star trails and journeys
from rants to random thoughts, from leisure life to city stress, from Kaffeklubben to Madras, from politics to bridging leadership, from idealism to philosophy, from philantrophy to change… "Memory is a way of holding onto the things you love, the things you are, the things you never want to lose" ~The Wonder YearsPerceptions on a Social Entrepreneur
So I am back to writing journals and blogs again and I wish to start with writing about what I’ve recently been up to…
I’ve noticed that recently, there have been a number of photo threads posted on people’s Facebook walls depicting various perspectives and realities of people’s jobs, particularly those that most people glorify and romanticize about. I’ve seen high-level jobs such as diplomatic work and multilateral agency post being illustrated in various ways, using multiple perspectives and misconceptions of family, friends, society and the self. (See illustration sample below)
What they really do at the UN
To many of us working on jobs perceived to be as “high-profile” by other people, the pictures recently circulating around people’s Facebook walls offer us a good laugh as we relate to some of the graphics that point to realities we face on the daily grind.
I’ve had my fair share of such experience. At family reunions for instance, some nosy old grand-aunts would constantly ask what I do or what my work is all about in spite having already asked me X number of times and me having to constantly explain and cite similar examples in the past. With very limited information at hand, they would instantly conclude that in all of my work-related travels for instance, I always get to stay at five-star hotels, eat at fancy buffet restaurants and earn a monthly average net income as if I was growing money on trees. They have absolutely no idea that in some of my past fieldwork assignments, I had to experience sleeping at old rundown pension houses and sharing lunch with farmers who had nothing to eat but what is left of their corn harvest. Not that I am complaining as I actually enjoyed and learned from the experience.
Our society has an uncanny way of measuring people’s value, not with the actual things that people do and the impact they have made, but with titles, rank, job description and the “high profile” perception attributed to these, unfortunately. Executive roles and directorship positions for instance remain only as valuable as what significant outputs and favorable outcomes have been actually done, elseways they mean nothing more than just a title. Nonetheless, our society in general continues to make such a big fuss about promotions and titles and the attached perceptions.
Social entrepreneurs also face the same dilemma that anybody pursuing “high profile” and “not-so-high-profile” careers face. We are, however, seen on a different light with higher expectations to bring about transformative and inclusive social impact that others failed to do in the past (as if we bear messianic symbols on our foreheads). As such, other individuals and organizations wanting only recognition or in need of social acceptance carelessly use “Social Entrepreneur” as if they were taping expiry labels on milk bottles.
What we really do
The fact that social entrepreneurship and social entrepreneur still remain foreign to the general populace and their definition continue to be an ongoing academic debate is a sure way for society to have misconceptions about the sector and those who work in the field. Still, many people continue to misunderstand the term and perceive social enterprise work as something “high profile” and “glamorous” without really understanding the difficult challenges we face everyday. Our society only sees the tangible rewards that many social entrepreneurs receive as a recognition to their work, but the reality remains – that social entrepreneurs face the same challenges at work that “normal” people experience. While there is a lot of romanticizing about social enterprise work, social entrepreneurs are exposed to similar normal-day challenges: difficult employees, enterprise survival, financial sustainability, social cost of every decision points, work-life balance, identity crisis, family needs, etc. etc. etc.
So while many of you think that we are on the top of the career food chain, think again. While we get to go places, meet people of diverse interests and background, receive recognitions left and right… better think twice before concluding that we live such glamorous lives. We are nothing more than normal individuals with normal problems and challenges, facing normal circumstances like anyone else. The only thing which I think makes us seemingly extraordinary and noteworthy is the fact that we dare to take risk to choose a different path. And that different path that we dare take disrupts conventional systems of societies, of thinking, and achieving things.
Photo credit to
Latinguides.com
Bizphere.com
Blog.sysomos.com
Abetterbalance.wordpress.com
Fly4change.wordpress.com
Indiatalkies.com
How writing, Richie, Jacky and Jay changed me
I used to write a lot back in high school. Beyond being the editor-in-chief of our school paper back then, I write not just to fulfill the roles and duties of the post but to channel my creativity to something concrete. Writing, to me, is my very soul translated into visible images in the form of words, phrases and sentences. As an artist, writing gives me a different feeling and takes me someplace where thoughts and words paint pictures and imagery that depict my person.
I created a blog – thrice, with an attempt to religiously update it. I was, however too busy, or rather felt I was too busy to write. At some point, I felt I suddenly lost my writing style and habits. When I went to the university, I became too preoccupied with term papers, critical analysis writing and thesis work that my style got too fixed with the technical and academic styles.
Over the years, as I work on projects in the social development sector, I have become more passionate about writing proposals and project briefs. I feel good about my craft! All the hard labor and long sleepless nights back in college and graduate school are slowly paying off. I can see my tedious cut-throat training slowly bearing fruit. I feel satisfied seeing and knowing that I am able to apply my skills and knowledge into my work and that writing an academic and technical papers show how mature I have grown with my craft.
In one phase of my career, I was fortunate to receive a nomination to an international fellowship based in Washington DC. The fellowship training involves living abroad for a longer-term period to acquire knowledge and skills in best practices for the non-profit sector. I was thrilled at the idea and the promise of being able to receive additional education and training on various fields – from fundraising, to networking and more importantly, writing.
So I flew to DC. At first I was so excited to be in a new place. I was excited about the fact that I get to stay, live and work outside the Philippines for more than my usual two-to-three-weeks trips abroad. The first week was so busy and fun, but after several days, homesickness started to take over me. I was feeling extremely emotionally down.
I tried to escape the loneliness living in a foreign land where the only faces you meet everyday are those of strangers, like blank walls without any image or life in them. I tried to make friends but my mind was set that I will not stay here for more than a year, thus an effort to do establish deep relationships would be futile. Friends back home are always better, I told myself. I tried to come up with ideas on how to divert my attention to other things. I stayed up until three in the morning trying to update myself with the latest news back home and I constantly called my family, friends and loved ones until my phone card minutes would run out or until my neighbor shuts off his wireless internet connection that I regularly leech at night just to be able to connect to Skype for free long distance calls. However, they were only helpful to the point that these activities tire me out until I fall asleep. They made me forget about homesickness and how I badly miss mama’s Adobo and Kare-Kare, my brother’s mess in his room that I regularly tidy up and Joseph’s gentle voice that calms me down whenever I’m stressed at work (or to be more accurate, the 3-to-4-hour commute going to work). But it only cures the symptoms; it doesn’t really solve the issue.
On September 17, I went to New York with my colleagues for three missions – meet with Isabelle of UN Alliance of Civilizations and attend the International Day of Peace at the UN HQ as well as meet with Jeffrey Sach’s team at the Earth Institute in Columbia University.
Richie and Jay, two of my friends back in college happened to be in New York. Richie was doing rotation (an internship-type of immersion program) for his med school together with his sister Jacky (who happens to be my friend and senior in a school organization back in college – I only found out they were siblings when I went there and stayed with them by the way. Comment to self — Great Tieza! It took four year before you realized they were siblings). Jay was in his last semester in grad school in Fordham. When Richie and Jay found out via Facebook that I am bound to NYC, they immediately messaged me and I was offered a place to stay.
Thursday night was set for Jay, Richie and I to meet and have dinner at Serendipity Restaurant. Finally, friends! Friday became more interesting as I also met three other Ateneans – Peter, Ariel and Mel – who are in the same program that Jay is taking up. Good! More familiar people! Then it occurred to me… Back in college, I never went out with Jay or Jacky on a weekend. At least for Richie, there were few times when we went out together but that was with other friends. Ariel was in my batch in college but I never knew he existed (and I thought I knew half of the population of the university!). Same goes with Mel and Peter. But in New York, we went out at night, had fun at the festival in Little Italy and at the bar, went to Times Square and Ground Zero and tired ourselves out. I asked Jacky and Richie when we were taking photos at Time Square, “When we were in Ateneo, did you guys ever imagine we would see each other in New York and hang out together?”
What happened to us in New York was unimaginable back in college as each of us had separate barkadas and friends, living separate college lives. Yes, we were friends but we were not that close and the only moments we would hang out together are when there are organization activities or team-buildings. But never in our wildest imagination that being miles away from home would bring us closer together in one of the busiest, craziest and fast-paced cosmopolitan cities in the world.
The NYC trip was a retreat for me. It also made me realize and value two important things:
- You do not realize the value and importance of the person you meet until you are brought together by fate or circumstance; especially in a place where only you and the other person could both understand the life away from the usual comfort zone. Sometimes, the people you take for granted or used to have no time for would end up to be your best ally in times when you feel threatened or a link that will reconnect you to your roots
- Old friends are gold and they are truly the best, but you will never know when the new ones are gold too until you give it a chance
To record this one special moment, I decided to write about it. Chronicling special moments allow me to process the whole experience and relive the moment every time I read and edit it. And then it hit me — as I write this article, without worry of style and content and with just a heart and soul to draw inspiration from, I suddenly realized that I have “restored” the old writer in me. Upon simple reflection, it made me think that the process of writing is like reconnecting with old friends and finding new ones. The techniques do not matter as to having friends being listed under the “old” and “new” categories don’t. It does not matter whether you feel more comfortable with your new style or with the old style. What is important is the process of doing it, the process of jotting down your thoughts, writing them in phrases until they complete a paragraph and a great written masterpiece. And regardless of whether you have forgotten about your old style or not, part of your “old” skill remains; that no matter how good you have become at being a technical or academic writer, when you feel you need to write a simple blog or a journal entry to pour out your thoughts and feelings, you will still be able to find your old magic trick. Friends are like that. There are new finds and there are some like old toys forgotten on the top shelf gathering dust. Most of us are able to find new friends. We get very excited about the acquaintance. When a relationship has been established, we will feel drawn into relating with the people we meet on a more personal level. A new comfort zone has been made. The old one is still there, forgotten, but not entirely lost. But then again, when you see familiar faces, when you have previously had a connection with these people in the past, no matter how strong your relationship has become with the new acquaintances, you will realize that the old ones are not lost. They are strengthened.
That has been me for the first month of living in DC. I was too scared to make friends because I fear the day that I might be too comfortable with the new ones, just like I have become too comfortable with my new writing style for the past years. I was too scared to lose connections with my family and friends back home, scared I might no longer be the same person that I was before I decided to embark on a new journey to a foreign land. I was frightened by the thought of not being able to write a blog entry that would not bore my readers because of the development and academic jargons I might put. But when my fingers touched the keypads of my laptop, when I began writing my first blog as an Atlas Corps fellow, I suddenly realized, hey, I still have my magic! Not a single technical jargon is written here. It’s just me, the real Tieza pouring her soul out.
Thank you Jay, Richie and Jacky, for the experience in New York! More than just enjoying the scene at Times Square, the fiesta at Little Italy, Richie’s Japanese Chicken Curry and the crazy subway-to-bus station marathon, I had a great experience of sharing a wonderful friendship with you. Yes, I am still crying at night, missing my family and all the folks back home. I am still missing Mama’s Adobo and Kare-Kare and my brother’s messy room. But I am no longer afraid to make new friends because I believe that one day, one of them would be travelling with me to a far-flung province in Tibet or to the Eternal City of Rome.
The beginning of the end
Compared to last year’s summer where the Hong Kong trip with my brother, aunt, uncle and cousin was the only interesting thing that happened to me, this year’s summer was better than the previous one. Although my summer is not as delightful as it was when I was still a non-working individual (where I have the whole two months to stay up late at night for DVD marathons and wake up much later in the morning) or as it is to someone who has all the money to burn for a trip to the Caribbean, April 2008 and the first few days of May went pretty well with me.
Summer 2008 marked the beginning of the end of long summer breaks for me. I had my last 2-month long summer holiday last year after finishing graduate school. That would be goodbye to the times when I just had to spend the whole months of April and May bumming around the whole afternoon or just sitting or lying on the couch watching TV and DVD’s or reading a pocketbook or spending some time with relatives in the province or going to the beach or pool for a swim. This year’s summer also ended my happy days when I spend my time just thinking of what productive thing I could do for the rest of the week or spend more meaningful hours attending an art class or dance lessons.
This is the first summer where I don’t get to wake up later than 7 or 8 in the morning since I became part of the working population. Although I am normally a morning person (I wake up between 5:30 – 7:30 AM even during holidays and weekend), I can still stay in bed as late at 9:00 or 10:00 AM, especially during summer breaks when I was still a student. However, being an income-earner now, I seldom get the privilege to get up from bed later than my usual waking time.
This, for me, is the end of being a simple ordinary student and the beginning of being a person who just got a more challenging and bigger role in life.
Anyway, as I said, the past month and the first few days of May went well with me. I spent five years in college including graduate studies tussling with the ups and downs of academic challenges. Having gone through the struggle of staying up late to meet tomorrow’s term paper deadline or trying not to mess things up while juggling school, extra curricular and personal issues, I finally landed into a job.
My current job allows me to meet different people from different sectors and levels of society. Being part of the team for four months now, I already find it very challenging to keep track of the number of people I keep meeting as weeks go by.
When I taught History to college students in Ateneo right after graduation, I was also given the opportunity to meet young people from different backgrounds. That was one of the perks of being a teacher, which I love very much. Now that I am exposed to a bigger network, things became more interesting and enjoyable for me (not that I don’t enjoy or miss teaching because I still do and I am trying to find a way or some sort of arrangement where I could teach part-time and still work at my current job).
Now, like I said (and I’ve been saying this since the beginning of this journal), this summer became really interesting for me given the fact that my work involves meeting people from various networks. Being part of various organizations and civic groups, I thought I already have enough friends and acquaintance on my list. However, this exposure made me realize that there is still a lot more in store for me.
This whole new world where I am in (being part of the renewable energy development sector and being part of a global charity network as well as international youth organizations) made me see the bigger world out there. I began to realize that my world doesn’t stop after school. My entire world doesn’t end where I thought things are just enough for me. I began to realize that I can reach and acquire something bigger.
This may be the end of my long summer breaks but in fact, that’s what just ended. In reality this is not the beginning of the end but the beginning of something bigger and new.
My summer highlights…
I thought I might just want to log these things in my digital (online) journal for “record purposes”…
Last April 4, I attended the VSO Bahaginan National Conference. I met representatives from various NGO’s in the Philippines as well as Dr. Steven Rood of the Asia Foundation and Che-Che Lazaro, one of the well-respected prominent journalist in the country.
On April 9 – 11, I went to SM Megamall to have a look at the exhibit of entries for the World Bank’s Panibagong Paraan event.
Simultaneously with that event, there was a conference on renewable energy and energy efficiency for Asia and Pacific-based NGOs and energy developers at the Asian Development Bank headquarters, which was organized by FDC, GVEP and ADB. The theme of the conference was “Financing Village-Level Energy for Development in Asia and the Pacific”. I had to go back and forth to the two events to represent our company and the foundation where I am also part of (but ended up representing the two other organizations I am part of, which makes it four!).
Five days after the energy conference at the ADB, I had to go back with my boss and our coordinator to attend another conference (on energy again), which was later followed by a one-on-one consultation with the ADB representative in-charge of our hydro energy project.
On April 24, I attended the QBP with my bestfriend and boyfriend (which I already posted previously… you might want to check it out and read it as well) and personally met one of the consuls, John Chick and the UK Diplomatic Couple themselves, Amb. Peter Beckingham and Mrs. Jill Beckingham. I was at the party where almost all the consuls and ambassadors from different countries that are presently assigned on a mission to the Philippines were present.
However, even with my busy schedule, I was still able to go to the BEACH!!! to swim, sunbathe, snorkel, ride the banana boat and ride the jetski. Since our company did not plan of having an summer trip out of town, I joined my mom in their company’s trip to Nasugbu, Batangas last April 12-13.
My summer might not be as cool as the other’s who think that summer is all about out of town trips, beach, sun, surf and sand. It’s still better than having nothing at all.
