Friday, February 10, 2023
Frances Finds: A game on managing a grocery store!
Thursday, February 09, 2023
I'm back!
Hello everybody! I'm back. That's the longest I've not blogged, I think. So let me tell you what's been happening.
Today marks my one month at my new job! I'm not announcing my job yet because I'm still on probationary status haha so I'll do a job reveal the second I get regularized.
My job is very busy. Lots of writing! But I breathe writing so no biggie. Lots of meetings! Which badly drains introvert me. But since everyone is so nice, it's okay.
My biggest adjustment is working in a cold office. Yeah, surprisingly, I adjusted quickly to not being with my sons because the first three days of me at work saw me crying and saying I miss them. But my kids, bless their hearts, they said they don't miss me and, well, I suddenly didn't miss them that much, either 😅 Joking aside, I think they do miss me. They just didn't want to see me crying and so they did me some tough love. Those boys.
Anyway, I had asked HR at my initial online interview if the office is cold because that's, like, my dealbreaker. Cold pala is relative because she said it's not cold at all but here I am, freezing every day. But one month in and I'm better. I've decided to not be stylish and just bury myself in ugly but warm clothes. Plus, I commute. I go against the flow so it's an easy and super-fast commute, but ugly sneakers is the way to go. So no office OOTDs then!
I've also adjusted to my big neon, lime-green desk. I toned it down with a lot of industrial black and livened it up with a few touches of pink and a plant I named Chantelle. And since my youngest boy said he loves that shade of green, he helped me choose my desk stuff and so more of that green! I haven't put up photos of my husband and kids yet. Because seeing their beautiful faces makes me miss them and I don't want that.
The plan is to stay in this job till I retire - 14 years from now! Of course, plans change. I planned to be a magazine editor-in-chief till I die and look at what happened to that. Well, one month into this job and I'm optimistic. So let's see where this goes!
I work in corporate communications. It's a big local company. We help Pinoys, Filipinas especially. I cry every time I watch videos of the women whose lives the company has changed ❤️
The team is cool. So capable. And hardworking. And terribly young. Today I told one of them when she was talking about her dad, "Gosh, I just realized I'm almost as old as your dad. You're young enough to be my kid."
My husband told me to embrace being their mommy figure. So I will. I guess that says it all. I'm matronly 🥰
And yet, look at little old lady me. I have a new job. When you're 46, it's not easy to go job-hunting. It's so disheartening really, all the rejections. Then this came along because a former colleague referred me and now I'm doing what I do best and still learning more. My learning curve is slow in this industry that's so different from all my previous jobs. I'm always asking for explanations and clarifications (corporate lingo is a foreign language!). But everyone's been so patient because they know I've not worked for a corporation for a decade.
I didn't think I would get this job, to be honest. Those 10 years of being unemployed kept being mentioned during my interviews. I explained I wasn't jobless. I was working hard all that decade as a blogger, writer, editor, PR consultant, etc etc. I've never worked so hard in my life, these past 10 years. Then pregnant, breastfeeding, taking care of little ones pa! With no household help!!!
And that's why I went back to corporate. I got tired of the hustle. The endless prospecting. The chasing of checks. The working alone.
The last 10 years was amazing. Best decade of my life! I learned a great many things and achieved what I never thought I would.
Business owner.
Influencer.
Speaker.
Newspaper columnist.
Book editor.
Co-founder.
I still plan on continuing all I've done. I'm in the middle of writing a novel and a book of short stories. Yes, two books! We have big plans for Lean In Manila (yes, we'll be back with that, too!). I quietly started a Facebook group called Masayang Menopause. I'm now a bookstagrammer. And I'm also cooking up some stuff that's so exciting!
So, yes, the last decade as a hustler will still continue but at a more relaxed pace now that I have a regular income. I can now focus on my passions! Oh, 2013 to 2022 was the best fun. But I'm old haha. I want to relax... by going back to being an employee in an industry I've never been in! What?!
Life is full of surprises.
I'm grateful. I've lived many lives. Here's to a new one!
Wednesday, December 14, 2022
I blame just one person for all this melodrama
Have you watched this docuseries on Netflix? You should! The first chapter (3 episodes) is so romantic and nakakakilig. Watch!
The third date was camping with no bathroom, shower, or toilet anywhere. MM, you should've run away! 😂 |
Anyway, all that said, I'm glad PH is now making it up to MM. He took her and their kids out of that toxic environment. He looks like he's completely besotted with her. He's a happy daddy. He's working hard to be financially independent (unlike the RF that still depends on the taxpayer to pay for their palaces, designer gowns, helicopter rides, etc). And though it's distasteful, he's defending his decisions (yes, HIS decisions!) even if it puts his former family in a bad light.
Ya know, if my father also had a torrid affair, caused my mother torment, divorced her and stripped her of protection which eventually had a hand in causing her death, I'd hate him, too. If anyone goes after my husband, maybe I'll stand back muna kasi he's an adult but if foul na, I'd defend him tooth and nail, too.
I'm sure any good parent will understand. And that's why I'm Team MM. And maybe Team PH... Nope. I still haven't forgiven him for finding a perfectly happy-on-her-own woman and then changing her life for the worse.
Here's what they said in 2020, with my edits and notes in italics:
After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new role within this institution [within daw, sa loob, hindi sa labas!].We intend to step back [step back, not step away] as ‘senior’ members of the RF and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support HM The Q [as in they won't stop their public royal duties but W didn't allow this at the Sandringham Summit].It is with your encouragement, particularly over the last few years, that we feel prepared to make this adjustment.We now plan to balance our time between the United Kingdom and North America, continuing to honour our duty to The Q, the Commonwealth, and our patronages [again, their original plan was to still work as public royals].This geographic balance will enable us to raise our son with an appreciation for the royal tradition into which he was born, while also providing our family with the space to focus on the next chapter, including the launch of our new charitable entity [space daw, not privacy].We look forward to sharing the full details of this exciting next step in due course, as we continue to collaborate with HM The Q, The PofW, The DoC and all relevant parties [collaborate daw, but this wasn't allowed].Until then, please accept our deepest thanks for your continued support.
[H&M's] statement announcing their decision to step back mentions nothing of privacy and reiterates their desire to continue their roles and public duties. Any suggestion otherwise speaks to a key point of this series. They are choosing to share their story, on their terms, and yet the tabloid media has created an entirely untrue narrative that permeates press coverage and public opinion. The facts are right in front of them.