Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Resignation Virus


Resignation Fever Illustration


It’s been a while since this virus visited our company. It appears to me that it is starting to infect us again but in a slower way.

This year, 6 people have already left the company. I called it the “Resignation Virus” because it happens in batches. I can still remember when it took almost 75% of the employees just within the span of three months and then another 25% before the same year ended. Luckily, we were able to recover from the shortage of man power when younger applicants came to fill up the vacancies.

Why do we resign from our job? For people who are career driven, their usual answer would be “Greener pastures”, while others just wanted a change because they’re not happy with what they are doing anymore.

I almost got infected by the resignation virus because most of the people who left were been close to me. There were times when I asked myself, “Do I have any plans of looking for a greener pasture or a change in career?” I do... we all does, but putting it into action is my least priority. You may ask why? I believe that resigning is not the first solution to solve a problem at work. Every time I feel anxious about my job, I always ask myself two questions and it just so happen that I still don’t have valid answers.

“Why should I resign?”

Am I not well compensated?

If I want to live in a mansion; own a luxury car; put all my kids to exclusive schools; travel to different countries every month; then I would say NO. However, all I want is a simple and happy life; Proper education for my kids; To travel even just around the country; To live together with my family in a simple place that I can call home. So my Answer would be YES.

Am I not happy with my job?

Not really, given that I enjoy what I’m doing, since it is one of my interests. It’s just that most of the time, I get stressed out because of the tight schedules. I guess stress is always partnered with work, so there’s no guarantee that the new job will be stress free. I just put an effort to relieve myself from stress by taking proper vitamins :D and doing the things I love, when I’m out of work.

It’s difficult to find a perfect job or there may not be such a thing as “Perfect Job”.

 

Monday, May 21, 2007

XML, XSLT, and HTML

Wha? What did you say? Can they be eaten? :D

Learning new things was always been exciting for me. I may encounter frustration along the way but the fulfilment it gives, after acquiring the knowledge, is incomparable.


The XSLT transformation process


Let’s put it this way, XML (Extensible Markup Language) is a generic flour mixture (dough), XSLT (eXtensible Stylesheet Language Transformation) is an apparatus used to produce a certain type of bread, which is the HTML (Hypertext Markup Language).

I’ve been working with XML, long before this task, but in a different way to produce HTML. XSLT is a programming language that I need to learn, which was required by the client, to convert XML to HTML. Lucky I have background skills in programming which made it easier for me to understand the language. I was able to get the pieces I needed, from the sample codes on the internet, to complete the task.

Whooah! :D

Sunday, May 13, 2007

Family outing at Green Nature

Our company outing last May 12 was postponed due to the tension caused by the election. The organizers were anxious that we might get stuck in traffic because of the preparation for the election, or worst, we might get involve with the conflict between the running candidates at the area.

Looking at the bright side, I just took the chance to spend our family outing before the rainy season comes.


Green Nature, San Mateo, Rizal

Green Nature, San Mateo, Rizal


We went to a resort named Green Nature, one of the resorts near our place, which was opened just last March 2007. Going to the place is a bit tricky because you have to pass a 2km rough dirt road from the main highway. So if you’re planning to ride a tricycle with your family/friends and your things, think again. :D

The resort was wonderful. The environment was well maintained, the staffs are attentive, and the shower/rest rooms are beautiful. They have two spiral slides, which most of the excursionists find in a resort, and a play area at the middle of the pool for the kids. They also have a playground, basketball court, volleyball court, and a clubhouse with billiard table and a dart board. Overall, I’m happy with our outing because my family had fun even under the scorching heat of the sun, while I enjoyed the view of the nearby mountains.

Wednesday, May 9, 2007

Cancelled Anniversary Date

 

A figurine from our wedding cake


My wife and I were supposed to celebrate our 1 st anniversary at Saisaki, but due to unexpected situation, we had a change of plan. Our baby, Kenjiro, had a fever because his 2 upper teeth were starting to come out.

An occasion is a time at which an event occurs. We celebrate an occasion to remember the things happened on that date, regardless of how expensive or simple the celebration may be. There’s no reason for us to postpone the celebration just because we can’t go to Saisaki. So we've decided to celebrate it at home instead. I made a card and composed a poem for her.


Do-it-yourself Anniversary Card


The poem goes like this:

Salamat sa isang taon na puno ng pagmamahal at pagkalinga,
Kay Kenji na iyong anak at sa akin na iyong asawa.

Salamat sa masasarap na adobo na di nakakasawa,
At sa matatamis na mansanas na sa ref ay di nawawala.

Salamat sa pagbunot ng buhok sa aking patilya,
Sa paglinis ng aking tenga at mga kuko sa aking paa.

Di ko maipapangako sa iyo ang buhay na marangya,
Pero gagawin ang makakaya upang ika’y lumigaya.

Ako’y lubos sa nagpapasalamat sa Diyos na mahiwaga,
Dahil ika’y ipinakilala sakin at aking naging asawa.

On my way home, I bought a KFC chicken bucket and her favorite siomai at Chowking. We had dinner together, watched TV series until midnight and talked about what we did that day.

Tuesday, May 8, 2007

Happy Anniversary!

 

A design I made for our Anniversary


Thank you for a year full of love and care.

Thank God for blessing us a healthy boy, who now loves to bite everything he grabbed.

:D

Monday, May 7, 2007

Still not satisfied

The new design (Vista Style, as I call it) of my photo blog is only at its 2nd week and here I am debating whether to replace it again with a new one. Oh men!

Photographs and Memories -- My photo blog


I wonder when will I be satisfied with my design. Some people said it looks nice, simple and clean, but why do I need to change it so soon?! Errr...

Anyway… thanks to all who gave me advice not to change it? I’ll leave it as is, for now, then I’ll just modify it after a month. :D