Being Away

I called my mom yesterday morning (past 9am in UAE, past 1pm in PI). She said she was in a Doctor's clinic to have her eyes checked. Tinanong ko kung sinong kasama nya. Sabi nya, "Wala.". My dad is in Manila. He needs to buy some stuff. But she said she's okay then later cuts the conversation as it is already her turn.

It saddens me na malayo ako. Kung nasa Pinas ako at least she'll have a company sa mga check ups nya. I could ask her to have her check ups scheduled on wkends para wala akong work or I could make paalam sa work if the need is urgent.

Hay, malungkot! This is one of the hardships one has to bear being away from his/her Family. Mahirap maiwan, dahil naranasan ko na yan when I was in Pinas and my mom is working abroad. Pero mahirap din ung ikaw ang nasa malayo. You can't be there right away pag gusto mo o pag alam mong kelangan ka nila.

This morning, I've learned that my officemates' (sisters cla) father passed away. Kahapon daw. Imagine the agony, kahit gaano nila kagusto to see their dad agad, to hug their mom, they cannot immediately do it. Iiyak ka then later kelangan mo ma-realize ang mga dapat mong gawin... agad! hey, kelangan mo mag-check ng earlieast available flight pauwi and have your things ready... sad!

Pero hindi lang sa kanila nangyari 'yan. Marami pa sa ibang officemates ko at sa iba pang Pinoys working abroad. And I pray that they'll have the courage to move on and the strength to be away again. Dahil kahit hindi pa tapos ang grievance, babalik na naman sa pagiging malayo para magtrabaho.

Sa mga ganitong pagkakataon, naiisip ko tuloy 'bakit kase umalis pa ko?'. Pro alam ko sa mga ganitong pagkakataon mas kelangan ko sabihin sa sarili ko na 'May choices ako noon pero eto ang option na pinili ko. At dahil nandito ako, kelangan kong gawin ang kelangan kong gawin.'

I pray that the good LORD would continue to bless my family (and their families) with good health & safety. And by the time na able na ako to be in Pinas for good (Don't want to be forever working abroad. Neither do i want to migrate to other country) i could still enjoy their presence at HOME.

APPLE, 27, OFW

Thank GOD it's ThUrsdaY!

I'm always looking forward for this day to come. Salamat, last working day na naman! And at this point na am not so enthusiastic bout my job, doble ang saya sa pagdating ng araw na 'to.

Tonight I can do anything. Pedeng mag-stay ng late at hindi mag-worry that i will not have enough sleep again. Pedeng super tulog! =)

Btw, one yr na pala since I first posted an entry here. Talaga naman. Ang bilis ng panahon.

Happy One Year to my page and happy Thursday to Us! =)

Cheers! c",)

Your Negotiation is Not GOOD!

What would you do if your immediate superior tells you you're skills are not good enough?

I have some items to buy na pending for the longest time. Paano ba naman isa lang pala ang pagkukunan. Ni-raise ko na 'tong concern ko sa superior ko ang sagot sakin bilhin ko muna ung iba then deal with the others later. Repeat order pala sya. Dun lang sa vendor na un nakakuha ung isang kasama ko para sa mga naunang projects (wala pa ko nun sa New Build Rig Procurement). At para sa pangatlong rig namin na nasa akin ung Purchase Requisition para sa same item lahat na ng vendors namin para sa item na un napag-inquiran ko na. Pati dun sa ibang vendors na bago pa lang nag-iintroduce sa company namin nag-inquire din ako. Pero wla clang mai-offer na ganun. Ang mga superior ko sabi kakausapin na din nila ung superiors nung vendor na pinag-requestan namin ng quote.

Ang tagal ko kayang naghintay ng quotation. Finally, sinend sa 'kin ang offer. Ang kaso 9% increase dun sa previous price nila. Tsk, tsk. Need to negotiate. Kaso talagang un na daw ang price. So cannot proceed pa rin ako sa order placement. Malaki ung percentage increase na un para sa 6 month period lang. I approached our procurement coordinator. Pagpasok ko ng rum nya medyo busy pa sya. So kahit deadmatology sya sa presence ko nagsalita ako kase hindi un titingin or titigil sa ginagawa nya until magsalita ako.

Me: This is the quotation from chuvanez for the chenez item.

Procurement Coordinator still looking at his monitor. Then turns to me and say

"Genevieve, your negotiation is not good."

He's referring to the PO made for pipes I submitted yesterday na until now nasa table pa nya kase d pa nya pinipirmahan. Same case. Previous prices cannot be retained. Eto namang mga pipes na ito kakabili mo lang 2 weeks ago ngayon iba na ang prices. (Pipe prices is a different story. Eto talagang mabilis magtaas ang presyo.)

Ewan ko pero parang d ako affected masyado. I don't know if dahil kase alam ko lang na mahilig sya mang-joke o dahil confident ako na nakipag-SUPERnegotiate ako. Pero naisip ko pa rin parang 'Huh?! Ano bang hindi ko ginawa?'

Me: Why? (Parang how come you were able to have that conclusion) Did you talk to vendors?

Coordinator: Yes. One said, you did not ask for discount how can he give you?!

Me: I asked all the vendors for discounted prices.

Coordinator having that familiar look on his face say...

One vendor will be coming tom. By the way, to whom did you talk to from this vendor (he's holding one quotation)

There he goes. Another pangjo-joke nya na naman un. Sabi na nga ba. How could he say I didn't ask for discounted prices kung hindi pala nya alam kung cnong contact person. Teka, teka, e nilagay ko kaya sa bawat PO kung cnong kinausap ko sa vendor. Hindi nagbabasa! Mapagalitan nga! Charing!

Then nag-shift na ang usapan namin dun sa item na inilapit ko sa kanya. He called the same guy who told me 'he cannot do anything with the prices given by their principal'. Sabi ni Mr. Coordinator, kakausapin nya ung bossing ng vendor. Sabi naman ni Sales Guy nasa bakasyon ang bossing nya. Oh, good excuse! Then, sabi ni Mr. Coordinator, 'do something'. Magsabi daw dapat sa principal that we are requesting for the prices. At tsaka nagsabi sya sa vendor na ang tagal nila mag-reply. "She (ako daw) was struggling to get the quotation from you." ...Oh, well glad he knows super effort ako in making kulit for the quote. He has noticed naman pala my effort. Or was it pambabawi dun sa pangjoke nya sakin.

I really never want to hear that "your negotiation is not good" line again. It's as if you were told HINDI KA NAGTATRABAHO.

Now, I'm waiting for the vendor's revised quote.


GENEVIEVE R. ATIENZA
Buyer, New Build Rig Procurement
Maritime Industrial Services
Sharjah, UAE