The Adventures of Tarabusaw

I really love September.  It seems everyone is excited as soon as the first day of this month rrives.  Maybe because its the start of the ‘ber’ months, which means Christmas is just around the corner.  The weather is slowly getting cooler but sometimes there are still rainshowers — tailends of the rainy season.  But what I love most with September is that it is my birthday month!

I started the month fresh from Bangkok.  We went there for a vacation that our company had arranged.  It was one of my memorable experiences indeed (Please refer to previous blogs and photo albums for detailed discussion… hehehe talagang audit documentation), since it was all my firsts — first (international) flight, first airplane ride, first bond and so many firsts!

Alongside the ecstatic feeling of having a vacation are deep-rooted emotions that only I can feel.  I was heartbroken, but that is for you (my dear reader) to find out and for me to deny / hide =)  But actually, I never consider it as a bad experience, though I really had a hard time coping up with what’s happening around me.  Thankfully, I was very pre-occupied with client work, thus helping me to somehow forget the hurt.  But let’s not dwell on that… I am moving forward. 

I was really busy.  This is the busiest busy season I’ve ever been to.  Aside from the client work, which includes fieldwork, meetings and administrative work, I need to coach our new team members (hopefully I’m doing the right coaching for them), which actually takes up too much of my time.  I am not complaining though.  I enjoy it.  It’s just that I am not yet used to it.  Maybe in time I can adjust to my new role and hopefully be a more effective senior to our staff.

Breaking free from my clients finally came.  We held our annual teambuilding.  This time its in Pontefino in Batangas City.  It was a great hotel.  The place was fine and the food was great (mmmm… especially the tuna and pork on our last lunch).  There were activities that I really enjoyed, but the best part of it was badminton!  I even injured my wrist during the mini-tournament =(  The teambuilding also coincided with my birthday… that’s why I got rid off the usual libre since food was overflowing and no one dared to ask me for more! 

It was almost 11:30 in the evening on the 23rd (btw, my birthday is on the 24th) when the socials finally ended.  My officemates already sang the birthday song for me.  I thought that was it, and to tell you frankly, I was never expecting anything.  Suddenly, Markie told me that we need to get to our room so that Robby can give us the key since he is already sleepy.  So I said go.  Then came the surprise…

Upon opening the door, the first person I saw was Robby, and even at that moment I never suspected that there was a surprise.  Then, voila, there they are, hiding in our bathroom — my officemates — all 2 dozens of them, with balloons and cake.  Just imagine how they fitted in a bathroom… Hahaha!!!  And the candle in the cake is already one eight melted signifying that they’ve been there for several minutes! I was really speechless.  It was one of the best surprises I ever had.  I thought that was it.  But my staff handed me their gift.  It was a wallet — a Girbaud wallet!  My first reaction was, totoo ba ‘to?  Hahaha!!!  But it was a guaranteed true Girbaud wallet!  The official receipt is still inside!  Hahaha!

When I finally gained my composure, I started my little speech.  I told them that I am really thankful for the surprise.  I also told them that now I know how is it to be surprised since most of the time, I am the one thinking of how to surprise somebody.  And it was a great feeling indeed.  I don’t know if my speech was very touchy, but I saw a teary-eyed Eunice… Hahaha…

After that was just pure chit-chat and of course everyone was enjoying the cake and chips served for my birthday.  And who can forget another showdown courtesy of Mark of SPA and David of IAS.  On what showdown it is… I’ll let you imagine. =)

The next day was purely free time.  We had a rematch in badminton and billiards plus countless kodakan!  It was very tiring indeed!  We we’re back to our office at around 5pm.  Then, I went to Shoemart (they really got it all… hehehe) to buy some stuff for my flight back to Bangkok the next day. 

I had a very fast-tracked shopping since my flight is 10:30 the next day and we need to get at the airport by 8am.  I headed home so I can already take a rest.  But, my mom prepared a small salu-salo for me.  Of course, my ever favorite spaghetti didn’t missed the action… mmmm… sarap!  My relatives also came to our house to join me in celebrating my birthday. 

It was around 9pm.  I am waiting for someone… someone to remember my birthday.  I may have said that I want to move forward, or I’ve already done it.  But I still wish that she’ll remember me.  I thought the day would end without any greeting from her.  Finally, the long wait was over.  It was around 11:30 when I received her greeting.  What a way to end the day! 

September 25, my flight back to Bangkok for my Training.  I was with my officemates and managers.  I will be attending the Data Assurance Training.  I was the only Filipino there unlike for other courses wherein two representatives came from the Manila office.  Together with me in my table is Rinrat from Thailand, Camille from Hongkong and David and Vanga from Taiwan.  I was really apprehensive to talk at first, because I thought I was the only one there who have no extensive training and experience in ACL (Audit Command Language), a computer-assisted audit tool.  But during the introduction, I found out that there are still others who haven’t used ACL for their entire working experience in PwC.  That relieved me in a way.

We were taught on how to use and make the scripts for the commands.  I really had a hard time with that.  Though I’m in IT audit, I can still say that I am not a techno geek.  I hate technical stuff.  That’s why sometimes I am having hardtime in connecting with IT people especially during IT General Controls review.  Haaay… But that would be another topic I will be discussing in my future blogs if my schedule would permit me to do so.  I was really lucky to have seated beside Rinrat.  She is the ACL guru!!!  She always comes up with a ready answer for every question I had.  She was very helpful and very patient. 

Of course, the training was not all about that serious stuff.  In between discussions and during coffee breaks, we we’re able to have some exchanges of stories.  Rinrat also gave me tips on where to go.  It was really an exchage of culture.  Oh I remember David asking me if English is the Philippines’ official language.  He is just amazed on how Filipinos can really speak and write English very well, well it was not only him, everyone in the training was impressed how we can speak very good English. =)  I told them that Filipino is our official language but English comes as a close second. 

The food in the hotel is okay.  By the way, we stayed in Shangri-la Bangkok.  I was not impressed on the hotel’s interiors.  I even thought that Manila Peninsula had a better lobby and interior compared to Bangkok’s Shangri-la.  The room was also not that impressive.  But, the service was great.  We were treated with so much hospitality.  In fact, I felt in the whole city.  I felt very welcomed.  There were no discriminations. 

We had a cruise on Wednesday night at the Chao Phraya River.  Actually the river is just like Pasig minus the odor.  The river is also used as a main means of transportation for the city since the highways and streets can be so congested.  Traffic was heavier there compared to EDSA or Ayala Avenue.  The cruise went from our hotel to the Grand Palace.  It was a great experience since there were lots of food and it was also the time to mingle with other people from the region. 

I left Bangkok 6000 baht off my wallet.  I bought so many pasalubong for my family and friends.  I went to Suan Lum Night Bazaar for three nights just to buy my pasalubong!  We also hoarded soap, shampoo and other toiletries from Watson’s (as if there’s no Watson’s here) since the prices are 25 to 50% cheaper back home.  My luggage was full of pasalubong that my clothes can’t fit in.  Thankfully, I brought my gym bag, and there I forced my clothes, shoes and other stuff to fit in. 

My scheduled flight back home was September 30 at 1:50 pm (Bangkok time).  I left the hotel at around 11:15 am so I will not be get caught in traffice.  I asked the hotel if my service car is ready.  They asked me if I was the one who made a reservation for 11.  I said yes.  They pointed me in the hotel parking and there I saw two cars.  The driver approached me and took all my bags.  It was really service de luxe.  I asked him where’ our car.  Then he pointed to this silver Mercedes Benz!  My jaw almost dropped!  It was my first time to ride an expensive car, because in the Philippines I only get to ride those Kia or Toyota taxis… hahaha!!!  Maybe because of the overwhelming feeling that I gave the driver a 70 baht tip (approximately 100 pesos!). 

I arrived early at the airport.  I think it’s around 12:00 nn.  When I checked in, the counter informed me that the flight is delayed for an hour!  Hay naku!  Ang PAL talaga PALaging late!  What am I supposed to do in the airport for one hour?!?  I decided to eat my lunch so as to let time tick away.  I ate at KFC and tried their Original recipe chicken (I was afraid to eat their Hot and Spicy chicken, it might be too spicy for me!).  I think KFC here has better chicken and they don’t have gravy for the chicken!  What they have is tomato catsup!  Eeeewww! 

It was alreay quarter to 1pm when I finally decided to go to the boarding gates.  I was excited.  I felt like I was away for so long.  I can say that I left Bangkok with a deeper understanding and appreciation of ACL.  But aside from that, I left the City of Angels with a better appreciation of their culture and their whole country as well.  As the plane is nearing its descent, just told myself… this is a September to remember.