Random Thoughts

Striving in Greater Hopes (April's End)

2009-07-08T01:27:00.005-04:00

Thanks to Facebook, I found a childhood friend who is currently based in the US. Her family used to live right next door to us but they moved away when we were around 7 or 8 yrs old (I think) She used to appear in TV commercials and took up singing and acting lesons as well. Imagine my surprise when I found out that she has band, a rock/metal band at that! Haha! She's an accountant by the way. And she's cute..hehe! Her band is now called April's End but their name used to be Striving in Greater Hopes -- the S.I.G.H. would stand for my friend's nickname as well. They've already released their first album, Between Sin and Solitude, but just in the US. I've listened to their songs at their website and I love them! I've seen their videos and pics and I just can't get over the fact that my friend would end up as a "rocker". She was the pa-tweetums, girl next door that every guy's mom would love to have as daughter in law. I just can't get over it and their songs! Good thing I can buy them from iTunes....but I'm gonna find a way to have that CD :)

http://www.myspace.com/aprilsendband

Test

2009-05-17T01:25:00.000-04:00

Just trying out mobile blogging with my new fone.... :)

Toxic

2009-04-07T15:43:00.004-04:00

It's been a while since I posted anything, not because there wasn't anything going on but simply because there are a LOT! I am positively, definitely, swamped with work. But I'm not complaining, I'm actually glad I'm in "toxic mode". And I think this is gonna last until the end of the year.....

I think....

And now I'm gonna ba a bilingual supervisor...I love it!

Christmas

2008-12-07T08:19:00.002-05:00

It's the time of the year again..when I need to be everywhere at once. I've got lunch outs, dinners and reunions to attend, xmas parties to go to, gifts to wrap...but what the heck! I'm enjoying every minute of it. Keeps me busy. I just can't afford NOT to be busy these days. I think evil thoughts when I'm bored and that's bad.

tsk,tsk..very bad. hehe.

Weekends

2008-10-25T07:06:00.007-04:00

I admit, I'm a workaholic and STRESS is my middle name. And has been ever since people started calling me "boss". My better half has always known me as such and he's such a dear for being so patient with me. Saturdays are our "QT" (quality time) days wherein we should be spending time with each other and not talk about work. Unfortunately, being the workaholic, I tend to drag work into whatever conversation we have. So far, he has continued to be patient and no arguments have happened because of this. However, stress has taken its toll on my health (and sanity) as I have had increased bouts of headaches (aside from dreaming about work, ugh) Finally, my better half declared our QT days as "de-stressing days", which means I do what other women do when they're stressed : GO SHOPPING

I'm not a huge fan of shopping, especially if it's for clothes, shoes or bags or whatever other girly things but since he was insistent (and offered to pay) I agreed on one condition: we'd be at the mall as soon as it opened to avoid the crowd

So the 1st Saturday of Oct was spent going around the mall in circles, as I didn't like anything at all. Nothing appealed to my senses that day and we ended up having coffee instead. The 2nd Saturday of Oct was more fruitful. I was in the mood to shop for shoes :) And not just any kind of shoes, I was looking for stilettos. First stop was the Landmark then we went to Glorietta. When we got to Charles&Keith, , I finally found the pair that caught my eye (and my heart) and I just wouldn't let it go. He was so happy he even paid for it, never mind that it was way beyond my budget, but of course I'll be paying him next month when the cc bill arrives. Hehe. On the way to Starbucks, I saw another pair that caught my eye and this time these were flats. After getting my size I immediately paid for it and we left. And this took me just an hour. And the smile on my face? Pricelesss. Hehe. No shopping was done on the 3rd Saturday but we watched "Body of Lies" by DiCaprio and Crowe. Nice movie, if you're into the CIA or spy stuff or bein in the war. DiCaprio's acting has improved though. Anyway, this is the 4th Saturday and we just came from the bookstores. Yes, not just one, but two bookstores..because we went shopping for books :) I love to read, I'd read anything I can get my hands on except love stories. I actually have 10 books waiting to be read but haven't had time for because of work. And I just bought 2 more while better half bought another 2. While I was at it I also bought some magazines. Nice, huh?

I've always regarded shopping as a tiring and senseless activity, which is why I never go shopping with my girl friends. I don't have the patience to go through racks of clothes or shoes or whatchamacallits. I just wander around aimlessly and when I find something I really like, I get it. No more hanky panky. But based on the outcome of these past few Saturdays it seems I'd give shopping another chance. I absolutely love the feeling I had after the shopping spree. I guess I just have to be in the mood to shop for something before I head over to the mall :)

Now I am looking forward to another week of madness :)

Office Politics

2008-09-24T19:47:00.008-04:00

Next year would mark my 5th year at the call center I'm at. And my 8th year in the business. Geez. With all the stress I've been dealing with lately, I feel like I've been working for 30yrs now. Makes me wish I was back to being a kid again, with nothing to worry about. **Sigh.Sigh.Sigh.**

Things were easier when I was just an agent, giving out phone numbers and driving directions or simply answering billing inquiries. The toughest part of being an agent then was having to deal with irate customers and hard to figure out invoices (which was never taught during trng, mind you) Of course, I had dreams of climbing the career ladder and to support my family, I aspired to be part of the managerial team. It was a tough and long road, transferring from one dept to another, trying to figure out where my real place was in the call center biz. Finally, I got what I wanted...and I realized one thing..it gets lonely at the top. And more complicated, I should say. Suddenly I got exposed to office politics, I learned who was kissing ass and who demanded that their asses be kissed. Unfortunately, I work for the latter. And I swore to myself long ago that I would never kiss THAT ass(hole) Unfortunately, earlier this year, I was given a sample of what would happen should I refuse to bow down. Being a straight forward person with a very animated face, I decided to talk to ass(hole) when I couldn't stand what was happening. I thought things turned out well and I actually felt that a load had been lifted from my shoulders that day. Turns out ass(hole) was just waiting for an opportunity to get me kicked out of the ofc. And that chance came. Luckily, I got off easy with a final warning...all because I just kept quiet and didn't fight for what I believed were my rights. Gawd! If I didn't need the job I would have just quit and walked away right there and then. Up to this very day, I berate myself for being such a coward. I have learned to keep quiet (somewhat) and just vent when I am out of earshot.

But now it's not just me who's affected..more people are getting involved and they too refuse to bow down. I'm worried they would go through the same thing and I don't want that to happen. See, these are my people, and I would do anything to protect them. Question is, would I have the guts to stand up for what I believe in til the end? That's for me to ponder on...perhaps I would only know when that time would come...But someone needs to teach people like (ass)hole a lesson....wish I could be that person...perhaps someday..but not now. I believe in karma, that's all there's to it.

i love my job...i love my job...i love my job.........

.........

Death Magnetic

2008-09-20T23:57:00.003-04:00

We finally found a store that had Metallica's new album, Death Magnetic (the other stores we went to either didn't have it or was out of stock). We've been itching to have our own copy since its release and now that we do..

I can't wait to get home and listen to it :) :) :)

Quotes to Ponder On

2008-09-17T00:59:00.001-04:00

My favorite quotes these past few days....

Leaders must be tough enough to fight, tender enough to cry, human enough to make mistakes, humble enough to admit them, strong enough to absorb the pain, and resilient enough to bounce back and keep on moving. [Jesse Jackson]

If there are things you don't like in the world you grew up in, make your own life different

Your actions, and your action alone, determines your worth

Action springs not from thought, but from a readiness for responsibility

If you want to know your past - look into your present conditions. If you want to know your future - look into your present actions

The things you refuse to meet today always come back at you later on, usually under circumstances twice as difficult as it originally was

The optimist sees the rose and not its thorns; they pessimist stares at the thorns, oblivious of the rose

The key to successful leadership today is influence, not authority

I suppose leadership at one time meant muscles; but today it means getting along with people. [Mohandas Gandhi]

Leadership: The art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.

Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity.

The manager asks how and when; the leader asks what and why.

Good leaders must first become good servants.

AND MY ULTIMATE ALL TIME FAVORITE (one that I will always remember...)

There's nothing more demoralizing than a leader who can't clearly articulate why we're doing what we're doing

That is soooooo true...

Enuf said. :)

Righteous Kill

2008-09-16T01:19:00.000-04:00

Last Saturday, my better half and I watched "Righteous Kill" by Al Pacino and Robert De Niro. The movie seemed to be a simple cop movie, wherein the plot was as generic at it could be. But we still went ahead and watched the movie. Why? Because it's Al Pacino and Robert De Niro. :) The plot's really very simple: two NYPD detectives trying to catch a vigilante serial killer. The twist: turns out the killer is one of them. Despite the simplicity of it all, I appreciated the movie because of the two veteran actors.

Anyway, the movie made me wish killing someone who's done more harm than good was as easy as 123. Yeah I know we have no right to take someone's life and that there should be due process but I don't think that would work here in the Phils. With the kind of judicial system we have? Geezzz... If I had the guts I'd start killing those snatchers at the corner of our street..or, I have a better idea..I'd start getting rid of the a$$holes and "kups" at the place I'm working at...bwahahahahaha..I'm going crazy...just a thought anyway...but seems a good idea :) :) :)

Aaahhh..time to sleep..this is what sleep deprivation does to me...Enuf said..Nyt everyone :)

Feedback..........s

2008-09-07T23:03:00.003-04:00

Lately, I've been seeing the word "feedbacks" (cringe) being used in email correspondence by someone higher than me...not knowing how to approach the person, I sent a msg to a person in "authority" and asked if she could correct the person as there was no such word as "feedbacks" (cringe again) This is what I got:

person in authority: Hi!
me: plural for feedback is still feedback right? was wondering if you could correct _____
person in authority: actually, there is
person in authority: the plural form is already being used
me: oh, ok (then faints)

Ok, I didn't exactly faint but I immediately tried to search for a site on the net that supports what was just shared with me. Unfortunately, I couldn't find one. I dared to ask my parents (who are both English professors) and they both freaked out. I had to endure almost an hour of my mom's famous English lectures (famous with her students, that is)

Since questioning those in authority almost cost me my job a few months back, I have decided to be quiet and warned my direct reports not to use the word. I somehow have concluded that there are some people who have decided to invent a new word for their convenience, regardless of it being grammatically right or wrong. In the meantime, until I have found a document or anything that says otherwise, "feedback" remains the same, be it in plural or singular form -- just like information, stuff, etc.

Now feel free to correct me if I'm wrong here..and make sure you can support your argument :)

Aaaaarrrggghhhh

2008-09-04T20:06:00.004-04:00

It's been quite a while since I posted anything here. I've actually been too lazy to compose something worth reading and I was contented with blog hopping, so there. But today, here I am, typing away on the keyboard as I feel the need to rant.

AAAAARRRRGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have the very strong urge to just go ahead and kick someone's ass, literally. I just can' help it..here I am, busting my ass to earn a decent income to support my family then I see a colleague not doing anything at all, spending his time at the smoking area, passing off reports to direct reports....and gets credit for everything. Worst part? Our boss doesn't seem to notice...or chose to just look away? AAAARRRGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

Oh well. Why the hell am I still here anyway? Because I'm too scared to go out and face a new world. Yeah right. Stupid me. Guess I have to just grin and bear it.

AAARRRRGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nothing

2008-06-04T11:00:00.002-04:00

I never realized until now how tiring it is to commute from Makati to Quezon City and vice versa. Taking a cab could be an alternative but doing so would burn such a big hole in my pocket. Oh well...Have you ever had one of those days when you just want to do something crazy..like hit your boss in the head or just scream your lungs out then act as if nothing happened? Well, it's one of those days. Normally when I'd feel like this I'd go ahead and order a few bottles of my favorite beer. (and let's not forget the cigarettes) Unfortunately, responsibilities at home prevented me from doing so and here I am, typing away at my keyboard. I miss the good old days when all I had to think about was making sure the grade on my report card was within the passing mark. Or when going to work meant taking calls for 8 hours but then again all I had to worry about was passing the metrics and not ending up in the lower 20% list. Climbing up the career ladder means having more responsibilities and getting the position means you deserve it...but I wish bosses would take time to show their appreciation for all the good work done. I mean, I know they're appreciative but sometimes saying it could do so much to lift a tired spirit. I'm sure a lot would agree.

Oh well....as my former boss used to say....I wanted this....and as my current boss would say....it's how you look at this....

Am I making sense? Guess not...time to stop ranting and close my eyes then....

Sutherland

2008-06-02T23:00:00.000-04:00

Sutherland has been making news lately as they have been opening new sites in different parts of the country, thus offering more jobs. But alas, they seem to be getting their share of negative criticism. This, despite their efforts to expand and make themselves the top outsourcing company in the Phils. Check out this post from techgoss.com

Oh well....is there any company or should I say, call center that's perfect? I don't think there's any, since you can't please everyone. But management should at least listen to their people, not just during the start up days but even until the company has established itself in the BPO industry.

Dirty Laundry

2008-06-01T10:00:00.001-04:00

A friend gave me the link to gossipgurl's blog, which contained inside "news" on the particular call center he was working at. Seems this gossipgurl started the blog, wanting to put out some "dirty laundry", as she or he described it. What's intriguing about this blog is how the characters were named and accdg to my source, you'd easily figure out who they were if you worked at that call center. I've read a lot of comments about this call center in some forums (such as PEX, callcenterdirectory.net). It was even mentioned in one of callcenterblogger's choices for the "worst call center". Of course this was based on what he read in different forums as well.

Other call centers have their own forums wherein a lot of negative comments were written as well and I thought this particular company was just one of those. Going over the comments in the forums, you'd find the usual pay discrepancies, politics in the workplace..the usual gripe from former or active employees who'd rather post in forums and hide behind aliases or nicknames.

Gossipgurl caught my attention because this was different. Well, it was still talking about the usual politics that would normally happen in any workplace but...geez...I can't describe it. I guess it's how the posts were written or how the characters were disguised. Even my friend's fascinated with it and spent a full 2 hours trying to figure out the characters in the entries and who gossipgurl is. Or maybe it's because as you read through the entries, you get the impression that gossipgurl is/was directly affected by what happened or is close to that person. Seems that particular department really is a mess nowadays (so says my friend)

Since coming back from a long hiatus, I found myself constantly checking the blog to see if there are any updates. Unfortunately, it seems everything is quiet at gossipgurl's side as the last post made was on May 21. I wonder what's next......

Mother's Day

2008-05-09T23:55:00.000-04:00

They say being a mother is the hardest job of all and I believe that. Being a mother is a 24 hour job, has no restday and no monetary compensation. Mothers take care of their family when they're sick but fend for themselves when it's their turn to be down with the flu. I read in an article sometime last month that mothers are great multi taskers, and it's true! I've always wondered how my mom would manage to prepare breaksfast, prepare my uniform, check my assignment and still manage to get ready for work. I guess when you love your family or your kids, you would do anything and everything for them, no matter what it takes.
I know a lot of moms who work in the call center business and we always get to talk about their families whenever we get the chance. They say it's hard being a mom but it's harder if you're a "working mom". Their kids had to get used to the idea that they ouldn't be sleeping beside their mom at night
There may be no monetary compensation for being a mom but hearing your family say "thank you", I love you mom" and getting lots of hugs and kisses is enough to warm any mother's heart. So to all the mothers out there, belated Happy Mother's Day!

Back to blogging..

2008-05-08T07:35:00.000-04:00

It's been a few days since I entered my first post and I did say that I would be back after some much needed shut eye. I thought I could write another post in less than 24 hours but no, I was too lazy. I missed my bed too much to get up and post something. Haha. Finally, I decide to go online and here I am...
I checked out my favorite blog, callcenterblogger and he had new posts on how to make money online. I regulary check out this site for information on new call centers, how to make money online or for any other news in the industry. So far I haven't signed up for anything though, as I still don't that much time to go online. Besides, I still haven't gotten the hang of blogging yet. I'm still in the stage of "practicing" and trying out different things. This is even the first time that I have heard of "Adsense" (poor me) and I'm trying out their ads in my blog.
I've also checking out other blogs,looking for tips on blogging and there are actually a few people in my workplace who have been blogging. And I thought blogging was going to be easy since I used to write for the school paper in my college days. Maybe it is easy, I'm just not used to letters and words..Haha..

Hello Blogging World!

2008-05-05T21:16:00.000-04:00

This is the first time I've actually set up a blog with the intention of just typing away everything, anything that come to mind. The other blogs I have are usually full of pictures and videos of friends and family. Recently, I had the time to surf through different blogs and forums and found out that blogging can actually be a good source of income. A lot of pro-bloggers have been attesting to this and I think I'll give it a try. But I need to brush up on my writing skills though. Years of taking inbound calls (yes,I work at a call center) and doing reports using excel have made my mind an automated machine. I rarely get the chance to just sit down and write on paper whatever comes to mind. Well, it's not as if blogging would require me to write on paper but typing away on my keyboard is just as good as that.

More on blogging and me as I need to get some much needed shut eye....