biz n buzz

The only thing that is constant in this world is change? As the popular song from Jose Mari Chan goes..

“We’re on the road
We move from place to place
And oftentimes when I’m about to call it home
We’d have to move along
Life is a constant change… “

Moving from one place to another is sometimes unavoidable. Job change is the usual reason as individuals are forced to move to another place due to job changes or job requirements. My sister a couple of years ago moved to Finland with her whole family as her husband transferred work there. They have to pack a month or so prior to the trip. When they arrive there their thing haven’t reached there yet and it took like a month of waiting. They also have difficulty adjusting to the new situation especially for the kids. Moving entails physical and emotional adjustments due to the environment change. Language barrier, cultural difference, weather change, and more. If one of those could be addressed before hand then there would be little need for adjustment.

In the US moving from one state to the other would not be difficult. This would be in terms of moving furniture, things, goods, and whatever personal effects. In Boston area for example there is Movers Boston which could be called upon to handle all your belongings. Mostly these moving service providers have a properly trained manpower with the latest equipments for moving. Thus, one will get the best moving and storage experience ever as compared to a self-done transfer. Getting the professionals help in moving from place to place would make a big difference.

For big and small businesses, it had become a trend to resort to outsourcing– to cut overhead costs and distribute work. Here in my workplace, the Institute have already started outsourcing some services starting from the grassroots like maintenance personnels, cleaners and including food vendors. For me I think it’s one way of providing better services to the community members wherein companies which handles similar expertise take charge and runs the system separately.  That significantly created bigger savings for the Institute.

In my husband’s IT department it has been a long hearsay that future programming and internet related services will be outsourced to an IT company from Bangkok. Until now it has never been implemented. And I’m thankful to that. The major thing that impedes them to push through is the big rate that they are asking or perhaps they are afraid to commit mistake in giving up their trusted employees.

In US New York IT Outsourcing is offering comprehensive solution to IT problems. Other related services that they have are Network integration, Business application development, Network monitoring, IT support, and Preventive care.  These complete set of services are just exactly the things that are necessary to build a new system for AIT.

One good thing I get to learn from my job is to correspond with applicants seeking post-graduate education mostly from Asian origin. Two years ago I was assigned to send out call for applications on scholarship for Masters in Gender Studies . Spreading the word was a easy task through our local media and gender email networks.

I made sure that they are aware of important document that needs to be submitted together with the application form. Interested applicants were asked to hand in the following documents to the Admissions Officer:

• A completed application form;
• A tentative one-page research abstract for the master’s thesis similar to application essays;
• Attested transcript(s) of previous Bachelor’s Degrees;
• TOEFEL/IELTS score or evidence of English language proficiency; and
• Two (2) recommendation letters

Then comes several queries which called me to find some hands on solution together with the Admissions staff. They would often asked me to inform them about the status of their application and vice versa. Well of course, I understood, it’s their future at stake.

There were few who had a hard time meeting the deadlines. As some bureaucracies are concerned, it caused delays on their submission of papers. Like for example a single transcript and recommendation letters takes time to accomplish and delivered by local postal services. The sooner it gets, the more tension develops between the school and the people involved. If you are into this kind of situation, let me suggest you prepare the requirements ahead of the deadline at least three to six months before. This will determine a greater chance of accomplishment and establish a good record of completion.

Overall, doing the correspondence was fulfilling specially when I got the chance to meet the chosen few. I felt happy for them.

My father has taught me a concrete example of how to live by your goals. He managed to finish a home study program during the time when education was too rough for a family of 8 siblings. He got the course of Welding Engineering from a US based homeschooling program. His diligence had brought him good chances to globe trot and get to learn adopt diverse cultures along the way.

Many men and women from my native country, Philippines, aspires to live a good life. They didn’t see it coming from their hard earned yet low paying jobs but by means of migration. Most of my countrymen had this similar perspective to finish education, work for experience and apply a job abroad.

As what I have noticed, becoming an immigrant in Thailand by any foreign worker is a great struggle. Thus the non-immigrant status is more attainable with low-pressure involved. A big populace of Filipino teachers comprises the bulk of workforce here. A good source of job information on this area could be found in ajarn.com which is more likely similar to Now Hiring Canada. Why have I mentioned Canada? That’s because most of the Filipinos working here considers Thailand as a stepping stone for a bigger opportunity on the first world countries. The Filipino diaspora doesn’t just stops there— on finding a livelihood but also settling in a new type of environment to finally fulfill their dreams. It may be a sad truth, hence there is still no place like home.

The new Gender students in our department are getting ready for next week’s big event in the campus. In line with this year’s International Women’s Day celebration. I remember 2 years back they had an awesome performance of Les Monologues du Vagin in AIT Cafe. I hope to join one of the activities below. Let’s see if I could make it.

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THE ASIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

GOLDEN JUBILEE FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN (1959 - 2009)

In Partnership with
GENDER AND DEVELOPMENT STUDIES (GDS) Field of Study
Proudly launches the

1st AIT GJFC - GDS Essay Writing/Photo Essay Contest

in celebration of the International Women’s Day on March 8, 2008.

Essay Theme: How can men and women work together for change?

Guidelines:

1. Essay writing contest
- Entry will be judged on the basis of relevance, coherence and
clarity of message
- Essay should be between 300 to 500 words.
- Placing a title to the entry is preferred but not required
- Font size: 11 -12 Arial/New Times Roman
- Deadline of Submission is on March 3, 2008

2. Photo essay
- Photo should be original and taken within AIT or from field research
- Photo should be of good resolution for printing purposes
- A photo caption should be provided
- Photo will be judged according to style, relevance and message
- Deadline of submission is on March 3, 2008

Who may participate: The Essay/Photo sections is open to all AIT
students. AIT staff may submit entries for the Photo essay section only.

What’s at stake:
Prizes/certificates will be awarded to selected essays and will be
published/exhibited during the March 8 event.

For your information and submission of entries, please email them to
aitgender@gmail.com. You may also submit printed essays at the GDS
Dept., 2nd Floor, SERD Bldg.

This Memo would definitely drive many Overseas Filipino Workers mad in sympathy to the hopeful newbies on the ISSUE of bonds for direct hires. This is seemingly worst than Malu Fernandez episode. Memorandum No. 4 of the POEA specifically addresses the case of potential OFWs. It imposes guidelines to employers who wish to hire Filipino workers which is undesirably getting impractical unless the employer comply on these two specific requirements of:
1. Performance Bond worth three months salary
2. Repatriation Bond worth 5,000 US Dollars

Great! So IF my visa expires today and let’s say for two months I’m jobless, eventually for the time being I will stay here in Thailand as a tourist. By the time the Institute hires me again on April, under the skilled worker category in Memo #4, will I be subjected to this law when I go home to apply for a new visa and pay some dues at the POEA? The big Question here is– will my current employer risk this much hassle for me? Maybe I’m just overreacting but for sure this spells TROUBLE. I hate to speculate any further over such unrealistic order. But I’d rather hope that this office would stop suppressing the chances of every qualified individual with equal rights for a better life.

I have signed the PETITION in decrying this new memorandum. This order is definitely not feasible.

The most awaited 108th graduation presided by the most beloved Princess of Thailand, Her Highness Maha Chakri Sirindhorn took place last December 21, 2007. The presence of HRH marked yet another manifestation of royal patronage that AIT has been fortunate to receive over the years.

Emergency measures were set up a week before the event, in cases of power interruption and traffic jam. Some friends took the chance to enjoy the fancy decorations along the road like having photo with the green and white flags of AIT, flag of Thailand and the purple flag for the Royalty.