Passing the initiation

Today, I opened my first satellite branch.

I made it through, despite the lack of papers, permits and funds. I somehow managed to find all those with the help of some angels around here.

One of the supervisors said it might have been one of the CEO's tests to find out if I can do it.

Hah. I did it.

And I'm hoping I'd still deliver the next ones.

Back to my other projects.

Lessons on resourcefulness and being Miss Congeniality personified

It's only my 3rd week here but I am running to and fro - mind you - in my new 3.5 inches high heels - from my office to Megamall then back to my office.

In 3 days, my primary mandate is to open a small outlet in a mall as a satellite branch. No assigned sales staff yet, no merchandise.

You think that's it?

I need to ingress before this week ends and the lease papers are not yet signed! The signatory will be here by Thursday but there should be a memo from other signatories who happen to be out of the country that the lease needs to be signed.

I'm rambling.

Wow - so kailangan ko ngayong mag-milagro na mapirmahan ang kontrata at makakuha ng deposit para mabuksan yung branch.

Thank God there are people in the office who take pity on me and who are geniunely concerned. They promised to help me find my signatories abroad.

Aside from all that stress, I am having fun. Contrary to initial impressions, people started warming up to me by half of the second week. I now car-pool with a manager-friend every morning so we can both save money on gas and parking.

How can they turn a very nice, friendly girl down? *blink* *blink*

And this morning, someone gave me taho for breakfast.

Kewl.

Coffee + me = serenity

That is actually a very paradoxical title since coffee is a stimulant. Coffee perks me up when I feel so bored and sleepy at work or when I’m studying.

But I am digressing.

It’s almost 2pm. I am here at Starbucks at the 5th (or is it 4th?) level of Galleria. I am waiting for a long-lost friend to show up. Our appointment is at 1:30pm. Last time he texted, he’s just on his way to his car so he’s running 20 minutes late.

My notebook and my café mocha are both keeping me company right now. - Wow - it’s been a while since I people-watched. When bored, this is actually one of the fun things that you can actually do – rather than text, bite your nails or stare in space.

It’s both relaxing and fun to watch people come and go. Or observe as they banter and kill time. Some are catching up with friends, while others are doing business. Some, like me, are armed with their notebooks and PDAs, typing and taking down notes for school.

As for me, I’m typing just to kill time. Still waiting for friend to come.

As I am doing this, I realized how much comfortable I have become to be on my own. I guess this comes with the territory of living on my own. I have come to appreciate myself, my company. I now actually welcome moments with myself, by myself.

I get to sort out my thoughts and feelings, digest what happened to me after a day’s work.

It’s funny when I go on a retrospective journey. Two to three years back, you wouldn’t catch me going solo. I would never go out on my own. My friends teased me as helpless. I defended it as being company-oriented. Hey, don’t blame me; I’m a social animal.

I am actually surprised at myself. And darn proud. I am surprised at my own confidence and degree of comfort to be in a crowd - on my own.

I think I’ll do this again this week. And next time, it’s not to kill time while waiting for a friend, but to spend quality time with me.