I hate it when I have highlighted email messages which stays for days or weeks on my outlook to-do list, it’s either a WIP (work in process), or emails which demands calming down before clicking that reply button, or emails which demands availability for possible rendez-vous or an email which demands information to which I have no answer, or worst, no idea where in the world I could dig for possible answers.
One email has been hibernating in my inbox since two weeks now. You won’t believe it. It’s an email from our secretary asking everyone in the department to fix our summer vacations!
In the Philippines, funny how most of the people working in industries had formed an allergy to the word ‘vacation’. We always have the tendency to work more and play less. A lot even converts their vacation and sick leaves to, you got it, cash!
Here in Europe, aside from our daily agenda, vacation management is one skill indispensable in our corporate life. In the company where I work, the corporate calendar starts on June 1. That means to say that we have to re-zero our accounts at the end of May. As I have no vacations yet, I only have few days to liquidate - my RTT days (due to work time reduction, we gain in average 0.83 days/month vacation). And mind you, I still have 5 days!
June 1 marks my official 5 weeks paid vacation leave. It also marks my skill on vacation management! Hey hey, do you really think it’s that easy? Let me guide you how to organize a vacation in a European mindset:
1. Choose the best date – if you’re single, that simplifies the process. If you’re in a couple, synchronise the dates with your partner. If you’ve got children, then you have no choice, you only have scholastic vacations to choose from. Once the dates are chosen, then proceed to step 2.
2. Choose the activity – cultural, sportive, leisure, adventure, tourist itinerary visit, visit families or friends or just a mix of all of the above.
3. Choose the destination – note that Europeans don’t limit their long vacations to their own country, it normally stretches out to the whole globe.
4. Check weather reports – once destination is chosen, please don’t forget to check the weather. If forecasted weather is not to their liking, they don’t hesitate to go back to step 3.
5. Check for best deals – the best gear is of course the internet, where last minute prices, promotional packages and a lot of cheap stuffs are posted. Never neglect that most Europeans are kuripots. They want fun at the least possible price! Best deals include transportation and hotels.
Looks simple but not really. I just organized our May vacation, and now, I have to start thinking about our July vacation. Heck, can’t I just stay at home?
13 years ago
5 comments:
who says you can't have a vaca at home? enjoy your holidays, analyse, while the little one is still easy to bring along ;)
Justice, what?? there's more problem than what I've listed???
Ruth, that was our deal (with frenchguy), to maximize our time together while we're 'alone', but I guess we're not synchronized yet. He's still on his No-Kids mode.
schatzli, hmmm, diving sounds good to me, where will you do it? greece? by the way, how's diving fee there? am thinking about bringing frenchguy there one day, pag nagkapera ako hehe (at pagkapanganak na rin).
yeah, bakasyon na naman, gastos na naman...
So, where will you be spending your summer vacation?
We've just made a reservation yesterday, north of France, vers Normandie. Would love to be in Bretagne (comme l'année dernière) but because of the long drive, ayoko muna, kakasawa. Can't also be in Pinas (July---typhoon month) and since Taguig (where my parents live) is one of the Phil.'s flood prone areas, sa X-mas na lang siguro.
Alors, comment va le petit boutchou? :-)
Hey Boks, be leaving friday night, direction Angleterre for a week. We'll probably do the visit on slow motion :).
On July, direction belle-famille, try to recover second hand stuffs from his cousins hehe, tipid na.
Hehe, katuwa ka, from here, i see the same distance bretagne or normandie hehe. enjoy your vacation et esperons que le soleil soit au rendez-vous!
le petit bout de chou va très bien. ako yung wala sa mood hehe, hormonal imbalance daw. malapit na kong itakwil ni frenchguy :)
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