Intra-Transferee Contract Termination Timeline

May 11 - Inform to terminate contract. Based on contract, processing would take 30 days from the day the employee informs on his wish to terminate the contract.

May 16 - I was informed that my schedule would be June 30.

May 27 - Flight to Cebu for a-week vacation.

May 24 - Meeting with Hamada-san and boss Rachel. June 30 is a possible schedule.
Take note that from "would be" (June 16) it changes to "possible".

May 25 - Meeting with Wada-san. Informed that there is a possible delay, mid-week or end of July could be the schedule.

June 14 - I made a follow-up because there was no use on it at all.
The email reply: "It is still in 1SL, not HR in NCOS, so it may be delay a few weeks."

June 22 - Another negotiation. Maybe October, or end of this year. I said I need time to decide on this. So, a meeting will be held again for my decision.

June 27 - The said meeting. I wil be scheduled to go home on August 1. They did not ask for my decision, I was just informed directly. I will have a business trip for two weeks before that starting July 4. The business trip might be extended.

June 28 - The business trip might be extended for 3 to 4 weeks. And August 1 schedule might be extended. Ticket reservation was already done.

--
My Plan:

if (the extension goes beyond end of August)
{
Send a resignation letter effective August 30;
System.out.println("Patience is my virtue sometimes people tends to abuse.");
}

Tantra Loads from Sis and Mom

My Mom ...

My Sis ...

My Tantra Loads worth 30K Php (Initially) :D

June Countdown (June 15-27)

June 15
What is with this day? Nothing. On the way to the office this morning, I was just daydreaming.Dreaming that I soon would be leaving from Japan, stay for a short while in NSP and try to look foroppurtunities somewhere else. I hope so. I have been in my current project lately and I have given mybest for this project. But as always, NSP is the ungrateful company I have ever known. My evaluation and ratings is saying "satisfatory". Tsk tsk. Kakawalang gana. I usedto shrug this thought off because I still enjoyed (take note of the ed) my job. Salary is just a second priority, learning comes first. What reasons would I be clinging in to stay in NSP if I feel like I am no longer learning?No support for its employees to gain certifications, technology updates, etc,etc.Salary? Naahh, it is just another reason to leave this shit. Its time for meto give myself a break. Its time for me to evaluate NSP if it is still worth for my service.If EVER, things that would hold me to stay in NSP are my bosses in Japan. They may not bethat kind, but they gain my respect enough for me to care not to upset them.I just hope my NSP frustrations wont overwhelm me.

June 16
Saturday, what a NICE NICE day. Weekend shopping galore!! I went to Harajuku -> Shinjuku -> Ueno - Roppongi. Escapade.How I wish I could have stayed on any of these places.My life in Japan would not be this dead silent with the ghost neighborhoodapartment of Leopalace Joy in ShinKawasaki. One thing in Intra-transfereeis that you dont have freedom to choose where to live. The company alreadyhad prepared a place for you to live and you just have no choice.They thought Filipinos are that insensitive, and or robots.I am not. I am a lively person. I need a lively environment. I needlively people all around me. Isolate me from these and you can kill me withloneliness. That is why I strongly decided to go home. There is much lifeon the other side than the "average" salary I earned here, in Tokyo, whileleaving in a ghost town in ShinKawasaki. Id rather live a simple but happy lifewith my family and friends than to live in a rich, insensitive city in Tokyo.But hey, Japan is a nice place, only if you work here not with NSP.

June 17
Sunday. Church. Roppongi Hills. Don Quixote. Tantra Kruma.And a drift to a world of dreams for the next day, working day.Not that much, anyway.

June 18
The start of the week. We had a meeting today for the week's activity.It was all about doing an estimation (Lines of code) for the next step'sproject scope. We will be doing an estimations of three major functions.First, is the Advanced Setting of Telephone Forwarding function whichinvolves the Telnet protocol for both Communication Servers, and somenew sets of user interfaces. Next, is its celfon UI equivalent. Followedby the Area Transfer settings, which also requires a user interface on theweb application, and a modification on the communication server. WOWOWOW!!!That's a lot. And who will do it? Here is the NSP Manpower: Three 1yr-training-experiencedengineers (1yr NSP experience), One 12year-teaching-experienced supervisor (1day NSP experience). GREAT!!! All of them have no experience yet with Webcuscon. The experience one just resigned.In NCOS side, 1 highly knowledgeable japanese, 1 theory-oriented japanese, 1 just-hired japanese,and me. OUCH, looks like I will be doing a bunch of work, pressure, and NUTS.No no no no. Chotto chotto chotto chotto. Its time for the new one to have theirfair share of stress. Its time for me to give headache to NSP, if it has a head."We can always hire new engineers." AaaawwwW.

June 19
Our first meeting of scope estimation. If the initial project scope would push through,It takes at least five experienced engineers to handle all, in NSP.The japanese is again babbling, complaining, that current NSP webcuscon is composed of inexperienced engineers and expressing his worries on whowill do the development. I remembered about the conflict between NCOS and NSPthat had happened when NCOS realized why NSP assigned three 1yr experiencedengineers. I understand how NCOS felt that time. If I were also NSP customer, I wouldalso do the same thing. Who would not get into their nerves if they realized thatmy product will be developed by newbies. I would feel underestimated, insulted, or not takenseriously. Well, I am enjoying every bit of it when NCOS "scold" NSP. Good for it. NSP deserves it for not keeping their seniors from resigning. The other project, CTS, has two supervisors,1 Senior Engineer, and four other experienced engineers, while webcuscon is under-manpowered.Confusing. Well, I dont want to think that they well give me all these work. Hahaha.Hmmm... NSP, think again.

June 20
I had my followup with the NSP Webcuscon mini-projects. They are currently havingminiprojects as their training for the next step. At least there is a training. I had my daily dose of japanese' complaining about NSP manpower. Grrrr.I dont want to hear. Do I wanna hear it? Bullshit. It makes my blood boilseveryday. NSP manpower sucks. Well that's it. Enough. Tell it to everybody else,not me. Anway, the evening ended with a nice farewell/welcome partyof the CTS business trippers. Beer beer beer. Hmmm... I had big smiles all night round.Took a hot bath, and a nice sleep. Tomorrow, ill be absent from work.


June 21
My japanese friend called, he said we will have a dinner for my farewell party. Wow, very nice timing. I am off from work today. Free all day. And we hada nice dinner in Tabata. Yummy yakiniku deshita.

June 22
Friday, yehey, most awaited day of the week. Opps, Ronald is staying in my apartment.Because NCOS mistakenly cancels his apartment contract instead of someone else'contract. Hahahaha. STUUUPPPIIIDDDDD. Wasnt it just a stupid thing?Yes. Very. And if the same thing would happen to me, I would not let it justpass by. Ronald had a lot of things, bad things to say about what had just happened.I just wondered if he ever let any or even a single of it to be heard by NCOS.Tsk tsk. babble babble babble. AND nothing else, all nonsense. I told him, if Filipinoswould make a mistake, it would be a big deal for NCOS, you should also show it to them that they made a mistake and it is not okey for you. Anyway, he will temporarily stay in myplace. Not a problem for me, but I know it would be uncomfortable for him.Being in someone else' room always has a feeling that you are giving hassles tosomeone.

June 23
Ronald's stay in my room is quite cool anyway. I had a Tantra playmate all day.All day Tantra, and with someone to talk with is relaxing. Hehehe. Gogogogo.I wont be out for the night tonight. But I will be out in Kruma for somerockings and spell-castings with my Amara17 Deva. Hehehe

June 24
Sunday. Church. Roppongi Hills. Don Quixote. Tantra Kruma.And a drift to a world of dreams for the next day, working day.Not that much, anyway.Hey wait. Me and Grace had some shopping in Don Quixote. She bought pillowswhile I bought Tequilas, wines, and sake for my stock. Hahaha.I enjoyed the shopping.But the funny thing was we were asked to offer the gift during the massin Roppongi. I was really nervous because I could not rememberhow it should be done in Roppongi church. All I remember is that thegifts are already placed on the back and just bring it to the altarduring offertory. But the gifts were already placed in front, and I justdo not know what to do. I convinced Grace to go ask a lady beside heron how the Offertory is done in Roppongi, and whew, it went all just fine.Sometimes, somethings JUST seems to too big to handle.

June 25
Monday, nihonggo class. I realized I wont be meeting my fgavorite funny sensei anymore.Because today's nihonggo sensei was no longer her. And I will soon be going hometo Philippines. I tried to recall what were the last words she said to me,her smiles, her face, I just was not able to say goodbye. Hmm the lyrics of a song again echoes in my mind, "... There are places I remember all my life,Though some have changedSome forever, not for betterSome have gone and some remain.All these places have their momentsOf lovers and friends I still can recall..."

June 26
I had a meeting today with the japanese bosses. They informed me thatI will have a business trip on July 4 to Cebu for two weeks.BUT my schedule of going back to Cebu for good would be postponedto August 1. End of discussion. I am disappointed. I have beenpostponed a lot of times. June 30, First week of July, Mid-July, Aug 1.More, more, more. !!!!

June 27
I treat the CTS members, Geff and Ramon, and Grace for some Ichiran-Ramen in Roppongi for dinner,then Grace bought us Coldstone ice creams. Hahaha. We were very full. We decidedto take a walk from Roppongi to Tokyo Tower, the from Tokyo Tower to Tamachi station,to burn away the foods we just "gluttonily" consumed. What a nice one to end the day !!!

A view from above Tokyo nights

Sorry for the images but I only used the N73 celfon to get these images from Tokyo Tower. It was just 150M above the ground. I did not go right up for one more level of the tower.

Tantra Memories

It was on the last week of January 2007 that I feel very homesick. Two weeks ago I came back here in Tokyo from Christmas vacation in the Philippines. I badly need a diversion. My friend here then introduced me to Tantra. My first impression was that the game is not user-friendly, and there was not so much details or support for the game on the net. I tried to create my first character in Manas server until it reacher lvl40. As gamer as I am, from Dungeons and Dragons, from minis to rpg, Magic the gathering, PC games, I always prefer on the wizardry type, so I choose the Abikara job. When I realized that my friends who played Tantra were on the Samadi server, I transfered to Samadi but still on Deva tribe. That was when they told me about top-ups. I loaded up thousands on my first month. I remembered how excited I am the first time I saw premium items in my inventory when I first loaded up for taney; black orbs, ultimas, QZPs, etc. When I reached lvl50, I started to change job to Abikara for Anaka. All along I met friends; elenainverse, sasawali, saburo, cocoymusika, chinsle07, crisknot06, VagInaSmucher, Sheng, and all others too many to mention. My first guild was BlackPropaganda, a guild full of politics and brags. My second guild was GODMODE. A cool guild, that was when I am around lvl 75 to 90. Everyone, from GM to Raja were very friendly, funny, and chatty. I was so sorry that it had to end. My next guild was not too much of a memory, Death-Reconing? Some of its members were involved in scamming and cheating. There was a time when I choose not a have a guild. I just want to go back to the time when Im still a newbee, hanging around in Mandara Gate and Shambala Portal, watching duels, admiring the high levels and their Amara Wings, spending time in the ToF. Those memories are great. From lvl 90 to 98, I usually wokeup around 3am just to level up in Mudha dungeon. Appreciating the bit of XP gained from killing those Masans, Vishnu Guards, greenish fishes, blue-skinned wierdos, and spiders. I even created my own guild just to avoid someone from inviting me to their own guild, hahaha. The fun in leveling up and partying in Mudha, Mining Area, Buchin, and Boras ended up when the Repeling Orbs mania started. Everyone started to dupe Repeling orbs and all an Abikara would do is stand-up, perform area skills, and that's it. With the use of Keypressers, leveling up is boring and effortless. That destroys the core of the game. I remembered doing some buy and sell thingy just to gain rups. Buy some items in Biryu ladies, then sell it in Exile for some little profit. Having 300M in my inventory was really a great deal at that time. Now 2billion rups was not even a figure. Tantra economy and its core was destroyed by cheaters who lust for power in the game, immature hackers who wish to prove their skills, and the administration itself who unbalancedly gives focus more on profit and commercialism. I witnessed the gradual downfall of Tantra, and the sudden rise of obvious display of malice.

To all my friends that I met all along in the game, we may not have a chance to meet, but we do had a chance to share memories in a world of Fantasy."Get into the game now", but be sure to get a life of your own first. :D

Old Photographs (First Days in Tokyo)

Tokyo Tower view

One of those mahjong marathons and late sunday breakfasts...

Late and wary night on the way back home in Shinagawa with Jaja ...

Jaja's Tokto Tower view ...

Tokyo University - Late autumn in early December ...

"...Old photographs and places I remember

Just like a dying ember

That's burned into my soul

Even though we walk the diamond-studded highways

It's the country lanes and byways

That makes us long for home..."

- Old Photograph (Jim Capildi)

June Countdown (June 11-14)

June 11 - I woke up around 8:30am today. Got the Monday sickness feeling. My body seemed to weigh a thousand ton just to let it leave the bed and go to the shower. My mind was shouting "hurry hurry or you will be late" but my body said "sleep & sleep more zzzzz". And I got myself almost late. The day's work was fine, we had meetings for the week's task. It was Kudo-san's coding practice schedule actually. 5:45pm, I left the office for Nihonggo class. My classmates made funny statements during the practice conversation. Ronald to Sensei :"Firipin kara tomodachi ga kimasu kara, dou soureba ii desu ka.". (A friend from Philippines is coming, what should I do?).Hahaha, its none of the station master's business, of course. Sensei was shocked and said, "How will I know what should you do with your friends?". But what he meant to say was that "A friend from Philippines is coming and he is on the train that had stopped, what should I do?". That was a good laugh anyway. I had two hours of Kruma after that, yeahh!!


June 12 - Meeting with Kudo-san and me. Wow, nice chance to spend time with Kudo-san. He is a silent japanese type. Though we are into the same project for a year now, we never became that close, unlike Hasegawa-san, we had just six months of doing the same project together but I can talk to him any topic under the sun. Well, I tried to open up things not work-related but it was not working. Majime desu ne. He is really into work mode now. The whole day is quite silent; Hasegawa-san was out for training for two days, the CTS team were busy, Ruben and Jaja, the persons Im comfortable with, were already gone to Cebu, no one to talk to, feeling lonely in a busy place is the craziest situation I had ever experienced. My Character now at Amara14, hehehe. Excited to level up more ... nothing to do anyway.


June 13 - Meeting, meeting, meeting. Tunog Classic (If you still remember that commercial jingle way back). And that was what my day was filled with. Fukunaga-san was absent, Hasegawa-san was absent, CTS members were busy, Kudo-san was so serious with his task, and me, hmmm, just trying to keep myself busy by checking the NSP members' miniproject test results. I didnt play Tantra this day. Just do some exercise at home, hot bath, then sleep.


June 14 - I emailed to Hamada-san for follow up on my schedule of going back to Cebu. He said it would be extended for a few weeks. hmmm, as expected. Anyway, fine with me. I am already expecting that delay, If the pinoys have what we call "Filipino time", the japs had what they call "Japanese schedule". They are really into postpones, postpones, and postpones. Hahaha funny isnt it. I played Tantra today. I already informed my guildmates that im quitting. As usual, as cool as they are, they said they will miss me. Awts . I do not know what they look like on the other end, but I know they are cool people. But, waahhh I was already 5% more to level up my Tantra char but it was already almost 2am, I must sleep, and I felt so sleepy, and ... click, Tantra exited. Zzzzz, maybe ill get the 5% tonight hehehe

June Countdown (June 8-10)

June 8 - Not much. I had just finished the English Translation of Selenium Document, or Atlas Translation rather. My brain is a little numb in doing translation right now so I seek the help of Atlas. I left 4:30PM to meet the CTS members in Tamachi Station from Cebu. Their first time in Tokyo. Ah, first time desu ne. I could still recall my feelings when I first came in Japan. I wish I still had that feeling right now when its my Nth time to stay in this place. After that, I attended the Nihonggo class, and had a dinner in Sukiya with the CTS members. I arrived in my apartment around 9PM, and I had a little chat with my Tantra friends, then a little action in Kruma, then sleep. Its friday night and I can't believe I can't spend it with friends. I am alone again in my room. Endu desu.

June 9- I woke up 9:30AM and get ready for a Tabehoudai party with the CTS members in Ginza. Me and Grace must leave the place around 11am. In Ginza, We met with Ryze & Jay, Lloyd & Lily-Ann. My day just got completed with that wonderful chat and lunch. I recalled I seldom had a laugh since I live here in Japan. I only had a laugh when I am with Ruben or Jaja, but they now went home to Cebu. My other co-intra-transferees here are somewhat, hmmm, i dont know, serious rather? probably quadrant 2 of the Behavior Pie, hahaha. I remembered my previous Cable-Modem- Quadrant-2 project group. Soooooo Booooorrrriiiiinnnnnng. Hahaha

June 10 - Sunday. Fukunaga-san, Hamaguchi-san, Aochi-san, Kitamura-san, Akune-san, Hasegawa-san, Kudo-san, and me had a party. It was my farewell party anyway. We had some beer and a little Tanduay Rum. Everyone get drunk with the Tanduay Rum. I got worried with Kudo-san because they let him drank almost 3 glasses of Tanduay Rum and he is not a good drinker. Anyway, that wont kill him, but i know it did make him uncomfortable. After that I left around 8PM, then went to Roppongi for a stroll, then went home. I had bought myself some light decors, so that got me busy when I reached my apartment. What a nice day.

After a-year-and-4-month stay in Tokyo

Here's me ... sick inside ... smiling outside. I feel like I am no longer as healthy as I am. Thanks for the tough times, it makes us tougher.

June Countdown ( June 3 - 7 )

June is the last month of my stay in Japan. Of course, I am excited to go back home. I am through living here in a place where I feel homesickness everywhere, everytime. Soon I will be living my life again. However, I wish to keep track of things before I totally leave this place, anway I will never pass this way again. That is how the June Countdown started ...

June 3 - I arrived in Narita Airport from Cebu with Grace ( a colleague ) arounce 2:30pm. We rode the Limited Express (I always prefer Narita Express, this was my first time) to Shin-Kawasaki. The travel took 3 Hours, WOW!!!. and I paid 2.6Kyen using the green car. If I would take the Narita Express, it would cost 3.2Kyen with a 1Hour comfortable travel. The difference in cost is 600yen, but the time you would gain is 2 Hours. Limited Express is not that wise choice. Anyway, that would be my first and last ride, anyway, I hope.

June 4 - MK Office. I Arrived 8:30AM and the day's task is about the Command Store for EMS. Hmm... interesting. I had a meeting with Kudo-san and Hasegawa-san, until 6PM. That was when Yoshizu-san reminded me that I had a Nihonggo class today. Ah, I totally forgot. Anyway, same old, same old, we ate at Sukiya after that with Grace and Ronald. Then I slept around 2am for leveling up my Tantra charater, now on Amara12.

June 5 - Got so exhausted for staying up late. Arrived at 10AM in MK. Kudo-san and Hasegawa-san had a meeting about yesterday's EMS feature. Good thing I was not included, I cant totally understand if they will try to use 100% japanese in the meeting. Maybe after they had decided on something, I can have a meeting with them. Lunch, same old, same old again.
BUT, at around 3pm, the client cancelled the EMS feature, hahaha, good thing I didnt exert much effort on it yet. Anyway, ill be out forn the office 7pm today. Bye...

June 6 - Meeting about Junit Test. How to Junit some Webcuscon modules. Peanuts.. yes, as if I didnt know it yet. But anyway, I still listen to Kudo-san and Hasegawa-san. I need to recognize their efforts for making the docs and initiating the meeting. But cant deny that its a boring meeting. Its like going back to elementary days where I am still new to this project. But ill be out later 6:30PM. My mind is shouting, Kruma, Kruma, Kruma !!!! Its the Player Vs Player Map in Tantra.

June 7 - Slept last night around 1am. I watched Heroes, and was disappointed with the plot of the season ender, too easy, too cartoon, but I like the idea how they ended the season, just the statements of the actors. Anyway, nothing to do. Counting hours is the busiest thing. You have to keep yourself busy if you have all the time for free. Hmmm... maybe ill be out around 6pm. I am excited to check if the Items my character vending since last night was sold. Hahay... I wont be playing Tantra when I get back to Cebu. It just to keep my mind busy and exciting while Im here in Tokyo. Buying time in Tokyo, that is what Im doing now...