Sunday, January 23, 2005

Buckling down to Work

So far so good...

Been back here in Iloilo for two weeks now. I knew work wouldn't be fun (although ideally, it should), but I wasn't counting on it to be particularly boring. Three days after my predecessor formally turned his account over to me, I've been calling the shots for most of the time. It's been three days so far, yet it somehow felt like a week. Work really gets into you when you're not looking.

Anyway, to get my mind off things (or, rather, to get my mind working on something, and anything) I've decided to strictly follow the designated work plan for specialists like me. That meant spending 80% of my time out in the field. In the field, I could either visit retail outlets at random (in what we call a trade audit) or work with the distributor's sales agents (usually delivery vans in public markets). Work in the field is boring and monotonous, not to mention tiring. But at least you get to take in the sights, like wide municipal plazas and imposing church facades.

Just the other day, I went with the van covering Southern Iloilo. We went to the town of Miag-ao, which is a UNESCO cultural heritage site. Miag-ao, I believe, has the third oldest church in Asia. For art buffs, you'd recognize the church by the bas-relief on the front, highlighted by a coconut tree in the middle. For engineers, the focus would be the structural supports on each side of the church, buttressing the foundation against earthquakes and other forces of nature. Being non-Catholic, I have so far put off going into the church. But I will eventually, I heard it has really valuable relics and paintings worth viewing.

Miag-ao is also the site of UP in the Visayas' main campus (I think). I was fortunate enough to drop by as well and I was impressed by the sheer beauty of the place, articulated by a responsive landscaping. Haayy... reminds me so much of Los BaƱos campus. Oh, well. At least now I know of one place I could run off to for peace and relaxation. Maybe I'd even buy me a bike I could ride around in and out of the place.

In retrospect, there are really so much in far-flung places that are interesting if only one has the time to stop a while and look. That's not much of a problem. I've got lots of time. Especially on my part, boredom forces me to sightsee, but hey, it's not a raw deal... for a typical working day, that is.

Haha. Hopefully my boss won't be stumbling on my blog anytime soon.

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Blogger skyles said...

wehe, be veeewy careful what you wish for..

6:18 PM  

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