May the odds be ever in my favor!

All the things I need to be productive at work!

As promised, I’m writing a blog about my work. I haven’t posted anything for a while and some people have been nagging me to update my blog. I think this is a good topic to talk about so I can start being an active blogger again–by active, I mean posting almost every day.

Oh, have I told you guys that all new OpEx specialists in this batch for our company were my batchmates in Ateneo? How cool is that? I heard there are two more from Ateneo joining us in the next few weeks. Can’t wait to see them! It’s been a week of hectic and chill work, both at the same time. Of course, we’re still relaxed compared to our well-experienced co-workers because we can’t start with the real work yet, but we’ve been busy, trying to catch up with everyone else through the mandatory online trainings and several overlapping meetings. It’s definitely a busy start for all of us.

Before, I’ve always thought our job to be simple, yet in demand. When I got to our workplace, I just found out that we are doing one of the most important roles in the company. As what the others say, we are the “heart” of the company. I’m not sure if I should feel happy or scared about it. I mean, should I get inspired or feel the pressure? What should I do with all these high expectations that are being thrown to us? After all, it’s not an entry-level job and, here, being a fresh graduate isn’t an excuse. Sometimes I feel “kilig” because they believe that we can do the job, but most of the time I panic because I’m not sure if I’ll be able to live up to everyone’s expectations. To make things a little more nerve-wracking, all my co-workers are smart. It’s a good thing, I guess, but this means that this is not something I’ll be able to “wing it” easily. I’m so afraid to screw up, I don’t feel like moving anymore. Thank God someone reminded me that this kind of thinking won’t get me anywhere. Like what my boss said, we, newbies, have to jump into the water and drown for a little to really find out what our capabilities are.

So here are a few things that help me survive work on a daily basis:

The notebook I use to take down notes in meetings, OpEx ID lanyard, and my lucky Mockingjay pin given by a friend

This notebook is very important because it is the one I use to take down notes in our meetings and take note of the important things I learn from online trainings. This newbie doesn’t want to miss any detail that will screw her up. My BPO OpEx lanyard always reminds me to bring my company badge because if I don’t, I won’t be able to access any of our workplaces. It’s pretty cool that our team has its own lanyard considering we’re few compared to other departments.

You see that pin? Yes, it’s the Mockingjay pin from Hunger Games. Ange gave it to me days before I started working as a good luck charm on my first job. In the book, Katniss received this pin from the mayor’s daughter of their district to wish her good luck on the upcoming games. Does this mean I’ll be part of the games as well? : O HAHA! I hope not–well, I hope it won’t be as deadly as the hunger games.

May the odds be ever in my favor!

I really regret that I didn’t pay attention to any of my OpMan classes. In fact, it is one of my most hated subjects back in college. I’m not sure if it’s because of the subject or the professor. Usually, I like looking at details and ensuring that the quality of the outputs are good, but for some weird reason, I’ve always hated that subject. Unfortunately, our job is pretty much the same with OpMan–only more complicated and [thank God] useful. I hope the Mockingjay pin will work on my luck and weaknesses. I’ll need it in my upcoming process trainings. I know that it’s going to take a lot of effort and patience before I can call myself an expert in this field–same with Katniss winning the games–so I guess I better hold on to this pin.

Wish me good luck in the next few weeks. It’s gonna be a busy, happy hunger games out there.

I’ve never seen my planner like this before. Usually, I run of space to write on, but this time, I ran out of space to stick my post-its on. Schedule was fully loaded last week and pieces of information kept on coming. I had to write down everything if I didn’t want to forget them! Wait ’til you see the page a week after this–it’s a mess.

So far, I’m having fun at work and I’m pretty sure it’s because of the perks. I’ve never imagined myself working as a specialist in Operations before because I always thought that I was going to end up in Marketing and Events. I know. They are two totally different fields. I really hope that I turn out loving this job not just because of the perks, but also because I appreciate what I’m doing. May the odds be in my favor, pretty please? : )

**OpMan = Operations Management

The Hunger Games: May the odds be ever in your favor

*WARNING: Spoilers ahead! This is, to a certain extent, a review of the movie.*

If you’re wondering if I am a fan of the Hunger Games book, I actually am not–or maybe not yet. I’ve overheard a lot of things about it, but I never had the chance to read it myself because I didn’t have the time to. Friends, who have been fans since the first book came out, gave me an overview of what to expect if I decide to read it. I was one of those probing people who didn’t know what happens in Hunger Games. Although their stories made me look forward to grabbing a copy of the Collins trilogy, hearing about the release of the movie version made it even more thrilling. I’ve always wanted to experience seeing the movie first before reading the book because whenever I read the book first, I always end up feeling dissatisfied of the movie. Upon knowing that the movie was already showing in the Philippines, I decided to watch it with friends who were big fans of the book.

Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence), the hunter who kills with bow and arrow, found herself standing up to take place of her younger sister, Primrose (Willow Shields) as a tribute in the Hunger Games. These are not your ordinary games that we play. Unfortunately, they are violent, intense, and deadly. These games were invented by the Capitol to remind the 12 districts of how powerful they are and to punish them for the rebellion that happened more than 74 years ago. Every year, citizens aged 12-18 undergo “reaping day” where a boy and a girl are chosen through a lottery to represent their district in the arena. The arena is controlled by the head Games-maker (Wes Bently) together with his people. At the end of the game, only one tribute stays alive and be called a victor.

Just like your typical television show, tributes are prettified for the audience in the Capitol. Before they are sent in the arena, they are cleaned and dressed up, treated with luxuries and food, given a chance to train with the best weapons, and expected to show their best talent to the judges to give the possible sponsors a sneak peak of who’s the toughest of them all. Citizens are allowed to sponsor for their favorite tribute through sending them things that these tributes need during the games.

Games run about in two weeks. After this period of time, a victor is usually declared by then. Although it was expected of Cato (Alexander Ludwig), a career tribute from the first district, to win, Katniss was able to conquest the games with her partner, Peeta Mellarch (Josh Hutcherson), the baker’s son who once saved her life, by romancing their way out of the arena. Haymitch Abernathy (Woody Harrelson), a former victor of the games and district 12′s mentor, marketed Peeta and Katniss as a couple to attract more sponsors. This becomes an issue to Gale (Liam Hemsworth), an old friend of Katniss, who like Peeta, wants to pursue her. Team Gale or Team Peeta?

Coming from a person who didn’t have much clue what the movie was going to be about, it was pretty easy to understand despite the complexity of the information being thrown to the audience. There were so much going on to the point that sometimes I find myself lost in the middle of a scene, but I always find the answers to my questions at the end of it. Overall, the movie was fascinating and nerve-wracking. Plots were surprising, yet they unbelievably turn out to be just the way I want them to be. It had the right amount of suspense that kept the audience absorbed and feel like they were involved. It was like reading a book that you cannot put down because you just can’t wait to know what’s going to happen next. I recommend people who have not watched the movie yet to watch it and experience Hunger Games for themselves.

HAPPY HUNGER GAMES!

**Picture from: http://hungergamesmovie.org