I can't believe it's been a month since I last posted an entry. It's unbelievable how time went by so quickly! I've been so busy with work and most of my weekend were being spent on trying to recuperate and recharge for the following week - if not doing my chores. I've been conscientiously planning out my weekend to get the most out of it.
I find that sometimes, because of how hectic my work schedule is with all the project I'm juggling and the few support / administration requests I get, that, I just want to surround myself in a bubble and just enjoy the quiet (or sometimes with music) by myself.
Getting back to work as a senior consultant has its challenges as well as rewards. I've been assigned very challenging projects one on top of the other where the stakes are quite high. I appreciate the trust my company is giving me and I am enjoying it a lot! Although, the pressure is quite high, I'm still managing things well. It's been especially tough because one of the consultants left a week after my last entry so I had a lot to take in and manage and basically pick up the things that were left hanging.
It's finally starting to sink in that I'm in a senior position. The degree of difficulty and the number of responsibilities I have to manage is something I'm trying to get a fit into. I'm also trying to adjust to the different work culture here in Australia. I've been used to working overtime and long hours to finish projects, but here, the attitude seems more like "I'll work within the time I'm paid for and only go over hours when necessary." There was one night when I was working late in the office (10pm), where my HR messaged me asking me if I was still in the office. I replied yes. She told me to go home otherwise she won't be able to sleep - so I did :). Working with older people who are in really senior roles, sometimes, I feel because I'm one of the youngest (our youngest is 24 - who works on the infrastructure and network side), I feel intimidated. Although I think I'm getting over that sense of intimidation at this point. But, because of my age and looking younger than my actual age, I sometimes feel I need to compensate by working harder to be taken seriously.
It feels weird sometimes when I sit down and think about it how this is career progression. I'm doing bigger and bigger things with the stakes getting higher. It's comforting to know that after everything I had to go through - Philippines - Singapore - Funemployment - Australia and now my current work, that the choices I've made are validated by the fact that I am where I am because I've made the right choices...because right now feels absolutely right.
PS: Because of the constant cash flow that is now in place (salary), I feel I need to learn to save up for something in order to get it. From getting employment, aside from putting money aside for savings, I feel compelled to get the things I need and want right here right now (as evidenced by the online shopping I did) - simply because I can afford them. But I think I need to learn to discipline myself more. I need to save for bigger things - like an investment property/my own house now that I can safely say that Australia is home.
What happened the past month?
In pictures
Brunch with friends before going for an indoor climb
A very fun activity! Scaling walls to the point of exhaustion! At some point, I didn't get to do a climb on a stalactite because my grip was so weak!
Selfie with my Australian BFF
Sundate and seeing Autumn in action
A picture at a client site during my colleague's last day
Indoor graffiti in a cafe in Erskineville
Trying out the new Maccas - gourmet burger of my own making :) Yum!
Sundate with ice cream made from Liquid Nitrogen
Getting a heater for the coming winter! I decided to buy one when the temperature on one night dropped to 10 deg C in the evening
Getting my fix with some online shopping. I finally got a better backpack because my shoulder was starting to hurt from carrying my laptop shoulder bag
Brunch special somewhere in the border of Alexandria and Erskineville
More pictures to bombard you with!
One of my closest friends Norman was by Sydney. He brought me to one of the Chinese restaurants by the place he used to live in.
More shopping fix a week after the last one! Buying winter jackets and overcoat
Had Ube Macapuno cake in one of the Filipino restaurants in Central
And then Vivid happened. This was from the opening night May 22 by the Customs House at Circular Quay
More exhibits
Pictures from Canon's exhibition - Light Portraits!
Tetris happening on the facade of the Museum of Contemporary Arts.
Decided to rest from walking around for Vivid and went for drinks at Glenmore Hotel's Rooftop bar
Saturday - went for a trial tennis class and eventually signed up for a 10 week 2 hour class
After which (the tennis class), I went to meet friends to do more indoor climbing.
I finally managed to conquer the Stalactite challenge. The fear of heights still occur, but the adrenaline it brings along with it can be addicting!
Saturdate schnitzel
More Vivid shows - this time in Central Park
At Central Park
Beautiful! So tantalizing just watching the show unfold
Made our way to Darling Harbour and accidentally catching the 830 weekly fireworks
Sundate drive along ANZAC bridge on the way to the outlet mall for some shopping (I only got underwear and bath towels lol)
Sunday, finally caught up with one of my closest friends from Singapore - Paul! Catch up over some white wine at Beresford Hotel
Starting off the week working at a client site!
Wednesday - after a week and a half of staying over at my place, this was Norman's last day in Sydney (again) before he moves back out west
Was supposed to have dinner with some other friends by the Rocks, but it didnt push through, so after Issa (my aussie BFF) and I had dinner and drinks, we walked around and stopped by Martin Place to see some of the Vivid exhibits there
Taken earlier when I was having my 3pm coffee break. The building on the right reminds me of Stamford Swiss Hotel in Singapore mostly because of it's shape (cylindrical). It was another busy week at work, but I'm thankful for all it brings - fulfillment and a wad of cash! haha
This week was rather busy. From finding a place to move to, to looking for the best FOREX place to change the USD I brought with me, to applying for a credit card, I couldn't be any happier that things are about to change.
I've decided to just for the time being find a room instead of my own flat. Getting a flat here would usually entail it being unfurnished so there would be costs like getting my own refrigerator, furniture, setting up internet etc. I found a place which would just be a 5 min walk from a train station that is 4 stations away from my workplace. It's all settled and done. I'll move into it on the 25th as the place is new and they had renovation works.
Another pleasant news was getting approved for my ANZ credit card (ANZ frequent flyer black) two hours after they received the documents they requested from me! Now I can start building up my credit score :)
....In the calming noise of the vacuum cleaner, I find myself immersed in thoughts of nothing, flushing out the negativity to start a day anew.
...In the cool breeze, warm sun and soothing sound of the sea, I realized how similar I am at from Grade 5 - high school senior.
Most of the time just in second place running for honors. It was a fun competition then. I'm not sure I can say the same with now.
For the interviews I've had, I seem to be edged out by 1 more person. One had more experience with SAP mobility. Another one had SAP Hana experience. And the last one, for a contract role, I didn't bother to ask. I was just told there has been a request for budgetary approval to have another person on board - me - the number 2.
There has been a sort of cycle with these. Thursday I hear the news, Thursday I get another interview scheduled.
I can't say I'm sad. I'm actually fine. A little feeling of frustration would come by and then go. (Maybe if I didn't have savings, then I'd be depressed). This is what life is, you don't always get what you want. That, in a race, you may not have finished first, but there's comfort in knowing you finished second, still ahead of the rest. And the other thought, at least I'm making it through shortlisting and getting to final round of interviews. It should come eventually.
So...for the past 60 hours, I've only had 5-6 hours of sleep. Last Monday, I spent about 20 hours working on a project. Yesterday, I spent close to 22 hours.
Unfortunately [technical mambo jargon], the second phase of the project which was to import a database experienced several issues which I was only able to figure out far too late into the timeline. Apparently, SQL server 2008 R2 was designed to eat up a lot of physical memory in order to cache sh*t it needs. I initially suspected a memory leak because of the presence of java processes and been wondering why the memory used by active processes does not correspond to the memory used. Blah blah. I had to reconfigure the amount of memory my SQL server uses to reduce the impact on other processes - particularly the java and R3load processes that requires storage and memory to perform the import. So...yeah, I missed my target delivery.
But, on the lighter side of things, when I agreed (to try and complete the project before I fly off to Europe), I only had a small buffer of 3 hours. And that's way past blown given the technical issues experienced. I would have completed the delivery with a conservative estimate of 4-5 days though - including troubleshooting buffer.
The project was handed to me Friday afternoon (about 2 hours before work ended). And since I didn't have Internet access at home, I couldn't be bothered using my data plan to perform the downloads and the connection we were tapping on to (freeloading on an unsecured network) was intermittent, I only had Monday to start on the project.
So I may not have finished it, but I believe I made a lot of mileage in terms of delivery given the short notice. It's not my fault the project manager was not made aware of my planned leave haha.
At the moment, that's my data usage. Inclusive of downloads for amazing race and survivor - 1 episode each that will be less than 600 MB.
It was an exciting race against time. The pressure was exhilirating! :) As I tweeted, it's been over 2 years since I last worked long hours - much less straight 20+ hour days. So, it was a very much welcome distraction I guess before I fly off to Europe. Because of this last minute assignment, I wasn't able to review and plan for anything logistics related for my vacation. I only have the outline and anatomy of how the vacation will be. Maybe I'm just too tired at the moment to worry and be anxious. What's running in my mind is que sera. I may have just the outline of a vacation at the moment, but that's how the story will be formed - with the adventure into the unknown...in the streets of Madrid, in the magnificence of Barcelona and the wonders of Lisboa!
I CANT WAIT! :)
But for now, I need to finish my client visit and later rush back home to complete my packing, shower then finally off to the airport!
Music
My housemates must be thinking: "Man, hasnt that guy gotten sick of hearing the same song?!" Well, I can only hope that they're not hearing it through closed doors - but I've been playing Lady Gaga's Applause from YouTube ALOT!
I am a fan of Lady Gaga for reasons like, she's the Madonna of this generation (I'd like to say I'm still part of that generation) despite being in the late 20s haha. I like the evolution in her music and approach to present it to her fans. Although, this song in particular is reminiscent of her tunes from The Fame album. The Fame Monster and Born This Way had a darker and edgier tone to the music.
Given that I have limited exposure to American modern art, her reference to Jeff Koons is a bit lost on me. Although, some people have likened her approach to melding art and music to someone like Andy Warhol, when I think about it through my limited exposure to art, I feel she's more Jackson Pollock (i.e. his drip painting style) where the approach Lady Gaga takes is quite considered. Considered in the sense that there's order amid the chaos of presentation. And you have to appreciate the thought behind Lady Gaga as a persona and the body of people behind it to assist the person create and execute the persona.
Profile Picture
In a different form of applause, I just got my fix of applause with Facebook likes for a change of profile picture. LOL. Although, I'd like to put out the disclaimer that I didn't change it to get attention - I simply changed it because it has been drizzling the whole day in SG, and a summer post on the beach seemed highly inappropriate. (Note: I've played Applause 7x at this point of typing this haha)
Work
Regarding work, in relation to the song, I feel like the reason why I get bored so quickly with work is because the ones I've gotten so far since coming to SG does not really give me the opportunity to shine. Shine in the sense of being challenge and not shining in the sense of getting attention for the achievement. I think I'm at a point in my life where I challenge myself to please myself and not others - well, I guess it will just be a plus to be noticed.
But, I'm not sure at the moment whether it's just me, or it's the actual work that's the source of the *eye-roll* boredom. To explain this further, I hear a lot of people say they're stressed from work, etc. But whenever I get asked, I'm more like, "yeah, it's okay." The safest answer I could give without giving too much away. So, the point of contemplation is, am i expecting too much challenge to be presented? I mean, yes, I should be thankful for the relatively stress free work environment and relatively easy work load - but is it easy only because it's me and how I make of it? That if other people were in my position, they'd be like, "oh i love this job and how it's challenging me?"
Or then again, I could be falling under the stereotype of the 20 something people who are not satisfied with the job they have. I feel though that I am successful compared to my peers, but I don't feel like I should be resting on my laurels just because of that. I want to keep pushing the boundaries. But at the moment, since I'm new at the job (just turning two months), I think I should stop bickering and find other things to preoccupy myself and actually enjoy and appreciate where I am at.
Family
And, hahaha, I nearly forgot to type it in, I'm an uncle again! My sister in law gave birth to my niece earlier today. Welcome to the family Ysabel Patricia! ;) (clap clap clap). So excited to have heard the good news and the safe delivery of baby Ysa. My nephew Yoshua will be a big brother now. Would be interesting and nice to see how he grows up. And, from the looks of it, the siblings look very very similar during birth. Yay to good cute genes! :) Although, I hope there wont be much of any sibling rivalry considering how close their birthdays are. September 9 and September 26.
Aside from being busy preparing for the coming vacation in the UK this Friday, I've also been planning and arranging hotel booking, tour and activities for when my parents visit me in SG. They're arriving 3 hours before my plane lands from London...
This will be the first time my mom and dad will be visiting me since I arrived here in Singapore. Come to think of it, none of my family has visited me since I started working here. :-) Although, my parents did plan to go before (CH35: Panic), but my mom had an accident and had to have surgery and rehab. She slipped on a wet pavement when she was walking our dog and smashed her knee cap #TMI.
So, yes, they'll be visiting SG soonish and it was a bit of a headache drafting their itinerary since consideration has to be made as to make the tour "old-people-friendly." :-)
Saturday Weekend
Over the weekend, CP and I had planned for a relaxed and relatively cheap way to spend the day(s).
Well that was the plan though....but like some plans - that's all they remain as...plans.
We went to the World Street Food Congress last Saturday. It was overall an OK experience, but I wish they could have made it so much bigger. Arrangement wise, I would have preferred that they set up the place in a grid style rather than an L shape layout. But I understand how they wanted a common area where people can stand to eat and drink beer. As a first time, it would suffice. Pictures and items we tried are after the break :-)
Got to meet up quickly with Ange, MKSurf8, Chris and Alex, but since we've been there for almost two hours before they arrived, we were quite full already. I would have thought that there would be Filipino food stalls as what I remember hearing on the radio ad, but maybe they're coming days after as I noted that the Denmark food stall was just to open the week after we went (the event runs for 10 days).
After, we went to Acid Bar in Emerald Hill and met up with other friends while listening to acoustic music.
Sunday Weekend
Sunday was just a lazy day, what's different is just spending the afternoon getting a tan in Sentosa. CP bought a cooler from FairPrice so we put it to use - although we didnt really make good use of it as we didnt bring down anything alcohol after the previous night.
In the evening, I seared some pork and made Yorkshire pudding pancakes (using the mix CP got form the UK), and it turned out well I should say. The porks were cooked beautifully (below picture is not the finished product).
Countdown
In just 48 hours, we will be flying off to London! I don't feel that excited yet admittedly considering that I'm still waiting for my IPA to be approved in the new employer I'm moving to. Yes, I know, this will be the fourth employ since I arrived in SG (that's a total of 2 years 3/4 months?). It will be a good change and the role is much more strategic and challenging. Hopefully, the IPA gets approved before we fly off that way there's one less problem to worry about.
I finally passed my SAP certification exam! I'm now officially a SAP Certified Technology Associate - System Administrator (Oracle DB) with Netweaver 7.0. So what does this bring forth? I'm not sure really. Better days surely
I must admit, it was so hard balancing work, review and random tidbits here and there with CP. I was anxious the weekend before the exam as I was in Malaysia with CP and family. But, as the results show, I've pulled through and passed. I couldn't be any happier!
Had I failed, it would have been a huge disappointment and I would be crying right now in my room. After a while when I've moved on, I will remember that I paid 650+ SGD for the exam and get depressed again.
The total number of pages I had to skim through totaled 3000+ pages. That's consisting of 5 modules. TADM10 1, TADM10 2, TADM12 1, TADM12 2 and TADM51. The night before the exam I sped-read through about 1400 pages XD. It's such a humbling feat and I'm so so so soooooo thankful that it's over.
Now, on to other things and better days!
PS: CP booked a yacht tour in Groupon for his friends in UK. Very timely celebration later!
Pits
I wonder why the instructors we have for body combat shave their arm pits. I'm not sure for the rest of the Singaporean men, but I'm sure a lot shave theirs. During the class last night, I felt conscious that people may think I shave my pits - when really, they're just sparse to nothing because of genes. I think, the term for it is "smooth."
What are the pros and cons of having armpit hair anyway? Is there gender bias with pit hair?
Pressure
I've only been in the project for 3 months, yet just now, I was copied in an email putting my name as the owner for two project components closely integrated with SAP Solution Manager. And, I had my mouth agape as my pupils dilated before I snapped out of the shock.
The implications of your name being put into a RACI matrix is daunting. Well, for me - yes, considering that the other people in the list have been working on the project for over a year already. And I was under the impression that I was still pulling the rope from the far end. So, now I have to pull harder to catch up? And I have to coordinate so much more with the people who have been working on the two components far longer than I have.
I posted on my Facebook and Twitter about a week back about how I managed to get one of the 300 slots for the Silver Fern Job Search Visa in New Zealand.
NZ, yearly, opens 300 doors for would be migrants. The visa, once you get a slot, allows you to submit evidences to prove your claims. Once you qualify (qualifications are more lenient than their Skilled Migrant to Resident visa), you get to have a visa that lets you go in and out of NZ for a period of 9 months to look for work.
Once you find a job there, you qualify for a Silver Fern Practical Experience Visa which will allow you to work in NZ for two years. And from there, you can apply for a Skilled Migrant to Resident visa - or have your company sponsor you. But, the 2 years spent working in NZ will earn you higher creds/points to better qualify for the Skilled Migrant visa (and the 2 years spent in NZ I believe is credited to the 5 years minimum residency requirement to become a citizen - so you're in a way PR if you get the Skilled Migrant visa).
My former colleagues laud me for my proficiency in crafting e-mails. They say I can undertone a bitch reply without it seeming like so (minus the explicits). Or I can put down somebody in the email to prove a point - without being "hey-fucker-get-your-act-together" obvious.
Today, after getting this email:
"I
have checked R4ChaRM and R3ChaRM. The retrofit system setup is
wrong.
The
current setting means from R4 to R3. Logical component should be put in R3ChaRM
no[t] in R4ChaRM."
My right eye-brow did it's familiar reflex...
We've had a lot of meetings already on how the setup will be performed. The guy who sent me an email already had a heated argument with one of my senior on this. And, it pissed me that it seemed like a back of the hand slap to receive an email after doing the work when in all the discussions he never did insist on his point. (Prior to this he raised a point to include several setting parameters to an activity I completed over the weekend. He could have brought it up before I started!)
"BHP Billiton is an Anglo-Australian multinational mining, oil and gas company headquartered in Melbourne, Australia and with a major management office in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest mining company measured by 2011 revenues and as of February 2011 was the world's third-largest company measured by market capitalisation.
I've only worked for 2 weeks, but there's already work piling up. I didn't even get to experience some adjustment period. Since my second day at work, I was assigned to perform some patching, post configurations and add-on installations on a system that's under the Build Phase. The work for it is not finished yet as there are documentations to be performed after. The work landed on my plate as the person assigned is on leave in India and I've worked with the one who assigned it before for a different project (also under IBM).
Just this week, I was assigned to work on an Oracle upgrade. I'm halfway through the 130 page document. I had to put it on hold because the "root" access to the server is not yet provided.
I thought I would have already been over the song from FUN covered by Glee (Refer to this entry). But, apparently, it still strikes a chord.
I miss my friends.
I've been listening to this song on repeat again for almost half the day. I happened upon it on Facebook - when a friend posted a different music video released from FUN.
While listening to it, I drift off to a day dream where my friends and I visit La Union again and go surfing or just getting some sun. Chill days. I was actually conceptualizing making a Barkada music video with this song as the BG music. Oh, how cool it would be to do that trip with a road trip. Cruising NLEX, SCTEX and whatever that highway is that courses through North Luzon.
I thought initially on the first few years of working, that adults were wrong when they said you will eventually miss college and the relative enchantment you experience in college. But now, soon to be working 4 years (April 16, 2012), I miss the days when I have nothing else to worry about except getting good grades and planning my social calendar and attending to the finances of the organization I was in (I was in the Finance and Marketing committee from first year to fourth then inactive on my fifth).
There's something about that song. I become disillusioned with the realization that I thought I wouldn't miss my college days or enjoy corporate life more. But I'm not generalizing the experience for everyone. Maybe because my family lives a comfortable life. For others who manage to graduate and get a decent work in the Philippines, it's the start of the upward trend in means of living.
If only life had a fastforward and rewind button, wouldn't it be easier?
Wrong choices can be made right.
Correct choices can be fastforward-ed to see the outcome and reap the results - skip over the nasty.
No more uncertainties. Life will be much more fluid as we know it.
I just submitted my resignation today. I submitted 2 resignation letters actually.
One addressed to my manager here in Infineon, the other one I sent to my agency.
30 days notice. 28 days actually, because I plan to use two earned leaves as annual leaves - because I am to start on the 9th of April with my new work.
April 9. Yes. Two days before my birthday.
So I plan to make the most out of the long weekend and leaves. I should book for tickets to wherever. I need that escape to refresh myself. I'm thinking Bali right now as the most feasible destination. Thailand, I figured will be pretty crowded with Filipino vacationers. Siem Reap ticket prices are about 600 sgd round trip - so, maybe next time. The limited flights going in and out is also a bit of a downer.
Now, it's counting down time and waiting for the tics and tocs of the clock. The awkward X days notice.
Time will tell if I'm making the right or wrong decision. But, the now feels like it's right. The same feeling I had when I left IBM before. But the last time, it was more for job security. Perhaps it's alright then - the decision I made to leave IBM before because I wouldn't have been able to go on a very long vacation in New Zealand if I was stayed in IBM. Nor would I be able to go back and work on my preferred account had I not left. Working in Infineon also allowed me to go full throttle on the active lifestyle I started living. That matter is still uncertain if I would be able to sustain given the workload I hear from my former colleagues (soon to be colleagues again). But I figured, I can just substitute more runs instead and go around the Marina Bay reservoir should I miss swimming. Add to that, there is TrueYoga in Raffles, so I have no excuse to skip class.
For now, I soak myself in revelry. Looking forward to things to come and for things to change.
For now, I look forward to becoming thoroughly busy. A multi-tasking corporate slave I always envisioned myself to be.
For now, I look forward to the change in salary.
*The pay increase tantamount to 1 fresh grad's average entry salary in an MNC in the PH* :)
Life is like a role-playing-game. Customize your character to suit your preference and win the game.
I've been thinking about how stress-free my work is.
I tell my friends when they ask how I'm doing, and I tell them, I'm only exerting 10% or less of what I used to exert when I was working with IBM.
Well, it's not really fair to compare both considering that IBM was more of a support work with some projects and implementation works on the side; while here in Infineon, I'm more of internal focused more on Solution Manager.
I'm at the crossroad. The position I'm in would be a great position to be in if I was already thinking of settling down - and growing within the company. But, I'm not sure that's where I want to be in right now. The fixed work schedule is great to be honest. I get to swim, do the things I like doing. And there's not much 'work' excuse to say not to have fun.
But then again, is it right for me to be here right now? Or is it a matter of being too early?
Like I told my mom last night, I will have to think about it after I come back from NZ. After all, if I didnt move into the company, then I don't think I would have been allowed 18 days of vacation.
Yes, it might seem like I was only using the company to get what I want - but. hmmm.
To elaborate more on it - aside from not being stressed - I think that I'm not learning as much as I want to learn. It's more of my teammates learning from me. I wouldn't call it a parasitic relationship. They're great people to work with and I feel that I'm appreciated and I'm important to the team.
Although, what irks me is the fact that they are the "System Owners" of the SAP Solution Manager of the company - yet they have very little technical know-how on managing systems. They have almost no background prior to being system owners on how to handle and manage SAP systems. Solution Manager being a central aspect of the SAP landscape - well, it requires a degree of technicality in order to operate and maintain. Yes - that's where I came in.
But, sometimes - I feel like an actual consultant who is an "enabler" for the recognized system owners. So, yes, I feel like, they are getting all the spotlight etc. There was one instance where the sytem owner asked me to create some slides to update the colleagues in EU on the progress of our activities. I was under the assumption that I was the one who was going to present. But it turns out, he was planning on presenting it all along. He used the words I put in my slide. He used all my slides! During our meeting even - when he couldn't find the right phrase to use for his idea - he even asked me to help him come up with the right words to say?! Well, I opted not to. I just solved the issue he was having a hard time explaining.
So yes. right now, after I come back from NZ - my stand is pretty much 60-40 in favor of moving out. But, it's more of a matter of exploring other opportunities. It's like hook and bait. Just to see how much i can demand. I won't be jumping on any offer the instant they're offered. Job security wise - I'm secured here - unlike in IBM where there was a risk of being relieved given that the project was at an end.
Quite unexpectedly, during my run today, I was able to run 5km straight.
This is the first time ever I was able to run the whole 5km straight. Prior, I used to stop at 3km to have a water break.
But for some reason, when I reached 3km, I forced my mind and body to keep going telling it to take a rest at 4km instead. Then at 4km, I tell myself to just force it into the home run distance of 5km.
Which made me realize, well, I was able to surpass my limits/boundaries. When I bought the nike+ipod set (I use my nano not Iphone to track), I told myself that I should train myself and achieve that goal by September. LOL. I had 4 months to train and achieve the distance.
It's like a case of shooting for the moon but landing close enough to be satisfied with the achievement. But in this case, I overshot it and reached Mars. LOL. I'm so happy to have been able to achieve this running feat. This link was the inspiration behind the successful run (and hopefully successful future runs):
The read is so applicable for many cases. I imagine it being applicable to the state the Philippines is in, to the people I know who are full of regrets, to the people I know who want to achieve more but are unable to do so, etc etc.
It is also applicable in many aspects of my life. For this instance, losing weight. It's all about overcoming your doubts and pushing through. In another instance, about wanting to achieve more in my career but not being able to do so - blaming it on external factors - but forgetting to count myself in the blame. But, for the career aspect, I'm quite pleased with the track i'm in. If I play my cards right, I know I'll achieve what I want to achieve.
Prior to achieving this goal, I posted something on twitter. A quote.
What you see doing in life may not be what you are destined for.
I got the realization when I was on my way home. I thought to myself, before, what do I see myself doing? I told myself, well, I can't imagine myself being so tied-up acting all professional in all aspect and demeanor. I saw myself like a programmer, wearing casual clothes, going to work to debug etc. But life led me elsewhere. It's not to say I'm all suited up or what, but well, it's hard to define.
[edit] I didn't like what I was doing during my first employment. I had to take a 3-4 month sabbatical in order for me to assess and realize for myself how I want to move forward. Well, I didn't go for retooling - but instead stuck to the career I was put in. And it's not a matter of doing what you love - but loving what you do. Love in the sense that is learned - not acquired.
As our account is to be transitioned out, some of my teammates will be the first batch to move to the new account.
I'm excited to see the small changes in routine that is called for because of the said changes. First thing of course, less man power would mean changes in the duty roster. The change will require a 12 hour shift. And, well, when I saw the schedule, frankly speaking, I was happy.
Below is an excel spreadsheet I made to mark the changes in schedule:
A would stand for a 12 hour shift from 6am to 6pm
N would stand for a 12 hour shift from 6pm to 6am
June
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
A
A
A
A
July
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
1
2
3
4
N
N
N
8
9
10
11
A
A
A
15
16
17
18
N
N
N
N
23
24
25
A
A
A
29
30
31
August
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
1
A
A
A
5
6
7
8
A
A
A
12
13
14
15
A
A
A
A
20
21
22
A
A
A
A
27
28
29
30
31
One thing I'm happy about is the lack of weekend work. Although in retrospect, I kind of think that well, this schedule is a lot stressful considering weekend works are more work from home and on-call. But then again, on the other side of the argument is, why would I want my weekends to be spoiled by work related calls? With the given schedule, I can hop-off on a plane to else where by Thursday night and come back Monday evening. Hahaha. It's just too bad I wasnt able to file leaves for August to go to New Zealand. So I guess, the option would be to go there on September for my Nephew's second birthday?
A very stark difference from weeks before prior last week. During those weeks, I had nothing to do but just laze around, given that we were overstaffed.
Last week I was on shift and a very busy one at that. Lots of issues happening on customer side. But this week, I thought all I had to do for Monday was create a report, and ... LOL I overslept by 4 hours! Luckily, I was able to finish the report on time and still attend my Monday class.
Lots of changes happening, and aside from the report, I was frankly surprised that I had to migrate internally a sap router. Then i have to create a plan for the restoration of one of the customer's systems to a new frame to develop and finally migrate it to there once customer confirms that they prefer that system's build. I won't elaborate on the technicalities.
So, instead of wasting more time typing here, I'm supposed to go out jogging and come back to start working!!!! So, bye! lol
Yet again as well, I'm busy for the week. The following tasks are expected to be completed:
1. SMD installation on 1 Java system ... may need Wily for this
2. DSI (solman dev) refresh ... kind of new to me since Java will be refreshed as well. New learnings.
3. Oracle SBP Patching (4/5 SIDs to work on) ... another new encounter
It seems though, to be honest that my stay in TSFI has brought more good than should be expected. The work environment I guess, cultured the 'working-independently' attitude. Before, if these tasks were assigned to me, I would have groaned in frustration as well as fright at the thought of not being able to meet certain expectations - given that, well, I am not aware of how to do the said activities.
But now, I find myself, well, feeling like hmm ... how should I phrase it, happy go lucky I guess, in a way. The activities are there, so, theres nothing else to do but get them over with.
With the matter for number 1, I have to discuss with my boss first that installation may not be completed by Friday given that I have the Refresh to perform, and I may also need to have root access on the system in order to finish the activity...plus there are tons of other configuration items to consider.
