Speaking Is The Key To Success

A few years back, when i was working as operations manager on the pier, receiving cruise ship guests, i was working with a very good friend of mine named David. David was that kind of happy-go-lucky people who's always pumped up even after a 2 hours night sleep. I've known him pretty much since the first month I've been living and working here in PV. On the pier, he was helping me with the check-ins and reporting to me.

One day, it was almost time for a tour to depart and he told me that he was still 2 people short. To which i asked him: what about the 2 folks lining up behind you??

He turned around, look at the couple standing up behind him and asked them:

- can i help you?

- we're with you, said the gentleman smiling.

That's when David told him this exact sentence:

- sir, speaking is the key to success, if you don't tell me you're with me, how can i know? You're the 2 i'm waiting for, now let's go!

I told him in the aftermaths that he shouldn't talk to people like this because even if he was cordial, it wasn't very nice of him. But i couldn't help thinking, damn, that is so true.

I even saw a sign with the same sentence (kinda) in a local bus here. It was saying: not because you're standing in front of the door means that you want to get off. Please request your stop on time!

All throughout my life, I've heard people telling me how lucky i am. Truth is, i don't believe in luck. I believe in getting on your feet and go out there MAKE your luck. If you don't speak out about what you want for yourself or in your life, it is not going to fall in front of you by divine intervention. People are not psychics. They don't know what you want and more to the point, they don't care enough to find out. So SPEAK UP!.

Last week, i got to the point that i was about to explode at work. I am was in charge of the operations of all the bookings we're dealing with and to get more specific, making sure that all the clients we have on the field are getting what they paid for. Our clients are picky ones. They're the type of people that will complaint because the vehicle they're travelling with is grey and not white. Because the guide doesn't have all his teeth or because they want to do Tequila testing in Yucatan even though it's not the place at all. And part of my job is to make sure they get what they want. The other part of my job was supervising set departure groups. And let's be honest, it's a different job but one i connect to a lot more. More in sync with what i like to do and with who i am.

So last week, on the verge of exploding, i went to talk to my boss and told her: i'm not happy with my job, it makes me feel miserable and this is why i don't think i'm the right person for it. However, i really like the company i work for and i would like to ask for the opportunity of getting the management of the groups part only and maybe find someone else for the other part of my job.

One week later, we had our corporate retreat week, we had personal evaluations, we had meetings and chats, and today, it's been officially announced: i am the new operation manager for groups.

JUST

ONE

WEEK

LATER

If i hadn't spoken my mind, would that have happened? I don't think so. Or maybe not that fast anyway! I'm so excited, a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I'm happier than a pig in shit!

Now move over you losers, i'm gonna be queen of the world!

I Feel Like An Old Fart

As some of you might know, this past week was our Corporate Retreat. And as part of it, we did an activity all together, outside of the office. And that activity was none other than the Canopy tour of Vallarta Adventures. 

Since Dear Beloved is one of the guides there and that all my colleagues know him, we asked for him to be part of our guiding team. So it was pretty awesome to spend a few hours having fun with my colleagues and my man!

I've done the canopy trip more times than i can remember and even though i have a blast every time i go, i always feel like a million years old in the aftermath. Let's be honest, the tour is a blast. But how the people working there can do it up to 4 times a day without passing out is a complete mystery to me.

Everybody at work has that erroneous idea that i am super fit just because i bike to work every day. Biking is not like zip lining, biking is not like climbing either.

On the tour, the zip lining itself is super fun. The rappelling as well. But the bridges and the ladder, not so much. Oh my the ladder. I normally take the other way around the ladder cuz i had done it once before and almost passed out. But i was like, OK, i'm fitter than i used to be, let's give it a shot. That was a big mistake. It's a 20 meters ladder that feels like a mile long. After a few minutes, i was like, yeah i must have passed the half of it. I looked up and damn, i wasn't even one third through!

I had taken a shot of Ventolin prior to getting up the ladder and that surely helped me. But even though my lungs were up to it, none of my body muscles were. I mean 3 days later and i'm still in pain. Pain that comes from places i didn't even know had muscles in!

The good thing is, out of the 17 people that are part of Journey Mexico's team, i'm the 6th oldest but definitely not the stiffest!

So where are you young in-shape people??

It Was An Accident

It was an accident! We didn't expected it AT ALL! We had no idea"

This is what a dumb ass actress from Hollywood said in an interview when asked about her recently discovered pregnancy. 

Seriously?

Are you fucking KIDDING ME??

You're 30+, have obviously unprotected sex with your husband/boyfriend and act surprised cuz you're PREGNANT?

JA JA JA JA JA. Oh my god, you're such an idiot.

Out in the middle of nowhere, when you're 10 years old, a century ago, ok, maybe, i'd give you the "i have no idea how this works" but in the 21st century. Dude, you're a celebrity. Everything you say will be printed and taken as an example. People will listen to your words like you're the messiah. And you come out with something THIS hugely stupid.

Oh dear god. And i thought "teen mom" was one of the most stupid shows ever produced on TV (that and a whole bunch of others i'll spare here (for now) that show how sick a world we live in (and sad and pathetic). You don't need no reality show to laugh at stupid people. You just have to watch live interviews of celebrities. 

I'm not saying all are stupid, far from this. But some should really be nominated for the dumb-ass Oscar. And knowing that they're reproducing themselves on top of that, without evident clue on how on earth did that even happen to them? Oh dear, where is this world going??

Sing Out Loud

THIS is what my boss told me at work the other day!

O_o

As you should know if you read my previous post, i love to sing on top of my lungs when i'm alone, especially if it's in my car. And since i don't have a car anymore, i listen to my old USB key with a pair of gigantic headset at work. It helps me focusing on the stuff i'm doing without being interrupted or distracted by my colleagues.

Obviously, i cant sing on top of my lungs sitting at my desk. I mean how about that as a distraction for the rest of them! I DO sing however, but silently. And even though i articulate every single lyrics i know and like with every song i listen to, i do so without a sound coming out of my mouth.

The other day was no exception except that my boss "caught" me in the action of pretending to be America's next singing sensation and he asked me (hence interrupting me while i was listening to a very cool song by Nicki Minaj - which, by the way, i hate (being interrupted i mean)): are you singing what you're listening to? No dumb ass i'm rehearsing the play i'll be presenting tonight at the Theater (i also used to do that in my car, rehearsing scenarios over and over until i was 100% happy and then repeating it again and again because it made me happy - long story, might write about it! stay tuned!).

To his question, i just said yes i am.

And that's when he said : come on, sing out loud then!

AJA

SURE

ERMMMM

NO

a) he himself would most likely shut me up in a pretty nasty way if i'd ever dare to sing out loud on a regular basis

and b) you really don't want me to sing out loud the songs i'm listening to!!!

At that specific moment, i was listening to Nicki Minaj (as i said) "starships" and it was that moment in the sing when she says: we're higher than a motherfucker", immediately followed (i had the USB on shuffle) by "move bitch, get out the way, get out the way bitch get out the way" by Ludacris (which is the most awesome song to sing in the car when you're overtaking some idiot driving 2 an hour: cuz "if you do the speed limit get the fuck out of my way" ...) Chanson pleine de finesse!!!

And then after that, i had the "here's to us" song by Halestorm which is also very refined in the lyrics: " Here's to us, Here's to love! All the times that we messed up, Here's to you, fill the glass

Cause the last few nights have kicked my ass. If they give you hell, tell em to go fuck themselves ...

So NO, i wont sing out loud, boss! I'll keep it for myself!

I Miss Having A Car

Let's be honest here. It's been 8 months almost since we crashed the car and just about 7 that i bike to work pretty much every day. Don't take me wrong, i love the biking and the exercise i'm doing thanks to it, but i miss the me-time i used to spend in my car. 

It was my car, my space, my bubble and more important:  I COULD SING MY LUNGS OUT when i was in it. And that was pretty much happening every single time. 

I could listen to the same song 10 times in a row without anybody saying anything, i could sing on top of my lungs without worrying about being out of key or galaxies away from the high pitched keys i was listening to and it was a great lung related exercise to keep the asthma away (what? singing doesnt prevent astham attack? whatever! what do you know about asthma anyway?)

I believe i have a pretty good ear when it comes to music and i can sing a lot of songs without being out of key. I just lack the lung power. I'd love to be able to sing a Christina Aguilera song as well as she does but let's be honest, i have more of a P!nk voice! Which is OK when you sing rock'n roll songs but not quite it when you sing slow emocional songs. And even P!ink can go pretty high as well (damn her).

But in the car, without an audience, WHO CARES?

I can still sing while i'm biking but it's not quite the same you know. You get outta breath in a split second and you cant really isolate yourself from the people you're passing by. And even though i dont really care what people think about me, i can't sing along with the radio on. And wearing headphone while biking is kinda suicidal. So not so good.

I still have the USB i used to listen to in the car. I have it plugged on my laptop at work. Reminds me of the good old times in the matymobil.

There'll be a new one some time in my future. 

And there'll be some more singing. 

Oh YEAH!

Now sing along the only song i was singing in my head all along the writing of this post (paying tribute to P!nk :-)

"So raise your glass if you are wrong, in all the right ways, all my underdogs, we will never be, never be, anything be loud, and nitty gritty, dirty little freaks, wont you come on and come on, raise your glass ... "

Inspiration Come To MEEEEE

I said it before and i will repeat it again and again: happiness kills inspiration. I have tons of pending posts to write, just can't find the will to do it ...

Be patient.

"Tout vient à point à qui sait attendre"