the staff of the institution... the seminar was very informative, and new methods and techniques with regards the use of LMS (in this case, Moodle) in making the learning experience of the students more interesting were provided to us... e-learning, I believe, is very important in the current education setup. In this age of information technology, where students have an abundance of information within their reach, it is but fitting to explore on new strategies, and new ideas to make learning more interesting, fun and interactive for them... We are in an age where adults are usually beaten by kids in the 'technology track', and henceforth we have to adapt to the new forms of learning pedagogies as well...

Anyways, as I said, the time spent in the said seminar was worth it... it was kind of costly for us, I may say :-( having spent for transport and meals and other relative expenses during the seminar, but the experience gained and the knowledge acquired is more than worth the amount spent during the 4-day activity... we also managed to have a little bit of renewed bonding with our friends in the area where we stayed during the 4-day seminar... indeed, we are really very lucky that it happened for the both of us... as it is, the institution is planning for an echo seminar, and we are really enthusiastic to share what we have learned with our colleagues... it should really be inherent for the educator of today to be familiarised with these technologies... uploading lecture materials...doing quizzes online... including online interactive activities to form knowledge bases.. etc. I believe that this is the right step in educating the students of today...

I'll tell you more of these next time :-)