Loneliness has bid goodbye and I’m
Excited for tomorrow’s sight
Unending dreams growing as we spend
Quality time of virtual connection
As we get to know each other, there becomes more
Reasons to be happy… waiting for you.
As I lay down tonight
Remembering the day that went through
Every sweet thoughts within you injects
Vaccine in me, and so no one could ever
Infect and prevent this syndrome from
Running through my whole system
leuqaR areviR
Some friends here comments that I’m a very workaholic person. And I repeatedly answer back that I’m really not. It just happened that I’m “in the beginning” stage of being a businessman – the most critical part of managing own business, and has started to sacrifice my time “for leisure”. Leisure for me is when you spend a whole day for fun – any kind of trips, travel, picnic, househops – basically, to unwind. And I don’t just count my friends for leisure. They’re always in my thoughts whatever I am doing. What has been sacrificed was my physical presence with them. But whenever they need to talk to me, get some junky advices, I’m always around virtually. It’s as good as real, right? And I am still holding the greatest aspect in friendship – communication. Of course I miss going out, timing just doesn’t really work good lately.
From the day I started working here, I set my mind to have and create balanced activities for me. I have enough time for work, for leisure, for friends, and when the time a special someone rocks into my world – a valuable time for her. I’m not employee-minded that’s why I work more than 8 hours a day – because I work for myself, and not for another person’s company. I get to finish my work more efficient and quicker. As a result, I got to reserve more time for myself and for leisure. At this point in my life I’m able to reserve quality and quantity of time for my future, for my family – with whom I really want to dedicate precious time. Long term it seem but this is how I think.
At the end of the day, it’s all about self-respect in what I want to do and to become. And I’m just acting in line with achieving my goals. In a certain sense, our work is us. We get into it and it gets into us. Is it workaholic? My bestfriend Emsie always say, “It’s a blessing to be busy.” It’s true.
I still sleep 6 hours a day – enough for me, lucky if I have 8. I still have time to play, I still go out and jog for 2 – 3 hours. And hey! If I’m workaholic, I won’t have time to blog.
This is it!!! As we expected… Inquiries and prospective clients started coming in. We’ve also started establishing our name in the newspapers, phone directories and other advertisements. We’ve had a successful email campaign. It’s a good September, as 14 projects suddenly are on queue. That’s 700% increase from our maiden month’s 2 clients. Although we still have to come to terms to 6 of these prospects.
Whatta good star! This is definitely a fever that I want to always have.
Way to go… but it’s time to rebound!
Weird but cool, that we held a business meeting in a bar at around 10 in the evening.
Yesterday, supposedly we will meet our American client in one of the restos in the city at 6pm. But to his request, he moved the time to 9pm and set in in a German bar. Yeah, we know that we can’t have a good business discussion in bar. But since he’s the client, we agreed. When we met there, we asked if we can transfer to any quiet place and then go back to the bar. Instead, he lead us into the counter section of the bar – and since it’s Thursday night, it was full. We stand near the counter wait for a table to be vacated, the business talk has started. And the beer started coming also. Wow! It was the best beer I ever tasted – Becks! I had 3 large mugs and it almost sent me down. Our client calls the orders, even if we said we’ve had enough of beer, he still keep it coming.
He has a lot of good experiences in the Philippines and with Filipinos. He love Mindoro. He amused us with their stories of adventures as they explore the unexplored caves in the island. He had a good share of memories with the Mangyans. He had breathe-taking adventures in the rivers and mountains of Mindoro, and the storm. It’s fun to meet Americans, who may seem more Filipino than us when they talk about our country, and how they love the country. Here in Dubai, in fact, he is the only American member of the all Filipino Harley-Davidson big bikers club.
The business meeting ended 1:30am.
I was almost hit by a car just tonight when we went to Satwa for dinner. I know I have the right decision to cross the street. He’s coming from a curve and is still far from me, when at a blink, he almost got my leg – and suddenly I did a long jump. He then had a full stop and stared at me. I looked around to check other’s observation and they all look angrily at the driver, agreeing that it could’ve been his fault if he hit me. I didn’t stared back at him and just let the situation pass. I almost forgot – I read just last week in a newspaper that deaths caused by road accidents increased to 54% – and it is one of the major problems of Dubai.
Oh well…
Tis’ the last month of summer. I can feel the weather slowly becoming better – the too much heat and humidity gradually goes down. The air becomes easier to breathe. I can now go out and walk on the long streets at around 4pm. The water from the faucet will soon be chilly.
As I feel the weather change, and in time with it, is something new within me that gently sets in. It’s also becoming better. It’s as if the wind blows towards a good direction. Something to look forward for the coming winter. ‘Think I’m just in time to gather some heat from this summer to preserve as something that will bring warmth for winter.
It’s a good working day – all our services seemed to be in the right tune now; And at the side I’ve got to chat with my friends… And I had a nice chat session again with her… I woke up in the morning and read her message first – and her “tatsing” status message.
Plus…
We talked over the phone and she shared the good news that a big company called her and had a phone interview. Before that company contacted her, they reached me first (because we used my number for her CV as local contact). They said that she is very qualified for many opportunities in the company. And so I suggested that they conduct a phone interview with her. I was told they don’t usually do it, unless the applicant is super, highly, very qualified. That’s why I am very happy they considered her for their company.
The thing is, the company is in Abu Dhabi, and it means we’ll live far apart – and that would spoil the excitement we’re building up – the outs, the jogging, the foodtrip, pasyal pasyal, and all that. So I suggested her to ask for assignment in Dubai – since the National Oil Corporation has an office here.
Oh well, other than that good news, the phone conversation was fun. As always – full of laughters, revealed smiles, sweet thoughts and unending excitement. It became a good “mode” setting – 6pm here, 10pm there. It sets me for an extra inspired work mode; and it sets her for a good night sleep.
We may be miles apart by now, but the way we accommodate each other, and our simplified definition of joy is starting to build the great foundation of our friendship. Ber na! Malapit na ang “uary.”
Thanks to you Raqz!
As I start on my tenth month here, let me tell how I’ve been so far. Here are 10 random noteworthy (and worthless) PERSONAL things that I experienced:
1) Intellectually abused and was locked in by my first employer for a whole working day;
2) Involved in car collisions 3 times; Got no injuries though; (Twice of hard collisions – I was thrown on the other side of the car)
3) Went to Iran thrice (twice in Kish Island, once in Queshm Island);
4) Left a good-paying job and bravely launched an IT business with partners;
5) Held a stand-off with my last employer for improper payment of salaries;
6) Being accused heavily (and threatened for) of coveting other’s wife and another’s girlfriend; MY GOLLY!
7) Chased by a group of Arab youth in a car – trying to hit me with their aluminum pipe; This was around 11:30 at night and I was walking alone in a quiet road when this group of youngsters stopped at me and is reaching me with their thick rounded metal stick;
8 ) Slept in a room without aircon for 5 straight nights when the temperature is above 40celcius and humidity is 60% – that was hell;
9) Interviewed by University students for their thesis (re: web designer in Dubai), and was featured in a publication;
10) Punched a taxi driver as I defended myself from planned sexual harassment; After that, I no longer sit on the driver’s side every time I take cab. MGA BADING NA DRIVER! Buset…
I have more actually, but I opted to share 10 only. Long way to go!
Generally, I can still say that this is a safe place (I regret to say, but Dubai is still safer and more peaceful than Manila. You won’t see petty crimes here.). It just so happened that I became careless, I didn’t do background studies before I grab the job offers, I went to a wrong place in the wee hours of the night alone, and things like that. Road accidents are more famous than crimes.
Every time a dear one left us, we always say, “Life is too short.” Their untimely departure is never acceptable.
Tsugutsugutsugutsugutsuguchoink!!! Only yesterday I learned a saddening news that a friend of my bestfriend passed away. The guy was only 28 and is still active as a supervisor in a call center. Again I heard, “Life is too short.” I said, “Yep, it is too short, why not make it long?” And how do we classify and define “short”? Some die before they reach 10 years,that was really short. Some 20 years, and some 40 years, and yet we consider it “short.” The measurement is within ourselves.
Everybody who “lives and thinks normal” don’t want a short life. Isn’t it good to reach early a point in our lives when we can claim that we’ve accomplished all, we’ve made our dreams come true, we’ve passed through life’s challenges, and we are happy (living a day at a time makes it a reality)… and best of all, we have nothing more to prove, nothing to lose.
One after the other, and one at the same time… struggles are really part of any starting business. let me share mine…
I posted in my previous entry the delays we experienced regarding the release of our business license. It limits our marketing moves. It takes away precious time that we may get clients. We remain no choice but to set up and be satisfied doing business at home.
There are also side events that involved our partners in business. Personal lives mixed up with business. We were threatened by all means – not only with business matters, but even personal as well. We were warned to be raided; to be sent off to Kish; and that encounter with the evil created a huge impact on our minds (see: Encounter With Living Evil).
But since our papers are on process already, we were not alarmed.
And the next sequence of events seemed not challenges but simply annoyances brought about by the ill-luck when we faced the living evil…
When it rains, it’s four!!! (It pours of course):
1.) The internet connection (our bread and butter) went off for 5 days; can’t wait for Etisalat to respond and repair, so we bought new modem-router ($74.00)
2.) One laptop we use for marketing bugged down; as replacement we bought a desktop ($574.00)
3.) Our web server was suspended due to allegation of spamming ($138.00 lost, non-refundable) . One of our major services failed to give the clients expectation – this is because of “intelligent” assumptions and lack of tests.; and so we bought a new web host ($79.00) and a monthly ($300 plus $67 setup fee * 2) bulk mail server.
4.) One client held up a project costing $2733.00
Add to these, our electricity went off 30 minutes for 3 straight days and an hour for the fourth consecutive day.
Oh well… These are the unavoidable situations when you are a new player. Good thing, all remains positive and don’t consider these as setbacks but learning experiences and part of our foundation of growth. The unexpected dollars weren’t part of emergency fund, we failed to recognize the possible occurrence of these matters. Our mind is set now on how to get into the rainbow at the end of the rain. God definitely knows when to put us on challenging roads. He defines the best time for it, we then tune our minds to strengthen and be tougher for we might be up for similar circumstances as we go along. And He also chooses who to put on those challenges – those who can get things going.
