Slow Day, Friday! (And thank God, it is indeed FRIDAY!)

Finally! A work day that doesn't spell T.O.X.I.C.

By Wednesday, I thought I'd be like this come Friday:

But yesterday, I thought best to just be this way:

But I'm happy to report, it turned out to be even better. I came to work feeling like this.

I'm just really happy this week is over. I'm positive next week and the weeks after than are going to be way, way better. (No more business trips for now, please? Yes I hope so!) It's not going to be a laid back weekend for us yet. Especially with the school season officially opening next week BUT I plan to just have total, unadulterated fun weekend with my family in one way or the other.

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!!!

Scenes From Japan: Day 3 - Goodbye Hanyu, Hello Sake

I'm trying to catch up with my Japan posts before I actually start a new batch of them (yes, I'm leaving for Japan again in 10 days or so). So please bear with me.

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Day 3 - April 23. 

Sad day since we're saying bye bye to Hanyu. I was starting to love that place (and how warm the people were). The other day when we were at lunch, we met a couple of Filipinos who were on training for a few months. We suddenly felt home. The factory was the smallest I've been to (in terms of headcount and yes, even area size). You would immediately feel how strict cost cutting measures were while walking through dark corridors. But I was really glad we decided to spend our first few days there. I immediately felt at ease with my 'new' role. And it didn't feel scary at all from that point. I was a little disappointed though I didn't even get to document how our day went there. I think that was probably going to be the last time I'll ever get to visit that place. We hardly left our seats at the conference room except for when we had lunch or headed out for the restrooms or grabbed coffee at the nearby vendo but I didn't feel the burden of work while I was there.  So it was a little heavy on our way back to Kumagaya today. I tried to soak in every tiny detail of the view from the train ride. I silently said my goodbyes to the rice fields, quiet neighborhoods, a few cherry blossom trees that I regretfully didn't get closer view off (it will turn out to be the only cherry blossoms that I would see in this trip), high school kids dressed just like the way you'd see in Japanese telenovelas (short skirts, pig tails, and big bags). 

Later that night we dinner with our American colleagues tonight. We came back to Wataminchi and I finally had my first taste of Sake. It was amazingly good. My glass was filled to the brim and I was a little worried they might have to carry me back to the hotel after I finish my glass but surprisingly, I didn't feel the alcohol kick till I was actually comfortably settled in my hotel room. Slept like a baby (and thinking of coming back again even for just a shot of that Sake hahaha)

Our group was little adventurous last night. They ordered raw shrimp (which was amazingly sweet), horse sashimi, and these small fish that's filled with fish eggs. They managed (or rather forcibly) to convince me to try that tiny fish. I only took the bottom half (from the mid part down to the tail) and passed the upper half to my staff who was more adventurous than me. When in Japan, know that water is not for free so we had to follow that fish experience through with a shot of Sake just to ward of the aftertaste. It wasn't actually bad. I think. Had you been on the same resto that night, you wouldn't even think it was a table filled with workaholics sitting in front of their computers day in and out. 

It was an extremely fun night. It was my team's welcome dinner for me. And it turned out to be a whole lot of fun welcome.

Hello May!

I blinked and it's now May.

Was I that busy that I didn't feel the first quarter of the year go by and now the second quarter's almost halfway through? 

In the past, my summers have always been dedicated to mother-daughter weekends but none of that is happening this year. The thought stirs the kind of emotions that is of the complicated kind. The more I think about it, the more sadder it gets though. I don't want to stay in that zone. Because I did pray for these blessings that I am currently getting. And yes, my gratitude basket is filled to the brim. I really have no right to complain.

I am now blessed to be doing what I really love to do. And that is to mentor people. I love to teach because it makes me feel like I am helping make the world a better place. Haha self-indulging, I know (bordering on gloating in fact but I have to say that so I will push myself to work harder to making that happen). I hope the people I am mentoring now is indeed learning from me. For now, every thank you that I receive is already fulfilling on its own. A sort of validation. And again, that goes into my gratitude basket.

I am blessed too to be surrounded by a solid support group. Of bosses who empower and colleagues who readily extends help despite being overwhelmed with individual tasks themselves. 

The world is still filled with goodness. 

So yes, I'm a little shaken that it's already May but I can't wait to rock the rest of this year. And in retrospect, maybe I didn't feel time move at all because everything's been rolling great since 2013 opened its doors. It's been a smooth ride for the most part (and I was expecting bumpy).

So anyway, I know I'm probably not making any sense to you. But when I spill out my thoughts like this, things start to clear out in my head and I start to make sense out of what's going on around me. And for that, I am thankful that I have this space to help me do that.

I hope May is going to be awesome for you, friends!