IT Employment Outlook in 2007 - very promising!

I got this article in my email today from monster.com. Yes it's about IT employment and yes, my resume is still out there, waiting for the perfect IT (perfect by my own personal definition) that I can consider.

I took MIS when I was in college because of the demand for IT graduates back then. I worked for a great company after graduation from college. It was a great experience. I probably wouldn't have the though processing and task orientation today had I not done the job that I did for the company I worked for.

But after 5 years, I decided it's time for me to do what I've always wanted. I grew up in a restaurant. Almost literally. Cooking is in my blood. Since I was that little fat kid in the kitchen, I've always wated to cook. But I wanted to go pro. So going to Culinary School was really on my list. But I knew I have to go to college first, take a 'real' degree and have a 'real' job. And then I can decide if I still want to do this whole culinary thing. And I did.

So I started over. Now I'm a quarter away from finishing school and I have a job waiting for me in San Francisco. But just like anybody starting over, there's the issue of economics. Money does matter. Culinary School is an investment. How do I break even?

This article about IT Employment Outlook in 2007 is making me think it over.

But my heart is where I am now. I guess I will just have to pay the price for pursuing my passion. And work towards one day making what I may be losing now not being in IT.

But perhaps I can still do IT part time. I guess it's time... it's time for me to update my resume.

Missing Work

Pastry Team
Originally uploaded by Namee.

For real! I miss my job. I think I've been out of the kitchen for too long. I'm back in Chicago finishing culinary school but I miss the real deal in the kitchens of San Francisco.

I miss the smell of the walk-ins, the scent of strawberries and mayer lemons, the aroma of roasted tomatoes, freshly baked bread and toasted nuts. I miss the heat, the rush of adrenalin, the intensity of energy, the clanking of pots and pans, the sizzling of fish on saute... even the raised voices.

I can't wait to go back.

Girl Gimmick With Gwen

I went out with my girlfriend Gwen tonight. I met her friend, Donna, too who's in volunteer work with her. We just wanted to go out and breath I guess. Dance a little bit. Hang out. De-stress.

We went to Funky Buddha on Grand and Milwaukee. It was fun! Low key. We met a few people. We really didn't have a lot of energy to drink and socialize. We all know though that we just needed to dance away the stress.

I'm not a proponent of meeting guys at a bar. I believe that if there's someone special out there for me, he'll be somewhere else, with something better to do than checking out ladies at a bar.

I met a few guys, they did ask for my number, I gave them A number (773-202-5862, sounds familiar? let's sing it together... 773-202-L-U-N-A)

There's this guy I gave my real number too though, he said his name is Jose. I'm not sure if that's his real name, or he just said Jose because I said my name is Maria (which is really my name except that I don't really go by THAT name). He looked Latin so I asked him if he speaks Spanish, he answered, I speak French too! Interesting! Although, I don't think he'll call. I wasn't very friendly. I was having one of my unsociable social moments.

I had a lot of fun with the girls! Now back to the grind.

Culinary portfolios to write, recipes to go over, prep list to plan...

The Girl WithOUT the Pearl Earrings

I think it's almost quintessential Filipina to wear pearls. I wear pearls almost all the time. Although when I travel especially when I'm taking public tranportation, I just use the fancy ones. Those that I won't feel bad losing.

I was at Borders today on N State St., (on State and Randolph), the lady at the coffee bar complemented my eyeglasses and my earrings. She said I look very nice in my earrings and asked if she can have them. So without hesitation I took them off and handed them over to her. She said she'll buy me coffee for being so nice and making her smile. As I was insisting on the payment, she was returning the earrings to me. So I refused and told her she can have them and I mean it. She was very happy and said, 'I don't know why people steal small things when they can actually get it if they ask nicely."

I just smiled. I walked away happily with my big cup of capuccino knowing that I touched someone, somehow, in a special way.

NYR#3 - See Wicked

Wicked.JPG
Originally uploaded by Namee.

I'm WOWED! I've been wanting to see Wicked. My schedule just wouldn't permit it. I was running errands today and as I passed by the theater, I decided to ask if they have any seat free for the night. Luckily, I got one! I decided to go with it even if I have to go by myself.

I'm so glad I went. I really enjoyed the musical. I want to see it again! But before I do that, perhaps it'll help if I read or watch the Wizard of Oz again.

And of course, my new favorite Broadway Song:

"As Long As You're Mine"

music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz

(Copyright by Stephen Schwartz. Used with permission.)

From the script:

ACT TWO, Scene 4: A clearing in the Great Gillikin Forest. Night. A campfire.

Elphaba and Fiyero are alone at last...

ELPHABA:
Kiss me too fiercely
Hold me too tight
I need help beliveing
You're with me tonight
My wildest dreamings
Could not foresee
Lying beside you
With you wanting me

JUST FOR THIS MOMENT
AS LONG AS YOU'RE MINE
I'VE LOST ALL RESISTANCE
AND CROSSED SOME BORDERLINE
AND IF IT TURNS OUT
IT'S OVER TOO FAST
I'LL MAKE EV'RY LAST MOMENT LAST
AS LONG AS YOU'RE MINE…

FIYERO:
Maybe I'm brainless
Maybe I'm Wise
But you've got me seeing
Through different eyes
Somehow I've fallen
Under your spell
And somehoe I'm feeling
It's "UP" that I fell ...

BOTH:
Every Moment
As long as you're mine
I'll wake up my body
And make up for lost time...

FIYERO:
SAY THERE'S NO FUTURE
FOR US AS A PAIR ...

BOTH:
AND THOUGH I MAY KNOW
I DON'T CARE …

Just for this moment
As long as you're mine
Come be how you want to
And see how bright we shine
Borrow the moonligh
Until it is throught
And know I'll be here holding you
As long as you're mine...

(Fiyero studies her face.)

FIYERO
What is it?

ELPHABA
(beat)
It's just-- for the first time, I feel wicked.

NYR#2 - Organize!

MyCloset.JPG,
originally uploaded by Namee.

I believe organization starts from within... MY CLOSET!

I wonder if I can do this as a sideline. There was a wellness day in school and I was looking around at what products and services were offered: pomegranate drink, fiber food, massage, acupuncture, stress management, note-taking tips, clutter coaching?

NYR#1 - Reduce Clutter

Originally uploaded by Namee.

I'm normally organized. But there are thirty thousand things around me that I feel stuck in a mess... perhaps it's an organized mess because I still know where to find my stuff. Like I would know that I kept a mail that I have to attend to under a pile of school papers. I know that I kept my stamps between the pages of my 2006 planner that I already shelved. And that I left my phone on my bed under the shirt I plan to wear tomorrow. But still, it's a mess.

Today, I got it done. Yei! It feels good. I feel that if I can get my room organized, I can get my life organized. I was able to free up some space. I posted some of my books for sale online. I picked out old clothes I can donate for a cause like the salvation army maybe. I filed schoolwork from last term (but that needs some internal audit, i mean, do I really need to keep all of them?)

It feels great to have one of my resolutions done. Now I just have to keep 'em.

Super H, My Asian Sam's

Super H is a newly opened Korean megastore in Illinois. I consider it my Asian version of Sam's Club except that it's not a membership deal. It has a wide variety of asian ingredients from fresh produce to dry goods, from fish to meat, from kimchi to kikiam.

Everything seems so fresh it almost feels like summer in the winter with all the produce they are offering. They even have berries and cherries I normally never see during this time of the year!

The peppers look like apples. They must be very sweet too! I can spend an entire day just on the produce section.


There's chives and there's chinese chives and there's yellow chives! There's ginger and turmeric and galangal too!



They have fresh horseradish and fresh arrowroot. I normally just see these things in either prepared or powdered form.


From the familiar to the exotic. They even have Caltrops. I've never seen these things before. I had to look them up. Maybe I'll try them next time.


They have a pretty good selection of fresh and frozen meat as well as farmed raised and wild caught seafood!

Super H is just super!

First Class First Timer

And I mean that literally. I was lucky this time. On my trip back to Manila from Chicago via NW, I was upgraded to First Class! I planned on sleeping on the trip back but I was so excited with the upgrade that I stayed up getting entertained: coat check ma'am? sparkling or still? champagne or wine? salmon or steak? (for once I didn't hear chicken or beef!) chocolates or cheese? and there are 800 movies to watch!

Except that, I didn't know how to pull out the screen. I was pretending like I did while trying to figure it out but before that happened, the FA approached me, showed me how... And explained to me how the seat-with-ten-thousand-buttons works! Now I wanna stick my head under my 176-degrees-reclining-first-class-seat!

Oh well, you know what they say, there's always a first time. Thanks Northworst! The second time will definitely be sweeter!

Duman! Manyaman!

Duman is one of my favorite things. It reminds me so much of those days when my lola would call us to the round table for breakfast. The round table at Everybody's Cafe was her office. She ran the restaurant from here. At breakfast, she'll call all her apos to gather together for some Duman and fresh Carabao's milk. In a bowl, she would put a handful of grains, a cup of milk, a spoonful of sugar and a pinch of salt. My family doesn't get Duman very often nowadays but when we do, we eat it for breakfast like cereal, for snacks by itself and for dessert (which comes in all our meals by the way).

What really is Duman? All I know is that it comes from a very special grain prepared thru a process perfected by time and tradition. It's like rice but it's dry. The flavor is very delicate with a little sweetness to it. How it's made is something I have yet to explore. Reading about it makes me more and more curious. This is something I'd like to see on my next trip home. The blog on the Duman Festival is a very well researched and well written article about it and it's origin. It illustrates how special Duman is.

We eat Duman in many ways. I like it with salt and carabao's milk. My mom said I'm like my Lola Mameng when it comes to salt. But I think salt makes it taste better. I don't salt it to make it salty. I salt it because I think salt adds dimension to sweetness. I think salt keeps me from tasting just the sweetness of the sugar. Salt allows me to taste the duman and the milk too.

Sometimes we eat it with our very own Tsokolate Batirol. We make our own chocolate paste from roasted cacao beans and peanuts. We run them together in a stone grinder and it comes out like some dark nuttela. The chocolate drink is made using that paste and some hot water and cream, whisked using a malonillo, it's like a wooden whisk.

I would put Duman in it and have a Duman Champorado except that it taste like fresh grains soaking in chocolate rather than ricked cooked in chocolate.

My mom eats Duman by itself. My dad like it with coffee and cream. Sometimes we eat it with coconut milk too. It's also used to make other native desserts.

Maybe I can try putting a little flare to it and top it on a Panna Cotta or mix it in a Bavarian or make a simple Duman Rice Pudding. I'll eat that with fresh ripe mangoes. Now that's a sweet dream! Knyaman!!!

Boracay's Charm

I just had to go to Boracay. I feel bad that my parents felt neglected because I haven't been home for more than a year now and here I am, flying away again as soon as I arrive. But I just had to go to the Beach. It's the first thing I did after I saw my parents so I can get it off my list and spend the rest of my time with my family and friends. (excuses...)

I was so excited when I saw the long white shores of Boracay from the plane. It only takes 35 minutes from Manila to Boracay. I can't wait to hit the beach and play with it's fine white sand. It's so fine and white, it feels like flour almost!

Day 1 was still a bit cloudy. Typhoon just went by. Some houses were destroyed. Some boats were blown away. Some lost loved ones. But one thing I admire about Filipinos is their ability to face the situation and move on. They went out with brooms to clean their surroundings. They started rebuilding what was destroyed. And life on the island goes on.

The next few days are a lot better. The sun was out. The sky was blue. It was time to play! We did a lot of things on this trip. I rode the parao. My friends parasailed. We went up Mt. Luho via ATV. And then we did the staples: massage on the beach, foot-spa on the beach, dinner and drinks on the beach, beer, beer, beer and more beer on the beach.

Away from it or on it, Boracay is beautiful. It's a little more commercialized thanI remember. Hotels are being constructed left and right. D'mall is the place to be. D'talipapa is on its new concrete site. Food is more expensive. I must say it has gotten very touristy.

I've been to other virgin beaches in the Philippines where there's nothing else to enjoy but the beauty of it, the colors in the sky at dusk, the noise that the waves make, the smell of the ocean, the whispers of the wind.


But Boracay has its own charm. I can't help it. I just love it.