Third week

I'm going on my third week on the job. I have to admit things have been pretty tight recently, having a lot of things to do, job orders to process and vacancies to fill in. I'm not complaining though. I'm having a really great time.

It's a bit weird though cause I'm the type who normally wants to leave work by about 6 pm. During my past work experiences, you will hardly see me at the office after 6. Yet now here at IBM, I usually get to leave at about 7 pm. And again, I'm not complaining.

In a few hours I'll have to get ready for work. I don't think I'll be able to sleep well anymore as I've spent the whole Sunday dozing off and catching up some much needed shut-eye. It's going to be another long week ahead and I can't wait til Friday comes.

But again, I'm not complaining.

IBS Basketball

A group of IBMers play basketball regularly at the Ateneo College covered courts. It was funny because there are a lot of Ateneans in IBM (all across the different subsidiaries, IBM Philippines, IBM Business Services, and IBM Solutions Delivery) yet more than half of those who play don't come from Ateneo. As a result, I was actually wondering why the games are scheduled there. Anyway, I welcome it nonetheless as I live like 5 minutes away from school. It's such a convenient venue for me.

I played with the main group for the first time last night. I say 'main' because there is another group that plays as well but in a different venue (coincidentally also along Katipunan though). It was interesting as I was not familiar about how these IBMers play. Having been used to serious and intense games, I wasn't sure how competitive my officemates were. I was hoping that they will provide enough spunk and attitude otherwise I might find the games boring and lackluster. Who would want that?

I was glad they took the game seriously. At the back of my head though I was thinking maybe they were just trying to show off because there were new guys playing. You know how territorial people are. They get motivated when they think someone's trying to encroach at their space. At any rate, I welcomed the challenge.

I was able to put on a little show. I guess I was a bit lucky because my shots were falling in. I was scoring at will with an assortment of shots both from inside and the perimeter. Highlight of the day? I got the ball just across halfcourt with the game tied (and on the line). I called for isolation, made a couple of dribbles capped with a quick head-and-shoulder fake. Swish. I sank a spectacular gamewinning trey from the top of the key with a hand on my face, to seal the victory for my team.

I couldn't have scripted the night any better. What a way to introduce myself to IBM basketball.

ABL 2006 in review

The 2006 ABL season officially ended Saturday night with the annual fellowship dinner. My team's season ended two weeks ago with a semifinal loss to Accenture.

This was a breakout year for me, as I played the best basketball in my four seasons in the league. As a result, I've decided to list down some of the major highlights of my season. I'm not doing this to brag about anything (it's just a game), but to mark the gradual improvement I've had since my rookie season in 2003.

-I was named to the All-Division Second Team, ranking 9th overall.

-I ranked among the top 4 in the division in three categories based on averages: 1st in steals (2.86), 2nd in assists (4.6) and 4th in freethrow percentage (61.1%).

-I placed among the top 10 in the division in two other categories: 5th in field goal percentage (45.3%) and 8th in scoring (14.4).

-I led Team Adidas in the following categories: scoring, total points, field goal percentage, freethrow percentage, field goals made, freethrows made and attempted, assists, steals, and minutes played.

It was an outstanding season for me, on an individual level. My team didn't do as well as we wanted to yet we managed to snag third place. It's not that bad after all.

I'm looking forward to next season. The countdown to January 2007 starts now.

So Surreal

I actually had written quite a long entry for today. However, after re-reading it for the nth time, I decided to take it down and write a shorter version. I just thought the blog entry was just too detailed.

Here's the gist.

I just got back from Eastwood like 30 minutes ago. I had coffee with a friend and her cousin. Nothing unusual with that right?

Not really. See, I thought I'd never be able to see her because she left for the States and Canada last July. From what I know, she was deadset on staying there for the long haul. Apparently, she has changed her mind. I think she's back here in Manila for good.

Anyhow, it was a surreal experience altogether. It was just totally unexpected.

Back to Work

I started work already last week. I'm going on my second week now and things have been looking bright so far. I'm enjoying myself to the max. New colleagues, new environment... it's a totally new experience and I'm still overwhelmed.

I'm still on my honeymoon stage here at work. There's not much to do yet. There's not much expected of me either. At least not yet. We're encountering minor hitches because the HR department will be undergoing restructuring, and we're doing it phase by phase. We still have a lot more people joining the team, so it will take time before we can all gel together. Moreover, there's still pending work and backlog to be finished. As a result, we cannot fully focus on the organizational realignment.

Anyway, with the way things are going so far, I think it's going to be an enjoyable experience for me. I actually look forward to coming to work everyday. It's something I haven't felt in a very long time.

This is an awesome start.

Officially an IBMer

I received a job offer from IBM Business Services (IBS) last week. They wanted me to join their HR team as a Recruitment Specialist. We didn't go through the specific details yet, but granting we agree on all terms, I was supposed start next Monday, March 13.

It was the first job offer that I seriously considered. I got a couple of ones recently, but I got turned off by a variety of reasons. This one was different though. Maybe because it's from IBM, or maybe because the proximity is so endearing. Nevertheless, from what we've talked about, I was very interested.

I went back earlier today to iron out the details with them. They formally gave me their offer, with the official contract on hand too. We discussed the contract, and needless to say, I was pleased with everything.

So I signed on already, thus officially making me part of the IBM family. I'm quite excited to finally work again. The only downside was they wanted to me to start earlier. In fact, they want me to come in this Thursday already. I thought I still had roughly a week to enjoy bumming. Alas, I have to cut it short, and end the scintillating run of enjoyment I've had since October.

At any rate, it has been a wonderful and enjoyable 5 month ride. It was real good while it lasted. Absolutely no regrets.

End of Season

The magical run is over.

After 7 regular season games and 2 semifinal matches, our season is finally over. We lost to a determined Accenture squad last night. Like our first meeting, this one proved to be another nailbiter, as we found ourselves at the short end of the stick, losing 55-57. We never really expected to go this far, not with a horrendous regular season record. But we managed to make the season more interesting with a huge semifinal win over Unilab.

On a personal note, this was the worst game I've had this year. I think I had season lows in practically all of the major categories (points, field goal and freethrow percentage most especially). This was the toughest defense I've seen all year too. The only times I failed to reach double figures were in the two games we faced them. Their defense is way better than top-ranked Globe in my opinion. Globe has too much firepower though.

At any rate, all good things must come to an end. It was a great run while it lasted. It's just too bad that we have to wait until January 2007 before the next season starts.

Damn, that's a pretty long wait.

Sweet Revenge!

After two blowout losses in the eliminations to the Unilab team, we were finally able to beat them. It was a tremendous feat for Adidas as we lost to Unilab by an average of 10 points in our first two meetings. Getting a win was satisfying because we haven't tasted victory in a long time. But to beat them in a knockout semfinal match at that, the win was infinitely sweeter. That meant advancing to the next round to meet second-seeded Accenture, effectively ending Unilab's season.

I expected a closely fought match, as our previous games against them were tightly-contested ones. They just managed to pull away in the last quarter of both games. That's why the score doesn't reflect how good the games were played. This game was tight from the get-go. We had an early 6-0 lead to start off the first quarter. We went cold from then on as they made a strong 12-0 blast with the quarter ending 12-6 in their favor. The game was close from then on. Unilab held a two point lead going into the fourth quarter, 30-28. We pulled away using a strong run in the middle of the fourth, with three clutch treys from our wingmen. We managed to keep them in check and hold on for the double-digit victory. I'm not sure of the final score, but I know it wasn't close.

Great game for Adidas. The magical run continues.

The Long and Short of Dating

I had just gone over an article, "Does She Want To Date You?" written by Alan Goldsher. It basically outlines the signs that women give to show they're interested in a guy. I assumed most guys, especially those who have had quite a number of past relationships, already know the ins-and-outs of dating and courtship. I was wrong though. There is still a big chunk of guys who don't know what to do. They cannot comprehend the signals that women are giving, possibly because they may have been burned in the past and are fearing rejection. I have to admit though that some women are just absolutely malabo. They just send out complex, mixed signals that you'd really go crazy trying to figure them out.

At any rate, there aren't any set rules in dating as we cannot standardize the process. There's no such thing as a guidebook to dating or courtship as well. Although articles about it can impart knowledge and information, they will not provide a blow-by-blow account of what you should do when faced with certain scenarios. I think one should follow his or her gut feel when dealing with it. It will always come down to how you feel about the situation at hand. If you think you stand a chance, and if she's giving the right signals, by all means pursue it. But if you're wary about the likelihood that she feels the same way about you, go ahead and bail out. All's fair in love and war.

Remember, even the slickest of casanovas get tongue-tied and confused too. So it's totally normal to feel lost and baffled. Be sure to analyze the whole scenario properly because at the end of the day, no one else can make a decision for you but yourself.

Whether you decide to push all the chips and go all in, or surrender the game and fold, just make sure you see the flop. At least there's a rational explanation to your action. Bluffing won't get you anywhere here. And if the outcome is not what you wanted, just take it in stride and charge to experience. Shit happens even to the best of us.

Happy hunting!

One of Them Better Days

I haven't had the best of weeks recently. It's been a stressful month or so to say the least. Most of which stems from the fact that I have to find work soon. Not only just work though, but it has to be something I'd really like to do. Otherwise, it's not going to work out in the long run.

For some reason, I woke up feeling really good yesterday. I dunno why, but it was such a welcome surprise considering I haven't been sleeping soundly lately.

The day turned out pretty good too. I had a job interview with Globe Telecom in the afternoon. It went well in my opinion. I had quite a good discussion with the people who interviewed. I think I made a nice impression as well. Incidentally, much to my surprise, I had met their recruitment manager already. We were both guests at Boy Abunda's Home Boy over at ABS-CBN almost a year ago. The topic was about HR recruitment practices. I was the representative for the call center industry, while she was the resource person for the telecommunications industry. It was a good thing that she remembers me. I hope that adds bearing to my application, as she has the final say when it comes to recruitment decisions. Come to think of it, I'd love to work for Globe. I wouldn't think twice if ever they made an offer.

Later in the day, I received a bit of good news still from a jobhunting standpoint. I was being asked by IBM to report for another interview later today (March 1). It was going to be my third interview with them. I've heard around that if IBM invites you for an interview for a third time, it usually is pleasant news. I honestly thought that it was over for me there as I haven't heard from them for over three weeks already. They told me the last time that they'd contact me if ever. Being an HR practitioner, I know that most of the time the call never comes. It was indeed a surprising development.

It seems like the future's looking bright. I hope things work out, either with Globe or IBM. I'm raring to go back and join the workforce.

Enlightenment

I've had a not-so-good week so far. I've been bothered by a lot of thoughts lately. My mind's been bombarded with so many concerns and issues that've been keeping me up the past few days. I felt like I had to make some choices and I don't want to screw up.

I've talked to a few people, asking for their insights and opinions. I got varied results from that. Though they helped me in one way or another, I still wasn't able to decide on what I was going to do. So I had to come up with other options.

I felt like I needed a girl's point-of-view. I have all the male opinions I need (including mine) and it was now time to get ideas from the female species. I sought for a really good friend of mine, who I know will give honest if not brutal comments if needed. I just got off the phone with her a while ago and we had such an elightening chat. She cleared some of the stuff that bothered me so much, and things started to make a lot more sense. She gave me insights on certain things I'd never would've thought of. It was a refreshing conversation to say the least.

I still have a lot more to think about but I think I have it easier now as compared to a couple of days ago.

Thanks bud, you've been of great help.

Playoff-bound

I just got back from our big game a while ago. But before the game started, we were informed that we got a free pass to the semis because San Miguel had lost yesterday to Accenture, thus ending their chance on getting a semifinal slot.

Since the game with Unilab earlier had no bearing whatsoever. Some players on both teams had little motivation. Play lacked the usual tension that's normally present in games. I had a different plan in mind. With the competitive juices in me flowing, I thought it was the best chance to surprise Unilab and go all out for the kill. Though it was non-bearing, ending the regular season with a win would definitely boost our morale heading to the knockout phase next week.

We started out strong, grabbing an early double-digit lead in the first half. Unilab was able to stage a comeback and closed out the half with a long buzzer-beater from beyond the arc. We led 35-32 at the half. It was close for much of the third canto. We were having a shootout and the lead kept changing favor. The third quarter ended with Unilab having the upper hand with a 3-point lead.

The fourth quarter was a different story. We were able to hang with them for the first few minutes, as the game was neck-and-neck. They pulled away toward the middle of the quarter by hitting shots from everywhere. We lost steam and we couldn't hit ours. They ran away with fastbreak plays and they sank their freethrows as we were on a fouling-spree strategy.

The final score will not reflect the kind of game we played. It was a much closely fought game than that. Too bad we couldn't make the plays when it counted the most.

We've lost two games already to a short and undermanned Unilab squad. I'm actually puzzled how we weren't able to pull this one out. The semifinal knockout phase starts next week and we will be facing the same Unilab team again, for the third time this season.

They've got our number so far. I hope we can turn things around and knock them out of the playoffs this Saturday. Now that would be sweet revenge.

Final Game (?)

Today's the biggest day of the season for Team Adidas. We play our last regular season game this afternoon over at the Meralco Gym. We're playing Unilab in a rematch of some sort. They beat us by 10 points in our first meeting. Should we win today, we punch our ticket to the playoffs. If we lose, there's one other scenario where we can still get in. San Miguel Beer played Sustagen yesterday morning. As of this moment, I have no news yet who won. A San Miguel loss will automatically place us in the top 4 of the division, thus getting an automatic berth regardless of what happens today. If San Miguel had won, then we would have to beat Unilab later to get in.

It seems complicated but it actually isn't. What makes things look complex would be the quotient system that will be followed should there be teams tied in the standings. To simplify it, we basically just have to win today and nothing else will matter.

I'm looking forward to later's game with much excitement. We're on a win-or-go-home phase and I don't want our season to end just yet. It's high-time that we get our act together. It may be our last.

Ne-Yo

I normally don't write about music stuff here. But y'all got to listen to Ne-Yo. He's an up-and-coming RNB artist from the DefJam label. He's been killing since the release of his first single, "So Sick". All the tracks in his album are absolutely tight. It's the type you can listen to over and over again without getting sawa.

If you're feeling "So Sick", then you'll go crazy over the track, "Girlfriend (Sexy Love)". Hands-down the best new artist for the 2007 Grammy's. Put that on record.

What I Didn't Know

There are some things in life I wish I had never known. It changes my perspective altogether. It alters whatever ideas and thoughts I already had in mind.

A few days ago, I learned of some stuff I wish I never did. They don't really bother me, as I feel they are not that important. But then again, as trivial as they may seem, these had drastic effects on me as it increased the complexity of certain matters.

Usually I'd rather know everything and get burned than not knowing anything at all. It satisfies the curiosity I have. It makes my imagination stop wandering wild. However this time, I feel it would've been better had I been left out.

My point of view has changed. My mindset has been shaken. Things just got worse.

Spirit of Edsa

As the country commemorates the 20th anniversary of the 1986 People Power Revolution, I also look back and remember the vivid memories I had there. My mom brought me and my brother along as we braved the danger of treading down the long highway with a battalion of tanks and artillery lurking behind. I will never forget the Cory and Doy pins we had on, as well as the big bright yellow Laban foam-fingers neatly wrapped around our hands. These propaganda materials were reduced to mere playthings for my brother and I.

I was four years old then. I had no idea what was going on. Little did I know that what I was about to witness was history in the making, a bloodless revolt paving the way for our country to achieve democracy. A era was about to end, and a new beginning was forthcoming.

As the country celebrates and memoirs are relived, I can and will always look back and say proudly that as diminutive and clueless as I was then, I was part of Edsa 1986.

Redemption

The past two weeks, I've had two chances to win games for my team in the last seconds. For both instances, I squandered the opportunites I was given. I missed two crucial freethrows during one game while I botched a potential gamewinning play on another. Needless to say, I choked both times.

I was able to redeem myself last night. I had my usual Tuesday night scrimmage over at the Department of Agriculture. Leading by one point, I was fouled with about three seconds remaining. I could basically clinch the game if I convert both charities. They would have very little time to launch a game-tying three inbounding from our baseline. All I need was to sink both shots.

I leisurely took the two freethrows to take away the pressure. Sometimes when I concentrate too much I lose my focus and end up missing. I swished both shots.

Finally, redemption was on hand.

A Learning Experience

We had a very important game yesterday. A win would've propelled us to the playoffs automatically. A loss makes our last game (next week, a rematch against Unilab) a must-win one.

In perhaps the most exhilirating game I've been part of in my four seasons of playing in the ABL, we lost a nailbiter, 45-44, to Accenture. I have to give it to them though. They don't look like a good team, yet they manage to keep winning.

We played terrible throughout the game. We would've gone scoreless in the second period had I not converted a driving layup. We still only wound up with 8 points in the first half.

With about 3 minutes or so to go, we were behind by 13. Under normal circumstances, that would've been a hopeless case. We didn't back down though and we took the challenge head on. We slowly inched closer as we were only down 1 with 24 seconds left, with the ball in our hands.

It was the best scenario. Having been down by a huge margin, yet having the chance to win the game with the last shot. It will be perhaps the last possession of the game. Win or lose, we had the last shot. Or so we thought.

We bungled the last possession as I chose to pass off instead of creating my own. We got tied up as the buzzer sounded. We weren't able to launch a shot attempt off even with an eternity of time.

Being the court general of the team, I take full responsibility for the miscue. I should've put everything in my hands and see how fate turns out. Anything in retrospect though, will always be the best option. It's beyond me now so I can't dwell on that anymore.

This is a learning experience for me. Next time, I know what to do. Step back people, I'm taking over. I'm taking the last shot. For the win.

Hate the feeling

My mind's bombarded with a lot of thoughts now. I need to come up with decisions that will perhaps chart the path I'll be taking professionally. Worse, I need a decision by early next week. That gives me like three days to figure and weigh things out. Aside from that, there are a few other things that I need to clear off my mind.

I hate this feeling.

Missed

I just got back from a despedida a while ago. The night didn't turn out as well as what I thought it would be. I will acknowledge though that I'm partly to blame. It was just awkward and I didn't want to impose. At any rate, I missed someone both literally and figuratively. I feel like an opportunity was both missed and wasted.