Life's Bitter-Sweet Encouragement To Go On

'Though everyday's been an unending struggle
That makes me so tired and weary
And often brings me closer to giving up
But looking back at all the things I've done and how I've been
Although I know they'd never good enough
To the unsatisfied eyes of those nasty spectators
Life's still at its best and fairness sweetly smiling at me.

Counting all the blessings I have
Starting with a loving and understanding family
Whom I've always been treated as they're baby
Friends that always raise a glass with me
A girl who always argues and fights with me (and fights for me, too)
A decent work that pays my bills
Not maybe the best in all the world
But Oh, these GRACES from Him push me to go along.

As the new year starts, and 2012 is about to end
Deep wishes comes out on every (sigh) breath I take
And solemn prayers on every move I make
That a glimpse of a better life would somehow be seen.

Queries to you Lord

If ever I see you face to face Lord
I'd ask you plenty of questions
For these are the issues that bothered me so much
While living here on earth.

I'd ask you why you gave me only one heart that I can't love two souls at the same time?
Why the word infidel was ever known to man?
Why confusion ever existed?
Why religion divides people?
Why believing in you causes division to humankind?
Why they put faith in You to question?
Why misunderstanding triggers hate to every man?
Why hatred causes war?
Why hurt and pain cause tears to the eyes?
Why can't people live in peace and harmony?
And Why money is the the biggest thing in this world?

Pardon my words Lord but indeed my mind is so curious
That I can't leave this world without making a list of queries
That if I ever see you face to face
I may forget them because of the peace to my heart you bring.

One more thing Lord before I put down this pen
Why did you give me a curious mind to ask you these questions?

So long Winnipeg...

From the place many called "the winter bay or Winterpeg" I’m back here in Calgary, my second home away from home after that three weeks of working there. I supposed to be bringing home good memories and not a sickness, because it’s not every time you're given a privilege to travel for work. I am just lucky and proud to be part of a gigantic Canada-wide Company, ARMTEC INC. 

It must have been the weather that pinned down my health because it varies a lot from the place where I used to live with which is Calgary, Alberta. Winnipeg, Manitoba is so humid and hot that the normal temperature ranges from 30 - 33 degrees celsius and sometimes on days that is so unfortunate it goes up to 41 degrees celsius which is so different from Calgary which is dry and not so hot that the summer temperature is only mild. Now I am coughing and having colds and fever that made me missed my work for two days in a row.

The altitude difference must have been an additional factor why I got sick for Calgary is sitting near the rocky mountain alps of Canada with almost 3500 feet above sea level compared to Winnipeg which is only more than 500 feet above the sea level. 

For that three weeks of working away from home the “Canad Inns” in Garden Park served as my temporary home. I have felt the comforting pleasures their professional services have offered not to mention about the sweet stunning gorgeous smiles of the Filipina waitresses working in the Aaltos Cafè where I regularly ate my meals and even snacks. 

Much as they have those delicious foods to enjoy, the waitresses or servers also have the nicest services and sweetest smiles. Filipinos by the way are the majority of the workforce in this Hotel especially at the cafè which might be the reason why I enjoyed that much (not in the workplace but in the hotel).

Talking about working with the people of my company’s Winnipeg Plant my temper was being tested and almost lost it again for there were guys who don't really work hard but took their work for granted plus the gigantic communication barrier. They really can’t speak good English and that's what made me mad. But anyway there are some guys also who really worked hard and they are mainly the older and mature ones like Greg Porter, Lope Polvorosa and Jose Ordoñez. They are the guys that I had fun working with and became my close friends while I was there. 

We made that friendship even stronger when we spent some time together for a beer spree, and good Lord we had so much fun drinking that we almost met our limits and can't even count how many beers we drunk. All we remembered is that we drunk only couple of beers, the FIRST and the LAST.

The day after that was my last day with them. I don't know and I wasn't really sure if I was happy and excited that I came to the last mile of my journey with them because I actually found myself wishing that my stay with them would be longer.

It must have been the change of the weather that change the mood. Temperature dropped to 20's saving me from the fiery experience of hot Manitoban temperature. Another must be the attachment I begun to initiate with those funny guys. But there's nothing more I can do but to say adios/adieu to them. So with teary eyes I said goodbye to them.

I know very well that waving goodbye to these friends is not easy and the thought that I'd somehow be missing their company kills me. The jokes, the horse playing and funs that we had while working together somehow gave me aftershocks now that I am home. But anyway life's like that. They say that the only constant thing in this world is change. But for sure another painting in the canvass of my life will be hanged again in my wall and that's the painting of the beautiful and unforgettable friendship created in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

I finally said goodbye to them and left flying back home on a plane, hoping that they learned something that will somehow help them and will make their workload easier and make better work efficiency. It's all up to them if they want to listen and implement those suggestions and learning for their own improvement.

Win in Winnipeg

With a sort of excitement and a little wave of scary feeling, I got board on a plane with my boss bound for Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Excited for it’s my first time heading this way and not to mention about the pride that boosts me for being chosen from numerous good employees from my company to travel with my boss and to provide a hand to our company branch in Winnipeg.

Scary for the reason that I absolutely have no idea what kind of workers they got and what kind of working habit they have. Would they be so difficult to handle and mingle with or would they be so serious that will make our two weeks stay so boring and dry?

We were welcomed by the very warm greetings of Winnipeg weather, a climate so different from the place we get used to live with, Calgary, Alberta. Not so far different anyway from the Philippines, which is the place where I grew up because of its high humid environment. I murmured to myself that I’m going to love this place.

Expectations flipped otherwise by the time I got to know the guys we got to work with for even the very first time that I met them I already liked them a lot. Two Caucasian funny guys, a Spanish not-to- young-silent “abuelo” (Spanish for grandfather), and an almost-retiree fellow Filipino “lolo”. Bottomline is that I like them a lot and that would be an assurance that I’m going to enjoy my stay here.