Taxis, Tables, and Fried Chicken!

Well today was a good day for me. I woke up before my alarms went off, I got to work early. On the way to work, I decided to take a taxi. When I entered the taxi, the driver greeted me with a "Good morning po". The driver was really polite and it made me feel generous so I didn't ask for my change back.

After that, I was at the office the whole day and I took a few calls today for the first time since I started training for Poker. All of them were good calls, so I had no complaints. One caller didn't believe that I was in the Philippines. He was insisting that I was an American because of my accent. That made my morning.

After work, I hanged out with my friends outside the building and after a few sticks, I went to the mall to buy a table for my laptop, something that I've been planning to buy for a few weeks now. Well I went to Ace Hardware because they're selling this table that's really simple-looking but it's exactly what I need. I also bought a big bag of food for my fishes. Those damn fish are expensive and I don't want them to die.

Since I was already at the mall, I decided to have dinner at Kips. It's the one place I could eat all the time and not get tired of it. I love their fried chicken with spanish rice. After that I had my National Bookstore card renewed and then I decided to go home.

Today is the premiere of the movie Eclipse so the mall was packed, and because of this it was impossible to get a taxi so I took a jeep going home. Today was an exceptionally hot day so I was sweating inside the jeep when suddenly this woman who was sitting in front of me pulled a piece of tissue paper from her bag and gave it to me then she smiled. That made my day.

It's because of people like the taxi driver, the caller, and the woman that makes me believe there's still some good left in the world and it's not as ugly as one would imagine. They make me think and ponder on the fact that life may not be so cruel all the time after all.

Google Chrome Fix!

Ever since they launched Google Chrome, I've been a loyal user but for a few months now I haven't able to use Google Chrome because it won't load any web pages. I uninstalled Chrome and then re-installed it but it still wasn't working. Since I was having a bad day today, I decided to check Google if there were any solutions to the Chrome problem. 


Thank God for Google because I was able to find a forum that shows a solution on how to fix Chrome. So here are the instructions for fixing Google Chrome if it won't load any web pages/ websites.


1. Close Chrome (if it's open). 
2. Right click on the desk top icon and pick Properties.  
3. In the Target field, after the last quote (") add a space and "--no-sandbox" (without quotes.  So your target field should read axactly like this, quotes and everything.  

"C:\Program Files\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe" --no-sandbox  
4. Apply the settings and launch Google Chrome.


This actually worked for me. I'm back to using Google Chrome. I like it because it's simpler to use and everything is installed on it. It also has the same homepage as Safari with all your frequently visited websites are displayed and it has themes which makes it really cute.


This fix worked for me, I hope it works for you too.

How I spent my "rest" day

Working in a call center, days off are not normal. You could have weekdays or weekends or even split days off. For quite some time now, mine has been Monday and Tuesday which for me is fine because the traffic is uber terrible during Mondays and I like working on weekends because everyone is at the mall during those days so I won't enjoy it. My restdays were yesterday and today and here's how I spent it.

Monday

I was suppose to go out and buy food for the fish and buy a table for my laptop. I was told that I would have guests at home so I have to clean the whole house and the beds my mom bought would be delivered. So I stayed in telling myself that i'll just clean and wait for the beds and I'll just go out the next day.

Tuesday

The guy who'll assemble the beds was going to come to the house so I had to wait for them. Now first of all, they were the one's who said that they'll come today. Fine, I thought.
11AM they haven't come yet.
2PM no news
4PM still nothing
6PM nothing...absolutely nothing.

I am in a very foul mood right now. Here I was waiting like an idiot at the house for people who didn't show up. At around 6:15pm I was getting ready to go out even if I only have an hour or two to go to the mall when suddenly received a text saying that they'll be coming tonight to fix the beds. I was thinking, "WHAT THE FREAKING HELL!!!".

It's almost 9PM and they're still not here. So basically, these assholes who practically wasted my day, my rest day nonetheless, the ONE DAY THIS WEEK that I'll be able to relax are just beating around the bush. Now I don't know the name of the place where my mom bought the beds but the moment I find out, I swear to God I am going to lambaste them here. 

Well isn't this a great way to spend my fucking day off. Cooped up in the house waiting for people who may or may not come. Happy fuckin' day off to me!

Globe Micro Sim finally!

Globe has finally released a Micro Sim under tattoo for both prepaid and post paid. For those of you who have the iPad 3G here in the Philippines, you wont need to cut your regular sim cards so they'd fit. Globe's new Micro sim is powered by a new Unlimited Data Plan exclusively available from Globe Tattoo. The Unlimited Plan lets you go online whenever you want for only PHP 999/month. If you prefer prepaid, get Globe’s Micro sim for just PHP 50.00 and start surfing for PHP 5.00 for every 15 minutes.

Here's the instructions on how to use the Globe Micro Sim on the iPad for browsing.

After inserting the micro-SIM into the SIM tray/slot, follow these easy steps:
1. Go to “Settings”.
2. Press “Reset” then “Reset Network Settings”
3. Go to “Cellular Data”
4. Press “APN”
5. Change APN. For postpaid: internet.globe.com.ph. For prepaid: http.globe.com.ph
6. Deactivate Wi-Fi to be able to browse using the SIM (click Wi-Fi menu, turn-off)

Disclaimer: Every time you remove your Micro-SIM and then re-insert it, you need to go through Steps 1-6 again.

Kids, is this a sign that the iPhone 4 is looming over the horizon? Oh dear lord I hope so. The micro sim was released a few days before the release of the iPhone 4 in the US and I shall take that as a sign. I asked a few Apple-savvy friends, as in the hardcore Apple lovers if they know anything about it's worldwide release and one of them who has never made a mistake when it come's to shit like this said that it'll either be August or September this year. But with all the problems the iPhone 4 has like the yellow line on it's retina display, the reception problem, it's glass back panel that gets shattered when you drop it, or the swapped volume buttons, I'm wondering if this'll prove to be true.

But don't get me wrong, despite all of this, I still want an iPhone 4. Don't really care much about the iPad because as I've told Jackie a million times, it's just a big ass iPod Touch that runs on IOS4. I'm saving up for it and when it does get released, I shall hang on for dear life at the Globe Business Center because I'm sure there'll be A LOT of people wanting to get their hands on one.

Poker so far...and moving on...

So as most of you know, I'm now working in our Poker department and it's been a week already. It's been really fun so far because we get to play during our down time so that we could practice. Also during our down time specially during the afternoon, we play catch using the stress ball. Moving on...

The job is fairly easy, easier than what I expected actually which I guess is a good thing. My teammates are awesome, got nothing to complain about. They're all very helpful and fun to talk too. It's a no-holds-barred conversation with them. They're willing to help us and its laughs all around. Moving on...

Its a little hard to adjust because we have to learn new things but It's Ok because our trainer, senior, and supervisor are doing great in helping us. We've got more things to memorize, more things to learn, more things to do, but at the end of the day, were all happy. Moving on...

Our trainer is DT and so far he's been great. It just feels weird though because he's my friend and when I was in CS, we'd be talking on the floor or on facebook or something and now he's my trainer. I'm just not used to seeing him as a trainer. He's doing a great job even if there are times when he skips a few things in the lesson without realizing it but he goes back and teaches it to us. The thing you'd hear him say a lot is...*drum roll*...moving on...

I don't mean to be rude... because I already am...

Earlier today I was at the smoking area killing time and enjoying the view when suddenly the new trainees came and started chatting with one another. They were talking about something pertaining to our account which they had a hard time understanding. One of them saw me and said something like, "ask him what to do".

This girl approached me and started asking me things which I happily explained. After that they asked me who my trainer was for that specific topic, it turns out we have the same trainer. The girl suddenly asked me if I understood our trainer when she was teaching us. I said, "yeah she's good, but this topic is really hard for everyone so she had to explain it twice. Trust me it's not easy for anyone coz its the hardest thing they'll teach you in training." Apparently, that wasn't her question, she didn't mean it that way. What she meant was, if I understood how the trainer talked, accent and all. At that exact moment, a strange feeling came over me. The feeling of putting my cigarette out in her eye!

Now this trainer was my trainer before. Her native language is spanish because she's from our Costa Rica office. Though she's Latina, she speaks english very fluently. There are times(very rare) when she gets a bit lost for words if she's been talking for quite some time, but c'mon who doesn't right? And for someone to make a comment about her regarding the way she talks is unforgivable for me. She is very patient and one of the nicest people in the office. My batch was the first batch she taught in training and I can say that she did a damn good job. I don't see anything wrong with the way she speaks, none of us had problems understanding her. Say that I'm biased, I won't deny it but she has been really nice to me, has noticed the efforts I have made in the company, and has been very supportive with all of us so I would defend her without thinking twice against shallow minded individuals who could not even speak straight english to save their lives.

I had the urge to yell at their group but I tried so hard not to because someone else entered the smoking area. Had it only been me and them, I would have yelled my lungs out. So when they all left, I just tried to calm myself down by lighting another stick.

Sorry dear readers, I just found this extremely offensive. This girl, this abomination thinks she could say stuff like that about my friends with me around, ha! No no no no! That shit ain't gonna fly with me. Let's see how far will their mouths take them once they hit the production floor.

CSR no more...

Hello Kids, today is my last day as a Customer Service Rep. Tomorrow I start training for Poker, and one of my trainers (or I think he's the only one) would be DT. That should be fun. Four of us applied for the position in Poker and all of us got in, at least I'm comfortable with the people I'll be working with since I have more friends in our Poker Department.

It seems like a surreal dream that just within 2 months, I'm moving to a different department. New training, new stuff to do, new people around me. Someone pull me back because I think I'm going too fast. I don't really know what to expect yet, though I have a vague idea of what they do I still don't know it in detail. The good thing about all of this is that our Poker Department is part of the main business line of the company and as DT has told me more than once, it opens a lot of doors for me in the future. 

I did mention before that I also applied as a Senior but as it turns out, I didn't get it. No hard feelings though since I'm new and the other people who applied have been here longer than me. I was expecting things to turn out this way anyway. I hope I have more fun in Poker. I think I will. Scratch that, I know I will. And on the plus side, since I'll be on training, I wont be taking calls for a while and there's a little, as in little, as in its-not-enough-to-pay-for-my-cigarettes-in-a-month little. But it's better than nothing ei?

Well kids, here's hoping that I do good in Poker!

Cheers.

The coolest resignation letter ever!

Found this on Google. Not sure if someone actually wrote this but I sure got a kick out of it.

Did you like it?

21 Guns from American Idiot The Musical

I remember posting something about this song before but that wasn't the version I was actually looking for. I was lurking around Youtube when I found this and I was all, "This is the damn version I've been looking for!". This is the American Idiot Musical version of 21 Guns. It doesn't sound musical-ish. The beat has a light-rock feel to it. Nice.

Oh and this version features Greenday.

Something to organize my phones

Yesterday while I was shopping at Landmark for things around the house, I saw this thing at one of the shelves. I was thinking if I should get it, but eventually I did. I've always had a hard time organizing the chargers, cases, phones I have but with this, they're all in one basket. I guess the main reason why I bought it is because of my iPhone cases because as you can see, I have quite a few. I change my iPhone's case everyday and the first person who actually commented about it was Mike who is now my Supervisor at work.

I realized that some people actually notice it. It's weird because I never really thought much about it. The second one to comment was one of the Seniors, Tess. A few days ago, Mike passed by our Production Bay and he saw me cleaning my phone (because I was bored to death) and he asked me what case I was using, I showed him the leather Capdase case that my Mom gave me.

So in the basket are my iPhone cases, my chargers, my Blackberry and my Nokia N78. I have too many phones I know. Good thing that I'm really contented with my iPhone or else I would have spent all of my money on buying new phones every now and then. Oh yeah the basket costs around 80php or something at Landmark.

iPhone IOS4 update!!! Finally!!!

So today I updated my iPhone's OS from OS3 to IOS4. I've been waiting all week for Apple to release it, as in I check the Apple website everyday to see if they've released it. When I checked it earlier, I saw that the update was already up and so I scurried to get my phone's dock cable so I could update it.

I've read on Gizmodo and on Facebook that some people have been updating their phone's for 3 hours, some for 5. I was suddenly worried that it would take the whole day to update my phone's OS. Luckily it only took me 1 hour to download the installer which I actually found odd because it's a 300 MB file and it normally takes me 30 minutes to download something like that. The apple server must be overloading right now. Installation took about 15 minutes. There's actually a poll at Gizmodo on how long it took you to update your phone. Kakatuwa.

I love the multi-tasking and folders feature. At least now, I can finally continue the stuff I do because the app would run in the background though I assume that this'll decrease my phone's battery life. The folder function is the best part for me because I used to have 11 or 12 pages on my iphone but now, I only have around 5 pages of apps. Yes my wallpaper is Starbucks, and that picture was taken by yours truly.

I also like the fact that now you can put wallpapers on the home screen. Took them long enough. I haven't explored everything within the IOS4 yet because I've been arranging my apps for the past hour. It also supports iBooks but you have to manually download it from the App Store. It's free so don't worry. I also noticed that the response of my phone has become faster. Or maybe it's just me, sorry naman exticed masyado eh.

The IOS4 update is compatible with the iPhone 3G, 3GS, and iPhone 4. It also supports the 3rd Gen iPod Touch units. The thing is, iPhone 3G won't support all the features of the IOS4 such as multi-tasking and the home screen wallpaper.

Over-all, the IOS4 is well worth the wait. Make's me want the iPhone 4 more.

A tiring day

Hello kids, today I went to Trinoma to buy a couple of things for the new house. Before that, I cooked lunch and did ALL of my laundry which is a-fucking lot. Since there's no washing machine yet, I had to wash them all by hand. I haven't done that in a long time. I was really tempted to buy a washing machine in Trinoma since they're not that expensive. Saving grace is that, there's a spin dryer at home so drying them was a lot easier.

After buying the stuff for the house, I decided to pass by the grocery store that's at Landmark. I was only planning to buy soda but since I was already there I bought a couple of more things. O diba, canned goods, processed crap, soda = "healthy living". I think Anna Mae is right. I've been shopping too much.

Anyway by the time I got home, I checked if my clothes were still wet, and then I cleaned the whole damn house. I wonder if it'll be a good idea to get someone to clean the house?...Nah, I don't like other people touching and moving my things around. I get agitated when I can't find the things I need when I need them.

Smart Bro WiMAX

Ever since moving to the new house, my main problem was having no internet connection so last Monday I went to the Smart branch of Trinoma to inquire on their Smart Bro plans. If you follow my blog, you'd know that I curse the living daylights out of Smart Bro. As in nung nasa Baguio ako, sinusumpa ko ang Smart. This is because the signal of Smart Bro is really weak in Baguio. I was fooled into using Smart Bro in 2007 and that was one year of hell for me. Slow connection, rude and useless technical support reps, people from the wireless center giving me the run-around, and crap like that. Go Globe!

Apparently dito sa Manila in our area, the signal is very strong because our village is close to the tower of Smart. My neighbor uses Smart Bro and since she had the whole house on WiFi, I'd normally connect my phone or laptop on it, I'd ask permission every time of course. Oo nagpapaalam ako! The first time she told me that she was using Smart, I was in utter disbelief. Gaya nga ng sabi ni Charice, "I can't bilibit!". She showed me the canopy, and the moment I saw it, I believed that she was on Smart.

So back to my story. Though I was really, as in really hesitant of using Smart Bro as my Internet Service Provider, I hauled my ass to the Smart Wireless Center at Trinoma to apply for one. It seems that they no longer offer the Canopy as part of the Smart Bro plan, they only have WiMAX, Router, and the Plug-In shit. I asked a few questions which they answered properly (wow kelangan ng Smart Baguio na ma-train ng mga taga Trinoma). Despite every bone in body saying No, I applied for Smart Bro WiMAX. They told me, I will be contacted in 2-3 days.

Thursday I was getting anxious as to where my ISP was. So I tried calling the number they gave me. No response. I triedn texting, again no response. I was getting agitated. Friday while at work my Blackberry and iPhone kept on ringing, apparently it was the people from Smart calling. So I answered the call during my break, they asked me a bunch of questions. They verified a few things and they said that they'll go to my house after my work. Since I had a few errands to run that day, I got home at around 8 and when I got there, there they were waiting for me. Wow ah, house call talaga.

So we used their sample unit on my laptop but they also gave me the unit that'll be mine and wow was I amazed at the speed. It's even faster than my Globelines connection in Baguio for the same price. Here's the unboxing:

So that's Raymond Villasenor, the guy who went to the house. He was very helpful and very patient considering I am one demanding bastard. Picture was taken by his companion Ms. Gie who declined to be photographed for reasons I cannot fathom. Now for you to know if the WiMax unit is working, it needs to have a minimum of 3 green bars. That means that your connection is strong. So I was really amazed by how fast they were able to get my internet connection up and running. Oh by the way you'd have to wait for 24 hours for the activation of your modem. Mine just started working properly last night. Unlimited downloads, here I come. And I'm one of the very few in the country who's using WiMAX.

If you would want to inquire or apply for Smart Bro WiMAX you may contact Raymond at +63919.910.0351.
 
I can say that I'm fairly happy with my connection at home and that's saying something because I have unbelievably high standards for internet connection.

Cheers.

This is how we roll!!!

Remember the shirts I had made? Well here's Bongga and I wearing them. We looked silly and cool at the same time. Everyone liked it, they found it really nice and some even wanted to have shirts made. Business na to hahaha. Oh yeah, that's Bongga ladies and gentlemen. So kids read my shirt and read her shirt. I guess now you know why we're friends ;-)

During the end of our training we were asked to draw something. I drew the Angel and Bonnga drew the mask. We found it funny that the trainer place both drawings together. Bongga was there months before me and I had no idea that that drawing was hers. We were both surprised when we saw the drawing in one part of the wall. It's the first one you see when you enter the training room. Just wanted to share kids.

The New House!

So I mentioned a while back that I moved to a new house but because of my lack of internet connection, I couldn't blog about it properly. Well now I could. 

A few weeks ago, my mom came to Manila and I thought it was just to visit me, apparently not. I don't know how it happened or when she decided but she bought a house in the same village where I was staying. She bought it so I'd have my own place and at least she wont need to stay in a hotel or something anymore. It's a nice house and she was able to lower the price to some extent. I battled with her over who gets the masters bedroom. Since she wont be here a lot, and I'll be staying here alone, I won under the condition that I give the room back to her when she decides to move back to Manila.

The reason I like the room is because I have a big-ass terrace so I have a huge smoking area. The house has 3 bedroom, a maids' quarter, 2 and a half baths, a terrace, a dirty kitchen, and a koi pond. It's a really swanky place. Well here are a few pics I took of the house.

Of course I need the bare essentials which would be a TV and a metal electric fan.

This mattress is expensive but it's really nice. My back's still adjusting to it though. Oh and its Vanilla scented for some reason.

There's my cousin Kino. He sleeps over from time to time since he lives 5 blocks away from the house. The mattress he's sitting on is where he sleeps. Oh and yeah, I dont have a bed. I dont like beds. And of course, I need an A/C so my mom bought me one.

Oh and another reason why I like the masters bedroom is because of the closets. It's huge, this is just one part of it. Lyve, if you're reading this, see I told you that I dont really have any black shirts with me.

My beautiful smoking area terrace.

This'll be my mom's room. Her mattress is Lavender Scented.

Guest bedroom.

hmm...

This is the mini-koi pond. There's a lot of Koi fish in it =)

living room

It's a really nice house and it's actually too big for me. It gets lonely sometimes because its a big house but I live here all alone. It's a good thing that I have my TV and internet, at least I have something to do when I'm bored.

Anyway, I'm really thankful and happy that my mom got this house. Though I still miss living at my Tita's house because I had someone to talk to there. My cousin's a lazy ass so he only comes here when he's really bored.

I Miss Poi Dancing...

Title says it all kids. I haven't poi danced in months. I miss it a lot. I dont know if it's the rush I feel because there are balls of fire beside me or is it the smell of burnt wick mixed with the smell of the fuel that gets me so hyped up. The feeling is unbelievable, it's like being in another world where there are balls and rings of fire everywhere. Parang impyerno ata yun ah.

I was suppose to fire dance for my officemates during my birthday party (pics to come soon) but since plans changed and we didn't celebrate at the house, I wasn't able to do it. Too bad. But one of these days, I'll find time to fire dance again. I have my poi with me here in manila, I have all of them actually, every single pair I've bought over the years. I'm even planning to join the classes of Planet Zips since Paulino Servado is back in town. But I'll see.

Anyway I hope to learn more tricks soon, Im a bit rusty.

Newbie Mistake with the iPhone!

For some time now, I've been a bit worried about the speakers on my iPhone. One was loud and the other didn't have any sound on it. A few days ago, my phone fell from the table and I freaked out. A few hours later, I called Jackie because I was bored. I place the call on speaker phone because I was playing Plants Vs. Zombies but when I held the phone and I realized that there were vibrations on the left speaker but not on the right. Thats when I really freaked out.

I called Globe to ask for assistance because they have a line dedicated to iPhone users. Unfortunately, their reps don't know squat about how to troubleshoot the iPhone. Here's a sample of how the conversations went.

Me: My iPhone's right speaker isn't working.
Rep: Sir, did you try restoring the factory settings?
Me: This is a hardware issue, why would I need to restore the factory settings?!
Rep: ........

I can see how well versed they are. Galing diba? Hardware issue tapos restore factory settings? I give that a perfect 10! I asked how long will it take Globe to repair it but they didn't know. I asked if Globe will replace my phone or repair it, they didn't know. The only information they gave me is that if I bring it to Globe, I need the receipt, the phone, and everything that came with it including the box. Wow naman. So I called my cousin because I left the box at their house, I called my mom because the receipt was with her.

While at work, since I wasn't doing anything I googled information on the speaker problem and that's when I realized what my mistake was. The left one is the speaker and the right one is the built-in microphone. Such a rookie mistake. Sorry naman, first time Apple user eh. Still, the iPhone reps of Globe should have mentioned that one was a speaker and one was a microphone.

Oh and dont tell me that I should have read the manual to know the parts. The damn phone didn't come with one. It only has a small piece of paper showing you how to change the Sim card and how to charge it. Nagpapaka-eco friendly shit ang Apple so that means no paper manuals, only e-manuals available at their website.

Well now I know. And for those of you who experienced the same thing, I hope this story about my newbie mistake helps. No judgement. I still love the iPhone, can't wait for the new one. ^_^

Tee Shirts Etc.

I mentioned earlier that I had some shirts made. Me and my cousin Kino found this shop in Circle C that prints designs and text on shirts for a small price. As in these shirts are really affordable. I decided to have one made last week because I couldnt find any shops that sell the 'Marunong ka ba mag tagalog?' shirt.

When my friend Bongga saw that shirt she asked me to have one made for her too and since I was going back to the shop to have another one made, I agreed.

Here's the one for me.

Here's Bongga's shirt. could you tell that this is for her?

And this is the first one I had made. The text isn't that visible, too bad, the Gold print really looks nice.

I really like the shop. The only thing is, the Gray shirt is kinda thin, the quality of the darker shirts are a lot better. Plus the owner is now my friend. Alam nyo naman ako, Mr. Congeniality...or something like that hahaha. 

Basta if you're around the Quezon City area, visit her shop at Tee Shirts Etc. found at the second floor of Circle C. Just ask around and you'll be able to find it. 

Unionbank EON Visa Electron Card

Yesterday I got my Unionbank EON Visa Electron card. They said I had to wait 24 hours before using it so I did and now I just made my first purchase off iTunes. It works like a charm. The first app I bought from iTunes is Luxor. It's a Zuma-type game.

The good thing about this card is that there's no initial deposit, there's no maintaining balance. Of course it sounds too good to be true so let me just say that you have to pay 350php which would be your annual fee. It takes a week to process the card, but you get it on the day that they tell you so I guess there's no problem in that. The people at the bank aren't that friendly except for the guard on duty but I dont give a flying crap.

As of now, I highly recommend this card for those who dont have Credit Cards and would want to make online purchases specially on iTunes. It's a debit card but it runs on Visa so it should work. I'm living proof kids and now I can enjoy the apps from the App Store.

Two thumbs up! Kaboom!

Where I've been

Hello kids sorry I haven't posted anything in days. Been very busy. My mom bought a house here in Manila so I'd have a place to stay and so she won't have to stay at a hotel whenever she comes here. So I had to move my shit from my Tita's house to the new house. Basically I'm alone at the house but my cousin Kino sleeps over every now and then. I'll post pics of the house soon.

I dont have internet there so I have to rely on Smart Bro-ken because my Globe Tattoo thingy is with my mom. Also, been a bit busy at the office, what with the promotions opening and up and all, I need put more effort and all that  just so that I'd have a shot at getting the job. Oh yeah, I had shirts made, I'll post them soon.

I already applied for internet connection, hopefully it comes this week. Got my fingers crossed. Will try to blog tonight.

Cheers!

Another day at work...

Another boring but fun day at the office. Apparently, promotions to another department finally opened up and I was asked by one of their Senior Agents (DT) if I wanted to apply. I haven't given a straight answer yet because I'm a bit reluctant. So I consulted with one of my Seniors (Bongga) on what should I do and she explained to me the work that I'll be doing if I apply and get in.

Bongga and DT mentioned that it would actually be a step higher and it would be good for me in the long run because I'll be split-skilled for two different departments and that it opens a lot of doors for me. Bongga also said that I should be happy that I was asked because apparently that department would only ask people who they think is one the best or something like that. Flattered naman ako considering I've been around for only 2 months or so.

Of course, there's a little increase in my salary but it wont be massive, how I wish. The only downside is that, since our department is busy expanding, we're gonna need another Senior soon but I just dont know when and I kinda want to become a Senior because it's a higher position. When DT asked me if I wanted to apply, I told him that I dont want to say Yes because I would be obligated to do so and I dont want to say No because I want to have other options open. Tama naman diba?! I told him to give me a few days to think.

"Ok but dont think to long though" was his response.

Then yesterday, my Supervisor called me together with 3 other people into one of the rooms at the office. He said he had to discuss something with us. The meeting was about us undergoing new training next week. He said that the four of us were the strongest at the floor when it comes to product specifics and because of that, after the training, we'll be receiving other calls aside from the regular ones we're taking right now. Obviously flattered nanaman ako because I was the only newbie there. My other companions have been working here for months now. I told Bongga about this and she said that it's a good thing, a very good thing actually because my Supervisor sees how I work.

Everything's happening so fast, I need a second to breathe.

(After one second)

Scratch that, I think I need a cigarette. Yosi break!

Futurama meets X-men

Since I'm normally bored at the office, I blog hop. I found this at Gizmodo and I really thought it was a teaser for the 6th Season thats airing this month. But alas, it's a fan art. Wicked awesome though. Y'all know how much of a geek and a sucker I am for Sci-Fi shitz so I really got a kick out of this one. I tried to name them all, I'm already at 80% lol.

Click on the image to enlarge it.

Iron Man 2 T-shirt

Okay seriously, where on earth can I buy this?! Someone tell me!

What's there to be happy about?

In a few hours, I turn 22. In a few hours, I celebrate the day I was born. In a few hours, I will be at home. In a few hours, I will celebrate my birthday alone.

This is the first time, I won't be celebrating with my housemates and friends. I am beyond sad. I'm not even sad about the fact that I'm getting older because I stopped aging at the age of 15. I have my officemates with me on that day, I have my cousin, my relatives. But it's still not the same. I'm longing for something that isn't there. I'm wishing for something that won't come true. It's funny that I may have the things I want but I do not have the things that I need. I always say that money makes me happy and my friends can attest to that, but there are times when money isn't enough.

Earlier today I was online and a friend asked what I wanted for my birthday. I was literally stomped. It took me minutes to think of an answer because I couldn't think of anything. I just got my iPhone, I've bought a ton of clothes over the past weeks, I didn't really know what to say. Eventually, I just asked for the second book of the Wicked Years which is "Son of a Witch". I already have that book but I asked for a specific edition because I'm collecting them in their original cover art. I dont mind reading it again anyway.

I was planning to go back home to Baguio during my birthday but due to my schedule at work, I couldn't leave. It's the first time I wont celebrate with my bestfriend Jackie. I may have people around me and I truly appreciate them and the efforts they do to cheer me up but it's just not the same. It kills me not to be with the people I've considered family for years, it kills me that I didn't even say goodbye properly, it kills me to even remember all the good times I've had with them.

I know it's my birthday and that I should be happy but in all honesty, what's there to be happy about?

I've Got Mail!

I got this in my office e-mail today. It's from my batchmates at work. I really appreciate the gesture, some of them know how sad I am. A smile was painted across my face even just for a few minutes because of this. To Rax, Jay, Del, Rowie and Libby, thank you for this guys.

English English English! Tama na muna ang English!

People have been commenting on how I talk for as long as I can remember because of my accent. Some would even ask if I were American or Canadian. I don't know, maybe it's because I'm only allowed to speak english at home and I've watched one to many reruns of American TV series? Watcha think? Some would say I have spanish features and when I was in HK, someone asked me if I was Indian. Ano ako, aso? Crossbreed lang? Spanish-Indian-Filipino na may american accent. Wow naman.

Obviously, I know how to speak Tagalog, and some of my friends find it amusing when I talk in tagalog because they can still detect my accent. Hell, even Bookie made a comment about my accent. I speak english almost all the time but I talk in tagalog every chance I get. I didn't know how to speak tagalog properly until I was 10 or 12 (I dont really remember) and because of that some of my classmates would tease me for speaking in english all the time so I had to learn how to converse in the mother tongue. Eh pano naman kasi, bulol ako mag-tagalog noon, actually hanggang ngayon pero slight nalang. I remember back in college, one of my buddies Jeff who is a half-canadian by the way, would get annoyed everytime I talked because I spoke better english than him. He would always tell me to talk in tagalog which I tried so hard to do. Effort talaga mga anak.

When I was working in Colours as a News Anchor, I asked for feedback from one of my friends on how I sound and look on TV vain moment. The only thing he said was, "Trying hard ka mag-tagalog!". May ganun talaga eh no.

 I quickly answered, "You cant be serious" to which he quickly responded, "Oo kaya, hindi ba pwedeng english nalang news nyo?".

"Syempre hindi pwede, Balitang Kurdilyera nga eh tapos english?!" I replied.

About two weeks ago, my bestfriend Jakie called me asking me if wanted to record something for one of her clients. Her exact words were, "Kelangan ko ng voice talent na may american accent para sa isang client ko. very specific sya about the talent, amboy ba kumbaga?"

"And why are you asking me to do it?" I asked

"Kasi you're the one I know who talks with an accent. She wants someone who can talk in an american accent and she would actually prefer an expat. Ikaw agad naisip ko."

"What's the script? How does it go?"

"It's tag-lish" she answered sheepishly.

"Adik ba yan? American accent tapos taglish yung script?"

Jackie replied with a laugh that was both annoying and whimsical at the same time.

I dont know why others make it such a big deal if you have an accent. I mean some of my friends speak english without an accent but they speak really good english. Pwede silang mag-english teacher sa totoo lang. Basta to those of you who are wondering, marunong akong magtagalog at dito sa blog ko eh magtatagalog ako para happy lahat. Tama? Tama. Alam na agad.