Give the Day a Chance to Start

Wednesday, June 29, 2005

And so it begins

I just came from work, today being my third official day on the job. Actually,I haven't really been getting down and dirty with my main responsibilities so far because I'd spent the whole day in orientations and the like yesterday. Monday was fun, too, because I was immersed into the whole application process. I tried interviewing applicants, listening in and observing their exams and role plays, as well as going through some of the tests myself. I now have more respect for people who work as agents in a call center. Believe me: IT'S TOUGH. Not only do you have to have excellent communication skills, but you also have to possess the ability to think on your toes, mulit-task, and learn everything about a specific account/service provided by the company in a limited amount of time. Applying is hard, training is harder, and taking calls on the floor, well, is the hardest--the real deal. I'm very blessed to be in recruitment, where the working hours are in the daytime and where I don't have to deal with irrate customers. Still, my job is no walk in the park. We HAVE to implement the extremely stringent process of employing the best among the best of the applicants. And it ain't no easy task assessing people with so many unique traits, much less rejecting people with such hopeful dreams of landing a job in our company.

What about you guys? I wanna know what you think of call centers. I understand there's this misconceptions that agents are but "glorified telephone operators." What's your stand on that?

All this just made me realize how important jobs are. All forms of employment, all types of jobs--be they managerial or rank and file--are respectable. Besides, what gives us the right to judge or nametag seemingly demeaning jobs when we don't even have a full understanding of what they really are about? I only got a glimpse of what it's like to be an agent, and already, I am convinced that it's one of the most difficult, honorable jobs there is. Sure, working at night isn't the most desireable schedule, but it CAN work for some people. Plus, the fact that they can handle the stress of the hours on top of the challenge of dealing with all kinds of customers says a whole lot about their skills, and more importantly their character.

So much for that. There's still so much to learn and observe as I go along. But I'm really happy about where I am. Work doesn't seem like toil, and I actually look forward to getting up to go there in the morning.

By the way, I tried and failed yet again to secure my NBI clearance. Apparently, someone has (or STOLE!!! grrr...) my name, so I will have to come back on Monday for them to verify information, bla bla bla.

Friday, June 24, 2005

Bloody holiday!

To say that I'm pissed off would be an understatement.

But before I begin ranting, I must say I'm still really raving about my new job. Yesterday was a first for many: signing my job contract, setting up a bank account, lining up for my SSS number, and after all that, suffering my very first migrane. Either I was extremely stressed out about securing all my pre-employment requirements or I just hadn't had my dose of caffeine for the day. The headache was so excrutiatingly painful that I couldn't sleep, and was miserably crying my eyes out. I didn't know a simple headache could get so bad. It was almost unbelievable how the throbbing kept getting louder and more severe in my head. Anyway, it was relieved by a cup of coffee Mama prepared for me and/or three tablets that my sister made me take. That aside, I was really happy about having accomplished so much in a day. The only thing I had left to do was get my NBI clearance.

So, I woke up really early this morning not just to be able to get ready to leave, but also to be able to prepare breakfast for the family (Our househelp had to go on a bereavement leave.). Before the dreadful rush hour traffic, Papa and I were well on our way to meet up with my Tita, who volunteered to commute with me going to Quiapo--the one and only far-flung branch offering clearance for first-timers. After an FX ride and quite a bit of walking in the dangerous alleys of that place, I got there only to find out that the office was closed today, it being "Manila Day"!!! At the point of desperation, we took a jeep to their Taft branch, but to no avail; that was closed as well.

Here I am at home, feeling really really grumpy. But while I'm whinging about all the hassle, I can't but feel guilty. Don't I trust my God enough to know what's best for me and to work everything out in the long run? I do. It's just... so hard... to be optimistic all the time. Anyway, let me shake this immaturity off. Complaining isn't gonna help any. Besides, I really should be thankful for the reason as to why I have to get my clearance in the first place. It's an answer to my prayer for a job! I'll just keep trying and trusting. It's not the end of the world.

Meanwhile, I also have to enjoy this day--my final day of bumming. Let me spend it playing tennis with Ate and a couple of good friends.

I'm not surprised.

To say that I'm pissed off would be an understatement.

But before I begin ranting, I must say I'm still really raving about my new job. Yesterday was a first for many: signing my job contract, setting up a bank account, lining up for my SSS number, and after all that, suffering my very first migrane. Either I was extremely stressed out about securing all my pre-employment requirements or I just hadn't had my dose of caffeine for the day. The headache was so excrutiatingly painful that I couldn't sleep, and was miserably crying my eyes out. I didn't know a simple headache could get so bad. It was almost unbelievable how the throbbing kept getting louder and more severe in my head. Anyway, it was relieved by a cup of coffee Mama prepared for me and/or three tablets that my sister made me take. That aside, I was really happy about having accomplished so much in a day. The only thing I had left to do was get my NBI clearance.

So, I woke up really early this morning not just to be able to get ready to leave, but also to be able to prepare breakfast for the family (Our househelp had to go on bereavement leave.). Before the dreadful rush hour traffic, Papa and I were well on our way to meet up with my Tita, who volunteered to commute with me going to Quiapo--the one and only far-flung branch offering clearance for first-timers. After an FX ride and quite a bit of walking in the dangerous alleys of that place, I got there only to find out that the office was closed today, it being "Manila Day"!!! At the point of desperation, we took a jeep to their Taft branch, but to no avail; that was closed as well.

Here I am at home, feeling really really grumpy. But while I'm whinging about all the hassle, I can't but feel guilty. Don't I trust my God enough to know what's best for me and to work everything out in the long run? I do. It's just... so hard... to be optimistic all the time. Anyway, let me shake this immaturity off. Complaining isn't gonna help any. Besides, I really should be thankful for the reason as to why I have to get my clearance in the first place. It's an answer to my prayer for a job! I'll just keep trying and trusting. It's not the end of the world.

Meanwhile, I also have to enjoy this day--my final day of bumming. Let me spend it playing tennis with Ate and a couple of good friends.

Wednesday, June 22, 2005

Beside myself

How can one go from being an almost-hopeless unemployed bum to a potential human resource officer at the snap of a finger? I am still in awe at how quickly everything happened. It felt as though I was just watching this scrawny, petite, naive girlie walk into a building, fill up forms, get interviewed by and introduced to a couple of HR people, and land the job all in one morning from afar, and that it was playing at 16x fast forward on a DVD player. Surreal...

Then again, I really shouldn't be surprised. I'd been praying for this for the longest time. I hardly expressed it here but recently, I'd been feeling rather anxious about finding a job--a good one at that! Staying here at home, just waiting, worrying, and wondering about my future seemed to drain all the energy out of me. So, for a while there, I guess I was a bit depressed. I kept the faith, though, knowing that even in the looOOOooong process of patiently waiting for life to happen, LIFE WAS ALREADY HAPPENING and God was paving the way for me. It took a while until I was able to rise above the doubts, sporadically slipping back into moments of desperation. But I did my best to learn to wait for God's perfect time. Then, just last Monday, I got the call.

I was in the shower when the HR manager asked for me. I thought to myself, "Should I ring her back? It might seem too desperate..." I shook the pride off nonetheless, and to my surprise, she actually interviewed me by telephone on the spot! I guess that went rather well because she invited me to come over to the office for a personal interview. I then spent the next two days reading about the company, studying interview tips, and praying til my knees bled (Marielle is exaggerating again.). Off I went to the interview at the appointed time and place just this morning. The rest is history.

No matter how much I'd prepared myself for God's answer to my prayers, He yet again showed me how He just never fails to grant me more than I could ever ask or imagine. The people at the company were very professional, not to mention extremely accomodating and friendly. The job appears to be a good venue for me to hone my communication skills, providing me with plenty of opportunities for personal growth and development in my chosen field. The company, in itself, is extremely prominent in its area of specialization. And the benefits! Oh, the benefits! For lack of better words to describe it, all I can say about that is, "Coolness."

I'm just beside myself with anticipation of what lies ahead. If all goes well with my medical exam and securing all the necessary paperwork, I can start on Monday. MONDAY!!! That soon!!! I'd like to play cool and say, "Yeah yeah, I've got a job... Big deal..." But I can't be a hypocrite like that, not when God handed me this blessing on a silver platter! So, though I sound like a crazed, hyper, over-eager beaver, and I may have already exhausted my alloted number of exclamation points in this paragraph, SREW IT!!! I'm thrilled!!! And I ain't gonna deny it for one moment!!! Yipeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now, that I've officially scared you, my beloved reader, let me just end with this:

Thank You, Lord, for this blessing. I won't let you down.

Sunday, June 19, 2005

Fathah's Day!

"I really enjoyed this day," my Papa said as we drove to the hospital where we were to help bring Lolo and Lola safely to their room.

To hear my dad say that clinched it all. In a sense, it was proof that Mama, Ate, and I were successful in making the day extra special for the numero uno man in our lives.
Happy Father's Day, Papa! This photo is kinda (err... make that VERY) blurry, but it's the only photo taken of my dad today. It'll have to do.

We jump started the day by surprising Papa with a big gift box wrapped in baby blue (whoa, how very masculine! mark the sarcasm) paper. That nice green polo he has on in the picture is just one of the goodies neatly packaged in that box. I'm so glad he liked it, and that he (we three ladies agreed) looked great in the color.

After a hearty Sunday family breakfast, we went to church, which was followed by an even more hearty lunch where a couple of other family members joined us. When my family gets together, meals never takes less than two hours because we all just have this innate gift of gabbing and chatting the minutes away with one another. That's not to say that more talking takes place than eating. We've got that eating part covered pretty darn well, if I may say so myself. Anyway, since it was Father's Day, we allowed (if I can even use that word with my dad) Papa to order and eat this absolutely decadent piece of moist chocolate cake, topped with a hefty scoop of vanilla ice cream--a la mode is what they call it, I think. Since it was HIS day, we let him satisfy his sweet tooth. So, starting tomorrow and every other non-special day of the year, we get the license back to keep strict watch over his diet. I'd like him to be around, healthy and strong, much much longer. Heehee...

We hung out at the mall, buying a few things and having our traditional coffee fix before heading straight to my grandparents' house.

Commercial Break: Starbucks FrapLight is back! Sing wit' me now... "HALLELUJAH!!!" If ya'll are laughing at my incredibly dorky smile at the photo down there, I guess you have every reason to. I do look like a sugar-high, crazed kid enjoying the sweets at a candy shop. Only... what I'm glugging down is absolutely sugar-free! Yahoooooooo! Still, as you can see, it still makes me as hyper as any sugar-high coffee-addict would be. Hmmm...

Back to the real world. *ahem*

Since I'm on the topic of fathers, I guess it's only fitting that I talk about my Lolo.

He and my lola, parents of my dad by the way, have been confined in a hospital for roughly two years now. My lola has been bed-ridden, yet in relatively stable condition, while Lolo's condition had been quite erratic, what with his mild stroke, hypertension, and yes, all other types of physical deterioration that comes with aging. I watched my dad lose lots of weight because of all the stress, both physically and emotionally, of having to be a doctor, the eldest, and main man in charge of two sick parents. To make the incredibly long story short, God granted us the miracle we'd been praying for by slowly yet surely giving Lolo back his strength, and stabilizing his overall health. Yesterday, Lolo and Lola spent the night at their real home after months and months of hospital care, and even though they were brought back to their hospital room today, Papa went through all the hassle of transferring them to and fro just to grant Lolo his request to be brought home even for only a while. It did my old folks good, I guess, to be away from the hospital after such a long time of being confined to the four walls of their room. And to be brought back to see and stay at their home must have been a real joy for them. Little by little, Papa plans to wean them from hospital care so that they can comfortably and finally reside in their humble abode. Lolo had a huge smile on his face the whole time I was with him today, by the way. I was delighted to see him in such good spirits.

My dad and my lolo are without question two of the greatest, most respectable fathers in the world. One day is not enough to honor them for all their sacrifices. But I'm glad that we were able to give them their due this day--their official day--by simply making them happy.

I will end this entry by greeting the most important Father of them all: my Heavenly Father. Happy Dad's Day! Thank you, Lord, for being the ultimate example, and for choosing me to be your child.

Tuesday, June 14, 2005

Afterthought

I'm almost completely certain of this: I have been cursed to have come across the biggest bozo on the face of the planet, a joke who thinks the world of himself, and a pathetic spineless little fraction of a man.

One year. Tickitee Toc Tickitee Toc...

Monday, June 13, 2005

Family project

Today was supposedly a nationwide holiday celebrating our country's independence, but instead of lounging around and exploiting this opportunity to rest, my family and I up and decided to do a mad-car-cleaning session. The four of us were scrubbing, rinsing, waxing, and buffing at the garage like crazy, so much so that it almost looked as if we spontaneously put up our own small-scale, family carwash business. It sucked all the energy out of me (try four cars!), but I had fun just the same. At a certain point there, I was even obsessive compulsively polishing the dashboards like a madman just to make them look all shiny and new.

Basically, we spent the rest of the day together. Tonight, as Mama and I binged on peanuts in front of the telly, we got to talk a little. I told her about how I was starting to feel slightly anxious about this bumming stage in my life. Then, of course, there was the customary (but heartfelt nonetheless) mommy's pep talk that can inspire like no other. That was very comforting to me.

I wish there were more days like these. Ever since we moved up here, we've all been so incredibly busy that we hadn't had as much time to bond. Sure, we were still in many respects a close-knit family, but there were hardly enough moments to truly build and nurture the relationships further. For a time there, it was as if we all went on a plateau, not really drifting away but also not growing any closer. Now time is something I have a lot of. However, I'm starting to notice that time, if not shared with people I care about, is almost as useless as if I didn't have it at all.

Which brings me back to my over-eagerness to find work and get on with it soon... Maybe God is giving me all this time to pick up where I left off with the people I care about the most. Come to think of it, I was away the most when I was still in college. Hmm...

Rethink all this, I shall. (Forgive my Yoda-speak. It's become quite involuntary after that recent Starwars overdose.)

Saturday, June 11, 2005

Sumpin' new

I'm currently listening to my sister playing (or at least trying to play) Fur Elise.


And that's me in the picture, playing chopsticks. I think I just about have what it takes to get a scholarship at the Juilliard School of Music. Just teasing! Marielle can dream, too.

So here's the deal. Our parents came home and surprised my sister and me with a brand new organ. I have absolutely no idea why they suddenly got the urge to buy it for us, but nonetheless, I kinda liked the idea of having a musical instrument in the house, since number one: I didn't get to part ways with our old, beloved, classic wooden piano which we left behind at our house down south, and number two: It'll be an insteresting diversion learning how to play passed grade two piano lessons. I just hope that once I start pursuing this, I'd actually carry it out to completion, or at least learn how to play a piece other than chopsticks. This is definitely sumpin' new I can fill up my days with. Thanks, ma and pa!!!

The badminton group was reunited this morning, minus Joy and Gem, plus Miko and Esther. We enjoyed our customary competitive games and trash talking despite the suffocating humidity of the courts. And of course, we couldn't do without our traditional pig-out lunch. Some of us even went on to watch Mr. and Mrs. Smith, a movie that I appreciated far far more than I did House of Wax. In fact, it's even unfair to the former that I'm comparing it to the latter. I have never ever been a Brad Pitt fanatic, but after this movie, I guess he's alright, not to mention the fact that Angelina Jolie pulled off the feisty female leading character better than ANY actress on the face of the earth (note: Marielle=exaggerating).

I was just thinking about this really close friend I just talked to, and I couldn't but get baffled at how people just seem to be so stubborn. I was as stubborn as he was, too, and if I only realized back then how stubborn equals stupid, there'd be a lot of things I would have done very differently. This friend, on the other hand, knows how stupidly stubborn he is and yet he chooses to swim in this sea of idiocy, knowing that he will inevitably drown. He needs help, and I can't help him.

That really hurts me.

Thursday, June 09, 2005

Let it rain.

Another rainy day, it is, hmm?

You know you've been watching too many Starwars movies consecutively when you start talking like Yoda.

I'm spending another day at home because the rains are too darn strong for me to go out even just to shoot some hoops or practice my driving. Although it is kind of a gloomy, wet, dreery day, I always prefer the rains to the sun somehow. The sound of water pattering on the windows is quite soothing. I close my eyes and it's as if the rains are washing away all my troubles.

Okay, I'm having another "drama queen" moment, but cut me some slack... I've been spending my days at home too long that I've nothing to do but ponder on life and its meaning. My musings don't last though. It always comes down to this comforting thought: God has a beautiful plan for me. Even now, in the simplest of tasks, I can still serve Him. So, I should just carry on with the work that he lays out before me and wait on Him to give me something more when the time is right.

Sunday, June 05, 2005

Dizzy on a Sunday morning. Random thoughts at night.

I woke up earlier than usual this morning so I could prepare the traditional Sunday morning family breakfast. I got kind of dizzy, having had to fry, wash, scrub, and sweep before preparing for church. Thanks to my sister, I didn't have to do it all by my lonesome.


Ice-blended Pomegranate Blueberry Tea Latte. My comfort drink at the moment. I really am fickle-minded. It didn't take too long for me to get over the loss of Starbuck's FrapLight. Heehee... Besides, my loyalty has always been with the Coffee Bean anyway. They're always fully-stocked on their sugar-free powders, their shops are the most cozy in the metro, and everything (I've tasted so far, at least) on their menu tastes great. I was even more pleased that they put up shop at Greenhills. Now, their goodies are even more accessible to everyone. Happy happy joy joy!

I was just looking at my blog, the title, the description. It all sounds so cynical, gloomy, and melancholic. I never thought of myself as a drama queen. Funny... But I guess, even the sunniest personalities do have their dark sides, and it's all normal. Wouldn't it be tiring if people were cheerful and hyper every single moment? It pays to be sedate and contemplative from time to time, even if doing so may seem overly dramatic or sentimental.

Yesterday was an ok day. Ate and I bought a gift for Don before heading straight to his post-birthday lunch treat. Then, after a hearty lunch, we watched House of Wax all for the sake of seeing Paris Hilton die die DIE!!! It was crazy how it seemed as though everyone in the movie house suppressed laughter when that pole went straight into her forehead. Maybe we all went out to watch the movie for the very same reason. Teehee!

Miko, Don, Ate, and I had our day all planned out, or so we thought. After killing a couple of hours in the mall, we'd planned on heading straight to a reunion dinner a few kilometers away. But as the rains and the city's oh-so efficient drainage system would have it, we got held up by traffic jams left and right as a result of all the flooding. About an hour after leaving the mall, we were thankful enought to have arrived at our place of destination safe and sound, but boy were we ravenous! So there, we waited for the others to arrive, ate to our hearts' content, and chatted the night away. Well, not really. My sister and I had to leave earlier than everyone else because, responsible daughters as we were (who am I kidding?!?), we didn't want our parents to worry about our whereabouts.

I enjoy days like that: just hanging out with good people and being my weird self around them. But I'm starting to feel like it's about time I start seriously looking for a job. I don't like the thought that I'm just sitting around here at home, sort of waiting for life to happen. I have to start doing something... and fast! Besides, I feel like such a leech here at home. It's high time I contribute something of worth around here.

God, please let me know your will for me. I'm all ears.

Friday, June 03, 2005

Home alone.

This is my tribute to the short-lived FrapLight days. I wonder why Starbucks pulled out their stocks nationwide for this low-calorie, sugar-free comfort drink. Just when I was starting to put Starbucks at the top of my fave coffee shops list again... Oh well, i'll just have to hope people will become more educated on healthy living. Then there will be a market for health foods and drinks. Boohoo for people like me, though. The health-conscious are indeed a rare breed. And please don't get me wrong. I'm not health-conscious because I want to lose weight. Goodness, I'd be reduced to nothing if I were to shed a couple more pounds! It's just that I wanna live long and strong. And might I add that I have doctors for parents. 'nuff said!

So, here I am, alone at home. Ate is enrolling at UP right now. Basically, all I've been doing these past few days is keep house, cook meals, wash dishes, etcetera!

Say it with me, everybody: aliping namamahay!

Thursday, June 02, 2005

Thanks, Papa.

My highschool sistahs and I were reunited last night. From the left, that's Carmel, Jamie, Michelle, me, Hannah, Lou, Miday, and Ica.

I must have the best father in the whole world. Yesterday, I'd planned on missing out on dinner with my sistahs for a number of lame reasons. Reason number one being that nobody would be home to cook dinner for my family if I were to leave. Reason number two was, of course, the same old transportation problem that comes with having to live so far away from my friends and not being allowed to use public transpo (today is only my second day of serious driving lessons so I can't exactly drive myself around yet). Reason number three was connected with the previous one in that I wanted to continue with my driving lessons instead of going to Makati to hang out with friends I hadn't seen in quite a while (talk about a lame excuse, huh?!?). I thought to myself, "There'll be a next time anyway. I have important things to do right now."

So, when I told my dad about it, he was quite confused at my decision. He said that I should never miss out on any opportunity to get together with my friends if I could help it, and since he offered to take me all the way to Makati, my already-lame excuses got even more pathetic than they already were. Besides, I guess I was just flattering myself too much to think that my family would starve to death without me slaving away in the kitchen to cook dinner for them. So, off I went, thanks to Papa, who talked some sense into me.

Thank God I didn't miss this one because we were all able to make it--and that doesn't happen very often, I might add! Two of the guys in our batch also joined us. It was such a blessing to be reunited with them all, and though I know this will sound too cliche, I must say that as much as we've all changed and grown these past few years, we're all pretty much the same crazy bunch we were way back in highschool. A few noteworthy changes, though... Michelle was fully clad in a very chic looking business get-up since she'd come straight from her first day of work. Jamie, too, will soon join the nation's workforce. Some (I won't mention names) were already in the habit of huffing and puffing, if you know what I mean. Two (again... no names!) are in very serious relationships. And me? Well, that's a whole different story, but I've done my fair share of growing. Let's leave it at that.

When I got home, I thanked Papa for convincing me to go to this dinner, which of course led to the customary father-daughter talk about life. Papa said, and I couldn't agree more, that in this life, what will truly count in the long run is not how successful or powerful we get. Rather, it's the people whose lives we touch that will truly matter. Like I always say, "People will not remember you for what you did, but they will surely remember you for how you make them feel." That's why we should take care of our relationships and make them our most valuable investment. I already know these things, but I do need to be reminded every once in a while.

Who'd have thought that a night out with friends would teach me so much?

Wednesday, June 01, 2005

Ditzy me.

Girls just wanna have fun. Mama bought me these. Now, if I only knew where to wear them since I'm such a household bum these days...

What have I been up to? Well, for one thing, I've been kept busy with household chores. Since our household help left for a two-week vacation, my family and I have to pitch in with the stuff that needs to be done around the house (i.e. cooking, cleaning, the works!). I'm not complaining. I love cooking for my family anyway, especially when they can appreciate even the meals I experiment with. So far, they're still alive... not yet dead from food poisoning. Teehee!

And believe it or not but I actually sat through Star Wars III for the second time. I watched it again, but this time with the family. Get this: Mama took time off from work to spend the afternoon with us and Papa put off the errands he had to run that Monday afternoon, just so we could all watch that movie together. I didn't mind seeing it again. At least I got to laugh at Chubaka's oh-so enchanting vocals.

Then, Papa left us girlies to shop shop shop, but thank God we didn't drop! Can I just say? I absolutely love Market! Market!, especially their department store. There are so many good finds there, not to mention the fact that the fitting rooms are so spacious that Mama, Ate, and I could try clothes on together in one room. I know, I know... I sound so ditzy, but these are the times I cherish. These are the times I get to bond with the women in my family. These are the times that we can just feel pretty and ditzy, away from all the hassles and stresses of life. (Men out there, you don't have to sympathize. I know I'm talking Greek to ya'll.)

So that about sums up my weekend, or long weekend that is. I'll be seeing my highschool sistahs in a bit. It'll be chitchat and chibog galore. Teehee!

By the way, belated happy birthday to my sistah, Jamie. And happy happy birthday to my good friends Don and Ian!