My Micu

I am blogging because I want to brag about the “katas” of my work at UP. When I worked for PeopleSupport, I was able to purchase two cellular phones, but they were purchased one at a time, and using credit card of my co-worker. When I worked for Convergys, I was able to get a mobile phone—cash this time, but it is worth 6K including the extras. It is a China-made phone with dual active sims. Those were good buys, I must admit.

My latest electronic device, however, is worth blogging about as it is really a good buy in terms of what it does and what more it can do.

My laptop is an Acer 4730Z, T3200 processor, 2GB of memory, total of 160GB storage. It also has a DVD-RW, 5-in-1 card reader, 2 USB slots, Crystal Eye web camera, and wifi (According to the ad, the wifi has 802.11 b/g/N-Certified... Wow!). When I bought it, it had Linpus Linux.

Linpus Linux is a text-based operating system... or maybe, I just don't have an idea how to add a graphical user interface like GNOME or KDE to it (I actually don't know what those are.). So when I bought it, I was not able to use my laptop immediately.

I had it installed with Windows XP SP2... the popular XP version (that I know). I still have to use it because most of my classmates at my masters classes and even my co-workers at UP Manila still have Windows. I have to stay compatible with their systems.

I am, however, very much interested and drawn to the Ubuntu Linux operating system. My teacher in Management Information Systems, Prof Ariel Betan (who is Assistant to the Vice President for Administration of the University of the Philippines), introduced the idea of dual operating systems last semester, so I had that interest in dual operating systems to suit my needs and the needs of my friends.

Ubuntu (and Linux, in general) seems difficult. When I try to get instructions on how to install OpenOffice.org 3.0 (which is easy to install in Windows), I had lines of text commands that—not only was it difficult to understand—difficult to follow. For example, when I tried to use the su - command, and entered the password, I got an “Authentication Failure” error.

I asked Professor Betan about it and, at the same time, Googled for instructions on how to install the office suite in my Linux. I got an article on how to use the Synaptics Package Manager. I was afraid to use it because I read earlier (and followed the article) that I had to uninstall OpenOffice.org 2.4.1 before I install 3.0. That means I uninstalled 2.4.1 and had no office suite for one day.

Professor Betan gave me the article that I found. I followed it. And voila! I have OpenOffice.org 3.0! I actually used it to type this article at home (before I uploaded it to this blog).

Now, I know how to install applications in Ubuntu easily. Look for Debian file URLs and add it to the list of Software sources. And that is how easy it is.

It is so easy to change desktop images. It is as easy as creating an image using OpenOffice.org 3.0 Drawing application.

The effects are way better, and with the swap that the IMS staff has done, I have 4GB of memory to use!

I am really proud of my laptop that I have decided to give it a name: MICU, or Mobile Information and Communication Unit.

I first thought of giving it MX, from the book that I was writing. I find it difficult to think of a reason for the acronym, however, so I had to change it to something that can reflect what it is for.

There were about five names, but the only other contenders were MICE, or Mobile Information and Communication Equipment, and Information Operations Unit, or IOU. Neither was acceptable because the idea that is conjured from those do not reflect the effect I intend them to have.

I also thought of MICA, for Mobile Information and Communication Associate/Assistant. I thought, however, that MICA is a female name. I think computers are male, because you have to turn them on to make them work (this is an anti-male joke :).

MICU (or Mobile ICU also), on the other hand, may be related to intensive operations in the hospital. I believe that my information needs and operations reflect this.

With that long explanation, I am now giving my laptop a name: MICU (pronounced mee-ku).

I hope we can work together well and for a long time. MICU is my Information Operations Assistant.

Here are pictures of the hardware and screenshots of Ubuntu (There is nothing new to see at my Windows XP.).

Made to Love You

A fast song that still captures a reality of reason of existence:

Made to Love You

The dream is fading, now I'm staring at the door
I know its over cause my feet have hit the cold floor
Check my reflection, I ain't feelin what I see
It's no mystery
Whatever happened to a passion I could live for
What became of the flame that made me feel more
And when did I forget that...

I was made to love you
I was made to find you
I was made just for you
Made to adore you
I was made to love
And be loved by you
You were here before me
You were waiting on me
And you said you'd keep me
Never would you leave me I was made to love
and be loved by you

The dream's alive with my eyes opened wide
Back in the ring you've got me swinging for the grand prize
I feel the haters spittin vapors on my dreams
But I still believe
I'm reachin out, reachin up, reachin over
I feel a breeze cover me called Jehovah
And daddy I'm on my way
Cause I was made to love...

I was made to love you
I was made to find you
I was made just for you
Made to adore you
I was made to love
And be loved by you
You were here before me
You were waiting on me
And you said you'd keep me

Never would you leave me I was made to love
and be loved by you

I was made to love you
I was made just for you
Made to adore you
I was made to love
And be loved by you
You were here before me
You were waiting on me
And you said you'd keep me
Never would you leave me I was made to love
and be loved by you

(nah, nah, nah, nah - nah, nah, nah, nah, nah)
(nah, nah, nah, nah - nah, nah, nah, nah, nah)

Anything I would give up for you (nah, nah, nah, nah, nah)
Everything, I'd give it all away (nah, nah, nah, nah, nah)

Anything I would give up for you (nah, nah, nah, nah, nah)
Everything, I'd give it all away (nah, nah, nah, nah, nah)

Anything I would give up for you (nah, nah, nah, nah, nah)
Everything, I'd give it, I'd give it all away, Oh yeah

Cause I was made to love you (I was made to love you)
Yeah I was made to love you (I was made to find you)
Cause I was made to love you (I was made to adore you, made just for you) (nah, nah, nah, nah, nah)
I was made to love you (I was made to adore you, made just for you)
Cause I was made to love you (I was made to adore you, made just for you) (nah, nah, nah, nah, nah)
I was made to love you (I was made to adore you)

Yeah I'm loved by you
Yeah I'm loved by you (nah, nah, nah, nah, nah)
Yeah I' m loved by you (nah, nah, nah, nah, nah)
(nah, nah, nah, nah, nah)
(nah, nah, nah, nah, nah)

Sanctuary

Another favorite Kingdom Song:

Sanctuary

Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary
Pure and holy, tried and true
With thanksgiving, I'll be a living
Sanctuary for You

It is you, Lord
Who came to save
The heart and soul
Of every man
It is you Lord
who knows my weakness
Who gives me strength,
With thine own hand.

Lord prepare me to be a sanctuary
Pure and Holy, tried and true
With thanksgiving I'll be a living
Sanctuary for you

Lead me on Lord
From temptation
Purify me
From within
Fill my heart with
You holy spirit
And take all my sins away.

Lord prepare me to be a sanctuary
Pure and holy, tried and true
With thanksgiving, I'll be a living
Sanctuary for You.

Be with me Lord

This is one of my favorite Kingdom Songs:

Be With Me Lord

Sometimes I feel that I could fight an army
With just me and you, there's no one could harm me.
Oh, but sometimes I can feel a little shy,
It's when I need to know that you are there that's why I'm singing

*Be with me Lord, Be with me Lord
be with me Lord, oh, be with me,
be with me, be with me Lord,
be with me Lord, be with me Lord,
be with me, be my only God.

I know you said that I will not be tested,
more than I could bear and that you have my best in mind.
And with everything that ever comes my way,
I know you're in control so hear me as I pray. I'm singing...
(Repeat *)

Now help me Lord to share what I've been given,
help me make a difference with the life I'm living,
as I show my neighbor where true treasure stored
help me know you promised you'd be with Lord, I'm singing...
(Repeat *)

Motivating Filipinos

My co-trainers and I recently had an informal talk with an Australian manager whom they usually talk to during breaks. He asked them what motivates Filipinos to work, and why do Filipinos not have ambition (I don't remember anymore which was asked first.). As I can remember then, he is in the engineering or construction industry, and so I thought his background is more on technical than behavioral (which is the main function of management).

He asked if money would motivate Filipinos to work. I wish it were that easy, unfortunately, it is not the case. Filipinos are like every other people in the world that money alone would not motivate them to do work.

(When I say motivate, it's not just make them work, but rather internally drive them to work--without need of constant reminder of doing their work.)

A number of theories on motivation are present. My favorites are Herzberg's Motivation-Hygiene Theory and Maxwell's Leadership model (which is not a motivation theory, hehehe).

Herzberg's theory tells that workers' satisfaction and dissatisfaction are two independent ideas. A worker's environment has its inherent satisying factors as well as dissatisfying factors, which a manager can influence to motivate the worker.

Also called the Two-Factor Theory, the two factors in the Motivation-Hygiene Theory are (surprise!) motivators and hygiene factors.

Motivators are work characteristics that give positive satisfaction to do work. These are intrinsic conditions of the job itself. Examples of these are achievement, recognition, responsibility, and the joy of doing the work itself.

Hygiene factors, on the other hand, are organizational attributes that do not give positive satisfaction but dissatisfaction (hence, demotivation) arises from their absence. Examples of these are salary, company policies, procedures, and others.

How do we differentiate? Motivators are work based on the work itself, while hygiene factors are (generally) set by the organization (through the management or the leaders). Let's take money as an example.

For a long time, money has been held as a primary motivator for working better. According to Herzberg's theory, however, money is just a hygiene factor, meaning it is a requirement but is not enough to make people work more than what is required for them (which is a requirement for an organization to be competitive, according to Michael Porter, but that is another story...). People may be initially interested in a company that gives high salary, but they don't stay if the people or the environment is not supportive.

Does this apply to everyone? Meaning, do all people don't care about money? Of course not! That's ridiculous! The point, for me, is that people would not stay in a company and work more than what is expected of them simply based on money (which is the primary driving force of commissions in a sales environment). I remember a saying of General MacArthur, "Give me 10,000 Filipino soldiers and I will conquer the world."

Filipinos have a collectivistic culture, so it is hard to find people who can work on their own, driven internally. More are externally driven, meaning they need someone to say, "you're doing great!" or, "continue, you're doing a good job!" or, "we're here with you!" Salary is just for their needs, not for the work itself.

Going back to the other question, "why Filipinos don't have ambition?" Of course, that is a sweeping generalization. That's not true for everyone. I guess, though, that there is a cultural basis for that reality for the majority of the population.

Again, Filipinos are very collective. Besides that, we are also hierarchical and traditional. That means that we have a strong adherence to authority, be it based on law, organizational position, social status, or age. With this, ambition comes as a second idea only compared to keeping the status quo, minimizing conflict, not appearing to be arrogant, and not to mention that the word "ambitious" seems to have a negative connotation to most people (Heard of the expression, "Napakaambisyosa mo talaga!"?). Only people in authority have the right to have plans--ambitions. People who have plans are seen as deviants. Although there are a lot of popular culture adhering to change and innovation, it is still a long time before Filipinos would have an individualistic and equal-treatment behavior in a social setting (be it work or non-work related.

(I don't know what word to use for the opposite of hierarchical.... If you have an idea, I am open to it.)

So, what motivates Filipinos? You'll have to take each individual, although a good guidance is a sense of purpose (and money is not an end). Why do Filipinos have no ambition? Not all, but blame it to adherence to tradition--which is different from culture itself.

Persistence

It's very interesting how God talks to me about my life. I keep asking Him, "Why all these problems? Why me? When will these end? When will I get my own share of pleasure?" I have many problems, I am having many doubts, and I'm beginning to worry.

(Actually, I do a lot of times, each of those, but today, there are a lot of each and all at the same time!)

I "know" which chapter in the Bible to read. I started the book of Job (I just finished the book of John, about the same pace as that of the Catholic Church for the Holy Week.). I thought I know.

The problem with "knowing" what to read in the Bible when you have a situation is that you would have assumptions and pre-reading interpretations on the message that God is telling you. If you do not prepare for the reading, your Bible-reading is bound to fail. You end up reading the Bible for yourself instead of for being for God. And you are not able to connect to God!

So I was done. I started to do my morning routine.

It's been a while since I listened to FEBC's Pro-Tips, which is a short discussion of Bible verses in the work setting. The topic for today could not have been more exact... Persistence.

What's more, the source could not have been more exact and more unexpected from... Luke 18. The Parable of the Persistent Widow.

The discussion outlined the values of persistence, by using the acrostic, PERSIST.

P - Patience is developed
E - Endurance is enhanced.
R - Respect is earned.
S - Soften heart.
I - Inspire.
S - Solidify faith. (I think... I wasn't able to get everything because I was using my cellphone, and I just got out of the bathroom then so I just had towel on me.)
T - Trust is won.

I hope this helps other people as it has helped me. Remember... Luke 18.

MV Doulos

It was an awesome experience. I do not know how to tell it. But simply, I want to express my awesome experience with being on the MV Doulos, the "floating bookstore," trully, the "floating United Nations."
As a communications specialist, I am very particular on the intercultural relationship the crew members have. It was--part funny, I must admit--exciting and enlightening to see how people of different culture unite to serve. A sight that particularly caught my attention was the conversation between two guys, a Spanish and a Filipino. The Spanish guy was alone in the last "station" (I don't know what to call it) and seems to want to eat. The Filipino guy came in and he heard the Spanish guy said, "Necessito comer" ("I need to eat," or something like that.), but the Filipino cannot understand what he was saying (nor can I remember). The Spanish guy repeated the expression about three times before beginning to gesture with his hands (to his mouth). "Comer, comer," the Spanish guy said. I wanted to help him but the Spanish guy was quick to understand that the Filipino doesn't understand. Finally, he (seemingly) got to remember to say "to eat." Finally, the Filipino understood.
I got a lot of books that were really new and practically free, although I went there more so that I may have the chance of interacting with the members of the crew. I was able to interact with them, however, only to ask about the price and such. I never got to interact with them on the intercultural and interpersonal level.
Well, they are currently in Subic. I don't know when they will be back, but I sure will be there next time they dock here in Manila.