A place to breathe….

It was time to say goodbye to a person who changed my life for forever…  

He is moving to a new company, we might be dealing with each other soon because the company that he will transfer to is in the same industry but I know it will not be the same.

I first met him on an overseas call from Geneva to Manila. Philippines was chosen to be the pilot country for a system and the process is part of my job so automatically I was the one assigned to handle the new system. Little that I know that this new system will change my life and my family’s life.

The system was implemented successfully in our country, it was deployed in whole asia and after a few months i was informed that i will be moving to geneva for a 3 months development assignment and dominique wants me asap.

The 5.5 months that i worked with him was so good. He taught me a lot of things through the way he works and the way he speaks. He gave me huge breaks that I can never ever imagine that I will ever have. He sent me to countries in Europe and he opened doors for me here in IATA Geneva.

I will miss you sir and I will always be thankful for the great boss that I had in you. Good Luck on your new post and till we meet again. I will truly miss seeing you at your desk and saying bye sir or i’ll have my lunch sir…. I will miss the great person that I’ve met in you.

The moment the invitation was posted I knew I’m coming to the Black Tie Christmas Party of IATA Geneva and it was almost a month ago.

As days passed by and pressure is sinking in to find the perfect dress, perfect get up, shoes… everything. It wasn’t just an ordinary party, it’s a black tie party - my first! It’s like a gala that you have to wear an evening gown and be a perfect lady like for the night.

Finally last weekend my ex-boss from Manila convinced me that I will meet everybody on that night, a chance I should not miss! So last Monday, I started hunting for the perfect dress and I only entered one store and after trying a few items finally the saleslady handed me a very simple and yet elegant black dress. It fit very well and I immediately paid for it.

Two days after I bought the perfect shoes to match the perfect dress and undergarments as well. I called the hairstylist to do a homeservice of my makeup and hair. So at 8:31 pm on Thursday I was at Movenpick Hotel already. It was a 4 course sit down dinner and I’m glad I made the effort of dressing up because everybody was so gorgeous on their night gowns and black tuxedos.

It was a fun atmosphere though I know not many wants to join because of the event being so formal but who cares, it’s not everyday that I get the chance to dress up like a real lady. So dinner was served and everybody is full already. There were wines everywhere and after a good dinner it was Party time.

I was seated with a couple of friends but I was looking for my team and finally I saw them on the other side of the room. People were dancing already but I don’t like the ethnic songs that are being played but I was on a very upbeat and happy mood =)

Finally the nice musics are playing already and it was party time. Everybody is already in the dance floor and I am so glad I joined. On our nice clothes and nice get up we were dancing our hearts out. Nobody cares about the moves just upbeat motions at the dance floor. People of differnt ranks were partying like crazy and it was so much fun!

I’m so glad I attended. It was a first kind of a thing for me.

It’s not yet officially working time in GVA, I still have 30 minutes to spare but on the contrary my time started as early as 3:30 am today. It has been like this for a couple of weeks. Trying to find time as much as I can to meet deadlines. Working and the programme I’m into is a good but tough combination.

Despite the move from our office in the Philiippines to GVA permanently still they kept me in this leadership programme in our Asia Pacific Region. This is supposed to hone us to be the future leaders of IATA and I must say, it will really test you. Things that I’ve learned:
a. It is not enough that you are good, hard work still plays a greater role in achieving things.
b. Preparation is everything.
c. In any programme or company it will be easier to work on a project on your own rather than working with a group of people.
d. Time Management is everything
e. Focus
f. Enjoy the experience coz you will miss the stress later on =)
g. Get to know the people, networking is a good tool.

Okay time to work now. and can’t wait for the weekend….

Officially I started my new job last November 16, wanting to celebrate this new great event in my life I invited special people for a special dinner.

I set the date December 1 and invited Ms. Del, Dominique (my two ex-bosses), Lumi and Rajat (my two close friends in the office). I was very excited for the night, knowing it will be shared with the company of great people.

For two weeks, Ms. Del and I have been looking for the perfect restaurant and finally saw this small but very famous hotel restaurant at the old town Restaurant Les Armures http://www.hotel-les-armures.ch/fr/restaurant-geneve.php. Even I’m not really into cheese but Dominique really prefers fondue so I reserved a table for 5.

I printed the map to the restaurant and asked Dominique if we can all ride with him. But on the last minute Rajat couldn’t make it. It was 6:30 already, time to leave the office.  

Finally we reached the restaurant. Saw the pictures of Bill Clinton and his wife visiting the place. Good that we made reservation, the place was so full. It must really be a good place to eat. We were seated at the corner and we all toasted for me. Cheers to a great new job and now start to work! =)