This is probably one of the longest Christmas/New Year break we ever had. We had 13 long days of vacation beginning December 23 up to January 4. I am still in the middle of it (as I write this) and we have two more days to go before we go back to work. I spent most of it rushing to the mall for last minute gifts, attending get-togethers, resting and sleeping, and wedding planning.
I usually spend vacations catching up with work. Yeah, I such am a work nerd. I usually do this because my e-mail inbox will never be not full and I am really really bothered by it. But, I made an exception for this particular break. Smart will "own" me again in three days so I am spending my time wisely by devoting time for myself. Ye.
Before we go back to the grind, I would like to share two memorable celebrations we had in December. Last Holiday Season was one of my busiest ever. Everyone is having Christmas parties these days.
#SmartSunHolidaze
One of the first parties we had was the #SmartSunHolidaze party held at Urbn Bar & Kitchen (one of our favorites) last December 11. This is also our first time to host a party for our Smart-Sun bloggers, digital influencers, on-line partners and friends. The turn-out was really good despite our 'whatever' program, silly games and our li'l raffle.
The fashionistas won the game (again)
Today is the first working day for 2013 but I am still on a break. I usually extend the holidays for a day or two to beat the traffic and the blues. But I am forced to take extra days this year because of the adult airborne measles that I caught after Christmas. The rash and spots are now healing and improving but my boss kindly asked me to stay and work at home to avoid spreading the virus.
I am kinda happy for the extended 5 days of medical leave because I can catch up with the things I am supposed to do last December (like my on-line Christmas shopping). December is usually dead work-wise but that's not the case in the last two years. With the launch of the Smart iPhone 4S two years ago and the Smart iPhone 5 last year, I was literally robbed off two weeks of my December for two years in a row now. iPhone launches are fun, creative and exciting but it also entails a lot of hard work and a lot of late nights. We had our launch this year at Resorts World Manila and it was good celebration attended by first iPhone 5 buyers, celebrities, and our media and blogger friends. I was busy all night entertaining guests and doing Social Media stuff so I only got to take a few snaps of the event.
I was truly grateful for the long break so I immediately asked the boyfriend to shop for our Christmas presents on our first day off from work. Barely 3 hours in the mall and exhaustion sets in. We immediately went home so I can take a rest and drink meds. A few hours after and my fever was already on the high 38s. I spent the next few days in bed with high fever and a red-hot face. I went to Asian Hospital and Medical Center on the 27th when I noticed that the rashes are spreading all over my body. The ER doc cleared me from dengue and confirmed that I have adult measles and must be in isolation for the next week or so. To cut the long story short, there goes my holiday. I spent the entire holiday break in our home. I wasn't able to attend a single Christmas family gathering or shop for gifts (save for some Connie's Kitchen gourmet bottles for colleagues).
I started feeling better a couple of days ago. I am actually grateful for the extra days and the isolation. It's been a while since I last took a break and really rested. I am too overworked last year and I feel the need to re-energize and reset my body for a change. It's a good thing that I was actually forced to rest and hibernate. I need the rest for the new challenges that this new year will bring.
Smart iPhone 5 Launch at Resorts World Manila with The Morning Rush, Kim & Yeg
I was truly grateful for the long break so I immediately asked the boyfriend to shop for our Christmas presents on our first day off from work. Barely 3 hours in the mall and exhaustion sets in. We immediately went home so I can take a rest and drink meds. A few hours after and my fever was already on the high 38s. I spent the next few days in bed with high fever and a red-hot face. I went to Asian Hospital and Medical Center on the 27th when I noticed that the rashes are spreading all over my body. The ER doc cleared me from dengue and confirmed that I have adult measles and must be in isolation for the next week or so. To cut the long story short, there goes my holiday. I spent the entire holiday break in our home. I wasn't able to attend a single Christmas family gathering or shop for gifts (save for some Connie's Kitchen gourmet bottles for colleagues).
I started feeling better a couple of days ago. I am actually grateful for the extra days and the isolation. It's been a while since I last took a break and really rested. I am too overworked last year and I feel the need to re-energize and reset my body for a change. It's a good thing that I was actually forced to rest and hibernate. I need the rest for the new challenges that this new year will bring.
. Feliz Navidad . Joyeux Noel . メリークリスマス . Fröhliches Weihnachten .
. 愉快的圣诞节 . Natal Feliz . วันคริสต์มาส . Vidám karácsony .
. Καλά Χριστούγεννα . Munter Jul . Vrolijke Kerstmis .
. MALIGAYANG PASKO! .
It's that time of the year again! Time to bring out the list of Christmas wishes. I did not make any list last year since I mostly got what I needed in '09 even before Christmas - and I am not just talking about material wants. *wink*
But this year is different. It was such a very stressful and demanding year for me (watch out for my year-end blog post) so I think I deserve to wish formany stuff as a reward for a very hardworking and grueling year.
Bring it on! :D
1. Tablet
I initially don't want to get one...but who am I kidding?! This is one of those good things designed for people like me. I really really really want one even if almost everyone I know has one. I am dead set on getting the "i" for seamless platform integration to my other gadgets but the "G" is just too beautiful to be ignored.
But, this article of Techie.com.ph might help me decide what to get, I was screencapped after all. :) The iPad will officially come to the Philippines on December 17.
The ultimate stocking stuffer this year.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab - Augmented Reality at its best!
But this year is different. It was such a very stressful and demanding year for me (watch out for my year-end blog post) so I think I deserve to wish for
Bring it on! :D
1. Tablet
I initially don't want to get one...but who am I kidding?! This is one of those good things designed for people like me. I really really really want one even if almost everyone I know has one. I am dead set on getting the "i" for seamless platform integration to my other gadgets but the "G" is just too beautiful to be ignored.
But, this article of Techie.com.ph might help me decide what to get, I was screencapped after all. :) The iPad will officially come to the Philippines on December 17.
The ultimate stocking stuffer this year.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab - Augmented Reality at its best!
. Feliz Navidad . Buon Natale . メリークリスマス . Fröhliches Weihnachten .
. 愉快的圣诞节 . Natal Feliz . วันคริสต์มาส . Vidám karácsony .
. Καλά Χριστούγεννα . Munter Jul . Vrolijke Kerstmis .
. MALIGAYANG PASKO! .
Today, January 5, 2009, is probably the most unpopular day of the year so far. Everyone was too hung-over to work or too tired from vacation to even pretend to work. The last holiday vacation was probably the longest I can remember since I started working. I took a leave on the 24th of December so I had 12 days of non-work including those holidays declared by the government. It's common for me to have January blues so I usually extend my vacation until the 3rd working day of the year. But the vacation was too long already so it's too much to even consider on extending for that long.
The first four days of the year were uneventful ones for me. I spent most of the day sleeping, surfing random blogs and websites, resizing pictures, reading The American Wife, and watching old episodes of Project Runway and Lipstick Jungle. I was too tired from all the holiday celebrations and was preparing for the work stress thus I spent 10 to 14 hours a day just sleeping after the New Year celebrations.
Now that we covered the mundane things I did during the long vacation, let’s now take a look at the few exciting events and get-togethers I’ve been in the last weeks of 2008.
YEARLY CLAN REUNION
We spent Christmas Eve at home with the usual Noche Buena and opening of gifts. My niece, Gabbie, had the biggest loot as expected. Christmas day was spent at home resting and lounging in preparation for our annual clan reunion with my mom's sisters and their families in the evening.
One of the gifts I received! This is truly a favorite.
My nieces Nica, Gabbie, Casey and Jana on our Christmas party.
My niece Icee counting her Christmas cash
BAGUIO ONCE MORE
My good friend Tin asked us to join her in celebrating her 30th birthday at the City of Pines. It was my second time in Baguio for the year but I still had fun. We went around Session, Burnham & Wright, had Strawberry Taho, coffee at John Hay, dinner at Volante and celebration drinks at Northgate.
Tin and her birthday cake of 12 years ago
At the El Cielito lobby
Ylette at Burnham. One of my favorite shots.
POST-CHRISTMAS DINNER WITH FRIENDS
My forces girlfriends Tin, Aileen, Charo & Jako had our holiday dinner at Italianni's before the end of the year. We haven't seen each other for a while so we spent the night catching up on things and exchanging gifts.
Me, Tin, Charu, Aileen
What's with the knife?
The Mac Keeper
WELCOMING THE NEW YEAR
We spent New Year's eve at home quietly despite the loud bangs outside. We gave thanks to the Lord for all the blessings He gave us for the year. We also prayed for good health, prosperity and joys for the coming year.
Gabbie and her three trumpets
Fireworks on a school zone? How weird is our neighborhood?
More holiday photos at my Multiply photo site.
The first four days of the year were uneventful ones for me. I spent most of the day sleeping, surfing random blogs and websites, resizing pictures, reading The American Wife, and watching old episodes of Project Runway and Lipstick Jungle. I was too tired from all the holiday celebrations and was preparing for the work stress thus I spent 10 to 14 hours a day just sleeping after the New Year celebrations.
Now that we covered the mundane things I did during the long vacation, let’s now take a look at the few exciting events and get-togethers I’ve been in the last weeks of 2008.
YEARLY CLAN REUNION
We spent Christmas Eve at home with the usual Noche Buena and opening of gifts. My niece, Gabbie, had the biggest loot as expected. Christmas day was spent at home resting and lounging in preparation for our annual clan reunion with my mom's sisters and their families in the evening.
One of the gifts I received! This is truly a favorite.
My nieces Nica, Gabbie, Casey and Jana on our Christmas party.
My niece Icee counting her Christmas cash
BAGUIO ONCE MORE
My good friend Tin asked us to join her in celebrating her 30th birthday at the City of Pines. It was my second time in Baguio for the year but I still had fun. We went around Session, Burnham & Wright, had Strawberry Taho, coffee at John Hay, dinner at Volante and celebration drinks at Northgate.
Tin and her birthday cake of 12 years ago
At the El Cielito lobby
Ylette at Burnham. One of my favorite shots.
POST-CHRISTMAS DINNER WITH FRIENDS
My forces girlfriends Tin, Aileen, Charo & Jako had our holiday dinner at Italianni's before the end of the year. We haven't seen each other for a while so we spent the night catching up on things and exchanging gifts.
Me, Tin, Charu, Aileen
What's with the knife?
The Mac Keeper
WELCOMING THE NEW YEAR
We spent New Year's eve at home quietly despite the loud bangs outside. We gave thanks to the Lord for all the blessings He gave us for the year. We also prayed for good health, prosperity and joys for the coming year.
Gabbie and her three trumpets
Fireworks on a school zone? How weird is our neighborhood?
More holiday photos at my Multiply photo site.
"I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round,
as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable time; the only time
I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem
by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people
as if they really were fellow passengers to the grave, and not another
race of creatures bound on other journeys."
~Charles Dickens
The most wonderful time of the year is already here! The first week of December already gave me some Christmas joys and I cannot help but be merry and cheery about it. Our Christmas Package was already given (with the four hams), I already got some early gifts, I was able to watch Vince & Reese's Four Christmases with Tin, and the December breeze is here! Christmas is definitely just around the corner.
I've been nice this year so I prepared a Christmas Wish List. I've been wanting some of these for the longest time and I hope to get them before the year ends (though some I must say are bonus-dependent). So, benefactors, friends, and bosses who will decide the pay-out, please take pity on me and put the following under my tree. :)
1. Canon 1000D
My current point & shoot camera is giving me blah, blah, blah pictures in the last couple of months so I decided to look for a new one. I was actually set on buying the new Canon G10 but I learned that the Canon 1000D is just a couple of thousands more than the G10, so DSLR it is!
2. A Trip To Ilocos Norte
My good friend Tin wants us to celebrate her 30th either in Shanghai, Singapore or Puerto Princesa in Palawan. But due to the recession, busy Holiday schedule, overseas travel next year and the super peak season, we just decided to have another roadtrip to Ilocos. We've always wanted to go to Pagudpod and check out the Bangui Windmills so we hope that the trip will push through.
3. Linksys Wireless Router
This is more of a necessity than a luxury. We have to get this one ASAP to avoid further family squabbles over broadband connections.
4. A Flickr Pro Account
Flickr is the BEST photo repository site in the World Wide Web. Period. I really need a pro account for all the neat pictures I will have from item #1.
5. L'Oreal True Match Minerals
I've been dying to have this since the glowing reviews I read some months ago. I'm just consuming some of my other stuff before buying a bottle. It promises a good, fine, matte finish. Definitely a must-try-must-buy!
6. The Tales of Beedle The Bard
A true Potter fan knows what's The Tales of Beedle The Bard is all about. It is supposed to be one of the "what's the fuss about?" books of 2008 (but no thanks to Breaking Dawn with Reneesme on it for beating it a hundredfold). Since this is not a truly legitimate Harry Potter book and it cost P650.00, I decided to be a cheapskate about it and will just wait for someone to gift me with it.
7. Belle de Jour 2009 Power Planner
This is my planner choice for 2009. The Starbucks Planners are good and nice but everyone has one.
8. World Peace
Or in my world at least. :)
Credits to Tonie S. for the Pagudpod Beach photo above.
I've been nice this year so I prepared a Christmas Wish List. I've been wanting some of these for the longest time and I hope to get them before the year ends (though some I must say are bonus-dependent). So, benefactors, friends, and bosses who will decide the pay-out, please take pity on me and put the following under my tree. :)
1. Canon 1000D
My current point & shoot camera is giving me blah, blah, blah pictures in the last couple of months so I decided to look for a new one. I was actually set on buying the new Canon G10 but I learned that the Canon 1000D is just a couple of thousands more than the G10, so DSLR it is!
2. A Trip To Ilocos Norte
My good friend Tin wants us to celebrate her 30th either in Shanghai, Singapore or Puerto Princesa in Palawan. But due to the recession, busy Holiday schedule, overseas travel next year and the super peak season, we just decided to have another roadtrip to Ilocos. We've always wanted to go to Pagudpod and check out the Bangui Windmills so we hope that the trip will push through.
3. Linksys Wireless Router
This is more of a necessity than a luxury. We have to get this one ASAP to avoid further family squabbles over broadband connections.
4. A Flickr Pro Account
Flickr is the BEST photo repository site in the World Wide Web. Period. I really need a pro account for all the neat pictures I will have from item #1.
5. L'Oreal True Match Minerals
I've been dying to have this since the glowing reviews I read some months ago. I'm just consuming some of my other stuff before buying a bottle. It promises a good, fine, matte finish. Definitely a must-try-must-buy!
6. The Tales of Beedle The Bard
A true Potter fan knows what's The Tales of Beedle The Bard is all about. It is supposed to be one of the "what's the fuss about?" books of 2008 (but no thanks to Breaking Dawn with Reneesme on it for beating it a hundredfold). Since this is not a truly legitimate Harry Potter book and it cost P650.00, I decided to be a cheapskate about it and will just wait for someone to gift me with it.
7. Belle de Jour 2009 Power Planner
This is my planner choice for 2009. The Starbucks Planners are good and nice but everyone has one.
8. World Peace
Or in my world at least. :)
Credits to Tonie S. for the Pagudpod Beach photo above.
I am socially tired!
I attended three parties, a get-together and a wedding last week on top of a full work load. Whew! Whataweek! Since I am so busy for the holidays I decided to just post a quickie for all the events last week. I am actually not inspired to write and blog but I received a lot of "I bet you will put it in your blog" comments from my friends and co-workers whenever I bring out my Canon.
So, to all my gazillion fans (?!), this one's for you! Hope you are included in the truckloads of pictures ahead!
Here we go.
SMART & SONY ERICSON'S 24K CHRISTMAS PARTY
Embassy Super Club, The Fort
December 17, Monday
I attended SMART and Sony Ericsson's Christmas Party together with Kathy, Maffin , Anthony, their friends, and some CCOs. The event is partly work since we were tasked to monitor some stuff at the event. The party was also the launch of the two new Cybershot phones, the K770i and the K850i, which will be first available at SMART.
Me at the par-tay!
Even tissue papers and holders were not spared! :)
Since the theme is 24K the entire area of Embassy were stylishly adorned by accents of Gold. The theme also complemented the new and bigger Marie Antoinetteish look of Embassy. The program was relatively short but sweet. We also raffled two of the new phones and some vacation getaways to subscribers and media guests.
With Patricia and Ester
Frank, Maffin, Anthony and JL
With Kathy and Jaja
Antz and I
We had a fun time at the party. There were dancing, lots of snapshots, and loads of alcohol! It was my first time to drink since my surgery so I was quite out of it at the end of the night. Tipsy on a Monday is quite weird but it surprisingly gave me a sweet and nice sleep that night!
More pictures here.
CLUB CCARE - A BLACK & WHITE AFFAIR
Temple Bar & Restaurant, Greenbelt 2
December 19, Wednesday
I had mega-effort for this party. Department parties are always the best since it brings the best in our co-workers (read: people literally transform themselves). I missed them a lot since we don’t have parties like this in my last company.
At the red carpet
This year's theme for our Customer Care party is Black & White so we were all required to wear either black and white or solids. There was even a red carpet and a photo spot at the entrance of Temple. I wore a simple shimmery shiny black top with white accents then I adorned it with a wide belt under a leggings. The idea is retro so my hair was semi-tied with a slight bump in the middle.
NLN delivering his Christmas message to us
Bosses and guests enjoying the night
BSD Women
Team BSD
All my officemates were on their very best attire and hairstyles. There were also dancing (from the regional managers), singing (from our two bosses) and an inter-department dance showdown. I was supposed to be one of the Red Carpet correspondents and floor hosts but we have to cut it short due to time constraints. I enjoyed seeing my co-workers in a non-office environment, the “rampa”, and the never-ending snapshots were great, too. Crush also looked nice that night. :)
More pictures here.
MITZI & TIN'S HOMECOMING
Masas Greenbelt 2 / Starbucks SLEX
December 19, Wednesday
Mitzi and Tin are both back! Mitzi is home for the holidays and Tin is back from Beijing!
It’s been four long years since we bid Mitzi goodbye at the airport. Since she’s only staying for two weeks it was very difficult for us to schedule a get-together that will fit everyone’s crazy timetables. So we decided to meet last December 19 at Masas which is just right next door at our department party at Temple.
Tin is also back (for good?) from her Beijing stint. She came home two weeks ago but we were so busy so we only saw her this week. We were always in YM, anyway.
Dinner at Masas, Greebelt 2
Hey, Mitzi! That's MY LV you're holding! :)
It was nice to them both again! But thanks to all things on-line we are still updated with each other’s lives. We did a lot of catching up while we feast on Filipino dishes, Starbucks and picture-taking. I really really enjoyed our get-together. It was the gem of my action-packed week. It’s also been a while since I last saw Charo and Aileen so the gabfest went on until the wee hours.
Love 'em so!
iMitzi and the iPhone
Starbucks and gifts - perfect combination!
Immortalizing a favorite crazy pose
Repeating a four year old pose at Petron SLEX. Thanks to Kodak's wide angle!
They also gave me great gifts! Mitzi even gave me aLouis Vuitton bag! Thanks, gals! I still owe you Christmas gifts! Let’s see each other again before Mitzi’s flight back to LA!
SMART'S PA6KATAN SA BAGONG KALAWAKAN
World Trade Center, Manila
December 21, 2007
The icing of my week is SMART's Company wide Christmas party that was held last Friday at the World Trade Center.
Calling our Christmas party grand is an understatement. HR did a very good job in the preparation and in the execution of the event. It was the best company wide party ever! It can even rival some of the product launches and dealer conferences I’ve attended and handled in the past. Nice choice of host (Edu Manzano), the AVPs and slides were well-executed, lights and sounds were superb, and the production numbers from each division were made-for-TV-variety-shows.
Christmas Party SMART style!
Our famous inflatables outside WTC
The theme for this year is “Pa6katan Sa Bagong Kalawakan” or reinvention. The 5 groups who performed and even the speeches were attuned to the theme. The program started with Opening Remarks from our dear President, Napoleon L. Nazareno. NLN gave good reviews for the year and reported the success we achieved. We reach our stretch targets (as usual) and we are to close the year with 30 million subscribers.
My good friend Twiggy from our Public Affairs Department
Go, CCare!!!
Our division (as usual again) won in the department presentations where our reps revitalized Celine Dion. I was truly surprised with the department presentations. It was performance to the highest level complete with props and production designs. I never thought that it would be that great (but I later realized that it had to be since the top prize at stake was 50 grand). Other groups performed Gary V., Michael Jackson, Madonna and Ricky Martin. I was in awe with our representatives’ performance since Celine Dion is very hard to “translate” since she never actually revitalized herself compared to the other artists I’ve mentioned.
The most awaited and the most applauded part of the night was our Chairman MVP’s (Manny V. Pangilinan) “annual announcement” at the end of the night. Edu called him on stage to play “SMART Game Ka Na Ba?”. There were several questions that Edu asked that MVP gamely and wittingly answered.
As expected the final question was:
What do you think is the right number? (16, 17, 18 or 19?)
MVP’s answer to that is a historical "TWENTY TWO"!.
Every SMARTee knows what the last question is all about but I never expected how sweet his answer will be.
It is indeed a Happy 22 Christmas! Woohoo!
[Photo Credits to Aileen, Mitzi and Marj.]
I attended three parties, a get-together and a wedding last week on top of a full work load. Whew! Whataweek! Since I am so busy for the holidays I decided to just post a quickie for all the events last week. I am actually not inspired to write and blog but I received a lot of "I bet you will put it in your blog" comments from my friends and co-workers whenever I bring out my Canon.
So, to all my gazillion fans (?!), this one's for you! Hope you are included in the truckloads of pictures ahead!
Here we go.
Embassy Super Club, The Fort
December 17, Monday
I attended SMART and Sony Ericsson's Christmas Party together with Kathy, Maffin , Anthony, their friends, and some CCOs. The event is partly work since we were tasked to monitor some stuff at the event. The party was also the launch of the two new Cybershot phones, the K770i and the K850i, which will be first available at SMART.
Me at the par-tay!
Even tissue papers and holders were not spared! :)
Since the theme is 24K the entire area of Embassy were stylishly adorned by accents of Gold. The theme also complemented the new and bigger Marie Antoinetteish look of Embassy. The program was relatively short but sweet. We also raffled two of the new phones and some vacation getaways to subscribers and media guests.
With Patricia and Ester
Frank, Maffin, Anthony and JL
With Kathy and Jaja
Antz and I
We had a fun time at the party. There were dancing, lots of snapshots, and loads of alcohol! It was my first time to drink since my surgery so I was quite out of it at the end of the night. Tipsy on a Monday is quite weird but it surprisingly gave me a sweet and nice sleep that night!
More pictures here.
CLUB CCARE - A BLACK & WHITE AFFAIR
Temple Bar & Restaurant, Greenbelt 2
December 19, Wednesday
I had mega-effort for this party. Department parties are always the best since it brings the best in our co-workers (read: people literally transform themselves). I missed them a lot since we don’t have parties like this in my last company.
At the red carpet
This year's theme for our Customer Care party is Black & White so we were all required to wear either black and white or solids. There was even a red carpet and a photo spot at the entrance of Temple. I wore a simple shimmery shiny black top with white accents then I adorned it with a wide belt under a leggings. The idea is retro so my hair was semi-tied with a slight bump in the middle.
NLN delivering his Christmas message to us
Bosses and guests enjoying the night
BSD Women
Team BSD
All my officemates were on their very best attire and hairstyles. There were also dancing (from the regional managers), singing (from our two bosses) and an inter-department dance showdown. I was supposed to be one of the Red Carpet correspondents and floor hosts but we have to cut it short due to time constraints. I enjoyed seeing my co-workers in a non-office environment, the “rampa”, and the never-ending snapshots were great, too. Crush also looked nice that night. :)
More pictures here.
Masas Greenbelt 2 / Starbucks SLEX
December 19, Wednesday
Mitzi and Tin are both back! Mitzi is home for the holidays and Tin is back from Beijing!
It’s been four long years since we bid Mitzi goodbye at the airport. Since she’s only staying for two weeks it was very difficult for us to schedule a get-together that will fit everyone’s crazy timetables. So we decided to meet last December 19 at Masas which is just right next door at our department party at Temple.
Tin is also back (for good?) from her Beijing stint. She came home two weeks ago but we were so busy so we only saw her this week. We were always in YM, anyway.
Dinner at Masas, Greebelt 2
Hey, Mitzi! That's MY LV you're holding! :)
It was nice to them both again! But thanks to all things on-line we are still updated with each other’s lives. We did a lot of catching up while we feast on Filipino dishes, Starbucks and picture-taking. I really really enjoyed our get-together. It was the gem of my action-packed week. It’s also been a while since I last saw Charo and Aileen so the gabfest went on until the wee hours.
Love 'em so!
iMitzi and the iPhone
Starbucks and gifts - perfect combination!
Immortalizing a favorite crazy pose
Repeating a four year old pose at Petron SLEX. Thanks to Kodak's wide angle!
They also gave me great gifts! Mitzi even gave me a
World Trade Center, Manila
December 21, 2007
The icing of my week is SMART's Company wide Christmas party that was held last Friday at the World Trade Center.
Calling our Christmas party grand is an understatement. HR did a very good job in the preparation and in the execution of the event. It was the best company wide party ever! It can even rival some of the product launches and dealer conferences I’ve attended and handled in the past. Nice choice of host (Edu Manzano), the AVPs and slides were well-executed, lights and sounds were superb, and the production numbers from each division were made-for-TV-variety-shows.
Christmas Party SMART style!
Our famous inflatables outside WTC
The theme for this year is “Pa6katan Sa Bagong Kalawakan” or reinvention. The 5 groups who performed and even the speeches were attuned to the theme. The program started with Opening Remarks from our dear President, Napoleon L. Nazareno. NLN gave good reviews for the year and reported the success we achieved. We reach our stretch targets (as usual) and we are to close the year with 30 million subscribers.
My good friend Twiggy from our Public Affairs Department
Go, CCare!!!
Our division (as usual again) won in the department presentations where our reps revitalized Celine Dion. I was truly surprised with the department presentations. It was performance to the highest level complete with props and production designs. I never thought that it would be that great (but I later realized that it had to be since the top prize at stake was 50 grand). Other groups performed Gary V., Michael Jackson, Madonna and Ricky Martin. I was in awe with our representatives’ performance since Celine Dion is very hard to “translate” since she never actually revitalized herself compared to the other artists I’ve mentioned.
The most awaited and the most applauded part of the night was our Chairman MVP’s (Manny V. Pangilinan) “annual announcement” at the end of the night. Edu called him on stage to play “SMART Game Ka Na Ba?”. There were several questions that Edu asked that MVP gamely and wittingly answered.
As expected the final question was:
What do you think is the right number? (16, 17, 18 or 19?)
MVP’s answer to that is a historical "TWENTY TWO"!.
Every SMARTee knows what the last question is all about but I never expected how sweet his answer will be.
It is indeed a Happy 22 Christmas! Woohoo!
[Photo Credits to Aileen, Mitzi and Marj.]
It's December and the holiday spirit is already in town!
This is my first holiday at Smart and it's sure is a great "holiday" so far! Christmas spirit truly abounds and almost everyone is in a good mood.
For starters, we already received our Christmas package and hams today! When I was still applying in SMART, my former classmate, Ferwee, who's already working at Smart at that time, told me that one of Smart's USP (unique selling proposition) are the four hams that each employee receives come Christmas. It's actually true! I went home tonight with 4 kilos of hams together with a roller bag full of Christmas goodies from chocolates to spaghetti sauce. Thank you, Smart!
Then we have our Christmas Decor contest per area on our floor. We really take special occasions like Halloween and Christmas seriously. Look what our group did in our area. It's very simple compared to other groups who outlandishly dressed-up their corners. Ours is comical and cute.
Hi, Crush!
It's not only Smart who's geared up for the holidays. Our home is already spruced up for Christmas! I went home last night to a fully dressed-up living room and terrace with a gold theme. I am so OC with Christmas color themes. I always insist to stick to a specific color scheme and not to overdo it like a rainbow. Gold turned out really really nice.
Lastly, I already started my Christmas shopping. Yey! I usually panic buy on the last two weeks before Christmas but I unexpectedly and surprisingly started early this year. I went to Greenhills the other night for an event and I ended buying a lot of stuff from V Mall. I also went to the Night Market and to the usual tiangges but it was awfully crowded so I went to the mall instead. Best to shop is during weekdays at the last two hours before closing or at the first two hours in the morning. I have fourteen Godchildren (plus several nieces and nephews) and I am proud to say that I am already halfway through my list. I bought the usual assortment of toy cars and Barbies.
The only downside of December? What else but traffic! The nightmare already started. Goodluck to all of us!
Enjoy the holiday cheer!
This is my first holiday at Smart and it's sure is a great "holiday" so far! Christmas spirit truly abounds and almost everyone is in a good mood.
For starters, we already received our Christmas package and hams today! When I was still applying in SMART, my former classmate, Ferwee, who's already working at Smart at that time, told me that one of Smart's USP (unique selling proposition) are the four hams that each employee receives come Christmas. It's actually true! I went home tonight with 4 kilos of hams together with a roller bag full of Christmas goodies from chocolates to spaghetti sauce. Thank you, Smart!
Then we have our Christmas Decor contest per area on our floor. We really take special occasions like Halloween and Christmas seriously. Look what our group did in our area. It's very simple compared to other groups who outlandishly dressed-up their corners. Ours is comical and cute.
Hi, Crush!
It's not only Smart who's geared up for the holidays. Our home is already spruced up for Christmas! I went home last night to a fully dressed-up living room and terrace with a gold theme. I am so OC with Christmas color themes. I always insist to stick to a specific color scheme and not to overdo it like a rainbow. Gold turned out really really nice.
Lastly, I already started my Christmas shopping. Yey! I usually panic buy on the last two weeks before Christmas but I unexpectedly and surprisingly started early this year. I went to Greenhills the other night for an event and I ended buying a lot of stuff from V Mall. I also went to the Night Market and to the usual tiangges but it was awfully crowded so I went to the mall instead. Best to shop is during weekdays at the last two hours before closing or at the first two hours in the morning. I have fourteen Godchildren (plus several nieces and nephews) and I am proud to say that I am already halfway through my list. I bought the usual assortment of toy cars and Barbies.
The only downside of December? What else but traffic! The nightmare already started. Goodluck to all of us!
Enjoy the holiday cheer!
