My 2008 in retrospect

2008 seemed to have gone by in a flash. I have made quite some decisions last year, some may not have been good at the time but I'm still glad I did them. Looking back at the major things I did last year, I can say that the major decisions I made included trying to collect debt payments, buying a laptop, resigning, giving extensions, failing some students, getting an insurance policy, going to Singapore, living there for two months, and going home.

This has been going on for around two years already that I want to get this out of my system. I had a "friend"/officemate, she's known as Rose, who swiped some items in my credit card (with my permission), promised to pay as soon as she gets the refund for the purchase and totally "forgot" to pay. More likely she doesn't want to pay even if she got that refund already. This same person also proposed that me and my other friend invest in their new biz. This biz is quite profitable and since they still lack capital, they asked us to place in some money and in return a percentage every month from the earnings. She and her husband even left us each a blank check so that if we need our money back, we can withdraw by using the blank check we got provided we inform her beforehand. By the time we needed the money back, she wasn't returning the percentage they promised, all we got were promises. I still have those damned messages promising to pay since 2007. That blank check was worthless. She never paid during the times she promised she would and, to top it off, the lady's got the gall to even insult me. It's as if I have no right to get angry at what she's been doing.

You might ask why it even went to this point. I'm the type of person who believes that if a person owes something, he/she should be responsible in paying for what he/she has borrowed. If they can't because of some circumstances, then they should at least inform the person whom they've borrowed from and pay on their promised date. I know they were having some difficulties because of all the borrowing they did and I've really been patient with them. But I really hate all the promises when I found out they have been paying some of their debts to others but not a single cent to me just because they think I don't need the money. I also found out later that the money we gave weren't invested. Instead, the money was used for another purpose and we weren't informed about it. Late last year, she gave me 3 post-dated checks as some sort of payment, although those wouldn't be enough for all her debts to me. Two went ok, with some problems because she kept on insisting I deposit the checks late (too bad I left the check for deposit before I left for overseas). But the last check bounced because she closed her account. Damn her! My record went from ok to shit and my account even got charged because of what she did. Why did it even reach this point? I have been trying to make my accounts clean. I'm willing to help but to do this to me? I'm already tired of listening to all their worthless promises. So much for what you call friendship. They treat you as a friend only if they can get something from you.

Last year also, for the first time in my life, a credit card payment collector called to inform me I did not pay a single cent in my card. I was shocked 'coz I almost always pay my bill in full and on time. I even told the collector a number of times that a check was deposited as payment. BTW, I left my share to my officemate because she owed me something and she said she'll pay the full amount before due date. Turned out this officemate lied. I'll just say she lied because she said she paid in check but did so after my billing date (so much for the cash I left behind). Then she later said (when I bombarded her with questions why no payment was reflected in my account) that when she asked the bank they found out she used the wrong signature. Do you really make mistakes like this when you pay? I bet for them this is ok because I can no longer follow up myself since I am no longer connected there. To think that I kept on insisting I paid via check a few weeks back. It made me look like a liar. I really hate this kind of scheming.

Enough of the debt issues. I finally bought my laptop after how many years of planning. Years of planning because I was still waiting for those who have debts to pay me so that I can use my money to purchase my laptop. Since it would seem that I'd have to wait for an eternity before I can get my money back, I just went ahead and use my credit card instead to pay for a laptop using an installment promo. I intended to use this laptop to get online projects when I resign. So far, I've earned some but still not enough to cover payment for this. I have to focus and look for more sidelines... otherwise, this will remain a liability and not an asset.

Start of June, I've submitted my resignation letter stating that I will stay 'til end of June but I will extend until I've completed my lectures/consultations. I've stayed 'til middle of July when I've finished them... the exams are already with the DCS coordinator, projects will be checked online and I'll go back to finish them if it wasn't enough (I really have to go home already because I still have to help in my niece's 1st birthday celebration). One subject became the root cause of my current troubles. The kindly me accepted really late submissions (submitted two weeks after deadline) with them insisting they've finished their projects only to find out during evaluation that each submission is far from finished. This is because they did not submit their project for initial checking -- during scheduled consultations. I even went back there to personally check because according to them they're ready for their defense -- which turned out to be far from it.

October, Leah, Armand, Gracie, and I went to Singapore to try our luck. I have to admit I wasn't prepared when we went there. The laptop I got which should have been used for prior research and preparation before leaving has to be checked for some problems leaving me with a laptop I can barely use in almost a month. And as bad luck would continue to hunt me, my former colleagues told me that a student complained. I was informed the student complained because I resigned and was not personally around to check on their project and some other things (erroneous complaints). I'd like to defend myself. Yes, I resigned but I stayed until AFTER the DEADLINE. No group submitted anything during the deadline and even until the extended date. Maybe my FAULT was in ACCEPTING their "finished" project (according to them) even if it was way beyond deadline hoping that their claims are true so I can submit a PASS in their grade. If it was then I will go back for the defense. Since they haven't complied with all the requirements after more than a month of extensions, I have to tell them to extend it for another term. Every week since start of class I have never failed to remind them of the deadline. I have never failed in asking them where there projects are so I can check and tell them if they're on the right track or not. I am there during scheduled consultations yet they barely submit anything for checking. Heck! I even have to do some, if not most, of the analyzing for them everytime they submit something. After all the effort I've made for them, this is what I get. The other students admitted their projects are far from finished except for one... This really gets to my nerves. I'd probably accept this if I have never been there for them. But I was there, they weren't. So why put all the blame on me?! I wanna say more but I don't wanna drag things out too much.

Since I can't focus on anything because of this issue, I really wasn't able to concentrate much on job hunting. Why Singapore? Well, we got too tired of the culture (work and others) here so we wanna try living and working in a different cultural environment. SG isn't so far from here so it's easy to go home. Not to mention, there really is a big difference in pay -- but expenses are high also. Still, convert what you'll earn there vs what you'll earn here and it'll be at least 3x more. Their work culture is different and that is what I'm after. I know working there is really serious but hey, I do more work here but not enough compensation. Sad to say, I wasn't able to focus much on this during my stay there and I failed to get a job I like within the duration of our pass. My friends keep on telling me to get trainer jobs and I know I can get one if I'll apply. But I don't wanna be a trainer again. I want to get more industry experience. I've had enough with the training job. I can probably do some training if it's not my main job, though.

For the new year, I want things to settle already so that I can move on... no more hindrances to my goal. And I'll try my luck again... but I have to be really prepared first before I'll even try. I have to do my research and update my skills. For the time being, I'll be looking for part-time virtual jobs while updating my skills. I think I still don't wanna work here after all the work I've been through that I barely have time for myself. I worked 7 days a week, 2 companies, more than the normal working hours each day with no overtime pay, and other assigned tasks/responsibilities. My friend and CM, Leah, left for the same reasons... so, if I will be working myself hard, I should at least get better compensation for it. I just hope I'll be able to accomplish this...

Well, enough of my rant about the previous year. Although some decisions didn't work out the way I would've wanted to, I'm still glad I did them. Resigning being the major decision I'm glad I did. At least I now have time for myself -- time to reflect what I really wanted to achieve, time to set my goals. I haven't completed my list -- it's an on going process, hehe, but I'm looking forward to what this year will bring. Hopefully, this will be better than the last...

Oh... just wanna add. If 2007 had me hooked so much on Nodame Cantabile, my 2008 still started with it having had the Nodame Cantabile Special in Europe. But, around August the manga temporarily stopped as the mangaka was having a baby. While my laptop was also in the service center, no new updates on Nodame, and doing nothing, I started watching the DVDs I gave my bro a while back -- the anime Naruto. Needless to say, I got hooked I was able to catch up to all episodes up to the current Shippuuden ones, as well as, the manga. So my year ended with the Naruto hype. hehe...

Note: Sorry if there are some grammatical or typographical errors... this seemed to be my longest post hehe... I'll just try to review this another time...