Corrine: Fish and Chips

The post-college transition from classroom to boardroom is a big step for any fresh graduate. Upon receiving that rolled up piece of parchment called a "degree," you are officially welcomed into the dog-eat-dog world of corporate life. And so begins a new chapter filled with job interviews, entry level positions, bosses, pantries, and company-issued laptops. 

New lifestyle and eating habits soon follow. Your routine changes from the 7-4pm to 9-5pm or sometimes 10pm-10am. You get different hours of sleep a day, you eat at your desk, you see less of your friends, who are engrossed in their own work lives.

However, work has also afforded more options for meals. In some cases, it's easier to cheat break hours, whereas in school, everybody scrambles in panic as soon as the bell rings at 1am, with zero minutes till afternoon Chem Lab class begins. Moreover, you don't get paid to do your homework. 

Corrine joined the workforce early this year. A fine arts student from one of our top universities, I first met her when she was an intern in the summer of 2008. Today, she works as a Graphic Artist and Copywriter for a media conglomerate.

"Since I graduated and started working full time, I gained 14 pounds," she relates. "I know it's because I don't have regular Football training." Corrine used to play with her school team. "Second, my hair is frizzy when it's supposed to be soft, wavy and tame. The last time it was in this state was during Thesis Defense week. Plus, I eat more because of stress."

Today's de-stressor is takeout Fish and Chips (Twister Fries, actually) from Hot Shots and a bottle of Florida's Natural Apple Juice. I suppose it's better to take out your frustrations on steamed rice, without having to worry about hurting its feelings. Besides, Filipinos are pretty known for being stress eaters. Yet, when things go well, we eat even more--even throwing in our favorite heart attacks-on-a-plate, like Lechon Baboy and Sizziling Sisig.

"I almost always eat out. I usually buy food at the Food Park, mostly sandwiches, pasta and fish." Corrine says. "I don't have enough time to prepare baon because I have to wake up early so as to not get caught in the morning traffic." 

Corrine's workload may be giving her more bad hair days than ever but she's still a staunch believer in that old adage: "Work Hard, Party Harder." 

"I try to put more effort in finding time to unwind. But in reality, right now, I have no life. Hahaha! But I do get to have dinner with my family and friends but not as much as I want to."

All this got me thinking about my own experience of finding work out of college.

Actually, I didn't.

I wanted to rest for 2 months before dropping by the HR offices of prospective employers. In the meantime, my parents were  putting the pressure on me to "Get a job!"

I was pretty lucky to have gotten a project one month after receiving my diploma: a live TV stint as floor director for a Volleyball tournament. After almost 2 decades of receiving allowances, I was finally getting my own money. Nearly six years, 3 full-time jobs and countless freelance gigs later, I've had my share of headaches and heartbreaks: of realizing that sometimes there's little place for idealism, of staying up for 24 hours to shoot when you're blood levels seem to be plummeting along with your focus, of having moments of questioning if you're meant to be where you are.

But when you're young, you're constantly trying to prove yourself to your parents, peers, friends. Your work defines who you are and the reality is most of our days, weeks and months are spent in the confines of our professional lives. 

At the end of the day, the most difficult question to answer is "Are you doing what you love?" It's very easy to say that the shortcomings of our careers are due to bad bosses, low pay, corrupt politicians and their effects on economy or even Metro Manila traffic. It's easier to be on the defensive side; to think in terms of "us vs. them." Yet, we sometimes forget our own role in the greater scheme of things. Moreover, we forget to take care of ourselves.

Thankfully, there are ways to cope with the stressors of making a living. People read books, watch movies, take vacation leaves, work out in the morning, have sex in the evening. Over the weekend, Corrine and I even went out to watch the Katy Perry concert. The challenge is creating a ritual for recreation as much as we have a ritual for work. 

Finally, nothing beats getting together with your friends after a long day for dinner, asking each other, "Do you love what you do?"

Marc: Ham and Cheese Sandwiches with Baby Lettuce

When I first experienced working full time for a company 5 years ago, I was a production management assistant alongside Kris. Kris was a film major from the country's state university and had a penchant for discovering new music every day and reading blogs that were far from the usual mainstream fare while I, on the other hand, had more typical taste in things.

However, the one thing that was common to us was that we were both NBSBs at the time, which stands for "No Boyfriend Since Birth."

Today, we're both luckier in the relationship department: I got engaged this year while Kris got married! Incidentally our significant others are both named Marc/Mark.

Kris' husband is German and the couple now calls Christchurch, New Zealand their home, which they share with their cat, Walter. They met online when Marc stumbled across my friend's blog, leaving a trail of amusing comments that eventually led to regular chats, trips to New Zealand and finally, marriage.

With wedded life comes domestication and naturally, cooking for a spouse is probably among the first things that one will do for the other. In Filipino culture, any form of cooking ability other than boiling a pack of instant Beef Ramen is automatically seen as proof of "marriage-ability." 

"When I arrived in Christchurch, Marc tried making me scrambled eggs," Kris shares. "It was the worst eggs I've ever had and from then on I've taken over the cooking duties. Not that he minds. He'd rather bake than cook, and I don't bake, so it's a complimentary relationship."

Marc works as a Software Developer so he and Kris only get to eat lunch together on the weekends. Their midday meals are usually comprised of breakfast staples like Fried Spam, Toast and Omelettes. When they do eat out, the couple prefers Asian dishes. "Kiwi food is very bland," Kris relates.

Today, Kris prepared five sandwiches for Marc to take to work: Ham and Cheese with Baby Lettuce. "I think he likes them a lot," she says, even though Kris admits that she hardly changes her husband's sandwiches. "Marc's never complained. He's not a particularly picky eater." You can't deny the ability of good food to fuel married bliss.

Tammy: Inihaw na Bangus, Steamed Rice and Tomatoes

The standard lunch break lasts from 12:00 to 1:00 pm. In more flexible workplaces, it may extend till 2:30pm. If you're the boss or owner, it could very well take up the whole afternoon.

However, it was past midday when my officemate, Tammy sat down for her meal at 5pm: Grilled Bangus and rice. As a Project Manager, her day is focused on managing the projects of corporate clients for an activation agency. It is a tedious job that involves scouting for event venues, overseeing coordinators, auditioning talents--all the small details needed for successful implementation.

"I eat around 2, 3 or 4pm," Tammy says, as she wolfed down the boneless grilled fish, alongside a side dish of sliced fresh tomatoes and atchara. When one is focused so much on the nitty-gritty details, it's easy to lose track of time. She pairs the sweet, tangy Bangus with a spicy concoction of 3 pieces of crushed siling labuyo in soy sauce and calamansi juice--the perfect afternoon kick after a long day of poring over cost estimates.

Eating at odd times is something I've been guilty of. As a freelance floor director years back, I'd stand up for a full eight hours, refusing to remove my headphones and let go of the cue cards as I fully ignored the cold McDonald's Cheeseburger, stale fries and watered down Coke that sat at one sad corner: my lunch and dinner rolled into one meal, a reward for a job well-done.

Breakfast on the go has also taken on a whole new meaning. Both my mom and I would munch on granola and raisin bars while downing bottles of pine-orange juice as we switched lanes along EDSA. When the objective is to get to your meeting (which you're already late for due to Manila traffic alone), there's no time to think about sitting down for a proper brunch.

Yes, meals have migrated from dining tables to cars and workstations, from break time to crunch time. Constantly on overdrive, we rush our food to keep up with the pace of our professional lives. This is no longer the age of "dressing for dinner." The idea of eating properly and on time, let alone with a fork and spoon, has started to escape us faster than you can say "Drive Thru."

So, when was the last time you ate on time, I asked Tammy.

"Two months ago?" she answered. "I ate your baon, remember?"

That's when I realized I had left one-half of my Pork Sinigang that day she finished mine. That afternoon, I had to rush to a meeting.