PHOTO BLOG: TRAINING DEPT.@ KABAYAN BEACH RESORT,LAIYA BATANGAS

Chowking's Training department held its annual planning session at the Kabayan Resort at Laiya, Batangas. During the breaks I managed to take some photos of the participants (glam shots of the girls) and the scenery.

THE PAST THAT BINDS

At first glance it seems that we have nothing in common.



Age?Some of us are in their late fifties, others are in their early fifties,then a couple are in their late forties.



Profession? One is in insurance, one is a retired Marketing man, one is a GM of a holding company,one is a lawyer, one owns his own advertising /design company, one is a consultant and two are priests.



But if you see us in any of our get togethers you wonder why we seem so close to each other in spite of the lack of common ties.



But in truth we do have one thing in common...and that one thing is so strong it has managed to bind us erstwhile strangers into a brotherhood. That "one thing" is a common past...we all once lived in a place called the Juvenate.

The Juvenate was the name given to the Redemptorist minor seminary located on the hills of Barrio Mambugan, Antipolo, Rizal. So we who did not make it to ordination as a Redemptorist priest now call ourselves "ex-Juvenists," and we have stayed in touch these past 4 years through an egroup.

Our length of stay in the Juvenate varies. Some of us like the batch of 1972-73,stayed only one year because after that, the High School was phased out. Many of us who finished our secondary education there stayed for 4 years. Others like myself who reached up to Theology stayed for about 10 years or more.

But what is amazing is that just the mere fact that one lived in the Juvenate makes one feel a sense of belonging with the group, even if one didn't really meet the others in the Juvenate.

A recent example was Gil Abesa, who belonged to the class 1971-73. He returned to the Philippines after staying in Hong Kong for over 10 years. There was a get together at Lipa and he didn't really know the people who were attending because they were already gone from the Juvenate when he entered. But when he showed up for the gathering, he immediately felt at home.

Another case involved a visiting ex-Juvenist from Las Vegas, Ruben Porciuncula. On his way to Pangasinan,he saw the Coco Grill, which he recalled from email exchanges belonged to another ex-Juvenist, Jun Baron. So he dropped by and introduced himself and they hit it off pretty well, even though they had never even met each other before!

I can't really put my finger on what it is about the Juvenate that has bound us now...maybe it's because we all called it our home.

So maybe in some mysterious way we have in fact become one family.

DOING THE NEXT BIG THING OR ACHIEVING THE GREAT "SMALL" THINGS

When I left the corporate world to strike it out on my own as a consultant,I read articles on what I should do to succeed. Of course I was worried that I might not make enough to pay the bills without the security of a regular income. Until I read an article about former corporate executives who chose to live...rather than make a living!

The one that stuck in my mind was about the former Vice-President who decided to just "pick his battles" after he left a high paying job. He could have accepted more lucrative offers from companies who were after his talent, but he chose to spend more time with his family and just maintain a few clients as a consultant.

When I was at Jollibee, I always relished doing the "big project" that would get my adrenaline going, and would subsequently put my name on the map, so to speak. But now, as a consultant I notice I'm not doing many of these big things anymore. In fact, when I look back at my 8 years with this turnaround company,my contribution has been focused on" little things." Specifically, I've been building new friendhsips and helping people out in little ways.

Maybe that was the reason I left Jollibee when I did. It was to eventually become a support to people who would need my friendship, and help see them through their darkest moments.

These acts of spending time listening to someone vent, may not be as big as launching a new system or project, but in my books, these "small "great things will be among those things that I will treasure most in my life.

BANGKOK PHOTO BLOG

Photos of my recent trip to Bangkok

TRUSTING IN GOD: THE KEY TO A HAPPY, STRESS-FREE LIFE

The stock market has been taking a beating these past weeks.

I really shouldn't be worried... except that I had placed a good sum of my "retirement"money on balanced funds,which means part of it were probably invested in equities.

But there in lies the lesson.

No one could really have predicted when this market decline would happen. And if I had spent a lot of time worrying about it,I probably would have ended up just plain miserable instead of living and enjoying my life.

So I choose not to worry myself to death about it. After all the experts say, over the long haul things will get better! Who am I to argue with the "experts."

So there really is a lot of wisdom in the biblical passage that goes:"Look at the birds in the air...they neither spin nor weave yet your Heavenly Father feeds them."

Trusting in the goodness of a Loving Father...that is the key to a healthy,stress-free life.

THE CONNECTION GENE

I spent some time yesterday just randomly browsing through the blogsites that were on BLOGGER and there were quite a lot. I even came across blogs in German, Chinese,Arabic and some in script that I didn't recognize.

Why were they posting these?Maybe for the same reason I started my own blog,i.e., to share experiences and get connected with others.

So if there is any evidence that man has a gene that programs him for connection and social interaction...then the proliferation of blogs over the internet is it!

PATTING OUR KIDS' BACK:SOMETHING WE OFTEN FORGET

I happened to catch Oprah on TV last night. She had a recognition program entitled "Cheers To You" where she recognized people who were doing extraordinary things for their fellowmen and yet were not getting any applause for it.

One of these was Debbe, who launched Project Cuddles. This was a home for infants who were being put up for adoption by their mothers who could no longer take care of them. In the past 10 years of her project,Debbe had saved about 570 babies.

I thought it was good that Oprah was around to recognize people like Debbe. While I was reflecting on this I realized that everyday people around me were probably doing a lot of good things and yet these were going unnoticed.

Then I got an insight. My kids!

Jaja and I tend to focus more on their shortcomings...the low scores they get on their test...the projects they did not submit...the things they failed to do. When I tried thinking about the time I last praised my kids I couldn't recall having done it.

Maybe it is something I take for granted,i.e. my kids needing praise even for the little things they may have done right, because growing up as an achiever, I always thought my success was my own reward. I didn't need to be given a pat on the back because for me it was expected that I perform well in whatever undertaking I did.

But maybe my kids are different. (with the exception of Tasha,who has been achieving a lot in the field of gymnastics.) Maybe,things would be better for them if I learned to appreciate them more and look for things to praise...rather than for faults to harangue them about!

WOW BOHOL

Went to Bohol for a 4 day vacation with Jaja from August 1 to 4. Actually,it was a reunion of her Basa Air base barkada and I just happened to tag along.

This was my 4th trip to Bohol so I pretty much expected seeing sights I had seen before: the Chocolate hills, tarsier sanctuary,Loboc river etc. What was different though was this time around it was a vacation (not work-related) and I was with my wife.

For a change too, we were booked at a new resort in Panglao (the Amorita resort) and not at Bohol Tropics. Amorita,the name alone conjured visions of a romantic weekend and thankfully it was.

What amazed me about Bohol was that it has improved since the last time I was there,which was two years ago for our Franchisees convention.

The road to the Chocolate Hills observatory has been completely cemented,making for a quick and comfortable 1 1/2 hour trip from our resort. There was also something new at the observatory.

Enterprising locals had cleared a spot on the hillside,where tourists could pose for souvenir photos with the Chocolate Hills as a background. The photos taken were not your usual stiffly posed shots...but trick photography pics! The most common picture would show the subject jumping over one of the hills.

The photographers even provided for broomsticks which the tourists would pretend to ride on. The resulting photos would show these Harry Potter wannabes soaring over the hills.

The Loboc river cruise also had some added features which weren't there last time I visited.

At the end point of the cruise,just before the waterfalls,the locals had set up three floating stages. On each stage there were different groups of children and adults performing dances and songs. The floating restaurants would draw alongside these stages so that the tourists could watch the show and be entertained.

At the end of the cruise the boats docked at a newly built docking station where all tourist buses and vans now waited. There, the municipality had built new comfort rooms which were airconditioned!

I was impressed by these improvements and it was no wonder that tourism in Bohol has certainly been improving over the years.

On the third day of our vacation, we transferred to the Bohol Bee Farm, which was just a 15 minute drive from Amorita.

Although the accomodations were not first class and more rustic by design, the view and the relaxing atmosphere made up for the lack of amenities. Besides, the food here was delicious and organic.

So even if this was my fourth time at Bohol, I still had a wonderful time!

RE-COMMITTING TO GOALS...THE KEY TO STAYING ALIVE!

Life's been passing by slowly..and I haven't been feeling so alive. But I know why...
It's because I've not focused on setting and achieving goals for myself (no matter how small these are.) I've been content with just taking each day as it comes along.

I recall that it was when I was in the thick of things,whether it was setting up a reunion, or solving a problem at home,that I felt most fulfilled.

So my lesson in living is...commit to achieving the goals I set before...while enjoying life!

"Live the Life you dreamed about!"

PLAYING GOD

Read an interesting article in TIME magazine about the scientists who are into bio synthetics. These guys are able to produce components of living organisms and alter them to create new ones. The article cites that the proponents of this movement talk about their work as casually as if they were just producing machines.

If these "scientists" could have their way,they would be able to create the "perfect species" (e.g. a perfect boy or girl) free of any genetic defects because they can alter DNA structures according to any design they want.

Of course, there are opponents to this movement. Those who object to biogenetic reengineering have as their premise the belief that God has already created a perfect world that can produce all that there is needed to be produced.

BIZARRE SEX:HAVING DINNER WHILE HAVING SEX!

Nat Geo's WILD SEX last Saturday showed a segment about the way Mantids have sex. The smaller male has to slowly and carefully approach the larger female because mantids are sensitive to movement. Any sudden movement and he may be mistaken for lunch!

Once he is close enough to make his intentions known he must find a way to mount her and escape being eaten alive. Usually, males try to find their way behind the female. But this segment showed a male trying the missionary position...with deadly results.

As soon as it was face to face with its potential mate,the female started eating him,starting with his eyes. The narrator tried to put some levity to this grotesque scene by calling it a literally "blind date."

The mantids nerve structure are so designed that even if one body part is severed the others continue to function. In this case, while the female was making a meal of the male's head (...hmmm...a new meaning to the term " giving head," :-) ) the male's drive for sexual satisfaction kept its genitals looking for the female's until it was able to consumate the sex act!

When this was over,the headless male walked away (to die later) while the female cleaned itself after heaving supped....while having sex!

(Hmmm...This can be a plot for one of these adult fantasy magazines!)

KOREA'S STATE OF "ONE MIND"

Saw an interesting feature on Nat Geo yesterday morning. It featured a young rhythmic gymnast from North Korea who had participated and performed in the country's Mass Games before the communist state's revered leader Kim Il Sung.

What really got me was how the Korean leaders were able to "brainwash" and convince North Koreans that the key to their success as a nation was for each one to lose their individuality in favor of the common good.

And in fact the North Koreans lived this belief. The Mass games is a good example of this communality in action. The show of talent which is really a performance of many thousands of athletes in a coordinated script is a marvel to see. Even the audience performs by flashing cards of different colors to form pictures of Korean figureheads and propaganda themes.

The gymnast,whose name I can't recall, said in her interview that being a performer in the Mass Games is tough but she "trains through the pain" because for her performing before the General is a great privelege and one which she considers a highlight of her life.

Part of North Korea's success in communicating propaganda is attributed to the fact that it has only one government controlled TV station that broadcasts only communist propaganda and stories of North Korea's many heroes, who are supposed to be idolized by the people.

Though one might criticize their methods of achieving their means one cannot doubt that North Korea's State of "One Mind" is nonetheless,effective!

TWO YEARS OF BLOGGING!

I just realized that I've been into blogging for two years now! My first entry was about my attempt at do-it -yourself plumbing,where I learned that plumbing is not so easy!

When I checked my archives,there was only 1 month (December,2005) that I didn't post anything. This in itself is an achievement!

Out of curiosity I checked the other blog sites I used to visit,in particular that of Christa's "Girl In Progress." I found out she had also stopped blogging for a while then resumed again because she hasn't had much progress in her lovelife!

I did however, get an idea from her on how to keep life interesting.

She made this resolution for 2007 to do something new every month,whether it is to go a new adventure,visit a new museum or try out a new restaurant! (This is similar to something I read in ETR about doing something new EVERYDAY!)

Maybe I ought to do that! I've made lists of things I have wanted to do but have not put a time line to them. So,just to start the ball rolling:

1. Eat in Sakae San
2. Have a regular dine out with my two dine-out buddies at a different resto every month.
3. Try a new bottle of wine every month.
4. Create a new comic/toon strip every month.
5. Start the vermiculture business in July
6. Learn the songs: "Satisfaction,""Black Magic Woman,""Stairway to Heaven,""Butterfly Kisses"
7. Cooked or baked a new recipe every month. (Sunday dinners)
8. Posted an original artwork in any of my blogs.
9. Done something wild within the next 6 months. (e.g. Throw out a lot of old things. Sport a new look)
10. Painted a mural

THE WRITE STUFF...IT'S IN OUR GENES!

I stumbled across my son TJ's Blog,(The Ramblings of A Still Invisible Man) which is a journal of his struggles as a boy turning into a man...or should I say a "lost" boy trying to figure things out for himself...and I should say, I am impressed with his writing! Too bad he thinks he does not have any "special skill" he can be proud of..it's right there in front of him! He actually gets comments from his "fans," friends who actually read his stuff and commiserate with him. It's like they see their own struggles expressed in his blogs.

While reading through his "emo stuff," I saw a link to his cousin Bruce's blog and when I click on it I am blown by the look of his site and his postings. No wonder TJ keeps on ranting about wanting to draw original art...Bruce has some of it in his blog and they're "kewl!" His writing style is different. Short,frank and brutal at times but always interesting. He also has a following among his peers.

While navigating around Bruce's blog I see "frootjoos," my niece Orange's blog and so I pay a visit and get updated with what's happening to her back in LA.

Before I know it my whole afternoon's been absorbed with reading the kids' blogs, finding out more about them...( than I would get from asking them the usual parent question:"So how are things with you?" and getting the usual "OK lang!")...and telling myself "Man,we do come from a family of writers!"

Yep, we the Mendoza's have got the "Write Stuff."

WATCHING THE HURRICANE & WONDERING WHO'S TELLING THE TRUTH

I watched a movie last night about Rubin "The Hurricane" Carter, a very long but inspiring movie about the black welterweight boxer (portrayed by Denzel Washington,) who was allegedly wrongly convicted of murder and had to serve 22 years in prison before being set free by a federal court.

I say "alleged" because after watching the film I searched the internet for more details about Carter's case and lo and behold I come across at least two websites claiming that Rubin Carter was really guilty of the crime,and that the movie was full of inaccuracies.

This leads me to a concern I have about how media handles the truth. If the producers of the movie were aware of the inaccuracies but went ahead and showed it to the public (to make money) then, isn't this being irresponsible? Whom will the public believe?

I know that Hollywood exaggerates a lot of what it shows in movies to make a film sell more but at least it must base its premise on truth.

I shudder at the thought that my all time favorite stations, National Geographic & Discovery Channel, would go to the extent of bending the truth too much in order to get more advertising money!

FINALLY...I KNOW WHAT GOLF IS ALL ABOUT

I went to the Kagitingan driving range last night to practice in preparation for our golf get together on Friday. After not having touched my clubs for more than a year,I felt awkward and concerned that rather than help me, the practice might even make things worse.

But after I went through the basics and started hitting the ball well, I started gaining more confidence. Then I had an insight.

I often heard golf commentators talk of how well-balanced great golfers were after they hit the ball. So I worked on setting up properly and aiming for balance whenever I hit the ball.

Voila! I struck the balls more squarely.

Then I focused on slowing down my takeaway and finishing my backswing so I was in good balance from the backswing to the downswing. I started hitting the balls more consistently.

Good balance and a slow backswing allowed my head to keep still and also help me make a better turn.

Then, I told myself make things more effortless so that I wasn't putting a lot of muscle on the downswing. I started hitting the balls pure and didn't get any jarring feelings on my hands!

It was as if I had learned what golf was all about in that one practice session.

BALANCE. SLOW BUT SURE. EFFORTLESS

WHAT MAKES A SUICIDE BOMBER TICK?

I caught a portion of a foreign film on the tube yesterday afternoon. It was about two Arabs (I guess),Said and Khaled, who were chosen by their terrorist mates to go on a suicide bombing mission in Tel Aviv. Although I wasn't able to watch the whole movie,it was enough to provide me with a glimpse of what these war torn countries must be going through.

For example,there was a scene where they were being videotaped making their final "suicide" messages to their families. Khaled,the supposedly more fanatical of the two, suddenly stops in the middle of the taping and tells his mom to buy a particular brand of water filters because it's cheaper and more reliable. Later in the film,I learn that water filters are important to them because the water in that country has been polluted with sediments and chemicals that make it unsafe to drink.

In another scene,a shop that repairs watches is shown selling these videotapes and I also learn that the tapes sell for a lot of money! Although I suspect the movie is poking some fun,there must be a hint of truth in this practice.

I have come to believe that suicide bombers must really be just plain bonkers to go on these senseless killing sprees. But the film made me realize that maybe after all,these suicide bombers were motivated by a something more noble than just having sex with 72 virgins in the afterlife.

In a dialogue between between the two friends, Said tells Khaled that something must be done to stop the injustice of being dictated to by their oppressors (the Israelis.) But since nobody seems to be doing something about it,then it is up to individuals (like them) to put a stop to it!

It's as if he was saying that without his freedom he couldn't live like a decent human being anyway. At least by killing Israelis and himself along the way,he will have asserted his freedom and perhaps achieved something,rather than just bearing the suffering of oppression.

THE SAVING POWER OF INSIGHT:OR HOW I SAW THE BRIGHT SIDE OF A BAD SITUATION

My Mazda Familia has been in and out of the shop lately for repairs. The latest,which cost me 47,000 involved a major overhaul of the engine, requiring a change of all valves etc. This was after it had undergone repair whcih cost me 23,000,when the timing belt broke while Jaja was on the way to Pampanga. Prior to that I shelled out 27,000 to replace the throttle body which was the cause of erratic idling.

Recently, the erratic idling showed up again and when I returned it to the shop they diagnosed the problem to be caused by the throttle body which they said was defective in the first place. Now, I'm in a dilemma because the supplier can always claim that he had put in a new unit last December and that any damage that may have occurred could not have been because of his spare part.

Bottomline is I face the prospect of spending more money just to get the car fixed!

Normally, I would be distressed,but surprisingly I found solace in an insight...what I will call my education in entrepreneurship. I've really been visualizing myself as a businessman and one of my "Aha's" was that if I was going to be one I better learn how to part with money (i.e.,lose it). I also ought to realize that each disappointment should be regarded as a learning experience.

Looking at my " car problem" experience under this light, I rationalized that,yes, I will be throwing away some money but at least I got to feel firsthand how it is to bounce back quickly from an upsetting situation.

POSTSCRIPT TO REFLECTION ON "TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE"

A thought just struck me while mulling over what I read from "Tuesdays With Morrie"...

Morrie somehow appreciated what it meant to live fully when he knew he was going to die. I got the insight that I need not wait for this situation to start living fully.

One of Morrie's favorite mantras was "Love each other or perish." That is what I resolve to do each day now...to make sure that I get to love or express my love to someone each day...before it becomes too late.

Corollary to this,I will try my darndest best not to think ill of my fellowmen (e.g the #@!!! who drive on the fast lane or cut me in traffic :-)) or learn to forgive in my heart those who do me wrong!

I think that's it...living happily means you've expressed your love to the people who matter...and you don't go around carrying the burden of guilt of not having forgiven someone who has wronged you!

Reflection on TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE

I've been reading Mitch Albom's "Tuesdays with Morrie" and I just finished the part where Morrie Schwartz tells Mitch that one has to learn how to forgive oneself just as he must learn how to forgive others. Then he went on to say that he regretted not having written more books or that he should've done more, but he must now let it go because he was dying and would no longer be able to do these things.

It made me think of my own list of things I would want to do in my lifetime. I've crossed out several in this list but there are still many more I haven't done,e.g the songs I haven't written, the businesses I should've put up, the murals I wanted to paint,the trips with the family I dreamed of taking,the friends and loved ones to whom I still haven't said;"I Love You".

I realized that if I don't follow the Nike motto of just "doing it" on my deathbed I will have a whole litany of "sins" for which I will have to forgive myself.

Somehow, Morrie's lessons have pushed me to just face life with more abandon and more enjoyment. I will not wait for the perfect time to do something...because that perfect moment is now!

ON SEEING OPPORTUNITIES & CHANGE: REFLECTION ON A QUOTE

I got this quote from Knowledge@Wharton.(I didn't get the name of the person who said it...)
"If you see something wrong or a little unusual,or something that makes you mad,GO CHANGE IT. Then change it for everybody else. You'll become wealthy and very successful." He went on to suggest the areas that business should look into:energy,security,healthcare,traffic,pollution,war,poverty,education,roads,prisons,airport development.

I thought about what I would change because I was mad about it or saw something wrong about & my list would be:
1.Plumbing- i have a leak at home and I can't find it!
2. Garbage-there's a problem with garbage collection in our area (maybe using worms to recycle will be an answer)
3. Unskilled car mechanics- I'm spending money again on my car because they didn't do a good job.

My other concerns are already listed above: education,health,traffic

Maybe if I think more about solutions to these I can come up with business ideas.

Big I and small i innovation

Read an article at Knowledge@Wharton which presented a challenge both big and small businesses have to face:Innovation.

Basically,it said that to spur "organic" growth,companies must think about innovating both at the Big "I" and small "i" levels. Big I refers to radical innovation, a "breakthrough" or breaking away from what the organization is currently doing.(As in addressing a new market or unfamiliar territory.Example given,McDonald's foray into the pizza market,for which it had no expertise.) Small "i" refers to improvements in products and services by way of features,add-ons etc.,to respond to customer demands.

The article goes on to show that big businesses tend to be risk averse and shy away from Big I innovation because often the profitable returns on these initiatives are long term,while investors are looking for quick returns. It cites GE as an example of a company that has managed around this problem by requiring its SBU heads to come up with 3 Breakthrough Ideas which must be delivered.

Thinking about this I notice that at Chowking we have tended towards small i.We have yet to go to Big I innovation (e.g. i can think of: spinning off the catering business,coming up with an upscale brand to compete with Super Bowl and casual dine concepts)

But I also agree with one comment on the article.We should not really separate the two because for all we know the continuous samll i activities may be the ones that will trigger Big I.

52 and Counting

I turned 52 last week (Jan. 18)and though I didn't feel a year older that day,this morning a strange thing happened when I got up to pee. A flash of realization that my kids had grown older...suddenly made me aware that time had really flown and was ticking faster now. It happened so quickly...in just a few seconds I relived holding TJ in my arms...James as a baby..and Tash as a cute 2 year old. Now...TJ is a 21 year old,figuring out what he'd like to do with his life. James is in 1st year College,enjoying his new friends and college life. Tash is in 1st year high blossoming into a pretty and smart teener. Now, if there is one thing I ought to pay attention to and savor...is how they will turn out to be in the next 5 to 10 years. I hope what we have done to prepare them to be good persons,work! I can only sit and wait :-)

2006: THE YEAR THAT WAS

I will remember 2006 as the year for reunions and getting re-acquainted with old friends.

January- Jaja and I grew older by one year!

February- We had a successful convention for Managers (at the Philippine Plaza) & Franchisees (at Boracay Regency) in spite of the difficulties in preparations. The highlight of the month though was the much awaited R&R which we held on Feb 17-19 at the Redemptorist Novitiate in Lipa. We had 53 reunionists attending this once in a blue moon affair.Frs. Ahearn,Murray and Mr. Bautista joined the event.

I also had a reunion with "old friends" from Fatima parish in June.

Tasha and James graduated this year. Tash graduated from St.Paul,elementary and James from Lourdes High school. James passed entrance exams at College of St. Benilde (HRM) and seems to be enjoying his College life.

Auntie Bebeng finally passed away after a long bout with cancer. Angie Padilla's dad, Al, died of a heart attack several weeks after he joined our Fatima reunion. Mike Meily, a classmate from San Beda, lost his eldest son. Jerome broke up with Iris.

TJ was able to experience working with a company during his practicum with Accenture.

Evie, Lyra and Isah migrated to Canada and are starting new lives over at the land of the Canucks.

Jaja had trips to India and Australia. We were able to go to Dos Palmas, Palawan although not under ideal conditions because it was raining hard. We enjoyed the trip nevertheless. I was able to go to Pearl Farm and experience a helicopter ride courtesy of Mayor Duterte's private chopper.

I was able to visit Tacloban and Ormoc during the Grand Opening of our store there.

Auntie Luming and Uncle Tony vacationed once again here when they came over to check on how Auntie Bebeng was doing.

Typhoons Milenyo and Reming devastated the country. TJV went under water when Milenyo hit.

I got hooked on Friendster and YouTube. I also developed my skills in video editing, in a way I fulfilled a dream when I was akid of doing my own video productions.