10.13.2006
Surreal
Here's the view from my new office. It's still hard to believe. To those who know me best, it's always a BEAUTIFUL DAY, even when it's cloudy. :-) Unfortunately, I can't see the beach from where I am. However, I can see the "Think Blue" sign from Dodgers' Stadium as well as the Griffith Observatory if I really stretch my neck that far.
10.10.2006
Perspective
I think that's one of the biggest life lessons I've learned thus far. You have to always put everything in perspective. Life may not always be as bad as it seems. We all go through our own dramas but for me, life is not so bad right now. I can definitely say I'm learning tons of stuff and continuing to refine my skills. I thank God that I am no longer in a position where I want to go postal on all my coworkers and that I can truly and honestly see the products and services that are offered at my new organization. How can you not sell the fact that your organization's sole existance rests on the fact that it wants to create positive opportunities and better the community of an entire county?
There are material things that I don't have in my life right now but at the same time, I have more than some people. I can't help but think about where homeless people go when they're pushed from sleeping on the streets. Where do they go once they've been pushed out of Downtown LA - another neighborhood, another city, another county, another state? How about we increase spending on the causes that fight homelessness?
I may not be able to travel as much as I'd like but the opportunity to travel is something that is more obtainable to me than some people. There are children who have never been outside of their own neighborhoods, much less Los Angeles County. As much as the neighborhoods in LA are diverse, it's not entirely like when you physically travel to anothe country to take in the sights, sounds, smells and touches. It's a completely surreal experience being in a locale that you've only seen in pictures and read about in various publications.
Perspective calms me down. Knowing that there is a greater being guiding me on my path keeps me sane. Having confidence that I can overcome challenges keeps me strong and optimistic. Realizing that my life is filled with great love makes me feel blessed.
There are material things that I don't have in my life right now but at the same time, I have more than some people. I can't help but think about where homeless people go when they're pushed from sleeping on the streets. Where do they go once they've been pushed out of Downtown LA - another neighborhood, another city, another county, another state? How about we increase spending on the causes that fight homelessness?
I may not be able to travel as much as I'd like but the opportunity to travel is something that is more obtainable to me than some people. There are children who have never been outside of their own neighborhoods, much less Los Angeles County. As much as the neighborhoods in LA are diverse, it's not entirely like when you physically travel to anothe country to take in the sights, sounds, smells and touches. It's a completely surreal experience being in a locale that you've only seen in pictures and read about in various publications.
Perspective calms me down. Knowing that there is a greater being guiding me on my path keeps me sane. Having confidence that I can overcome challenges keeps me strong and optimistic. Realizing that my life is filled with great love makes me feel blessed.
10.01.2006
Weekend of Firsts
Finally got to see Los Amigos Invisibles today! Yes, they are even better live. Every single album and performance I've heard from them has mesmerized me. I will forever thank my lovely Chris for randomly grabbing their cd from Amoeba's racks and turning me on to them. I think they're tied with The Brand New Heavies in my standards. Common was on the bill, as well but had to jet with The Joe to a Galaxy vs. Chivas soccer game.
I was warned that we would be sitting with the fan club for the Galaxy team but I was blown away with all the shouting, singing, chanting, costumes, flags, streamers and other paraphanelia James and his crew had to for the game. The whole experience exceeded all expectations. One of the great things that I stumbled upon as I wondered around the stadium to take a break from the riot was a mini version of Coffee Bean. I say "mini" because their selection was extremely limited - I'm talkin' no morrocan mint latte here! Ah well, everyone can't be perfect.
I was warned that we would be sitting with the fan club for the Galaxy team but I was blown away with all the shouting, singing, chanting, costumes, flags, streamers and other paraphanelia James and his crew had to for the game. The whole experience exceeded all expectations. One of the great things that I stumbled upon as I wondered around the stadium to take a break from the riot was a mini version of Coffee Bean. I say "mini" because their selection was extremely limited - I'm talkin' no morrocan mint latte here! Ah well, everyone can't be perfect.
9.27.2006
Gotta love Daily Om. For some reason, during the past few weeks, many things have been mentioned about my penchant for helping people and causes. Hope they're all true.
Unquestionable Capability
Capricorn Daily Horoscope
Your talents may serve you well today, aiding you as you strive to address your duties creatively and carefully. You will likely feel proficient and skillful while handling your outer world affairs and private matters. Success can inspire confidence within you and prompt you to challenge yourself to outperform your past feats. Others may see self-assurance in your achievements and present you with personal and professional proposals that are both demanding and splendidly gratifying. If you find yourself facing adversity, you will likely respond proactively and with great valor. To make the most of the positivity and optimism you feel today, consider applying for a more prestigious position at work or taking up a diversion you’ve shied away from in the past out of uncertainty.
The skill with which we handle our outer world affairs is a reflection of the confidence we feel within. When we believe in our ability to handle every challenge the universe chooses to put in our path, our courage carries us forward, even when we feel overwhelmed by the demands placed upon us. Self-assurance breeds proficiency by motivating us to continue to hone our talents and aptitudes through practice after we have already established ourselves. We approach life’s difficulties practically and with poise, ready to do all we can to restore the security that will mirror the lasting security we feel within. No setback or roadblock can cause us to question our abilities. The more confident you feel today, the more faith you will have in your capacity to overcome adversity.
Unquestionable Capability
Capricorn Daily Horoscope
Your talents may serve you well today, aiding you as you strive to address your duties creatively and carefully. You will likely feel proficient and skillful while handling your outer world affairs and private matters. Success can inspire confidence within you and prompt you to challenge yourself to outperform your past feats. Others may see self-assurance in your achievements and present you with personal and professional proposals that are both demanding and splendidly gratifying. If you find yourself facing adversity, you will likely respond proactively and with great valor. To make the most of the positivity and optimism you feel today, consider applying for a more prestigious position at work or taking up a diversion you’ve shied away from in the past out of uncertainty.
The skill with which we handle our outer world affairs is a reflection of the confidence we feel within. When we believe in our ability to handle every challenge the universe chooses to put in our path, our courage carries us forward, even when we feel overwhelmed by the demands placed upon us. Self-assurance breeds proficiency by motivating us to continue to hone our talents and aptitudes through practice after we have already established ourselves. We approach life’s difficulties practically and with poise, ready to do all we can to restore the security that will mirror the lasting security we feel within. No setback or roadblock can cause us to question our abilities. The more confident you feel today, the more faith you will have in your capacity to overcome adversity.
9.18.2006
California Community Foundation, Here I Come!
After months of pulling my hair out but trying to stay calm, I finally landed a job offer with the California Community Foundation last Friday! WOOHOO!!! I cannot describe the amount of excitement I have over this job. It's not just a job. It's a position with one of the oldest and active philanthropic foundations in Los Angeles County. The president is also one of the most dynamic and down to earth woman of color I've had the privelege to speak with. One of the great perks is a window office on the 34th floor of the Union Bank building in Downtown LA. I have a beautiful view of the Music Center, City Hall, Chinatown, Echo Park and the surrounding area. I really didn't expect that. I was going to settle for a nice new cube. My start date as the new Communications Associate is October 2nd. I'll post pictures as soon as I get settled and my office is nicely decorated. From the looks of my director's desk and a few comments I received on Friday as I was getting the grand tour, it doesn't sound like I'll be bored once I start.
Thank you to The Most High for all my many blessings, especially for all my loved ones whose support allowed me to be much stronger than I thought I was throughout this entire period. New challenges and adventures are on the horizon. For now, I'm going to do everything I won't be able to do once I start working full time again.
AW YEAH!
9.04.2006
The First
For some reason, it's different going to a wedding of a high school friend that graduted with you. The reminiscing begins, particularly since we will arrive at our 10th year reunion next year.
This past weekend The Joe and I attended my friend, Ron's wedding. He and Amanda had the ceremony and reception at a Sacramento winery. As I had feared, there was no shade. Unfortunately, I left my parisol at home so there was no way out of it. I spent most of the ceremony shielding the sun with the pi-pi I recieved from a prior wedding. As the evening progressed, a breeze began to blow and brought some much needed relief to the occasion.
To my surprise, more people than I had expected have actually settled down since high school, well somewhat. The ever so intelligently funny, Dave Pace is now happily married to a fellow UCLA PhD Physics candidate, Ann. She strives to be a lifetime student as much as Joe. What Physics PhD holders do after academia is a bit beyond my reach but I'm sure they have their share of fun. Randy fascetiously stated how Dave and Ann's children will most likely be solving calculus problems when they're 5 years old. Ron obtained his MBA about two years ago, I believe. (That reminds me. I need to snag the GMAT review materials I sent him a while back.) Ron's wife, Amanda, holds a masters degree in Psychology, I think. Randy has a burgeoning career in sales but more importantly, comedy and now lives in Sacramento with his younger sister, niece and a female roommate. It sounds like he's getting his act in gear to be more active in the entertainment industry so can't wait to see him bust out. Ms. Amanda Secor is now also married and lives somewhere in the East Coast - Boston, I think. Her military husband is on duty in Japan. At least it's not the Middle East.
All of us mentioned that we didn't want to go anywhere near our reunion. I'd go based on the guests, venue, food/beverages and cost of the event. I'm not paying $75 for a rinky dink event. I need to be entertained the entire freakin' damn night.
That leads me to ask, is 10 years after high school really enough for us to "make something of ourselves?" Who do I know from high school with advanced degrees or are working on them? - Barnett, Ron, Debbie, Lea, Becca, Celina, Dave, Ceferina, Sara. I think that's about it, at least to my knowledge.
So what's the need to have "accomplished" something by the time of our high school reunion? Can't we simply state that I've finally reached the point in my life where I'm comfortable with myself whole-heartedly? I think that's a major accomplishment within itself. How many people can state that at our age? How many people have come to realize that without comparison to the lives of others? Is this lame to ask? But I truly feel that too much time is wasted on worrying whether you're better than someone else. Why be ashamed of your personal growth? I guess I would go to our high school reunion, only if the emphasis on accomplishment is not completely based on material possessions.
This past weekend The Joe and I attended my friend, Ron's wedding. He and Amanda had the ceremony and reception at a Sacramento winery. As I had feared, there was no shade. Unfortunately, I left my parisol at home so there was no way out of it. I spent most of the ceremony shielding the sun with the pi-pi I recieved from a prior wedding. As the evening progressed, a breeze began to blow and brought some much needed relief to the occasion.
To my surprise, more people than I had expected have actually settled down since high school, well somewhat. The ever so intelligently funny, Dave Pace is now happily married to a fellow UCLA PhD Physics candidate, Ann. She strives to be a lifetime student as much as Joe. What Physics PhD holders do after academia is a bit beyond my reach but I'm sure they have their share of fun. Randy fascetiously stated how Dave and Ann's children will most likely be solving calculus problems when they're 5 years old. Ron obtained his MBA about two years ago, I believe. (That reminds me. I need to snag the GMAT review materials I sent him a while back.) Ron's wife, Amanda, holds a masters degree in Psychology, I think. Randy has a burgeoning career in sales but more importantly, comedy and now lives in Sacramento with his younger sister, niece and a female roommate. It sounds like he's getting his act in gear to be more active in the entertainment industry so can't wait to see him bust out. Ms. Amanda Secor is now also married and lives somewhere in the East Coast - Boston, I think. Her military husband is on duty in Japan. At least it's not the Middle East.
All of us mentioned that we didn't want to go anywhere near our reunion. I'd go based on the guests, venue, food/beverages and cost of the event. I'm not paying $75 for a rinky dink event. I need to be entertained the entire freakin' damn night.
That leads me to ask, is 10 years after high school really enough for us to "make something of ourselves?" Who do I know from high school with advanced degrees or are working on them? - Barnett, Ron, Debbie, Lea, Becca, Celina, Dave, Ceferina, Sara. I think that's about it, at least to my knowledge.
So what's the need to have "accomplished" something by the time of our high school reunion? Can't we simply state that I've finally reached the point in my life where I'm comfortable with myself whole-heartedly? I think that's a major accomplishment within itself. How many people can state that at our age? How many people have come to realize that without comparison to the lives of others? Is this lame to ask? But I truly feel that too much time is wasted on worrying whether you're better than someone else. Why be ashamed of your personal growth? I guess I would go to our high school reunion, only if the emphasis on accomplishment is not completely based on material possessions.
8.27.2006
Dedication in Purposes
Gotta love DailyOm.com!
Capricorn Daily Horoscope
You may feel purposeful and reliable today as you address your personal and professional responsibilities. A strong sense of purpose can drive you to devote yourself more fully to those activities and obligations that are related to your short- and long-term goals. Your commitment to fulfilling your purpose can give you extra energy and enthusiasm that can be channeled into both work and play. You may project an aura of dedication that causes people in positions of authority to take notice of and put their faith in you. An opportunity to advance in your career, change jobs, study at a university or abroad, or take a relationship to the next level may present itself today. You’ll likely cope with these changes in your day-to-day life with poise and grace today.
Understanding your soul’s purpose can help you maintain a strong attitude of dedication that makes fulfilling your obligations a joyful experience. When we drift aimlessly through life, the responsibilities we assume can seem a burdensome and aimless expenditure of time. Knowledge of purpose gives activity meaning by enabling you to comprehend the broader repercussion of your choice to devote yourself to a single path. Your resolve is cemented by the connection you feel to your purpose and the pride you feel upon accomplishing tasks that relate directly to the fulfillment of that purpose. In commitment, you will find satisfaction unlike any you’ve experienced before. Because your purpose is clear today, you will have little trouble fulfilling the expectations you have set for yourself.
I made it to the second round for the Communications Associate position with the California Community Foundation. I need to complete a writing assignment by Monday morning and I need to make it immaculate. They're making me work for the position and I'm going to show them that I will be worth all the money and time!
Capricorn Daily Horoscope
You may feel purposeful and reliable today as you address your personal and professional responsibilities. A strong sense of purpose can drive you to devote yourself more fully to those activities and obligations that are related to your short- and long-term goals. Your commitment to fulfilling your purpose can give you extra energy and enthusiasm that can be channeled into both work and play. You may project an aura of dedication that causes people in positions of authority to take notice of and put their faith in you. An opportunity to advance in your career, change jobs, study at a university or abroad, or take a relationship to the next level may present itself today. You’ll likely cope with these changes in your day-to-day life with poise and grace today.
Understanding your soul’s purpose can help you maintain a strong attitude of dedication that makes fulfilling your obligations a joyful experience. When we drift aimlessly through life, the responsibilities we assume can seem a burdensome and aimless expenditure of time. Knowledge of purpose gives activity meaning by enabling you to comprehend the broader repercussion of your choice to devote yourself to a single path. Your resolve is cemented by the connection you feel to your purpose and the pride you feel upon accomplishing tasks that relate directly to the fulfillment of that purpose. In commitment, you will find satisfaction unlike any you’ve experienced before. Because your purpose is clear today, you will have little trouble fulfilling the expectations you have set for yourself.
I made it to the second round for the Communications Associate position with the California Community Foundation. I need to complete a writing assignment by Monday morning and I need to make it immaculate. They're making me work for the position and I'm going to show them that I will be worth all the money and time!
8.25.2006
8.01.2006
After being on so many interviews and phone conversations about positions, I'm starting to warm up to the idea of not working in the Pilipino community anymore. More challenges = more growth. I'm keeping positive thoughts flowing. Need to be stringent on spending for now. Will remember that things will work out and that the Most High has great plans for me.
7.17.2006
i'm exhausted and i'm starting to worry more. i know the most high will take care but this is starting to get ridiculous. or at least i think it's starting to get ridiculous. be calculated. be persistant. be confident. be true. be uncomprimising and don't settle. must keep moving up. must keep moving.
7.07.2006
Song for the Moment
Timeless by Sergio Mendes
Kindness is timeless
Love is so easy to give
It just takes a moment
To show somebody that you care
In the world that we live in
Everybody wants to be so cool
To be in the in-crowd
Got the hottest clothes,the hottest shoes
We're reading the tabloids
And we're flossing in the club
But the freshest thing you can do is
Give someone your love
Kindness is timeless
Love is so easy to give
It just takes a moment
To show somebody you care
Kindness is timeless
Love is so easy to give
It just takes a moment to...
Give someone your love
To give someone your lalala love
To give someone your love
Give someone your love
Your lalalala love
Give someone your lalala love
The clothes that your wearing
It will one day be out of style
The car that your driving
One day will vax out in miles
Your hair and your makeup
And the time that it takes up
It will take the same care of
Ya give someone ya love
Kindness is timeless
Love is so easy to give
It just takes a moment
To show somebody you care
Kindness is timeless
Love is so easy to give
It just takes a moment to...
To give someone your love
To give someone your lalala love
To give someone your love
Give someone your love
Your lalalala love
Give someone your lalala love
Give someone you love
Cause kindness is timeless
Kindness is timeless
Love is so easy to give
It just takes a moment
To show somebody that you care
In the world that we live in
Everybody wants to be so cool
To be in the in-crowd
Got the hottest clothes,the hottest shoes
We're reading the tabloids
And we're flossing in the club
But the freshest thing you can do is
Give someone your love
Kindness is timeless
Love is so easy to give
It just takes a moment
To show somebody you care
Kindness is timeless
Love is so easy to give
It just takes a moment to...
Give someone your love
To give someone your lalala love
To give someone your love
Give someone your love
Your lalalala love
Give someone your lalala love
The clothes that your wearing
It will one day be out of style
The car that your driving
One day will vax out in miles
Your hair and your makeup
And the time that it takes up
It will take the same care of
Ya give someone ya love
Kindness is timeless
Love is so easy to give
It just takes a moment
To show somebody you care
Kindness is timeless
Love is so easy to give
It just takes a moment to...
To give someone your love
To give someone your lalala love
To give someone your love
Give someone your love
Your lalalala love
Give someone your lalala love
Give someone you love
Cause kindness is timeless
7.05.2006
7.01.2006
Still Catching Up
Myspace is a craze that has gone corporate. About two or three months ago, it was purchased by Rupert Murdoch/News Corporation. Since then, Myspace has been on television shows, films, commercials, books, everything you can think of...possibly because Murdoch owns them.
Friends at Google Corporate HR also mentioned that as part of their background check, they also look through Myspace. They check to see if their candidates have a site and get any additional information they can find on that person. What?!
I was fine when hiring managers and HR professionals told me they "googled" candidates to see what they could find on them but Myspace, too?
The USC Annenberg School for Communication is starting courses that study online communities and will most likely use Myspace as their "textbook."
The main reason why I decided to get a site was specifically for my family. For some reason those fools really aren't telephone talkers so that's the only way I know what the hell is going on in their lives.
I don't communicate with my friends through the online community unless I really have to. Maybe I'm just old fashioned like that. But I've always been slow to all the new haps, especially when I've been so used to speaking with people directly.
I don't use Myspace for networking and it has never been my intention to do so. Recently I've been asked to and I'm still thinking about it.....
Friends at Google Corporate HR also mentioned that as part of their background check, they also look through Myspace. They check to see if their candidates have a site and get any additional information they can find on that person. What?!
I was fine when hiring managers and HR professionals told me they "googled" candidates to see what they could find on them but Myspace, too?
The USC Annenberg School for Communication is starting courses that study online communities and will most likely use Myspace as their "textbook."
The main reason why I decided to get a site was specifically for my family. For some reason those fools really aren't telephone talkers so that's the only way I know what the hell is going on in their lives.
I don't communicate with my friends through the online community unless I really have to. Maybe I'm just old fashioned like that. But I've always been slow to all the new haps, especially when I've been so used to speaking with people directly.
I don't use Myspace for networking and it has never been my intention to do so. Recently I've been asked to and I'm still thinking about it.....
6.28.2006
Voyage to India on Repeat
India Arie is one of my favorite artists because, quite simply, she puts out good, honest music. I remember seeing her for the first time as the opening act for Sade in Mountain View. She tried to get people to stand up and dance and she jokingly said something to the affect, "When I come back a bigger star, I guess it'll be easier to get you out of our seats." Let me just say that I was dancing to you, girl!Voyage to India is one of those cds I can have on repeat for months on end. In fact, I did when I first got a hold of it. This is definitely one of my gems in my collection. She addresses so many life lessons. "The Little Things" pays tribute to the simple things that make our lives that much more happy. "Growth" reminds us that change is the only constant in our lives so we might as well get used to it. It's all a part of the journey. "The Truth" is a perfect metaphor for that person who is just the right fit for you. A fit that's complementary to you nuances. "Beautiful Surprise" is another lovey dovey song that gives thanks to meeting that perfect person, especially when you weren't looking. I can attest to the natural high she sings of in this song. That special person will make you want to love him/her more each and every day even through arguments. "Get it Together" essentially says, learn from hurt and figure out how to heal. I can go on and on about this album. Basically, all the songs speak to me in one way or another.
Ms. Arie, thank you producing such great music. Listening to your tunes always uplifts my soul.
6.21.2006
waiting
i went on a great job interview yesterday and determined that i really want it. i know it's bad to place all your hopes in one job that you have not received confirmation on but damnit i REALLY want it! the more i started to hear about the position and the foundation, the more i kept thinking, "was this job made for me? how is it that it fell on my lap?"
the foundation is in their first round of interviews and expect to have someone in place by the first of august, at the very latest. the hiring manager is going to be on vacation sometime during the middle of next month and doesn't want to start anyone while she's away. i'm keeping my fingers crossed that they call me back for a second interview.
damnit, i want it!
the foundation is in their first round of interviews and expect to have someone in place by the first of august, at the very latest. the hiring manager is going to be on vacation sometime during the middle of next month and doesn't want to start anyone while she's away. i'm keeping my fingers crossed that they call me back for a second interview.
damnit, i want it!
6.18.2006
I received some relief today. It wasn't exactly celebrated as well as I had hoped. After numerous hours of being on my feet and agravation here and there throughout the day, it would have been nice to come home to something that was a bit more welcoming than what I experienced tonight. I just wanted about an hour of senseless television to relieve some tension and I ended up having to fight for what I wanted to watch from a nonresident! I guess it was too much to ask from a person who ALWAYS hogs the television especially during some petty game for the petty pleasure of watching a nonLA resident continue to prove why he's a great ballplayer.
5.30.2006
What Do You Want to be When You Grow Up?
Has that proverbial question finally smacked me in the face? I'm in the midst of looking for a new position and there have been a few signs that point to that question and suggestions that I should have a plan. To what extent should I have a plan?
When I was in elementary school, I wanted to be an astronaut. I wanted to be able to look down on the planet and see the clouds swirling as the planet rotated in the universe. I wanted to be among the clouds of dust and particles in space and witness the miracles of the universe. But then I found out that most astronauts have scientific backgrounds. Science was fun for a while but never really my forte since I grew to learn that scientists spend most of their time in labs and don't really interact with people, which is what I'm more inclined to do.
As I became older, I found my leadership skills. I took on various student leadership positions that allowed me to interact with students, teachers, administrators and other school district officials. I really loved to see the whole school policy process take place. With all of that came the understanding of politics and lobbying.
College hit and I took a backseat to all the "leadership activities" that I did in high school. It didn't take very long until I was at it again. I was extremly active in the AS organization as well as various other related activities on campus and off campus. All the while, maintaining decent grades in my business program. I event attempted to get an ethnic studies certificate but it would have taken me another semester and more money, which was not an option. Along the way, I gained experience in the human resources field and marketing. Through all my experience in college, I gravitated towards marketing but if I ever had to, I could work in a human resources field but again...not really something I want to completely pursue.
Today, I find myself in LA, foreign territory. As I drove to work today, I started to recount my years spent at Kaplan. How many significant things did I really learn there? I learned how NOT to run a company, especially one the size of Kaplan, Inc. - an international conglomerate. I remember getting the opportunity to look at demographic and sales data and being a part of the planning process for classes and other test prep products and I remember how excited I was. It was finally something that allowed me to use my brain a bit more. Up to that point, I was droning away at the computer, performing tasks on Quark that required minimal knowledge of the program. I found so many ways to create shortcuts that I accomplished tasks in no time. Since I was among the two people who knew that program inside and out, I managed to survive four or five re-structures of the company, at least in the region I helped to manage.
During my last two years at Kaplan, I startd to get involved with community activities again. I started to re-build my network outside of work. Most of my community activities have been spent with the Pilipino American community, one that's still very young in getting politically and socially organized. All the while, I've tried to stick to the field that I have the most expertise in - marketing/public relations/promotions/event planning. So I guess that's what I want to be when I grow up. It'd be even better if I get into a company that will help offset some of my costs to get an MBA but again, how much value will an MBA add to my abilities? That's another question that I haven't quite been able to answer yet.
When I was in elementary school, I wanted to be an astronaut. I wanted to be able to look down on the planet and see the clouds swirling as the planet rotated in the universe. I wanted to be among the clouds of dust and particles in space and witness the miracles of the universe. But then I found out that most astronauts have scientific backgrounds. Science was fun for a while but never really my forte since I grew to learn that scientists spend most of their time in labs and don't really interact with people, which is what I'm more inclined to do.
As I became older, I found my leadership skills. I took on various student leadership positions that allowed me to interact with students, teachers, administrators and other school district officials. I really loved to see the whole school policy process take place. With all of that came the understanding of politics and lobbying.
College hit and I took a backseat to all the "leadership activities" that I did in high school. It didn't take very long until I was at it again. I was extremly active in the AS organization as well as various other related activities on campus and off campus. All the while, maintaining decent grades in my business program. I event attempted to get an ethnic studies certificate but it would have taken me another semester and more money, which was not an option. Along the way, I gained experience in the human resources field and marketing. Through all my experience in college, I gravitated towards marketing but if I ever had to, I could work in a human resources field but again...not really something I want to completely pursue.
Today, I find myself in LA, foreign territory. As I drove to work today, I started to recount my years spent at Kaplan. How many significant things did I really learn there? I learned how NOT to run a company, especially one the size of Kaplan, Inc. - an international conglomerate. I remember getting the opportunity to look at demographic and sales data and being a part of the planning process for classes and other test prep products and I remember how excited I was. It was finally something that allowed me to use my brain a bit more. Up to that point, I was droning away at the computer, performing tasks on Quark that required minimal knowledge of the program. I found so many ways to create shortcuts that I accomplished tasks in no time. Since I was among the two people who knew that program inside and out, I managed to survive four or five re-structures of the company, at least in the region I helped to manage.
During my last two years at Kaplan, I startd to get involved with community activities again. I started to re-build my network outside of work. Most of my community activities have been spent with the Pilipino American community, one that's still very young in getting politically and socially organized. All the while, I've tried to stick to the field that I have the most expertise in - marketing/public relations/promotions/event planning. So I guess that's what I want to be when I grow up. It'd be even better if I get into a company that will help offset some of my costs to get an MBA but again, how much value will an MBA add to my abilities? That's another question that I haven't quite been able to answer yet.
5.28.2006
Another Reason Why Catholicism isn't All it's Cracked Out to Be
And they ask why non-Catholics AND Catholics are disillusioned with the religion. I hardly believe kneeling vs. not kneeling should be categorized as a mortal sin. Fanatical?...hm....
A Ban on Kneeling? Some Catholics Won't Stand for It
By David Haldane
LA Times Staff Writer
May 28, 2006
At a small Catholic church in Huntington Beach, the pressing moral question comes to this: Does kneeling at the wrong time during worship make you a sinner?
Kneeling "is clearly rebellion, grave disobedience and mortal sin," Father Martin Tran, pastor at St. Mary's by the Sea, told his flock in a recent church bulletin. The Diocese of Orange backs Tran's anti-kneeling edict.
Though told by the pastor and the archdiocese to stand during certain parts of the liturgy, a third of the congregation still gets on its knees every Sunday.
"Kneeling is an act of adoration," said Judith M. Clark, 68, one of at least 55 parishioners who have received letters from church leaders urging them to get off their knees or quit St. Mary's and the Diocese of Orange. "You almost automatically kneel because you're so used to it. Now the priest says we should stand, but we all just ignore him."
The debate is being played out in at least a dozen parishes nationwide.
Since at least the 7th century, Catholics have been kneeling after the Agnus Dei, the point during Mass when the priest holds up the chalice and consecrated bread and says, "Behold the lamb of God." But four years ago, the Vatican revised its instructions, allowing bishops to decide at some points in the Mass whether their flocks should get on their knees. "The faithful kneel … unless the Diocesan Bishop determines otherwise," says Rome's book of instructions. Since then, some churches have been built without kneelers.
The debate is part of the argument among Catholics between tradition and change. Traditionalists see it as the ultimate posture of submission to and adoration of God; modernists view kneeling as the vestige of a feudal past they would like to leave behind.
At the center of the controversy is the church's concept of Christ, said Jesuit Father Lawrence J. Madden, director of the Georgetown Center for Liturgy at Georgetown University in Washington. It's a question raised in the bestselling book "The Da Vinci Code."
Because the earliest Christians viewed Jesus as God and man, Madden said, they generally stood during worship services to show reverence and equality. About the 7th century, however, Catholic theologians put more emphasis on Christ's divinity and introduced kneeling as the only appropriate posture at points in the Mass when God was believed to be present.
Things started to change in the 1960s, Madden said, when Vatican II began moving the church back to its earliest roots. What has ensued, he said, is the predictable struggle of an institution revising centuries of religious practices.
The argument over kneeling, Madden said, is "a signal of the division in the church between two camps: those who have caught the spirit of Vatican II, and those who are a bit suspicious. Because it's so visible, what happens at the Sunday worship event is a lightning rod for lots of issues."
One flashpoint involves the Agnus Dei. Traditionalists say the faithful must then fall to their knees in awe for several minutes, believing that the bread and wine are literally the body and blood of Christ.
Lesa Truxaw, the Orange Diocese director of worship, said Bishop Tod D. Brown banned kneeling because standing "reflects our human dignity. It's not that we think we're equal to God, but we recognize that we are made in the image and likeness of God."
Orange County parishioners are still allowed to kneel at other points in the Mass, including the Eucharistic prayers. Kneeling is optional as worshippers receive communion.
No less an authority than the pope is on record as favoring kneeling. Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, who became Pope Benedict XVI last year, wrote in "The Spirit of the Liturgy," published in 2000, that the gesture, "comes from the Bible and the knowledge of God." He has not addressed the issue as pope.
American Catholic bishops have taken the opposite position. "Standing can be just as much an expression of respect for the coming of Christ," said Msgr. Anthony F. Sherman, a spokesman for the liturgy secretariat of the U.S. Bishops Committee on the Liturgy based in Washington.
That hasn't quieted critics.
"It's hard to understand why any bishop would prohibit his people from expressing reverence in the way they have done for centuries," said Helen Hull Hitchcock, a founder of the conservative Adoremus Society for the Renewal of Sacred Liturgy in St. Louis.
The controversy at St. Mary's by the Sea began to intensify late last year after Brown appointed Tran to lead the 1,500-family parish.
Tran took over following the retirement of the church's longtime pastor, who had offered a popular traditional Latin Mass.
Tran's Mass reverted to the more modern English form practiced in most American churches, and hundreds of parishioners signed a petition in protest. Then, to pull the church into the modern era, the priest told members, they were not to kneel after the Agnus Dei.
Many refused to comply. "Not kneeling would be sinful," said Manuel Ruiz, 45, "because that is what I believe I should do."
Mary Tripoli, 54, a former member of the parish council, was dismissed for her insistence on kneeling: "Standing may be reverence, but kneeling is adoration. It's the one thing that means Catholicism throughout the world. It's what sets us apart."
At least two altar boys, the parish altar servers coordinator and three members of the parish council have been dismissed from their duties for kneeling at the wrong time, according to parishioners.
Angered by the anti-kneeling edict, a group calling itself Save Saint Mary's began distributing leaflets calling for its return outside church each Sunday.
Tran responded in the church bulletin with a series of strident weekly statements condemning what he called "despising the authority of the local bishop" by refusing his orders to stand, and calling the disobedience a mortal sin, considered the worst kind of offense, usually reserved for acts such as murder.
Tran sent letters to 55 kneeling parishioners "inviting" them to leave the parish and the diocese for, among other things, "creating misleading confusion, division and chaos in the parish by intentional disobedience and opposition to the current liturgical norms."
Father Joe Fenton, spokesman for the Diocese of Orange, said the diocese supports Tran's view that disobeying the anti-kneeling edict is a mortal sin. "That's Father Tran's interpretation, and he's the pastor," he said. "We stand behind Father Tran."
Recipients of Tran's banishment letter said they have declined his "invitation" to depart.
Kneeling, said Teri Carpentier, 50, is praying "with our bodies, not just our minds."
During a recent Saturday afternoon Mass, dozens of worshippers defiantly knelt after the Agnus Dei.
One who didn't was Winifred Mentzer, 84.
"I've been standing lately," she later said, "because I'm all the way up front, and I know that the priest is watching. But I'm kneeling in my heart."
A Ban on Kneeling? Some Catholics Won't Stand for It
By David Haldane
LA Times Staff Writer
May 28, 2006
At a small Catholic church in Huntington Beach, the pressing moral question comes to this: Does kneeling at the wrong time during worship make you a sinner?
Kneeling "is clearly rebellion, grave disobedience and mortal sin," Father Martin Tran, pastor at St. Mary's by the Sea, told his flock in a recent church bulletin. The Diocese of Orange backs Tran's anti-kneeling edict.
Though told by the pastor and the archdiocese to stand during certain parts of the liturgy, a third of the congregation still gets on its knees every Sunday.
"Kneeling is an act of adoration," said Judith M. Clark, 68, one of at least 55 parishioners who have received letters from church leaders urging them to get off their knees or quit St. Mary's and the Diocese of Orange. "You almost automatically kneel because you're so used to it. Now the priest says we should stand, but we all just ignore him."
The debate is being played out in at least a dozen parishes nationwide.
Since at least the 7th century, Catholics have been kneeling after the Agnus Dei, the point during Mass when the priest holds up the chalice and consecrated bread and says, "Behold the lamb of God." But four years ago, the Vatican revised its instructions, allowing bishops to decide at some points in the Mass whether their flocks should get on their knees. "The faithful kneel … unless the Diocesan Bishop determines otherwise," says Rome's book of instructions. Since then, some churches have been built without kneelers.
The debate is part of the argument among Catholics between tradition and change. Traditionalists see it as the ultimate posture of submission to and adoration of God; modernists view kneeling as the vestige of a feudal past they would like to leave behind.
At the center of the controversy is the church's concept of Christ, said Jesuit Father Lawrence J. Madden, director of the Georgetown Center for Liturgy at Georgetown University in Washington. It's a question raised in the bestselling book "The Da Vinci Code."
Because the earliest Christians viewed Jesus as God and man, Madden said, they generally stood during worship services to show reverence and equality. About the 7th century, however, Catholic theologians put more emphasis on Christ's divinity and introduced kneeling as the only appropriate posture at points in the Mass when God was believed to be present.
Things started to change in the 1960s, Madden said, when Vatican II began moving the church back to its earliest roots. What has ensued, he said, is the predictable struggle of an institution revising centuries of religious practices.
The argument over kneeling, Madden said, is "a signal of the division in the church between two camps: those who have caught the spirit of Vatican II, and those who are a bit suspicious. Because it's so visible, what happens at the Sunday worship event is a lightning rod for lots of issues."
One flashpoint involves the Agnus Dei. Traditionalists say the faithful must then fall to their knees in awe for several minutes, believing that the bread and wine are literally the body and blood of Christ.
Lesa Truxaw, the Orange Diocese director of worship, said Bishop Tod D. Brown banned kneeling because standing "reflects our human dignity. It's not that we think we're equal to God, but we recognize that we are made in the image and likeness of God."
Orange County parishioners are still allowed to kneel at other points in the Mass, including the Eucharistic prayers. Kneeling is optional as worshippers receive communion.
No less an authority than the pope is on record as favoring kneeling. Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, who became Pope Benedict XVI last year, wrote in "The Spirit of the Liturgy," published in 2000, that the gesture, "comes from the Bible and the knowledge of God." He has not addressed the issue as pope.
American Catholic bishops have taken the opposite position. "Standing can be just as much an expression of respect for the coming of Christ," said Msgr. Anthony F. Sherman, a spokesman for the liturgy secretariat of the U.S. Bishops Committee on the Liturgy based in Washington.
That hasn't quieted critics.
"It's hard to understand why any bishop would prohibit his people from expressing reverence in the way they have done for centuries," said Helen Hull Hitchcock, a founder of the conservative Adoremus Society for the Renewal of Sacred Liturgy in St. Louis.
The controversy at St. Mary's by the Sea began to intensify late last year after Brown appointed Tran to lead the 1,500-family parish.
Tran took over following the retirement of the church's longtime pastor, who had offered a popular traditional Latin Mass.
Tran's Mass reverted to the more modern English form practiced in most American churches, and hundreds of parishioners signed a petition in protest. Then, to pull the church into the modern era, the priest told members, they were not to kneel after the Agnus Dei.
Many refused to comply. "Not kneeling would be sinful," said Manuel Ruiz, 45, "because that is what I believe I should do."
Mary Tripoli, 54, a former member of the parish council, was dismissed for her insistence on kneeling: "Standing may be reverence, but kneeling is adoration. It's the one thing that means Catholicism throughout the world. It's what sets us apart."
At least two altar boys, the parish altar servers coordinator and three members of the parish council have been dismissed from their duties for kneeling at the wrong time, according to parishioners.
Angered by the anti-kneeling edict, a group calling itself Save Saint Mary's began distributing leaflets calling for its return outside church each Sunday.
Tran responded in the church bulletin with a series of strident weekly statements condemning what he called "despising the authority of the local bishop" by refusing his orders to stand, and calling the disobedience a mortal sin, considered the worst kind of offense, usually reserved for acts such as murder.
Tran sent letters to 55 kneeling parishioners "inviting" them to leave the parish and the diocese for, among other things, "creating misleading confusion, division and chaos in the parish by intentional disobedience and opposition to the current liturgical norms."
Father Joe Fenton, spokesman for the Diocese of Orange, said the diocese supports Tran's view that disobeying the anti-kneeling edict is a mortal sin. "That's Father Tran's interpretation, and he's the pastor," he said. "We stand behind Father Tran."
Recipients of Tran's banishment letter said they have declined his "invitation" to depart.
Kneeling, said Teri Carpentier, 50, is praying "with our bodies, not just our minds."
During a recent Saturday afternoon Mass, dozens of worshippers defiantly knelt after the Agnus Dei.
One who didn't was Winifred Mentzer, 84.
"I've been standing lately," she later said, "because I'm all the way up front, and I know that the priest is watching. But I'm kneeling in my heart."
5.23.2006
Romantic Nostalgia
So I admit to my romanticized memories of San Francisco. I haven't been there in a while and I'm starting to really crave for the cold air hitting my skin, the sweeping vistas of Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, Angel Island, Pacific Heights, Twin Peaks, Golden Gate Park and Downtown SF from Lone Mountain. I miss depending on either the Geary or Balboa line to get me to where I want to be. I miss huffing and puffing my way up and down those damn hills. I miss the rare warm days sitting on the grass enjoying the few sunny sunny days The City gets. First goal after I get a new job - make a trip to SF AND Napa for an olive oil tour and wine tasting.
5.16.2006
final numbers
finally was able to get final numbers from our event two weeks ago. i'm not really jumping out of me seat. sponsorships were up, as well as advertising and silent auctions. all expenses were lower than last year but overall, the net gain was about $2K more than last year. boo! :-(
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)