[ An English translation appears below. Cheers and mabuhay! ]
HALF PA LANG ng katawan ko ang nasa bagong job, kalahati ay nandyan pa sa pabrika na paikot-ikot sinusunod ang daily routine natin ng checks and tests.
Mahirap tanggalin ang mga ugaling halos naging bahagi na ng system mo pagkalipas ng 15+ years.
Kahit nasabi ko sa sarili kong mula ngayon regular na ang tulog at buo na ang 8 to 9 oras, di pa rin itong lubos na tinatanggap ng katawan ko. Sobrang nakaukit na yung schedule nating two weeks day shift, two weeks night shift.
Alam kong hirap ka na namang matulog nang Lunes tanghali para may konting pahinga bago pumasok nang 7:00 pm. Kahit halus dalawang dekada na natin itong ginagawa, pinakamalupit parin mag-adjust mula umaga papuntang gabi. Everyone hates night shift but somebody’s gotta do it, sabi nga ng mga puti.
di ka magugulat pag sinabi kong nakakapanibago itong first week ko sa bagong trabaho.
Unang una, di na jeproks o jologs (mayroon pa bang gumagamet nitong mga words natin sa Pilipinas?) For the first time mula nang namasukan ako sa New Zealand, sumuot ako ng polo shirt na may kwelyo, sa orig na opisinang walang maingay na makinarya, nakakalat ng produkto o nagsisigawang kakosang di marinig sa ingay ng produksyon.
Pangalawa, di na ako naghahabol ng tulog at gising pag uwi at pag alis mula sa trabaho. 12-12 oras kasi ang hatian. 12 sa trabaho, at twelve sa pahinga. Nuon, paguwi pa lang, binibilang na ang mga natitirang sandali bago magpahinga at gumising uli. Konting bonding time with Mahal and baby, kain, ligo, at tulog na. Eat, sleep work, repeat. Ngayon ay may konting palugit, pwedeng manuod ng TV, magbasabasa at kung anu-ano pa. Go with the flow and live in the moment. Di ka na lang robot, work to live and not live to work.
Pangatlo, at di pwedeng limutin ito kahit huli: di tayo laging pagod, sa trabaho man o sa bahay. Dahil nagmamadali tayo lagi, dahil sa dose-dose, at dahil parang tinik na natanggal ang night shift o trabahong panggabi, di na ako ngarag paguwi at pagpasok sa work.
Minsan dahil sa haba ng oras ay nawala na sa timing ang katawan mo, pagod ka pero di ka makapagpahinga. In short, kulang talaga ang oras para magslow-down, magrelax muna, at magshut-down. After 15 years, nagagawa ko na ito. Nakakapanibago pero masarap na adjustment.
Narealize ko na mahirap makarelate sa mga nararamdaman ko ngayon unless nag night shift ka or kasama na sa trabaho mo maglong hours. Pero basta manggagawa ka at nagbabanat nang buto, alam mo na lifelong struggle ang maghanap ng trabahong babagay sa yo at uukol sa pangarap mo.
Di pa tapos ang byahe ko.
Thanks for reading!
***** ***** *****
Only half of my body is in the new job, the other half is still there in the factory, going around following our daily routine of checks and tests.
It’s hard to get rid of the habits that have become part of your system after 15+ years.
Even though I told myself that from now on I will sleep regularly and get a full 8 to 9 hours, my body still doesn’t fully accept it. The schedule of two weeks day shift, two weeks night shift is deeply engraved in me.
I know you’re having a hard time sleeping on Monday afternoon to get some rest before going in at 7:00 pm. Even though we’ve been doing this for almost two decades, it’s still the hardest to adjust from morning to night. Everyone hates night shift but somebody’s gotta do it, as the whites say.
You won’t be surprised if I tell you that this first week in my new job is a bit strange.
First of all, it’s not jeproks or jologs (are there still people who use these words in the Philippines?) For the first time since I started working in New Zealand, I wore a polo shirt with a collar, in an original office without noisy machinery, scattered products or shouting co-workers who can’t be heard over the noise of production.
Second, I’m not chasing sleep and wakefulness when I get home and leave from work. It’s 12-12 hours split. 12 at work, and twelve at rest. Before, as soon as I got home, I counted the remaining moments before resting and waking up again. A little bonding time with Mahal and baby, eat, shower, and sleep. Eat, sleep work, repeat. Now there’s a little leeway, I can watch TV, read and whatever. Go with the flow and live in the moment. You’re not just a robot, work to live and not live to work.
Third, and I can’t forget this even if it’s last: we’re not always tired, at work or at home. Because we’re always in a hurry, because of the 12-12, and because it’s like a thorn that was removed from the night shift or night work, I’m not exhausted when I get home and go to work.
Sometimes because of the long hours your body loses its timing, you’re tired but you can’t rest. In short, there’s not enough time to slow down, relax first, and shut down. After 15 years, I can do this. It’s a strange but pleasant adjustment.
I realized that it’s hard to relate to what I’m feeling right now unless you’ve done night shift or your work involves long hours. But as long as you’re a worker and you’re working hard, you know that it’s a lifelong struggle to find a job that suits you and fits your dreams.
My journey is not over yet.
Thanks for reading!
