From Dawn Till Dusk

Foreword: My apologies for having this work-related entry first. I know I promised to fill my diary with stories on SAHMing and all that encompasses it (eg. Nico’s progress in his writing skill, the Family Menu Plan I’ve made [for your review and reactions and suggestions], a wife’s thoughts on handling/budgeting family finances, the latest spices of life we’ve been through, the return of a prodigal Yaya [na naman!], and among other somewhat juicy and not-so juicy stories, nyahaha. And oh, my relevant responses to your comments, I will, promise.) but in anyway, let me have this entry first. Anyway, this would be my last hurrah related to work, so bear with me this chance to share thoughts on my last breath of life at work.

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The organization where I am [still] working for has been on the heels of preparing for the regional trade event which is about to start in the next few days. And as our little Office is on top of the media relations work for the international event, I can already feel the pressure/stress everyone at work are experiencing, most especially on paying attention to the nitty gritty stuff involved.

More pressure however added up as the uncooperative weather started to show signs of uncertainties. Yesterday, our committee was supposed to have a wrap-up meeting to discuss some final polishing in the plans for the event. But just as when everybody is expecting to have a clearer picture of their respective tasks for the event (through the meeting), it took hours before we had a quorum to hold as the heavy downpour of rains hindered everyone from coming to the Office on the agreed time.

As for me, if not for that very important meeting, I would have opted to stay home to be with my son all day, whom we decided not to send to school yesterday even if he had an exam due to the heavy downpour. I initially thought that anyway, I can just have a run through of my pending tasks in the Office via telephone brigade and online work at the comfort of our home. But somewhere, somehow, anyhow, I decided to brave the heavy rains myself yesterday just to make it for the meeting, notwithstanding warnings by Jun (whom I cannot possibly ride along as he was already out of the house at 5AM for a scheduled deliveries of a weekly publication) that streets along the route where I am about to take are already traffic and heavily-flooded. Good thing, I arrived safely in the Office, only with my shoes and clothes wet. But good thing too, it was a familiar scenario with my Officemates greeting me with their shoes and socks and clothes hung for drying. Hehe.

Anyway, after zillions of light years waiting for most of the staff to arrive, we finally had our meeting. Nitty-gritty as the discussions may seem, I’d like to believe though we’re all set for the big event. One thing though that worries us most is the unpredictable weather which we’ve anticipated would give us headaches if it continues to be uncooperative in time for the big event in the next few days. Oh, I sure hope the weather would improve in the coming days, or else, we’d see another disaster looming ahead.

You see, this scenario (with the all the unpredictable weather in the light of a regional trade event) was not the first time it happened to us. Last year too, we’ve had our share of headaches and change in plans for trade events, simply because of the unpredictable weather. Which got me thinking now. Is there a jinx with the Philippine hosting of regional trade events somewhere? I don’t understand it really why of all the days and months there are in a year, the unpredictable weather chose to act up either days before or on the days the events are on-going. Geesh.

First there was the Retreat among ASEAN Trade/Economic Ministers that our organization hosted in the sunny summer month of May last year. A few months back of preparing for the trade event, all of the staff involved in the preparations were all giddy and excited as the event, though may seem to still be attached with much diplomacy and formality, was somewhat a relaxing one. It’s a Retreat and exactly, and was sort of a not-so-serious buckle-down to the business of swapping fair trade agreements affair for the Ministers supposedly to be held right at the heart of our very own Boracay. But for reasons we didn’t knew, ay grabe, typhoon Caloy ravaged hammock to our preparations. Thus a change in plans. The heads of our organization decided to still push through with the Retreat, but in Manila and not in Boracay as originally planned. But the advance party (comprised mostly of bulk of the secretariat staff) were already in Boracay and were stranded for a few days so the Head Office had no other choice but to pull up all stops and appoint another Bureau to handle secretariat work in Manila. Good thing our team was still in Manila so we were able to join the secretariat with the operations. I remember, it was a Sunday, but not an ordinary one because it was Mother’s Day, when I was required by Boss to proceed to a place where Senior Economic/Trade Ministers are holding discussions and attend to the reportorial requirements of some media getting a first crack of the what’s cooking in the meeting while at the same time, answering here and there calls from press people (special mention to Reuters) who were stranded in Boracay.

That was one trade event in the mercy of the unpredictable weather. The other one was the ASEAN Summit in Cebu. Well, the preparations and the eventual postponement of that one major trade event in Cebu were hounded by controversies but the main reason why it was postponed was also due to a typhoon. We’re thankful enough we didn’t play a major role in the event because those in Cebu regional office took care of the preparations but just the same, bottlenecks were encountered along the way.

And now that the organization is on the thick of preparations to the upcoming event, premonitions of something weather-related issues is threatening again to affect the hosting of the event. Comparing what happened before and now, how else can circumstances be called? Merely coincidence or is there really a jinx somewhere in the Philippine hosting of regional trade events?

I sure hope not. Anyway, the upcoming event will be the very last one I will be involved in as I am about to leave the organization soon (this event is part of my turnover actually). Boss and I haven’t compromised yet on the final date of my resignation though, but this event is supposedly my last hurrah, if I may say. So weather, if you may please, cooperate. Even for this last time.