today is the day

Today is the day my assignments are due.  I was supposed to have finished everything a week ago.  After all, all my tutorials are done.  I only had the Odesk and the Brainbench exams to finish.  Unfortunately, I was unable to focus on these since March 11.

What's March 11?

(from ww.itn.co.uk)

That's March 11! The 9.0 quake that stunned the world and shook a lot of families.  Including us.

joz, vej, zaj

Those are my nieces.  Staying with their Mom and Dad in Chiba-ken.  Since the quake, we were constantly monitoring them and finding ways to get them home.  There was no way I could have taken the Odesk and Brainbench exams.  Not until after they're back home with us - which was last Saturday.

So, I've been cramming since March 21.  Reviewing all my assignments and finally, taking some Odesk exams. I have a few hours left.  I will make sure Jomar gets this before sunrise tomorrow. That's a promise. Or today will be the day I will hate myself.  For letting go of an opportunity to keep on working in my pajamas.

it's back to reality for my pajamas

I'm done with my 10 VA Projects.  Hallelujah! I just need to finish the ODesk materials.  Then I'm heading back to the city.  Tomorrow, hopefully.

My pajamas went through a really challenging 2 weeks.  Almost three, actually.  A lot of late nights.  Gallons of coffee.  Forgetting lunch sometimes.  Wearing pajamas everyday. I just might need a new pair of pajamas. And a new pair of eye glasses.  And a new laptop with bigger screen! I've been using this computer.  I don't need to tell you how challenging it can be.

But my pajamas are happy.  It was very exciting for them I'm sure.  Venturing into something new.  Learning so many useful tools.  Testing writing (and reading) skills. Trying to be creative.  Researching like crazy. Forgetting Facebook.  Well, not exactly.  Having less Facebook - that would be more accurate.

I'm not sure if my pajamas are eager to go back to city life.  It's kind of nice out here.  But my pajamas know - this is not reality.  I would still work in my pajamas.  It will just have to be somewhere else.

my pajamas got sidetracked

I was supposed to finish my Odesk assignments - still in my pajamas.  Unfortunately, my pajamas got sidetracked.  And I'm not complaining.  Sometimes things happen and you just have to rearrange your priorities.

The recent Japan disaster had my whole family reeling.  When family members are in the midst of such monstrous distractions, everything else will have to be laid aside.  I hardly had the time to open any site except for FB as this was the only form of communication we had for a couple of days. 

Now the worst seems to be over for Tokyo.  But something's wrong with my internet connection. It's been intermittent for days.  I'm getting really frustrated.  I remember how internet connections went awry after the Indonesia quake.Or was that Taiwan?

Well, there's not much I can do.  It's waiting time for my pajamas. 

my pajamas went on leave again

This time, it's an emergency leave.  I spent almost the whole day with my niece. Helped her finished 22 assignments.  That's not the hard part.  The hard part was I was doing the tutoring online.

That's my niece.  Her name's Vej.  And she's in Tokyo.

Well, I was able to work (some) while she's busy with her homework.  I was unable to accomplish much today - not in terms of my own assignments.  But I am more than willing to do this again with her.  Especially because she's not keen on homework.  But for some reason,  she didn't mind working on them today.

It's probably because of the novelty of doing it online. Or maybe because she's always more behaved with me - her favorite Tita.  Or because she was having so much fun working on her schoolwork.

• I gave her stars for each task that she did - a total of 150 stars!
• We would do shoulder and head rolls together - in between each homework
• I let her sing and dance when she can't seem to finish what she's doing
• She got to choose (for my approval) what she ate 

I am sure she had fun - we had to force her to go offline and go to bed.

And it wasn't a whole day leave for my pajamas.  While she was doing schoolwork, I was able to finish another tutorial - How To Use Evernote.

Am looking forward to more days like this.  Another proof of how good it is to 'go-to-work-in-pajamas'

my pajamas went on vacation

Everybody needs a vacation.  I think more so when you go to work in your pajamas.  It's not good for your pajamas to be overworked.  And a trip out of your home office will do you good.

So, where did my pajamas go?  The closet where else? I was out with family yesterday and today - celebrating birthdays.  I would have preferred staying home and finishing my VA projects.  But I can already feel myself feeling tired from all the late nights and sitting in front of the laptop for hours and hours.  I finished my 5th video tutorial last Friday.  It was a short tutorial.  Surprisingly, It took me more than 12 hours to do it.  Not good.  Considering I was getting the hang of it.

I should be getting better.  But tiredness and fatigue can destroy whatever skills you've acquired.  That's why  I decided to let my pajamas have a short vacation.  No matter where you're working, balance is important.  Work with no breaks can affect your productivity.  You may be able to still produce results when you're tired and stressed.  But I doubt if you can work efficiently. I mean, yes you have the results.  But what about the quality?  Didn't you spend more time revising and revising?  Overlooking things that  you wouldn't have missed if you're mind was sharp and your body full of energy?

My Mom's house is quiet once again.  And my mind feels a little sharper than it did just before the weekend break.  I feel I'm ready to tackle my next tutorial. That's for sure!

Will I Be Here to Eat the Mangoes

Of course that's a mango tree!  I don't need to tell you that. What I need to tell you is - that's not ours.  Before you even request that I bring you some.

That mango tree- heavy with flowers and baby mangoes - is the prized possession of my Mom's neighbor.  All I need to do is step out from my bedroom into the balcony, stretch my arms, and grab all the mangoes I can grab.

I know- some people would call that ...stealing? Well, not in this town. In this town, any fruit of your neighbors- that you can reach- is yours.  That's a law.  My Mom's law.  And I believe her.  Because in this town, that's everybody's law.

Since there's no threat that I would have to go to court for eating our neighbor's mangoes, I've been dreaming (and planning) of getting several of these succulent fruit.  There's only one problem.  They're not yet ready for stealing.  Sorry! I mean picking. 

Everyday, since I arrived here 12 days ago, I would step into the balcony, look at the tree and wonder- will I ever get to eat the fruit?

Looks like it.  Yes, I've been here for 12 days.  And I so badly need to go back to the city. But I'm only half-way through with my VA projects.  5 out of 10. I don't know if that's good or bad. All I know is that I'm getting the hang of it.  Learning so much.  Enjoying working-in-my-pajamas so much. Overusing my laptop so much (that doesn't sound right!) - but you get my drift.

I am yet to finish the VA projects.  But I will.  Soon! Probably in complete, perfect timing with the ripening of the mangoes.  I just need to keep on working. And visiting our neighbor's mango tree while I'm here.

I'll keep you posted.

In the meantime, check out Jomar Hilario's VA Seminars

Cebu - http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Clk=4273835
Manila - http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Clk=4268349
Downloadable -
http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Clk=4268351
If you don't have a paypal account, email me at earnondweb@gmail.com

i'm not in pajamas

It's almost midnight but I'm still working.  If I stop now, I'll have to start all over again tomorrow.  I don't want to stop the flow of my thoughts.  I'm always like this when I'm designing a training program or preparing a presentation.  And I don't mind.  Would you mind doing what you love to do?

That doesn't mean I don't get tired.  I do. And I need to take short breaks.  I do that when I'm downloading or uploading a file.

I hop on a twister.

Or do some crunches.

That's why I have to do away with my pajamas.  The situation calls for cycling shorts.  And I'm still happy that 'I go to work in my cycling shorts'.