The day the earth disappears

So I’ve been officially taking calls now for like almost a week, and yeah it’s tough. Still adjusting from the non-voice to voice transition. So pretty much, I’ve really gained respect for call center people – not because I’m also a call center agent. It not really an easy money job like every one thinks it is.

So, if you’ve noticed, I got this countdown ticker on my blog. So I’ll be working my ass out in IBM until this ticker reaches zero, and when it does I’ll decide if I should continue and stay in the company or finally look for a job in the media industry.

It’ll be a tough decision, knowing that if I do decide to finally look for a new job, I have to settle for a less competitive salary, which is of course not that exciting since the primary reason why we work is for the money right.

Anyway, a few days ago I watched the movie Stardust and I really liked it. So the next day before I go to work, I stopped by at a book store and bought the book. Nice story. Very interesting and unusual Gaiman’s mind is.

Laugh at me if you want, I’ll be watching High School Musical in a few minutes. Lol

Whatever things

I have 2 Become 1 on my phone. A few months ago I got to listen to the song and I realized that it’s about sex and I didn’t know that before. Lol. Super cool.

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Somehow, my friends remember me whenever they go to Starbucks. They would say or text me:

“Naalala kita, nagstarbucks kami kanina’

Weird.

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First week of the voice account training is over. Yeah it’s quite challenging. Now I realized how easy a non-voice account is. And I’m having doubts if I can even last or pass this training.

But then again, so far the training’s been fun and good. The trainer’s really nice, luckily. Easy to talk to and approachable.

Already working in IBM for almost 8 months, and I can’t seem to let go even if it’s a call center job. Weird because I swore that I will not work in a call center, but here I am.

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Today’s my first day in this new account. I’m quite excited, I just hope that I’d enjoy UA as much as I enjoyed Yahoo!. I don’t know what to expect, this would be my first voice account. Cool, just hope I can handle it. Don’t even know why I was one of the people who were chosen to be transferred. Anyway, hope this turns out good.

Goodbye to petix mode. T_T

The place where I am

This would be my last week with LiveWire.

Yesterday, I took this chance and had an interview for another account and yeah I got accepted and would immediately start next week.

But I’d take this as an opportunity, because come to think of it my salary would increase. And also I have a few friends who also got accepted in the account. So that’s cool. As if we have a choice anyway.

It’s sad but then again nothing is constant but change. And I think change should always be welcome.

In Limbo

Time goes by so fast that I can’t seem to catch up. Last night I couldn’t work properly because of this depressing news we got. Soon the account that I’m in right now will sunset. Well, we already know about the news months ago but it was just yesterday that the idea of saying goodbye to the account sank in to me.

It’s sad because I certainly enjoy the company of my colleagues, and yeah, in a few days we’ll part ways. I’ve said it before and I’d say it again, they are probably the main reason why I lasted 7 months in the company.

So what am I going to do now? I don’t know yet. It might be a sign to go and pursue any job in the media world. But I can’t seem to let go of the 13^th months pay, I mean come on, I’m also working there for the money and I only have to wait a few months for it. Grrr.

I’ve been quite attached to my colleagues, and adding the fact that I enjoyed my first job, it’ll be hard to say goodbye. Why do all good things come to an end.

Dancing out on the edge

I’m officially 22 years old. *sigh* Am really getting old.

Anyway, this morning I received a text message from Jen saying that starting next week I’ll be on the night shift again. No freaking way. It was like just 3 months since I was transferred to the morning shift. Are they trying to kill me? Don’t they know it’s super hard to adjust especially if you were informed for like 3 days before the new schedule starts?

But then again, I’ve been considering going back to the night shift so I can have a little more cash. So I listed the Pros and Cons of going back to the Night shift:

Cons

- I got so used with the AM shift, feels like I have a regular-office job

- Lunch breaks. In the Night shift you have limited choices where to eat (McDo, Jollibee, KFC, or the Pantry. But you can also go for some place far which means a 10 minute walkathon like Chow King, North Park, Brothers and Yellow Cab.) But in the Morning shift, there’s like a list of choices.

- I can’t ride the shuttle anymore. Meaning more walks since I’m going to ride the LRT and MRT most likely.

- EOP galore since our VA trainer was also transferred to the night shift.

- I’ll miss Marj-jie, Kuya Ben, and Rae noona.

Pros

- I get to be with Ace and Janus again.

- More money because of the night differential. Hmmm… the salary increase plus the night differential, tempting.

- It’s already dark when I go to work so I won’t be sweating so much because of the sun, so walking wouldn’t really be a problem.

- No more Jolly-jeep. Fast-food galore.

- I can go to the mall before work.

So yeah, night shift doesn’t sound that bad right? I just feel that I’m more comfortable with the morning shift for some reason. There’s nothing I can do anyway to reverse the decision.

Caffeine intake would increase again.

Bonus Feature

Being a Harry Potter fan, I was ecstatic to know that the team names in my first job would turn out to be the houses of the novel’s Wizard school. How cool is that right? But my enthusiasm burst quickly like a bubble pricked by a needle when I learned that my team was named the Hufflepuff team.

I never liked the Hufflepuff house. In the book, Hufflepuff students are pushovers. Insignificant and boring people. It wouldn’t matter if you remove the Hufflepuff house and students because it wouldn’t really affect the whole story.

On the contrary, despite my open loathing for the said Hogwarts house, I feel lucky that I’m part of Livewire’s Hufflepuff team – which is the exact opposite of the Hufflepuff people in the novel.

Since this is my first job, the relationship with my colleagues plays an important part. You’ll never enjoy your job if you do not enjoy the company of the people you’re going to be with everyday while you’re in this company. And I’m confident enough to say that I’m blessed with this.

My batch mates (the second-to-the-last batch since we don’t really have a wave or something), I never thought that I’d easily get along with them, that was when I first saw them during the contract signing.

Dianne was the first one I really got to talk with. I’m the shy and quiet type, but I never felt awkward when I got to have a little chat with her. She’s one interesting butch.

Then there’s the ever poise Jen who could eat one chocolate bar for lunch in probably less than an hour. She reminds me of a college friend, so it was not hard for me to be comfortable with her.

If you want some sensible talk, there’s Ace. He’s really smart and witty. However, be warned, conversations with him will always include Mariah Carey.

Robby Noona is someone you won’t easily forget. He’s fun to be with and I really enjoy his company.

And finally there’s Kuya Ben. He would be my complete opposite – in terms of personality that is. But nonetheless, he turned out to be the one that I’m most thankful for.

Now that’s five reasons why I love the Hufflepuff team, but it doesn’t stop there.

There’s our cute lead and trainer Justin, the adorable Edry, and ever charming banzai girl Marj. Our supportive and cool TL Mami Nari, Kuya Mark, Kuya Angelo, Ate Miles, the hottest mama Ate Mercy and the list goes on and on. All of them have been helpful in one way or another.

I have always been very vocal about my dream career. I may not gain much in terms of a foundation for a future career that I hope I’d be pursuing soon with this job, but I’ve grown as a person with the help of my team.

My current job is like a Triple Caramel Macchiato. The Hufflepuff team would be the sweet and addictive caramel syrup, because it blends perfectly with the coffee and enhances the taste of the three espresso shots making it less bitter and more pleasant to drink. Not to mention it just makes you crave for more.

And just like a cup of coffee that's about to be empty. The best thing to do is to just enjoy the aromatic beverage until the last drop. And when you're done drinking, it will be hard to forget how great it was.

It's already been six months since I met these guys. Six months might be a short time, but it's enough for me to know that they're a great bunch of people.

And one thing’s for sure. Livewire’s Hufflepuff team is no pushover.

Pics Galore

Team Hufflepuff AM shift. Lunch @ Shakey's.

With Banzai girl Marj and the hottest mama Ate Mercy @ the back.

That's me of course. Lol

One-Two Combo

My blog’s a year older again. I’ve been officially blogging for two years now. Cool. Though I have blog accounts on Wordpress, Livejournal, MTVAsia, Incubus site, and Multiply, I’m much more active in posting here.

So, for fun, I decided to browse and read my blog posts in 2006 and 2007. It was fun.

A few days ago I read this really interesting article in the newspaper, a girl (someone I don’t really know and remember and whom I expect to be a socialite) had this little survey:

Would you rather have an Instant Replay or Fast Froward in your life?

Really interesting eh?

My first choice was the Fast Forward button. I’m the type of guy who, as much as possible, tries not to dwell in the past and wants live and enjoy life as it is, and of course prepare myself for the things ahead. The past is the past. You can’t undo the mistakes that you already did, can not relieve the same happy and blissful feeling you have had. And there’s this ‘Keep moving forward’ line in some movie that I also forgot. Fast Forward would be the practical choice.

But then again, having a blog is like having an Instant Replay button in your life. As I was browsing and reading my old posts, I remembered how happy I was during my OJT in Malaya, the hardships of looking for a job, puyatan seesions for a project and unforgettable moments during my college life.

And though you can never have the same feeling that you had back then, relieving some of the moments in your past that’s somehow temporarily been erased in your memory makes you smile, because those are the things that made you what you are now.

So yeah, I choose the latter.

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I also like to share this inspiring verse that keeps me strong, positive and secure whenever I face tough challenges:

1 Peter 5:10

After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.