Learning Curve

5 years @ OMF LIT

bijoiski — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 11:50:01 +0000

Sir Rocha, A. Maloy me and A. Analyn -OMF Lit Retreat’08

5 years! Wow! I’ve been working for 5 years already. Paid my taxes and SSS for 5 years. And because I just celebrated my 5th year at OMFLit, I shall devote my next 5 posts about my 5 years working (including this one. :D).

I’ve started working at OMF Lit when I was 20 years old. I was looking for a company where I can do my OJT. My dad encouraged me to apply at OMF Lit coz he knows K. Fernan, the sales manager back then. When K. Fernan saw my resume he suggested that I should take my OJT at CBN ASIA or FEBC because of my credentials and subjects. I just smiled and told him I was running out of time and I have to start by December. Little did I know that God in His mysterious and wonderful plan wanted me to serve at OMF Lit inspite of my reasons.

I remembered I was only wearing my favorite slippers when I passed my resume. I didn’t know that the same day was the interview (gulp). Well, Ate Blessie, the HR manager at that time was kind…make that gracious enough to have my interview still. I was assigned under K. Ferdie (the Sales and Marketing Director back then) and A. Yna (the beautiful *wink* Publications Director).

OMF Lit was a two-story building back then. Every morning I will ring the dorbell and K. Carl would answer. Since I was a new face to him, I would explain, “Nag-oOJT po.” every morning. I can’t remember exactly my schedule that time, but what I can remember was that I portrayed this shy-timid type school girl (yuck!) hahaha. And at the end of the day, I would go back to my dorm and tell Brianne, my one and only ‘favorite’ roomate, how my day was. Our banter usually ended up with her saying, “Ang galing mo talagang artista napaniwala mo silang lahat na babae ka…at tahimik pa ha.” I also can’t remember the reason why I was like that. Maybe because its a “workplace” or maybe because it was the first time I get to work with grown-ups.

Before I ended my OJT, K. Ferdie asked me what my plans are after graduation. I said, “I really don’t know.” He told me to call him after graduation and I did. That’s when my careerlife started at OMF Lit. (’yung totoo na.) I had my interview again with A. Bless and K. Aleks, and I wasn’t wearing my slippers this time.

I was a part of the Marketing Team which was headed by K. Ferdie and last year they transferred me to the Bookstore.

I am glad that I started my career at OMF Lit, because I became a Christian in spirit and in truth (hahaha). Maybe I should pursue writing that book how to be a Christian in a Christian organization. Seriously, I’m humbled at thankful that God straightened my issues and beliefs at OMF Lit. I remembered vividly how it felt meeting God as if meeting Him in the first time and He used the books and the people at OMF Lit. That’s one thing that no amount of money can ever pay.

I remember falling in love with work, that not even my boss can stop me from doing overtime with or without pay. That I visit the bookstore even if it’s holiday because I just miss it. Or even the thought going to other job saddens me.

Hay OMF Lit happy anniversary to us. yikee!

(to be continued…)

Random thoughts

bijoiski — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 08:36:11 +0000

Then my heart sings:

There is a longing only You can fill
A raging temptest only You can still
My soul is thirsty Lord
To know You as I’m known
Drink from the river
That flows before your throneTake me deeper
Deeper in love with You
Jesus hold me close in Your embrace
Take me deeper
Deeper than I’ve ever been before
I just want to love You more and more
How I long to be deeper in love

Sunrise to sunrise
I will seek Your face
Drawn by the Spirit
To the promise of Your grace
My heart has found in You
A hope that will abide
Here in Your presence
Forever satisfied

I wish I could be like the disciples of Jesus. When they were commanded to follow Christ there were no questions asked, they just dropped their nets and followed Him. I wish I could be that brave. That I could just dropped EVERYTHING in my hands just to follow Jesus. No buts, no hows. Just faith. Because in the end it will be all meaningless if I don’t experience the joy of my Master.

thinking out loud.

bijoiski — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 12:08:14 +0000

When I don’t desire God, I became dependent with the activities that last for a moment only to find myself at the end of the day incomplete, tired and depressed.

Realize

bijoiski — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 05:37:59 +0000

Watched the Colbie’s Album tour last night with ate beng & ate glads! Waaaaah I love her! This is one of my favorites. :D

Because I was tagged by Carms

bijoiski — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 04:17:40 +0000

The rules are easy. Just post 10 things that recently made you happy! Then tag 10 people and force them to post this meme on their blogs…

New Imported books from our US partners.
Quiet time after a long and hard day’s work.
Bible Study with Tito Dave and the yuppies from church (*nose bleed)
Spending time with my family. Specially long (and short) talks with my mom.
Hanging out with the bestest friends in the whole wide world. (yeeess, with friends like you, who need enemies. hehehe.)
Hip hop abs sessions.
Life-changing, mind boggling, decision making, nose bleeding conversations with the ates and the kuyas.
Waking up at 11 in the morning during my day off.
Comfort food. yey!
Being loved, pursued and prayed for … yikee. hehehe.
ikaw naman…i hope! A. glads, K. aleks, A. beng, K. ruben, Moja, Normi, K. ago, Tita Ritz, Rach and Joanne

A song in my heart

bijoiski — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 09:33:56 +0000

I cast all my cares upon You.

I lay all of my burdens down at your feet

And everytime I don’t know, what to do.

I will cast all my cares upon You.

Because It’s Valentines

bijoiski — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 08:13:39 +0000

Three years ago my Tita Ritz (who lives in the US), sent me this e-mail on Valentine’s day. It’s one of a few e-mails I frequent read during the V-day.

Hi Bijoinks,

Wag kang mag alala kung wala kang boyfriend ngayong Valentine’s day, at least realistic ang iyong expectations. Kesa naman may boyfriend ka tapos, hindi ka naman maalala sa Valentine’s day o kaya may regalo nga, palpak naman. Meron akong friend na ang regalo sa kanya ng mister nya pag Valentine’s day ay puro household items; such as vacuum cleaner, pressure cooker, pots and pans..kung ako hahampasin ko yun ng vaccum cleaner!

I’m so glad that you’re enjoying work right now - mukhang na cha challenge ka naman. Pero mas maganda rin to start charting the next steps para wag kang ma bore at para at least you can start formulating your career goals. That’s what I had to do - dahil madali akong ma bore, and I’m constantly looking for new challenges, kaya I normally stayed with a company for no more than 5 years. Pero kailangan calculated ang move, don’t quit your current job without a new job, dahil it’s always easier to look for one when you have one.

Below is a story of a Valentine’s day incident 20 years back I sent to friends with some reflections a couple of years ago:

One Valentine’s Day 20 years ago, boyfriend less (not necessarily love less, there’s a difference as some of you will agree – another story for another time), I expected the day to just be an ordinary day. But then, all at once, dozens of roses came in droves for the women in the office. Being an open office environment, the pressure for us single women became too obvious to ignore. Most of the single women in my group received their share of roses by noon, except me. By 2 pm, the pressure was too much to ignore that I actually thought about calling one of my friends to have some flowers delivered just so I can avoid the “what a loser” and “what a pity” glances I was getting from co workers. When all of a sudden, just like fresh April showers from the heavens, the most beautiful bouquet of roses arrived at my desk. The card read,

Dearest Raqui, My love and concern for your future and continued restoration in the Lord. May the Lord’s love provide you with security and peace. Love, Teng Needless to say, my friend, (later my boss) Teng’s deliberate act of kindness not only rescued me from that embarrassing situation, but also taught me a lesson in true friendship. Twenty years later, I’ve kept this card to remind me of that one day many years ago.

Hope this gives you a glimmer of hope that one day you’re Prince Charming will come waltzing in your life and before you can say booh, you’re riding into the sunset in a white horse!

Love,

Tita Ritz

Time Out

bijoiski — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 10:43:52 +0000

One of my favorite hang outs when I was in college, was in UP. No, I’m not a iskolar ng bayan. But I have a lot of friends from UP so they introduced me to this wonderland called Sunken Garden. A friend and I even had our own bench across the Educ bldg. And whenever we meet we’ll just say, “cge sa bench ganitong oras.” Such belongingness. hahaha.

I know that I’ve got a lot of 2nd home, and the Sunken Garden was one of them. I usually hang-out there with or without friends. Sometimes to shoot for my photography class, sometimes to have a heart to heart talk with friends. And sometimes just to simply hang out.

It’s been 5 years since I’ve graduated. And since I’m working far from UP, it’s been quiet a while since I’ve hangged out “just to hang out” there. I guess that’s one of the reasons why it made yesterday (my latest tambay), a special one. I was passing UP since I’m supposed to meet my mom. I got torn between hanging out at Starbucks and Sunken Garden, but yes, the latter won. It’s like calling out my name. So I just sat there at “our” old bench just staring. I smiled and simply uttered, “hey, it’s been awhile.”

It feels so much like home. Where I could just write how I really feel. Where I could find rest and peace from the battle of the world. Where I could just enjoy the wind blowing on my face, or the laughter of barkadas hanging out. Where I could pray and not be suffocated with the mess in my room. A place where I could just be alone yet not lonely.

It feels like a friend that accepts me without judgement (whether I’m an alumni or not. hehehe). Whom I could just pour our my heart and know that whatever I will say will be between me and him.

I’ve been through a rollercoaster of emotions lately. And this …this is a perfect place to say time out.

Engagement

bijoiski — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 06:05:26 +0000

I was looking at the photos of a friend who recently got married. Suddenly, one of the tons memorable moments with Brianne (a very good friend and roommate back in college) came to mind.

Ivy: Basta ako gusto ko pag nagpropose sakin yung tatambling ako.

Brianne: Pano pag hindi?

Ivy: Edi ulitin nya.

Brianne: Pano pag hindi parin?

Ivy: Bahala sya ulitin nya. Hindi ako ooo hanngang hindi perfect.

Brianne: Parang quiz lang no?

BWHAHAHA. Na-iyak ako sa katatawa. oh well, college days.

Hello 2008!

bijoiski — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 07:17:56 +0000

“How come you wrote the same old stuffs on your to-do list every year?” Ate Nez, a good friend of mine asked. I was showing her my Starbucks planners (which I used as scrapbooks.) Every year, since I graduated from college I got into this tradition of making “Before I get married or Before I die (which ever come first) To Do List.” “Well,” I said. “I wasn’t able to do it on the first year I decided to write it on my to do list so I just wrote it on the following year hoping I’ll be able to do it…you know.” I grab the planners from her and started reading the stuffs I wrote in 2005 and compared it on the stuffs I wrote in 2006. Learn how to drive, learn how to ice skates, wear more high-heeled shoes — less sneakers. etc. I smiled. Looking at the stuffs I wrote years ago should make me pre-occupied, but here I am again writing a whole new and not-so-new stuffs for 2008. Well maybe THIS year I’ll be able to more stuffs on my so-called to do list.

This will be a breakthrough year for me. I can feel it. It makes me excited and anxious at the same time. This year I will be a year older so I have to make more adult decisions. It worries me alot that there’ll be a lot of changes for this comming year but just thinking about that excites me to knowing I’ll be going to places that I can’t survive without God.

This year, I will laugh and learn from my mistakes. I will spend more quality time with my friends and family. I will laugh at the tagalog sitcoms, at my dad’s and mom’s jokes and at the nonsense text jokes that Robert and Normi provide daily. I will giggle at the small stuffs and BWHAHAHA laugh at the biggers stuffs. I will cry until my eyes says enough. I will cry at the sitcoms and movies, cry when I feel tired or sad. I will not be afraid to feel again. No… not this year.

I will bravely take risks and stretch my limits. I will be patiently learn new things and achieve new goals. Meet more and new people. I will work myself to death (joke lang!) I will work harder than I did last year and this time I will work with excellence in mind. Knowing that God is looking at me and that He knows my capability. I will lessen my whinning and do what I can. I will not be afraid to make decisions on my own. With or without the approval of many. I do need the advice of older people and friends. I do! I do! But in the end, it is still my call. I will face whatever consequences for whatever decision I make, on my own with God’s mercy and grace. This is not of arrogance but a reality that become so true to me just as I entered the so-called QLC (ask Riz!).

I will love like there is no tomorrow. My family, my friends and God. I will cherish my relatioships and try to give them my best. I will try my best to restore some broken friendships. I will invest on more friendships. I will aspire for more intimate relationship with God. I will be devoted in my quiet time and Bible study and on giving tithes. I will spend more time with the Joy Club and look after their best interest.

This year I will value money. I will save & invest. I will value cleanliness. (workplace? check. room? within this week. hehehe.). I will learn the art of household chores (hey this girl is growing up. yey me!)

This year I may not be able to learn how to drive or to ice skates still. But this year, I will not be afraid to feel, forgive, make mistakes, get my heart broken, be alone, speak up, stand out, take responsibilities, be all out….live!