As Quality Manager, I take effort in inculcating the importance of objective setting in our office activities. It seems however that I have not fully internalized this practice.
When we planned our trip to Manila, I knew what we set out to do. I had my own objectives. Unfortunately, I did not ask the other members of the team what their objectives were. Yesterday's trip made me realize my mistake. Eyn was not happy with our frequent excursions which had us leaving the condo around lunchtime and arriving home near midnight. I explained that we were in Manila and we were supposed to go to places and buy things that are not available in Iloilo. He commented that it was not what he had in mind when he set out for the trip. His objective was to have his fill of playing in Alex' computers. To placate him, I bargained that we will go home early so that he can do what he wanted to do. But to my surprise, he replied that there is no need for me to do so since doing such may adversely affect the fulfillment of the others' objectives. His pronouncement made me cringe inside. I realized that while I'd been espousing team efforts and process improvements in the office, I conveniently made a demarcation line between the office and our house. And it should not have been so. Eyn was not very happy because he made plans which were not fleshed out. I felt bad because I realized that I was not able to consider his plans and include it in the overall picture. PDCA is not something that can be relegated to the workplace. It is a practice that must be made part of our everyday lives.
Friday, June 17, 2011
Friday, June 10, 2011
When Our Children Go Away to College
My daughter is now in college. I accompanied her to Manila to ease her transition from the relatively laidback Iloilo to the forever-hurrying pace of the Metro. The trip went smoothly but my journey was not. Into day 3, I realized that the initial months will be difficult for her, having been used to a sheltered life at home. When she sent a text message saying she wanted to go home, I cried. It was when I realized that the initial months will be difficult for both of us. When our children go away to college, we come face to face with the realization that we cannot shield them from life forever. As much as we would like to spare them from pain and heartaches, we can't. Much as we would like to claim their fears for our own, we can't. How we wish that we can be near them always and make life easy for them. But we know we shouldn't. Not if we want them to be the person that we hope they will be: strong and wise and kind.
When our children go away to college, we would want to send them off with enough money and food and clothes. We save up for college in the hope that we can accumulate enough resources to help them get by. Sometimes, we forget that the most valuable send-off gifts are more than material. Our most important send-off gifts when our children go to college are the core values that we have instilled in them during the early stages of their lives.
Have we loved them enough to be accepting of other people? Have we set a good example about sharing so that they will know when to be a person for others? Have we taught them well so that they will love the pursuit of knowledge? Have we made them feel secure that they will have the courage to plow through when things get difficult? Have we taught them how to pray hard so that they will have faith in the face of challenges? Have we made them laugh so that they can share their laughter with others? Have we been humble enough so that they have learnt to appreciate the wisdom of other people? Have we been confident enough so that they value their worth? Have we been persons worth emulating?
When our children go away to college, we come to realize the full magnitude of being parents. Have we prepared them well? Have we too, prepared well?
When our children go away to college, we would want to send them off with enough money and food and clothes. We save up for college in the hope that we can accumulate enough resources to help them get by. Sometimes, we forget that the most valuable send-off gifts are more than material. Our most important send-off gifts when our children go to college are the core values that we have instilled in them during the early stages of their lives.
Have we loved them enough to be accepting of other people? Have we set a good example about sharing so that they will know when to be a person for others? Have we taught them well so that they will love the pursuit of knowledge? Have we made them feel secure that they will have the courage to plow through when things get difficult? Have we taught them how to pray hard so that they will have faith in the face of challenges? Have we made them laugh so that they can share their laughter with others? Have we been humble enough so that they have learnt to appreciate the wisdom of other people? Have we been confident enough so that they value their worth? Have we been persons worth emulating?
When our children go away to college, we come to realize the full magnitude of being parents. Have we prepared them well? Have we too, prepared well?
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Nanay in the Big City
Reason for being in the Big City
I am a big fan of Newton's First Law of Motion, the one which talks about inertia, or how an object will remain as is, at standstilll, or while moving at the same speed in the same direction, unless an outside force acts on it. I also believe that mothers have low inertia. This means that mothers, by the very nature of their being, cannot afford to remain on a standstill or keep moving in a straight line at constant speed. There is always an external force, and the degree of change will always depend on how big the external force is. Well, this time, the external force is education. Tertiary education, that is, and this Nanay has set her sights on having her daughter get tertiary education in a Big City school. ... (to be continued)
Friday, May 27, 2011
Keeping a Learning Log (from Writers Inc)
Writing is important in many ways. One of these ways is using writing for learning and this can be done by using a learning log. Writers Inc gives some ideas on what to write in your Learning Log.
1. Writing a summary. After reading something, or hearing a lecture or taking part in a discussion, state your conclusion. Write the information that you found useful or interesting. Also state if there were opinions that you agreed with, or disagreed with, and the reason for your decision.
2. Personalize new ideas or concepts. Relate this new information to what you already know.
3. Write about what you still want to know about the topic. Make a list of the things that you want to look up and the pssible places, such as the library or the internet, where you can find the answers.
4. Discuss the topic with a particular audience. This will help you set the tone of your writing. Talk to a child, an acquaintance, an imaginary friend, or your favorite toy.
5. Question what you are learning. How important is this new information? Try to write a dialogue and discover the answer.
6. Express ideas and information in pictures. You can make drawings, or cut out drawings and pictures from magazines. You can also make charts or maps.
7. Start a glossary. A glossary is a list of important and interesting words related to the subject and their meaning. Try using the words in your log entries.
8. Argue for or against a topic. The topic can be anything that you can think of. It may have come up as a result of discussion, or a lecture or from readings.
9. Write how you are doing in your work, or in your class or in your subjects. Are you learning as much as you can, or doing as well as you had hoped? Are some materials hard for you? What can you do to improve?
Writing is important in many ways. One of these ways is using writing for learning and this can be done by using a learning log. Writers Inc gives some ideas on what to write in your Learning Log.
1. Writing a summary. After reading something, or hearing a lecture or taking part in a discussion, state your conclusion. Write the information that you found useful or interesting. Also state if there were opinions that you agreed with, or disagreed with, and the reason for your decision.
2. Personalize new ideas or concepts. Relate this new information to what you already know.
3. Write about what you still want to know about the topic. Make a list of the things that you want to look up and the pssible places, such as the library or the internet, where you can find the answers.
4. Discuss the topic with a particular audience. This will help you set the tone of your writing. Talk to a child, an acquaintance, an imaginary friend, or your favorite toy.
5. Question what you are learning. How important is this new information? Try to write a dialogue and discover the answer.
6. Express ideas and information in pictures. You can make drawings, or cut out drawings and pictures from magazines. You can also make charts or maps.
7. Start a glossary. A glossary is a list of important and interesting words related to the subject and their meaning. Try using the words in your log entries.
8. Argue for or against a topic. The topic can be anything that you can think of. It may have come up as a result of discussion, or a lecture or from readings.
9. Write how you are doing in your work, or in your class or in your subjects. Are you learning as much as you can, or doing as well as you had hoped? Are some materials hard for you? What can you do to improve?
Thursday, May 5, 2011
San Clemente, Tarlac: the Bautista part
Bing and I, with Ysa, Sid and Eyn increased our Luzon mileage by going to Tarlac last Tuesday. Lolo Apring, Tito Ruben's father passed away. The initial plan was for Janel and I to go to San Clemente to represent the Jacinto Rigor family. We learnt though that the interment was scheduled Wednesday and not on Saturday as we assumed. Janel was not available Tuesday which was the day we needed to go to Tarlac if we wanted to attend the 8 am requiem mass. I was not sure if the kids were up to being left on their own in the condo for two days so Bing and I decided to bring them along for the Tarlac trip.
Tito Ruben suggested we get the late afternoon trip so that we can avoid the heat. I mustered my planning expertise which was largely Iloilo-based and pegged our Manila departure time at 4:30 in the afternoon. We decided to leave the condo at Evangelista St., Bo. Santolan Pasig at about 2pm. Our travel plan: take a tricycle to the LRT2 station, board the LRT and disembark at Cubao station, transfer to the MRT line and travel from Cubao to Pasay, and in Pasay, go to the Five Star or Victory Liner terminal. It was a flawed plan from the start. For one, there ARE bus terminals in Cubao which means we could have saved time and energy if I made a more thorough preparation. For another, the buses from Pasay pass by the Cubao area, which meant that on the way to Tarlac, we again passed by the cities of Quezon, Mandaluyong and Makati albeit in reverse order. For yet another, I was not good in remembering where exactly the bus stations were in Pasay so from the MRT Taft station, we crossed two overpasses to reach the Victory Liner station only to learn that the buses do not pass by Camiling. I learnt later that the Victory Liner buses in Cubao are the ones that pass by Camiling. It was past 5pm by then and we were all set to go back to Santolan. Eyn remarked that we made a good enough effort. We agreed to make another attempt, this time to reach the Five Star bus station but since nobody was up to making another overpass crossing, we took a taxi. The distance from the Victory Liner to the Five Star bus station was hardly one block but since there was no direct line from one station to the other, we paid about PHP100 for the trip. When we reached the Five Star bus station, we realized we can go to Tarlac after all. There was a via Camiling bus, and there was no long queue for it. The bus was supposed to leave 640 pm but it was nearly 7pm when it pulled out from the station. The traffic from Pasay to Balintawak was heavy. We were able to clear EDSA in one hour. This meant we will be reaching Tarlac around 11pm which was way later than we planned. The bus made two stops: in Mabalacat and in Tarlac City. We bought snack foods to tide us over. There were toll gates before we reached Tarlac. For me it was somewhat reassuring to see well-lit structures in places that are very far from the town proper.
It was nearly 11pm when we reached Camiling. Tito Ruben was there with Tita Clarita's Revo. San Clemente was about 7km away yet and there were already no minibuses plying the Camiling-San Clemente route at such late hour. (to be continued...)
Tito Ruben suggested we get the late afternoon trip so that we can avoid the heat. I mustered my planning expertise which was largely Iloilo-based and pegged our Manila departure time at 4:30 in the afternoon. We decided to leave the condo at Evangelista St., Bo. Santolan Pasig at about 2pm. Our travel plan: take a tricycle to the LRT2 station, board the LRT and disembark at Cubao station, transfer to the MRT line and travel from Cubao to Pasay, and in Pasay, go to the Five Star or Victory Liner terminal. It was a flawed plan from the start. For one, there ARE bus terminals in Cubao which means we could have saved time and energy if I made a more thorough preparation. For another, the buses from Pasay pass by the Cubao area, which meant that on the way to Tarlac, we again passed by the cities of Quezon, Mandaluyong and Makati albeit in reverse order. For yet another, I was not good in remembering where exactly the bus stations were in Pasay so from the MRT Taft station, we crossed two overpasses to reach the Victory Liner station only to learn that the buses do not pass by Camiling. I learnt later that the Victory Liner buses in Cubao are the ones that pass by Camiling. It was past 5pm by then and we were all set to go back to Santolan. Eyn remarked that we made a good enough effort. We agreed to make another attempt, this time to reach the Five Star bus station but since nobody was up to making another overpass crossing, we took a taxi. The distance from the Victory Liner to the Five Star bus station was hardly one block but since there was no direct line from one station to the other, we paid about PHP100 for the trip. When we reached the Five Star bus station, we realized we can go to Tarlac after all. There was a via Camiling bus, and there was no long queue for it. The bus was supposed to leave 640 pm but it was nearly 7pm when it pulled out from the station. The traffic from Pasay to Balintawak was heavy. We were able to clear EDSA in one hour. This meant we will be reaching Tarlac around 11pm which was way later than we planned. The bus made two stops: in Mabalacat and in Tarlac City. We bought snack foods to tide us over. There were toll gates before we reached Tarlac. For me it was somewhat reassuring to see well-lit structures in places that are very far from the town proper.
It was nearly 11pm when we reached Camiling. Tito Ruben was there with Tita Clarita's Revo. San Clemente was about 7km away yet and there were already no minibuses plying the Camiling-San Clemente route at such late hour. (to be continued...)
Sunday, January 9, 2011
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