An awful kind of death bed

Young, passionate, and hopeful. But I found myself in a place where I struggled to find my purpose. 

First boss

Recounting what I learned from my first-ever boss...

Just before Christmas, we lost my first-ever boss, who taught me the value of grit, hard work, punctuality, and resilience in the real world. 

Our offices were not the typical four-cornered walls but cafes and food chains at malls where we bask to get free wifi as we indulge in food that he would gladly order for us free. He loved to work outdoors, which tested our navigation skills around the Metro. For him, there were no 8 to 4 or 9 to 5 working hours. Work for him was round-the-clock as long as it was not done. 

Dream, love, and laugh

I manage to get some good photos because people where I work at are generous enough to click it as I take a pose.
I wonder why not all people can be that selfless.
If a chance will be given to me, I'll take all the pictures I want to take and do all the poses I want to do.
Actually, sometimes it is not ourselves that we are afraid of. It is the people around that scare us big time. Because we know that not all of them are kind enough to give a compliment. And we are scared of them more than those who are kind enough to appreciate.
Yet I learned that, what matters is your will, passion, and heart to do something. The moment you have those three: you can care less of the people around.
So dream, love, laugh all you want! You owe it to yourself more than anyone in the world.

XOXO
Timmy

Everything's New

A new work. New office. New people. And new tasks.
This new working environment is so much relief. During the first months, I've gone exploring every possible opportunity there is to make my stay here worthwhile. And there is a lot to do actually. Aside from the freedom of contributing new ideas at work, which my boss is very much considerate about, living in the City is a great advantage to explore on my own and make my social life extra fun. I made a pact to myself (and my boardmate's) to make our weekends not boring. 

And one of the things I like living in the city is - dressing up is no sweat! XD

My pretty officemates plus me! :)

At the training

Here's what I've been doing for a while now.

I've been assisting the ongoing training of the project I'm working with. It's been two months since it started, and we still have another two months to go before  our trainees' graduation.

The Team in Baler, Aurora

Currently, we have 25 trainees, which we call AgRiDOCs, coming from different parts of Luzon. AgRiDOC stands for the Agricultural Development Officers of the Community. They are expected to be new breed of extension workers equipped with new knowledge and skills capable of creating change in communities. They are technical experts, as well as, development agents.

Age range from 22-40 years old, most of them are middle-aged. And for two months I am surrounded by adult people that I had to think in a mature way as well. They are experts in their own field and I admire them  as they grew passionate about the new things they are learning so far. For the months they are here, they will have to complete six modules, which are packed with interesting topics  designed to be experiential and fun.

Training Mangement Team

For two months of working with them, I have come to know almost all of them. Of course there are times that it feels boring because I see the same people everyday, but most of the time I feel blessed to be part of their batch, which is the pilot-batch by the way. Its great to be with this bunch of idealistic and amazing people. 

A Farmer

He is not a farner, he's just one of our trainees picking up the weeds early in the morning....

One morning I met this farmer  whose farm is adjacent to where our trainees do their experimental plots. I have heard of him but it was my first time to meet him. He is old. He commended us for our efforts in documenting the training so well - which at first was a compliment. But after he told us his stories, I realized he was a little bit sarcastic.

....as he picks it up, he throws it with all his might across the other side of the field.
While our trainees were busy doing this. I listened to the real farmer's stories.  

He mentioned that most projects make good outputs and reports yet not all are well implemented to farmers. He had a point. So I listened further. I know this is not just about how Government do things in the wrong way. His reasons root from something - maybe a grudge, I don't know. Regardless of what that is - this old farmer gave me a thing or two to ponder. 

First week at Nueva Ecija

Assuming that all my requirements are done, my idea of going here was to work immediately,. But it didn't seem the way I expect it. And so, one day after arriving the HR told me that I still have pending matters to submit which I was quite surprised cause he didn't even reply to my text. And there, in my first two days, I found myself going back and forth from Muñoz to Philrice then Cabanatuan. It was an exhausting walk and patient waiting, just to get it all done. But I like travelling (which in here sounds like commuting hahaha), it gave me a chance to look around Cabanatuan that I've never been to. :D

I like places that implement plastic-free campaign. In Pacific Mall, Cabanatuan where I processed my requirements, I bought some stuff and they use paper bags. Quite delightful to know this, I've never been to a place that uses paper bags except from some parts of Quezon City, and my School in College. I wonder what it takes to do this in our own barangay! Haha!

And I began my first day of work. Hiyah!!! One of the bosses said that employees should also visit the field to be familiarized. Well, then I'm going to visit- but not this time. So I just took a picture of the road going to the field.

Above, is the road I usually walk on when going back and forth from work. :D 

Found this Japanese doll at my friend's office (I call him Takahashi). Isn't it cute??? (sorry for the blur picture). I always visit her office and stop by at this figure.

Apparently, rice isn't just a food subject. An artist from where I work found an amazing art out of rice grains. These tables consist of rice grains variety-filled into shapes. :D I asked about the price too, half the size of these two tables might cost 3000 Php. :D

This is just one of the pictures I took when I visited the Rice Museum. I think this painting gives us a clue of a chid-story right?? Ants and the grasshopper

This is a whole new different place. I was on my first week and my boss took me to travel related to the project I'm involved in. This dark view with city lights was in Angeles, Pampanga. This was on our first night.:D

Another view, this time,  from the top of the hotel building. I did make an effort to reach the top to get a view of this but I don’t think it is something that I did great!! Hahahaha (it is so blurry judging from a phone camera that I used). But I love the top of it, it is so calm and windy. It gave me time to think for a bit. :D

I didn't have a nice sleep on our first night. So I ended up waking up so early in the morning to see the sunrise. This is the view of the city from the room I'm staying in. :D The bluish mount Arayat can be seen from there. :D

A new place, also means new people to be with. So here are my newfound friends on our first night out together. :D