Celebrating 10 Years of Being an HR Professional

A week ago I was having a private chit-chat with my cuzin Ayie who just graduated from college (Congratulations Ayie!!! Welcome to the Big Real World) this year and I casually mentioned that this month (referring to the month of May) I'm celebrating my 10th year being an HR Professional. I recall telling her that I'm glad that in the 10 years of working in Human Resources, I was able to do everything I wanted to do.

In the 10 years that I've been a careerwoman, I was able to:

• learn the ins and outs of Human Resources with the help of my mentors and colleagues and acquaintances in the Industry.

• be sooo inlove with my career (I always tell family and friends that "Training is what I eat, sleep, dream about and have nightmares about.")

• travel to several provincial areas of the Phils (Baguio, Bicol, Cebu, Davao, Bohol, Dagupan, Laoag, Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte, Lucena)
  

• fall in love :) --- it was at work that I met my husband :)

  

• find true friends :)
  

• get recognized in my field of expertise
• work til 9pm only to come to work at 7am the following day
• work non-stop, 7 days a week for one whole month
• bring home work just because I've been conducting training inside the classroom during the day
• witness employees fail in their training and hence I had to tell them that they are being terminated from work (one of the saddest part of my work in the bank before and I had to hide my tears everytime something like this happens)
• find my Life Guru who helped me "fight all my demons", counseled me in personal issues and made me realized my strengths and weaknesses and adviced me how to better utilize them and saw Chris' aura and told me that "he is the one". I will also never forget him telling me that I will be a more beautiful woman when I become a wife and mother--the more responsibilities I have, the more that I will bloom.
• have a very hectic life: eating inside the FX coz I don't have time to sit down and eat a decent meal; meet Chris at the airport (I came from a training stint in Cebu while he came from a Branch Inauguratin in Bicol), meetings from morning til night, walang katapusang pagtuturo sa loob ng training room---7 hours standing infront of the class, every week out-of-town training (I always have my weekend luggage ready all the time), staying in a provincial area for days...at kung anu-ano.
• say goodbye to my career in the Phils---one of the most painful experiences I've had to deal with
• LIE-LOW, START ANEW and find a more relaxing HR work in a new country
• sucessfully achieve a permanent position in an Australian government office

Some other photos I found while looking thru my photo archives:

Class photo with the girls

Class photo with the boys

Class photo with my Cebu trainees

With my ERC Team Building participants in Pagsanjan, Laguna

EWBC Sponsored-party at the NBC Tent. One of the many benefits of having a boyfriend who works at the Advertising Department of the company :). Other than parties and inaugurations, we always get free tickets to movies sponsored by EWBC.

with the HR Group at my surprise despedida party before I left the Phils in 2005. I cried heaps when I entered the restaurant and they were all there.

one last photo with the Training Department

In the 10 years of being a careerwoman, I believed I was able to do it all: from giving my life to the work I love so much and to finding one that doesn't take too much of my time. With this, I will always always be grateful knowing that I'm blessed with 10 wonderful years of being an HR Professional.

Personal Note:

I sometimes miss the hectic-ness of being a Trainer (and I enjoy reminscing about the good ol' hectic days whenever I'm in 'senti' mode) but for now I'm very happy staying in the sidelines (read: operation side of Training) and having more time for my family and spending more time at home. And I guess my idea of a career right now is being a Wife first rather than being an HR Professional. Maybe one day soon, I will go back to being a hardcore Trainer again, but for now, even if I continue on with my HR career, I choose to be a Wife first :).

Photos were from my stint in EWBC where I stayed for more than 6 years. The first part of my career was in a food manufacturing company but at that time, photos were film-based and I left most old photos back in the Phils, so these are all I have for now.

Chris' Birthday Gift to Me Last January

This was husband's birthday gift to me last January...

Finally, na-upload ko din hehehe.

Salamat Husband :) aylabyoo!!!!

Happy Anniversary to Wifely Steps

As a way of celebrating Wifely Steps' 5th year anniversary on the blogosphere, here's my entry to Toni's contest:

My Favorite Wifely Steps' entry is On Not Having Children...yet!

I chanced upon Wifely Steps after I got married in January 2007---what good timing right? Since then, I've been inspired with Toni's positive and informative stories via her blog.

One of my favorite entries was about Toni's feelings on not having children yet. I can so relate with that entry because since I got married, I have been hounded by questions like "so when is the baby coming?" and of course with questions like those, I felt a certain kind of pressure to conform with what's expected of us. However, when I read Toni's entry, I somehow felt a certain kind of peace that I'm not alone and that not conforming with society's expectations is a not bad thing. Thru the On Not Having Children...yet! entry, I confirmed that having children is indeed a choice.

Now let me also take this opportunity to greet Toni:

Toni, congratulations!!! Wifely Steps is such a blessing to us all. More power to you! I really hope to meet you soon. Mwah! - ibyang :)

Happy-Exhausted

I know, I know. It's not good to start the week being exhausted but what can i do? At least I'm happy .

Husband and I had a very busy, hectic but productive weekend as we were able to do a little exploring, hang out with relatives and friends, help in the birthday party of my cuzin Patrick, do household chores, update my website AND (the biggest and of all) cover two events. Multi-tasking to the max at strike anywhere ang drama namin *whew!

Yes!!! We are now covering events :) Oh well, it's not really a big deal (not yet anyway) but at least we are going somewhere with regards to our passion for photography. (Our first event was the christening of my godson Caleb last month, then this month, the birthday parties of Patrick.)

Patrick had two birthday parties and we both covered them: Saturday night and Sunday afternoon (which was yesterday).

Saturday was party at home for families and friends so it was kinda easy.

Sunday was challenging as it was a bowling party for kids.

Photographing kids is one thing. Photographing kids in a bowling alley is another. Imagine, these kids are kids: small and tiny and we expect them to bowl? Ayayay! My arms hurt not because of clicking and holding the camera but because I had to help the kids carry the bowling ball so they can at least roll them over to the alley. At ang hirap kuhanan ng mga bata kasi since bowling ito, nakatalikod sila pag tumira. Chris and I had to go to the middle of the bowling alley (which was off limits to us really) in order to have some frontal shots of the kids while playing.

After they played one game, we had to go to the dining area so the kids can eat their snacks and where Patrick will blow candles on his cake. These kids are about 6-7 years of age and are very active. Ang gugulo at ang iingay. We had to shout a bit to get their attention for the group photos or for them to at least smile at the camera.

I swear, when Chris and I lied down to our bed last night, we were dead tired and we were like "Ang sakit ng katawan ko lalo na ang arms ko, ang hirap pala mag-cover ng bowling party."

But here's the thing, we were both smiling and really really happy how the parties for Patrick turned out and how fulfilling it was that we were the ones who captured a very important part of his life.

And I love being able to photograph kids :) I love seeing them smile on my viewfinder. I love it when they smile because they realize I'm taking a photo of them. I love seeing their unpretentious expressions especially their laughter. Being with kids is such a natural high.

I'm happy-exhausted today but I'm in a really good mood. It's a Monday and yet I have a smile in my heart :) all because i was blessed by little angels yesterday.