Crazy, Busy Week Ahead!

A couple of busy weeks behind me, and so many more weeks ahead.

Meanwhile, another grueling and taxing week awaits ahead of me. The Training of BEI's (Board of Election Inspectors) shall resume today, March 19, 2010 and will end on March 26, 2010. We were once again booked at one hotel here in the City. Though the luxury of the various amenities is available at the hotel, I can't in any way lured by it. Nothing can still beat the comfort of my own room.

I am a person who just loves to be at home and I feel very uncomfortable being away from home. I have managed to sleep at the hotel last week but mind you! I still go home every night and still was able to see my family and our Baby Ewoks who is turning one (1) tomorrow :-)

Anyways, there's definitely no time for me to relax. To relax and unwind is what I want more and more as time goes on. As tired as I am right now, I wonder how much longer I can keep up with this crazy schedule. But I don't see myself quitting as of yet :-)

The toxic week ahead means I will be away from my blogs more often. Thank God there's the ever brilliant Windy who shall keep you entertained at my other blog, Lainy's Musings, while I am away.

Please bear with me and I promise to keep you all posted and interact with you at the blogs once my time permits me.

R E C E L

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In Absentia

I can't believe I was able to accomplish all the things I need to do the past couple of days. The seminars here and there and the voluminous paper work to meet the deadlines made me want to run for the hills, LOL!

You see, I wasn't home for almost a week. We were housed at one hotel for our live-in GI and PCOS Training for the Board of Election Inspectors (BEIs). The BEIs are the public school teachers who were deputized by the COMELEC to handle the computerized voting come May 10, 2010.

I still go home though to change and prepare for my badminton game, check on my blogs, and publish some posts. I must admit I was in absentia for I failed to interact with my fave blogs because the outages here really sucks! It's simply impossible to accomplish everything with a 8-hour power failure every day.

I was able to manage my late night badminton workout inspite of it all. I don't know where I got all the zest and energy. I just had to go out and play to relieve myself from all the stress and pressures that work has brought me.

I need to mention that my cousin, Ally of In the Eyes of the Beholder just arrived for her 10-day vacation. Just too bad that we can't hang around that often as we used to do in the past because of my work. I have invited her out to play together with the mother and daughter tandem, Star and Lollii though during one of our badminton sessions:

Bloggers in Action!

Star, Lollii, Lainy and Ally

We were also able to have a tete-a-tete at one coffee shop here when I had my break at the seminar.

And yes!

Ally sure had a great time when we were able to hang around at the Kuerdas gig after the badminton game where Ally once more took center stage ;-)

On our way back to the hotel after watching the Kuerdas show

R E C E L

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I Beg Your Pardon

I am still here. Somehow, I am too happy to be infront of the PC once more after a taxing and grueling days at work since Friday. My sked is even tougher today, Sunday. My usual blogging routine which is spent solely for Sundays was spoiled. Yes, I still have to report for work on a Sunday. My daily routine won't be as normal as it is before until the election day is over.

We are currently conducting a training for the General Instructions and PCOS operation for the Board of Election Inspectors (BEI's) who shall be the COMELEC's frontliners come May 10, 2010.

The rotational outages down here made things even more difficult for me. My usual blogging activities were disrupted. I have missed going through my favorite blogs and interacting with them. I will try to keep up though when things get normal and better.

The recent activities at work made it very impossible for me to do all things at the same time. It's a good thing that quite a number of drafts were prepared in my other Blog, Lainy's Musings. All I need to do is hit the publish button.

For now, I ask for your understanding and patience.

Thank you.

DAVID FUNK

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Lunch Date With Bottom Lines and Star!

Last week, I had an opportunity to be with the boss who blogs from Bottom Lines and my co-worker Star of A Maiden's Testimony when we had our lunch at one of the finest restaurants here in GenSan, Grab-A-Crab.

We had a feast on the delicious meals which included steamed crab, baby back rib, beef oyster, calamares, hototay soup and java rice. Diet? Can't even think of mentioning that with such a feast. It was completely forgotten. LOL!

Here are some photos to boast: :-)

J A C K I E!

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There's No Place Like Home

Yes! I am finally back! And I say there's truly no place like home... 

I've been away for five (5) long and agonizing days. Being my first longest trip by land, it was such a real ordeal. I had my period. It was one of those times where I hate being a woman! I also was suffering from tooth abscess. The day before the scheduled trip, my dentist was supposed to extract my tooth but I informed her that I will be having a long trip the next day. So the extraction will be done once I'm back. She prescribed some meds to give temporal relief to the pain I was feeling. 

The entire trip was a disaster. The accommodation given to Region XII delegates wasn't "humane." We were housed at a public elementary school where water was so scarce. It wasn't even clean. Water availability was the first thing I've feared with this trip. I knew all along the place isn't as progressive as any other municipalities in the country. Being my first time, I felt like we were evacuees. 

The school... 

A snapshot of the classroom which became our home for 5 days and 4 nights... 

The first night, I wanted to take a bus and go back home. I had so many rashes from mosquito bites. I can't even have a good night sleep.  But of course, the circumstance was a real test of character. I had to think of the competition the next day. 

Gosh! I wasn't even seriously thinking about the competition. That was my first time to play darts where scoring and hitting your target matters! I played for the fourth place but CARAGA Region beat me. Region X came out strong in Darts Single Women's  category and was declared the champion; ARMM came in second. 

BUT no one can beat my boss for the Men category. All other 5 regions tried but failed. He's declared champion! Wohohohooo! I wish I could play as good as him. One day... hehehe! (May balak, hahaha!)

All's well that ends well. 

I tried to enjoy the remaining days of my stay in that "God forsaken" place. Good thing Mystique's Mom, my lovely Tita, was there, too. The 2nd COMELEC Mindanao Goodwill Games ended with a grand display of fireworks. 

The event gave the field personnel a little break from the monotony of doing election-related works. More importantly, it was able to foster camarederie and enhanced relationships among and between COMELEC personnel of the six participating regions in the Island of Mindanao (Region IX, Region X, Region XI, Region XII, CARAGA and ARMM). 

The 3rd COMELEC Mindanao Goodwill Games shall be hosted by Zamboanga, Region IX in 2010. 

Opening night... 

With the Election Officers and Election Assistants of South Cotabato after their cultural presentation...

With my pretty Tita...  

We love to be wacky! 

B E T H!

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I Am Breaking My Silence... Looking Back and Beyond!

Finally, my deafening and long silence is over! I have been in dormant state since Friday. I am in no mood or let's say, I was too tired to even open my blogs! It has been a pretty busy week for me. We already had began reporting for work on Saturdays and holidays , as per Resolution 8585 which was promulgated to encourage the Filipino working citizenry as well as the students to register themselves at the field offices of the Commission on Elections. The registration is in preparation for the Presidential election come May 10, 2010. Apart from reporting for work on a 8-5 basis everyday, I have to beat some deadlines online. You know what I mean ;-)

I have been practically lazing around the entire week. It seems like I need to drag my hands and force my brain, dictate it to type something or think of some words just so I could update my blogs. It may sound pathetic but yes, it was how it's been like for this week.

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to go on field. I must admit, daily office work is boring and had appeared to be monotonous. Yesterday was something different for me. We went to a far-flung barangay dominated by Muslims. We were invited to give out the voter's identification cards to the residents. This is in line with the barangay's celebration of their foundation anniversary. I was tasked to lead the team. Going on field is the thing that I have missed the most since I shifted from private employment to government service.

In my previous employment, we go on field three times a week. We go up to the hinterlands and provide Parenting Sessions to the unfortunate and less privileged sectors of our society- specifically the Indigenous Peoples (IPs)* in Region XII, Mindanao. I had my own share of reminiscing moments and yesterday was some kind of deja vu and I realized how much I missed the good old days! The days when I was still part of touching people's lives in the mountains; up in the communities where the IP's struggle for survival were very evident.

For almost six years, my work with the poorest of the poor in the far- flung areas in Mindanao had taught me to appreciate the little things in life. I’ve realized that I still am a very lucky individual: I have a roof over my head; got a chance to eat even more than thrice a day excluding in between meals; trendy clothings; and the other needs of a person for survival and development. Many of us are healthier, better housed, fed and educated but the gap between us who are more on the advantaged aspect of life and the people we served in the hinterlands continues to grow. Fewer resources seem to be available for the latter- and less concern. The IPs are struggling for survival with barely nothing to eat; most of them are illiterates. They take pride in the simple joys of life; they were simply contented of what they have.

To be a part of such philanthropic project is a very challenging and fulfilling task. With the IPs poverty, inculcating in them the value of education is not an easy responsibility. They need to break the transmission of poverty from one generation to another. And this can only be attained through the acquisition of the highest education possible. This is also to make the parents understand that the purpose of proper education is to combat the widespread belief that economically disadvantaged IP parents are not capable of providing the high quality of care, attention and learning experiences appropriate for their young children.

Having understood their ways of life, I had learned to value my family. I am also looking forward to having a family of my own. Raising your own kids the proper way is such a difficult but a stimulating task! Despite pressures and difficulties, the job can be overwhelmingly satisfying and amazingly productive, because the result of really competent mothering will be passed from generation to generation.

In government service, it's hard to really say if the efficient and effective delivery of services are attained. Being exposed by theory to public service, I was disappointed. The basic services that the constituents are due to receive haven’t been delivered well because of some corrupt public officials who have been squeezed into the decaying system of the government.

I want to be a catalyst for change someday. I don't want to be squeezed into the government's decaying system. Does it seem to be just a dream in the backwoods? Well, I am still hopeful that in the upcoming 2010 elections, change and progress is still possible for all of us.

* Indigenous People or IP's can be used to describe any ethnic group of people who inhabit a geigraphic region with which they have the earliest known historical connection... (Wikipedia, The First Encyclopedia) The Special Program I worked for and with the IP's especially catered the B'laans, Maguinaoans, Tausug, Maranao, Samal, and Tiboli.

DJ TAMMY!

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