Entrepreneurial Management Course: For Men Only

I've always wondered why the EM course in UA&P is only for men. EM faculty would tell me that it's because men have less entrepreneurial "common" sense than women. Women, they say, are more entrepreneurial. Just take for example female public school teachers who are rumored to be selling tocino, longganisa, and insurance on the side. The wives of OFWs invest their husband's money to put up a small sari-sari store to keep them busy and to give them the impression that they are working and earning.

The examples I gave are all second hand information. After 28 years of living, I finally could say that I have witnessed or am witnessing myself this phenomenon that businesses are not innate in the male species: my brother-in-law. Due to his lack of interest in 8 to 5 jobs (a.k.a. office jobs), he ventured into professionalizing watching movies, reading T3 magazines, and making pa-cute. Afterwards, he finally dived into the world of investment and business. Mind you, he is newly-married to my much loved sister. What does a husband who never had a decent job (while my sister does all the 8 to 5 jobs she could find in New York and here) have financially? His father who is married to an executive working at the heart of the central business district. In short, nothing. That said, he dreams of putting up his dream photocopying and printing business, which according to my father requires around P2M for initial investment.

From a personal point of view, why would he want to put a printing business when apparently there is no need in the area? The offices in Laguna Technopark would surely have their own photocopying machines that they don't need to outsource their printing needs. What the people in our new-born city needs is the tingi: photocopy bio data, birth certificates, etc. Before his "business" would pick up, it would take a lot of money for marketing, and networking. Does he have the drive or diligence to do that? I don't know. So when is he going to get his return on investment? Five years? Two years if he's lucky? The only earnings they have as a couple to spend for their food, laundry, and utilities are from my sister's 8 to 5 job.

Just some common sense: for starting middle-class families, the best is still to have 8 to 5 jobs. When you have enough savings, that's the best time to start a business.

EM is indeed for men only.

Providence and Impatience

I don't know if it's really providence or impatience that my sister with her husband has finally moved back into their house after a two and a half month squat in my parents' house. First, about providence. I've been complaining about how my brother-in-law has been disrespectful to me (to think that I'm older than him by a good 2 years, and to think that men mature more slowly than women), and how he just leaves his dirty clothes and shoes in front of the common use television set. I have been complaining about how I cannot move freely inside my house (I'm still not maried) because my brother-in-law would be watching TV the whole day intermittently napping. [You must know that I don't get along with my brother-in-law.] I have been complaining about how he had quit his job, forcing my sister to work harder to earn for the both of them, and now dreaming about putting up his own business [which means shelling out money for investment].

What's your opinion? Impractical eh? So I told my friend about the situation and she said she'll pray for my intention that they leave the house and live on their own so that the husband will be forced to earn for extra money. Come last Sautrday, March 11. My brother-in-law used my internet cable without permission. I told my sister about it. She asked permission from me for her husband saying that he needed it to fix his dad's computer. Due to my impatience, I burst out complaining to my sister how irresponsible of him not to have finished fixing his dad's computer in his dad's house! I wasn't normally home on Saturday afternoons but I decided to go home that day. That irked my sister, and decided to bitterly leave the house because she felt like I was shooing them away already.

Providence. March 11 was the birthday of Don Alvaro to whom my friend prays to for my intention. Was it meant to be that they leave on his birthday? Was it also meant to be that I had become impatient and that they had to leave bitterly? I reflected and realized that perhaps, it was meant to be because they might not live in their house anymore if no one complained to them. It was perhaps already the right time for them to go. All these may be right, but there is now sibling rivalry. I texted and apologized but she does not reply. This story is unfinished, and will only be finished as soon as my sister forgives me for being impatient, and when she realizes that yes, it was already the time for them to leave.

Just Doing What I Have to Do

Just last Friday, I gave in to my pride. My colleagues were teasing another colleague about being promoted. My horns started to creep out that instant, thinking that she does not deserve to be promoted because she is like this and like that. Of course, behind all those criticisms is my conceit to think that I ought to be the one to be promoted since I am an obedient employee. Call me self-righteous! As thoughts of last Friday sink in to my head, I realized that I don't need to be promoted. I reached this realization because I remembered that I should keep my eyes on heaven and my feet on the ground by doing the things that I know I ought to do.

No matter how qualified I think I may be for a promotion, I don't have the right to demand for a position. If my superioirs do not notice my accomplishments, then so be it. They don't know me. They probably have not seen my resumé. It all boils down to my negligence and for not showing them what I can do.

Yes, that colleague of mine is indeed a very good and knowledgeable teacher. She does make good decisions. And with these, I salute her.

It's Lent Again

It's Lenten Season once again and it's the same story. I remember reacting to last year's observance and I feel like I'm having a deja vú. I went to our newly opened SM City Sta. Rosa yesterday, Ash Wednesday. For us Catholics, Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the Lenten Season characterized to encourage Catholics to sacrifice in preparation of the coming of the "groom". On Ash Wednesday and on Fridays of Lent, we are asked to offer a simple sacrifice of eating only fish and other seafoods. What is difficult in following this routine every Friday in the Lenten season? I saw people eating at KFC (I doubt they ate there to order just salad) and lining up at Tokyo Tokyo (I hope they were going to order Ebi Tempura or Ika Fry). I struggled not to look at anymore restaurants because I didn't want to criticize the ignorance and stubbornness of Filipinos.

I recall one time in Church when I reminded my "pew mate" that she ate a piece of candy during mass and that she should observe the one hour Eucharistic Fast (you don't eat one hour before you receive communion to keep your system clean of any other matter to give reverence to Jesus' body and blood). She only reacted, "Ay! Uso pa ba yon?" The person reacted this way maybe because she sees people who do eat during mass and still receive communion. They learn through observance.

Most Filipinos are blind Catholics. The Catholics in the Philippines lack basic Catechism from the poor to the elite. Their basic Catholic education is only based on their observance from their own parents. Yes, we do have Religion classes in schools, but they are not reinforced at home so what the students learn do not make sense when they go home because the parents do not practice them. Very few Filipino Catholics practice their faith using their brains.

A Challenge: Would you like to lessen the blind Catholics in the Philippines by learning basic catechism?

The Role of Media

State of Emergency. The President just had to do it. Watching local news has become a trigger for my hypertension since I have reached my personal renaissance. The last time I perfectly recall religiously watching local news was when I was in highschool, and never again had I the time to switch to local channels. It is quite frustrating how the MASS MEDIA (loosely translated as "media para sa masa") has already "innovated" and completely changed its mission and vision to "give what the people like to see and hear." Isn't the "code" of the media TRUTH? Local news tend to hype up the real state of the country. There are just too many reasons for us to hate our country that we don't need the media to give us ideas. What the media can do now is to help unite the people. This is the real power of the MEDIA. I don't remember where I read this -- I think Pope John Paul II mentioned this -- but the media has the power to unite or disunite the people. How I wish the media can use their power to unite the country towards a more pressing need that is our economic dvelopment! Why can't we be like South Korea? What was key to their success is their love for the country. Their president told them to love their country, and they followed him. What could be wrong in what their president said?

How else can we properly show our love for the country? By rallying along the streets, leaving our jobs, destroying the government (the point of unity), and abandoning our family?

I dream that the Philippines rise up from its ashes like the Phoenix. I hope and pray that this happens; with hope, I'm sure it can.

Jewel in the Palace

I am not crazy for telenovelas and moreso of Koreanovelas until I accidentally bumped into Jang Geum, the lead character in Jewel in the Palace. I originally bought it as a gift for my mother's birthday since she's crazy over these things. She already started watching it, when at the same time, at work, my colleagues talk about the "cooking competition" in the said show. When I went home that day, I caught my mom watching the 10th episode and I decided to sit down and watch with her out of curiousity. It was 7:00 pm then. Mom gave me a brief background of the story and I immediately got hooked on it. I promised myself that I'd sleep at 10, but I found myself watching until 1:00 am!

What attracted me to it was the good-natured and mild-mannered Jang Geum. Virtues are indeed attractive. Man's natural attraction to what is true, good and beautiful comes out when watching Dae Jang Geum (The Great Jang Geum - The original Korean title). She embodies a woman of refinement, grace, perseverance, justice, loyalty, fidelity, sincerity, professional ethics, unselfishness, child-like attitude, and reflection. In the beginning, she aspired for the top position, but it did not do her good. Through her mentor/foster mother, she learns to work not for the position but for the sincere purpose of her job: to cook in order to keep the people she feeds healthy. She applies the same princple when after being banished from the palace, she returns as a doctor. Though she had revenge in her heart, and was quite evident, what was noble was that she did not use her talents in order to hold power. She never used her talents and skills in order to do something evil.

(If Jang Geum were Catholic, she'd be a saint!)

What I also liked about the telenovela was that Jang Geum did not physically love Min jung Ho, the officer in the Palace. She struggled against her feelings. She did not throw herself all over Officer Min nor did Min. Their love developed through constant meetings, and from the viewer's point of view, I could see the sincerity in each other's love.

Jewel in the Palace is a telenovela that teaches values and virtues. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this telenovela to everyone. Just make sure that you don't neglect your more important duties just because of watching the shows. It wouldn't be Jang Geum-like.

CSI Reflections

Aside from entertainment, watching CSI makes its viewers reflect - at least in my case. My most recent reflection is on their 2nd episode of Season 6. I was wondering why the director chose to juxtapose two crimes scenes on one screen. At first I thought they used it to give the viewers some hint that these two cases were related - that is, one case is connected with the other. It was only at the end of the episode, thanks to good direction, that I realized why they had to put these two crime scenes side by side. The last scene of the episode shows the body of Julian Harper, a rich GQ model, was wheeled toward the camera feet first with the tag around the left toe, and the the body of Noi Dipraxay, a Laos native sweat shop worker, wheeled in in the same way beside Julian. When we die, rich or poor, we all are the same carcass. We are made of the same stuff, but the difference lies on how we live our lives as recorded in our incorruptible souls. Whether we question our soul's existence or where our souls go after we die is an existential question we ought to ask ourselves.

Confession

Humbling. Very humbling. The priest made me cry inside and almost shed a tear. I was glad that he humbled me because humbling myself is not enough.

I told him everything wrong I did with regard to my uncharitable dealings with my colleagues, and he scolded me. As I tried to defend myself, he would put me down. He shook me with realities that I have to face. He made me see the hypocrite inside me and that made me cry.

That was really an awakening moment. I didn't know what gave me the strength to make a public apology last night, but now I know who did: Our Lady. It's the 3rd day of the novena to the Immaculate Conception. I'm very convinced that as always, she is there for me to counsel me and at the same time pour onto me abounding grace to help me carry out what she counsels. She truly is the Mother of Good Counsel, and Mediatrix of Grace.

I hope I can sustain this consciousness of her presence so I can live through life peacefully and cheerfully.

My Public Apology

I just came out from a personal crisis of sorts when all the bad things just flashed before me that I suddenly felt my conscience bug me to apologize for all the wrong I've done. What follows is my public apology email I sent to all my colleagues:

---------------------------------

Perhaps some - if not all - will find what I am about to do foolish, stupid, insane, unnecessary, or inevitable. No matter what you think, I will do as what my conscience - yes, I do have one, and I believe that everybody does - dictates.

Through this email, I would like to apologize to all my colleagues whom I have hurt (I do have some inkling of who these people are, but I will keep it to myself) because of my lack of tact, my being imposing, and simply for my whole being:

I AM DEEPLY SORRY FOR ALL I HAVE DONE.

I know I am not a dollar bill that everybody would like, but I do want to achieve a certain level of civility and charity with my colleagues because, as what I tell my non-Lasallian friends, "I love it there in DLS-C because I have great colleagues." Of course, I cannot achieve the latter if I were uncharitable myself. This is precisely why I am making this apology. I am making this public because I am aware and very guilt-ridden of the fact that I have publicly hurt people, and also of the fact that stories about my misbehavior may have already run from the third floor to the basement, from West to East. In effect, everybody may already be aware of what I have done. (Pardon me here for an apparent case of paranoia.)

AGAIN, I AM SORRY.

I understand if you can't forgive me because I understand also the gravity of my actions, words, and being, and they may be unforgivable. I deserve such treatment.

I know that apologies are useless if there were no resolutions on the part of the penitent. So I also would like to assure you guys that I will try my best to be a good and charitable colleague. Let me know if I have been treating you badly.

Thanks for letting me do this. I hope things will be better after this. Advance Merry Christmas.

Sincerely,
Trish C.

--
Para presumir, hay que sufrir.

Para presumir, hay que sufrir.

Talk about the pains of looking good! Vanity is luxury. It hurts your precious time, patience, and pocket.

Being dealt with like a soccer ball ("Let's shampoo your hair, keep your head steady, let's wash your hair, let's go back to the chair, let's wash your hair, let's go back to the chair, let's blow dry your hair") is no luxury.

It was pretty annoying not to know what it takes to semi-rebond your hair. Just when you thought you are done with the whole process as triggered by a blowdry, you hold on to your bladder to realize that they still need to put more chemicals on your hair!

I thought it would never be over, but boy, am I relieved now that I know that it has ended! All that for beautiful hair (tochang-free) and only good for three months! (Have I told you yet how it costs?) That's what it takes, my friends. That's what it takes.

Taking this topic to a higher notch, it's pretty much the same with making our souls beautiful. It takes a lot of pains to keep our soul clean, healthy and beautiful. Now how does a soul look when beautiful? When our soul only sees the good things in others, and see the bad in ourselves. How do beautify our souls? Difficult. We need a lot of humility to admit that our soul is indeed quite dirty. It also takes a lot of humility to ask advice from the RIGHT people. When our soul has mortal sin (don't know what they are? Check this out: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14004b.htm), our souls are ugly. So, we need to clean our souls of mortal sins and venial sins by going to the Sacrament of Confession. In confession, Jesus Christ, through his ministers - the priests - washes our sins away. "Whatever sins you forgive, they are forgiven" Jesus Christ tells his disciples.

And to go to Confession? Very difficult. First, it takes effort to research the confession schedule in our parish. If there's none, it's diffcult to look for other parishes who have confession schedules. If it's easy to find a Church with confession schedules, it's difficult for us to acknowledge that we have indeed committed a mortal sin.

So you guys might have thought how vain I am keeping such a motto. But actually it's more than physical vanity: it's spiritual vanity.

Waving My Hand for a Turn

After that Megamall incident, I have yet another Driving Horror Story to tell you.

I was driving home from Alabang after dropping off my voice teacher home and after taking-out some Yellow Cab pizza for family dinner. If you have tried driving along Zapote Road going toward SM Soputhmall, I would not need to recount to you the horrific traffic there. Just take it as it is: HORRIFIC. Good thing my teacher was with me so I had more reason to calm myself down. So I dropped her at her very cozy home in Tierra Nueva, and passed by Yellow Cab at the corner of the village. I thought waiting time for my order could be enough time to give for the traffic to ease a bit. I was wrong, and to add to that, it rained. Anyway, I had to go home and feed my family.

So I calmly drove. I thank God I reached the Toll Plaza area with the least hassle possible. But as I reached the Toll Plaza, there was a build up of cars due to a merging traffic. Road courtesy impels us to alternately give way to cars in a merging traffic. So I gave way to the car at my left calmly, and as I was about to take my turn at the merge, the car at my left aggressively accelerated to the car it was following! Hello?! Where is your courtesy?! So I, in my temper and in an effort to teach him a lesson, embarrassed myself (and hopefully embarrassed him, too), pull down my brand new Altis window, stretched out my arm to signal a turn, and looked at him straight in the eye. You're an Alabang boy and with no courtesy at all!

Sheesh. Didn't they attend the LTO seminar on Road Courtesy before they got their license? Even if they didn't attend, didn't they learn basic courtesy at home or in school?

What waste in education.

Drivers

Yes, driving. As in driving cars. I am a confessed cursing driver. I get easily impatient with uneducated drivers: jeepney drivers who drive as if they own the road, jeepney drivers who do not know how to use the side view mirrors to look if there are oncoming cars, bus drivers who don't care if there are oncoming cars (I think they become tunnel-visioned when they see potential passengers), and other drivers who do not use signal lights.

One of the highlights of my driving experience is when I was lining to park at Megamall Building A. It was a saturday afternoon and I think it was near a payday. I was diligently queuing with the other cars, and religiously following the "alternate" traffic they have always enforced when lining up to enter the building parking. I was about to take my turn, expecting that the "alternate" traffic scheme is being enforced, when a rusty-colored Kia Picanto cut me in front! I noticed the driver to be a bit fair-skinned, clean-cut hair, and even - I thought - good looking. I silently cursed at the driver and when I got a look at the sticker at the back of his car, I saw: "ATENEO SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING." Whoa! was the sticker shouting.

People according to their biases who either react in these ways: 1) "Oh my! Tsk, tsk, tsk" or 2) "Ahh...that's why."

Like what my mom told me, when we drive, we stop being educated. Now, are we going to let that initial reaction get the better of us, or make a difference?

27th Anniversary

I saw an advertisement along South Superhighway announcing the 27th anniversary of the Jesus is Lord Christian community. Funny how big the writing is and the whole ad itself. I wonder why they only put 27 years when if Jesus Christ founded the one true Church, then shouldn't they put "2005th anniversary"?

It's sad people don't realize that these are institutions founded by pure mortals 27 years ago, and not by Jesus Christ 2005 years ago. I am glad I am part of the Church who believes and has proofs that our community is founded 2005 years ago on the first 12 apostles of Jesus Christ headed by Peter, now in the presence of our beloved Pontiff.

How people change beyond our expectations!

Just met a friend this afternoon. First thing that came into my mind is this: How much he has changed! I actually commented the difference to him. Sometimes, we just think too squarely on how people are. We tend to put them in a box and expect them not to get out of their little comfort zones and remain how they are from the first day we meet them.

We really can't size them up in one sitting. Man is a mystery as I always say. People continue to surprise us with the little tweaks in their personalities. BUT! There are only two ways in which we can tweak our personality: to make it worse or to make it better. Surely, we all strive for the latter. We can't help, however, to give in to our selfish wants and make a turn for the worse.

It's really our choice to take the "road less traveled by." I'm glad that I know some people who also take that road I'm trying to tread on. I'm glad I realized I actually got company. :)

An Old Maid Crisis

Single women reaching their 30th birthday experience an immense crisis of becoming an old maid.

Though not yet 30 and still consider myself far from it, I think I am already in it! However, I see the crisis in itself as actually a crisis of vocation. What does God really want from me? What is He calling me for? Is He really calling me for a marriage vocation or to a single blessedness?

At the moment, I would like to think I am called to single blessedness until maybe I fall in love. So far, I have not fallen in love yet. Some people say that when you fall in love, all your standards crumble down. So far, it hasn't crumbled down so I presume that I have not exactly fallen in love yet.

Right now, I just continue doing what I ought to do to please God and wait until I fall in love. :)

Am I losing my grip on culture?

Just had lunch today with two of my college friends at ebun, this Kapampangan restaurant at Greenbelt 3-and boy!-what scrumptuous bangus they have!!! I have a new place to crave for now. :)

Anyway, in passing, I mentioned to them my "discovery" of Korean romantic comedies particularly My Sassy Girl. My older friend's immediate reaction: how cheap! Whoa! Both of my friends were surprised I can stomach such movies, and how much I have changed in my taste for movies. (That means that I have actually LOST the taste for good movies.) Well, I didn't let them put me down by their comments. Besides, those were their opinions.

Then we continued a conversation about the last good movie both of them watched, "Finding Neverland." As the two of them analyzed how the film was made and the sized up the overall value of the film, I was left dumbfounded by the tons of insights they had. I started reflecting: how come I cannot share an insight on it anymore? I used to "talk like them", giving "intellectual" and "academic" analysis of movies and other pertinent issues. Have I really lost my sense of high breed culture? In the end, did I overrate My Sassy Girl?

Yipes!

I need to work out on my "culture" again. I need some major overhaul and "acculturize" myself again! Perhaps this is what happens to me when I am far from the academic world. The corporate world has probably turned me into one "material girl". Have I forgotten the transcendental values? Have I forgotten the really important and essential things in life? Have we forgotten them?

My Sassy Girl

I wasn't such a freak for Romantic Comedies, but this one got my attention.

Actually, it didn't initially attract me despite the many raves I heard about it from my friends. I wasn't enthused to get a dibidi copy of the movie until the other day when I did some "impulsive" buying. (I originally intended to look for a single dibidi of Dead Poets Society, and I end up getting 4 movies that are unplanned!)

Out of curiosity for the movie that is oh-so-hyped-up by my friends, I played it on our player, and watched. I thought I'd not finish it, and would be willing to stop it in case it will run over my CSI. To my surprise, I find myself intensely watching, I couldn't leave my seat... basically, I was enthralled by this film!

What I find amazing with this movie is that it is actually not one of your typical love stories you can already predict the course of their love-hate relationship. My one word for this movie is: Crafty. (Just a little turn-off in this movie is one scene in the beginning, but with a pure heart, I think it should not be interpreted or imagined more than what it is.) I am quite impressed with the writer and director of the film. How they came up with such ingenuity is simply remarkable. I appreciate - above all - their notion of love. I am impressed with the amount of respect that Gyun Woo has for the girl (It's either she was not named in the movie or I simply forgot her name). I am also captivated by the guy's perseverance and sincere love for the girl. I also loved the way he was able to get to know the girl so well that he knows how to treat her. He simply treated her as a queen.

How I wish I could find someone who would do everything for me! (Of course, I won't take advantage of that.) Pardon my becoming mushy all of a sudden. Honestly, it's not in my genes to be one.

There are a few good Asian love stories, and this is one of them. Filipinos has still yet to come up with a good one. I hope my friend would come up with a similar crafty script and an unbiased director.

Reading through Tranquill Poet

Just read through my other blog or poetry and - boy! - was I amazed! When I am really caught up in a melancholic state, I can't believe such creativity can ooze from my mind. It's amazing how melancholics tend to be more poetic than sanguine types or even a choleric ones. :)

Feel free to browse through my other blog. I would love to hear from you and humble me a bit with your criticisms. I don't mind. :)

Mission: To Help Others

Probably the greatest feeling man needs is to feel that he or she is loved. Just try for once that no one loves you or cares for you, I think you'll go crazy. Maybe we can reflect on this need for love a bit more. Personally, I want to feel loved because it gives me the impression that I am important and that I am useful. How people love us is also one of our gauge for our goodness. Goodness is lovable. Truth is lovable.

So if you want to be loved, be good and be truthful. :)

In this blog, I won't be talking about my concerns of being loved, but my loving a friend. I hope I am not psychopathic to do so, but I feel that I have to solve other people's problems. I delight in helping (refer to the previous paragraph). However, one of the trade-offs of being so helpful is the feeling of failure.

Let's just get it straight: no one on earth can really be called the ultimate problem-solver. (Only God can be rightly called as such.) We may be able to solve this problem, but not that problem. We have to understand that in helping other people, we cannot force the other person to do what we tell them to do. We naturally fail in our efforts, but we should not fall into depression because of these.

Let me share with you the prayer commonly taught to recovering addicts and alcoholics. (Though not an alcoholic or drug addict myself, I found this prayer very helpful.)

THE SERENITY PRAYER

God, grant me:
The serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
The courage to change the things I can
And the wisdom to know the difference.

June 29, 2005 and finding boyfriends

If you read my previous blogs, I think you'd like to browse through my February 2005 archives for it, my generous father gave me an ultimatum to get married by June 30, 2005. Today is already June 29 and tomorrow will already be June 30. Am I getting married yet? NOT! First of all, I don't have any boyfriend yet nor a decent suitor to consider. (My suitors don't persevere in their wooing me because I am really one hard nut to crack!)

Some tips: Precisely, being a hard nut to crack, if you are able to even scratch my surface for a superficial "wound" then you are likely to be a candidate. For a guy to become my friend is already a headstart. But if you stop, like what's-his-name did, I am not sure if I can give you a second chance.

Girls, look for men who are persevering in their pursuit. Even if you think he is ugly, I know of several friends who gave in to a persevering suitor and are now happily married or happily engaged. :)

And another thing, girls, RESPECT. Don't give in to a guy who will not respect you. You will know if the guy respects you when he does not make moves or "chances" to be physical with you. True love goes beyond what is physical. Love is shown in one's control of one's sexual instinct -- this is respect. If he cannot stop himself, better think twice. He does not love you for who you are but he is in love with how you look. Beat that!