Philippine Storm

Philippines once again has been hit by storm that affected the lives of so many of our citizens in the Luzon area. Work and classes have been suspended since Monday. We see on television how the streets seem like rivers running wild. I even saw one lady still on her rooftop and being swept by water. She has not been found until now.

In times like these, we see many Filipinos sacrificing their time, money, and effort to help those in need. Filipinos do step up during times of crisis. In spite of the bad image of Filipinos being lazy, corrupt, undisciplined among other things, I am proud that there are still more Filipinos who are hardworking, honest, decent, persistent and holds true to their values. I am also proud that Filipinos are one of the happiest people in the world. If you watch the Philippine news, even if tragedy has struck, when they see the television camera rolling, they smile and wave and it seems that they are just laughing out the tragedy that struck them. That is amazing for me.

It saddens me though that most of our politicians’ greed destroy the good values that Filipinos “were” known for. I say “were” because it seems that most of the Philippines “glory days” were in the past. Corruption destroys the trust of the people and corruption just begets corruption.

I hope and pray that those affected by the storm will not lose hope and continue to embrace Filipino values. 

Company Uniform

Uniform is one way of indentifying what company, school or organization you belong to. It is one way of showcasing a company’s professionalism. It identifies us from other organizations. Wearing a proper uniform helps in creating a positive impression from customers. It also promotes discipline for the employees because uniforms have standards that one should follow. Standards like pairing the uniform with appropriate shoes, making sure the uniform is clean and tidy. Wearing of uniform also  takes away the pressure of having to choose what to wear everyday.

In our company, I am grateful that we are provided with uniforms. Our human resource always reminds us that we are being judged by our appearance when we deal with customers. They make sure that our uniforms are presentable and that we are wearing shoes with heels. I have no problem with that. I actually agree that we should wear our uniforms presentably.

However, I just have some thoughts on the kind of uniforms we are wearing. First, our company only requires and provides uniforms for women. Our company is an agricultural company so most of our employees are farm based. What I don’t understand is that they are so strict with the ladies but our men can wear whatever they want. In my three year stay with the company, not once did I see a memo describing how the men should wear their office clothes.  Most of them wear round necked T-Shirts and rubber shoes. I just can’t get the point why they are so strict especially on women’s shoes. Should not the uniforms also be appropriate with the company’s environment? For those in the farm areas, I pity that they have to wear heels and the men could wear rubber shoes and t-shirts.

Couldn’t we just wear shirt jacket uniforms? And just wear formal flats for comfort? I’m sure more will want that.

Under the Weather

I have colds for the past two days. Yesterday, I started to get feverish and started feeling the symptoms of flu coming in. My son caught my virus and he is now on medication. He cannot sleep well because of his clogged nose. Last night, my husband was also feverish. It’s a good thing that tomorrow is a holiday because we can get more sleep. I think our immune system weakened because of lack of sleep and being occasionally hit by a drizzle of rain.

We are supposed to go to the farm tomorrow but I guess, the three of us will have to stay home.

Happy long weekend everyoneJ

Busy Bee

      I can’t believe Wednesday is almost done.  We still have not finished our cooperative’s financial statements. We have been working on it since last week so we can already release the member’s capital share. However, we have discovered so many confusing and missing  journal entries since the cooperative started its books. I only handled the books last year and since then, I dreaded the time wherein the cooperative will have to settle its books because I know there are a lot of reconciling to be done. One of the confusing entries are the inter-company transactions because there are a lot of offsetting and the time of recording does not tally.  Our finance department is requiring the final financial statement before payment is done. I am crossing my fingers that once the financial statements are done, there will be no more questions from top management and just release the remaining capital share. This is going to be another very busy week. Hopefully, we can finish it soon. 

Rainy Monday

      I woke up hearing heavy raindrops and immediately wished it was a Saturday. Oh well, it is another rainy Monday. I was tempted to call and declare a vacation leave but then the chairman of our cooperative might still need some data for some required reports. I still have remaining vacation leaves from last year and will expire in November. Hopefully, the reports will be finished this morning so I can file for a leave this afternoon. There are so many things I want to do in the house. Most of them involve cleaning and sorting out clothesJ

Change

Life is slowly changing. Everything that is happening has a purpose. I am once again reminded that God is taking care of me. There are times that I still take HIM for granted. In the midst of this chaotic world, I forget to give thanks and just talk with my Lord. HE never fails to give me a jolt once in a while to remind me that HE comes first in everything. My life is not my own but HIS. And I am grateful. Living life on my own is just draining. Thinking of what others might think is so tiring. God has given me so many beautiful things and has surrounded me with blessed people. Today, I will give thanks for what I have which money could never buy.

get out

The AOF high is starting to wear off. If only I can freeze time and remain at the camp in Cambodia. That trip was one of the most fulfilling one this year. I was truly happy and never thought of my problems. Now, I'm back to reality. Facing the life that is far from perfect. Yet maybe it is perfect. I just don't know it yet. As my Singaporean friend states, "God knows the bigger picture. Trust in Him because He is leading you somewhere." I have learned to stop asking why and start asking where.

alone

We all go through life alone. We die alone. Yes, we have family and friends around us. But at the end of the day, we are all alone. We all experience loneliness and uncertainties. It has given me great comfort that God is always with us. Nowadays, I have literally been abiding with God. Whenever I feel alone, I have found myself talking to God. I imagine that God is literally walking with me. It gives me a sense of security and peace. The mind truly can do wonders. God provided us with intellect for us to be able to cope up with life. I believe that God wants us to continually call on him. HE wants to be a part of every aspect of our lives. And I like that. I am at peace knowing that God is in control and HE knows best.