Work! Work! Work!

In the next few weeks, I will be saying goodbye to my student life. Also, in the next few weeks I need to face the consequence of bidding goodbye to that academic chapter of my biography--I need to work.
This past few days I've been thinking what kind of work I should do this time. Three years ago, I quitted my jobs as a software engineer--a computer programmer in layman's terms. I worked by developing softwares for our clients who happen to be big international companies. Well, for two years, I shed time, sweat, blood and tears just to accomplish every task that was laid before me. Those two years were so full of experiences--both enriching and hurting intertwined. Enriching because I developed my interpersonal skills and my skills in programming. Hurting because all of my efforst seemed to be unappreciated. That was my brief stint in the information technology world.
A few weeks ago, I had a number of chat sessions with a former officemate. Of course, old stories like the perenial overtime work and the infamous team leads were not spared during the trip to memory lane. My friends sighed his sentiments as to what lead him to quit his job--despite the fact that he has been promoted to team lead status. Well, I also had my own share of sourgraping but what made me ponder more was when I replied to him that I still love my work and I enjoyed the time I had been in the firm. I know I said that with vindiction but we all know how painful my last year in the company had been. To make the long story short, due to some incompetent people labeled as our superiors, my performance was under assessed which lead to my annual income increase to be put on hold that same year which hurted me so much. As a protest to that, and to other wrongdoings of our so-called superiors, our senior team members left the team one by one, with me leaving the firm itself as the third member. News from teammates left behind kept me posted as to who left the team or the company afterwards. Right now, the team seems to have become stable again but still when talks between us former colleagues start, we still recall how happy we were eventhough we were experiencing physical and emotional stress during and beyond our working hours.
Having that not that sweet two years in the IT field made me think again... and again whether I should engage myself again in an IT-related work. Looking at the simple reasons, I still want to work in Makati. I still want to hit the computer keyboard. I still want to code and debug computer programs. I still want to do testing and maintenance. I still love my work. But, ooops! There are also some other things to consider like the pay and the career path. These things never crossed my mind the first time I signed my contract with them. But it seems that these are the more important things to consider when signing in again for a job. Anyway, right now I haven't decided yet what work I'll be doing in about a month's time but definitely, IT is still on the list.

お母さん、日本へようこそ! (Mama, Welcome to Japan!)

　２月２０日。僕は東京に行ってきた。主な目的は母を成田空港で迎えに行くことだが、途中で、旅券を返信しに六本木にある在日本フィリピン大使館へ行った。そちらに一度も行ったことがなかったので、行き方がわからなかった。大使館の公開ホームページを参考にしたのに、アクセス情報がわかりにくかったため、自信がなかった。友だちに行き方を聞いたが、友だちも詳しい情報を教えてくれなかった。まあ、周りの人に聞こうと思いながら、旅立った。

　東京駅からの路線情報をインターネットで検索して、ノートにメモした。やはり、東京の複雑な鉄道はすごかった。電車の中はひどく込んでいて、本当に都会にいるという感じがした。自分のこの先の働く姿をイメージしながら、電車から電車まで乗り換えて、麻布十番駅に到着した。

　ここからはどうするのと自分に聞いた。駅を出てから、すぐ前に麻布十番周辺地図が見つけた。地図を従って、１０分ほど歩いた。大使館から少し歩きすぎたが、やっと見つけた。用事がすぐ済んでしまった。用事がもう住んだので、今はそちらへ向かっているよと友だちの阿部さんに電話した。麻布十番駅に戻るとき、雨が降ってきた。近くのコンビニーで、５００円のビニール傘を買った。

　今回は大使館へ行くときのルートと違うルートをした。やはり、今朝のルートは高くて簡単じゃなかった。今朝のルートは：東京ー（東京メトロ丸ノ内線）ー＞赤坂見附ー（東京メトロ銀座線）ー＞青山一丁目ー（都営大江戸線）ー＞麻布十番。今回は：麻布十番ー（東京メトロ南北線）ー＞四ッ谷ー（東京メトロ丸ノ内線）ー＞東京。時々、インターネット検索にも信頼しないほうがいいときもあるんだようね。

　東京駅から、さいたまの吉川駅までの行き方を阿部さんから聞いたんだけど、そのとき、電車の事故があったので、違う行き方になってしまった。ドキドキしながら、周りを見て、電車に乗った。電車が止まってる毎回のときが緊張していた。ここで降りるかなという悩んでいる気持ちだった。でも、いよいよ、阿部さんと会った。

　阿部さんのお宅に、阿部さんのお母さんもいた。２時間、吉川図書館でスタジオジブリの「耳をすませば」といアニメーション映画を見た。その映画は昔から見たかったので、嬉しかった。最初は眠くなってしまったが、映画の後半のときは真剣に見た。映画は面白くて、僕は感動して。

　阿部さんのお宅に戻り、晩御飯をご馳走になった。阿部さんが吉川駅から成田空港までの行き方を教えてくれた。成田駅で成田空港行きの電車に乗るのが遅刻してしまったので、２０時３０分の電車に乗ることになった。母の飛行機の到着予定時刻は２０時１０分だった。

　すべてのお客さんが成田空港第一ターミナルから出ると思ったので、そこのターミナルに母を待っていた。１５分が経つと、母の飛行機の便名がまだディスプレーに出てこないので、案内デスクに問う合わせした。母の飛行機は２０時ちょうど到着して、第二ビルにいるとわかった。

　第一ターミナルから第二ターミナルまでの連絡バスがあって、本当によかった。バスに乗って、急いで第二ターミナルに行った。もう一時間が経ったので、母を待たせたので、自分が悪かった。第二ターミナルに入り、周りの人の顔を見て、母を捜した。母は何処にもいなかった。泣いてしまうほど心配していた。警察に行ったのかな?もう一回到着口に戻ると、母が立っていた。僕が走って、母を抱きしめた。母は到着口を出たばかりということがわかって、安心した。母が無事に日本に来て、本当によかった。しかし、もう遅いので、成田エクスプレスの切符の販売はもう終了だった。リムジンバスで東京へ行った。

　たっぷり時間があって、山形行きの夜行バスに待っていた。一緒に山形に帰った。母の日本での一日目だった。

Mama in Japan pictures/ママの来日ギャラリー

Mama in Japan picture gallery! I'll keep on uploading more pictures so visit it often.
ママの日本での冬休み！これからも新しい写真をアップロードするので、また来てくださいね。

http://ebdeguzman.multiply.com/photos/44

Seasons in the Sun

Seasons in the Sun
by the Westlife

Goodbye to you my trusted friend
We've known each other since we were nine or ten
Together we've climbed hills and trees
Learned of love and ABC's
Skinned our hearts and skinned our knees

Goodbye my friend it's hard to die
When all the birds are singing in the sky
Now that spring is in the air
Pretty girls are everywhere
Think of me and I'll be there

We had joy we had fun we had seasons in the sun
But the hills that we climbed were just seasons out of time

Goodbye Papa, please pray for me
I was the black sheep of the family
You tried to teach me right from wrong
Too much wine and too much song
Wonder how I got along

Goodbye Papa, it's hard to die
When all the birds are singing in the sky
Now that the spring is in the air
Little children everywhere
When you see them I'll be there

We had joy we had fun we had seasons in the sun
But the wine and the song like the seasons have all gone
We had joy we had fun we had seasons in the sun
But the wine and the song like the seasons have all gone

Goodbye Michelle, my little one
You gave me love and helped me find the sun
And every time that I was down
You would always come around
And get my feet back on the ground

愛しミシェル、さよなら
君が愛をくれて、太陽を見つけるために助けてくれた
いつも僕が落ち込んでいるとき、
君がやってきて
僕が落ち着けるまで付き合ってくれた

Goodbye Michelle, it's hard to die
When all the birds are singing in the sky
Now that the spring is in the air
With the flowers everywhere
I wish that we could both be there

愛しミシェル、鳥たちが空に歌っているときに
死ぬことが大変だよ
花が何処でも咲いていて
春の香りがもうやってきたので、
二人で、そこに一緒いることを望んでいる

We had joy we had fun we had seasons in the sun
But the hills that we climbed were just seasons out of time
We had joy we had fun we had seasons in the sun
But the wine and the song like the seasons have all gone
We had joy we had fun we had seasons in the sun
But the hills that we climbed were just seasons out of time
We had joy we had fun we had seasons in the sun
But the wine and the song like the seasons have all gone

*The name "Michelle" used in this article is just fictional. Actually, it is used in the original lyrics.
*ミシェルという名前ははフィクションです。