IT-Blog

Two weeks ago, I got calendar invite from one of my teammates here in Chicago for a "Sharepoint 2007 Training/Demo". The date was Feb 22, 12 Noon to 1 PM - hmm…., its lunch time…and being one of the "pioner" birthday organizers in the team (in Manila that is) - I thought, "oh,great! they are going to surprise me for my birthday". At this point, I was 99.8% sure that they are cooking something up for my birthday.

The invite says "Microsoft Sharepoint 2007 Demo"…nice gimik…very techie…very clever! But since everytime we have a team meeting, they kept discussing about the new technologies in the Market (Vista, OFfice 2k7, etc) it’s not far off that this could be a real Sharepoint Demo. I said to myself, "Rog, drop the idea! It could be a real demo after all…Don’t be too assuming".

After a few days, they moved the time to 11 AM til 12 Noon so I thought its probably not a surprise for me… My gut-feel that they have a secret birthday plan for me dropped to 25.46%…uy still hoping! hehehe!

Come Thursday morning - Feb 22, my manager in Chicago told me that we will be doing the demo in the Microsoft site…He told me that they have a kiosk there and stuff…really really nice and in a way, believable story. At that point, my gut-feel percentage dropped to below freezing point (negative percent…if such exists) because I didn’t even thought my Manager knew about my birthday because he wasn’t attending our Weekly Cross-center call…and being not familiar with the City, I couldn’t argue that there ain’t no Microsoft office in Michigan.

Needless to say, I said sure (hey, he is my manager, how can you argue with that?) He told me that it might take up some of our time for lunch and asked me if I have lunch plans…. hmmm… lunch plans! I wonder what they are going to do if I said yes…hehehe!

Then they told me its going to be somewhere in North Michigan. I know where Michigan is. Its very near our apartment but I don’t know where North, South, West nor East is. I’m really really bad at directions. So at this point, I still have gotten no clues yet.

Anyways, we took a cab…it was soo traffic and they were talking about the Microsoft  Lab. One of my teammate even said that he haven’t been to the Microsoft Lab in Chicago (0f course you havent been there because it doesnt event exist - in Michigan atleast…hahaha!). They were pretty convincing…Until my manager said that there is a way out from the Cheesecake factory to the Microsoft lab…

Hmmm…Cheesecake Factory in Michigan. I know there is a Cheesecake Factory in Hancock but I didn’t know that there’s a Microsoft lab in Hancock…and that there is actually a way out from Cheesecake factory.

"Suspicious!". It further grew when I saw my Manager’s face on the reflection on the cab divider…he was smiling…you know…the type of smile that has a certain meaning…As if its telling me, "wait until we get in Cheesecake factory."

Then, we went inside Cheesecake factory and my Manager talked to the person on the desk and directed us in our table. I held my ground. I wanted to say something, you know, my funny "hirits" but I was completely shut off. Ganun pala pag nasusurprise ka…You wanted to say something, but you can’t…my brain is too slow to process something funny to say plus, translate it in english…probably I have to replace my mental processor and switch to Intel core duo (whatever that is!). Then finally they said, "Surprise! Happy Birthday Rogeena!" and they were all laughing! I didn’t know what to say. I admit, they got me there. I even brought my starbucks planner with me. Good thing I didn’t bring my laptop, that would make it even funnier.

That’s a nice way of celebrating my Silver life anniversary. I just wished I knew so that I was able to bring my camera. (Duh! Surprise nga e!) Cheers to my Chicago teammates for making it one of my most memorable birthday celebration ever! It just gets keeping better!

Ofcourse Manila also prepared their trademark high-tech video presentation greetings for me. Cheers to my Manila teammates too! I’ve uploaded the video in my multiply site…it made my day, I swear. I watched it a million times especially the part where the boys (Sonny, Mike A. and Eric) were dancing "Kay Rogeena Cruz ka na"…that’s so hillarious! 2 Thumbs up! 

Careers…I Love!

Then finally, my highschool friend called me, the morning of my birthday, CST. She asked me if I was able to see the watch that she sneaked in to one of my drawers…I would commend her for picking the right drawer to hide the gift. That was the least accessed and the most messy among the 6 drawers. She left it in my drawer last Monday (2/19) and I didn’t even had a single clue that there was a watch hiding somewhere inside the bush of papers. Thanks Sneaky Alnie! You picked the right watch…just the watch I wanted. Thanks again and see yah June!

Introduction: Balentayms na naman. Its the time of the year para ipakita ang mga creative chenes na natatago natin just to make our special someone feel….extra special (with ice cream on top). Kanya kanyang gimik na naman…and this year, since we are spending the valentines day apart, eto ang aking naisip…cheap, but hopefully "kiligin" si hun. I’m also sharing this to my Blog viewers and Multpily visitors for a limited time (naks parang promo ng Mcdo)…kasi walang Multiply site si hun kaya access to everyone hahahaha! So I hope magenjoy na rin kayo.

—————————————-

It was the first day in my freshman year in La Salle when I first met him..The guy I was destined to be with…He was "heaven" sent. (naks!)

It wasn’t really a love-at-first sight kind of a thing for us. It’s more of a love after another, and another and another….loop a million times sight (hehehe!). After our first year, we moved on with our lives…until God sent cupid to mess…i mean mediate in our love life…believe me, I meant that in a good way. We were group mates in one of our subjects - the SYANAD series…And that’s where our complicated yet, well-worth-it affair started…and the rest, as they say, was history…

Accepting his proposal…to be his girlfriend (tsktsktsk! what were you thinking?!) 3 years ago was one of the best decisions I ever made in my life…I have no single regrets (for now?!). We’ve had a couple of ups, downs, lefts and rights, we’ve been in loops, but we are still standing…and that’s what matters.

Thanks hun, for being so patient…I know that there are times (a lot, actually) where I can be too much to handle. I know that there are times where I act weird, crazy and that I am just too hard to understand…but you are still there and I hope that you will still be.

Happy Valentines Day Ny. Hoping to spend more Valentines day with you…I miss you soooo much! I hope you’d spend this day alone…well, ok, if you want to celebrate it, go out with your friends (guy friends ok?!) hehehe! joke lang hun! Take care always. God Bless! *hugs and Kisses!*

I Love you! 

blog also posted @ http://rogeenacruz.multiply.com

It’s Monday…again! I’m hitting off to the gym…yes! nagpapakahealth buff ako… so I’ll just keep my story short and funny…:)

—————————-

It was 5PM when I decided to walk home. In my mind, i thought, this is the first time I am going to walk na nagsnosnow. So i hit off the office and walked, crossed the La Salle bridge and stopped by 7eleven to buy some prepaid load (not globe ha, TMobile). Then, I decided to just take the bus, kasi I thought baka madulas ako…mahirap na.

—————————-

So there I was, waiting at the bus stop with 2 other Americans (irrelevant information hehehe!) then finally a 154 bus (can’t remember if its 154 nga)…so I hopped in and grabbed a seat. My stop is Huron, next to Erie St.. When I saw that Erie was next, I stood up and moved to a seat nearer the doors. But there was this old man who stepped in so I offered him my seat and got up. I can’t reach the Door String that would signal the driver to stop. But since I was already standing beside the driver, I thought he would already take the initiative to open the door…

—————————-

But I was wrong…he didn’t! Napapamura na lang ako…sa isip ko lang! hehehe! Sabi niya "Tanga mo talaga, sana sinabi mo ‘Manong, Para!’ o kaya "Stop! Stop this vehicle’"… I was kinda scared because the bus went on for a few more blocks before it opened it doors to the next stop (good thing someone got out)…It was an unfamiliar place…but I didn’t really got lost since I was just 2 blocks away. It was a long 2 block walk…

—————————-

In my mind, I keep on thinking, "sana hindi ako madulas" with all the snow. Masaya na rin, because I was able to leave a footprint on the snow. hehehe! cool!

—————————-

Finally! I reached Oakwood without slipping. Suddenly…when I opened the door and got in, medyo nadulas ako…ayos! Just when you are on the homestretch.

—————————-

To make it worse, there was a guy who was also about to get in. Napasabi nlng ako ng…"Oopppss!" ehehehe! sabay hawak sa pinto and walk away….

—————————-

Hayyy, yun lang naman ang aking kwento. Bow!

For some reasons, whenever I am in Chicago (para namang andaming beses na noh), my humor seems to evaporate (or freeze). Nasabi nga ng aking Manager, nagsesenti ako. Well…I do…I can’t help it…must be the cold weather…it calms me…

Yesterday, I went out shopping for Christmas gifts. After a while (5 hours) of bargain hunting, looking for good buys and gifts under 10 USD (or 20, depends kung kanino bigay yung gift), I got tired and head home. Quick chit chat with Ena, had my chips and rootbeer  lunch, watched "That’s so Raven" then decided that hey, its a nice (not that cold) day, I should still go out and walk. So I did.

I went out and head to the Magnificent Mile….my bad coz it was 4 and it was starting to get dark…and cold. In my mind, i thought i needed to have a little "soul searching"…ok…seaching my soul…searching and searching….hey! "what do you normally do when you say you need to search for your soul?" What does "soul searching" mean? Does this mean your soul is lost and you have to go look for it (duh! youre probably dead when you don’t have a soul).

I went to Water Tower (ata..) to look for good decent food…hail to Mcdo! that was the only restau i found (then after trying to find my way out of the mall and getting lost, i learned that there was a food court at the lower level…. hehehe! bumber!).  Anyways, I ordered the 3 dollar menu (a dollar for a double cheese burger, a dollar for a caramel sundae and a dollar for a rootbeer). Trying to find something to do to kill time, I saw the writings on my rootbeer cup.

"Life is a Balancing Act"

I thought…this would be nice to start to reflect on to. Life is a balancing act. hmmmm…ok, reflecting, reflecting….

Life is indeed a balancing act. You have to learn how to balance your life (duh! doesn’t make sense!) hehehe! That’s a pretty simple quote, go figure out what it means ok?

Nonetheless, my so-called "soul-searching" ended up in the church. Honestly, its the best way to end your day…and there i found my soul.

Now i have to stop this and do some laundry.

Can somebody tell me what’s the cure for home-sick? I brought along a medicine kit from the Manila office’s clinic but I can’t seem to find any cure for that?

I tried shopping last thanksgiving sale…it did provide a temporary cure but when the "fatigue" factor and the "no-money" factor kicked in,  I feel like locking myself inside my room and hide, then cry, then die (hey it ryhmes!).

Hay! Sabi nga ng aking kuya last year when I was assigned in Chicago…"One day at a time"… November 30 na… a few days to go! (I wont tell, baka nababasa ni HUN yung blog ko, hindi na maging surprise) hahaha!

See yah soon friends, and countrymen and women and countrygay?! :) 

Driving in the Philippines (especially in EDSA) can bring out the worst in you…Just last friday, a bus suddenly keeps on cutting into our lane, with no signal lights, no nothing, just plain bad driving.

Terrible! You’d really feel pist off and helpless at bigla ka nalang mapapasabi ng "ay, g@*0!"

I’m no saint, pero hindi ako pala-murang tao. Hanggang "Sh!t" lang ang pinakamalalang mura ko…expression lang…kaya pag narinig mo akong magmura…chef! talagang galit ako! Kaya nung friday…grabe! Hindi ko nlng napigilan ang sarili ko at bigla nlng napamura nung biglang may bus na nagcut sa harap namin.

Gusto ko pa nga ibaba ang windows ko at hampasin ang bus nya at pagmumurahin sya… Its just really Terrible! Kung umasta ay parang nabili nila ang buong EDSA at pwede na nila gawin ang gusto nila…At pag nakabangga naman ay parang mga maamong tupa at makikiusap nlng sa iyo… the nerve!

Pero lahat ng trash talking na ito, sa loob lang nang utak ko nananatili. kung lalabas man, hindi naman sya natratranslate sa action…hanggang "kwentuhan" lang din. hahaha! And what I would do is just give the driver a deadly stare… I know it would do nothing…pero its my way of saying na #$*&(*&#*W^(*$W%!!! Nakuha ko ata yung pagtingin ng masama sa bad driver sa aking kuya…hahahaha!

Pinagtataka ko lang, bakit hindi kaya hulihin ng mga Parak ang mga teribleng driber na ito. Sa sobra bang pagkaterible at naging delinkwente na sila sa pagsuway sa traffic rules e naging close na sila ng mga traffic police people kaya hinahayaan nlng sila? Tama ba naman yun? syempre hindi! Terrible talaga!

At isa pa sa mga pinagtatakahan ko, etong mga Public Transpo drivers ay holder ng professional license…pero parang sila mismo ay hindi nila alam ang road rules ang regulation. Calling LTO! Pag professional license holder ka ba, ibig sabihin "magulang" ka na sa pagdridrive…TERRIBLE talaga!

Nadagdagan pa ng challenge ang buhay ng mga drivers dahil sa patuloy na pagsikat ng motorsiklo sa ating bansa! hay!!!!! Yung ibang motorsiklo feeling nila lahat ng butas kaya nilang suutan. hayyyy!

This is an appeal to all drivers na, please please be considerate when you are on the road. Nagbibigay ng matinding trauma para sa mga first time drivers (at sa mga not-so-regular drivers like me) ang mga pinaggagagawa nyo. ok?! thanks!

First time ko maexperience ang ma-stranded sa isang lugar (first time nga ba? basta feeling ko, eto na ang worst stranded cheverlin experience ko sa buong buhay ko)…

Malakas ang ulan, sobra…malakas din ang hangin, sobra rin. Stranded ako sa 25/f ng building sa ayala…sa sobrang lakas, nararamdaman ko na ang duyan ng malupit na bagyo. Parang lumilindol. Nakakahilo kasi kahit wala na yung "lindol" e feeling ko gumagalaw pa rin ang paligid ko…

Ayaw gumana ng utak ko para magtrabaho. Tuluyan nang nayanig ng malakas na hangin. Nandito ako, naka t-shirt nlng at naka tsinelas. Ready na sana umalis kanina…sa kasamaang palad, hindi makalabas ng parking ang aking kuya. marami raw nagliliparan na mga chorvalu sa labas. Mga punong lumilipad, mga flying motorcycle at kung ano ano pa.

Sa aking pagroronda, marami akong mga scary stories na nakulimbat in connection with Bagyong milenyo…nanjan yung:

1. Nakitang bumaksak ang isang puno sa harapan ng sinasakyan nilang bus (entry submitted by bevs)

2. Bumaksak na stoplight (entry submitted by Paul).

3. Eto malupit, merong tinangay na tricycle papuntang kanal. Saan ka pa?! hehehe! kaya ngayon, takot ang officemate ko na umuwi kasi sa kanya, motor lang (walang side car pang tricycle…edi mas magaan yun hehehe!) (entry submitted by Mike)

Hay! inaaliw ko nlng sarili ko bago ako sumabak sa trabaho ulit. Checklist ng stranded sa isang building:

1. Food - meron akong sunflower, 1 pc binch, 3 lucky me pancit canton, water. pwede na ako mabuhay hanggang bukas nito…

2. Extra clothes. Suot ko na actually ang t-shirt ko (nagpalit na ako from longsleeves). sana hindi ako ma code of discipline. Uuwi na dapat ako e. kaso nga, STRANDED ako! hehehe!

3. Slippers. Suot ko na rin. hehehe!

4. Pillow. check!

5. Rosary - check! dalawa pa! hehehe!

Hindi ko alam paano tatapusin ang blog na ito, kaya ganito nlng bigla nlng mawawala…..

(sh*t! hindi effective ang ending! hehehe!)

What’s the first thing that you think of when you hear/read the word "Politics"? … "pulitika"?

I know most of us would think negatively…Parang naging compound word (tama ba yun) na ang salitang "Dirty Politics", parang coffee and cream, bread and butter, B1 and B2, Julio at Julia, and so on, I think you are all intelligent enough to get my point…they blend in together…sometimes, they are inseperable.

Ano ba ang ibig sabihin ng politics? According to wikipedia:

Politics is a process by which decisions are made within groups. Although the term is generally applied to behavior within goverments, politics is observed in all human (and many non-human) group interactions, including corporate, academic, and religious institutions.

Wala akong nakitang word na "dirty" sa definition…aside from "government" which is somewhat synonymous to "dirty". hahaha! joke lang!:P

Lalu pang nagiging masama sa pandinig nating mga noypi pag nahahaluan na ng unlapi na "ma" ang politika…"mapulitika"…but what’s wrong with too much politics?

Ika nga nila, "Ang lahat ng sobra…masama".

Sa lahat ng organisation, may politika since may mga bagay na kailangang desisyunan. Hindi na natin maiaalis yan, kailangang tanggapin na natin ito. Hindi naman ito masama kung tama ang nagiging desisyon…kung ito ay ginawa nang naaayon sa lahat, at kung ginawa ito ayon sa nakasulat sa batas.

Kung titignan natin sa definition, maganda ang Politics dahil isang grupo ang nagdedesisyon para sa nakararami. Hindi naman maganda kung sumailalim tayo sa isang diktaturya dahil isang boses lamang ang maririnig dito. Hindi rin maganda ang walang gobyerno dahil magkakanya kanya lang tayo at walang paroroonan ang isang grupo.

Maganda rin ang may politika kung ang napiling grupong magdedesisyon para sa isang organisasyon ay tapat at mapagkakatiwalaan. Yung tipong kapakanan ng lahat ang iniisip, hindi lang kapakanan nya, ng pamilya nya o kahit pa ang buong angkan nya.

Tatakbo ba ako sa 2007 election?! Hindi!:P Pero kung bibigyan ako ng isang kahilingan ng "Wish Ko Lang", siguro hihingi ako ng isang malinis na gobyerno. Isang gobyernong hassle-free. Para tuluyan nang malinis ang pangalan ni Politics…

Posible kaya yun? Kung sa isang maliit na grupo nga lang hindi nawawala ang politika (equates to 6P2*…sa mga kaberks ko, feel ko nagets nyo iyo) ….well…Hindi pa naman ako nawawalan ng pagasa…Possible yan sa Globe!

I decided to remove my post with regards to changes…

Marami kasing nagtanong sa akin, maraming nakagets, maraming nainis, maraming natuwa, meron ding naguluhan… Kung baga, I got different feedbacks on the post that’s why I decided to retract that blog.

For the record, I wrote the blog just for fun…any similar events or situation narrated in the post is purely coincidence.

I dream to be an events coordinator…feeling ko mailalabas ko lahat ng creative chuva sa aking utak…

Hindi naman sa pagmamayabang…pero ako ang isa sa mga tinuturing na beteranong tagapagorganize ng event sa aming team…Roll-off, Team Buildings, Birthday Parties, Weddings (hehehe joke lang!), etc. Syempre, hindi mawawala ang mga co-organizers ko, sila ena, luibelya at bevs…(ok sige, idadagdag ko na rin ang favorite host ng mga party, si sai aka. Kristeta).

Hindi biro ang pagorganize ng isang event…bukod sa walang charge number (hehehe!) nakakapagod din…nakakastress din, nakakatense, nakakapressure at minsan dumarating din kami sa punto na nauubusan kami ng "creative juices" sa aming brains.

Nakakapagod kasi napakaraming kailangan gawin, kailangang isipin. Nakakastress kasi time bounded ito. Hindi mo naman pwedeng sabihin sa magbibirthday na, pwede ba next week ka nlng mag birthday? hehehe! Nakakatense kasi hindi mo alam kung anong magiging reaction ng binigyan mo ng party…matutuwa ba sya o maiinis sa mga hinanda niyong gimik…and finally, nakakapressure…dahil syempre, ang mga tao, mageexpect sila more from you each time you throw a party. Kailangan mahigitan mo yung nagawa mo dati…ewan ko sa iba…siguro mindset ko lang yun.

Pero pag naexecute mo ng mabuti ang plan nyo, at nakita ninyong natuwa ang lahat, lalu na yung taong binibigyan nyo ng party, masaya ang feeling. Parang lahat ng pagod mo ay instant na napapawi. All your hardwork will be paid off.

This is a careers trademark…We don’t go for the usuals, we go beyond! Naks! parang commercial.

Shout-out: HAPPY BIRTHDAY ULIT ERIC! Sana naenjoy mo yung party mo kanina… pasensya ka na kung for a while, nawala yung pagiging private person mo. hahahaha!Salamat sa libre!