Richard's Work

My man, THE man :)

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Friends on Facebook are posting stuff about Thanksgiving today and I was inspired to make one for our blog because we have a lot to be thankful for -- on top of which is Richard's work.  If you've been following this blog, you'd notice my numerous posts about Aly, her antics and my cooking/shopping adventures...not a lot has been said about the hubby -- I know, my bad!  In reality, Richard prefers to just watch me and Aly from the sidelines.  He would always say that he's happy knowing that Aly and I are happy with whatever we're doing.  But it's time that he step into the limelight.  He is, after all, the reason why we're here in Bangkok.  

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Since we moved here to Bangkok, I have witnessed the many blessings and great opportunities that Richard had with his work: his promotion, the many business trips that he took (some of them were on an overnight basis only just so he could represent TMAP-EM in a meeting); the rare opportunity to shake hands with the grandson of Toyota's big, big, boss and #1 man, Mr. Toyoda; pats on the back and praises from the Japanese for a job well done...and just recently, another extension on his assignment here in Bangkok.  Most Intra-Company Transferees (ICT) like him are given two-year contracts and if I'm not mistaken, he's the first ICT to be given a four-year contract so I'm really proud of the hubby :)

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We are truly blessed and grateful for Richard's work.  He's gearing up for another big meeting which made him miss having dinner with me and Aly on several occasions, but I always tell him that we should be thankful for more work because more work means more opportunities for him to prove his worth to the company (not that he needs to, but that's coming from me, his #1 fan). His workload has significantly increased and he is now working longer hours but Richard rises to the occasion, always exceeding the expectations of the Japanese.  With his passion, drive and commitment to work, I know that he wouldn't have it any other way :)

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The other night, as he kissed me good night, I told him that I'm really proud of him and his work.  All these blessings and opportunities that have come our way, he deserves them.  I know he's going to make Toyota history someday :) -- his goal is to become the first non-Japanese president of Toyota Philippines.  His Japanese boss couldn't help but smile when said this during his interview for Bangkok.  He probably smiled because he was surprised with Richard's statement and his sheer guts.  Who knows?  It may happen.  As Richard would always say, "dream big!"

  

The Life of a Toyota Wife

Richard flew to Manila yesterday for a weeklong business trip. So Yan and I will be home alone for the next couple of days. Bummer. This is going to be one very long week for me.

You know, I should be getting used to my husband's business trips by now. He's been going in and out of the country for as long as I can remember. But I guess the fact that we are thousands of miles away from home with no family and friends makes being left behind more difficult for me.

When Richard went home last Monday to tell me that his trip has been confirmed, I was stunned. It felt like a ton of bricks fell from the ceiling and landed on top of me. That's how bad I felt and my husband probably felt really sorry for me so he told me that Yan and I can come with him. I should be thrilled, but the thing is, this trip's confirmation was so last minute that we didn't have any room for it in our budget. After making a mental computation of the expenses that our trip will incur, I decided to stay at home instead. Besides, my friends will be arriving in a couple of days so it shouldn't be so bad.

Still, I feel bad. Before leaving the house yesterday, I gave Richard a big hug and asked him not to go (it's a long shot, but what the heck?) and he told me, "I'll be back before you know it. You should just go shopping para malibang kayo". That's sweet, but suddenly the thought of going shopping even with my husband's blessing does not excite me. I'm going to miss him a lot. I already do.

You see, the best part of my day is sometime between 6:30 and 7:30 in the evening. That's the time when Richard comes home from work. When he goes through the front door, he lights up the entire house with his big smile and enthusiasm. From that moment on, he will talk non-stop about anything and everything that happened to him during the day. Talking is his stress relief. Now that he's out of the country, the house will be a little more quiet save for Alyannah's occasional babble.

Sigh...I guess Richard's business trips is one part of being a Toyota wife that falls under the "I hate but there's nothing I can do about it" category. It's similar to gaining weight: you hate when it happens but there's really nothing you can do about it, except drown your misery in a bowl of vanilla ice cream with butterscotch and whipped cream.

Oh well, I hope "before you know it" happens soon...

We miss you, sweetie! Take care always! We love you!