5 Years!

April 13, 2010. It's been five years from the day I got in Lexmark. Weeks and months before, I have been anticipating on this day. But when that day came, I was so busy at work that I totally forgot it. Someone (batchmate in Lexmark) had to remind me. "Oh yeah, today marks my 5th year!" Well, it's been a great 5 years. I've learned and experienced a lot in Lexmark. I gained friends, got to travel to different places, learned and experienced how it is to be in the industry, the so-called real world beyond college. Going back five years ago, have I imagined myself where I am today? Hmmm, I guess so, more or less. I wonder what it's like in the next five years...

My Resume

Thank you for dropping by. You can preview/download my resume at:

http://www.box.net/shared/sny6kuyuv3

Circle of Life

by: Ruby Anne E. Sison

Have you ever had one significant experience that left you thinking about the more important things in your life? I had one of those unexpected moments just recently.

One ordinary evening, I was at home with my sisters watching one of my favorite cartoon movies, “The Lion King”. As some of you may have already seen the movie, the main character, Simba, learned a very important lesson from his father, Mufasa, about respecting every life in their kingdom. Every creature is considered valuable and plays a vital role in what his father called, “the circle of life”.

Recent events in my life and my family’s left me thinking about how valuable life is and how death, which is so natural and part of life, seem to have a great impact on one’s life. It even leaves you wondering if life could still go on after losing a loved one. Early this year, I lost my grandmother. The first thing that came to my mind was how we would go on without her. Was it even possible to go on with our lives and recover from the pain of losing her? I had never experienced losing somebody really close to me before so I didn’t know what to think. The only reality that I could see at that time was that I would no longer be able to see my grandma anymore. I felt really sad.

But life does go on, whether we like it or not, and one day we will find ourselves smiling again. I guess the fact that life is fleeting only makes it more valuable and precious. Last December, my sister gave birth to her first baby boy. Even though we went through a tragic loss, there was also another addition to the family. There is also life, just as there is death. Life is a celebration and a most extraordinary gift. Every life is connected and the things we do or not do can indeed affect not just ourselves but others as well. We should all play our roles as best as we can in this circle of life to preserve this planet and to preserve life itself.

Condemned!

by: Ruby Anne E. Sison

It is amazing what a few days of vacation can do to one’s spirit. It was Holy Week and naturally I went home to my hometown with my boyfriend, Mitch. We spent most of the week attending masses with my family. It was the afternoon of Easter Sunday when my grandfather invited us to join him for supper. I was pretty excited since I knew that meant my grandpa sharing stories with us. I have always loved my grandpa’s stories since I was young until now. Stories mostly about the things he has been through in life. His stories always leave me feeling inspired and motivated and true enough, this invitation left me and Mitch very inspired. My grandpa started his story with a confession. He told us that he once went through a dumb stage which I of course found hard to believe since my grandfather has always been known to possess a brilliant mind in his younger days, and his popularity has continued to amplify even after his years in school. He is now a very successful lawyer and reputable politician. But yes he said when he was about 7 to 10 years old, he attended a barrio school. Back then it was all what my parents could afford for our education, my grandpa said. I could just imagine the kind of education he got from a barrio school. Later when things improved a little with my grandfather’s mother able to work as a teacher in Jimalalud Elementary School, he was transferred there. It was hard being a transfer student my grandpa recalls. So many things he didn’t know and was not taught in the barrio school. It was a challenge for him to just even cope up with his classmates much more excel in class. He remembered this one time in his English class when they were asked to write a friendly letter. It was their first formal theme writing activity. Their teacher, a very strict man nevertheless brilliant explained to them the rules. The teacher checked their work and made corrections in a red ink ballpoint pen. The students then edited their work incorporating their teacher’s corrections. By the end of the day, their work were returned to them.

My grandpa was very excited to see what corrections their teacher made on his letter. So when everyone of his classmates had their work returned, my grandpa smiled. He saw his classmates’ letters with a lot of red corrections. He then hurried home to deliver what he believed to be good news. Reaching their home, he saw his father and immediately told him about their activity. With a grin, he reported to his father that most of his classmates had plenty of corrections while his work had only one word written at the end of his letter which at that time he did not know what it meant. So his dad commented that maybe his grammar was correct as my grandpa handed him his work. His father then read the only word written in red ink as it said, “CONDEMNED”. My grandfather innocently asked his father what it meant and he just told him to ask his mother. When his mother knew what happened, she decided to tutor him everyday. With great determination and hard work to become better, it was not long when my grandfather was able to write great pieces. Later when he was in college he would get the best orator and debater awards in several competitions with brilliant pieces he made.

My grandpa told us that if it weren’t for that particular experience, he would not have strived to become better and he would not have become the person he is now. He ended his story telling us that the moral lesson was simply hard work and determination being essential tools in reaching one’s dreams. Never allow a failure to stop you from trying again. You’ll never know that failure may turn out to be a turning point of what you do best now.

Lex 2010 pics

(UNDER CONSTRUCTION)