I’m back and Mark`s blog

There’s been a long time since my last post and many things have happened. Our assignment in Philippines has ended, the project was delivered to the Santa Rosa City Police Station. Then I spend a few days traveling with my family in US – lots of fun!

I’ll try to catch up with the blog and post the best things from our work and fun from our Philippines experience!

In the meantime I would like to share Mark`s blog. He`s an awesome blogger who keep up his blog updated while our adventure was happening!!! Thanks Mark.

Check on our adventure through Mark`s eye!

First day of work – part 2

After having a great Jolibee breakfast followed by a delicious Filipino Lunch at the Kick off meeting my team and I went to the Santa Rosa Police Station to get to know more about our client.

It is so interesting get to know about something so different from our daily work. And have the opportunity to work and learn from the Police is so amazing.

Well, after a long day of work what else could had happened? We all had our mug shoots taken.#fichadanasPH

First day of work – Part 1

After 4 months pre-work preparation we are finally all together and heading to our first day of work. I was so excited about the first day when we would be meeting our clients and a lot of people from Santa Rosa. First we were received by the mayor Arlenne. Then we had the kick off meeting with everyone presenting a little about ourselves and the projects. It was an excellent morning!

Philippines 14 CSC teamCarina, Lu, Shridar and Brian.Me and the Mayor

1st Breakfast

First of all Thanks Waya for tell me about the Remingnton hotel with free breakfast in the cassino. My first breakfast was so delicious that I find worth posting. First because due to timezone I kind of had dinner appetite and so I really could enjoy all the Mercado Cassino Buffet could offer. Second because I am a food lover and I fell like I`m falling in love by Filipino food.

A few pictures from the cassino and the Mercado restaurante

 Sorry if it is kind of oldie post food pics, but take a look what a beautiful food they serve over here.

My top three: Kind of yaksoba, vegetables mixed with coconut mik and Beef tapa + the rice

Flight (São Paulo – Detroit – Nagoya – Manila)

#ibmcsc philippines 14

1st part – São Paulo to Detroit (10 hours) – I have been working so much in the past weeks to close all my things and leave as much as I could organized at home and work, that I was so tired. So this flight was easy! I slept most of  the 10 hours.

Gente, reformaram o duty free do Brazil e ele esta enorme.

Stoopover in Detroit –  I spent 8 hours in Detroit airport and it was such a nice experience. I mean It wasa lot best than I could imagine.

2nd part – Detroit to Nagoya (12hours)

What a surprise when I was boarding to Delta flight 629, the flight attendant start talking in Tagalog. And the best I understood – Maraming salamat = Thank you very much! This is because this flight is heading to Manila with a stopover in Nagoia.

I was fortunate to meet Ruthy a nice Filipina-Canadian who whas flying back home. She kindly gave me a lot of good information about her home country and helped me on our arrival to PH.

         

  Ruthy and I in Nagoya duty free.   // To the kit kat lovers, look how many different flavours the  Japanese can choose.

3rd part Nagoya to Manila (4 hours)  The easiest flight. At this point I was so used to sleep, I kind of slept all the flight long.

Arrival to Manila at 22:00 on the 14th July – terminal 1.

I was very well welcome! At the customs, none even bother asking me for how long I would stay here, since Brazilians don`t need visa for until 59 days. I just pick up my luggage. Exchange my money at the most right exchange store I think it was Bank of commerce. Then I leave the airport. After cross the street there were the Remington hotel free shuttle waiting for me. This was Waya great advise! Thank you!

Tip for travelers:  in Philippines you cannot go back once you pass through the gates. Bellow there is the airport terminal 1 map for you visualize. So you better go to the toillete before pick up luggage, and then exchange your money as soon as you pick your luggage.

     

 Luggage claim – Terminal 1

Nem sempre rola pegar o caminho mais curto para chegar aonde queremos, e o meu definitivamente não foi o mais curto! Mas foi uma aventura e tanto.

Bye bye Brazil

Since I knew about going to Philipines on the 12th July I was so expecting for this day to come, and then, all of sudden it happens.  It was such a great moment, where family and friends called or meet me in person to a ” see you later message or hug “. Which is very powerful when you are departing for such an adventure! 🙂 Thank you all! See you on my return!

Taty, Leo, An, Di – imagine uma foto nossa no Giovanetti! Não tiramos! hunf

Zin`s bar with Liana and Bia

Bye selfie with Fau, Elaine, Vó Lina, Di and Bia

My departure from Brazil was set up for 12th afternoon, I was not counting Brazil playing on Saturday, but the World cup  final on Sunday.  So in order to be on time to the airport check in, I could only watch the first part of the match, where most of the goals were scored unfortunately by Netherlands. My dearst husband brought me to the São Paulo International airport – GRU. It is not so good say good bye! But in 5 weeks time we`ll say hello again.

 

Diego

Ok, 31kg = I overpacked. Hopefully I`ll leave some of the things in PH

 

Packing

The Philippines has a tropical maritime climate and is usually hot and humid. There are three seasons:

• tag-init or tag-araw, the hot dry season or summer from March to May
• tag-ulan, the rainy season from June to November
• tag-lamig, the cool dry season from December to February

And I`ll be there in July-August, the hot and rainy season.

 

When I first start thinking about what to take to Philippines I kind of become worried because it seems I had no clothes to bring at all. After I get all my clothes together close to my luggage I kind of notice that I actually had too many things. I keep in mind I should bring clothes comfortable for the hot and humid climate and that could go wet easily. So better no white blouses.

Plus I brough some Brazilian flags and souvenirs to the new friends I`ll meet in Philippines. Well before the last 2 world cup games, those would be more cool . 🙂

Anyway, I tried to do a small bag, but maybe I over pack a little. 🙂

What a messy picture, but it is the only I have.

This is to show you Mom, that this time all my things are in plastic bags to avoid them to get wet.

#Lessonlearntincolombia

Santa Rosa here I go!

#ibmcsc philippines14

Santa Rosa

Santa Rosa  is a city in the province of Laguna, Philippines. The city lies 38 kilometres (24 mi) south of Manila via the South Luzon Expressway. According to the 2010 census, the city has a population of 284,670, making it the third largest local government unit in Laguna after Calamba and San Pedro. The town was renamed after Saint Rose of Lima. The municipality of Santa Rosa was founded on January 15, 1792.

Santa Rosa was initially known for the Coca-Cola and Toyota manufacturing plants in its industrial estates. Recently, it has also become popular for being the site of Enchanted Kingdom, a local theme park, as well as several housing developments. This city contains the 3rd largest complex in Laguna, Paseo de Santa Rosa.

Santa Rosa is politically subdivided into 18 barangays. Barangays are kind of neighborhoods.

• Aplaya
• Balibago
• Caingin
• Dila
• Dita
• Don Jose
• Ibaba
• Kanluran (Poblacion)
• Labas
• Macabling
• Malitlit
• Malusak (Poblacion)
• Market Area (Poblacion)
• Pooc
• Pulong Santa Cruz
• Santo Domingo
• Sinalhan
• Tagapo

Ps. Maybe we will get to know the mayor! So excited about that. She seems very nice.

Santa Rosa official site: http://www.konsehosantarosa.com.ph/

Font: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Rosa,_Laguna

Philippines

#ibmcsc philippines14

 

The Philippines were named in honor of King Philip II of Spain. Spanish explorer Ruy López de Villalobos during his expedition in 1542 named the islands of Leyte and Samar Felipinas after the then Prince of Asturias.

The Philippines is an archipelago of 7,107 islands with a total land area, including inland bodies of water, of approximately 300,000 square kilometers (115,831 sq mi).[129] Its 36,289 kilometers (22,549 mi) of coastline makes it the country with the 5th longest coastline in the world. It consists under three main geographical divisions:

• Luzon
• Visayas
• Mindanao

Its capital city is Manila while its most populous city is Quezon City; both are part of Metro Manila.

With a population of at least 99 million people, the Philippines is the 7th most populated country in Asia and the 12th most populated country in the world. An additional 12 million Filipinos live overseas, comprising one of the world’s largest diasporas.

According to the 1987 Philippine Constitution, Filipino  and English are the official languages. Filipino is a standardized version of Tagalog.  Altough ethnologue lists 175 individual languages in the Philippines, most native languages are part of the Philippine branch of the Malayo-Polynesian languages.

As a result of Spanish cultural influence, the Philippines is one of two predominantly Roman Catholic countries in Asia, the other being East Timor, a former Portuguese colony. More than 80% of the population are Christians.

The national economy of the Philippines is the 39th largest in the world. Primary exports include semiconductors and electronic products, transport equipment, garments, copper products, petroleum products, coconut oil, and fruits. A newly industrialized country, the Philippine economy has been transitioning from one based on agriculture to one based more on services and manufacturing.

Its unit of currency is the Philippine peso (₱ or PHP). (1USD – +-44PH July/14)

The Philippines’ rainforests is one of the ten most biologically megadiverse countries and is at or near the top in terms of biodiversity per unit area. Around 1,100 land vertebrate species can be found in the Philippines including over 100 mammal species and 170 bird species not thought to exist elsewhere.

 Philippine tarsier

Font: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippines

CSC

#ibmcsc philippines14

What is the IBM Corporate Service Corp?

The Corporate Service Corps was launched in 2008 to provide IBMers with high quality leadership development while delivering high quality problem solving for communities and organizations in emerging markets. The program empowers IBM employees as global citizens by sending groups of 10 – 15 individuals from different countries with a range of skills to an emerging market for four week community-based assignments. During the assignment, participants perform community-driven economic development projects, working at the intersection of business, technology, and society. To learn more….

The program offers a Triple Benefit:

•  Communities have their problems solved.
• IBMers receive leadership training and development.
• IBM develops new markets and global leaders.

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Lups in the CSC

It was March 13th when the email pops up in my inbox: “Congratulations!!!  You’ve been assigned to the Philippines 14 Team with an expected departure date of  July 18, 2014.
The in-country portion of your CSC experience will run through August 16, 2014 and you will be based in Sta Rosa.  Additional details around your assignment location and CSC client will be developed as you process through the pre work phase in the twelve weeks preceding departure.  Given your departure time your team will begin pre work the week of April 21, 2014.

It took me sometime to realize that I really would be part of this amazing program I heard about a few years ago and I wanted so much to join. For sure it is important to say this was only possible because of some teamwork and help from my friends, family, coworkers and managers who contribute with my development in order I was considered to be part of this program! 🙂  Thanks so much each and everyone of you!