Thank You!

Dear Gladys,

Thanks again for coming to my rescue. I can't believe it's been over a year (almost two even) since i last saw you, and yet nothing has changed between us. I really enjoyed your company over the past week. You're still as funny as always. It amazes me how you're more like a friend to me despite the supposed "working relationship", and how we never run out of stories to tell. It was really nice catching up with on on everything that's been going on with both of us. I'm really grateful that you're always there, ready to be my angel in my times of need.

As you packed your bags this morning and we said our goodbyes, I didn't feel sad at all because I know that I will always have a friend in you and that we will always keep in touch. I jokingly said, "See you again in two years!," but I sure hope we'll see each other again much sooner.... and perhaps under different circumstances for a change?

Take care, and good luck. Hope you guys have your baby soon!



Love,
Reina

I Want Arbortext!

It's so frustrating that I have to worry so much about formatting with my current job. It seems I'm spending more time checking and fixing or revising the format than actually writing.

It's times like these that i appreciate my old job more. Not that I would ever wanna go back there (not in the local office anyway), but the technical writing tools and processes in use there are really more advanced.

With Arbortext, for instance, I never have to worry about formatting. I can even write with my eyes closed (metaphorically speaking) and be sure that the format's ok. With other tools, things like formats are done too manually and can be quite tedious. Couple that with a really meticulous (can't think of a better term) SME who wants to change our documentation standards and... ugh! It's almost hopeless!

With GA just two months away, the SME still wants to revamp the format for our help. Uhh, shouldn't we be focusing on content instead? So I make the change they want, only to be told later to revert back to the old format... ugh!

With the too manual way of doing things with other tools, it can also be hard to maintain documents. I actually have to make two copies of the same document that differ very slightly such as in just one link. With content management systems and tools that are capable of versioning and profiling, things such as these can be more easily taken care of.

I know I used to resent Arbortext for the "lack of aesthetics" and Documentum for the very slow processing of check ins and check outs among others, but compared to the other tools I've used so far, they're much better at ensuring accurate documentation while making the life of a technical writer much easier.

Now back to checking the format for my help file... phew!

Making My Own Destiny

I went to see my favorite tarot reader yesterday. As usual, he gave a really good reading. I went with a friend who saw the tarot reader for the first time, and she, too, was impressed.

I was kinda disappointed that some of the things that I wanted weren't meant to be. I was quite stubborn and was trying to insist on them, but if the tarot cards were to be believed, these were things that might do me more harm than good. Maybe it's time to let go?

However, on most of my questions, the answer was "It's up to you", that is, I can either make it happen or not. This made me realize once again that not everything in our future is etched in stone and that we just can't get concrete answers to everything.

As I left the tarot reader, I felt a bit overwhelmed by all the choices I'll have to make. I'm scared of making the wrong choice and missing what could be if I made the other choice. However, I read somewhere today that the greatest obstacle to success is fear. Because when you fear, you don't give something your best shot , or you don't give it a shot at all.

Well, whatever the future holds, I'll have to have enough courage to make the best choice I know, and be brave enough to face whatever the consequences may be. Till then, I'll be keeping my fingers crossed and praying a whole lot.

A Right Time for Everything

I was having some "domestic" problems for some weeks now, and just when I thought everything has gone absolutely haywire, things seem to get resolved almost on their own.

This proves to me once again that God gives us what we need exactly when we need it - never before, never after.

There have been so many times when I try, in vain it seems, to find solutions to problems -- whether current or foreseen -- and end up getting frustrated and sometimes hopeless at finding the solution. However, it always happens that just when I think I'm dead for sure, the solution just comes up with almost no effort.

Such was the case with my "domestic" problem, which I've been trying to address for the past month. I woke up this morning, and voila, the solution was presented to me! And a very good solution at that...

This also reminds me of my job hunting from a year or two ago. I was desperately looking for a new job for various reasons, but wasn't having any luck. After some time, I gave up and tried to make do with my job then. The job hunting was becoming frustrating and tiring, not to mention costly. But just when I was running out of options to solve my problem, and despite having stopped the job hunting, it seemed the job was just suddenly presented to me. I was contacted by a former boss and within two weeks, I was hired! And it was a pretty good job, too. For sure, it addressed the needs that prompted me to look for a new job.

This makes me believe even more that God has His own way of doing things, which we may not understand at first, but which is really what's best for us in the end. I know that had I gotten those "opportunities" or "solutions" earlier then they wouldn't have made as much difference as they do now, or I probably wouldn't have appreciated them as much.

Another thing this situation made me realize is that no matter how many bad persons there are in the world, God still sends you a few angels to help you get by. I tend to become cynical and distrusting of people, but it's really good to know that there are some people you can always count on.

A friend told me that even if majority of the people are bad, he'd still believe that the majority is good. I consider myself overly optimistic, though definitely not that optimistic. However, I do believe that there are still a lot of good people in this world, and these few really make a lot of difference. By the way, they, too, come when you most need them.

Bridging the Distance

My mom flew back to the US yesterday after spending a month or so here, including the holidays. Well, it didn't really feel like she was leaving for a faraway place, so there was really no drama or sad feelings upon her departure. The same goes when my dad comes home and goes back to the States. My brother and I feel like they're just going home to a house on the next block or in another city nearby.

Thanks to technology, I don't really miss my folks so much. Whenever we see each other every year or every few years, it feels like I just saw them the other day. What with phones and the Internet which enables voice chat and even web cams, it's really so easy to stay in touch with loved ones. Whenever I talk to them, I feel like they're just in the next house. I get updated on everything that's going on with them and vice versa.

Gone are the days of lining up at the PLDT office to make long distance calls. We (my mom, my brother and myself) used to this in the early 80's when my dad worked in Saudi Arabia just because phones were not yet installed on individual homes (It took some 10 years later before we had our own residential phone). Other than that, we relied heavily on snail mail, telegrams and voice tapes. Gosh, does anyone still use voice tapes? ha ha...

Anyway, even email is fast becoming the the least preferred mode of communication -- at least in my book. I'm really lazy in reading and answering emails. Well, mostly because Internet chat is so much easier, faster, more fun and more interactive, and if friends can get on chat why the need for emails?

Jackpot

I was at a friend's wedding. She and her groom had a beautiful church ceremony, which was followed by a grand reception. What was most beautiful, though, was the union of two people who loved each other very much.

In this time of failed marriages and failed relationships, it really is wonderful to see two people who are willing to spend their lives together and brave out all the tough times that lie ahead. It was especially touching when the groom gave his message to his bride. He said that he was asked why he wanted to get married, and he said that he had already found the jackpot. Why else would he let that go?

Some people are fortunate to find their "jackpots" or be a jackpot to someone else. I really hope that this couple and all other couples would have the strength and enough love to work out their relationship, as It won't all be good and happy.

I was reading about soul mates, and experts say that we meet a lot of soul mates in our life. However, even if we do meet a soul mate, it won't just happen. Our soul mate won't just magically appear in front of us and then there would be a "happily ever after". I believe that even if we become lucky enough to meet our soul mate, it would still be up to us to work things out. Destiny doesn't just happen. We make our own destiny.

Unexpecting the Expected

There are times when we feel that something might happen, yet try to deny its possibility. And when it does happen, we still get surprised that it did and still wouldn't know how to deal with it.

I sort of have an obsession with the future. I can say the future is my greatest fear just because of the uncertainties it holds. If only I'd know how choosing each option will come out then it would be so much easier to reach my goals and avoid making mistakes. It would be so much easier to cushion the blows of life if I knew what was coming.

Unfortunately, life is not like the Choose Your Own Adventure books I used to read when I was a kid where you can try another choice if the choice you previously made didn't lead to a good ending. In real life, you usually just have one shot at something, which can make or break the rest for you.

Friends have been encouraging me to take risks, that it's the only way I can grow. That even if I end up failing or getting hurt, it would still help me become a more mature person. As one friend said, "Jump into the cold water until it gets warm", not "Jump into the warm water until it gets cold".

Scary really. I have always played it safe, sticking to doing things in the ways I know work. I do not seek nor welcome change very much, but perhaps it's something I should introduce in my life. Easier said than done, though. Well, slowly, I hope to muster enough courage to welcome uncertainties in my life.

What Matters

I was listening to Hillsong United on my ipod, and as what usually happens whenever I listen to their songs, I got really touched and I felt HIS presence around me. If I listen closely to the lyrics, I feel like I'm praying and my soul's worshipping HIM, and I feel as if I'm in a prayer meeting or a church event where everyone's doing the same even when I'm just in my office cubicle. I feel HIS presence so much that I get goose bumps and tears well up in my eyes.

My boss and I can sit for hours (during lunch break and beyond haha) debating the existence or non-existence of God, and the truth or fallacy of the Bible. Well, the Bible may have some inaccuracies, but I don't think that it really matters. We will always have different interpretations of it, and religions will always have different takes on things. Who's to know who's right and who's wrong?

What I think matters most is your personal relationship with your creator. If you feel HIS presence in your life and if HE does wonders to your life then who can dispute that? I do not claim to be religious and I do not even get to go to church that often, but I know I feel God's presence in my life a lot.

Best vs. Want?

A friend was telling me today about something she got. It wasn't what she wanted, but it was probably what was best for her. It's sort of sad how we long for something more when we already have what we need. We become disillusioned with what could be instead of focusing on what is already there.

I guess there really is a reason for everything. Unfortunately, it's much farther down the road that we realize what this reason is and only then do we appreciate the value of what we've had all along. Until then, acceptance is something we should learn, and we should trust that we are being led to what is best for us.

We often say that God probably has something better in store us. This is hard to believe in when we are so set on something we want yet cannot have. Eventually, though, I guess we also come to realize that there is indeed something better than what we originally wanted.

Missing the Old Days

I got a Christmas e-card from one of my former managers. I had been meaning to write her for so long, but couldn't get around to doing it. She remembered me, though! I was really touched and surprised. She's someone I really look up to -- a very smart woman who has taught me a lot despite the physical distance. I only wish I can be as good as her one day.

She said they still miss me, and that was really so sweet. I really do miss everyone I've worked with at the old company. Although my job now is fine, it lacks the challenge and camaraderie that I had with my previous job.

It just makes me so glad to know that I have made seemingly strong personal connections with the people I've worked with. I surely hope I can have the chance to work with this former boss again or with any of my former colleagues.

Powderfinger

I came across this rock band called Powderfinger (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powderfinger) a few weeks ago. Powderfinger's an Aussie band, and apparently, they're big in Australia. I tried listening to their album Dream Days At The Hotel Existence, and I really liked their songs, especially the mellow Wishing on the Same Moon and the catchy Ballad of a Dead Man.

I wonder why I've never heard of them before, or why they don't get any airplay here. Or maybe I'm just not a radio listener? I know I'm familiar with Silverchair, one of their contemporaries. But no, they don't sound like Silverchair. Their sound is akin to the 80's slow rock or this age's adult contemporary music with a touch of country (maybe?).

Anyway, their music's great. I just wish they'd get played on MTV Asia/Philippines at least.

New Year's Resolutions

This year may be the first year I'll formally write down my New Year's resolutions. Been thinking about them for the past few days as a topic for this blog. Please don't hold me to any of these, but I'll try my best to do them.

So here goes:

• Be open to change.
• Don't be afraid to try new things.
• Break down my walls (read: Be more trusting).
• Have more fun.
• Watch more DVDs.
• Read more books.
• Don't worry about work too much.
• Continue to try to leave the office by 6 PM. Avoid working overtime.
• Be more patient.
• Be thrifty. Save!
• Keep in touch with friends more.
• Blog more.
  
• Socialize more (Don't think I can do this, but I'll add it anyway).
• Worry less. Don't think too much.
• Go to church more often.
• Buy a new keyboard (The current one's got 90% of the letters faded and I'm having trouble typing. I just love it, though... but this year I'm gonna let go :P ).
• Diet.
• Avoid GERD (Gastro-Esophageal Reflux Disorder)- causing food.

My Own Blog -- Yay!

Ok, so I've been on a break for nearly two weeks now, and I promised myself I would start a new blog that I can share with my friends. However, it's nearly the end of my break, and I still haven't created one. So, well, it's almost 3am but still can't sleep, so might as well start it now instead of putting it off again for tomorrow (I've been putting off for two weeks now -- yeah, attribute it to laziness).

I know I have so many things I wanna write about. I just hope I can find the time to write them here, and that I can keep this up. My first attempt at blogging only merited one entry. I don't even know what the URL is anymore.

So friends, do add me to your sites, and please give me your blog sites, too, so I can add them to mine. A little help on how to do all those things would be greatly appreciated.