best job in the world
I don’t have the best job in the world but eternal optimists would encourage you to believe that you do have the best one in the galaxy.
Being here and doing what I do day in and day out is a conscious choice. Travelling by land for hours and hours last week found me sealing a silent agreement with myself that I’m going to make it, no matter how hard (to convince myself, not to do the actual work), the best job I’ve ever had. Misanthropically, it’s also saying that I dug myself a hole of bullsh*t and I would wallow in it everyday. Whichever you want to believe, you are welcome.
It was a refreshing change that our unit is now included in outreach programs. It was a long-standing suggestion that I refuse to believe it was because we lack money to send people over that’s why it only came to fruition last month. We are one of, if not the top revenue generator for the organization everyday. I was even told that our money is used to pay for the OT work of other units. I would like to think it’s because of the limited staff we have. Anyway, I’m throwing all those reasons out the window because we’re set to join future outreach trips already. More than the opportunity to go out and smell a variety of air other than what Roxas Boulevard has to offer, I’m seeing a positive difference we can make if we reach out to customers. Gosh,I don’t sound like a pretend career woman at all.
Before I left on Wednesday, I worked for half a day as if it’s a normal day. After a brief meeting before work resumes in the afternoon, I sped off in the company shuttle but not without a firm reminder from my deputy chief to be back before 3 pm on Friday to make it to a mandatory security training. We just turned right to U.N. Avenue when I felt like sleeping. Yes, that soon. I was inconherent for the next hour but regained energy when we entered a surprisingly long, clear stretch of McArthur Highway. Then it was incessant talking about everything until we reached semi-chilly Baguio 6 hours after. We only had 2 brief restroom stops!
Everyone was oviously tired and would just want to eat something decent before retiring to bed. We found a local restaurant slash-law office-slash-billiard alley and ate something respectable but forgettable. I prepared a few stuff that could help me in the next day’s outreach then went to bed. I didn’t sleep until 2 am and our lobby call time was 7:15. By 7 am the next day we were having our express breakfast with no time to even talk to each other. What’s funny was that the venue of the 8 am outreach was barely 5 minutes away from our hotel.
It did us good to be there a tad early because people expecting services are bound to arrive earlier. When the clock struck 8 am, people came and went and it didn’t take me long to get used to the setup. It’s like taking me out of my office to do a portion of what I do in the comfort of my little hub. We were six different units but it’s amazing to see how our functions are interconnected. A little after lunch, we decided to call it a day with my throat hurting from talking to people.
We had lunch at Cafe by the Ruins and went pasalubong-shopping later on (the Good Shepherd Convent was a mandatory place to go to). I was in Baguio barely a year ago and not only I fell in love with the city, I developed an obsession with their public market. After four hours and an almost-empty pocket later, we drove back to the hotel to rest and met up at 8 pm for dinner.
Day 2 dinner was better as we had it in Le Chalet, a Swiss-themed restaurant along Session Road. It was understatedly fun. I loved the company of people I got on that trip. We thought that we can walk a few blocks back to the hotel after a very heavy dinner. However, the topic shifted to relationships and as varied as our group was, we capped our dinner with cups of coffee and spent two more hours talking about a complicated topic that was men and women in relationships. The night wasn’t over as we took pictures while some of us smoked amid the enticing chill of the night wind. Since AD sent the driver back to the hotel, RJ said we can walk back- we’re 5 people so we assume it would be less dangerous. But RB announced that she’s wearing the hotel bedroom slippers so the walking plan wasn’t as appealing to her. I mistakenly hailed 2 vehicles in succession, afterwhich they told me to stay put and they will hail an FX themselves.
I got to my room in time for House on AXN. I was that tired that halfway through the show I dozed off and woke up 6 hours later. Breakfast wasn’t as stressful as yesterday. By 8 am, we’re off to Manila with longer stops in La Union and Tarlac. I was supposed to be dropped off at home but I just threw in my bags and went back to the office to settle some things in ten minutes flat. I was in the other office compound just in time for the mandatory security training. The office sportsfest was just wrapping up as well-where I started out as a Team Coordinator, then a substitute Head Marshal, then finally I bought the items I was assigned to and sped off up north as I won’t be part of it anymore.
After the security training. SB and KG went back with me to U.N. Avenue where I was buying a modest dinner for friends. Despite the heavy rain, I was happy that they came, except for two; one was sick and the other was known to go MIA in get-togethers. Overall, it was a very hectic but fruitful week. I didn’t even feel the slightest discontent.
So, I can cite a few outstanding facets to convince me that I have the best job in the world. I appreciate it more now that we’re understaffed. I cannot wait for an additional head to torture bully give work to but the volume of what we do enforces the fact that it is important. Rumors fly that we’re bound to get a male staff to fill in EO’s former spot. Let’s see. We had a male staff two years ago and he was gone in less than a year, and has probably acquired enough discontent with work he never recovered until now.
Rather than always looking at the greener pasture by your neighbor’s fence, the power of suggestion can make my own greener by a mile.It cannot be that true but hey, what’s life without theatrics? At least I’m doing it to save my arse every single day. But seriously, I’m pretty happy with the current goings-on. I just hope it stays this way for long.