Wow, more than three weeks since my last blog update. Been a really busy last few weeks actually. So let me try to think back to some of the things that kept me really busy the last few weeks.
I organized a socio-civic activity for some folks at work. Can't recall if I've mentioned it in a previous blog post but I'm currently leading some of the corporate social responsibility initiatives at work. So I talked to Hands On Manila to see if we could participate in one of their activities and after attending their orientation and getting enough volunteers from work, we decide to join their activity called "The Breakfast Club". This was an activity were volunteers would join about 20 under-privileged kids early on a Saturday morning and organize a few games for them. After the games, we provide breakfast for everyone. It was a really good activity and everyone had lots of fun!
The night before, I actually hosted (again!) a big event at work. Wasn't really a lot of work to be quite frank because my co-host Elaine and I only had to get up on stage and speak about 3 or 4 times. But it was a bit of a busy night because right after that event, I actually had to go buy some prizes for the games we would give away for our activity with Hands On Manila the next day. After that, I headed to Bonifacio High Street for Pia and Joh's belated birthday celebration in Italianni's. It was cool too because Chris was apparently in Manila for a few weeks and was able to join us. The last time I saw him was way back in 2006, before I left for Sweden, so it has been a really long while! Peegee was also there, which is quite rare because it's not very often that he is able to join our get-togethers anymore. Of course, Raffa and Me-Ann were both there as well to complete the Manila-based gang.
Then I had a business trip to Jakarta a couple of weeks ago. It was my first trip to Indonesia and I may actually have a couple more business trips there. I didn't really get to go around as it was a very hectic trip - only four days. I did manage to meet up with Yulia, one of the honorary Yaminoys who actually flew from Jakarta to Manila last year to watch Elliott's Glorietta and Market! Market! concerts. I got to hang out with her and her friends on the Friday night that I was there. Her friends Bebta, Merry, Iting, and Tikie were all really cool and friendly. If I have another biz trip to Jakarta, I am certainly hanging out with them again.
Finally, last week, I ended going on an off-site team-building and planning activity at work. It was a really hectic two days. Thursday was spent on coming up with an action plan to address some key issues that our team has at work. Then Thursday night - 9pm to 1230am actually - was spent learning the choreography for a dance number that we would be doing on Friday. On Friday morning, my colleague Mark and I hosted (yes, another hosting gig) the morning event that included a couple of business updates as well as a rewards and recognition program. In the afternoon, we played a series of very competitive games that left everyone exhausted. In the evening, aside from our special dance number LOL, our office band played a few songs. There were four of us vocalists and I got to sing Jason Mraz's "I'm yours" and Ne-yo's "Closer". It was really cool! I actually wish I could perform both those songs again but I guess that won't happen coz we're not really into recycling performances. (Although I think it would really be cool to perform "Closer" again, it's such a great and fun song to perform, definitely gets the crowd going). After the band performed, we ended up dancing the night away and filling our guts with beer and other alcoholic beverages. Definitely didn't help me one bit in our volleyball game the next day (thank God I'm only a sub LOL and the rest of my teammates were in good form).
Then yesterday, my friend Ben who lives and works in Singapore but has been assigned on a 2-month project in Baguio and decided to come down to Manila for a day during the weekend. I've seen him a few times in Singapore the last year or so, but the last time I saw him in Manila was way back in 2005. He wasn't feeling well though so we just spent the day chilling out. He will most likely be swinging by Manila again some time in October so hopefully he isn't under the weather anymore when that happens.
So yeah, lots of stuff going on with me right now. Hopefully I can blog a bit more in the next few days since there really is so much for me to be writing about right now.
