The Workaholic Bum

It Feels Great to be Pinoy

2007-05-30T01:22:00.000+08:00

Oops, he tagged me again! Here's how this goes:

1. Answer the question: What are the 3 signs you see happening now that make you say, “it feels great to be Pinoy?”
2. Tag 10 people.
3. Even if you're not tagged, go ahead and join the fun!

3 signs why it feels great to be Pinoy:

#1: This country is an international call center haven. The United States, The United Kingdom and other countries in Asia depend on Philippine call centers to handle their customer service needs. I myself work in a call center for a British financial institution. More and more companies are looking at the Philippines as their next call center site which shows that the Philippines is well-equipped with the technology and manpower needed for this industry.

#2: Filipino celebrities are making it big abroad. Lea Salonga. Nicole Scherzinger. Efren "Bata" Reyes. Cristeta Comerford. Vanessa Minillo. Rodney Jay Salinas. I can go on and on! I'm sure any Filipino can too. Several different celebrities all-over the world continue to show that we got "IT."

#3: Filipino educators are in demand. Ever since the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, educational institutions have targeted Filipino teachers to meet educational demands. That goes to show that Filipino SPED teachers are at par with the high standards of the U.S. My mom is a SPED teacher currently based in Winston, VA. She not only makes me proud but the whole nation too!

Now to tag 10: Abbie, Anabel Pine, Beejing, Bundi, Ephie, Ian, JM, Knox, Sheila and Tess.

The Top 10 Emerging Influential Blogs in 2007

2007-05-27T03:28:00.000+08:00

I stumbled into Janet Toral's blog and her project of identifying new and emerging blogs that are making an impact to its readers in 2007. Any blogs around the world can be nominated as long as it started anytime from August 1, 2006 to present.

Whee! You had me at Hello! got a vote!!! :)

So... here are my nominations:

1. You had me at Hello! - Duh! Of course, I'm nominating my own blog!
2. My Filipino Wedding
3. Space Invaded
4. The Comic Blurb

Oops... did I just nominate every qualified blog in BBN? I did! :)

The Medical Leave I Wished I Never Had

2007-05-21T23:16:00.000+08:00

I didn't really think of writing about this but a friend did give me a few good reasons why I should.

Looking at my lifestyle and my medical history I really considered myself a healthy person. Even if I did smoke, I've never been confined, colds will last for only 2-3 days and a fever will be gone overnight.

I was diagnosed with acute appendicitis and had to undergo an explor lap appendectomy last month. But I had to go to 3 different medical institutions until I actually found out what was wrong with me.

It was around 7:00pm, April 24 when I started having abdominal pains which I thought was just gas. I came home 2:00am the next day and slept while lying on my stomach which I usually do when I get gas. I woke up and the pain got worse. My dad gave me antacids which didn't work at all. Two hours later, he gave me medication for ulcer which again didn't work. I asked him later on to bring me to the hospital.

He drove me to Asian Hospital and Medical Center, one of the best hospitals in the metro which luckily my HMO covers. Trouble is, I didn't know a doctor there, so I went straight to the ER. One of the interns attending took my blood pressure and temperature. She asked me to fill up a form and twenty minutes later asked me to go to the 6th floor of the other building. She told me it was not that far. So I walked and eventually got lost. The pain was already excruciating. I finally found my way and had to wait at least 5 minutes for the elevator to go down. I was literally pushing myself in already since I desperately wanted to get treated. I finally reached the 6th floor and looked for the room the intern referred to me. When I finally got there, the office was closed for the day. At this point I was already nauseated big time. I called my dad to drive me somewhere else because I couldn't wait any longer. I was literally sitting down on the floor while waiting for the elevator. When I told a colleague from work what happened, she told me that the person that the nurse referred me to was actually the person who approves the medical coverage of my HMO, and this is a standard procedure before they refer you to the actual physician who will attend to you. That means, that would've been more walking for me too. So we decided to go somewhere else.

I told my dad to drive me to Tokyo Healthlink because I was really sure that I don't have to wait long. True enough, after less than 10 minutes, there was a doctor attending to me. After about 15 minutes, she told me all I had was dyspepsia, prescribed Zantac and asked me to go home and rest. So I did.

I went home and took the medicine. After 2 hours, I felt worse than before I took it. I started vomitting and at that time I knew that something was really wrong. I called my boyfriend since my dad left for a while and will take some time to get back home. This time we went to Las Piñas Doctor's Hospital where our family doctor was a resident. They attended to me the moment I stepped into the ER. My dad followed shortly after and recommended that I stay there for the night so that they can observe me. About 30 minutes later, the attending physician told me it was possible appendicitis since I had the symptoms and my white blood cell count was high. They referred me to a general surgeon who came in at midnight to attend to me and confirmed that it was indeed appendicitis. The surgeon also told me that I needed to undergo surgery immediately because I've been experiencing the pain for more than 24 hours and complications may happen if my appendix ruptured. At 2:00am, they proceeded with the surgery and by 4:00am I was already out of harm's way.

So. Why am I writing about this? I'm definitely pissed about how I was treated but I'm not saying that Asian Hospital and Tokyo Healthlink are bad places to have yourself checked and you should all go to Las Piñas Doctors. I just wished that procedures were better and that there were more doctors who took me seriously. Remember, that doctor who diagnosed me with dyspepsia told me to rest. If I did, my appendix would've ruptured and I could have died.

How am I now, you may ask? Well, I'm back to work and able to do everyday activities but exercise, roller coasters and lifting heavy things is a no-no for the next 3 months. People told me that I lost weight, but I did gain a pot belly which is natural when you have an operation. Whether or not I can still wear a bikini is still to be determined. But hey, I quit smoking. That's good!

So just make sure you have a good relationship with your doctors. The ones who attended to me were friends of my parents. Even if not finishing their dinners or leaving the house at midnight to go back to work and attend to an emergency patient, most especially do a surgery at 2:00am are all part of their jobs, I don't think those other doctors who didn't know who I was would've done the same thing.

New Year, New Blog

2007-01-27T21:22:00.000+08:00

With a friend's recommendation on trying out problogging, I have finally set up a new blog that's all about my life in a call center. It's not fully set up yet. But there are already some entries posted. My partner, Gary, will be writing for the blog as well, so it'll be more like a he says, she says bit with conversations similar to how the family dinner scene in While You Were Sleeping.

Check it out! www.youhadme-at-hello.com

Existing

2006-11-16T06:51:00.000+08:00

I hold myself responsible for my actions unless I'm drunk.

I have nothing else to say.

Thank you for reading this entry.

Anger Management

2006-11-08T07:48:00.000+08:00

I've been going schizo with the way I've been handling my emotions lately. Seems like my impulsiveness had gone from dormant, to moderate, and now, well... Pandora's Box deadly.

I'm not kidding.

Back then I honestly thought that I just had the longest patience in the world. I still think I do. But looking back, I would talk about myself in the third person and brand my existence to be degraded from a human being to a pathetic doormat full of crap. I would even tell myself what other people have told me about, well... me (duh!):

"Your too generous."

"Don't let them abuse your kindness."

"How could you let them do that to you?"

"No way, are you okay? That'll piss me off."

"Dude, you're the best actress I know."

Conclusion? I'm angry. I'm very angry.

Ironically, it's very liberating. Though nothing good should come out from something bad, I really think its a good thing. Subjectively speaking of course.

*Sigh* Wrath. One of the seven deadly sins. I'm soooooo going to hell.

I Miss You

2006-10-22T02:05:00.000+08:00

The only reason why she left is because she wanted all of us to have a better future. The last time I hugged her, she told me to be strong because she had to be too.

We used to ~~sneak out and~~ go to GB3 to meet her high school friends (Class of '70, maygad...) and used me as an excuse why we went home late since my dad gave her a curfew (and I don't even have one!). When it worked the first time, you can figure out what happened after that.

She always knows what to do when she needs me to do something for her. I can't say no. Ever.

She had the funniest stories. Not the boring ones the usual moms would give. Though we talked like friends and fought like sisters, she knew when to be the authoritative figure.

And, of course, she always knew what's best. ALWAYS.

I miss her... Get the next flight home, damn it.

7tube Tagger Game

2006-09-25T07:16:00.000+08:00

I've been tagged by Rico to come out and play the 7tube Tagger Game. Basically, the game consists of two tasks: first, you have to list 7 songs you are listening to off-late; and two, list 7 people you what to tag to continue the game.

So... Here's my list:

1. BEAUTIFUL, by Mandalay: The Ultimate Love-Making and Make-Out song in my opinion.
2. REDEFINE, by Incubus: I can't seem to get sick of it.
3. EVERY LITTLE THING, by Dishwalla: I love Dishwalla.
4. FLYING AWAY, by Moony: This song just makes me happy.
5. LET'S STAY TOGETHER, by Lemar (orignally by Al Green): Call me corny, but I like it.
6. SAFE, by Bonnie Bailey: The song that replaced Ever After in my head.
7. LAST GOODBYE, by Jeff Buckley: Why did he have to die?!?

And the 7 people I wanna tag are:

1. Elber - because he finally found a way to shorten my ever so long URL. :-)
2. Tess - because I just added her in my blogroll.
3. Abbie - because you haven't updated your blog since Christmas 2005.
4. Ephie - because you need to update your blog too.
5. JM - because I'm still trying to ambush you at home so you can fix my laptop.
6. Anabel - because I know you have a lot of time in your hands.
7. Ian - because I know he's constructing a new blog.

I look like who?!?

2006-09-25T06:02:00.000+08:00

And people said I looked like Julia Stiles.

What do you think? :-)

LJ, are you still alive?

2006-09-12T12:47:00.000+08:00

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WAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!! How can this happen? How can I let work consume me again. I can't believe I haven't touched my PC in ages. And what's worse... I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WE HAVE DSL ALREADY!!!

Hahaha! I crack myself up. I actually feel like I'm getting addicted to my job. Look like the workaholic side of me is trying to make up for lost time. Come to think of it, I was unemployed for 6 months.

SYMPTOMS OF LJ GETTING ADDICTED TO WORK:

- She meets all deadlines and have no backlogs. If she ever has any, its because they pulled her out of the floor to do training or something else.

- She is not late anymore. On the contrary, she shows up at work 3 hours before the shift starts.

- She has Soup #5 for a brain, in short, sabaw.

- She actually finds the chaos in the floor quite calming.

- Not only is she on time, she even stays after the shift to do OT, OTY that is (Overtime Thank You).

- She actually told her boss: "Don't worry, I'll take care of it. Even if I get sick or die, I have to go to work anyway and give you my death certificate."

- She forgot her dad's birthday. *slaps hand* Bad daughter, bad, bad, bad!

So there. What do you think? For sure you may not think that I'm a bum. But I truly feel that I still am. I don't feel forced when I go to work. Plus I enjoy it most of the time. I go out a lot too, possibly more than I should. Of course, I'm not always game as before since my weekends needs to be planned. By the way, I'm actually fully booked for this month. The only time that I get to go with the flow is when a plan gets cancelled. And somehow, the spontaneity makes me forget I have a job. I feel like a bum again. :-)

As if...

2006-08-15T06:15:00.000+08:00

First Reaction:

"YEAH RIGHT!"

Second Reaction:

*random thoughts*

Third Reaction:

"Well... The second one might be true." *continues to think*

Fourth Reaction:

"Geez, LJ. It's a friggin' online quiz that indirectly targets overanalyzers like yourself so that you continue to overanalyze."

Fifth Reaction:

"Bleh. I'll post it in my blog... Just because."

My World's Getting Crowded

2006-07-06T14:34:00.000+08:00

Have you ever felt that your world is getting smaller everyday?

Wait. Lemme rephrase that...

Have you ever felt that your world is getting smaller every hour?!

I have a new job. The minute I started, my world started to get really crowded. I'm supposed to be an Assistant Manager for Operations (that's a giveaway, now you might know where I work), which is pretty much just a fancy term for a supervisor or team leader. And each day at work feels like a high school reunion. I don't even friggin' need to look for people I know. All I need to do is just walk around one floor and in a few minutes I'll hear someone calling my name. Mind you, I was not a popular girl in high school. I have told some of my friends that back then I was bordering being a loser for several reasons: One, I was overweight (around 150 lbs.); two, I was a delinquent; three, I had frizzy hair (I still do now but it has tamed); and four, I had a name that everybody mispronounced which triggered people to brand me with a vernacular term which means "your pants are falling."

Other than the perpetual high school reunion I'm experiencing, I found myself working with former college schoolmates, former workmates, and acquaintances both old and new. Here are just a few descriptions of the people I see at work:

- former high school batchmates who used to pick on me
- former high school batchmates who I used to pick on
- high school buddies since the beginning of time
- former members of the Boyzone fan club (yes, Ronan Keating was the love of my life)
- college batchmates who I never imagined working in a call center
- an ex-convict that I went out with (Literally went out with ok? FYI, I did not date him ok?! That's his press release)
- former workmates from various companies
- moms of friends
- a friend of my dad (Eek! An HR guy who calls my dad "Tito Jun!")
- people that (suprisingly) has the same friends as I do
- the only suitor who tried to make a move when I had a boyfriend
- the sister of an ex-boyfriend
- the brother of a guy I'm sorta "seeing"

So there. Put yourself in my shoes, and tell me how would you feel? Anyway, I really don't know if I should be happy or sad that my world's getting smaller. It's nice but not so nice in a way. I really can't explain it. I have no problem with it at all. It just seems to be really convenient. And I'm not even sure if I'm sarcastic when I say that.

I'm a Magistrate

2006-05-23T18:04:00.000+08:00

I want to think that I'm a nice person. I have been told that a lot of times. But of course, for those who think otherwise, well... I cannot please everybody. But I don't take it against them. I actually respect their views.

You see, friends and enemies (or at least people who see me as an enemy) have proven that I'm a girl you may hate to love or love to hate. I'm possibly just misunderstood, but I have become used to people reacting differently towards me.

I couldn't understand why people tend to strongly react to my personality before, until a burst of clarity came to me after a quick communication style test during one of my Public Relations classes. Like always, I remember not going through the assigned readings that day, but of all the topics discussed, this is possibly the only thing that got stuck in my brain when I try to remember my PR classes. That... and that our professor worked for San Miguel.

I am a Magistrate.

"A Magistrate?" you may ask. Well, according to Linda McCallister, there are six styles of communication divided into three categories namely, the dominant styles (The Noble, The Socratic and The Reflective), the blended styles (The Magistrate, The Candidate) and the dual style (The Senator). As much as I would want everybody to find out their communication style, this is a 20-something-page reading material which I am not planning to transcribe. So just for everybody to have an understanding of why you love (or hate) me so much, here's an excerpt from McCallister's book I Wish I'd Said That! How toTalk Your Way Out of Trouble and into Success.

The Magistrate: Geraldo, Dixie, and Muhammad Ali

People tend to have intense reactions to the Magistrate. There doesn't appear to be any middle ground for this Noble-Socratic blended communicator. If the Noble or the Socratic can make an impression on you as a communicator, then the Magistrate can be twice as impressive. If the Noble or the Socratic can anger you with his or her style of communication, then the Magistrate can make you twice as angry. The Magistrate is a very strong communicator - in both positive and negative terms. The other person either really loves or really hates this style.

Geraldo Rivera, Larry King, and Muhammad Ali display the Magistrate style of communication. Think about these fellows. They are not "take 'em or leave 'em" type of people. These Magistrates evoke intense reactions from others. They are not Noble, and they are not Socratic. They are Noble and Socratic at the same time. This creates a style that is very different from dominant-style communicators.

Magistrates speak with an air of superiority. They feel they are right, there is usually little room for opposing views, and they definitely feel the need to expose the other person's shortcomings. Listen for the air of superiority and to Victor's direct, blunt, detailed, and verbose Magistrate sound as he tells Fred he made an error:

"That wasn't the smartest move you've ever made Fred. You know we aren't running a clarity here. You have to undertand that when you agree to change an order, there are a lot of ramifications. I know you don't want to alienate the customer, but the customer isn't always right. They don't always know what's best for them. I personally believe you could have convinced him to keep the order the way it was. I know you could have. I've had a lot of experience, you know. Maybe you can watch the way I handle things the next time. You know, its not really all that difficult. You have to be a bit of an actor, a bit of a teacher, and a bit of a comedian. You start by letting them think you agree, but then you begin to give them pieces of information and statistics that show your way would be more beneficial. You add a couple of humorous anecdotes when you see them softening, and if that doesn't work, you get a little tough. Let me tell you about how I handled the Barron account last month. Barron is a tough cookie, but I managed to swing him over. I started by... etc, etc, etc..."

The Magistrate blends together verbal characteristics that at first glance appear incompatible. For example, the Magistrate is both verbose and straightforward. Magistrates tell you exactly what they think -- and in great detail. Dixie Carter, who plays Julia Sugarbaker on "Designing Women," generates a lot of laughter with this technique. Julia has intense feelings on all topics, and she delivers her diatribes as if she were on a podium surrounded by multitudes of followers. Her oration is typically followed by dead silence or a thunderous ovation from the audience.

Magistrates tend to sound self-righteous, but their harangues can be humorous. They tend to speak as if they were writing one long paragraph, and they jump from one idea to the next without a pause or creating a new paragraph. They tend to use a colorful and somewhat exaggerated description of events, and they speak with enthusiasm *some-text-missing-because-photocopying-machine-is-crappy*, and a bit of braggadocio.

Magistrates don't come to for once they start a thought, they don't give you a chance to interject your thoughts. They are totally comfortable with dominating the conversation and in an argument speak louder, talk over the other person and do not hesistate to insult the opponent verbally.

The Magistrate is the most powerful of all communicators. Not better or worse -- just powerful. This is because the Magistrate draws upon and actively uses a much larger set of characteristics than does a dominant-style communicator. As you will see in the following chapters, Nobles and Socratics each thirty or so identifiable communication characteristics they tend to rely upon, but the Magistrate has more than sixty from which to choose. This is both a blessing and a curse for the Magistrate because this profile has double the strengths and double the problems. Thus, when Magistrates are communicating well, they are doing it very well, and when they are communicating badly, they are doing it badly.

If you have ever said, "That is the most dynamic speaker I have ever heard," you were probably listening to a Magistrate. Similarly, if you heard yourself saying, "That is the most obnoxious person I have ever spoken with," you were probably speaking with a Magistrate. They are intense communicators who tell exactly how they feel, and they tell you in great detail. They are tottaly committed to winning arguments and tend not to give up. They can be eloquent, and they can be overbearing. They are the best and the worst of two worlds.

NOTE: As far as I can remember, I was the only Magistrate in class. Most of them were Nobles and Socratics, a few Reflectives and I think two Candidates. The professor was a Senator.

The Call

2006-05-18T17:01:00.000+08:00

May 18, 2006... 3:07 P.M.

They called.

After more than 6 long months of waiting.

I got accepted.

They were asking me to come over sometime next week.

I wanted it so much then.

I'm not sure if I still want it now.

Deliberation time again.

I don't want to think so much anymore.

Time for my ever-so-impractical decision-making device.

*coin toss*

Hmmm...

Okay.

We'll just see what happens then.

Everyday Drama

2006-05-16T15:41:00.000+08:00

I never really talked about my emotions in this blog. I made it a personal rule to reserve all my melodrama in the other blog which I have been thinking of deleting. But rules are meant to be broken, and I don't even know why I'm typing away.

I have been thinking happy thoughts lately. Going back to work made me forget I had problems. You may find it funny, but I think the gravity of my problems are directly proportional to the amount of clutter I have in my room (and, judging by the looks of my sanctuary called mess, go figure). But somehow, the passed few weeks have distracted me from overanalyzing myself like I usually do and kept me smiling without me realizing it. It's a nice feeling though, because I do tend to pressure myself with the demands of others, despite the fact that I believe that I can't please everybody.

I also realized that it is only me and Chiara in my high school barkada who's currently single. I would tease her that at least I have experienced being in a relationship. But I do miss the feeling of falling in love, and I am priviliged enough to experience it a few times in my life. Chiara Daah-ling, imagine how our Tagaytay trip would've gone if I brought a boyfriend too!

A friend of mine named Mark did tell me that I do tend to pick the wrong men. But who are the wrong men anyway? Anybody who is not your ideal or someone else's? As the cliche goes, how can something so wrong feel so right. I personally find it more noble to fall for someone for their flaws since it takes a greater amount of love to fall for that person's imperfections. I am guilty of that. Historically speaking, I'm always like that.

Heck, what was my point?!

No matter how much I get hurt, I find myself being incredibly resilient when I get myself on my feet. I do miss being with someone. I never found myself saying, "I miss being single." Oh boy, I just realized that my last real date was ages ago. Not to brag, but I remember a time I had 6 dates in a week. And FYI, I didn't count... someone took the liberty of doing so the moment I became single a year ago, which eventually ended up being one of those 6 dates that week. Hay naku... men and the things you do to try to get a girl. Well, 5 out of 6 of them were jerks anyway. I'd rather have a date to remember once a year rather than a gazillion trillion million forgettables in a month.

I'm proud of myself for one thing though. Friendship is something that I will never again take for granted. I chose a boyfriend over a friend once. Come to think of it, twice. I had no regrets then. But I do now. Somehow I find myself happy just being with the company of friends and I can't believe I missed out on all that fun. I'm never taking my friends for granted like that again. Ever.

The Bum's Finally Working

2006-05-12T09:20:00.000+08:00

Yes. I'm finally working. And yes. The job comes with 5-digit salary that can (potentially) cover all my expenditures. And yes, its in a call center. Again. And no. I really AM having fun this time. Despite everything I have said regarding the industry.

I ate my words, so sue me.

I go to work. I don't really work... per se. But I am in a payroll. I'm not complaining.

So is there anything new that came with my new job? Several things:

1. I am now dependent on a drug I rarely used before. Antacids. I can't help it. I have to. I laugh hysterically everytime I'm in the office.

2. My transportation expenses drastically dropped. I don't have to pay toll (which consistently increases). I don't have to pay parking (which, again, consistently increases). I don't have to get a full tank of gas more than twice a week. And I can finally leave my house just 15 minutes before my shift and suprisingly I still have enough time to park my car, get coffee, go to the bathroom, put my phone on silent mode, and still have a few seconds to spare before timing in.

3. I realized how much I have changed since high school (physically and mentally). Everyday I bump into someone I know. High school classmates, college acquaintances, old friends, and the like. Most of them did not recognize me at first.

4. I have become punctual. I am in shock. No lates since day one. Nor absences. That's a record-breaker.

5. I started jogging. Alone. That's a bigger shock.

6. I am loving the fact that I don't worry about "leverage." Starting from the bottom again gave me back the freedom I thought I lost when I became a team leader. Now I remember my other reasons why I turned down promotions early on.

So that's me. I miss going out though. But at least I get to save. I have been thinking of moving out. That's my next goal. Complete independence. My deadline is when I turn 24. Hehehe! Well... I have to be realistic.

Post-Its

2006-03-31T11:49:00.000+08:00

Mom has this habit of writing small notes and sticking them in places where she knows we'll see it, which are basically stuff that she wants household members to get done within the day. Some of them are for business purposes. This one for example was taped in the computer monitor in the living room:

LJ
Surf for Macau and Shenzhen SPED schools or
rehabilitation centers. Look for a contact person
and email them RE: Conference. 2DAY!

I used to find her notes all over the house. Some of them are really funny and is such a trip when you get to read it. There was this time that my mom was complaining about the master's bedroom's bathroom's sink. She taped a note right on top of the sink:

Luz
Puro libag! LINISIN!

What's even funnier is that our maid replied with a note too.

Mam,
Nilinis ko po ito. Maniwala kayo sa kin.
Ugaleng mga bata dumihin. Totoo po
and sinabi ko.
Luz

Bwahahaha! This note system is getting funnier by the day. Take my mom's note for me today. It was taped in the dining table near my plate this morning.

L.J. -- Very Important
1) Keep all the blankets & beddings in
the cab. find a room for all of them
2) I like the salad, prepare the same
for dinner.
3) Conceptualize in the design for the
tarpaulin banners -- kami na lang ang
mag-insert ng visual.
6) Tom. Sat. -- conduct pictorial @
REACH.
7) Evening - Orientation

Did she just ask me to find a room for the blankets and beddings? Do blankets and beddings sleep??? Very important, mom said. And the top two important things in this list are actually household hores. Mom's probably tensed today. She missed numbers 4 and 5. Hihihi! My mom cracks me up.

The tarpaulin design's done, and the pictorial and orientation is tomorrow. So... I GOT FREE TIME TODAY! WHEEEEEEE!

The IMC Strategy

2006-03-31T00:38:00.000+08:00

I have been delegated to create this ad campaign for 'D Family Biz by mother-oh-so-dearest. Oh-dearie-my... how I wish that I wasn't such a delinquent back in college so that this would be easier.

I got my college degree at the University of Asia and the Pacific. My diploma says I graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Arts, Major in Humanities with a Professional Certificate in Communication.

At least that's what my diploma says.

Back in college, my course was known as Integrated Marketing Communications. It was the course that everyone in class were talking about, and undecided me got influenced by my peers. So I applied. Just because everybody else I knew applied during my sophomore year.

You read that right. We had to apply for a course during our sophomore year.

Lemme explain further... Unlike other universities, you have to apply twice in UA&P. The first application is for you to get in the university; the second application, is for the degree of your choice which should be submitted sometime during the second semester of your sophomore year. In reality, you can be in your third year and still not have a major.

I digress.

IMC was a popular choice. But! What I really wanted to take was Developmental Education (who knew that I'd be going towards that path anyway... for those who don't know yet, I'm studying SPED), but then I guess I loved the prestige of being accepted in the only quota course in UA&P (at least at that time, I'm not sure now). My classmates wanted it more than I did but they didn't make it, which made me feel good about myself that I actually got accepted. For both courses even.

So I chose prestige.

Despite IMC's popularity, others hated it. They said that the course is "all form, no substance." They were... kinda... right. But hey, that's why its called Integrated MAR-KE-TING Communications. It's all about selling. We were trained to create all kinds of marketing strategies for pretty much anything. From tangible goods to corrupt politicians. 'Nuff said.

It WAS hard.

Gruesome.

You have chefs for professors.

They not only grill...

They boil...

And fry...

Like Mario Batalli.

Occasionally they prefer to eat you alive.

I have seen tears fall, blood drip and friendships break. Everybody was highly competitive and extremely aggressive. Not to mention volatile when then don't get what they want. I know, we were such spoiled brats whose hobbies include whining.

And boy, did we love to whine.

But it was fun, especially when we are assigned to do campaigns for current and upcoming products, have actual clients of these brands evaluate our strategies, later on see the products be released, and have a perpetual argument on whose idea was used (Oh look at the packaging! That's our idea! No way that was ours! I don't now whose packaging idea this was, but this is our creative strategy. Ugh! Di kaya! Look at our presentation. It's ours!).

Memories. *NOSTALGIA*

This will possibly be the first time I will be applying ALL the subjects I took in one project all on my own. I am currently formulating my first-ever, out-of-school IMC Plan. Oh boy, I just remembered Dr. K... Yes... Yes...

Yes...

I got this from Knox's blog. Some of you may get it. But only a true IMC student can completely comprehend.

HOW DO YOU NOW THAT YOU'RE AN IMC STUDENT?

1. I don't have a boyfriend/girlfriend; I have a laptop.
2. I do not eat lunch; I digest case studies.
3. I do not say "goodbye"; I say "bye for now."
4. I do not watch TV for the shows; I watch TV for the commercials.
5. I do not say "effectiveness"; I say "effectivity." (note: look it up... there is no such word as "effectivity")
6. I do not say "eureeka"; I say "eureka."
7. I do not conduct interviews; I conduct executive probes.
8. I never make eye contact; I manage all contact points.
9. I do not have a black book; I have a red book.
10. To me, sleep is a luxury, not an option.
11. I do not sleep over at my friends' houses... because I do not sleep.
12. I never plan; I always strategize.
13. I call it the sweet spot, not the g-spot.
14. I never hit below the belt, only below the line.
15. I do not say big dipper nor dig deeper; I say dig dipper.
16. When I hear the word puno, I do not think of a tree.
17. I do not have friends, connections, nor goals. I am audience-focused, channel-centered, and results-driven.

YEBAH!

That's my Bro!

2006-03-30T15:39:00.000+08:00

I love your sarcasm, Karl. Your blog entry made me laugh today.

Event story. That cracks me up. ("Ever After" currently stuck on my head)

Warning: After reading his blog, you may think Karl is an ass... or a genius... either or... but I love him like that.

At 23

2006-03-27T13:01:00.000+08:00

I have a hard time figuring out myself at this age. And I'm having an even harder time writing about it.

There's one thing that always happens to me when my birthday comes up. I don't really get excited with the fact that I am a year older. Why? Because I'm older! It started when I was like... 8? 9 maybe... I remember crying when I became I teenager. So I'm a female Peter Pan at heart... sue me. But I find it a good excuse to eat at an expensive restaurant, ask for expensive gifts from mom and dad, or throw parties (which I did last Saturday).

Nevertheless, I'm alright. I know I could be happier though. I guess this is what you feel when you think you are currently living a "wala lang" life. Now that I'm 23, I realized I should start to appreciate things more and stop taking things for granted. On top of that, I realized that no one holds the key to make me happy but myself. I deserve to be happy. I want to be. And I choose to be.

Epi burfdee toomih... =D

Climbing the Corporate Ladder 101 (according to Mom)

2006-03-11T09:21:00.000+08:00

Mom:
"Minsan, ang tao, kailangan mo lang silang bigyan ng isang supot ng mani para makuha ang puso nila."

English translation:
"Sometimes you just need to give people a bag of peanuts to win their hearts."

LJ-ish translation:
"Honey, in order to succeed, you gotta kiss, lick and wipe ass."

Ugh.

The Oscars

2006-03-07T13:01:00.000+08:00

Okay. So I'm not really a film buff. Sad to say that I have missed out on a lot of movies that I wanted to watch in my lifetime and have been trying to catch up through movie marathons. But still, there are a lot of mainstream movies that I haven't watched.

Heck. I haven't even watched Armaggedon (please don't hit me!).

Anyhoo... Despite my apathy to mainstream movies, I found myself anticipating The 78th Academy Awards yesterday.

My observation:

It was quite interesting to note that the Oscars this year featured non-mainstream movies and actors. It is not surprising that they pulled in a lot of mainstream actors such as Nicole Kidman, Sandra Bullock, Keanu Reeves, Dustin Hoffman, Jennifer Garner and others to present the awards.

I think it is also interesting to note Joan Rivers' comment: There were no misses this year, everybody was a hit. Hmmm... Maybe. Different strokes for different folks. I guess its also the fact that these people are celebrities and are blessed to look good even of they are wearing something drag.

Well... except maybe this one.

WTF?!?!?

I am no fashionista, but hey, I did work for a fashion catalog for 11 months. So these are my top 5 favorite looks in this year's Academy Awards.

#5: QUEEN LATIFAH

Long live the QUEEN! She's the epitome of a REAL WOMAN. I like her not really because of what she's wearing, its just because she's always cool and confident everywhere she goes. Here she sports a black strapless Carmen Marc Valvo accented by jewelry by Chopard.

#4: SALMA HAYEK

Curves, curves, curves! This is how women should look like. Exotic looks, flowing hair, and a voloptuous body to boot. I wonder if she has any insecurities... Dazzling in the red carpet, she chose this blue halter-strapped satin dress by Versace.

#3: ZIYI ZHANG (or the other way around)

Awww... She looks so cute (note: LJ is totally hetero with no lesbo tendencies whatsoever)! She's so simple yet so purty!!! She picked a winner... a strapless Swarovski cyrstal-studded dress by Giorgio Armani. I just didn't like the way the dress looked while whe was walking. But I don't care, I still like it.

#2: JESSICA ALBA

The object of guys' fantasies... I could've sworn Ryan Seacrest drooled at the sight of her. With perfectly tanned skin and a well-toned body, she couldn't go wrong with this gold halter gown by Versace. Nice jewelry too! Her chunky rings are from H. Stern.

and at #1:
KEIRA KNIGHTLEY

She didn't win best actress but she's a winner in my list. The moment I saw this one-shouldered eggplant Vera Wang dress, I knew everybody was looking at her. I like the fact that she didn't even look like she did her hair. She looked stun-ning!

Special mention to...

CHRIS "LUDACRIS" BRIDGES

Okay... so maybe I have developed a thing for black guys in suits after seeing the Oscars. Hehehe...

Nice specs too.

Thank you Giorgio Armani.

Technorati Tag: Oscars

The Workaholic Bum's Dormant Stage

2006-03-05T08:50:00.000+08:00

I have been technically unemployed for 3 months now. I have had previous job offers which I turned down. Sometimes when you have reached a certain level in the corporate world, you tend to be really selective with your next career move. Potentially, the two companies that I have set my eyes on have both given me a positive feedback regarding my application. I just wish it didn't take forever.

Bleh.

I should consider myself lucky that I can afford to be finicky. I have been itching to work for so long that this stagnant stage is becoming the start of premature quarter-life crisis (I'm only 22...it usually starts when you turn 25). Friends have told me that there comes a point wherein you question your status in life and ask yourself: Am I doing what I really want to do? Am I truly happy?

Happiness is relative. At least to me.

Friends, cigarettes and booze have pretty much been the necessities of this phase in my life. I'm a bum, remember? It's what I do best.

*snicker*

When I'm not preoccuupied with these 3 essentials, I am usually doing one of the following:

- being the driver of a family member (hey, free gas!)
- being the driver of pretty much everybody who needs a ride (as long as I still have gas)
- being an emotional pillow of someone who's down in the dumps
- watching TV (what will I do without you? *sniff*)
- running errands for the family business (ok, I should count my blessings more and be thankful for this... but pursuing this career becomes a hindrance to my individuality)
- lying in bed forcing myself to sleep (I am immune to melatonin... it stopped working since college)

And... if I feel like it... I blog. 'Nuff said.

A comment from my other blog...

2006-01-30T01:06:00.000+08:00

Garry said...
Isn't blogging itself also a distraction that causes delay? It sure has been for me!

BTW, the Workaholic Bum was the Featured Blog on Technorati for a short time this morning, so you were briefly famous!

Sat Jan 28, 06:12:09 AM PST

LJ said...
Glad to know that for a brief moment my two cents have been recognized. I just signed up and claimed both my blogs in Technorati yesterday so that's probably why.

Thanks for the info. And yes, blogging is a distraction for most. =D

Sun Jan 29, 08:57:19 AM PST

I have been wondering who reads my blog. I guess signing up in Technorati will keep me wondering. Thanks Garry!

Final Link

2006-01-01T14:02:00.000+08:00

Hindi ko alam kung sino ang mga nagbabasa ng blog ko ha, pero pagkatapos nitong entry na to, di niyo pa rin gets na may bago na akong blog, bow na ako sa katangahan niyo ha. Over na!

2005 -- The Best Worst Year of My Life

2005-12-31T23:20:00.000+08:00

Despite the emotional damage that this year had given me, if I can turn back time, I will not change anything. It was great. If all those things never happened, I'm probably gonna be the most boring, apathetic, introverted loser in the world.

Things that I have learned this year:

On Friendship:
- Be patient, shit happens, and things could have been worse.
- Choose your friends.
- Never take your friends for granted, even if your boyfriend tells you not to see them again because they're jealous.

On Love and Relationships:
- I found out that I can still love someone else.
- You cannot stop the heart from choosing, it just does, despite the imperfections that it sees.
- I have to stop getting myself into EXTREMELY complicated situations.

On My Life:
- Well, it may be perfect for some. Pointless for others. But its mine and its time that I do something about my life now.
- I have a problem that does not involve anyone but myself. A big one.

Ergo... I'll have a different blog starting next year, which is in less than an hour. It's part of my New Year's Resolution. Whether or not I will still continue updating this one is still a mystery at this point. It will depend on the outcome of my new life project which involves taking control. I named it Clearing the Clutttered Life.

My first blog rant

2005-12-26T01:11:00.000+08:00

Can somebody tell me what kind of a friend in their right mind would spread rumors that I'm hitting on their husband?! EXCUSE ME!!! Kahit libag ko hindi papatol sa asawa mo noh!!!

Breathe, LJ... breathe...

I'm good... Carry on, carry on. I just had to let that out of my system.

On a different note, is it just me or does anybody else feel like not taking a bath this Christmas? ANG LAMIG!!!

Hope you guys had a great holiday. Despite everything, I had a good one.

Happy thoughts, happy thoughts. :-)

My Christmas Wish

2005-12-25T05:25:00.000+08:00

A friend recently asked me what I would give myself for Christmas. I stopped asking for gifts years ago. Somehow material things didn't matter anymore. I said:

"My gift to myself is to try to make myself happy this Christmas."

A lot of things have been bothering me lately. Family, friends... mostly family. Well... mostly mom actually. I tried to get into the Christmas spirit, so I planned out a little something that I would do for my family and friends. Well, it didn't push through. Don't ask, just felt like it.

A few days before what used to be my favorite day of the year, I felt that this year's Christmas would be the saddest one in 22 years. On Christmas Eve, we had our usual turkey dinner with other stuff. I cooked the turkey as usual (since mom had had it when she always try to cook it -- it always turned out tough or raw). Mom was telling me to divide the ham into three portions to be stored in the fridge, which I thought was pointless. Nobody was even at the dinner table at the same time. My younger brother, Abie, was watching TV in the living room. My sister, Joan, was in her room finishing her cross-stitching project for school. My special brother, Mickey, was walking in and out of the house as usual. Dad and I were pretty much the only two people stationary at the table, while mom was moving in and out the kitchen.

Nobody even greeted anybody "Merry Christmas." I thought, that was it. This IS the saddest Christmas ever.

I had to go out.

I met up with DJ, texted Andy and "kidnapped" Mimi. Somehow I felt better being with a group of people who sort of felt the same way as I did about this year's Christmas. It was my first Christmas Eve not spent entirely at home. We tried to make the most out of it. We went to our usual hangout place, Select (yes, as in the convenient store in Shell gas station), and bought some beer (I don't really drink but I felt like it). Later on, two of our other hangout buddies came, Jomar and Ian. So there we were, greeting each other "Merry Christmas" while drinking beer, sharing jokes, talking about the upcoming World Pyro Olympics and aphrodisiacs (don't really remember how that got in the picture).

Somehow I wasn't sad anymore.

On the way home, I caught myself smiling. Maybe I was wrong about this year's Christmas... because I still found the time to think of the non-worldly things that I have. Mom and I may have our issues, but I guess we have this unwritten agreement that we can fight like sisters but still act like best friends.

Well, I guess I did get my Christmas gift after all.

Merry Christmas! :-)

Paano naging Workaholic eh Bum nga di ba???

2005-11-14T16:33:00.000+08:00

Reason #1: I admit... I'm lazy. Pero hindi ako pwedeng walang ginagawa. I have proven that I am definitely not a stay-at-home person. I have been resisting the urge to go out everyday and the one thing that keeps me home sometimes is the thought that I am saving up for something (secret ko na yun!).

Reason #2: I get sick of th laid back life after a few days. I just came back from Boracay last week. We were supposed to go back Sunday afternoon but we had no choice but to take the early Monday morning flight. The extra hours of just drinking and bumming around seemed like days. (Shyet! Uwing-uwi na ko nun!)

Reason #3: Not having a job for weeks now somehow worries me. Not because of monetary reasons but just for the mere fact that I think I'm going crazy. Staying sane proved to be a challenge if you're doing nothing. I try as much as possible to keep myself preoccupied. I finally had the time to read the books I wanted to read. But with the time in my hands I even started looking through my mom's romance novels from the 80's.

Reason #4: Since I have nothing to do, sometimes my only option left is to sleep, sleep and sleep. After a few days, sa sobrang dami ng tulog ko daig ko pa ang taong nag-sampung basong kape. Labas ng bahay! Di ko na kaya! Nakakabuang!

Reason #5: After reason numbers 1-4, I suddenly realized that work, despite my laziness, has always been and always will be my drug. Hinahanap-hanap ko talaga. I can't believe some people can actually do this for years and years and not go insane. Sometimes I wonder how my dad feels since he's been retired for 22 years now.

Despite not knowing whether or not to make a career shift, I printed copies of my resume a few days ago. I gave it to some of my friends and left copies of it in my car when job opportunities arise. I still don't know what I'll be doing after 2005. I college friend actually made me consider being a flight attendant. Bagay daw sa 'kin. Wakeke!

Hay ewan! Bahala na si Batman!

2005-11-14T16:32:00.000+08:00

I haven't touched my blog for so long that it actually took me sometime to think of the password I used to log in. This was caused by the sudden termination of my internet access at work due to some auditing done by the IT department. Apparently the big boss is coming back.

On a different note, I filed my resignation letter three weeks ago, effective Novemeber 28 and haven't gone to work since.

But I'm happy. *giggle* Really I am. =D

I'd love to write why but due to a gentleman's agreement between me and the HR manager, I shall not speak until everything is settled.

Now, I'm a full-fledged bum... Quite fitting don't you think... The Workaholic Bum...

Bedridden

2005-08-26T13:04:00.000+08:00

I have been sick for almost a week. My body resistance is way low since I don't really have the healtiest diet in the world. I feel so uncomfortable because I haven't taken a bath in days. My eyes are teary. My nose is runny. My throat hurts. My head hurts from me constantly blowing my nose.

It's bad. Soooooooo bad. Bad, bad, bad, BAD!!!

The only company I have had was my cellphone, my bed and the TV. It's one of those days that i wished I could go to work and end this torture!

*sob*

OH THE AGONY!!!

Pwede na ko sa perya... serena daw ako!

2005-08-16T06:42:00.000+08:00

You scored as Mermaid. Mermaid: Mermaids are also known as Sirens. These creatures were beautiful women who tricked sailors into becoming completely entranced by their haunting voices and found death soon after. Not all stories of Mermaids are about gentle loving sea people. They are mystical, magical, and extremely dangerous. They have a way about them that brings anyone they are around to seem enchanted. They are very mysterious creatures and to meet one... Would mean certain Death. Let the song of the Sea fill your soul, for you are a Mermaid.

What Mythological Creature are you? (Cool Pics!)
created with QuizFarm.com

2005-08-08T18:07:00.000+08:00

I think it was the poet Dylan Thomas who said:

Someone's boring me. I think its me.

If boredom can kill, I should have been dead ages ago.

Click here to check what's been bugging me lately.

Your IQ score is 136

2005-08-04T07:19:00.000+08:00

This number is based on a scientific formula that compares how many questions you answered correctly on the Classic IQ Test relative to others.

Your Intellectual Type is Visual Mathematician. This means you are gifted at spotting patterns -- both in pictures and in numbers. These talents combined with your overall high intelligence make you good at understanding the big picture, which is why people trust your instincts and turn to you for direction -- especially in the workplace. And that's just some of what we know about you from your test results.

136 -- I don't know if that's even above or below average. Nevertheless, I'm certain about one thing... I love math. Kill me now, but I really do. =D

Take the same IQ test if you want.

2005-08-03T19:42:00.000+08:00

The one thought I've been thinking about lately:

"In a world of infinite options, sometimes its good to know that you only have one."

I'm the epitome of katamaran. Mamimili na nga lang tamad pa! Diyos ko Lord...

One helluva week!

2005-07-30T00:49:00.000+08:00

There have been a lot of events this week that I wanted to mention in my blog. Unfortunately I have been sleeping a lot lately which made me more sluggish to even take the time to check my friendster. Anyway, these events were so memorable that I just have to recall all of them and write about them eventually.

ON MY BROTHER

Abie and I have graduated from our sibling rivalry phase. We're not really close. But I have grown to respect him for his accomplishments. He's pretty quiet, and like my dad, he does not really show much affection to people. Last Sunday, my mom asked me to text Dad to buy bread for lunch (since she has been giving him the silent treatment... will be explained later). My phone does not have signal in my sister's room. So I borrowed by brother's phone to text my dad. After texting Dad, I started browsing through Abie's pictures (my version of invasion of privacy... hehe!). There's nothing much though... A bunch of pictures of him and his friends, some logos of the Ateneo Blue Eagles (btw, my brother is from CSB and I can't explain how come he's soooooo fixated to the Blue Eagles), and some pictures of Shinji, an anime character who is somewhat of his alter ego.

Then I saw a picture of me. Me, his sister. That picture was taken by me using my camera phone. The only place where he could have gotten that picture was my friendster account, which I never thought he cared to look at. I also find the idea of my brother taking the time to bluetooth my picture to his phone a bit of a surprising.

My mom always tells me that my brother looks up to me as a role model. I never believed her for some reason.

I'm touched. =D

ON MY MOM

"J..."

I came home Friday afternoon from work. My mom had that look in her face that told me it was another one of those "Dad" problems.

"Ano nanaman?"

I consider my mom my best friend and she looks at me the same way. She always reminds me how thankful she is that she has me... a family member who is mature enough to understand and relate to her love problems. After letting her bad feelings out, I told her something that I would tell any other friend:

"Ano ba yan! Ang lalaki niyo na. Pero para kayong high school!"

ON MY BATCHMATE

Andro buzzed me in YM the other day. We were talking about his new job and for some reason we ended up throwing mathematical questions to each other. For those who don't know, I love math (you can start throwing tomatoes now, ack!). What made it funny was that the combination of characters and parentheses were turning my solutions into emoticons!

ON MY EX

The most awkward moment (so far, I'm sure there's more to come) with my ex happened just a few days ago. I was buying Coke Light from the pantry at work. As I looked up after grabbing my soda, I saw him... and our theme song was playing in the background. Lots of thoughts suddenly came to my mind:

"Should I say hi?"

"Is HE gonna say hi?"

"He gained weight!"

"What's with the spiky hair?!"

I texted Ginger afterwards about what happened. She replied:

"It's a sign girl. Isa lang ibig sabihin niyan. Masyado masikip ang mundo niyo."

I smirked, giggled a bit, and realized... It's not my loss.

"Hay buhay... Parang life..."

World-Class Customer Service

2005-07-23T07:37:00.000+08:00

It's my fifth day in training for AT&T All Distance. After handling Newport News for 10 months, I found the transition extremely difficult because of information overload. There's so much stuff to understand (at the very least). Since AT&T is the largest telephone service company in the United States (and the world), the company uses different kinds of systems such as RAMP (Residencial Account Maintenance Platform), CST (Customer Sales Tool) and BureauLink (a system that AT&T uses for credit checks... there's lots of Americans with bad credit, mind you). The Knowledge Resource (KR - considered as the AT&T Information "Bible") has about 11,000 documents. We don't need to memorize everything, but familiarizing myself with the non-user friendly DOS-based systems is becoming hazardous to my brain cells.

I'm being pessimistic about working in the AT&T project again. I have grown to believe that AT&T is possibly the worst telecommunications company despite them being the first and the largest (they take up 70% of the market share, I believe). Come on. When I was with inbound sales, I felt like a punching bag for all people's problems. About 95% of the people I talked to are irate. So you can't blame me for having a negative impression about the company.

As my knowledge of about AT&T progresses, my impresssion of the company is changing. Heck! They DO give world-class customer service. Come on. They pretty much have everything you need for phone service. They have also been there before everyone else and is one of the pioneers in innovative services such as VoIP (Voice-Over Internet Protocol). They also give special services to the legally blind such as having your bill in a larger font (size 24 to be exact, try it out in MS Word, you can just imagine how many pages the bill would be) and even in braille. I think their service is just underrated because of these nifty Americans who demand to much.

It's been fun. Emerson and Mike are not shy anymore (I've been teasing them about how they stand bashfully with their hands in front of them when we ride the elevator together). Sheila and I got closer as friends and colleagues. Charles is one of my gimik buddies and now I'm working with him side by side in the same project (I think I have been hanging out with him too much though coz I'm starting to look at girls now and make comments about how they look... mind you, I'm a full-fledged heterosexual). I have also discovered that Gerard is a little boy at heart who plays video games and collects action figures.

Amazingly, despite the fact that I get headaches because of all the information I have to absorb, I find myself becoming some sort of technical masochist. Weird. I actually like the feeling of busting my brain cells. Maybe because I like the challenge. Or maybe because I know that if I do well, I'll be greatly compensated (I'm actually thinking of things to buy when commission comes in... Yeah!). =D

While on break...

2005-07-20T00:55:00.000+08:00

It's my first day in training. It's me, Sheila, Charles, Gerard and two new recruits from outside the company named Emerson and Mike.

I'm bored...

Just want to put this entry in before I start paying attention again.

Some thoughts...

2005-07-16T23:20:00.000+08:00

Today is my last day in Newport News. The sadness sank in when I wrote my last email to my co-TL regarding my former agent's AHT Analysis Report. I'll start training for AT&T on Tuesday morning.

NEWPORT NEWS AGENTS AND OPERATIONS AT THE VXI CHRISTMAS PARTY

I've worked in this project for 10 months... 1 month being an agent and 9 months as a team leader.

'D ORIGINAL TEAM 2

I will miss...

- my agents (all the members of the 3 teams I've worked with), my co-TLs, my GMs and my OM.
- walking to the ladies room while saying "Hi" to my former teammates in the NCAC side of the 26th floor.
- having bad dreams in the sleeping quarters (Buknoy, pinaglalaruan mo nanaman ako).
- the leather couches in the lounge (I swear, when you sit down, you'll never wanna stand up again).
- the powerpoint presentations Chesca and Karen always ask me to do ("Gusto ko bilog yung shapes ng prizes ha?" - Chesca).
- using my "pulis pangkalawakan" skills to catch agents releasing calls, doing multiple offers, and giving inaccurate information to customers.
- anticipating my team's weekly DPO, AHT, Conversion and Quality Scores.
- Roan ironing my hair before the shift ends when she's logged out.
- playing scrabble with my agents when there are no calls.

GINGY AND ME

But most of all... I will miss my yosi breaks with Ginger.

I will not miss... (Bwehehehe!)

- the coaching logs.
- the weekly performance evaluation reports (individual agents and team summary).
- the monthly progress reports.
- the Newport News commission scheme.
- having to listen to the longest calls in the world to find out why AHT is high.

Hay... I said I will not cry. I still haven't. As Reverend Mother said, "When the Lord closes the door, somewhere he opens a window."

Well... I will have new agents. I will have new co-TLs. I will have a new GM and OM. There will still be a ladies room that I would go to and former teammates that I will say "Hi" to in the 15th/16th floor. I may have bad dreams in the 15th/16th floor sleeping quarters (hmmm... I wonder if Buknoy can ride elevators). I will be using the 15th floor lounge (hopefully they have the same leather couches). I may not be assigned to do powerpoint presentations anymore. I will still have my "pulis pangkalawakan" skills. I will be still anticipating my next team's KPIs.

But I won't have anyone to iron my hair and play scrabble with. Ginger will also be staying in Newport.

Now I made myself sad.

OVERANALYZING THINGS AGAIN

Words, words, words...

2005-07-16T02:15:00.000+08:00

I was on my way to work and for some weird reason I remembered a word that was discussed in one of my AIS classes back in college:

RHINOTILLEXOMANIAC

It is a term used for a person who has an obsession for nose-picking. Funny. I wasn't even picking my nose at the time.

Later that day (or should I say early in the morning, since I'm back in the graveyard shift), I recalled some of the words and phrases that I've picked up and have been using regularly. They're all gay terms. Try to check if you're actually using some of them. Heck! After reading this, you might end up using them too! Kindly tell me if I don't use them correctly. =D

1. "Lola" - a term used to address someone in the first, second and third person. (Pucha! A replacement for pronouns ito!?)

2. "Carry" - synonymous with "okay." (Ex. "Carry lang 'yan girl!")

3. "Charing!" - a generic reaction, usually used when a compliment was given.

4. "In fairview..." - synonymous with "in fairness."

5. "Chuva gargles!" - a generic term for anything.

6. "Alalalalala!" - a longer version of "Hoy!"

7. "Wag kang umarte-arte diyan!" - used to address someone who keeps on rejecting an invitation, offer, dare, etc.

8. "For the meantime..." - a phrase used before addressing someone's good work. (Ex. "For the meantime... Ang galing-galing ng Team 2!)"

9. "Bonggang-bongga!" - the superlative form of "Bongga!"

10. "Etits" - go figure! (wakeke!)

11. "Mahaba ang hair!" - used to compliment a female; usually given if the girl has many attractive suitors; can also be used to compliment a girl's good work.

and my personal favorite...

12. "Kembot" - synonymous with "Carry" ('Wag gamitin ng sobra-sobra, pag masyado ng kumekembot, "Sayaw!" na ang tawag dun!)

This is the result of hanging out with gay people EVERYDAY!

Before the movie started...

2005-06-24T19:12:00.000+08:00

True enough, I did end up with the two big zits.

I have been pretty depressed lately because of some issues at work. I keep on asking myself why I'm still in the company despite of everything that has happened to me. I guess no matter how hard it gets, if you really love what you're doing, you'll never give up on it . But I still question myself sometimes whether I am content with what I have now... or is it just because I'm the type of person who will stay loyal to something that I've hold on to for a long time.

True. I'm a very loyal person. Relationships, friends, work, my city (no one can make me leave!), my hairdresser (9 years na!), even the scent that I use (I've been using it since it came out 5 years ago). It's something that I'm proud of. But its also something that I believe affects me from making the best decisions for myself. I feel that I am sometimes scared to of trying something that I am not used to. I remember something a college friend once told me -- Life is never fair. Life is a game. So there's always a gamble. Therefore, everything we do is a risk. But it is that risk that we need to take to also win the game. The game called life.

Good thing it's my off tomorrow. I need to divert my attention to other things.

Mark is setting me up with this guy named Glenn. Blind date. I was hesitating a bit since my last blind date turned out to be a 42-year-old guy (literally old enough to be my dad). But Mark said this should be a good one for me. Single 27-year-old guy who some kind of manager of some sort. Wish me luck! =)

I'm soooo bored...

2005-06-22T16:17:00.000+08:00

Tonight is one of those nights wherein I'm not gonna sleep. Not because I have stuff to finish. Not because I'm out partying. Not also because I have too much caffeine in my system (even though I just finished two grande sized Passion iced tea and a tall caramel macchiato in Starbucks). Someone have asked me if its because I've been thinking of something. Is it possible to not sleep because your bored? I guess so... coz that's my reason.

I get easily bored lately. So bored that I have developed the art of keeping people up (I'm so sorry Abbie for giving you those two big zits). So bored that I have generated my jedi, cyborg, vampire, fairy and elf name. So bored that I took that Harry Potter test to find out what house I'd be sorted to. So bored that I started a blog. So bored that I finally used my YM (I know, I'm not like most people). So bored that when I went out with Mark a few hours ago, I pushed every doorbell sample in Ace Hardware.

I was just in Starbucks with my high school friends a few hours ago. Of course, unlike me, these people sleep so they had to go home eventually. I tried to look for other people to hang out with (come to think of it, I think"bother" is more appropriate than "hang out"). However, everyone seemed to be either asleep (come on LJ, its almost midnight) or out.

So here I am alone in an internet cafe in Makati eating fish and chips thinking of what to do next after typing this entry. I gotta get a new hobby or I'll be the one who'll end up with two big zits.

Winner!

2005-06-20T12:06:00.000+08:00

Thank you so much Abbie for the forward! This is a good laugh.

Source: The Philippine Star, Sunday Lifestyle section (June 12, 2005)
Author: Letty Jacinto-Lopez

Excuse notes from parents (including original spelling) collected by schools from all-over the US, together with the author's comments . These were e-mailed to her by her sister-in-law.

My son is under a doctor's care and should not take PE today. Please execute him. (O diba? Pinapapatay yung anak nya?)
***
Please excuse lIsa for being absent. She was sick and I had her shot. (Eto pang isa! Pag nag-absent pala, papatayin ka!)
***
Dear School: Please ekscuse John being absent on Jan. 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, and also 33. (O, nadagdagan ang araw!)
***
Please excuse Gloria from Jim today. She is administrating. (Ano daw?)
***
Please excuse Roland from PE for a few days. Yesterday he fell out of a tree and misplaced his hip. (Hanapin natin!)
***
John has been absent because he had two teeth taken out of his face. (Bwehehehe... La ako masabi!)
***
Megan could not come to school today because she has been bothered by very close veins. (Buti pa veins niya, close sila.) (translation: very close veins = varicose veins)
***
Chris will not be in school cus he has an acre in his side. (Sa Pinas, hectare...)
***
Please excuse Ray Friday from school. He has very loose vowels. (Ah... eh... i... ow... u...)
***
Please excuse Pedro from being absent yesterday. He had diahre dyrea direathe the shits. (Sinabi na kasi LBM na lang e. Pasosyal pa kasi.)
***
Irving was absent yesterday because he missed his bust. (So, transsexual pala si Irving?)
***
I kept Billie home because she had to go Christmas shopping becuase I don't know what size she wear. (Ano ba naman yan? Di alam ang size ng anak nya!)
***
Sally won't be in school a week from Friday. We have to attend her funeral. (Ala e! Mabuhay ang patay!)
***
Please excuse Jason for being absent yesterday. He had a cold and could not breed well. (Stud service ba yung school nya?)
***
Gloria was absent yesterday as she was having a gangover. (Ay grabe! Iba na talaga ang mga kabataan ngayon.)
***
Maryann was absent December 11-16, because she had a fever, sore throat, headache and upset stomach. Her sister was also sick, fever and sore throat, her brother had a low grade fever and ached all over. I wasn't the best either, sore throat and fever. There must be something going around, her father even got hot last night. (Hahaha, telenovela...bow. Makuwento sya ha.)
***
Please excuse Jennifer for missing school yesterday. We forgot to get the Sunday paper off the porch, and when we found it Monday, we thought it was Sunday. (Winner ito! Ang galing! Pwede rin kaya sa office ito? What do you think?)

Lonely day...

2005-06-20T11:53:00.000+08:00

For the first time in like, forever, I was the only one from our trio who was at work. Ginger is off until tomorrow. Mark was either still in Baguio or on his way back to Manila. It was kinda lonely. But it gave me an excuse to finish my reports and coach my agents.

I talked to Mark yesterday and asked him when he'll be getting his operation. I promised him that I'll be there to take care of him in the hospital when I'm off since his parents are not around. He's getting his tonsils removed. This is how our phone conversation went:

LJ: "When ka check-in sa hospital?"

Mark: "Monday siguro or Tuesday."

LJ: "Ah ok. Tuesday na lang. Off ko nun. I'll be the one to bring you na lang to Makati Med."

Mark: "Okai!"

LJ: "So Tuesday ha? Gimik natin sa ospital!"

Mark: "Hahaha!"

This would be interesting...

"That would be the camel floral-embossed pump, size 9?"

2005-06-19T23:18:00.000+08:00

This huge balikbayan box from the States was delivered to our house a couple of days ago. I was persistently asking my mom to open it the moment it came since I know that the shoes and bag that I ordered from Newport News are in there somewhere. After 2 months of waiting, the package finally came. But. "The mom" didn't want me to open it because she thinks I'll mess up her stuff. SH*T! I almost had an anxiety attack trying to stop myself from taking a peek.

That was two days ago.

I came home from work today. The box was finally opened. As I opened the packages that were for me, I was a bit disappointed on how the peep-toe ribbon pumps turned out. The ecru colored ribbons were not perfectly aligned. The heels were also thicker than it looked on the picture. The Manhattan skyline bag was a bit disappointing too. I thought it was as big as a tote bag, but it was just a regular handbag. There was another bag from Victoria's Secret that my mom gave to me as a gift. I didn't like it very much too because it was too big.

I was already frustrated with how the items I ordered turned out. But there was one last shoe box. Lo and behold! The camel floral-embossed pump was exactly as I imagined it to be! It was so unique! Floral-embossed leather. French heel. There's no way you can find anything like it here in the Philippines. I was so happy I got them, and after seeing and trying it on, it was definitely worth the wait.

Ha! I'll wear it tomorrow... Just in time for the implementation of the Company Dress Code.

The Ex Survey

2005-06-14T18:14:00.000+08:00

1.) Are you friends with your ex?
He said he wanted to be if it was okay with me, but he’s acting otherwise.

2.) Were you in good terms when you parted way?
No... then later on, yes... now, I guess no... hehehe! It's really complicated!

3.) Were you happy with him?
Oh yeah, four years is four years.

4.) Do you think that he was happy when he was with you?
Yeah, but not towards the end of our relationship.

5.) Do you miss him?
Only the happy times.

6.) Do you still love him?
I remember the boy, but I don’t remember the feeling.

7.) So how's your love life now? Do you have anyone new?
Well, there are guys, but I’m not in love with any of them. It's in the “like” stage.

8.) Are you still waiting for him?
Nope.

9.) If you still love him, then why not get back together?
Uhm, not applicable. =D

10.) Does your ex have a new girlfriend?
Yup yup!

11.) Did your relationship last long?
See #3.

12.) Are you scared to fall in love again?
Not at all. Excited pa nga eh! Haha! =D

13.) Do you still think that there is someone out there for you?
According to my psychic adviser I’ve met him already. *Kilig*

14.) What if, in the end, it will still be you and your ex?
Malabo...

15.) Are you mad at him?
Before, when he said that he wanted to be friends but then he didn’t act like it at all. I realized its nothing I should fret about anymore.

16.) Is he mad at you?
I think he is. Not sure why though.

17.) What if he tells you one day that he still loves you?
Pasensya…

18.) What song can you dedicate to him?
My theme song when we broke up was ‘Til My Heartaches End.

19.) Did you try to win him back?
Nope, but I heard he thought I was trying.

20.) Do you still see him?
Sometimes.

21.) Any message for him?
Thank you for the happy memories. :-)

I'm new at this...

2005-06-14T13:07:00.000+08:00

Okay... so I'm starting a blog. Years have gone by since I've heard that there's such a thing. I guess this is what happens when boredom refuse to elude me like always.

Actually, my tarot card reader (yes, I have one) gave me advice to continue trying out new things... quite contradictory what to my psychic advisers (yes, advisers with an "s") have been telling me to close Pandora's Box for a while.

But I'm sure this doesn't count.

I'm looking for an excuse not to do the reports I brought home. Even though I know I have to finish 9 monthly progress reports and around 24 performance evaluations within the next 7 hours.

I'm such a crammer, I swear!

IS SOME ONE IN LOVE WITH YOU
Name
DOB
Favourite Color
Is some one in love with you right now	heck yes
are you in love right now	yes, and been in love for a loonnnggg time...

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