By Jenny Uriarte Rodolfo, Account Manager

To say that the first half of 2020 has been rough would be an understatement. It’s hard to believe that in only six months, the Philippines has already experienced a volcanic eruption, the African swine flu, AND the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. This series of unfortunate events led to cancelled corporate and social gatherings, mass protests, unemployment, and various degrees of community quarantine.

Despite all of this, I’m thankful I made it to this day. It’s officially June. This means that we’re only three months away from Christmas. (You do know that Christmas in the Philippines starts in September, right?)

I’m sure I’m not alone when I say that I am excited for the Christmas season because after everything we’ve been through, we all need something good to look forward to. Christmas in the Philippines always means unlimited happy vibes, festive decoration, family bonding, reunions, and all the delicious holiday food we can’t stop eating. I can’t wait!

With the holiday season around the corner, it’s never too early to start your wish list, right? Here are some ideas you may want to consider:

Work from home essentials

Since some of us will be rotating between work from home, and reporting to the office to maintain social distancing, wouldn’t it be nice to make your home office a better place? 

If your work involves a lot of conference calls, you should definitely have a noise cancelling headset on your list. A nice and comfortable office chair, ergonomic keyboard and mouse, a helpful laptop riser, or a standing desk would be nice to have too, especially to aid during inevitable overtime!

The homebaker starter pack 

Since the quarantine period started, everyone has been busy in the kitchen. Some people even started selling to make some extra cash. You name it, someone on Facebook or Instagram has probably baked, and sold it. From treats like mango ref cakes, Spanish bread, ube-cheese pan de sals, the classic banana cake to savory lasagnas and experimental sushi bakes, here are so many recipes to try to help you earn that dough!

If you’re keen to explore this creative side of yours, you may want to wish for equipment such as a stand mixer, measuring spoons, a kitchen scale, various baking pans (they come in all shapes and sizes), and of course, a starter oven. Don’t forget to add cute food-grade packaging to make your yummy creations super IG-worthy!

Home workout 101

When everyone isn’t working or baking, they’re probably exercising to shed those extra pounds they’ve put on as a result of staying home for the past three months.

If you want to restart your fitness journey, your list should include some (or all of the following, it really is up to you!) — yoga mat, jump rope, resistance bands, dumbbells, treadmill, and a stationary bike.

To keep you motivated, you can also add some cute workout clothes, a double-walled water bottle in your favorite color, and reliable shoes for those pre or post workout selfies you plan to share on Instagram.

Whether you’re on Santa’s naughty or nice list this year, we can’t tell just yet. While we wait for this pandemic to be over — keep healthy, stay indoors as much as possible, and last but not the least, breathe and power through. We can survive this. We’re all looking forward to the day we can eat, drink together, and be merry!

By: Nina Tambal, Senior Editorial Associate

People change. This is a fact of life. So, what happens when you’re all of a sudden cornered into a situation you weren’t prepared for? A drastic circumstance that life had to throw at you in the most challenging of times.

Sound familiar? With the two months of strict quarantine measures we had to endure, everyone was required to stay at home. A dreaded scenario that many joked as reminiscent of countless zombie or doomsday movies.

During the first few weeks, a lot of TeamAsians had a difficult time adjusting to it while others just liked the fact that they were home. Little did we know that in the coming weeks, the adjustment period would come with a few modifications to our personalities. 

The Four Temperaments is a psychological theory that there are fundamentally four personality types: phlegmatic, sanguine, choleric, and melancholic. Phlegmatics are the peacemakers and make it a point to preserve all the relationships in their lives. Sanguines are the free spirits and are the kind to believe in the saying, “I’m here for a good time, not a long time”. Cholerics are the hustlers and lead with conviction in order to achieve their goals. Melancholics are the perfectionists and can be sensitive to what others think of their work.

That said, I don’t remember who or what gave me the idea to take the test again. But knowing the amount of interest I have with psychology and personality tests, I probably just thought it was a fun experiment to try. I took the test last year and was phlegmatic. Several months and life-challenging experiences later, I’m now choleric.

To take it a step further, I had everyone else in our content department take the test as well. Majority of our team members’ temperaments unexpectedly changed.

Some previous cholerics became sanguines and another fellow former phlegmatic became choleric. For the cholerics that maintained their glorious temperament, their secondary temperament was replaced with either sanguine or phlegmatic. Distant from the usual choleric-melancholic personality they had at the office. The most interesting results came from Elton, a dominant choleric who turned into a choleric-phlegmatic (both temperaments with the same value), and Vince, who was a phlegmatic then and is still a phlegmatic (with a slight increase in his melancholic temperament) now. 

So, what happened? We unanimously agreed that it’s the quarantine. It must be. After all, we have different coping mechanisms and with the current pandemic, change has certainly been in the spotlight.

While there are individuals who are saddened (melancholic) as they go inward and dissect their many thoughts to cope, there are people who are frustrated and angered (choleric) by everything that’s happening. There are those who just want to have a good time outside (sanguine), even if it’s just to visit the mall. And of course, there are some who have found peace and quiet (phlegmatic) in the safety of their house.

The global health crisis is a matter that is not just affecting the entire world as a whole, but specific entities that contribute to its overall wellbeing, from big companies and small businesses to agile employees and hopeful families. The best we can do is show compassion to one another and keep holding onto that light at the end of this challenging tunnel, for the sake of what still remains good and pure for humanity.

Do you think the quarantine has changed you too? Take the Four Temperaments test here. Let us know what you think and start an insightful discussion about it.

Giving yourself an active boost in the new normal

By: Aiya Rodjel, Senior Editorial Associate

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle with good sleeping patterns, balanced meals, and regular exercise along with our other responsibilities is a tough challenge in itself. Enter the novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) and its repercussions, and maintaining a regular fitness routine may not be everyone’s top priority, and that is okay.

With fitness establishments closed and limited mobility options, it’s perfectly acceptable to have lost track of your fitness goals. Now that we’re transitioning into the ‘new normal’ and as movement restrictions ease up, it’s the perfect time to get back on track. Here are some tips and tricks for a stronger and fitter post-ECQ version of yourself:

Go outside if you can. Now that selected outdoor exercises are allowed as per the Inter-Agency Task Force’s (IATF) General Community Quarantine guidelines, you can engage in non-contact sports and exercises such as jogging, swimming, and even skateboarding provided that you follow minimum health standards. Not only would you get your sweat done, you’d also reap benefits from the sunshine and fresh air.

“Sneak” in movement into your routine. As per mental health and wellness website, HelpGuide, you should try to think of physical activity as a lifestyle choice, rather than as a designated event. Household chores can be turned into exercise when done at a brisk pace. You can also squeeze in some squats or crunches between commercial breaks of your favorite TV show. Think of it as a fun challenge, and these little tweaks will lead to results. 

Get creative with what you have. You don’t need fancy gym equipment to get in a good workout. Boston-based personal trainer Amanda Brabec suggests getting creative with things you already own. Use wine or water bottles for weights, dish towels for sliders (for exercises like lunges and mountain climbers) or a sturdy chair for step-ups.

Take advantage of free virtual workout classes. A silver lining from this pandemic is that many fitness companies are offering free virtual classes and resources you can access any time anywhere. Nike now offers their Nike Training Club Premium service for free, with nearly 200 streaming workouts and tips from Nike’s own experts. Many gyms and fitness establishments also offer free workout classes via Facebook live video and Zoom.  

Just dance.  According to the Rush University Medical Center, a 150lbs person can burn 95 calories dancing for just 15 minutes — that’s four to five songs — and it’s one of the greatest (and most enjoyable) stress-relieving activities. While you’re spending more time at home, might as well bust a move, and have some fun. 

Aside from achieving your #bodygoals, regular physical activity will bring remarkable changes to your metabolism, your heart, and your spirits. As former Mr. Olympia and actor Arnold Schwarzenegger once said, “You can have results or excuses, but not both.” So let’s get moving!

What are you doing to keep fit while in quarantine? Share your fitness advice with us at info@teamasia.com.

By James Michael Chiong

Before this version of the blog, I had more than 10 unfinished drafts that did not see the light of day. I usually am able to articulate a lot of things in writing, but when I received the TeamAsian of the Year award, and even until now, I still don’t know how to think or feel about this. For my colleagues who watched me stammer as I try to put words together when I accepted the award, I apologize. I hope you don’t secretly talk about the nerd who can’t make sense of himself during these intense situations.

Kidding aside, because of multiple trials and a lot of errors of writing this blog, I realized that this award is not because of me. Yes, the plaque was named after me and that I received the award during our Christmas party, but as cheesy as it sounds, this would not have been possible if everyone did not band together and work hard to achieve our goals.

Our daily mission is to provide the next level of experience for the brands, clients, and partners we serve. I am just happy to be part of this collective of creative and insightful minds who I work with every single day. And I am happy to be sharing this award with the entire TeamAsia family.

What Live Means
Throughout the 10 years of being a professional, I have struggled to be in a position to provide value to the people around me. Being able to provide value to people sparks joy.

And perhaps this is what Live, our theme for 2018, means for TeamAsians. Live represents one of TeamAsia’s principles that define that we should strive to uplift the lives of the people around us.

My old mentor used to tell me to do whatever it takes because that’s what it takes to be #1. Throughout my professional life, I valued the skills and knowledge I have and pushed myself to learn so many things. You know, to be #1, and because I am a nerd who takes learning very seriously.

I believed that I can provide the most value to the people around me by sharing these things that I know. I joined TeamAsia in December 2016, hoping to be able to share the ideas and knowledge I gained from my collective experiences and contribute to this unit of creative, intrepid explorers seeking for the next big idea. I joined TeamAsia as a marketing manager, tasked to improve the brand visibility of the agency and our integrated marketing communication services.

The Drawing Board
My fascination with data and technology will be a good fit to how we operate in TeamAsia, but when I started I didn’t know how exactly. I started applying what I know in those fields through Search Engine Optimization and optimizing the UI/UX and the conversion rates of our website. Our team also reported more about website analytics, social media platforms, online ad campaigns, and email marketing performance data.

We also performed experiments and A+B tests, in which we were allowed to test our theories and if we fail to get results, pivot and start over with better insights. It’s like a common life adage that discounts the number of times you fall down and puts more importance in the number of times you get up. We learn every day, and this is one of the things I appreciate about TeamAsia.

Up until now I still feel the pressure of pushing myself to provide more value to my colleagues. I work amidst some of the most creative and brightest minds I have ever met. So, I challenge myself to learn more and more things, not because so I can simply learn them, but to put the knowledge to good use when we work on the amazing things we do every day.

At the end of the day, being able to provide a different perspective to the drawing board, is how I think that I can help bring brands to the next level of experience.

The Nerd in the Super-Cool Agency
When I joined TeamAsia in 2016, I was worried how I was going to fit in. I was socially-awkward and because I was new, I focused a lot of my time to try to understand the brand as much as I can. But, in retrospect, it didn’t seem so much of a challenge because of the family I had in the Marketing and Accounts Department. Throughout my stint as a marketing manager, this family had my back.

Seth Godin, in his book Tribes, said that “A tribe is a group of people connected to one another, connected to a leader, and connected to an idea.” In October 2018, I was promoted to a senior management role in the Digital team. This meant that I am moving from my family, to leading my own tribe of Digital natives.

With all that’s happened in between, I am thankful.

• I am thankful for my family and friends that saw me through;
• I am thankful for the Marketing and Accounts Department/family that welcomed me. I am thankful of Denise, our director, and Clarisse, our marketing associate. We’ve done some great things together and I cannot wait for more;
• I am thankful for the Digital team. To sir Jeff, and our associates – Andrei, Justin, Evian and Chiara. Let’s all be a stronger unit together;
• I am thankful for the TeamAsians that I’m fortunate to have worked with. I hope I have provided value in the different things that we do; and
• I am thankful for our management. Thank you for the confidence you put in me – day in and day out.

There is a proverbial trash can filled with crumpled old paper with ideas, that all led to this version of the blog. Like the many years that have passed, these are experiences that we learn from, and move on from. We take away insights and new knowledge from these drafts, and from them, we do better things. And, if we all learn from these together, who knows what great things we can achieve?

Yes, the TeamAsian of the Year award is named after me. But the recognition goes to the collective creative and insightful minds of TeamAsians, of which I am proud to work with every day.