Again. I'm so tired. I'm never at a good place at work. I'm always stuck with my projects. I'm out of smaller tasks to gain confidence from. Like I'd get over them quickly that I have to deal with the major ones too soon. Huhu. It's dreadful, this feeling. I don't like it.
I have a big one that's already sitting in prod but I have to fix some errors first. And it's annoying because we don't have access to prod so I will have to keep on requesting for the prod people to update it, which is embarrassing for me. It was working in UAT so I don't know what gives.
Besides this big one, I have two other big ones that are completely overwhelming me. I don't know what to do. I want to give up. Oh Lord. How do people work for decades??? I'm just so tired of it all I just want to become a housewife and take care of my husband, and Koomi, and the house. I'll just enable Jeckie to earn as much as he can to maintain our current lifestyle. Yeah, like what traditional women used to do haha.
I thought it gets easier but I guess I haven't even started.
Showing posts with label Work. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Work. Show all posts
Frkn migraine
I've been having frequent headaches recently. Normally it comes a week before my period, I'll have it for one whole day and it's hell, but now I have one almost everyday, at random times, and I'm still on my period. I notice I get headaches when I get up too late, or when I'm hungry, or thirsty. So I'll eat alright, have some coffee, and it'll be gone for a while, then it'll be back. Then I'll take some mefenamic, then wait for it to take effect, but I don't think it really works. I actually have a headache right now at this moment while typing this. And it sucks. Maybe it also happens when I eat too much? Is it my glasses? Hay Lord. The location of the pain is telling of a migraine; the first one in this photo:
Besides this fucking migraine I'm also battling some work induced anxiety lol. I'm feeling overwhelmed with my first task, everything here looks super advanced like I'm not properly equipped with anything they're expecting me to do. There's a freaking huuuuuge knowledge gap I need to fill in because huhuhu everything is so advanced nga. Makes me wonder how the heck I got this job when they're looking for an expert. I was very honest with my interviews naman where I said I've never done unattended robots and have never used orchestrator, all my UiPath experience are UI based and manually triggered and now I'm realizing how so freaking basic that is.
Haaay. I wanna say this too shall pass but I know it will not pass me by idly, I have to really work on this which is freaking scary because I don't know where to start??? I do feel like I know who to go to but I don't know what to tell them or ask them or what specifically do I need from them. I feel like I need a lot of hand-holding in order to do this one job but I also feel hopeful that once I get over this first task I will be in a much better mental state hahaha. For now I've started working on the documentation, trying to piece together the actual scope of the project and the manual steps for the as-is process, just to put something out there. I wanna blame myself for being so freaking shy and procrastinating on a lot of things that require talking to people. Half the stress I'm facing right now could've been eliminated if I went ahead and talked to people to get help. But no, I'm too scared to reach out! Oh well.
Haaay. I wanna say this too shall pass but I know it will not pass me by idly, I have to really work on this which is freaking scary because I don't know where to start??? I do feel like I know who to go to but I don't know what to tell them or ask them or what specifically do I need from them. I feel like I need a lot of hand-holding in order to do this one job but I also feel hopeful that once I get over this first task I will be in a much better mental state hahaha. For now I've started working on the documentation, trying to piece together the actual scope of the project and the manual steps for the as-is process, just to put something out there. I wanna blame myself for being so freaking shy and procrastinating on a lot of things that require talking to people. Half the stress I'm facing right now could've been eliminated if I went ahead and talked to people to get help. But no, I'm too scared to reach out! Oh well.
What's up in bullets
✱ Work. Hay. I'm feeling super duper tired from work. There's just too many things to do and they're piling up uncontrollably on my lap! I can't seem to be able to finish a project lately and it feels bad. Well, I haven't been feeling so good about work lately and it's already feedback season haaay. :(
✱ Three weeks ago my dad and sister tested positive for covid so they had to quarantine themselves. My parents are both fully vaccinated already but my sister hasn't had a single shot yet. Thank God it's only mild. My dad experienced fever, cough, colds, loss of taste and smell. My sister had the same symptoms plus rashes which made everyone panic. The doctor said the rashes are possibly an immune response and should go away as they go on with the treatment. And it sure did. Now they're doing okay. My sister is back to work (wfh) but they're still not listed as fully recovered.
A bunch of things that made me happy lately
✱ This black silicon Kindle case I got form Lazada. It took 10 days to get delivered but it's worth it cos it's so cute specially with my latte popsocket on!
✱ Our airfryer! My husband gifted me an airfryer and I'm loving it! Thought it would be helpful for eating healthy but as it turns I'm cooking a lot more now cos it's more convenient, plus I can bake now too so there goes the mandatory muffin and cakes being added to our "healthy" diet haha.
I'll probably do a Youtube review someday, when I've gotten the hang of it. I already have a bunch of cons to discuss but ultimately it's been great cooking with this!
✱ Milk Lab. I've been seeing this a lot on socmed and CHB. They say it's the best milk for your coffee. You know I only take my coffee black so I never really considered this. Until I bought a kilo of coffee that didn't taste good in plain black. I thought adding milk could save it so at least I gotta get the best out there haha. Actually I just needed an excuse to try it. So yun.
Well, the hype is real! It really tastes good. It froths well, unlike other milk brands that are too bubbly and not foamy. This one tastes divine. It's really good for coffee. But as a plain cold full cream milk? There are better options (ie. Pure & Best!) hehe.
It's pricey though and you can only order online. It's ₱234 in 3's plus shipping so it comes out at around ₱90/L. Grand Nourriture is the official distributor and they ship really fast.
Anyway. This is a very happy discovery for me but the phase didn't last, hindi sustainable for me haha. Ang gastos maadik sa Milk Lab no eh automatic drip coffee maker lang meron ako. Hassle pa magprepare I have to warm the milk then froth. If I want another cup, same procedure. It's time consuming haha. But the drink is super good so it's kindof worth it. Specially with drizzled caramel sauce from Torani! Aaaaahh
I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to go back to enjoying black coffee after being blown away by such good homemade latte, but I when I made myself a cup of black this morning... aaaahh, iba parin yung feeling, yung aroma, hindi indulgent, lasang lasa mo yung kape. It's all in the grounds talaga. So I'll most probably give away whatever's left of the bad batch I got and go back to drinking plain black coffee, specifically Basilio's Muni-muni blend hehe.
I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to go back to enjoying black coffee after being blown away by such good homemade latte, but I when I made myself a cup of black this morning... aaaahh, iba parin yung feeling, yung aroma, hindi indulgent, lasang lasa mo yung kape. It's all in the grounds talaga. So I'll most probably give away whatever's left of the bad batch I got and go back to drinking plain black coffee, specifically Basilio's Muni-muni blend hehe.
✱ Yeah I guess that's it. Ah! I got dual monitors now at home thanks to our local IT who sent in my docking station. Just in time for this testing project I have that requires multiple monitors haha yeyy?
✱ Haaay Lord. Hope everything will be okay. I want to take a good long break, it's already our anniversary month and with MECQ persisting, we can't go to Baguio na huhu.
✱ Haaay Lord. Hope everything will be okay. I want to take a good long break, it's already our anniversary month and with MECQ persisting, we can't go to Baguio na huhu.
Anyways! Stay safe everyone! :D
Hala sya
What the heck, I forgot I was supposed to attend this Communicating with Impact workshop my boss signed me up for. To be honest, I really forgot about it. It didn't help that I may have accidentally ignored the calendar reminder because uhm, force of habit. Anyway, it's a frkn 4-hour class with lots of succeeding sessions and tons of pre-work. Sa totoo lang it's too much work for me right now cos I'm already drowning in work tapos may mga "extra-curricular" pa lol. Nahiya naman ako sa boss ko. I even uploaded a new profile pic on facebook and he frigging 👍 it tapos biglang hindi ako umattend sa meeting. Busy ba talaga ko.
Hay Lord, when the hell is this gonna end. Pwede bang magpa-demote na lang lol unless this is really how it's gonna be for the rest of the year so might as well get paid more for it lol. #ThisTooShallPass
Earlier this afternoon I went to LTO to have my driver's license updated to my current address. I've been postponing this for the longest time but I need a valid ID with my correct address asap so I could get vaccinated in my LGU. In fairness to LTO Pasig, it's my second time transacting with them this year and I really love how quick and easy it is to do my business there. Siguro kasi it was mostly online, from scheduling, to uploading of revelant docs, and to payment. I only had to go there to have my license reprinted. They were even expecting me while I was lost looking for the right window. Galing hehe.
After that errand, I went to get some new specs at Owndays. My current glasses are already 2 years old, not sure if it's already due for an update but it's become quite uncomfortable to wear recently. So yun. In fairness to Owndays, 20 mins and I'm out. I got a new frame with blue light filter, and it looks great.
Here's a selfie! It fits better and doesn't fall down, considering I got one without adjustable nose pads. It's cool. My eye grade increased a bit I think. And I'm having a really bad headache right now. Baka naga-adjust pa. Everything's clearer and mejo nakakahilo panning around. Hope I get used to it soon. I just worry cos I don't remember getting a headache with my first glasses but ganon huhu.
In other news, kuya Rey from TSP asked me if I'm still okay working for Super Labandera cos they're planning to reprint it next year under a different publisher. I'm all for it! Buti na lang the timeline isn't too tight so I still have time to improve my skills. Sana gumaling ako kasi nahihiya ako dun sa una kong gawa hehe. I'm pretty excited!
Also, I got my first sale from Redbubble. I already forgot I had some merch up in there haha. I got 10 cents from a sticker sale hahaha yeyy?
In other news, kuya Rey from TSP asked me if I'm still okay working for Super Labandera cos they're planning to reprint it next year under a different publisher. I'm all for it! Buti na lang the timeline isn't too tight so I still have time to improve my skills. Sana gumaling ako kasi nahihiya ako dun sa una kong gawa hehe. I'm pretty excited!
Also, I got my first sale from Redbubble. I already forgot I had some merch up in there haha. I got 10 cents from a sticker sale hahaha yeyy?
Hay Lord I want to rest. I don't know how to deal with my workload. It's too much. Kanina lang I got a call for two new projects, right when I haven't cleared up my to do list. Nakakalula na andaming kelangan gawin tapos ang sakit pa ng ulo ko huhu. Here's what's on my plate:
Robot for documents exclusion
Robot for CRM cleanup
Robot for proforma generation
Robot for new matters
And just now, a new task came along. I'm gonna be doing another Desktop Regression test using Eggplant na sobrang limot ko na juskopo tapos kelangan ko pa isetup yung license aaaarrgghh.
Robot for documents exclusion
Robot for CRM cleanup
Robot for proforma generation
Robot for new matters
And just now, a new task came along. I'm gonna be doing another Desktop Regression test using Eggplant na sobrang limot ko na juskopo tapos kelangan ko pa isetup yung license aaaarrgghh.
I'm so so so so tired.
When will it get better.
Please pray for my sanity. 🙏
Timeout
My goodness this week was so frkn mentally exhausting. I can't remember the last time I did focused work for five weekdays straight. I CAN'T. Hopefully this is all temporary. I didn't work so hard to still work hard at this point in my career haha. You know what I mean??? I worked my way to get to a point where I can slack off when I want to and still be able to deliver wahahaha. But yeah sometimes our team gets inundated with testing projects here and there and the thing about testing is that... it takes a lot of time! Haaay. I'm so tired.
Give me a break
By the way, I made small changes to this blog to remove clutter and hopefully speed it up. I limited the number of posts on the homepage to five (previously 13 - can you believe the omen i've put on this thing lol), removed the Contact page and Work with Me page, because finally i'm letting go of identifying myself as a blogger (also bec no one really visits those pages). Cos I'm not a blogger anymore. I'm just someone who blogs. Ha? Let's pretend there's a profound difference there somewhere. I mean I just wanna stop advertising my blogging services and just focus on writing whatnots like I used to. I so missed the days when I would just whip up the post editor and rant about nonsensical things. For a while I got conscious of putting up streamlined content for content's sake but heck I'm the least cohesive person out there and it's kindof a task having to narrate my day properly when it's not even a proper day to begin with.
I've come to realize that the moment I start monetizing my hobbies is the moment it stops being fun. I loved writing, I'm not good at it, but when I got a writing job, I realized I didn't want to write for a living. I loved drawing and designing, again I'm not the best I just know enough, and yes eventually it became taxing and troublesome dealing with clients and it stopped being a creative outlet for me. I sold out on the things that made me happy and got enslaved by money. And so, I'm not doing that again. But not entirely haha. Adsense works for me cos it doesn't tell me what to do.
Which is why I appreciate having a job that's not aligned with my hobbies. I don't love it, but I'm good enough at it. I won't do it for fun, so I can take a break by doing the things I love and come back to work recharged. I care just enough to deliver what needs to be done in the most efficient way I can. It's also mentally stimulating and financially rewarding at the same time.
That's said, let's start anew. I'm back to being more personal and spontaneous so expect more entries like this where I just take a break from scripting goddamn tests and vent about how I stressed I am at work.
But wait, I just got promoted! Thank you Lord!!! My manager called me the other day to tell me the good news and the amount of increase. Finally, I'm at my dream salary range can you believe iiiiiit? Uhm, I actually do. I've been offered the same amount before, but I turned it down. And now it took me 3 years to earn that here hahaha. But hey, no regrets.
I'm very happy about the promotion but I also wonder about what it entails. I don't want more resposibilities cos I feel like I already earned this from what I'm currently doing for the company so I just wanna keep at it. I want to maintain where I am today because I feel like this is my peak and I'm already comfortable here. Pwede ba yon. Hanggang dito na lang ako kasi pagod na ko umeffort pa.
Alright gotta go.
TGIF
This was such a tiring tiring week I can't even even.
We're doing migration after migration after migration of several systems because we're expected to vacate our old office by next week. By vacate I mean pull out all servers, shut down all PCs, and move it to the new office which doesn't have network connection yet. The plan is to route everything to one of our data centers in Singapore while waiting for the network to be installed in our new office - just a block away from the old one. Safe to say it's a busy time for the whole tech team.
I mean I'm not even the main guy for the whole thing, we're just one of the teams affected by the local network downtime. But because our robots are all hosted locally, we have to move them somewhere safer and more stable. Like a virtual machine hehehe.
The most exhausting part of this whole move is really the amount of coordination to be done. Talking to stakeholders, explaining things, filing requests to different teams, following up, looking for people to help me with my issues. Oh my goodness. Sure I can communicate, I'm fluent enough, I write good emails, but the rate at which my energy depletes after each send is extremely high I'm a dead battery so early in my shift, my half-life is halving ridiculously the more I interact with people. Helppp.
I just want to recharge. Thank God it's Friday.
Thank God.
Thank God.
I can't believe I mean that now.
Thank God.
I really need to focus
Just a quick update on what's happening lately in my life. Actually nothing much has changed. Still procrastinating on work I'm too afraid to face because it looks overwhelming. Still religiously uploading Weekly Monotonies on my Youtube channel. Still busy participating in support groups to help grow my channel faster. Still trying to lose weight. Still feeling hopeless about this government. Still praying for healing and everything to go back to the old normal.
Everything is still hanging and I feel like I'm not accomplishing anything. But it's fine. I'm enjoying this break, if you may call it that. I'm enjoying vlogging and producing review videos. In fact I've gotten a bunch of really heartwarming comments from some of my Youtube videos that gets me really inspired to keep going. You know how I've always loved reviewing things so it feels really good when my content brings value to my viewers. I mean, that's the point really hehe. I'm nowhere near getting monetized but I'm happy enough that most of my review videos are getting organic views. Yey!
Let me quote some of the comments that really made my day:
"Thanks for this. Just the review I need. Confirming order now. Hahahha!!!"
"I purchased this cause of your excellent review and I got it today! "
"keep up with the awesome work you do on this channel :)"
"...for a channel with so few subscribers, your reviews are great!) I wish many subscribers!"
"This channel is so underrated with this kind of detailed review"
"Super clear enunciation"
"Thanks. Got one after watching the video"
"Very professional review. Great work."
I feel validated every time I read comments like those. Feels like I'm doing something right. But you know what, I still prefer reviewing on my blog because I can edit and add updates. But videos, I figured, are much better, and besides, nobody likes to read blogs anymore!
Another happy thing, that I hope won't get jinxed.. I might be getting some recognition later at work. Our office is celebrating customer service week chuchu and every department gets to nominate team members that they feel embody firm values. They sent out the nominees for Technology department, blind item style, and based on the description and scope of work of one of the mystery people, I feel like I made the list? Like I'm 99% sure it's me. The 1% goes to, wala, pa-humble ko lang, or maybe margin of error baka nagkamali ng pronoun at HE pala yung tinutukoy at hindi SHE. I'm pretty sure they refer to my team and I'm the only girl eh! So yun, my colleague has already congratulated me, on the same assumption, so if it's not, God help my tears won't stop. Charot. Sana may pa-grab food haha
What else. I got another allergy attack this week. But this time, naagapan ko agad. When it started spreading I resisted all urges na magkamot and drank antihistamine immediately. It mellowed down, then on the next days may pasulpot-sulpot na islands. But after two days wala na recurrence. If this was the same allergen, we're thinking Indian food na talaga is the culprit huhu. But which one? We use so many spice mixes. Thanks to my weekly vlogs we were able to narrow down the suspect ingredients. May silbi ang vlogs ko guys haha.
On my first major allergy attack I ate Tandoori Tikka the night before. Now this week naman I ate Tikka Masala! But I also remember eating Rogan Josh and Butter Chicken and got no allergic reaction.
So now, using the process of elimination we tried to get which ingredients are common among all those Indian spice mixes and crossed them out. The only common ingredient between Tandoori Tikka and Tikka Masala that are both not present in Rogan Josh and Butter Chicken is... PAPRIKA!
So yun, still have to test this out but I'm hoping sana tama?! Kasi mahal magpa-allergy test hahaha! Hay Lord!
Oh dip
Just when I got so proud of myself for cleaning up the messy wiring on my desk, I get a BSOD first thing at work on Monday! Yey! I was so ready to be productive this week but somehow something just gets messed up. What heck right?
So apparently my Windows boot config got screwed up. Virus maybe? I tried fixing it to the best of my ability, of course with the supervision of our local IT support. The solution they gave me requires me to have a boot disk handy but I don't have that since I'm just a user lol. The USB installation media kit is probably with our desktop eng'g team. The solution has to do with rebooting using the Windows installer and accessing the Startup Repair option from there. Ideally it should scan the machine and fill in the missing startup files. But yeah, I don't have a boot disk.
Then I had the genius idea of creating my own USB installation media kit from my personal laptop. I knew I had one hidden somewhere but I guess I lost it so yeah, I decided to make my own. It took a few google searches, a spare 8gb flash disk, and give or take 2 hours for the USB media kit to be completed. Finally I have aWin10Home USB installer with me.
Right. So the plan was to boot into the USB installer and hope that the Startup Repair will work. I thought that maybe, just maybe, the BCD (boot config data) of Win10 Home and Win10 Enterprise are the same. So after a few minutes on the "Attempting repairs" screen, it failed.
Hahaha sorry that was anti-climactic. So yeah, I'm sending my laptop back to the office in exchange of a loaner. Hopefully it gets picked up asap cos I'm so friggin unproductive working on a Citrix frkn web environment. Damnit.
Also if my machine can't be repaired I'm looking at losing 3 years worth of valuable notes! All my meeting, and walkthrough notes, server names, credentials, and everything. All lost!
But thank God it's not so bad. Friday last week I was able to deploy a robot to a remote machine so imagine if I was a workday late in accomplishing that task I would have to repeat the entire development! Graaarr. We should really rethink our backup and versioning protocols. Argh.
So right now I have no choice but to work using my personal laptop and connect to firm network using Citrix. I don't like it but I have to carry on. What's worse is that my laptop has a busted fan so I have to work with the AC on because it overheats so very damn easily. Even with an electric fan pointed at it. Hayy.
Yeah so that's it. Hope you're all holding up well. :)
Quick update
I'm super duper overwhelmed with work right now and I don't know where to start. All I know is that:
- I'm being pressed to finish migrating our timekeeping system this week
- I haven't started developing this robot for a marketing group and I need to present something by next week
- I have two other RPA projects to do
- Issues keep popping while I'm in the middle of something
- I have so many enhancement requests lined up after I'm done with #1 and I don't know where to squeeze them in my freaking life.
I'm a big mess when it comes to prioritizing.
I also always procrastinate.
Sometimes I wish people would stop coming to me directly for a project because I'm bad at assessing and I'll most likely say something along the lines of, sure I can do that when do you need it? Instead of stepping back and saying I'm fucking loaded right now please talk to my manager about that. Urgh.
Can I please have that? Like a filter? Oh yeah, a project manager? All my projects right now are frkn delayed.
This sucks.
On the lighter side of work, I signed myself up for this daily guided meditation thing our L&D group set up to help us uhm, meditate? And somehow find peace and clarity in these chaotic times. It's been generally helpful. For 15 minutes we just pause and breathe slowly, focus on the calmness of our breath, acknowledge distractions but not act on them. It's super nice and I always feel very light and sleepy afterwards. I was hesitant at first because I'm averse to subscribing to anything new age spiritual, but this practice is fairly okay. No summoning weird energy, no commanding the universe like you made it lol, and no false affirmations. Totally cool. Just allowing the science of controlled breathing to work on your nerves. See? No need to get fake meta just to promote calm.
Anyway. I'm interested in reading The Daily Stoic. It's a daily devotional based of stoic philosophy and so far, from what I see from my friends who post daily screenshots from the book (thanks!), it's actually full of practical advice! Maybe I'll try it! Let's see if I can cut down my overthinking to just thinking.
So yeah, that's it! Back to work. Whew.
Oh dear
It's been crazy. We're on enhanced community quarantine (which is close to a lock-down except our government can't take responsibility for everyone), people are panicking, and I can only pray for things to get better. For COVID-19 to eventually be eradicated. For the sick to be healed. For everyone to be protected and provided for. For kindness, cooperation, and empathy to reign. For God to have mercy on us all.
I've published two Weekly Monotonies since the last update and imma plug em right here.
Vlog #19 - The seeming calm before the storm
I discovered Highlands Iced Mocha which tastes 99% like Costa's Iced Cafe Mocha. And they're on the same spot too at RSC Lobby. Makes me wonder if Robinson's acquired Highlands after it let Costa go, it's been popping on several Robinsons properties in the Metro.
My officemate and I attended a Personality Development workshop in the office thinking it would actually be helpful for our personalities lol. Turns out it's 90% Mary Kay demo and 10% harassing us into buying their products. Errrr.
Our car is due for registration this month and while I had intended to do it myself, even filing a vacation leave for it, I unfortunately overslept at my parents' house so my dad decided to just do it himself while I was asleep. Long story short they called someone to assist them from the emission center. I was mentally torn about its illegality but then I realized that a personal appearance isn't really required for MVR (unlike DL renewal) so I figured it's fine to just pay someone for convenience.
Oh yeah, we also got our plate number. FINALLY. After four bajillion years.
Ate dinner with my parents that Friday night because swelday! Also because I didn't want to leave the house early on a Friday night. I waited for my sister to get home from work, and while waiting tried to study playing a song from CLOY. You can watch my futile attempt around 5mins into the vlog.
Hmm, what else.
I attended our cell group meeting for the first time in a very long time. I'm surprised myself. Saturday night CGs have been a struggle for me lately because it's usually errands and visit-my-parents day, but since I was able visit the day before, I figured it's about time I water my wilting spirituality by appearing in a fellowship. It was nice seeing them again. :)
Vlog #20 - Panic is the real pandemic, but you're not gonna see that in the vlog
It's the week the number of COVID-19 patients in the Philippines have grown to an alarming rate. People are more worried. Looking at how our neighboring countries fare, everyone's expecting the worst. We can be sent home any time. So our company is rushing to roll out its BCPs, setting up hundreds of laptops to be issued to its soon to be remote workforce, drafting out all the necessary policies to keep the GOC functioning despite a deserted office. I, on the other hand, was tasked to develop a WFH functionality on our timekeeping system (TS). One that will allow us to log in and out of our TS as we work remotely. If you're wondering, our time logs are being purely captured by onsite biometrics.
The enhancement is needed as soon as possible, but no rush - they say. It didn't help that my manager was away on self-quarantine (bc of a recent travel) as he laid down the requirements. In between choppy calls and lack of validation, I was able to deliver what I consider a bare minimum. A quick win. This would do for now as we have not enough time to test. We can refine as we go along. Thank God I'm not alone in the team.
So I got the code base ready on Friday night but I had to be on standby as they prepare the comms. The go signal didn't flare until Sunday afternoon, just as I was backing up on a parking slot at SM Megamall. We were supposed to look at furniture and buy groceries, but my mind was distracted the whole time.
I had backups so one of my teammates did the go-live, but my manager reminded me about a functionality that I didn't think was supposed to be part of the initial release. I thought it could wait. I also didn't think I was supposed to work on it during the weekend, so in the end he updated the code himself lol. It went fine hahaha.
HR also sought help with the guidelines, so I did my best. I sought help from others too, and we were able to refine the wordy points, make it more easy to read and understand. I cut the bullet points in half, and reworded almost everything. But when the comms went out, it's as if she hadn't asked for help at all haha.
Anyway. This is my current WFH setup. My husband works on the couch outside haha.
Now that the remote time in/out feature has been rolled out, I see myself obsessively checking the database. Querying the numbers, investigating bugs, consolidating missed entries, supporting issues, thinking if the copy on the website is clear enough, wondering why people kept forgetting to log out.
Argh. I've never been this tired working from home. But seeing that more than 75% of our office population has logged in remotely, I'm kindof happy how it's being utilized.
Aja?
I have a fear of letting people down. Don't we all? I hate breaking bad news, and I also hate trying and failing then admitting it can't be done. What I hate the most, is myself for letting it come to a point where I had to withdraw after spending so much time trying to make it work. Huhu
But today I have to face it all! Help me Lord!
But today I have to face it all! Help me Lord!
Life Lately and the long weekend
Last Week
I remember worrying about work in my previous post. Well, things aren't better. It's still the same. I don't even think I'm moving forward in any of my tasks. Urgh.
And then, the logo studies I was trying to finish? I didn't make it to my deadline which is supposed to be last Friday. I got busy with work, and there's also something about the requirement that's super vague to me. I can't find out what she wants. We agreed on the pegs but when it came to the output, turns out she wants something entirely different. And I spent so many hours conceptualizing that first study you know. Urgh. And can I just say, I don't feel it. I don't feel this project at all. I want to get this over with soonest. Urgh.
Anyway. On to the good vibes.
Saturday
Since it's a holiday on Monday (Aug 12), we decided to put off doing the chores during the weekend. We went to my parent's house to celebrate my sister getting a new job, yehey! Helped cooked lasagna and chicken. It was soooo gooood! Wish I could stay longer and bond with my parents more!
Sunday
Our Sundays are usually spent at church and with my in-laws. We met at Fisher Mall for lunch. I also took the chance to shop for some office clothes cos our laundry schedule is becoming so erratic lately that my office wear (I only have 4 I rotate every week) isn't getting washed in time for the coming work week.
Also, I gained weight so I need to update. That's the real reason lol.
I didn't get the first top cos that would be excessive. I just need two new tops, and a new dress. My office wear is mostly boring, I just try to get the same style, in either black or navy blue, because I don't want to think too much about fashion when going to work hehe.
During the afternoon we went to church and stayed for dinner at my in-laws place.
Monday
It's a holidaaaaay, hooray! We had so many things lined up this day. But first,
Gym! It's our first time to try the gym in our condo. I've been wanting to get regular exercise but I'm just too lazy most of the time and my ever excuse would be that I get home too late, so the gym is already closed, and our house is too small to workout at. But yeah, this week I tried waking up early so that I could do a daily devotional, then go to the gym. Let see how far this pans out!
I just used the stationary bike and followed a cycling workout video on Youtube. The ending? I threw up after working out! Alam mo yung pagod na pagod ka tapos inom ka ng inom so sinuka mo lahat after?! Ganon hahaha. But no regrets, I'll get better! Hahaha
After that wqe headed to Capitol Commons. Did the laundry at Unimart because our community laundry is closed. As usual, there's a line. Had to wait for around an hour to get our turn so while waiting Jeckie had his hair cut, and I got a facial.
I don't really get facials often but I got curious with this new clinic. I availed of their regular facial for ₱500. A 45-minute process that includes a facial massage, masking and cleansing, exfoliating, facial hair shaving, vacuuming, and high-frequency treatment. It was okay. I didn't see much difference (huwaw haha). My pimple scars got more prominent too because they cleaned my face thoroughly. We'll see if I'll try again. But it's good to know there's a derma nearby!
After doing the laundry and the grocery, we had dinner at Tipsy Pig. New discoveryyy!
We now have a new favorite restaurant! That sisig wrap is sooo good we had two servings!
Tuesday
Probably the highlight of my week. My Lazada order got delivered!
I've been dreaming of getting a Dyson but I can't afford it, so I searched for good alternatives. Here comes Dibea, a Chinese knock off that looks great, performs well, and costs 5x less than the usual Dyson. After getting home, I tried it out immediately and it's so cool! Review soon! :)
Wednesday
I feel so bad for snarking up on someone who's ahead of me on the microwave, earlier at the pantry. I was so hungry and she punched in two minutes and I'm like my gaaawd hurry up. I was making faces behind her, and I knew people noticed but I couldn't care less that time. Uuuurgh. Have to be nicer next time.
Uhm, that's it for now! Got to go home!
Swamped
I have so many things I'm putting off doing at work that I'm starting to feel like it's gonna bite me anytime now, specially in the coming weeks. Whew!
First, I've been delaying on this RPA project for so long because it scaaares meee. How do you handle this? I keep on pushing it in favor of the easier ones, but now I feel like I need to get it rolling somehow. The thing is, I'm already quite sure it's gonna be very hard to automate, if not impossible. Part of me wants to get back to the client and say it's not possible to do this since it's too complex, there are too many exceptions, and yet a part of me wants to keep on digging for solutions. So what happened? It's been benched for two months JUST BECAUSE I can't afford to say it can't be done. I have yet to understand why it's so hard for me to break this kind of updates to our clients. I know perfectly well how some scenarios don't fit into the robotic scheme of things, that there's only so much I can program without the use of ~real~ AI algorithms. And we're not even there yet, so there's really not much I can do.
Second, I have like two other RPA projects in-progress that I can't seem to drag to the finish line because, uhm. Yeah that's on me. They're supposed to be my quick wins but procrastination got the better of me. Huhu.
Third, I have another RPA project that super duper hard and complicated I don't even know where to start.
Fourth, I have a wedding invite and two logo studies to finish this week. Invite's almost done actually, so it's just the logo that I need to really sit on. I have a couple of ideas running in my head but recently, work has been eating more than four hours of my life each day that I'm left with no time to focus on my other ~endeavors~ haha. My boss is gonna kill me for this.
Anyway. UPDATE! My first problem just got officially solved so that's now old news.
Thanks to my senior, I was able to get through that trap. I really just needed validation that it can't be done, and if my senior agrees, then I have to be confident about it.
Yey. So now I'm working another project with them lol, cos you know, just in case one of the proposed ones doesn't work out they've listed a ton of other things we can try haha.
First, I've been delaying on this RPA project for so long because it scaaares meee. How do you handle this? I keep on pushing it in favor of the easier ones, but now I feel like I need to get it rolling somehow. The thing is, I'm already quite sure it's gonna be very hard to automate, if not impossible. Part of me wants to get back to the client and say it's not possible to do this since it's too complex, there are too many exceptions, and yet a part of me wants to keep on digging for solutions. So what happened? It's been benched for two months JUST BECAUSE I can't afford to say it can't be done. I have yet to understand why it's so hard for me to break this kind of updates to our clients. I know perfectly well how some scenarios don't fit into the robotic scheme of things, that there's only so much I can program without the use of ~real~ AI algorithms. And we're not even there yet, so there's really not much I can do.
Second, I have like two other RPA projects in-progress that I can't seem to drag to the finish line because, uhm. Yeah that's on me. They're supposed to be my quick wins but procrastination got the better of me. Huhu.
Third, I have another RPA project that super duper hard and complicated I don't even know where to start.
Fourth, I have a wedding invite and two logo studies to finish this week. Invite's almost done actually, so it's just the logo that I need to really sit on. I have a couple of ideas running in my head but recently, work has been eating more than four hours of my life each day that I'm left with no time to focus on my other ~endeavors~ haha. My boss is gonna kill me for this.
Anyway. UPDATE! My first problem just got officially solved so that's now old news.
Thanks to my senior, I was able to get through that trap. I really just needed validation that it can't be done, and if my senior agrees, then I have to be confident about it.
Yey. So now I'm working another project with them lol, cos you know, just in case one of the proposed ones doesn't work out they've listed a ton of other things we can try haha.
OC with my PC
Photo from Unsplash
So here's what I do when I get a fresh PC:
- Request for admin rights (if it's a company PC). Easy for us in the tech team to get clearance for this. Important for installing software.
- Setup my Taskbar. Small buttons, enable labels, never combine. Classic.
- Cleanup Start Menu by removing the live tiles. They're annoying. Here's how.
- Create a personal folder inside my user profile, like this: C:\Users\username\Personal
Because items directly under your user directory can be run automatically from the Run dialog. - Create a Notes file. Basically an Excel file where I jot down my work notes.
In my line of work, notes aren't really necessary but I like to keep em for future reference.
I usually create a new tab per project, then add 3 columns namely Date, Item, and Description. Every tab is color coded according to Pantone's Color of the Year hahaha. This helps me keep track of the projects I've worked on per year, which is crucial when it's time to work on our annual performance report. Every time I work on a project, I add notes to it.
- Install productivity tools
- Notepad++ because it's the best code editor, supports several languages, has session backup, and pretty themes.
- Screenhunter because I don't like the Snipping Tool lol
- WordWeb because I need a dictionary hehe
- WinRar because it's more reliable than Window's default compression software
- WinMerge for diff-ing code changes
- Google Chrome because duh
- Adobe Photoshop Portable for fun hehe sssshhh
- Create shortcuts for my most used apps. Shortcuts are run dialog keywords I use to launch a certain app. Because it's easier for me to type Win+R, ie, then enter to launch Internet Explorer instead of navigating using the frkn mouse. Here's how. I create new shortcuts for the apps I installed, and also edit those I think are hard to remember
- sh for ScreenHunter
- sb for Secured Browser
- winmerge for WinMerge
- npp for Notepad++ (originally: notepad++)
- ie for Internet Explorer (originally: iexplore)
- excel for MS Excel
- word for MS Word (originally: winword)
- ppt for MS Powerpoint (oringally: powerpnt)
- remote for Remote Desktop Connection (originally: mstsc.exe)
- chrome for Google Chrome
- notes for my excel Notes file
- ps for Photoshop
- ai for Illustrator
- Create a todo.txt and open it in Notepad++ so it stays in the current session
It's a habit of mine to launch npp every time I start my machine. I use Monokai theme and lay out my text files these way, To-do on the left, and random notes on the right
Yeah, so that's pretty much how I setup my PC for maximum utility. How about you, how OC are you with PC? :D
Can we not push it?
Image by Bernd Hildebrandt from Pixabay
But since I'm past the grieving phase lol, I'd like to share this timeline of how it went on my first try, yep cos there's a brief next one haha...
- December 20, 2018 - Submitted job application online (Software & Technical Testing Opportunities - Relocate to Australia & New Zealand)
- December 26, 2018 - Invitation to complete one-way video interview
- January 1, 2019 - Submitted one-way interview
- January 11, 2019 - Passed one-way interview. Got scheduled for a Skype video interview.
- January 16, 2019 - Skype interview
- January 21, 2019 - Passed Skype interview. Got invited to SG roadshow.
- January 25, 2019 - Exam details sent
- February 1, 2019 - Technical interview and assessment details sent
- February 11, 2019 - Exam date
- February 14, 2019 - Technical interview and assessment date
- March 8, 2019 - Results out, supposedly. No call/email yet
- March 11, 2019 - Still no news.
- March 12, 2019 - Still no news. Sent follow up.
- March 13, 2019 - Received regret email. I'm put on waitlist for the next 6 months.
- March 18, 2019 - Some people on waitlist were emailed for a Skype interview. I'm not one of them.
- April 4, 2019 - Another set of people on waitlist emailed for a job offer. Now everyone I know on waitlist has been offered a job. Still not one of them.
The application process with them is frkn strenuous. I went though a lot only to fail. But it's okay. That 4 months has been the dreamiest. The thought of a new country, new people, higher salary, new surroundings, fresh air, fresh produce. I never thought of leaving the country until this opportunity came along. It really made me want it so bad. But it's not for me. And I understand hehe.
Anyway, I'm feeling slightly annoyed though. Not with the application, but with some people. Because everyone I know on waitlist has been given a slot already, some people on the group chat have been urging me to keep on following up, never lose hope, it's definitely coming, so don't worry. As if I'm worried. As if they truly cared. As if I'm craving for reassurance. They're only saying that because they were offered already, see. Urgh what toxic optimism.
Waitlist period isn't over yet when they posted new relocation opportunities. I couldn't wait, so I tried my luck at Automation, even though I know I'm not cut out for it.
- June 4, 2019 - Applied for another relocation opportunity (Automation Testing Opportunities - Relocate to Melbourne!)
- June 5, 2019 - Received invitation to complete one-way video interview. Here we go again.
- June 7, 2019 - Submitted one-way interview
- June 13, 2019 - Failed one-way interview
I wasn't surprised, really. They're looking for automation testers and I offered myself as an RPA developer. I'm that thick. Plus I can't commence with them until 6-8 months. So there, let's end it. The longer I wait, the longer my experience gap becomes. The smaller my confidence grows. But it's fine. I'm at a good place anyway. ｡◕‿◕｡
And well, just when I gave up on this, one of my former colleagues asked me if wanted to work with them again. Agaaaain. The last time they asked, I went through the interview and vetting process alright and got a dreamy offer. My current manager countered, and I stayed. Now they're asking me again, considering my request for an onsite position. But hey, it's all a big blur. If only my previous manager would hire me directly and not have me go through consulting again!
Oh well.
I need a break
This has been the most stressful day of my career here at the firm. I accidentally truncated a table that removed everyone's leave records. Easily trumps the infinite loop issue I had back then by a big notch. This has been my biggest ~work~ mistake and I'm so embarrassed by it huhu.
We were able to restore a backup copy of the table but the data was only until 1pm today. I deleted the records around 5:30pm so that leaves us with 4.5 hours of data gap where I could only hope no one tried to request or approve leaves. I'm so close to asking those who logged in between that gap to know if they made any leave transaction. Just to remind them to file them again, cos you know, they're gone. And I just want to make sure. But heck I'm too tired and right now I'm just kindof wallowing in my mistake. I tried to look for the logs but wtf for some reason there are no logs for the day! I'm suspecting the app isn't logging prod transactions at all and it's so weird but I already got an idea. My goodness.
I haven't touched the system in 4 hours now and while a part of me wants to continue working, I don't feel like coding 'cos I don't want to make any more mistaaaakes huhuhu. May trauma paaaaaa huhu!
Gosh I don't even know what to work on next! Whew. This is definitely not the Friday I was expecting. I was looking forward to continuing working on my dev tasks. I was having fun. I actually think I'm on a roll, little did I know this snowballing mojo of confidence would be smashed by a careless mistake. I was working too fast, missing the little details, relying on muscle memory, trusting my productive streak. Heck I just got a commendation yesterday for deploying a robot and now this?
Man I deserved this right? I know I did. I was being complacent and too confident with my work. What a slap. As much as I needed this wake up call, I didn't want to affect prod data just to learn a lesson! Huhuhu
Anyway. I have so much to thank my teammates for and Lani too our server girl whom I called first to ask if they have database backup. My team mates swooped to the rescue and looped in my boss. Juskooo I wouldn't have the heart to tell my boss I did something wrong when I haven't fixed it. The horrorrrr. They reassured me everything's gonna be alright, we have backup, we'll definitely get a development database now.... but argh. Stuff like this just kinda lingers on me. And I just realized, in my 7 years of working, that I'm not mature yet. What would I do without my teammates' support and my boss' supervision. I'm a frkn child I could cry!
I'm still mourning for the data we may have lost forever. Huhuhu
Anyway. Here's a distraction. Trifold brochure design for one of my friends.
We were able to restore a backup copy of the table but the data was only until 1pm today. I deleted the records around 5:30pm so that leaves us with 4.5 hours of data gap where I could only hope no one tried to request or approve leaves. I'm so close to asking those who logged in between that gap to know if they made any leave transaction. Just to remind them to file them again, cos you know, they're gone. And I just want to make sure. But heck I'm too tired and right now I'm just kindof wallowing in my mistake. I tried to look for the logs but wtf for some reason there are no logs for the day! I'm suspecting the app isn't logging prod transactions at all and it's so weird but I already got an idea. My goodness.
I haven't touched the system in 4 hours now and while a part of me wants to continue working, I don't feel like coding 'cos I don't want to make any more mistaaaakes huhuhu. May trauma paaaaaa huhu!
Gosh I don't even know what to work on next! Whew. This is definitely not the Friday I was expecting. I was looking forward to continuing working on my dev tasks. I was having fun. I actually think I'm on a roll, little did I know this snowballing mojo of confidence would be smashed by a careless mistake. I was working too fast, missing the little details, relying on muscle memory, trusting my productive streak. Heck I just got a commendation yesterday for deploying a robot and now this?
Man I deserved this right? I know I did. I was being complacent and too confident with my work. What a slap. As much as I needed this wake up call, I didn't want to affect prod data just to learn a lesson! Huhuhu
Anyway. I have so much to thank my teammates for and Lani too our server girl whom I called first to ask if they have database backup. My team mates swooped to the rescue and looped in my boss. Juskooo I wouldn't have the heart to tell my boss I did something wrong when I haven't fixed it. The horrorrrr. They reassured me everything's gonna be alright, we have backup, we'll definitely get a development database now.... but argh. Stuff like this just kinda lingers on me. And I just realized, in my 7 years of working, that I'm not mature yet. What would I do without my teammates' support and my boss' supervision. I'm a frkn child I could cry!
I'm still mourning for the data we may have lost forever. Huhuhu
Anyway. Here's a distraction. Trifold brochure design for one of my friends.
Happy weekend I guess.
Feeling lost
Venue of the 2nd RPA Philippines Summit
Our water supply is back to normal
I guess it's been a week since our water is back to normal. We returned our excess water containers to my parents and just kept 15 gallons worth of empty ones, which is as much as we can keep given our small space. It's good to have water back. Really. Metro-wide water crisis isn't over yet but I think we have stable water supply where we live. Thank God!
I attended the 2nd RPA Philippines Summit
It's freaking overwhelming.
Now I don't know where my career is headed
I was reading through my mailbox the other day and saw a job posts notification from LinkedIn. I'm not actively looking, I usually ignore job alerts, but I read through the list anyway, curious if there's anything new that fits me after I've added UIPath RPA in my skills portfolio.
There was none.
I joined the company as a Performance Tester but I never really got to hone it here. Instead of focusing on one track I was exposed to different things. I learned functional testing, php web development, and now I'm dabbling into RPA too. Initially I thought it was cool, I'm an all around QA who can read code and make robotic workflows. But where does that put me? I don't even know what position to search for in Jobstreet anymore. :(
Makes me wonder where I would be right now if I had accepted TCS' offer last year. What was I thinking turning down a six digit offer with a clearer career path? If I had joined them and had a few months to work on my Performance Testing skills before applying at PlanIt, would I have passed the technical assessment? Would I be offered a job at Australia or New Zealand?
Hay Lord. I feel like I'm being led to too many paths right now that I'm starting to get lost.
Out of sidelines, full of rest
Now that I have more free time after work I can finally enjoy watching KDramas, and probably even go back to reading! Yehey! But of course, we all know I'm just gonna end up lounging and doing nothing on social media. :P
Oh, I already received a rejection email from PlanIt
Not exactly a rejection letter, but I was put on wait list for the next six months. And knowing that some people on the wait list already got called with an offer makes me a hopeless case. Oh well, it's probably not my time yet. Who knows.
What I do know right now is that I want to get a job out of this country hahaha. Where do I find companies that offer relocation benefits extended to their family? XD
Life Lately and infinite loops
I may have kindof recreated a bug at work that ran an infinite loop that created 40k++ records on our PROD database and impacted a page on my MANAGER'S timesheet.
It's not that bad though, my manager knows of the issue. We've worked out a plan to prevent the issue from happening again (implement better data validation both on UI and backend), but the problem also piqued our curiosity on how infinite loops work.
Being that I'm more interested in the mystery of these loops, I want to uncover what happens during an infinite loop first before I actually apply the bug fixes. I'm sorry! But in my defense, my boss was also curious! Scenario:
I submitted a form that inserts records on a database based on the date range I provided on the UI form. Date range starts on December 14, 2018 and ends on September 21, 2018. Yep it's backwards and that's the issue because the backend took it. Please don't comment on the quality of our code. HAHA
Now, backend logic would loop through the dates on a daily increment and run an insert statement per date. Problem is, since the end date is a past date, the loop will never reach it, thus creating an infinite loop.
The bug created 41,046 records that dates back to December 14, 1901 all the way to January 19, 2038. And for some reason it left out April 1995 to December 2018. So what the hell happened?
Thank God for Google because all of my questions were answered.
I learned that January 19, 2038 is an important date in software development.
January 19, 2038 would be the maximum value a datetime variable in a 32bit integer data type can handle.
Now adding 1 day to that would be an abomination. Datetime couldn't read January 20, 2038. The variable would overflow, wrapping it in a negative value, which the system would interpret as... *drumroll please*
December 14 freaking 1901.
So that's what happened.
The infinite loop started on December 14, 2018 (input start date) and inserted records all the way to January 19, 2038. When it got past that day, December 14, 1901 came next on the calendar and on and on it went until April 1995. Or more accurately, after 10mins of running over the loop -- which is the default remote query timeout value set on our SQL server.
So today... I learned about the 2038 bug, a remake of the Y2K bug where 32bit datatypes storing datetime values would overflow and reset to 1901. Hopefully we already know what to do. Google has a lot of info on it already. And it's still 20 years from now, I wonder what I'd be doing then hehe.
Case closed.
I, uhhh, have a new bag!
I'm retiring my 2-year old bag because the fabric tore somehow huhu. My husband bought me a new bag, and it's the most expensive bag I've owned so far (even more expensive than my luggage, apparently). Thank youuuuu my love! This counts as my anniv, birthday, and Christmas gift already so a girl shall ask no more hahahaha.
I was so torn when I found my everyday bag got torn (pun intended). I kept looking for the same model in Kipling stores but I couldn't find it. Either it's phased out or I may have actually brought an imitation one haha. It's a Kipling Anette I bought from TJ Maxx in Minnesota, it's kindof an outlet store for overrun things but I can't be so sure hahaha. Anyway. No luck finding something similar here so I looked at other stores. Never found something I liked at SM Dept store except for those parang Pac-safe anti-theft bags that are overly expensive, so pass. The next day I tried looking at the The Travel Club just to spy on cute bags to search on Shopee/Lazada, I don't care for imitation I just want something nice and sturdy haha. Then I found this...
I love the functional aesthetic of Hedgren bags but it's one of those super unjustifiably expensive things I'll only get to mindlessly buy if my pay grade was at 6-digits you know? But there it was looking all nice and perfect. So I took it to Shopee, Lazada, Zalora (baka may discount), and FB Marketplace to look for this one model I like. It's Hedgren Appeal, the one with a 13inch compartment. But to no luck. Nobody sells a good enough replica of it. :(
I went to the store for the second time before heading home just to take a final look at it and decide if it's worth the occasional splurge. This is an item I definitely cannot afford without maxing myself out, you know what I mean? Like you have extra but it's not meant for such kinda bags. So my husband rescued me! YEHEY! I have a new bag!
.
.
.
Uhhh, so that's the highlight of my week lol.
It's not that bad though, my manager knows of the issue. We've worked out a plan to prevent the issue from happening again (implement better data validation both on UI and backend), but the problem also piqued our curiosity on how infinite loops work.
Being that I'm more interested in the mystery of these loops, I want to uncover what happens during an infinite loop first before I actually apply the bug fixes. I'm sorry! But in my defense, my boss was also curious! Scenario:
I submitted a form that inserts records on a database based on the date range I provided on the UI form. Date range starts on December 14, 2018 and ends on September 21, 2018. Yep it's backwards and that's the issue because the backend took it. Please don't comment on the quality of our code. HAHA
Now, backend logic would loop through the dates on a daily increment and run an insert statement per date. Problem is, since the end date is a past date, the loop will never reach it, thus creating an infinite loop.
The bug created 41,046 records that dates back to December 14, 1901 all the way to January 19, 2038. And for some reason it left out April 1995 to December 2018. So what the hell happened?
Thank God for Google because all of my questions were answered.
I learned that January 19, 2038 is an important date in software development.
January 19, 2038 would be the maximum value a datetime variable in a 32bit integer data type can handle.
Now adding 1 day to that would be an abomination. Datetime couldn't read January 20, 2038. The variable would overflow, wrapping it in a negative value, which the system would interpret as... *drumroll please*
December 14 freaking 1901.
So that's what happened.
The infinite loop started on December 14, 2018 (input start date) and inserted records all the way to January 19, 2038. When it got past that day, December 14, 1901 came next on the calendar and on and on it went until April 1995. Or more accurately, after 10mins of running over the loop -- which is the default remote query timeout value set on our SQL server.
So today... I learned about the 2038 bug, a remake of the Y2K bug where 32bit datatypes storing datetime values would overflow and reset to 1901. Hopefully we already know what to do. Google has a lot of info on it already. And it's still 20 years from now, I wonder what I'd be doing then hehe.
Case closed.
Back to the real life lately...
I, uhhh, have a new bag!
My new everyday bag with Velma from my old Kipling
I'm retiring my 2-year old bag because the fabric tore somehow huhu. My husband bought me a new bag, and it's the most expensive bag I've owned so far (even more expensive than my luggage, apparently). Thank youuuuu my love! This counts as my anniv, birthday, and Christmas gift already so a girl shall ask no more hahahaha.
I was so torn when I found my everyday bag got torn (pun intended). I kept looking for the same model in Kipling stores but I couldn't find it. Either it's phased out or I may have actually brought an imitation one haha. It's a Kipling Anette I bought from TJ Maxx in Minnesota, it's kindof an outlet store for overrun things but I can't be so sure hahaha. Anyway. No luck finding something similar here so I looked at other stores. Never found something I liked at SM Dept store except for those parang Pac-safe anti-theft bags that are overly expensive, so pass. The next day I tried looking at the The Travel Club just to spy on cute bags to search on Shopee/Lazada, I don't care for imitation I just want something nice and sturdy haha. Then I found this...
I love the functional aesthetic of Hedgren bags but it's one of those super unjustifiably expensive things I'll only get to mindlessly buy if my pay grade was at 6-digits you know? But there it was looking all nice and perfect. So I took it to Shopee, Lazada, Zalora (baka may discount), and FB Marketplace to look for this one model I like. It's Hedgren Appeal, the one with a 13inch compartment. But to no luck. Nobody sells a good enough replica of it. :(
I went to the store for the second time before heading home just to take a final look at it and decide if it's worth the occasional splurge. This is an item I definitely cannot afford without maxing myself out, you know what I mean? Like you have extra but it's not meant for such kinda bags. So my husband rescued me! YEHEY! I have a new bag!
.
.
.
Uhhh, so that's the highlight of my week lol.
Throwback: Happy 6 years in the workforce!
I caaaaan't believe it! I'm getting old. :O
This deserves a throwback so bear with me as I try to recount my entire work history, its ups and downs, and how I got where I am today... which is the present, not like I'm at a certain peak yknow hehe. If there's a peak I've reached today that's certainly my weight.
Story time (also, long post ahead):
Story time (also, long post ahead):
Photo from Pixabay
6 years ago I worked as a Software Development Analyst at one of the biggest telcos in the country. It was crazy. The work was mostly stressful, but the compensation is good. As a fresh grad I knew I was earning more than what most entry-level IT practitioners are getting, and thanks to their HR's high flyer incentive, my basic pay was even upped by 2k/mo because I graduated with honors. I was so proud of myself. Just carrying their ID feels ecstatic. Everybody knows this company, and I was there working as a programmer. I felt badass. The benefits are amazing too. Every Christmas they would give a Megabox full of groceries (one that required me to be fetched by car because I can't possibly commute with it), that's on top of 2 fiesta hams, and a 10k incentive. Each. And then there's the guaranteed 15th month pay. And the not-guaranteed performance bonuses that reached 18 months, at least during my stay. Too bad I wasn't there yet when they gave out 22 months worth of bonuses. Needless to say, we were showered with incentives. There's always something going on in the company. Parties, freebies, promos, celebrities, blah.
But the work? Oh damn. I would've stayed longer if I lived nearer, for real. But the stress levels of the work and the super long commute took a toll on my health. Physically and mentally. I felt so incompetent, working there. My kryptonite was Java, something we barely touched in college. Most of our applications are Java-based and it's frustrating how I can't learn it on the fly, no matter how hard I try. Everyday I would feel depressed that I couldn't freaking get this framework to work, that I don't get how beans, objects, and OOP work. The only thing I'm confident in doing is clearing our linux servers of temp files.
I once spent my birthday in the office overnight because we had to rush an update for a fraud management tool. We would spend weekends developing a revenue system because our timeline was so bad. I always had to answer a call in the wee hours of the night because our systems are always flooding with alerts. Looking back I could've blamed the leadership for not properly estimating our timelines. Because it happened all the time. But back then I had no one to blame but me and my incompetent self. I was so sure I was the cause of delay. So I resigned. I wasn't getting the right motivation I needed to continue further. I concluded that I wasn't ready for the real world, and that I needed relevant training before doing anything.
And so I applied as a trainee at an IT consulting firm. The benefits are the exact opposite from my previous company. I wasn't proud carrying its name because it doesn't ring a bell in anyone's ear aside from having a "hard" qualifying exam. They call it The Hardvard Exam. I think it's just a really long IQ test. I remember applying to this same company when I was a fresh grad. I got in and they gave me an offer, but I had to decline because I got a better one. Who would've thought I'd be taking the same damned exam again. It was scary, taking the exam for the 2nd time. I was afraid I'd fail, that my mental state has deteriorated so bad because of stress haha. But thank God I got in. The first time I took it, I was the only one who passed in a batch of ~30 applicants. The second time I took it, 2 of us passed. The offer is so much smaller than what I used to earn in my previous company, and the benefits are basic and drab. But factoring in the shorter commute and the 3 months training pre-requisite, I figured it's about okay.
Training was awesome. I almost failed on the first part because I suck at Mainframe/COBOL, but our Java Web Apps module was a frkn big help. I learned a lot. After our training I was deployed to a Java development team, servicing one of US' biggest airlines. It was crazy. It was at this point that I realized I'm not developer material. I don't like this track, it's eating me alive. Thankfully there was an internal opening with our QA team. I never considered software testing but at that time I was willing to try anything not programming. I requested to get transferred. My manager helped me out and signed me up in one of their trainings. This training was supposed to help the client pick 2 people to let in his team. I was one them.
So I got on-boarded on my new team and got to the learn about my new function. From Software Engineer to Software Test Engineer. Eventually we got invited to visit onsite to meet and greet our other team members in the US, and to get better exposed to the airline applications we're testing. It was amazing. A month into my new team and I was working on my US Visa, getting excited at the prospect of staying 3 months in a foreign country. What a dream.
My 3 months stay in Minnesota was extended to 5 and that was, so far, the happiest point of my career. I was earning in dollars and I felt rich haha. Even though I was just on a per diem allowance, the fact that my transportation and lodging is free, plus my peso account is still earning... I've no words to say. I even got promoted while I was there, so there goes more peso savings.
The 5 months came by so fast and I wish I could've stayed longer but oh well, not this time. I returned to the Philippines, 12lbs heavier, and came back to the grave (yard) reality that our country is in a seriously wretched state. There's something about going back from abroad that makes you despise your own country even more. I have zero nationalism in me.
Then things started to get awry for our company. One of our major healthcare clients terminated their contract with us, so that left us with waves of redundancies. Being in a different market circle, we weren't affected... yet. But the thought is slowly creeping in. I waited for my 3 year bond to end before actively pursuing other opportunities. There weren't a lot, but they were all so promising.
Then I got engaged. I forgot about job hunting and focused on saving for our wedding. But bad news came in, my fiance got redundiated from his company. And with our wedding all set and half our suppliers paid, his losing his job came totally unexpected. So I started job hunting again, hopeful that I'll get something that pays more so we could get on track with our wedding savings again. I trusted that my fiance would be able to get a new job quick, but I thought this was also a good opportunity for me to look out. I also wasn't feeling so secure about my current job anymore. So you know, jump ship before you sink with it. Thankfully, my fiance got a new job almost immediately after his last day on his previous and we were so grateful about it.
Also around that time, I found out about this company that has an open position that fits my skill set almost perfectly. I was a couple of years under-experienced but there were just so many checks on the position brief that I had to try my luck. I wrote about it here. It's super long and boring just like this one hahaha. So yon. That's pretty much how I ended up here. I'm sorry about this super long post. Hindi na uso yung ganito e no? Haha. I have a problem shortening my stories lol.
Funny that on this exact day last year, I was worrying about the results of my job interview with my current company. And now I'm a regular employee of theirs! Yehey!
Then things started to get awry for our company. One of our major healthcare clients terminated their contract with us, so that left us with waves of redundancies. Being in a different market circle, we weren't affected... yet. But the thought is slowly creeping in. I waited for my 3 year bond to end before actively pursuing other opportunities. There weren't a lot, but they were all so promising.
Then I got engaged. I forgot about job hunting and focused on saving for our wedding. But bad news came in, my fiance got redundiated from his company. And with our wedding all set and half our suppliers paid, his losing his job came totally unexpected. So I started job hunting again, hopeful that I'll get something that pays more so we could get on track with our wedding savings again. I trusted that my fiance would be able to get a new job quick, but I thought this was also a good opportunity for me to look out. I also wasn't feeling so secure about my current job anymore. So you know, jump ship before you sink with it. Thankfully, my fiance got a new job almost immediately after his last day on his previous and we were so grateful about it.
Also around that time, I found out about this company that has an open position that fits my skill set almost perfectly. I was a couple of years under-experienced but there were just so many checks on the position brief that I had to try my luck. I wrote about it here. It's super long and boring just like this one hahaha. So yon. That's pretty much how I ended up here. I'm sorry about this super long post. Hindi na uso yung ganito e no? Haha. I have a problem shortening my stories lol.
Funny that on this exact day last year, I was worrying about the results of my job interview with my current company. And now I'm a regular employee of theirs! Yehey!