Tag Archives: dreams

Big, Fun and Scary Things, Dear Diary, Techie Geek

Corporate Peace Corps

I’ve already heard about this around two to three weeks ago, but I only got to blog about this now (see how self-centered I can be? Ack):

IBM creates its own Peace Corps
By Lawrence Casiraya
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 08:34:00 05/03/2008

MANILA, Philippines — IBM is sending 600 of its employees to emerging countries over the next three years to do volunteer work involving IT.

IBM said the first 100 employees will be sent this year to six countries — Romania, Turkey, Vietnam, Ghana, Tanzania and the Philippines — to work on projects “that intersect economic development and IT.”

“It’s a corporate version of the Peace Corps,” said James Velasquez, country general manager for IBM Philippines, referring to the tech giant’s Corporate Service Corps initiative.

Thomas Veloso from the local IBM office was selected and will join nine more IBMers from the United States, Japan, China, India and the United Kindom as a team assigned to go to Tanzania in Africa.

More than 5,000 IBM employees worldwide applied for the program but only 100 were selected for this year.

In the Philippines, the IBM team will be based in Cagayan de Oro and Davao City in the South.

The team will create management information systems to track progress of loan and grant beneficiaries from the Philippine Development Assistance Program, according to IBM.

IBM is working with three non-governmental organizations from the US, Canada and Australia. These NGOs identify projects and local organizations the IBM teams can work with.

This is one of the coolest things I’ve heard at work ever. :) I love how the company is getting their people involved in helping. That’s why we were encouraged at work to go and volunteer for corporate social responsibility events, because it really has an effect. Thomas (Tom) Veloso used to be the GK-IBM head, and all his efforts are paying off with this amazing opportunity presented to him. :)

I’d love to have the same opportunity. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and I’d love if I would be granted one too, plus size clothing and all (um…right. What did I just write?). Maybe someday, I hope? :) Granted, I’d have to work doubly harder to get this, but it’s a good goal, right? :)

Maybe someday. In the meantime, let me finish all my deliverables. Heh.

Dear Diary, In His Steps

Life in a book

Right now I’m reading Flabbergasted by Ray Blackston. What I love about books is that I get to plunge into something other than my own world, to see and be a part another person’s adventures even if that person is fictional. Not that I don’t like my life right now; I just always welcome a break. It’s like when you watch a movie: life on the big screen seems so…perfect, that you wish you are living the same life too.

Two weeks into work and I’ve been thinking about how I am going to spend the rest of my life. That sounds really deep, I know. I could blame it on this particular page in my planner which has “Big Thoughts” written on it and since I’ve been allowing myself to dream BIG, I wrote down some things I want to accomplish in my life, namely:

  • I want to write. I want to be able to publish at least two books and let people see what I see with my words.
  • I want to see the world. I want to travel.

Simple? Kinda. I’m still allowing myself to “dream” and so far I got those two, which is generally what I want to do in my life as of now. I’m young, so let me dream. :P

Anyway, the thing with reading books is that sometimes I start to wish that I live inside a book. Not literally, Thursday Next style (though I wouldn’t mind that! :p). I want to be able to live some part of my life like the way book characters do. It’s like wishing to have your own fairy tale, only it’s probably chick-lit style. Gets?

I always wonder where life would take me the next few years. Would I be amazingly famous and be known all over the world? Would I be living in my dream house with a wonderful family? Would I be climbing the corporate ladder and making big time decisions here and there? Would I even start to understand things about stocks and businesses? Would I be a missionary, meeting people all over the world and bringing the message of God’s love for those who need it the most?

There are so many possibilities in my life, and I have to admit that I’m afraid to miss out on a lot of things. On the contrary, I am afraid of taking risks, and I still don’t know if I’d recognize an opportunity even if it bites me on the nose. I do think, however, that adds spice to my life. As Ate Bev mentioned last night, God doesn’t give you everything you want just so you’d still come thirsty for Him. God is giving me these specific kinds of moments in my life to give room for Him to create magic in it. For Him to amaze me and surprise me, for Him to let me see that He is amazing.

And you know? I wouldn’t mind that. Being surprised, I mean. I’ve always wanted to be surprised.

Maybe my life isn’t like those novels I read. But I think…I wouldn’t trade this one to be a character in any book.

Unless of course if it’s a book based on myself, written by me. ;)