NOVEMBER 30

Taon-taon, hindi ko maiwasan na sa tuwing sasapit ang araw na ito ay maghintay ako ng kung ano ang mangyayari.  Kung isang pangkaraniwang araw tulad ng mga nagdaraan, o mayroon kayang magandang bagay ang mangyayari sa akin sa araw na ito?  Ang totoo ay naghihintay ako kung mayroon akong matatanggap sa araw na ito.  Hindi naman ako nag-iisip ng malaki at mahal na bagay dahil hindi ko ipinapalagay ang sarili ko na malaki at importanteng tao.  Pero hindi naman sa kung ano ang gusto kong matanggap kundi yung bakit ko gustong makatanggap.  Dahil gaano man kaliit ay magiging isang napakahalagang oras at bagay sa akin ang sandaling iyon. 

Iniisip ko kasi na kadalasan ay laging ako ang nagbibigay.  Pasko, bagong taon, kaarawan, anibersaryo o yung mga simple ngunit mahalagang okasyon ay pinag-iisipan ko kung ano ang aking maibibigay sa aking kapamilya, kaibigan at kasamahan.  Maliliit na bagay, munting ala-ala o kahit yung simpleng mensahe lang dahil iyun naman ang angkop sa kakayahan at pagkatao ko.  Kung minsan ay sinisikap kong ibigay ang bagay na gusto nila kahit may kamahalan kung alam kong yun ang makakapagpasaya sa kanya dahil gustong gusto iyun niya. 

Gusto kong pag-isipan ang bawat bagay na aking ibinibigay, mga bagay na sinusubukan kong kakaiba dahil gusto kong maaala-ala nila ako kapag nakikita nila ang bagay na iyon na ako lang ang nakaisip na nakapagbigay.  Hindi naman kailangang mahal ang isang bagay, maaaring sariling-gawang bagay, o kahit pagkain na sadyang ginawa para sa kanila.  Sa ganito ko naipapadama kung paano ko sila pahalagahan, kaya hindi ko maiwasan na naghihintay din ako ng pagpapakita ng pagpapahalaga sa kabutihang ibinibigay ko sa kanila. 

Hindi naman sa nanunumbat ako o kaya ay hindi na ako makapaghintay ng kusang-loob.  Sa palagay ko ay hindi naman sa humihingi ako ng kapalit sa mga ibinibigay ko kundi mag-isip lang na paminsan-minsan ay maghangad din ako na sana ay ako naman ang maabutan lalu na kung sa isang mahalaga at personal na araw.  Tutal ay hindi naman pangkaraniwang araw kaya hindi naman siguro masama ang maghintay ako ng regalo mula sa mga taong mahalaga sa akin.  Maliliit na mga bagay lang naman ang iniisip ko dahil mababaw at simple lang naman ang aking kaligayahan.  Naghahangad din ako na maabutan kahit papaano para pangpalubag-loob sa aking pakikipag-kaibigan, pangpasaya dahil araw ko naman ito.  Ang totoo ay kahit isang maliit na card lamang, kahit isang maliit at totoong pagbati lang ay kuntento na ako dahil kahit papaano ay mararamdaman ko ang kanilang pagmamalasakit sa akin. 

Nuon ay isang banner ng pagbati at nakasulat ang mga pangalan mula sa aking mga kasama sa trabaho ang ibinigay sa akin na hanggang ngayon ay aking itinatago, iniingatan at pinapahalagahan.  Mayroon naman card akong natanggap nuon na labis kong ikinatuwa dahil galing iyon sa mga malalapit sa aking buhay.  Minsan naman ay isang cassete tape ang aking natanggap.  Ang totoo ay mas nagugustuhan ko ang mga maliliit na bagay na tulad ng mga ito kaysa sa mga mamahalin at magarbong bagay.  Hindi ito matutumbasan ng anumang halaga ng presyo habang nakikita ko ang mga bagay na ito. 

Katulad ng mga nagdaang taon, ngayong araw na ito ay umaasa ako na makatanggap ng anumang maliit na bagay mula sa mga iniisip kong tao.  Madalas man akong mabigo tulad ng mga nagdaan taon ay masaya pa rin akong aasa na sana ay mabigyan nila ako ng kaunting kasiyahan na lagi kong babalik-balikang isipin at ipagpapasalamat habang ako ay nabubuhay.  Sana kahit ngayong araw lang na ito ay ako naman ang makatanggap. 

By Alex V. Villamayor

November 30, 2011

UNDERSTANDING THE IMPORTANCE OF HEALTH

(The following story is the unedited copy of an article published in The Arabian Sun Vol. LXVI, #45, a Saudi Aramco weekly newsletter)
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Every one of us is working hard to increase our savings for our better future.  But in order to work, we need first to keep ourselves always fit to work.  And though everyone is busy, we still need to spare time to be active and do some work-outs.  We must keep in mind that all of our hard works and earnings will be wasted if we are sick.  Like what it is said in the old and trite saying that “Health is wealth”.

I used to be within the range of my ideal weight and normal blood pressure which I kept for several years.  But then in the recent year, I’ve noticed the gradual increasing of my weight has made me difficult to control despite of having regular work-out until I exceeded in the normal range of blood count.

It was not considered very high but it is enough to give me the fear of having cardio failure.  The physician advised me to watch my food choice to avoid heart disease and even stroke.  This really bothered me and made me to thoroughly follow the given diet.

All the while I thought that I was living healthy because of the active and clean life-style I am imposing to myself.  And I always relied that having fast body metabolism quickly absorbs my food intake that give no time to turn into fat, but then I’ve realized aging makes changes.  The lesson I learned: don’t be complacent.

To start, I have to set the goal and should go for it.  I valued my determination and strengthened my self-discipline to achieve that goal.  Diet was difficult during the early days but later on, I felt it was just a matter of getting yourself used of it.  But what have motivated me most is to dispel the fear of bearing the pain of illness and the cost of treating heart failure.

I’ve written some articles about health as my support to wellness and fitness.  As my small way, I hope through writing I could touch and reach other people across the organization and encourage them to understand the importance of making health as goal.  Determination and self-discipline are the prime keys to achieve your goal because what our mind can conceive our body can achieve. 

I want to inspire the readers by conveying the information I read in an article that says choosing the right food, being pro-active and smoking cessation will keep us fit and healthy.  Being healthy makes our internal organs in their best form and condition, brain stays attentive and focused while the heart and lungs are functioning well and efficiently.  Our body, bones and muscles become strong and in better tone while the blood circulates well and gives normal blood pressure.  In a nutshell, being healthy makes us better individuals and gives sense of well-being.

One of Saudi Aramco’s corporate values is safety wherein health is one of its standards that the company is striving to maintain at the highest level.  In Utilities Department where I am assigned, it’s nice to feel the full support of our organization to the various programs of UD Wellness.  Through the active and warm participation of the employees, the emphasis to the health standard provided to the employees is well received and appreciated.  While the company and the employees are sharing the responsibilities of instituting health awareness in work, it eventually creates a healthy environment that builds a productive and abundant community. 

By Alex V. Villamayor

October 23, 2011

11/11/11

It's all ones: 11111. It's nothing but simply just to have it now not to miss because it will not happen again.

we will have 22222 eleven years from now, a date that will not happen again like today.  Consider it lucky day but I don't mind and I do not really care.  I just want to record the date whatever that means.

(This article is under construction)

WORKING GOOD

Some looks like smart.  When they speak their work seems they speak their heart and soul.  But when getting to know them further you’ll find out they are not really very good as they are.   When it comes to work, performing your duties and responsibilities both by book and by heart, or even being workaholic doesn’t really speaks a good quality of your work.  Aside from those, it is your honesty and attitude to perform your job complete your work quality.  And these are the big task to fill in.

The skill to communicate well is deceiving, it masters the lies.  It is not only the efficiency in your work but it is the attitude as well that makes you more professional.  No matter how well you did your task but if you cheat your employer, then you are not really excellent.  Working hard and doing your job well are easy but honesty in works takes a lot of effort that is so tough to keep for life.  Completing the duties and responsibilities given to an employee, assuming all the works, and even extending the time beyond working hours are not the true measure of an honest worker.  What it really takes to count in are the fairness and truthfulness.  And to tell the truth, it is really tough to claim the honesty because it scrutinizes you from your tip to toe.

Do you come to work at least before the start of the working hour and leave your place after the end of the business hour?  Punctuality doesn’t really show in timekeeping.  If you are claiming that you leave your office at correct time while in fact you went home early and sitting at the convenience of your living room, that is cheating.  If you know by yourself that you have nothing to do yet you are extending your time and collect your company for pay, if you do not report to work when you do not feel to work while you’re supposed to work, and if you allocate time for your own personal errand like shopping during the working hours, these are dishonesty that cannot just to shrug.

You’re then not deserved to receive what company is paying you.  However as humanitarian treatment, workers are given icebreakers from warm long hard works.  Things like walking shortly, going to cafeteria to refresh, chatting once in a while are allowed as regard to the human workers are not machines.  Taking trivial company resources like small pencils and few papers for personal use can be let taken out of giving.  But some workers are just abusive.

This is why to become a real honest to goodness best worker is exhausting and very tough job. You will not endure to literally work eight hours a day in five days a week.  It is stressful, doing it for over a year, I guess you’re as good as withered veggies by now because this means a real gory scrimmage.  As human, we feel it is difficult to have an all-work day.  The management as human themselves is permitting us to do personal stuff as long as it is occasional and reasonable.  This helps our productivity.  We were given some small privilege to use some of company’s resources like internet and office stationeries for our personal use but we should use them prudently and with full responsibility.

I myself was not a hundred per cent full-pledged good employee.  In some points of my career, I admit I have done some dishonesty.  In the span of my two decades of working career, I had “petty crimes” like taking pens, pads, pins, and in very rare occasion I’ve cheated my punctuality out of cooperation but felt guilty afterwards.  But I’ve been through to that and for years I am working diligently, independently and punctually.   Through these, I can get even in my shortcomings and mistakes that at least I can still feel proud that indeed I am working honestly.