My Socially Constructed Reality

My blog since 2006-- napabayaan since I entered the social media industry.  Too ironic.  Kung kelan nasa social media ako every day, ngayon pa napabayaan ang blog ko :-(

This coming school year, Stef will be in high school.  Now, as a parent, one of my big concerns is finding the best high school for her -- at least within our area.  Definitely, Stef would be out of AUF.  After scouting on some high schools, I realized AUF-IS is too expensive for its quality.  Ok lang sanang mahal kung mataas ang quality in terms of instruction, but AUF seems to me a money-making university.  I was able to compare, for example, graduation fees:  sa public school, Php300; sa Holy Angel University, Php1,900; sa AUF, Php 3,975.  Nung tiningnan ko yung breakdown ng grad'n fee nina Stef, nagulat ako dahil Php 975 ang bayad sa graduation pic -- 1 copy of 8 1/2 X 11 at 6 wallet-size photos, two shots lang. Then, ang Yearbook, Php 2,000.  Sa HAU, Php 130 lang ang grad pic at Php400 ang Yearbook. It's so surprising how expensive it is at AUF.  Ngayon ko lang na-compare dahil ngayon lang ako nag-try mag-scout ng fees in other schools....

Congrats, Stef, on your Graduation Day !

Day 1 @ SG: 16 January 2011 (Sunday) * Left Angeles City at 6:30 a.m. * Met my PH colleagues at the airport for the first time:  D'Laarni and Meg :-) * Flight at 1010 H, 5J799, Cebu Pacific Air * We were interviewed by Immigration officials at NAIA, before we were allowed to board the plane.  They were asking for any proof that the company invited us to Singapore for a training.  We realized we had no doscument to prove it, not even a company ID, so we had to bear the interview. * Narin met us at the airport, accompanied us to the apartment, took us to lunch (Kopitiam Food Court, Tampines Mall), and had the apartment keys duplicated.  Narin also instructed us how to take the train in going to the office. Day 2 @ SG: 17 January 2011 (Monday) * 1st day @ Brandtology office * Jerry Foo was the first to meet us.  He let us stay at the conference room, and told us a canteen is available at the ground floor, in case we want to eat. * At around 9 a.m., we wer...

I'm having a two-week training at the Singapore HQ of Brandtology with my two colleagues from the PH.  Here's what made our Day 1 special: Our Day 1 at the company was made more significant by the opportunity to listen to the CEO of the company specializing in business and brand online intelligence.  The very first encounter with him was when he opened the door at the conference room simply to greet all of us. It was a very brief encounter yet I couldn’t forget the kind of energy he has, the smiles on his face that made him look much younger and his presence that communicates authority.  We were a bit surprised when we were told we were having lunch with the big bosses. -- the CEO, the CFO and the Business Development Director.  I must admit it sounded weird at first. Maybe because I haven’t been to a company with CEOs or 'big bosses' inviting ordinary employees for lunch. In the previous company I worked for, the Chancellor never even greeted the faculty memb...