Rudeness

Last week I was in a beauty store beside Chowking @ Shaw Boulevard in Mandaluyong. My sole purpose of dropping by the store was to buy petroleum jelly however; since I am already inside the store I decided to buy other personal stuff. I went from one gondola to another in search of said petroleum jelly. As I passed by I took noticed of a lady @ my back observing what I was doing. I didn’t mind her stalking me as I thought she was the customer of the store just like me. After I’ve tired myself looking for the jelly, I approached the Cashier @ the counter as to where the item was located. I was informed that the item was on display @ the counter. Still, the lady was still behind me when I fall in line to pay my bills. That’s fine. I am patient for a while. But as I passed by I saw Christmas wrappers in a box in front of the counter, something went awry. The lady followed me as if I am a suspect of shoplifting. She escorted me until I was able to choose the wrapper of my choice. I felt embarrassed why I was the only one inside the store being followed by the mystery lady; in fact I misconstrued her as a shopper just like mine. When I put down the items @ the counter I inquired from the Cashier if the lady was a civilian guard. And they acknowledge her as theirs. I told the Cashier about my embarrassment. I let them figured out why I was suspected as shoplifter. This was fine, except that when I was being followed looking for the petroleum jelly, no one was assisting me to locate the said item. I told the Cashier that the mystery lady should have asked me when she took notice that I am being restless transferring from one rack to another rather than follow me @ the counter when I was supposed to be assisted. For how I am going to shoplift and pocket a Christmas wrapper? The Cashier and the mystery lady took pains not to look @ me or even explain why they did that. I understand that the job of a civilian guard (mystery lady named Annabelle) is to ensure that all items brought out of the store shall be fully accounted for. I am aware also that she was under pressure of any merchandise looses @ the course of her duty, but it would have been simpler and infinitely more polite to look me in the eye and asked for my understanding. I am the customer. If you are embarrassed of what you did, do not take it on me. It doesn’t go away just because you left away and hide @ the Store Manager’s office and pretend nothing happen. You need to deal with it fairly. She could have apologized and explained it herself. That would have been more acceptable to me. Instead she talked to one of the merchandiser but me. I was tempted to force her to acknowledged her fault, but my blood was already @ boiling point and I didn’t want to stoop down to her. The Store Manager did not even have the courtesy to go out of her office instead, her staff told me that as per the Manager’s instruction I can lodge any complaint if I want to for their assessment. Since I was really mad of their rudeness I just walked away. But as I went home I thought of the incident, and it was worrisome that this kind of rudeness, especially in service industries, has become so painfully prevalent. This type of service has become the norm. But I promised myself that I would never set foot and dare comeback to their establishment. Absolutely not.

A Day With the Mascot

Me, Sofi, Magnolia Chicken Mascot, and Jas

Sofi, Lemon Square Mascot, Jas, and Me

Sofi, Jas, Razel, Chuckie, Angie and Me

The Patterns of Extraordinary Careers by Jim Citrin

About the Book

Jim Citrin and Rick Smith of Spencer Stuart, the world’s most influential executive search firm, set out to explore this question. The result—based on in-depth, original research—is sure to be the most important and useful book for anyone seeking to crack the code of how to build a rewarding, personally satisfying career. Like weather systems and financial markets, careers contain patterns. What Citrin and Smith found from their research and extensive experience is that people with extraordinary careers are guided by five straightforward patterns that can be harnessed
And used by everyone. These individuals:
• Understand the value of you by translating their knowledge and experience into action, building their personal value over each phase of their career • Practice benevolent leadership by not clawing their way to the top but by being carried there • Solve the permission paradox, the dilemma of not being able to get a job without experience and not getting the experience without the job • Differentiate using the 20/80 principle of performance by storming past their defined jobs to create breakthrough ideas and deliver unexpected impact • Do not micromanage their careers, but macromanage them by gravitating toward the things they are best at and have a passion for, and working with people they like and respect No one manages your career for you. But with Citrin and Smith as your guide, you’ll be able to understand—and act on—the root causes of success. And what better source for strategic career advice than Spencer Stuart, the firm that over the past ten years has conducted more than 60 percent of the searches for Fortune 1000 CEOs?

Author Biography

JAMES M. CITRIN, a prominent CEO and board director recruiter, leads Spencer Stuart’s Global Technology, Communications, and Media practice and is a member of the firm’s worldwide board of directors. He is the author of Zoom: How 12 Exceptional Companies Are Navigating the Road to the Next Economy and coauthor of Lessons from the Top: The 50 Most Successful Business Leaders in America—and What You Can Learn from Them.

Excerpt from the Book:
If you're like many professionals in business and finance, you probably feel as if your career is outside the realm of your control. You may believe that professional success and satisfaction is an ever-elusive mirage on the horizon.
Despite the generally strong global economy, many people feel insecure in their jobs, are out of work, or are thoroughly unfulfilled. Rather than throw in the towel on your aspirations, however, there is a case for optimism.

The Good News
On a personal level, you can manage your career more effectively than you may realize. There is a series of patterns you can follow to get on the right path, make midcourse corrections, or reinvigorate a stalled career. These same patterns can also be taught to students and children to increase the odds that they will realize their goals over time.
At a collective level, it is important to remember that despite the many problems in the world, we live in the most affluent society in the history of the world. In the U.S. and other developed economies, there are national cultures of meritocracy and hard work.
We also have the gift of mobility. Today, individuals are allowed to relocate and pursue opportunities to a degree that would have been unthinkable in decades past for most regions of the world.

The Best and Brightest
So what are the patterns for successfully managing a career, and where do they come from?

Three Patterns of Success
To crack the code, you should commit to the following with patience and perseverance:

1. Find the right fit. True success comes when you work in a position that plays to your natural strengths, is meaningful to you, and allows you to work with people you genuinely like and respect.
Surveys by the Conference Board and other organizations routinely find that job satisfaction is at a low point, with more than 50 percent of workers reportedly dissatisfied in their jobs.
A more discouraging statistic we found is that only 1 in 10 working professionals believe that they are in positions that play to their greatest strengths in areas that they are passionate about. In contrast, the vast majority of extraordinary executives believe that they are in positions that play to their strengths and passions.
So how do you move toward the right fit? First, make your career decisions with the following questions in mind:
· Do you like and respect the employees?
· Can you imagine having a best friend at work?
· Do you aspire to become like the most senior members of the organization?
· Does the role play to your strengths?
· Are you fundamentally interested in whatever it is that the organization does?
Second, develop and follow role models. Study the people who are living the life you want to live. Find out how they achieved their results, where they came from, and what actions they took over time.
Try to find creative ways to meet your role models and get their advice. Are they speaking at a conference? Can you convince their secretaries to give you a meeting?
Finally, be prepared to make trade-offs in the short term to achieve what you want down the road.
It is inevitable that there will be tensions between working the ideal job, achieving the compensation you desire, and being able to maintain the lifestyle you want in terms of time demands, control over your schedule, commuting, and travel. Try to find the right balance among these three competing forces and adapt over time.

2. Overcome the "Permission Paradox." It's the great catch-22 of seeking a career: You can't get the job without the experience, but you can't get the experience without the job.
This is what we call the Permission Paradox, and overcoming it is one of the patterns of extraordinary careers. Think of waiting tables at just the right moment when a movie producer walks in and discovers you, or of being a golf caddy for a business leader who likes your work ethic and offers you a job.
There are more realistic ways. Cultivate mentors who can give you the right introductions. Expand your responsibilities in your current role by volunteering for a stretch work assignment in the most troubled part of your organization. Pursue an advanced degree or industry credential that will give you access to new opportunities.
If you want to make a big change out of your organization into a fundamentally new role, make it a two step process. Try to move within your current organization, where you already have a track record and hopefully strong relationships. This will give you the required experience to move to a new organization in that same new role.

3. Make those around you successful. We call this Benevolent Leadership. Our research found that 90 percent of extraordinary executives focus as much or more on making those who work with them or for them successful as on their own success.
You'll achieve success -- guaranteed -- if you follow this practice and make those with whom you work successful.
Why? You attract the best people to work with you, and the best people generate the best results. People you've helped and supported will in turn become motivated to help you be successful. It's been said one way or another for thousands of years: What goes around comes around.
The more you give, the more you get in return. Don't think that you have to be at a certain level in the organization to follow this pattern. Benevolent Leadership works at any level, from intern to chief executive officer.

Go to Work
So what are you waiting for? You can begin thinking and acting differently in your career right now, and get on the path that leads you to your greatest hopes and dreams.

Spectacular Puerto Galera Sunset

On our way to Puerto Galera I told my companion that I will be watching the sunset as soon as we set foot @ the island as I am always enthralled by the sunset view. Every time I set foot to a new place I always ended my travel taking pictures of the sunset. I believe that the best way to spend a day @ the beach is to rise with the sun and go down with the sun. I am always fascinated of the Divine Artist painting a canvas of blue, then lavender turning purplish, now a tinge of tangerine here, and a dab of golden yellow here.

On a sunny day, the sky above us looks bright blue, and in the evening, as the sun dips behind the horizon, the sky can shift to brilliant shades of red, pink and orange. Sunsets make for some of the most beautiful and unique photographs. What makes each sunset so unique?

The sunset is often more brightly colored than the sunrise due to the reason that the atmosphere responds in a number of ways to exposure to the Sun during daylight hours. In particular, there tends to be more dust in the lower atmosphere at the end of the day than at the beginning.

In her article “The Perfect Sunset” by Heidi Cullen she explained that sunset is a process called Rayleigh scattering, named after the British scientist Lord Reyleigh (1842-1919). The molecules of Earth’s atmosphere scatter sunlight preferentially. When the sun sets, light must travel further through the atmosphere before it reaches your eyes. That means more of the blue wavelengths are reflected and scattered leaving a longer red wavelengths behind for you to see.

But that’s only part of it. While the scattering of light through gas molecules in the atmosphere is the foundation, several other factors can help create sunsets, ranging from a delicate pink to deep shades of red. These include clouds, smog, and dust particles—all of which scatter sunlight just like the atmosphere. So, if you’re looking for ideal conditions to capture a sunset on film, pick a hazy evening, or one in which a thunderstorm or other cloud-producing weather system is moving off to the east, with clearing coming in from the western horizon and the setting sun illuminating the clouds. These are the making of a beautiful sunlight!

Sunset over the beach, I love how the sun is going down and you can see the trees which gives it a dramatic view. I am so glad that I did watched the sunset because I realized that Mother Nature gave me a nice gift to end my one day off! A beautiful ending to a beautiful day!

Forever Friends

My friend emailed this to me on Saturday (December 2). I figure its worthy of posting.

Forever Friends!

Sometimes in life, You find a special friend, Someone who changes your life

Just by being a part of it Someone who makes you laugh Until you can't stop Someone

who makes you believe

That there really is good in the world

Someone who convinces you that There really is an unlocked door

Just waiting for you to open it.

This is a Forever Friendship

When you're down, And the world seems dark and empty,

Your forever friend lifts you up in spirit

And makes that dark and empty world

Suddenly seem bright and full.

Your forever friend gets you through

The hard times, the sad times,

And the confusing times.

If you turn and walk away,

Your forever friend follows.

If you lose your way,

Your forever friend guides you

And cheers you on.

Your forever friend holds your hand

And tells you that everything Is going to be okay.

And if you find such a friend, You feel happy and complete,

Because you need not worry.

You have a FOREVER FRIEND for life,

And forever has no end.

Happy Birthday

Eating Out

We love eating out just as much as staying in, and the countless restaurant rows lining the streets in the Metro as well as countless food chains crowding the malls food court in the metropolis stands proof.

So what makes eating out so special, well the ambiance for starters, food offerings secondary. On Sunday evening (December 3) we went dining again with my friends and officemates. We decided to try Cocorama Pancake House @ the 6th Level of Shangri-La mall (near the theater). This is a European Café @ the topmost level close to the car park. The food is basically sweet and fancy. The menu ranged from pastas, omelletes, to steaks and Danesi (a European brand) coffee. I ordered Danesi to satisfy my taste buds for the so-called European coffee creations. This is served in a tall glass and colored pink (raspberry) the coffee has a delicate flavor and not as strong as those offered in other coffee shops. The Cocorama have a wide selection of real food reasonably priced and in generous serving. I also tried Berry White made up of two pieces vanilla-flavored pancakes with whipped cream, blueberry and strawberry toppings. You would think a pancake is a pancake, but once you tasted this extra creamy mix would make you think twice. Apart from the aroma of the blue berries (as I really like blueberry) and strawberries, what, makes this special is its unique flavor without the toppings.

Hurry, take a break from the usual fast food fare and be satisfied with Cocorama’s fancy food offerings.

Christmas Budget

The Christmas season is a time of sharing with family and friends, but party after party can be quite taxing on the budget. Plus the Christmas present you’ll have to buy and wrap for your loved ones, godson and goddaughter as well. 13th month and bonus (if any) will just pass by your hand as if its just another regular payday. Consider the menu you will have for all those dinners get together potlucks that all of us will have to prepare for. Food will be our main consideration, because Christmas goodies have always been an essential part in the tradition of celebrating Christmas, so much so that the holidays’ won’t be complete without munching on colorful tasty treats. Because most of us are on a tight budget, plan simple meals for the family.

That's right, the best way to control your spending during the holidays is to set a budget and stick to it. There's no trick that lets you have your holiday fruitcake and eat it, too. Santa will not drop any extra spending money down your chimney. You cannot expect that your checking account will miraculously refill itself like Hanukkah oil while you shop for eight days straight.

If you're serious about saving money at Christmas you need a plan. Draw up a budget for food, cards, drink and presents. And if you're going to switch to a better credit card or shop using the internet, you need to do it now.

If you’d like more money to spend on presents for the holidays, trim your food budget. You won’t need to sacrifice good food or fun for low-cost. Consider planning simpler menus using less expensive foods. Not only will this save money, it will remove a lot of stress. Follow your shopping list. To reduce costs, prepare less expensive cuts of meat, poultry or fish in a sauce. Try adding sauces to vegetables, such as carrots, tomatoes and green beans. Another saving idea is to mix vegetables with grains. Holiday foods need not be expensive to be fun. Serve plenty of cold water as well as other beverages. People will drink less of the other beverages, if they drink lots of cold water.

Be creative. With little planning, you can save on your food budget. The most important point to remember is that holidays are to be shared with family and friends, not how much money you spend on food.

So if you’ve ever spent a lot of money for Christmas yet felt spiritually bankrupt, don’t let that happen again this year. It is possible to enjoy a richer Christmas season by spending less money if you focus on spiritual values rather than material ones.

Have a great Christmas!!!

Getaway To The White Sands of Puerto Galera

My friend, my officemates and I decided to explore the white sands @ Puerto Galera for a 2 days vacation spree. We left Manila on Friday night of September 1, 2006. We made side trip at the Mall of Asia to fetch my friend and had our dinner at the French Baker. We had fun taking pictures at the mall ground before heading to the bus station at 12:00 AM.

We boarded JAM Bus bound to Batangas pier at the Buendia-Taft terminal @ 1:00A.M., this cost us 146.50. Taking the bus ride to the port alongside the dawn breaking while the rest of the city lies asleep is already our getaway into the real. The bus driver took us to a hell ride on our way to Batangas from Buendia recklessly beating all the traffic lights as we passed by unmindful of the dangers that lies ahead. We were treated to an airplane like bus ride reaching Batangas port for just 1 ½ hours travel time. I was agitated while traveling as I felt the pressure brought on by the speedy travel had blown my ears.

We arrived @ Batangas pier @ 2:30 A.M. and decided to have our dawn breakfast @ the Rocks Café – a local version of Starbucks in Manila inside the port upon our arrival. We had a superb breakfast complete with Barako Coffee (where Batangas is famous for) while waiting for the ferryboat’s arrival. Boarded MV Brian bound to White Beach Resort @ around 6:30 AM and left the port @ 7:30 A.M.., the cruise cost us 180.00 inclusive of 10.00 pesos terminal fee. We took pictures of all majestic views as we cruise the bluish sea on our way to White Beach. Picturesque Pandan Island is a sight to behold.

There is something sublime in taking off, in getting away, in journeying. Whether motoring in a JAM Bus on the South Luzon Expressway, winding down highways, cutting through the Batangas Star Tollway or cruising the waters of Mindoro in a 50-passenger motorboat, the rhythm of traveling fuses with the beat of your pulse. Even the rough waves at midday roll and rock to the throb of drums and cymbals until the boat riders erupt into cheers at the sight of land-"Beach, ho!"

We made it to the White Beach @ around 9:00 A.M. full of Mindorine grime and feeling very third world. As we disembark, our feet land in deep impression on the white sands of Puerto Galera that will last through the next sojourn.

We arrive in search of a brief paradise. , only to be greeted by hawkers they were trying to get away from-selling anything from prepaid cards to beach bandanas.

It seems like we wanted to stay for life at Puerto Galera, the picturesque postcard perfect view of the island was enough to fascinate me. The place was also breathtaking, and quite laid back where lifestyle is so simple. Everyone was all in a positive mood, since we all went there for a vacation. There were no idle moments; upon our arrival we were able to find a room for 500.00/day with 2 beds and shower room. After we have settled our baggage we decided to set foot on the water and enjoy the cool sand and peaceful sound of the waves. We ate lunch at Marina’s Restaurant @ around 1:30 pm. We had a sumptuous lunch of rice, pork nilaga, chopsuey, barbeque chicken, pansit bihon and coke. Our lunch cost us 695.00 where we shared 140.00/each. The food is plain and there isn’t much variety. Everyone serves grilled food. The food is generally cheap however the service is terrible. We had to wait for about 30 minutes for our lunch to be served.

Afternoon is filled with more ways to spend youthful energy: beach volleyball, jet skiing, snorkeling, sand sculpting and bikini ogling. We spend the whole afternoon walking around the beach, taking pictures of everything. We went around the stretch of souvenir shops. I got mesmerized with all the choices and cheap prices. I bought a t-shirt for my friend for only 95.00. I also bought bag for myself for only 100.00. I was able to buy mobile accessories for my officemates for 35.00/each. I also bought anklets/weaved bracelet for 10.00 pesos 3 pieces. I bought native bracelets for my officemates for 25.00 and was able to buy bead necklace for 10.00 bucks a piece. We were able to haggle Batangas candies for 100.00 4 pieces courtesy of Jay (who hails from Mabini Batangas).

We waited for the sunset as I am always enthralled by this view. Every time I set foot to a new place I always ended my travel taking pictures of the sunset. I believe that the best way to spend a day at the beach is to rise with the sun and go down with the sun.

In between, we race to raise our sandcastles before our fantasies are swept away by the sea. We stamp our footprints on the sand, meditating on a holy note even as the prints will soon get buried in oblivion by the invading horde. At dusk, we lie on a bed of sand in awe and wonder of the Divine Artist painting a canvas of blue, then lavender turning purplish, now a tinge of tangerine here, and a dab of golden yellow here. While waiting for the great vermilion orb to go down in an awesome splash on the horizon, comes a meditative moment telling us that we all are many rays of a single sun

We ended our day having mami Mindoro version for our dinner for 35.00. Jay introduced this to us. He was successful in convincing the group to tried this mami Batangas look alike cooking. After dinner we decided to enjoy the salty waters again and enjoy the cool sound of the waves and spa like sand bathing.

We figure that the best time to enjoy Puerto Galera, the beach, is at daybreak, when the crowd takes a rest, so we decided to heed to our rented room to take a rest. However Angie, Jay and my friend Fe decided to go on drinking spree and tried the Mindoro Sling (punch-like version of Puerto Galera). We agreed to wait for the sunrise the following day (Sunday) and take pictures of the rising sun. But it is quite a feat to get up early after barely sleeping through the raucous night. We woke up 7:30 AM already and decided to push through with our agreement to try the Banana Boat ride. This was probably the highlight of the entire trip. I was even thinking of not joining but I decided to anyway everyone else was going Banana Boat ride. We rented the boat for 500.00 for about 20 minutes ride. We enjoyed the ride at first not until the speedboat driver overturned the boat on his fourth attempt; the weather was good also, well at least good for me, Fe and Razel. It was drizzling but it wasn’t strong enough to hinder us from boating. What becomes apparent is that, devoid of urban invaders, White Beach cove is an artist's landscape. The stretch of sand, while not so fine, is creamy white, and underneath the beach water lays a bed of pebbles that have witnessed the constant ebb and flow of the waves. Rocks that jut out bound the cove to sea from both ends.

On the rocks where you stare out to sea, you recall history. Puerto Galera was a docking port for galleon ships during the Spanish era. It was also a site of sunken ships, which launched many diving expeditions for sunken treasures, the most recent of which is a treasure trove of artifacts. Today the other cove is a favorite diving site for exploring whatever remains of its past. Puerto Galera is a destination as far as any bakasyonista can get out of Luzon.
Away from the madding crowd, we find our peace saluting the sun rising out of the misty blue yonder. Above us, only sky. Nothing comes between heaven and us now.
Even as the images are fleeting the vacation is real. You get back to city life but you still taste the salty sea breeze, still feel the sun’s power energizing your sun-screened body. Only your tan and color photographs serve as proof of the sand bites and sunny disposition you take with you.
But what makes those getaway moments real is the discovery that in the frenzy of getting a life, we forget what we are getting away from. We find that there is nothing to get away from, only a whole lot of living to get into.