This is the second Friday I've spent as a bum. The value of a Friday is starting to diminish...
About a month before my resignation, while in the thick of things at the workplace, I realized that the value of a weekend has tripled for me. As every hour passes on a Friday, the excitement builds up. The thought of sleeping before the sun goes up at least for the next two days was enough energy to go through Friday.
Now that I have all the time in my hands, Friday doesn't seem to be all that important anymore. Everyday is a Friday...No wait..everyday is a weekend! Splendid huh? Not so much, after a while. Boredom is starting to set in.
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Day 11 - An Attitude of Gratitude
Thanksgiving Thursday. Although the holiday is not as big in the Philippines as it is in the US, Filipinos celebrate any non-working day like there's no tomorrow! I don't blame us, what with the stressful jobs we keep! (Oops, I have no right to say "we"...Weee!)
In keeping with the holiday, I went to my all-time favorite boss and crashed her beautifully-decorated house. It's my way of thanking her! Haha. Seriously, I was at her house for breakfast and spent 5 whole hours chatting and catching up on anything and everything we can talk about. I absolutely enjoyed it. I will always be grateful for her influence in my career and in my life. I never would've loved my specialization (tax) if not for her.
Contemplating on how my career has changed in the span of 10 years, I was reminded of the value of being thankful and maintaining an attitude of gratitude. Being grateful is the antidote for pride. It keeps us grounded, makes us humble. It reminds us that we still need people around us, to help us grow and to guide us through our circumstances.
Sadly, I seldom meet people who have a ready "thank you" in their lips. Complaints seem to be more rampant than thanks these days, probably because people have a general attitude of entitlement. When we feel we're entitled to everything, gratitude fades away. We get caught up in ourselves and see everything that's not right. We start to act like the whole world owes us everything.
I am no exception. So yeah, in this Bum Day # 11, I am thankful that I have been reminded to always be thankful.
-Lei-
In keeping with the holiday, I went to my all-time favorite boss and crashed her beautifully-decorated house. It's my way of thanking her! Haha. Seriously, I was at her house for breakfast and spent 5 whole hours chatting and catching up on anything and everything we can talk about. I absolutely enjoyed it. I will always be grateful for her influence in my career and in my life. I never would've loved my specialization (tax) if not for her.
Contemplating on how my career has changed in the span of 10 years, I was reminded of the value of being thankful and maintaining an attitude of gratitude. Being grateful is the antidote for pride. It keeps us grounded, makes us humble. It reminds us that we still need people around us, to help us grow and to guide us through our circumstances.
Sadly, I seldom meet people who have a ready "thank you" in their lips. Complaints seem to be more rampant than thanks these days, probably because people have a general attitude of entitlement. When we feel we're entitled to everything, gratitude fades away. We get caught up in ourselves and see everything that's not right. We start to act like the whole world owes us everything.
I am no exception. So yeah, in this Bum Day # 11, I am thankful that I have been reminded to always be thankful.
-Lei-
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Day 8, 9, 10 - Redefining B.U.M
Sorry, it's been a while since my last entry. I redefined the word BUM this past week. I did absolutely nothing, and now I have to write about it! Tough huh?
Oh wait, there was one exciting thing that happened! I went to another job interview (blech!), but this time it was interesting because the interview was at 9:30 PM!!! First time I had to be on my toes at this ghastly hour. I had fun though, talking to new people and learning new things. Okay, enough talking about something that closely resembles work. It defeats this blog's purpose!
My past three days was spent mostly at home. I cooked a mean sinigang, baked some cookies (yes, again!) and slept to my heart's content. I took pictures of the dishes I cooked but due to my laziness, I have chosen not to upload. I also started listening to my 32GUSB-full Hillsong Conference 2010 and 2011 teachings! I could recognize my beloved Joel Houston's voice even in my sleep. :) I'm sure that all the teachings I'm listening to is preparing my heart for all the good things that are coming my way. I hope one of those good things is a trip back to my third home, Sydney! (For those of you wondering where my second home is, talk to my 1120 gurls!)
Speaking of Sydney, I called my bestfriend from down under, Aurita, and had a refreshing hour-long conversation with her. Reconnecting with friends is definitely a priority in my BUM agenda. Glad I had a headstart already. What else? Can't think of anything at this time, unless you want to know how many hours I spend sleeping a day, or how many hours I spend internet surfing?!
I started this entry with an apology, and it looks like I'll end it the same way. Big apologies for blabbing, coherent thoughts don't seem to be available as of this writing. I hope my next one will live up to expectations. :)
Oh wait, there was one exciting thing that happened! I went to another job interview (blech!), but this time it was interesting because the interview was at 9:30 PM!!! First time I had to be on my toes at this ghastly hour. I had fun though, talking to new people and learning new things. Okay, enough talking about something that closely resembles work. It defeats this blog's purpose!
My past three days was spent mostly at home. I cooked a mean sinigang, baked some cookies (yes, again!) and slept to my heart's content. I took pictures of the dishes I cooked but due to my laziness, I have chosen not to upload. I also started listening to my 32GUSB-full Hillsong Conference 2010 and 2011 teachings! I could recognize my beloved Joel Houston's voice even in my sleep. :) I'm sure that all the teachings I'm listening to is preparing my heart for all the good things that are coming my way. I hope one of those good things is a trip back to my third home, Sydney! (For those of you wondering where my second home is, talk to my 1120 gurls!)
Speaking of Sydney, I called my bestfriend from down under, Aurita, and had a refreshing hour-long conversation with her. Reconnecting with friends is definitely a priority in my BUM agenda. Glad I had a headstart already. What else? Can't think of anything at this time, unless you want to know how many hours I spend sleeping a day, or how many hours I spend internet surfing?!
I started this entry with an apology, and it looks like I'll end it the same way. Big apologies for blabbing, coherent thoughts don't seem to be available as of this writing. I hope my next one will live up to expectations. :)
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Day Seven - The Birthday Entry
I was busy celebrating my birthday, I forgot I had a daily blog! :)
Today is an important day, not just because it's my birthday, but also because it's one of my good friend's most-awaited wedding day. Sad though that I couldn't make it to her event. We'll just have to catch up soon! Best wishes Cheng!
Okay, onto my own event. I had a very simple yet meaningful birthday. I went to my beloved church, New Life Christian Center, and then celebrated at ATC with my besties. As usual, we went to our happy place --- Cafe Mediterranean! We guffawed in laughter over garlic sauce and Bonifacio's revenge, free panna cotta and margherita pizza! We had lively exchanges about people, places and things. We talked about our dreams and our plans. We delighted in the blessings we have, large or small. We talked about life and everything that comes with it!
Amidst the laughter and talk, I realized how blessed I am beyond measure, because I have people around me who care for and love me. I have people I can share my thoughts with, without being judged. I have friends and family who look beyond what I can do for them and what I can give. My relationships make up who I am. Not my career, not my money, not what I know. For so long, I have neglected some of the relationships I had, and went on in my pursuit of power and riches, only to realize that when you're on top, it's sad when you don't have people to celebrate with and to celebrate you. We can earn all the money in the world and have the grandest of titles, but if we don't have relationships that bring meaning to our purpose, it's all for naught.
Of course, other than their company, friends and family are even more lovable when they give you gifts on your birthday! :-) Big thanks to Ira for giving me my birthday gift request --- the Paulo Coelho Moments 2012 Planner! Thanks to everyone else also for the gifts and the greetings!
Much love,
-Lei-
Today is an important day, not just because it's my birthday, but also because it's one of my good friend's most-awaited wedding day. Sad though that I couldn't make it to her event. We'll just have to catch up soon! Best wishes Cheng!
Okay, onto my own event. I had a very simple yet meaningful birthday. I went to my beloved church, New Life Christian Center, and then celebrated at ATC with my besties. As usual, we went to our happy place --- Cafe Mediterranean! We guffawed in laughter over garlic sauce and Bonifacio's revenge, free panna cotta and margherita pizza! We had lively exchanges about people, places and things. We talked about our dreams and our plans. We delighted in the blessings we have, large or small. We talked about life and everything that comes with it!
Amidst the laughter and talk, I realized how blessed I am beyond measure, because I have people around me who care for and love me. I have people I can share my thoughts with, without being judged. I have friends and family who look beyond what I can do for them and what I can give. My relationships make up who I am. Not my career, not my money, not what I know. For so long, I have neglected some of the relationships I had, and went on in my pursuit of power and riches, only to realize that when you're on top, it's sad when you don't have people to celebrate with and to celebrate you. We can earn all the money in the world and have the grandest of titles, but if we don't have relationships that bring meaning to our purpose, it's all for naught.
Of course, other than their company, friends and family are even more lovable when they give you gifts on your birthday! :-) Big thanks to Ira for giving me my birthday gift request --- the Paulo Coelho Moments 2012 Planner! Thanks to everyone else also for the gifts and the greetings!
Much love,
-Lei-
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Day 6 - Gown-fitting and Breaking Dawn
"My past will haunt me today." This was my first thought when I woke up and remembered today is gown-fitting day for Kat's December 30 wedding! OMG. All the pig-outs came to mind. Lol.
For my sanity's sake, obviously no pictures will be posted in this entry. Haha. Thank God though, the gown was beautiful and it fitted me perfectly....which really wasn't my intention! I envisioned it to be loose during the first fitting, which would only mean that I lost weight. Epic fail! I still have a little over a month to achieve this. So help me God!
Off we went to see Breaking Dawn after the fitting. To keep away from crowds and long lines, we watched at Starmall in Las Pinas! In fairness, the cinema was new and beautiful! I really am not a fan of the Twilight series., I bought and read all four books, yes, but I think Stephenie Meyer is so far away from being called a literary genius. When I read the series, I felt like I was reading Sweet Valley Twins all over again, except for the vampire twist. Hehe. I liked the movies though. Probably because the release dates were always within my birthday week! :) I loved the production for Breaking Dawn, totally different from the Twilight movie! As a self-confessed member of Team Jacob, I enjoyed every bit of screen time Taylor Lautner had and thought it was a shame whenever he turned into a wolf!
I just realized --- I've been to the cinema twice in eight days! Last week, I watched "In Time" and today "Breaking Dawn." It used to be twice in eight months, when I was still a slave of the corporate world! Hahaha, this vacation is turning out exactly the way I want it to! Hmmm, I wonder what movie I will see next!
For my sanity's sake, obviously no pictures will be posted in this entry. Haha. Thank God though, the gown was beautiful and it fitted me perfectly....which really wasn't my intention! I envisioned it to be loose during the first fitting, which would only mean that I lost weight. Epic fail! I still have a little over a month to achieve this. So help me God!
Off we went to see Breaking Dawn after the fitting. To keep away from crowds and long lines, we watched at Starmall in Las Pinas! In fairness, the cinema was new and beautiful! I really am not a fan of the Twilight series., I bought and read all four books, yes, but I think Stephenie Meyer is so far away from being called a literary genius. When I read the series, I felt like I was reading Sweet Valley Twins all over again, except for the vampire twist. Hehe. I liked the movies though. Probably because the release dates were always within my birthday week! :) I loved the production for Breaking Dawn, totally different from the Twilight movie! As a self-confessed member of Team Jacob, I enjoyed every bit of screen time Taylor Lautner had and thought it was a shame whenever he turned into a wolf!
I just realized --- I've been to the cinema twice in eight days! Last week, I watched "In Time" and today "Breaking Dawn." It used to be twice in eight months, when I was still a slave of the corporate world! Hahaha, this vacation is turning out exactly the way I want it to! Hmmm, I wonder what movie I will see next!
Days 4 to 5 - Hacienda Darasa, Batangas c/o CashCash Pinoy!
I have a confession ---- I'm a voucher junkie. I mostly buy travel, hotel and dining deals from ensogo, metro deal or cash cash pinoy! I think I have bought 14 vouchers total in the last 3 months. I have yet to use any of them though. So, when a friend invited me to go with her to Batangas and use one of her vouchers, I said yes. Other than the much-needed rest, I wanted to see how real and sulit all these deals are!
Having slept only 3 hours the night before, I relinquished my car (Lex) to my friend's expert driving. Off we went to Tanauan to find Hacienda Darasa. Obviously, we had to adjust our expectations since most internet photos posted are almost always better-looking than the real thing. Well, this hacienda was no exception. We did enjoy our overnight stay despite this fact. The people are friendly. The food is good. And as a surprise, we saw one of our college mates also on vacation. See below photos I took of the place.
'Tis been a week of non-work for me. What could be better than celebrating it with friends on an out of town trip? I'm getting used to this life. Rest is L-O-V-E. And all these on Week 1 alone! :)
Having slept only 3 hours the night before, I relinquished my car (Lex) to my friend's expert driving. Off we went to Tanauan to find Hacienda Darasa. Obviously, we had to adjust our expectations since most internet photos posted are almost always better-looking than the real thing. Well, this hacienda was no exception. We did enjoy our overnight stay despite this fact. The people are friendly. The food is good. And as a surprise, we saw one of our college mates also on vacation. See below photos I took of the place.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Day Three - Wrapping it all up with dinner at Circles!
What an eventful day! Dragged myself out of bed to go to my first job interview since my last work day....uhm, 5 days ago. Too soon, I know. Surprisingly though, I enjoyed it. I chatted up the HR person like we were long-lost friends!
I then went back to JPM to take care of some unfinished business, which, to my disappointment remains unfinished. I forgot to peel off my parking sticker, now I have to go back to complete my clearance! Argh.
It's okay though. I'm still excited to go to the free dinner celebration GA set up at Circles! Thank you, thank you, thank you my pasaway managers! :) Dad's would've sufficed. Lol. Below is all I ate. See if worth the 2K+!
Loved the lamb chop and the siopao! Best of all though, is the company of these two:
Tomorrow, I will be off to Batangas for some R&R! Wait for my entry on that adventure! Bye for now. :)
I then went back to JPM to take care of some unfinished business, which, to my disappointment remains unfinished. I forgot to peel off my parking sticker, now I have to go back to complete my clearance! Argh.
It's okay though. I'm still excited to go to the free dinner celebration GA set up at Circles! Thank you, thank you, thank you my pasaway managers! :) Dad's would've sufficed. Lol. Below is all I ate. See if worth the 2K+!
Loved the lamb chop and the siopao! Best of all though, is the company of these two:
Tomorrow, I will be off to Batangas for some R&R! Wait for my entry on that adventure! Bye for now. :)
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Day Two - Cookie Cutter Life? No Way!
When we're off to live an adventure, there is no room for a cookie cutter life...where everything is the same day in and day out, where risks are not made so that mistakes won't happen, Come on! That's not living at all! This is one of my hard and fast rules. ROUTINE and BORING belong in the same clique!
Okay..I had to have that insightful first paragraph, so I can segue into what I did for the day. :) Yep, you guessed it right, I baked cookies! Lol. But really, even literally, I don't like my cookies to look the same and be the same size. Every batch that comes out of my oven looks different than the last one! See for yourself.
I was up early, drove 10 kms to my now favorite baking supplies store in Las Pinas on a rainy Tuesday. In fairness, I don't really like cookies. I'm not even a fan of chocolate and sweets. I just love the smell of home-baked goodies and the smiles I get from my nieces in eager anticipation of wolfing down these energy boosters.
Okay..I had to have that insightful first paragraph, so I can segue into what I did for the day. :) Yep, you guessed it right, I baked cookies! Lol. But really, even literally, I don't like my cookies to look the same and be the same size. Every batch that comes out of my oven looks different than the last one! See for yourself.
 |
| Chocolate Chip Walnut |
 |
| Jumbo! Nom nom nom... |
Alright, enough about my baking. Let's go back to living a life far away from routine and boredom. Living a boring life is inexcusable! Fun isn't just for the young, or single, or heaven forbid, irresponsible. We can all be responsibly risky and daring! If you think you're living in boredom, it's time to inject some fun in your routine. Undertake new and daring enterprises. Then tell me all about it. I'd love to listen. :)
Monday, November 14, 2011
Day One - Joblag?
*Joblag --> the adjustment our bodies go through after having worked so long and slept so little.*
Yeah, I made it up. Why wouldn't I? On my first day of bum-ness, I woke up before sunrise. Before sunrise! This should be a sin or something. It feels like I'm just taking a nap when I sleep at night.
Surely you don't expect me to jump right into an adventure on my first day, right? :) I am so busy catching up some ZZZZzzzzzs, which, to my surprise, is available only in the daytime.
Five weeks before my final day, my schedule was so skewed that I am awake most nights and asleep in the mornings. In short, I lived the call center employee life! I have renewed respect for people who can pull it off. My resolve? I'll never be one of them. :)
Today was spent reconnecting with my bed and dvd player! I saw "Crazy.Stupid.Love" and enjoyed it. I also started the first season of "Outsourced", but I turned the dvd off after only 2 episodes. The characters remind me too much of, uhm, the characters in my previous workplace. Lol.
Tomorrow, hopefully, will be a better adventure. Cut me a bit of slack, I'll gain ground over time!
Yeah, I made it up. Why wouldn't I? On my first day of bum-ness, I woke up before sunrise. Before sunrise! This should be a sin or something. It feels like I'm just taking a nap when I sleep at night.
Surely you don't expect me to jump right into an adventure on my first day, right? :) I am so busy catching up some ZZZZzzzzzs, which, to my surprise, is available only in the daytime.
Five weeks before my final day, my schedule was so skewed that I am awake most nights and asleep in the mornings. In short, I lived the call center employee life! I have renewed respect for people who can pull it off. My resolve? I'll never be one of them. :)
Today was spent reconnecting with my bed and dvd player! I saw "Crazy.Stupid.Love" and enjoyed it. I also started the first season of "Outsourced", but I turned the dvd off after only 2 episodes. The characters remind me too much of, uhm, the characters in my previous workplace. Lol.
Tomorrow, hopefully, will be a better adventure. Cut me a bit of slack, I'll gain ground over time!
P.R.O.L.O.G.U.E.
11.11.11 - My last working day! Although technically, I went home sunrise of 11.12.11. Below pic was taken while I was driving out of BGC, singing and shouting with excitement-slash-fear because I can now LIVE like the whole world is before me! Oh wait...it is!!!
If you have ever thought of taking a break from the corporate world to re-discover life, I invite you to join me in this daily blog. Let's see what goes beyond the walls of the boardroom. If burn-out is right around the corner, then maybe it's time for you to take a break like I did. Yup, this is just a hiatus. A sabbatical. I'm giving myself twelve weeks of rest, relaxation, fun and whatever else is in store!
If you're still finding the courage or if you just want to live through another person's life, then come on and join me in my adventures! :-)
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)