humanitarian

F&F&F: Family & Friends & Fall

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Yet again, the whole of Metro Manila was a bit gloomy this weekend. No typhoon nor any tropical depression, but there had been scattered rain showers since Friday evening. Nevertheless, I had a lot of things to look forward to for Saturday and Sunday – a lot of people to catch up with, and a lot of things to catch up on.

It has been almost a year since I left the humanitarian sector. I got the happy surprise mid-week that one of our colleagues from work was going to visit Manila from Nepal on a whim. I was very excited because she joined and I left the organization without seeing each other in person. Yes, pandemic woes.

She were to arrive Saturday morning, and my former colleagues planned a wonderful evening for her. The AirBnB she was staying in the same city as we were, thus it made sense for me to pick her up, unless she gets caught with the Saturday traffic of NCR.

Met with friends-slash-colleagues from my former humanitarian life

Met with friends-slash-colleagues from my former humanitarian life

We decided to meet early at around 5:00 pm, so we can evade the potential carmageddon 30 minutes after. While everyone was to meet at 7:00 pm in Shangri-La Plaza, arriving early and loitering was much better than just to sit in traffic. We reached the mall a few minutes shy of 6:00 pm.

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Whoa, way too early Christmas!

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It was a weekend and, just like any other weekend, we made our way to either side of our families. Mon wanted to buy some of those Buy 1, Take 1 mirrors and make those DIY paneled mirrors. Naturally, our first stop was All Home.

Upon arriving, we were shocked to see the whole entrance was already full of Christmas decors! While I understand that Christmas season in the country starts way early as soon as September 1, I was just shocked to see THIS much decors more than two weeks before the -ber months.

This one really takes the cake.

Ladies and gentlemen, the Pangilinan group has already decided for all of us. Mid-August is the new September 1. =)

Our first view of Christmas decors for 2022

Our first view of Christmas decors for 2022

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2018 Wrap-Up Mega Post

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Before 2018 ends, it is time for my year-end essay! I will compensate for my inability to update the last few months with this mega post.

Compared to the holidays of the previous years, this year is quite laid back. It was not as frantic as before.

Ayala Malls Circuit's Christmas decoration

Ayala Malls Circuit’s Christmas decoration

One of the things I am proudest of this 2018 is that I was able to make better choices for my health. This includes a change in my diet, and a better drive to exercise regularly.

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It’s a wrap, 2017! (My year-end essay LOL)

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And just like that, another year has ended! While everybody on Facebook is busy submitting their year-end essay, I chose to post a haiku because, well, I have this page to write to my heart’s content! ^_^

The haiku is roughly translated as:

‘EAT’

Last day of the year

And later, it’ll be the first

So go, eat some more!

Not shading everyone on Facebook, writing lengthy stuff about their year. I was just being cheeky! I actually enjoy reading them, save for some with irrelevant #humblebrag.

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Travel/Work Thailand: Last stretch and Mon’s arrival

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*extremely picture-heavy post

As mentioned in the previous post, I had to stay for two more days in Thailand to attend another set of training. Only about sixteen of us stayed.

I almost arrived late during the first day on, Thursday, which was a bad thing because the venue was at the same hotel. But on my way to the meeting room, I bumped into Asuka. She was looking for me because she will be on her way to the airport to go back to Japan. I thought she was staying for another day and I forgot that she had to leave so soon. This is one final encounter worth getting late for!

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Travel/Work Thailand: bye Kanchanaburi and River Kwai!

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*extremely picture-heavy post

After several days of stay in Kanchanaburi, our stay had to come to an end. I know that at one point people began getting tired of the lessons, but hey, it was needed.LOL I feel the energy dwindling a bit on the last two days and there was a slight decrease of participation from almost everyone.

I still got to hand it to the trainers, though, because they were unwavering. Oh the things you think of when you have seen it all already!

Our training quarters

Our training quarters

I even had to the time to write ‘Invictus’ thrice. I could not believe I still remember the poem by heart.

Handwritten Invictus

Handwritten Invictus by William Ernest Henley

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Travel/Work Thailand: first week is almost over

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*extremely picture-heavy post

Several days in Thailand but I was still barely scratching the surface of the course.

Sure that from where I belong inside our own organization, I am quite exposed with most of the core activities that we are doing. Still, you get surprised with some things you know for the first time and input from your colleagues working at a different context.

Green, green and green

Green, green and green

It rained for the first time in Kanchanaburi on Thursday. The trees and grass looked extra green, and I snapped my flip-flops by stepping on a muddy patch. Before we knew it weekend was approaching and we will be traveling back to Bangkok to spend a weekend in the city.

River Kwai from our training room

River Kwai from our training room

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Travel/Work Thailand: first phase

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*extremely picture-heavy post

A month ago, I mentioned that I’d be in Thailand for two weeks to attend a training. Well, it finally happened and I could not be more excited to undergo our organization’s rite of passage.

I arrived a bit early at NAIA Terminal 2, with enough time to look for the participants from our other office. My colleague from a different team will be arriving at a later date because he had a class for graduate school. I was a bit nervous as well because the typhoon Lawin was due for landfall the same day as my flight. I had enough of a traumatic flight in the midst of a typhoon, after the horrid travel back to Manila in October last year after the WHO meeting in Guam.

Anyway, I sometimes wonder up to what extent I do my best not to talk to people I personally do not know. At times I can be very friendly, but most often, I just shut my trap and freeze on my tracks. This time was different though and I mustered the courage to approach my colleagues from the other office. I already know one of them from a previous course this year, where I discussed something. On the other hand, it would be my first time to meet the other two. Nevertheless, I was delighted to know that they were very friendly and we immediately hit it off. With a quick lunch at Jollibee and a minor gossiping on what to expect during the training, the next thing we know was we were already boarding the flight to Bangkok.

Flying over the South China Sea

Flying over the South China Sea

For starters, I recommend installing MyPal app on your mobile device. Aside from civil aviation rules prohibiting people from turning on their cellphones, the app will allow us to watch a selection of movies, series and even get copies of back-issue local magazines. The coolest thing of all — seeing our exact location on the map as we fly across the South China Sea.

After a couple of hours, we landed at Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok. It is a beautiful airport and as a Filipino, you always tend to ask yourself ‘Why are our airports not this pretty?’. But that is a subject for a separate discussion altogether.

At Suvarnabhumi International Airport

At Suvarnabhumi International Airport

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An unexpected QC turn

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While I don’t usually post work-related stuff, I think I will make an exception today. Nothing in the content is sensitive with the work that we do and it was too interesting for a day not to write about.

I was only given a couple of minutes to breathe after I arrived in the office, when my boss asked me if I could join her to Quezon City. At first, I thought we were visiting QC Jail, which I have never visited. I have been inside a couple of detention places before but I have never visited the one in QC. It turns out, we had to go to QC to quickly drop by a workshop.

Rainy Guadalupe

Rainy Guadalupe

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