Hello again, Manila

Just arrived yesterday from Thailand, still feeling weary from the weeklong project management training workshop organized by the Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA). The workshop -- facilitated by MDF management trainers and consultants Susanne van Lieshout and Roshanga Wickremesinghe -- proved fruitful, as it provided participants helpful information on project-related issues such as managing projects, securing funding from various institutions, writing proposals, making presentations, among others.

As I said, the workshop ran for about a week, although a project management workshop like that takes about two weeks. As it was shortened to just a week, the workshop's sessions sometimes stretched from 9 am to 6 pm or more. And the sessions were about management-related concepts, processes, and issues. Talk about major nosebleed.

But don't get me wrong. I am very thankful that the office has sent me (together with Lara) to attend the workshop. I learned a lot from the workshop, and very eager to apply the things I learned in our projects. Plus, I get to meet old friends in Southeast Asia as well as meeting new ones. And it was my first time in Pattaya, the venue of the workshop. Overall, it was great.

The participants, which are managers, project coordinators, and budget officers in their organizations, come from SEAPA and its member-organizations, as well as partners the Timor Lorosa’e Journalists’ Association from East Timor and Centre for Independent Journalism from Malaysia. Aside from the two of us in the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility, the other two Philippine participants were Jaileen Jimeno and Baby Cacdac of the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism.

Here are some photos:

Some of the participants.





































Despite the hectic schedule, Lara still manages to look pretty for a photo.



Probably the most difficult task given to the participants was to make a toy car overnight. The cars should be made of recyclable or organic materials only. The participants were divided into two groups. To a group of journalists and press freedom advocates, the task was almost next to impossible.

The other group, Team Ferrari, made this:



















Our group, Team McLaren relied on heavy corporate support to do this. Meet the next "It" car. Haha.
































The two cars were tested in a car race. Because the Team Ferrari car ran faster and looked prettier than ours, it won. Boo. Haha.

When not eating at the Cosy Hotel in Pattaya (where we were billeted) or elsewhere, one fave dinner hangout of the group was this restaurant, which is near our hotel. Great food and service.



















The guy on the left wearing a white shirt, which seemed to me the restaurant's owner, knew which person ordered what food and drinks the previous night. One my first dinner there, I ordered jal jeera for drink, my first time to order it ever. Turned out it was a wrong choice for a drink. The rest of the participants, who sipped the drink, practically agreed with me. I guess it's an acquired taste. I could still feel my stomach churning every time I think of the green-flavored polyjuice potion-looking drink.
























At the end of the workshop on Friday, the participants who were leaving on the weekend were accommodated in a hotel in Bangkok.

I had some free hours on Saturday morning, so I went to the Chatuchak Park and of course, the Chatuchak Weekend Market.





























































A lot of things happened back home, most especially the conviction of former president Joseph Estrada for plunder . Man, lots of catching up to do.