Camotes Island, Cebu Trip - March 2013

Another beach trip was crossed out in my list of "To Go" this year. Cebu, always felt like a second home to me. I don't know why. I have been in Cebu several times but always for work, not for leaisure. But even then, it still feels like home to me. Having said that, I must say, it feels good to be back home. :)

This trip was all about catching up and girl bonding. Who would've thought that Teng and I would be spending the long weekend with a friend and former colleague from Accenture? I didn't. :)

Our flight with Cebu Pac going to Cebu was delayed for an hour, but with Candy Crush, Instagram, FB and our endless stories, Teng and I managed to just stay put and enjoy the waiting time.

Finally landing in Cebu, we went straight to Crown Regency, because we will be crashing with Armand and Raffy. Thanks guys for the hospitality! :) Hahaha! We're so hungry, so we met with Jang at the IT Park and had dinner at Ila Puti. Food was good or we're just hungry. :) No, but kidding aside, food was good. Jang had to leave since she still has work that night and we agreed to meet tomorrow early morning to leave for Camotes.

An hour land trip going to the port of Danao, then an hour and a half waiting time for boarding and 2 hours sailing the waters of Cebu going to the port of Consuelo. Talk about a very long trip! There were a lot of "Are we there yet?", Candy Crush, junk food eating and dozing off moments. It was all worth it, when we reach Consuelo Wharf, which greeted us with its clear and aquamarine waters. What a beautiful sight! Jap was giving us a preview already via IG and Twitter of what to expect in the island, so we're pretty excited to soak in the sun and water.

We were initally booked at the Coco Grove Resort at Mangodlong, which is at the other side of Santiago Bay. We're booked to just camp out and just walk to the beach. But fortunately Jap, who is already staying in one of the resorts at Santiago Bay called and told us that there's a room available at their resort. So we immediately asked for our money back and rode the multicab going to Aizawa Resort.

The sun is at it's peak when we got to the resort and its high tide, which apparently is a good thing, since we learned from Jap, that the water literally recedes from around 3pm and comes back up around 10am the next day. So skip eating, we immediately changed into our swimming clothes and dove in! Refreshing! After almost half a day of traveling in the sweltering heat, the water is a welcome refreshment. We're so amazed how clean the water is, and how fine the sand is.

After a hearty lunch at one of the restaurants in Santiago, we all went back and just chilled at the beach front. Drank beer, slept, played Candy Crush, took photos of what have you, surfed the web, in short, idle time! I forgot to mention that we met new friends there too - Nica and Rhiane. They traveled with Jap and Ken, not first timers in Camotes.

The next day Jap and his friends went on exploring the island with a tour guide, while me, Teng and Jang chilled at the beach and well, what to do if you have the beach all to yourself? Photo shoot mode! Hahaha!

We're obviously sad to leave the place. But who knows, we might be back soon! Just not on Holy Week again. Why not? Because we almost didn't make it home to the big city of Cebu that Saturday night because there's so many passengers lined up, that tickets until the last trip were sold out. We're readying ourselves to camp out and just wait till the next day for the 4am trip.

Thank God, Cebuanos are really kind, they let us ride the RoRo! But of course, we're not on the passenger list, so if anything bad happened, we're doomed! But again, thank God, we all got to Danao safe and sound. Answered prayers, thank you St. Jude!

The trip back to the city was also a memorable one. Rode a jeep for more than an hour with BSB songs blasting loudly. Patok! Dinner at AA's Barbecue, then sleep! Kapuy! The next day, we all went to hear the Easter Sunday mass at the Basilica de Sto. Niño. Took some photos of Magellan's Cross, bought pasalubong at Tabo-an Market and Zubu Chon ,then ate lunch at Sunburst. Perfect way to celebrate Easter Sunday!

 More kulitan photos at the hotel while waiting for our time to leave. While chilling with our Starbucks drinks in hand and of course the sweet pastries.

This trip was one for the books! Ultimate girl bonding with Teng and Jang. We spent our time just relaxing, talking about a lot if different things. No pressure to do anything out of the ordinary or to go out on a limb just to have fun. Like what I told them, first time that I stayed put, no drinking (well I had a bottle of beer).. It's just pure, unadulterated fun with old and new friends. We all can have fun without the booze. Hahahaha!

Thanks to Jang, Teng, Armand, Raffy, Jap, Ken, Rhiane and Nica for making this trip so fun and memorable. Hope to spend more beach and food trips with you!

Photo credit: Thanks to Teng, Jap, Jangy - I grabbed some of your photos. I will add more photos when I see more from your walls. :)

Zambales 2013 with the BPO Sourcing Team

March 16 marks the opening of my summer. And the weekend was spent with one of the most fun-loving and porky pops eating team I know - The BPO Sourcing Team!

We literally travelled with no sleep, since we all played Candy Crush and prepared most of our baon at Ghelai's house. I for one didn't get any sleep at all even while were travelling and stayed awake till late night. Ghelai baked choco banana walnut bread, which is to die for! Thanks again Ghelai! :) While the others prepared the tuna spread and I also brought my Papa's Kilawing Yellow Fin Tuna.

We left Cubao around 3 in the morning going to Pundaquit, Zambales where we will stay. When we got there around 8 in the morning, we went straight to the market to buy ingredients for our food. Love the markets in the province! Fresh produce, seafood and livestock galore!

                     

After freshening up and preparing our lunch baon - marinated liempo for grilling, tilapia for grilling, cooked rice and ensaladang mangga and talong, tons of ice, softdrinks, water and booze of choice - Bacardi Gold, off we go to the beach!

                                   

                                   

The weather forecast for that day, according to Accuweather, was, it was going to rain. But thank God it didn't. God has given us the perfect day for island hopping. Blue skies, clear waters and well, big waves! What more can you ask for? I think a cold bottle of beer would also be perfect.

        

First stop was the island of Capones. Initially, the bangkeros didn't want to dock because of the big waves. But we said, if that is the case, then we would only pay for two islands. Of course, these guys wouldn't want to be short changed, so we went down to the beach. This is where my camera got soaked while I was putting on sunblock lotion while sitting on the sand. Good thing, I was able to capture some photos already. By the way, I'm still using the LX3, so after that incident, Lexi still works fine with minor kinks. :)

                     

       

The waves in Capones were freaky. We didn't get to explore the island since we had 2 more to go. I will come back for that lighthouse photo. :)

Next stop is Anawangin, where we will have our lunch. A lot of campers for that weekend. Families, barkadas, teams.. a bit crowded, but it didn't take away the beauty of the landscape. And I kept wondering, why are there pine trees there? Hmmm...

We were on "survivor" mode because we had to start a fire with wood, and we need to work our charms around in order for us to borrow some things we didn't bring with us, like knives and grill. Everybody worked hard for that big lunch we ate that day. That's what you call team work! I wasn't able to take a picture of our food, I was busy eating and helping man the grill at the same time. Multitasking. Thanks to our ever reliable bangkero also for helping us build the fire.

After a hearty lunch, we went straight to Nagsasa. We didn't get to hike and see some scenes on that island, because we didn't have the time, and we just wanted to chill and get the drinking started. :)

Carl, our boss, slept at the beach while we were frolicking and drinking at the shore in Nagsasa. The real fun had begun.

 

We ended the day, with more food at dinner, a liter of Vodka Kurant to drink, cans of Red Horse and the remaining Bacardi Gold partnered with lots of junk food, funny stories, hiritan, translations, and videoke singing.

We went to Subic the following day, had lunch at Coco Lime and shopping at Royal, then final stopover at Nathaniel's in Pampanga for more pasalubong. We ate all our left over junk food during the trip back and still had lots of food the next day in the office.

This was the first time I went on a out of town trip with these guys, and I am amazed how non-pretentious and easy-going everyone was. Super sarap kasama kasi daming hagalpak, laglag upuan moments sa kakatawa! Sa uulitin guys! Remember, ulikba ang peg natin ngayong summer. Next stop is the corporate HR thingy then, Calaguas!!



More pictures to follow below:

I will upload more pictures soon.

Photo credits: Thanks to the BPO EH Sourcing Team, I grabbed some of your photos. :)

Be Happier: 10 Things to Stop Doing Right Now

Sharing this from our Recruitment Lead.

Sometimes the route to happiness depends more on what you don’t do!

Happiness--in your business life and your personal life--is often a matter of subtraction, not addition.

Consider, for example, what happens when you stop doing the following 10 things:

1. Blaming.

People make mistakes. Employees don't meet your expectations. Vendors don't deliver on time.

So you blame them for your problems.

But you're also to blame. Maybe you didn't provide enough training. Maybe you didn't build in enough of a buffer. Maybe you asked too much, too soon.

Taking responsibility when things go wrong instead of blaming others isn't masochistic, it's empowering--because then you focus on doing things better or smarter next time.

And when you get better or smarter, you also get happier.

2. Impressing.

No one likes you for your clothes, your car, your possessions, your title, or your accomplishments. Those are all "things." People may like your things--but that doesn't mean they like you.

Sure, superficially they might seem to, but superficial is also insubstantial, and a relationship that is not based on substance is not a real relationship.

Genuine relationships make you happier, and you'll only form genuine relationships when you stop trying to impress and start trying to just be yourself.

3. Clinging.

When you're afraid or insecure, you hold on tightly to what you know, even if what you know isn't particularly good for you.

An absence of fear or insecurity isn't happiness: It's just an absence of fear or insecurity.

Holding on to what you think you need won't make you happier; letting go so you can reach for and try to earn what you want will.

Even if you don't succeed in earning what you want, the act of trying alone will make you feel better about yourself.

4. Interrupting.

Interrupting isn't just rude. When you interrupt someone, what you're really saying is, "I'm not listening to you so I can understand what you're saying; I'm listening to you so I can decide what I want to say."

Want people to like you? Listen to what they say. Focus on what they say. Ask questions to make sure you understand what they say.

They'll love you for it--and you'll love how that makes you feel.

5. Whining.

Your words have power, especially over you. Whining about your problems makes you feel worse, not better.

If something is wrong, don't waste time complaining. Put that effort into making the situation better. Unless you want to whine about it forever, eventually you'll have to do that. So why waste time? Fix it now.

Don't talk about what's wrong. Talk about how you'll make things better, even if that conversation is only with yourself.

And do the same with your friends or colleagues. Don't just be the shoulder they cry on.

Friends don't let friends whine--friends help friends make their lives better.

6. Controlling.

Yeah, you're the boss. Yeah, you're the titan of industry. Yeah, you're the small tail that wags a huge dog.

Still, the only thing you really control is you. If you find yourself trying hard to control other people, you've decided that you, your goals, your dreams, or even just your opinions are more important than theirs.

Plus, control is short term at best, because it often requires force, or fear, or authority, or some form of pressure--none of those let you feel good about yourself.

Find people who want to go where you're going. They'll work harder, have more fun, and create better business and personal relationships.

And all of you will be happier.

7. Criticizing.

Yeah, you're more educated. Yeah, you're more experienced. Yeah, you've been around more blocks and climbed more mountains and slayed more dragons.

That doesn't make you smarter, or better, or more insightful.

That just makes you you: unique, matchless, one of a kind, but in the end, just you.

Just like everyone else--including your employees.

Everyone is different: not better, not worse, just different. Appreciate the differences instead of the shortcomings and you'll see people--and yourself--in a better light.

8. Preaching.

Criticizing has a brother. His name is Preaching. They share the same father: Judging.

The higher you rise and the more you accomplish, the more likely you are to think you know everything--and to tell people everything you think you know.

When you speak with more finality than foundation, people may hear you but they don't listen. Few things are sadder and leave you feeling less happy.

9. Dwelling.

The past is valuable. Learn from your mistakes. Learn from the mistakes of others.

Then let it go.

Easier said than done? It depends on your focus. When something bad happens to you, see that as a chance to learn something you didn't know. When another person makes a mistake, see that as an opportunity to be kind, forgiving, and understanding.

The past is just training; it doesn't define you. Think about what went wrong, but only in terms of how you will make sure that, next time, you and the people around you will know how to make sure it goes right.

10. Fearing.

We're all afraid: of what might or might not happen, of what we can't change, or what we won't be able to do, or how other people might perceive us.

So it's easier to hesitate, to wait for the right moment, to decide we need to think a little longer or do some more research or explore a few more alternatives.

Meanwhile days, weeks, months, and even years pass us by.

And so do our dreams.

Don't let your fears hold you back. Whatever you've been planning, whatever you've imagined, whatever you've dreamed of, get started on it today.

If you want to start a business, take the first step. If you want to change careers, take the first step. If you want to expand or enter a new market or offer new products or services, take the first step.

Put your fears aside and get started. Do something. Do anything.

Otherwise, today is gone. Once tomorrow comes, today is lost forever.

Today is the most precious asset you own--and is the one thing you should truly fear wasting.

Feet of wanderlust

Looking through my photos, I immediately realized that I have a lot of photos of my feet! Hahaha! I think I must really love my feet to take a photo of it every time. :)

My feet has also endured a lot of pains.. Of course from wearing shoes or not wearing them. New shoes are particularly harsh on my feet.

I feel naked when I don't have polish on my nails, but for vanity purposes as well, I know I need to take care of it by not putting on polish every time.

I really have a small feet and a flat one too.

From exercising, running, traveling, pampering or just an OOTD shot...

My feet with the rest of me is an explorer since birth. I have a mole on my sole, which in the Filipino culture translates to - lakwatsera. :p

To more places to go to and shoes to wear!

A life lesson being learned...

My camera of 3 years now, my LX3, which I fondly call Lexi has just experienced a freak wave in Capones. Yes, he was drenched in salt water and sand for 2 seconds I guess. I took out the battery and memory card as soon as I can, turned it off since it was on when it got wet. Dried it with a towel, air dried it and kept it away for the whole day last weekend.

I was surprised at myself that when at that moment when it got washed up, I was so calm about the whole situation. Not sure what it was, but I was certain that I should not fuss about it and just enjoy the rest of the day at the beach.

And then, before sunset and as we are heading back to the main island in Pundaquit, while watching the last of the sunlight breaking out from the clouds and the cool sea breeze touching my face, I came to a realization that I should not be holding on to a lot of things. Material things, people, grudge, expectations or whatever it is. Everything passes on and nothing stays forever. Now I finally understand, that in the course of the day that I didn't fuss about the jinx that happened, I got to enjoy all the good things and was happier despite the negatives.

I felt happier and light even up to now that I am uncertain if my camera will conk out on me very soon. That camera has been to a lot of good trips and events with me, and I guess, that's the important thing - To just remember all the good things and accept the bad and move on with your life.

We all know, everything happens for a reason. Everything little thing that happens is a gift. We just have to discover what it is.

Made A Work Mistake? How to Bounce Back

One of the daily emails from one of our Recruitment Leads, Jeff Ellis. A daily dose of Talent Acquisition Tip. Read on...

We all make mistakes. It’s part of being human. But when we mess up at work, we have much more at stake.

If we make mistakes in our personal lives, we can cope by working through it with the people closest to us. But if we make a mistake at work, we often jeopardize our professional reputation. And your professional reputation is essentially the foundation upon which your personal brand rests.

So what do you do if you messed up big-time at work? Here are a few tips for bouncing back quickly:

Step back and breathe. This first step is essential. It can be easy to get worked up over our own failings, but we can’t internalize self-hate when we make mistakes. Before taking action, assess the situation and take a moment to clear your head. Even if the problem is big, being overly stressed or anxious impedes your ability to think clearly and bounce back quickly.

Own up to it. Hiding your professional mistakes may seem like a good idea, but it can lead to more problems in the future. If you’ve messed up at work, address the situation immediately. Don’t mask it or sugarcoat it, either. Let your boss, manager, or co-worker know what happened as soon as possible to work on a solution.

Avoid misplaced blame. Put aside any urges to place blame on others where it isn’t due. This will only worsen your situation, and can lead others to distrust you in the future. Repeat step number one to clear your head before jumping to place blame on someone else.

Be timely. Don’t let your mistakes simmer or they’ll only get worse with time. Own up to your mistakes sooner rather than later if you want continued trust from your higher-ups and fellow employees.

Apologize. Try saying something like, “I’m sorry this happened. I accept responsibility for it, but I may need help to create a fix. Can we talk about this over a meeting?” You don’t have to be overly apologetic, but a quick recognition of your failing can help to propel you forward and show you value your work, even when you mess up.

Offer a fix. Healing work mistakes means being proactive about coming up with a solution. Offer a few solutions to your boss, manager, or co-worker, but be open to their feedback, too. If you’ve gotten yourself into a mess, you may need help to get out of it.

Work mistakes aren’t the end of the world. Still, healing mistakes does require action on your part. Taking small steps toward healing by showing openness and commitment to your job can help you to recover sooner rather than later.