When my boss who is currently based in Singapore asked the Philippine OBS group from both Smart and Globe accounts (I work for Smart account by the way) who would want to attend Training For The Trainer next month in Bangkok, and out of sheer intention to get out of my comfort zone, I volunteered. The training for the trainer will mean that I have to train the Philippine team first for the new version of our Network Management System for both 2G & 3G networks.

This will be my first baptism of fire. If my colleagues will like the way I train them, I would then justify to my boss that I should train engineers in the region particularly our region, Asia South (Philippines-Singapore-Malaysia).

As early as now, I have to aim and expose myself to training other nationalities. Realizing this feat makes me shiver though, but then I really have to get out of my comfort zone, and do this so I can grow professionally.

It will be one of my greatest achievements in life if I would be able to train engineers in the region. The last time I taught was when I was with my nephew teaching him arithmetic (sounds good exposure? hehe)

Last year, I was designated as the new team leader for Operations and Business Software (OBS) group in the Philippines. However, the salary and car allowance adjustment didn't materialize yet.

Later in that year, I was able to figure out that the team leader position doesn't mean an automatic promotion to a new job grade level. Being a multinational firm and a high-tech firm, Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) doesn't look at the position as the basis for the salary adjustment, but rather at the job grade level.

As of April 18, 2008, I'm at now at new Job Grade level (thank God!), and of course my next goal will be higher job grade but this will mean a bigger role, thereby, a bigger responsibility.

I lost money in R M F, but this promotion is a welcome development. At least, a better way to start from scratch.

Grabe ang tataas na ng bilihin.

--Bigas super taas na.
--Gasolina napaka-taas na rin.
--Pantalong GUESS ang taas-taas na rin.
--Bayad sa tuition ng pamangkin ko, ang taas na rin.

Lahat nagtaasan na. Panty na lang ang hindi tumataas, lagi na lang nakababa hehehe...

I have always been a firm believer of enterprise, of passive income, of anything about making money. But what is R M F going to do with this belief? Well, making money, that is. I admitted it was a mistake. It was a blunder putting all my money in just one basket. I thought I found a goldmine but I was really wrong.

I had been reading a lot about Robert Kiyosaki's book, Rich-Dad-Poor-Dad series. I have been telling everyone that don't put all of your egss in one basket. But what did I do? Did I listen? Did I do what I preached? Had I listened to what I read, I would not have been sulking all day long about the loss of my money because of what this God-damned crook (C y r u s, president of R M F) did to all his trusting investors. 3000 investors lost all their money in an instant!

I always tell myself, move on! (though easier said than done). But I really have to learn from this mistake. What a &%$#*&^%@@!

The greatest financial ruin of all time in my life! I lost more than 800,000 pesos (500,000 for the monthly and 300,000 for the compounded).

Too bad it's happening to me. i just can't believe it. I may ask why include me? Why I didn't heed my intuition that it was about to crumble? Oh my God. Harsh isn't it? All of my money (as in my only money) were gone in an instant. They were gone in a betrayal. My friend whom I trusted was betrayed by his other friend.

For how many times will I learn? For how many times should I realize that there's no such thing as free lunch? I have no choice but to rise up, pick up the pieces and move on. I swear to myself never again. From now on, I will adopt the "sipag and tiyaga" of Manny Villar.

This is a humbling experience for me. Back to square one. :-(

Si FG ay isang abogago, este, abogado pala. Hindi ko nga lang alam kung siya ay matalino. Kung hindi naman pala siya gago eh ang yaman-yaman na niya pero bakit nakikialam pa siya sa NBN contract? Eh gago nga talaga. Although wala akong ebidensiya pero dapat kasuhan siya sa korte, kasama na lahat ng involved at nang makita ang katotohanan.

Si Erap naman ay isang bobo. Aattend ng rally para labanan ang korapsiyon. Isang daliri niya nakaturo kay GMA, pero yung tatlo pa niyang daliri nakaturo naman sa kanya. Hindi ba't bobo siya? hehehe

Uso ngayon ang namecalling kasi iyan din naman ang halimbawa ng prinsipe ng simbahan na kagaya ni Bishop Bacani na nililibak ang pagiging "midget' ni GMA. Ang turo noon sa Catechism namin, huwag manlibak ng tao, kasi si Jesus never siyang nanlibak ng tao kahit na pine-persecute na siya. Jesus still remained meek and humble. Pero bakit ganoon ang ibang bishop? Kung bishop ka at gigil ka na sa isang tao at hindi mo na mapigilang murahin or libakin siya, eh siguro hubarin mo na iyang habito mo. Nakakawalang gana ang makita ka sa Katolikong Simbahan na nakamulatan ko. (Well, matagal na nga akong walang ganang magsimba, pero nilalabanan ko yung ganong pakiramdam kasi hindi naman mga bishop ang sinasamba ko).

Hmm, I came across a column by Cielito Habito (a former NEDA chief during the time of President Ramos) in a certain broadsheet that Esperon, the current AFP Chief of Staff, was also an alumni of the Philippine Science High School, a school for the very bright and scientifically-inclined high school students. PSHS is the counterpart of University of the Philippines in secondary schools but only that PSHS specializes in Math and Science.

I once took the scholarship exam in the PSHS before I graduated my primary days in Kamuning Elementary School. By the way, only the top 10% of the graduating class from primary school are allowed to take the PSHS entrance exam. This is still the policy until now. So, I was lucky that I was part of the top 10% of our graduating class (yabang hehehe)

But I flunked. With just 1 point short of a passing mark, I never made it to PSHS. I really wanted to be part of that school. However, I didn't regret because The Sisters of Mary came into picture and I graduated salutatorian which eventually made me a scholar again in PLM. (Probably, in PSHS it would have been a different story) Had I passed the PSHS exam, Hermogenes Esperon, Cielito Habito and other well-known figures would have been my fellow PSHS alumni.

Well, why single out Esperon? In this time of political crisis when military intervention will surely make or break a nation, Esperon manifested his being a bright boy by making an assurance that he won't destabilize the government. He made the statement that military intervention will weaken democracy. Exactly true. I believe what he said. We don't need military intervention at this time of political upheaval. Let everything go through a process, a process which helps a democracy such as ours to mature. All of these ongoing brouhaha are part of democracy, and let all our institutions work in solving our perennial and chronic problems. There's no shortcut to maturity and progress.

Why mention Esperon and PSHS? Nothing. I almost became an alumni of PSHS, a top caliber Math and Science secondary shool in the Philippines. Well, despite his controversial participation in the 'Hello Garci' episode, he is still one of the intelligent boys of Malacanang. Probably, too much mathematics and science in PSHS made him a bright boy hehehe

Akbayan partly-list representative siya. Very articulate. Cute. 
Pwede mo ba akong i-member sa grupo mo? hehehe.

Kailan kaya tayo pwedeng mag-debate? Hmm, sige pag nasa Congress na rin ako.

Pag si Risa ang nakikita ko sa T.V., mas kapani-paniwala ang paninindigan kaysa iba diyan na tagapagsalita ng isang party list na mukhang kulang sa nutrition at puro exaggeration ang pinagsasabi. hehehe...

Ang pinoy nga naman nagkalat sa iba't ibang lupalop ng daigdig. Wala yatang lugar dito sa Doha na walang pinoy na nagta-trabaho. Noong una akong dumating ng Doha. at nagcheck-in sa Ramada Hotel, ang receptionist na tumambad sa akin ay Pinay. Noong tumawag naman ako sa hotel operator, pinoy ang nakasagot. Noong nasira ang elevator ng hotel, pinoy ang umayos. Noong unang kain ko sa labas ng hotel, sa may Pizza Hut, pinay ang ang nasa cashier. Noong umorder na ako, pinoy ang nagserve. Noong pabalik na ako ng hotel, sa pagtawid ko, pinoy na naman ang nasalubong ko. Noong nagreport ako sa NSN office kinabukasan, pinoy ang napagtanungan ko kung nasaan ang hinahanap kong bossing. Noong pumunta na ako sa customer site sa Q-tel, pinoy ang bumungad sa akin (pero hindi ko siya counterpart). Noong pumasok naman ako sa isang room para mag-setup ng connection ko sa system namin, tatlong pinoy at isang pinay ang andoon na mga kasama ko sa kuwarto kasama rin siyempre ang ibang lahi. Sila naman ay mga pawang subcontractor namin.

After a day ko sa hotel, noong nagbreakfast ako, pinoy na naman ang nagserve. Noong wala pa akong nirerentahang kotse at first time kong tumawag ng taxi mula Q-Tel site dahil sa wala akong nakasabay na dadaan ng hotel, napilitan akong tumawag sa taxi company, at hayun pinoy na naman ang nakasagot. Noong dumating ang taxi, pinoy ang driver. Noong pagkahatid sa akin sa hotel, pinoy ang nagbukas ng pinto. Noong naghanap ako ng dinner sa likod pala ng hotel, may pinoy restaurant at siyempre pinay ang nagserve at pinoy naman nagluluto.

Noong papasok naman ako ulit sa work, may sasakyang bumirit at lowered at napakalaki ng tambutso, ang may-ari ng sasakyan, pinoy ulit. Pati sasakyan binalot niya ng Philippine flags. Noong gumimik kami with some Filipino friends sa Qube, pinoy ang tumutugtog ng banda, at ang karamihan ng nasa gimikan, pinoy pa rin. Noong nagrent ako ng kotse, pinay ang nasa reception para tanggapin ang request for a car. Noong sinoli ko na ang kotse, pinoy pa rin ang nag-check kung maayos ang kotse. Noong napadpad kami sa City Center Mall, sandamak-mak na pinoy sa food court. Whew! Feel ko nasa Megamall lang ako hehehe

Nguni't ang masaklap sa lahat, noong nag-uusap ang mga Colombian, Indian, Finnish, Lebanese, African na kasamahan ko sa trabaho at naging topic ang hookers, ang na-ikuwento nila pinay ang karamihang prostitute na matatagpuan sa Oasis Hotel (medyo malayo sa Ramada hotel). Iyun lang...

Ang Pinoy nga naman, nagkalat na sa lahat ng lupalop ng daigdig...

Pinoooooooy, pinoy, noy, noy...
Pinoooooooy, pinoy, noy, noy...

 

Yesteday and 2 days ago, I got a taste of how it is to drive here. There are so many roundabouts (similar to our rotondas in Welcome, Monumento, etc). Roundabout is the term used here to describe a rotonda. In any roundabout, you always have to give way for any incoming vehicles who are on momentum. As soon as the momentum of other vehicles stop. then that's the time you would step on your gas pedal. There are neither police nor traffic enforcers to apprehend you when you violate traffic rules, but cameras and radars will. If you do exceed speed limit, for example, expect that a picture of your car with a plate number will be sent to you and you have to pay an excorbitant fee. You would dare not to violate the speed limit. Moreover, at any intersection with traffic lights (in the absence of roundabout), Doha means business. if you beat the red light, expect a flashing camera and just in a matter of days, you'll receive an evidence of your violation indicating as well the amount you have to pay.

The very first few minutes of driving here made me irritated.  An approaching car to my leftside in a roundabout gave me a continous and very loud horn when I forgot to give way. What a bull! Well, it's my fault. I didn't give way in a roundabout. I thought I'm in Manila hehehe...I just uttered to myself, "Sorry, boss, I'm a foreigner." The next roundabout I encountered made me more conscious to give way, and just followed others how did they do it. Luckily, in the next roundabouts, everything was so smooth and drivers on my left, right, and at the back were not agitated to honk their horns.

What about road courtesy? Well, in fairness, some drivers here (mostly foreigners) are more courteous than ours back home. At least here nobody is gonna give you a fucking sign when you block his way intentionally or unintentionally. Or when you cut his way. Cooler heads prevail here than in Manila.

In general, driving in Doha is a lot safer than in Manila. You won't get killed here on just a minor traffic altercation.