ang lakas mag-trip!

Last night we had our Chapter HH at our humble abode. Like our previous household meetings, we talked about the upcoming activities of the different ministries we were serving, as well as the details for any chapter, unit and household activities. Usually the earliest time the meeting would end and everyone would leave would be 11pm; but last night, everyone (including Hubby and me) left at around 10pm...because we suddenly decided to go all the way to Umm Al Quwain to check a possible hotel venue for the team-building we’re planning!

I know, crazy! It was pretty late, Umm Al Quwain is approximately 38 kilometers from Dubai, and the journey to the hotel took almost 40 minutes...but still we went.

It's a good thing the staff at the hotel were friendly and accommodating, and allowed all of us (three cars full of 14 adults, 3 kids, and a baby) to enter and look around their villas, no matter how late it was and even though we hadn't called beforehand. The man who went with us and opened the vacant villas for our viewing looked a lot like Bruno Mars complete with the fedora hat!


This is the real Bruno Mars. I didn't take a picture of his kalokalike

While we were in the last villa, the organizers of the team-building were standing around to discuss some details if we pushed through at that hotel, when suddenly one of them said “Kailangan upuan yan! Pag-usapan na lang sa Starbucks!” which prompted all of us to go out and get into our cars and drive out of the hotel.

We didn’t end up in Starbucks, though; there wasn’t any branch on the way. So we agreed to stop at the first Enoc station that had a KFC and Hardee’s restaurant...where Tito Bong bought Magnum ice-cream for all of us!


midnight snack!

When things would get complicated because of some conflicts and matters to be considered, someone would joke “Magandang pag-usapan yan habang kumakain ng lugaw sa Karama,” or “Mag-halo-halo kaya tayo sa Chow King para maayos yan?!” which would of course make all of us laugh at how crazy the idea would be...but considering our sudden decision to go on a road trip to UAQ late at night, who knows? =)

Thirty minutes after midnight, we were in our cars on our way back to Dubai. And amazingly, all the kids who were with us were still wide awake! Nakisama sa trip ng mga matatanda! 

mga malalakas mag-trip!

Mamayang hating-gabi uli, sa Fujairah naman! =)

name and religion

After conducting a telephone interview with a candidate whose name was "Islam," I asked my manager "Is he muslim?"  to which my manager just let out a loud snort and couldn't stop laughing...and I realized why.
Ang labo ko talaga!  Di ko man lang naisip na yung asawa ko nga, "Christian" yung pangalan, tapos Kristiyano sya.  Toinks!
Buti na lang tapos nang gawin ng amo ko yung evaluation ko...di na siguro yun maaapektuhan dahil sa blooper ko 'no? =)

plastic on shoe soles

Have you ever noticed that, while trying on shoes in the shops or wearing a new pair, you tend to slip or slide? And do you know why? If you know, well, good for you. Because it was only last night when I found out that it’s because the soles usually have clear plastic at the bottom. Seriously, I didn’t know!

Just a short background…since I found out I was pregnant, I’ve been trying to avoid wearing heels. Unfortunately, the only flats I have that are suitable for the office are a brown suede/cloth-like pair and a black Crocs pair (which aren’t really pang-opisina, but acceptable nonetheless). So during the times that I have meetings or interviews and I have to dress up a bit, I have to wear my heels (which I keep under my desk). Last night though, I had to buy a new pair because our company is taking part in the WETEX (Water, Energy, Technology and Environment Exhibition), and I’ll be spending some time at our stand. Of course it wouldn’t be proper to wear the flats that I already have, and I cannot wear heels for 4 straight hours, so I just had to buy a pair of decent black flats.

pag walang magawa sa opisina

One day last week, we had just finished having lunch when we found out that our server was down and the phone lines were dead. Because of this, we couldn’t do anything...we couldn’t send or receive e-mail messages, we couldn’t make or receive calls, no internet, and no access to the company files and documents because they were saved in the server. So, while we waited for Etisalat to solve the problem, the Filipino Mafia had a semi-pictorial at the office.

rubbing shoulders with the bosses

Our company had a business meeting last Sunday and Monday. Attendees were top managers from our Japan head office, a couple of engineers from our Kuwait office and their General Manager, and some of the managers and a sales assistant from our office here in Dubai. The only person who I felt didn’t belong in that meeting was me because the topics being discussed were all about our projects, business, and engineering stuff, and I have absolutely no idea about those things. Seriously! Nothing about it is in my job description! But since our Deputy General Manager was the one who included me in the list of attendees, there was nothing I could do about it. In the beginning, I felt that my name was added just so that our Sales Assistant wouldn’t be the only female attending; but later I realized they needed me there because I was the one coordinating and arranging the whole thing with the hotel, setting up the laptop, making sure everything was working and ok, ensuring the drivers arrived on time, etc. In short, all Administration-related stuff (which was part of my job anyway).

maybe in their culture

These instances Hubby and I had with our colleagues just make me happy that I'm a Filipino who married because of love.

application for permission to date my daughter

I came across this post from Lea Salonga’s old blog and thought to share.
Very funny...but I WILL keep a copy for future reference =)