My Isabela Adventure

Hindi naman ito ang unang pagkakataon na nakarating ako ng Isabela, kasi last year, nagpunta din kami ni Popol doon para sa isang school activity ng aming mission church. But this one is very exciting and especial for me kasi for the first time, and by the grace of God, nakabiyahe ako nang ganon kalayo nang walang ibang kasama (pero sa totoo lang, dapat kasama ko sila Popol, Pauline, at Ivan). Moving on, I just wanna share the experience.

Wednesday night, after ng shift ko from the office, derecho na ako sumakay ng bus going to Lawton station and from there, nag-jeep ako papuntang Lacson St, sa Espana Blvd para sumakay ng bus going to Quezon, Isabela. Ang naging challenge ko papuntang Quezon is nung ibaba ako ng driver sa Lacson at wala akong makitang bus station kaya naglakad-lakad pa ako hanggang sa makita ko yung bus na kailangan ko'ng sakyan.

Nung makakita ako ng bus, tinanong ko kung daraan ng Quezon, Isabela yung bus. Sabi ng driver, pwede daw yun kaya sumakay na ako. Later, I found out na hindi pala aabot ng Quezon ang bus kaya kailangan pa nila akong ibaba ng Santiago, Isabela para maghintay ng bus na dadaan ng Quezon. Go na lang ako, alangan namang bumaba pa ako eh malayu-layo na ang narating nang bus nung makausap ko yung kundoktor.

So ayun, pihit dito, pihit doon; sound trip; sight-seeing kahit gabi-- andami ko nang nagawa para malibang dahil mahaba ang biyahe (10-12hrs yun), hanggang sa magising na lang ako sa ingay ng mga vendors: nasa Santiago na pala ako (hindi ko namalayan na naka-tulog ako). Dali-dali akong bumaba ng bus at para makasigurado, tinanong ko pa ulit yung kundoktor kung nasa Santiago na nga talaga ako. Parang nag-aalanga pa siyang sagutin yung tanong ko (balak pa atang i-extend ang biyahe ko) until sinabi niyang "oo". Sinamahan na rin nya ako sa guard ng Santiago station para ihabilin sa susunod na bus.

Mga 10 minutes din akong naghintay sa bus na biyaheng Roxas, Mallig kasi yun ang bus na dadaan ng Quezon at mga 4:00 AM na rin yun; at sosyal ang bus, may sariling banyo. So, round two ng aking biyahe. Sa tantiya ni Ma'am Gie (yung host ng lugar na pupuntahan ko sa Isabela) makakarating ako ng Quezon at around 7:00 AM, pero sa bilis ng biyahe (at partida pa dun ang stop-over ko sa Santiago) nasa Quezon na ako at around 6:00 AM, Thursday (25 August 2011).

Day 1: Thursday

Friday pa talaga ang event so pahinga lang ako nung Thursday morning, and sumama ako sa outreach nung hapon. Maganda pa ang panahon nung dumating ako nung Thursday morning, pero nung medyo hapon na, nagsimula nang magdilim ang langit. Sabay pala kaming nakarating ni bagyong Mina sa Isabela, and take note, signal number 3 siya.

Natuloy pa rin naman ang pagpunta namin sa outreach; ako , si Warren, at si Pr. Rey kahit na medyo umaambon na noon. Habang si Pr. Rey ay nagka-conduct ng Bible study, nagturo naman ako ng mga bata--si Ma'am Gie talaga ang teacher nila. Noong pauwi na kami, medyo lumalakas na yung ambon at ayaw pang gumana nung headlight ng tricycle namin, pero thankful pa rin kami kay God kasi naka-uwi pa kami nang hindi inaabutan ng ulan.

Day 2: Friday

Kinabukasan, Friday, nagising kami na malakas na ang ulan at ibinabalita na nga na signal number 3 na sa lugar namin. Ending, kailangang i-postpone ang event (by the way, kanina pa ako event ng event, Buwan ng Wika po ang event na binabanggit ko at judge ako sa pa-contest ng school). Dapat Sabado na lang gagawin yung contest kung gaganda ang panahon, kaya nung Friday, tinulungan ko na lang gumawa ng blogsite si Pr. Rey (http://ccbbm.blogspot.com).

Hindi humina ang ulan buong Friday at lumakas pa nga lalo nung gabi na. Sandali ring nawalan ng ilaw nung gabi habang nagpa-practice yung choir ng mission church. After nang pratice, nag-jamming muna kami habang naghihintay nang sundo yung ibang choir members. Finally, nang makauwi na ang lahat ng members, it's time for us to go home too (note: ang church, ang school, at ang bahay ay nasa iisang malaking lote lang lahat). Pagkatapos mag-dinner, nag-ready na kami to go to bed.

Day 3: Saturday

OK, fine. Talagang hindi pa rin tumigil ang ulan. Again, kailangang i-postpone ang Buwan ng Wika at i-move ito to Monday. Kung naging maayos ang panahon, malamang nakabalik na ako ng Cavite noong Saturday morning na yun. At dahil wala namang masyadaong gagawin noong araw na iyon, plan B kami ng aming activities.

Una, namalengke muna kami para sa magiging stock nila Pr. Rey for one-week kasi nga once a week lang sila mamalengke dahil busy sa school kapag weekdays.

After mamalengke, ipinasyal ako nila Pr. Rey sa boundary ng Kalinga at Isabela. Pumunta kami sa view-deck at nakita ko ang malawak na kapatagan ng Quezon. Tapos, bumiyahe naman kami para ikutin yung lugar at makapag sight-seeing, at talagang na-enjoy ko ang biyahe kasi napaka-relaxing nung moment. Nakaka-refresh siya ng spirit. May isang oras din yung special trip na yun at bumalik na kami sa bahay para mag-ready for lunch (by the way, simula nang dumating ako, wala pa akong ginawa kundi mag-internet, mamasyal, at kumain).

Habang kumakain kami ng lunch, dumating si Ptr. Paul, yung isa pang judge, at nagulat kaming lahat kasi siya pala yung hindi nasabihan na postponed ulit ang contest. Pagkatapos namin mag-lunch, naglaba naman kami ni Ma'am Gie, pero after a while nagpatulong si Pr. Rey sa kaniyang blogsite kaya iniwan ko muna si Ma'am Gie.

Noong gabi na, round two lang ng choir practice then short devotion then tulog ako in preparation for the Sunday service.

...to be continued...

Omake: Going World-Class :)

*Omake (御負け, usually written おまけ) means extra in Japanese.

Looking at my blog stats, it appears that I have readers from other countries too (well, of course my sister in the US is already given) so I guess it's time to switch to the language that everybody understands...

...Nah! If I continue this, some thoughts might just get lost in translation. So, even though I'm very happy with this little international attention I'm getting, I guess I have to continue writing this blog in my native, proud-to-be-Filipino tongue.

Thanks for the visit though, my international readers, and feel free to leave comments in any language that you like, and I will do my best to reply to you using the language that you prefer.

mmmmmmmwwwwwwwaaaaaaahhhhhh!!!

Capital ONE HSBC

After all those positive scriptings from the management team, para'ng hindi pa rin ma-digest ng karamihan sa amin na HSBC has finally sold its US accounts to Capital One. Last week, may natanggap kaming e-mail from the Boss about this issue pero we actually didn't pay close attention to it. Akala kasi namin, it's just another one of those progress reports until we realized that there is more to that letter.

Yesterday, we were called to a meeting with the management team and they finally confirmed that HSBC's US accounts are already sold to Capital One. What happens then is there are about eight sites in the US na maa-acquire ng C1 plus an off-shore site. And guess what, that off-shore site is none other than our very own Alabang Site.

Sabi nila (ng management team), "..and the off-shore site that Capital One chose is the Alabang Site and we are very excited about it.." Ako naman napangiti, kasi naman sa ganda ng phrasing, pansamantala ko'ng nalimutan na kailangan na naming iwan ang building namin na tinuring kong tahanan for 3 years.

Kaso mabilis nag-wear off ang spell and we all began to see where the meeting was leading us to. Well, hindi naman kami mawawalan ng trabaho, yun ang guarantee nila sa amin but for sure, we have to leave the site anytime in 2012.

Ang pinakamabigat na issue, para sa akin (at para sa karamihan), ay hindi yung paglipat ng workplace but yung pagpapalit ng pangalang dinadala ng mga taong tatamaan ng changes.

Imagine, for so many years, dinala ng mga employees from the US account ang pangalang HSBC but all of a sudden they will be moving to Capital One. Personally, napakasakit nito para sa akin kung directly affected ako nito kasi palagi kong sinasabi sa sarili ko na mahal ko ang HSBC and I take pride in working for it; that's why I sympathize with those who will be (forcibly?) carrying the Capital One flag next year.

Paano na lang yung mga dreams nila, yung mga aspirations na kung saan kasama ang HSBC? Lahat yun maglalaho kasi they will be adopted by a new company. For some, siguro they will find it exciting to work under a new banner, but not for most.

Thankful ako na I belong to a non-US account. Choosing between the two evils, sabi nga, we choose the lesser evil. So it's better na mapalayo ng workplace (if ever) kesa naman mapalayo nang tuluyan sa kumpanyang minahal at minamahal ko.

I love HSBC T_T


Read similar story at:
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/08/10/capital-one-buys-hsbc-credit-card-for-33-billion/

Proven Fact: There is No Regret for Trying.

Sorry naman kung natagalan but I've planned on posting this blog right after na ma-realize ko na I won't be interviewed for a job post sa Australian Account ng company namin.

If you check my previous post, yung Vae Victus, dun ko sinabi na lilipat na ko ng ibang account and so nag-try ako mag-submit ng resume para ma-schedule sa interview. May kasama pa kong isa, si Lisa, and we both waited for weeks para sa aming schedule pero walang naganap na interview.

One day, however, pagbalik ko sa station ko after my lunch break, I found Lisa being interviewed dun mismo sa station niya. Inside I was hoping na sana, pagkatapos niya, ako naman. Kaso mo, after ng interview ni Lisa, umalis na siya. Sa isip-isip ko, "hindi mo man lang ba ipagtatanong-tanong kung sino dito si Nap Nayra?". Eh hindi nga nagtanong, pak!

So ayun, after a few minutes, may natanggap nang email si Lisa, naka-copy sa management team na they will be accepting her to be a part of their account. At ako, wa-balita. Lisa tried ko comfort me afterwards pero sabi ko nga, "I still have a role to play in this Process (process ang tawag namin sa department namin)".

From that day on, tinanggap ko na, na kahit there was a time na naumay talaga ko sa process namin, para dun talaga ako. Ang sa akin naman kasi, I have nothing to lose. Kung malipat ako ng process, very good kasi makakawala na ako sa mundong gusto kong takasan. Pero kung maiwan naman ako, ayus pa rin kasi sabi nga ng boss ko, "If you stay here, you have a bigger chance of staying on top of the game."

Kaya ngayon, dito ako sa Manila Care, doing the best I can para maging part ng victory ng team namin. At ngayon mas nakakahinga ako ng maluwang kasi wala akong "what if" syndrome. Hindi ko kailangang puyatin ang sarili ko kakaisip about what could have happened if I hadn't applied for the post and it turns out na ako pala yung kailangan nila.

Because I tried (but didn't make it), masasabi ko na kahit papaano, nagkaroon ako ng tapang to step one foot forward; at kahit na para sa akin, hindi maganda ang naging resulta wala pa rin akong regrets kasi sinubukan ko. And though I finally understand that God has a better plan for me, mas masakit kung pinalipas ko ang pagkakataon na hindi man lang ako sumubok.

----tamaahhh----

OMG: Career Planning Workshop

Sa dami ng reklamo ko sa trabaho, eto na ata ang sagot na pinadala ng Panginoon sa 'kin. Siguro, kahit si Lord naumay na sa mga himutok kaya kahit na He wants me to find the answer on my own, binigyan na Niya ako ng clue: pina-attend Nya ako ng seminar about career growth.

It's a company initiative training that is being held on different schedules. We happen to be booked on the training na ang lecturer ay ang aming very own Vice President for Operations, Ms. Camille Conlu. Ayan siya:

The training was short but substantial, and it gave me a broader perspective of what our company has to offer: all along, I thought na wala na akong pwedeng gawin sa company kung hindi sumagot ng calls; yun pala, I've my eyes shut all the while. I failed to see the countless opportunities that await me. All I have to do is to take that step forward.

Based on the lecture, I need to know my self first. Kasi this is how I gauge my potentials. Knowing my self helps me to pin point my strengths and weaknesses, and this will help me a lot in finding what job would suit me best.

After that, I need to explore the options. Look around. Hindi natatapos sa apat na sulok ng work station ang career ko. Marami pang trabaho within the company that will also fit me based on my qualifications.

Then, make a decision. I believe this is the part na once you've decided to go for your goal, you also have to prepare ahead of time. So, if I've already decided to take a new path, I need to prepare as early as today.

Finally, I have to move on. That's when I have to step forward into new challenges (Valedictory speech ba ito? xoxo).


So there. After the seminar, I realized that HSBC is never too small a company for those who know how to maximize its benefits. I've decided I will start preparing to become the trainer that I want to be. Sabi nga ni Ms Camille, "First, speak to me in English.", sabi ko naman, "OK mam, I wil praktis my inglis pers"


MWAH!

Vae Victus!

Lately, panay-panay ang reklamo ko sa work kasi naman, hindi na lang customer service ang trabaho namin ngayon, kumbaga sa katulong, all-around na kami.

Andami naming ina-update sa system na pwede namang trabaho na ng back-office; benta forever din kami kahit may sales team naman. Tapos, pag nalimutan mo'ng gawin ung pinapagawa sa iyo, failed call na.

Ang frustrating dito is the fact that no matter how perfect you serviced the call, bagsak ka pa rin dahil wala kang post-call maintainances.

I'm thinking of moving to Australian account; kasi doon, tiga-validate lang ako ng applications ng mga clients. Meaning, bawal ang uma-attitude dahil pwede naming i-decline ang applications nila. Therefore, wala nang asal halimaw na mga customers na astang mayaman kahit na head lang ng janitorial team sa kumpanya nila at wala pang P12,000 ang sweldo kada buwan.

Now don't take me wrong, hindi ako nanlalait ng mga janitor. The point is, nakakapikon talaga yung idea na aawayin ka ng mga tao kasi hindi nila alam kung paano ang system ng mga credit cards. At kahit na alam ko na it's my job to educate these people on how to use their credit cards, I still wish na sana nagbabasa sila ng terms and conditions para hindi sila tatawag ng galit na galit kasi wala raw silang biniling "finance charge", or bubulyawan ka at point of call kasi nagtataka sila kung bakit taun-taon, may "annual fee" (annual nga di ba?).

Alam na ng BFF ko ang plano ko, and she's trying to anti-attrite my plans. Sabi ko nga sama na lang siya sakin, kaya lang parang masaya pa siya sa department niya. Kasi ako, hindi na masiyado.

Sana, this is just like one of those auto-finance days na nakatingin na lang ako sa langit at naghihintay na magbagsakan ang mga bituin para matapos na ang pakikipagtalakan ko sa mga kano, pero after a few days eh lilipas din naman.

Sana, tulad ng madalas mangyari sa computer ko sa office, I'm just "temporarily down".

Sana, magkaroon din ng improvements sa process namin. Kasi naman, parang miniature Philippines kami doon. Very Pinoy ang culture mula sa sistema hanggang sa pulitika.

Pero ayoko ring maging very idealistic. Sabi nga ng marami, "ganito na talaga dito, so if you can't beat them, join them". Fine. Pero ako, if you can't beat them, leave them.

I'm just giving it a little more time. Hinihintay ko lang kung may positive impact yung pino-promote nilang "Moving as ONE" sa process namin. Pag talagang wala, g'day mate na ang spiel ko (by God's will siyempre).

Pray for me : )

`**Vae Victus means "Woe to the conquered"

Ako Na'ng May Galaxy : )

Actually, ayoko na sanang isulat to'ng blog na to baka kasi sabihin ng iba nagyayabang lang ako; and besides, tinotoo naman ni God yung promise Niya na bibigyan Niya ako ng Samsung Galaxy Tab.

But I decided to write this still, for some few reasons: Number one, this is a testimony that good things come to those who wait in the Lord's timing, and number two, I want to write this blog as my way of thanking the person that God used to make His promise a reality---my ever-loving sister, ate Daisy.

The first time that I ever laid my hands on a Samsung Galaxy Tab was back in the early part of January 2011. I've been hearing about it in the 2010 year-end news that it will be one of the gadgets that's worth buying. Anyway, I won't go into so much detail since this is not a sponsored blog and Samsung will not pay me for this. What I can only say though, is that this gadget fits my professional needs perfectly.

And that's when I started to ask God to give me a Galaxy Tab. Back then, ako ang nag-set ng time frame. Sabi ko kay Lord, "No later than first week of March". Ang tapang ko diba? Parang ako ang masusunod.

Eh, kasi naman, that time I was applying for a credit card and I was very positive that my application will be approved in time para mabili ko yung Tab. During that time, Samsung Tab cost PhP32,000.00 and I was more than willing to spend that much.

Ending, walang application na na-process (sa hindi ko maipaliwanag na dahilan, hindi mahanap ng Credit Card company ang application form ko)therefore, walang Galaxy na nabili on the first week of March, at sa mga sumunod pang weeks.

So I said to myself: it wasn't for me...

I went back to living a normal life, or rather I woke up from my day dreaming. Kalimutan na ang Tab, sabi nga: may binabagayan yan.

Until one day, nag-text si Popol sakin, at mas excited pa siya dahil from 32k, binaba ng Samsung ang presyo ng tablet nila to 22K (wifi ready with sim) and 17k (wifi only). Sabi ko, yung 17k kaya ko na yon. kaya one Friday night, kasama ko'ng nagwi-window shopping si lolo Randy at napatunayan ko'ng totoo nga ang sinasabi ni Popol na nagbagsak presyo talaga ang Samsung.

Sabi sa announcement, yung selling price na 17k at 22k will be good until April 17 lang. Kaya ang una kong ginawa pag-uwi ko is nag e-mail ako sa ate Daisy ko sa US para magpa-sponsor ng $200.00. Yung kulang ako na sasagot.

Now, para sa ika-aalam ng lahat, mahirap ang buhay sa US and $200 can surely go a long way. Pero ang ate ko, she's so generous. Hindi bale nang walang matira sa kaniya basta nai-provide nya ang hinihingi ng mga tao sa paligid niya (OMG.. naiiyak ako T_T); Positive ang reply nya sa akin and she promised to give me that $200 na hiningi ko sa kaniya.

In my heart, alam ko na this is the time para bigyan ako ni Lord ng gift na since January ko pa hinihingi sa Kaniya. Pero on the day na bibilhin ko na yung tablet, nag-chat kami ng ate ko and my heart was so broken kasi she was so sad (or maybe even depressed).

Kasi naman, sa kabila ng pagiging generous and selfless niya, meron siyang mga pasaway na anak at siyempre, mga umaasang kapatid (including me, dahil sa tablet). Ang malungkot kasi, ang alam lang namin is manghingi pero ni hindi man lang sumagi sa isip namin yung mga naging sakripisyo ni ate para maibigay yung mga hinihingi namin.

In my desire to sympathize with her, hindi ko na ipinasok sa usapan yung $200 na hinihingi ko. Again, sinabi ko: it's not for me talaga, todo na to.. Pero bago matapos yung chat namin, binanggit niya na naghulog na siya ng $200 at sa liit ng conversion rate, instead of 8K, 9K ang binigay niya sa akin. Mixed emotion ako siyempre. Hindi ko alam kung kukunin ko ba yung 9K or wag na lang. Ending, kinuha ko pa rin (kapalan na lang ng mukha).

Sa totoo lang, I know how it feels na may mga tao'ng bigla na lang hihingi sa iyo ng tulong na para bang iniisip nila na isa kang diyos na naghihintay lang ng kanilang mga panalangin. Yun bang ang tingin nila sa'yo eh porque malaki ang sweldo mo eh wala ka nang karapatang mag-budget para sa mga needs mo dahil hihingi sila at kailangang mapunan muna yung mga needs nila.

Anyway, hindi ako si Bitter Ocampo, so enough of my grievances. To make the long story short, binili ko yung tablet last April 16. And take note, hindi yung tigsi-17K ang binigay sakin ni Lord, kundi yung tigti-22K.

Sobrang saya ko. Kasi naman, by the grace of God, nabili ko siya na hindi gumagamit ng credit card. In your face, CAO Isf na ginawa nang bisyo na iwala ang application form ko (kasi as of the writing of this blog, yung second application ko ay wala pa ring update kong in process na)--I don't need your plastic cash.

Imagine, kung na-aaprove ako sa credit card application ko, makakabili nga ako ng Samsung Tab pero may utang naman ako for one year. This is what I mean by "good things come to those who wait in God's timing". Kasi may Samsung Tab ako at wala akong hinuhulugan ng isang taon--at hindi siya P32k.

Again, IN YOUR FACE, CAO ISF!

As my way of showing gratitude naman to my ate Daisy, I'll help lessen her worries by ensuring that her children will know the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior; and guide them in their journey as youths. At syempre, I'll also help her sa kaniyang mga sponsored blogs; dagdag income din yun sa kaniya.

So that's it. God is faithful. He fulfills His promises.

Ang prayer ko: Lord, make me just like you---hindi ulyanin.


mwah!

Summer Rain

Whoah.. I just realized that I haven't blogged in a long time and it's already past my March due date! This one's quite long but if you read a little further, I'll let you in on one of my secrets... :)

I'm right now here in Silang, Cavite (Philippines), writing this blog while the rest prepares for the outing. Thanks to my niece, Samantha Ame, who graduated first honor of their class, we're having this family bonding today. Yey!

But-- of all the days, why is it just raining outside? Isn't this supposed to be summer time? Heck-- this isn't going to stop us from going to Indang.. haha..

And speaking of rain.. March has been a month of blessings for me: Showers of Blessing! This is what I meant by summer rain. Allow me to count them all...



*** As of the writing of this blog, it's been 2 years and 9 months that I've been working in HSBC, and I can truly say that GOD found that job for me. You see, when I left my work as a full time high school teacher and decided to shift into the world of customer service my greatest fear is not the humiliation of getting a so-called "demotion", but to actually land a job that would require me to work on a Sunday.

But who would've thought that I'd be working for a department that only works five days a week--Saturdays and Sundays off. After about a year and a half, though, that department shut down and I had to transfer to another department, hence the fear returned. But then again, GOD IS SO GOOD. When I told my boss that I am a Christian worker and that I need to have a Sunday off, he assigned me to a team that, again, works from Mondays to Fridays; and the best part is this: that team remained the Number 1 Team, by God's grace, from May 2010 (the same month I joined the team) to December 2010, which means we get to choose our preferred work schedule. So the rest is history.

*** By the end of 2010, I had to be separated from my team---the Number ONE Team. The management says its one way for us to grow professionally, and that is by being able to work our way to the top, given a new set of team mates.

Honestly, the thought of leaving my team haunted me because if I ever become a part of a statistically-challenged team, my Sunday off will be in so much trouble. It haunted me so much that I even sent a letter to the Senior Vice President of our company, who then relayed my concern to our AVP and VP. By the time my concern was addressed, though, I've already been working with my new team for about a week and I have already met my new boss.

The good thing is: I liked my new team (this team used to take 2nd place-after my team), and I liked my new boss (just as I liked my previous boss). When our AVP and VP heard this, they were the happiest persons in the world, and they let me vent out all my frustrations without even trying to rebut. Their take on my case was one of the humbling experiences I've had in HSBC. They're the bosses, and yet they listened to me.

Humbled as I was, however, the idea of loosing my Sunday off never left me one bit. by the time I joined my new team, I still have a Saturday and Sunday off (January 2011). But in the next few months, the team standing will be updated. The question is: will this new team perform like it did before? Will I still get that most coveted Saturday and Sunday off?

*** In March 2011, my new boss sent us an e-mail with the subject: "Unofficial Team Standing". What I did first, when I opened the e-mail, was to look for the lowest scoring teams -- and I didn't find our team there. Of course, I won't because our team ranked NUMBER 1. This team that used to be second place when I was in my previous team is now the top ranking team. I was happy, but because it says "unofficial" my prayer was "Lord, make it real!".

In the next few days, what was then "unofficial" finally became "official". WE ARE NUMBER ONE! We get to keep our Saturday and Sunday off -- again.

Every day, after work, I always make it a habit to stop over our church first, before finally heading home -- it's one of my ways to rest in the Lord. I was so happy that I kept telling my church mates that I am a very blessed Christian. God is just so good to me.

*** Remember my February Finale blog? That was the time when I learned to let go of my bitterness. And as a reward, GOD put into my boss' heart the idea that I should get a bonus, not one, not two, but THREE YEARS IN A ROW! HSBC calls it Deferred Cash Incentive (DCI), in which every February (starting 2012) providing that I maintain a satisfactory performance, I will be awarded a five-digit.00 bonus on top of my usual bonus for the next three years. Imagine that! Again, I get to call myself again a very blessed Christian.

Ok, I promised I'll let you know my secret. And the secret is this:




That's Talent, Time, and Treasure. If surrendering your treasure, time, and talent to Jesus is no more a "will issue", but has developed into a habit, God in return finds pleasure in giving you, not just your "needs", but your "wants" as well. Once you learned to love what God loves, you'd be surprised that He'll give you so much blessings, that it actually goes beyond measure.

Let me end this blog with these words:THE LORD, JESUS CHRIST IS GIVING ME A SAMSUNG GALAXY TABLET PC NEXT SUNDAY...



... No, I mean: Young Professionals, see you in our fellowship next Sunday...

...Or better: Young Professionals, see you in our fellowship next Sunday, and I'll just grab my SAMSUNG Galaxy TABLET before the program starts : )

********************************************************************************

"Delight thyself also in the Lord and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart.."--- Psalm 37:4

The Judgement Day Part 3: My February Finale!

Sa loob ng ilang lingo, may matindi akong sama ng loob sa isang client namin na inaway-away ako ng dahil lang sa na-delay na delivery ng kaniyang credit card. Ang totoo niyan, simple lang namin ang naging sagutan namin.

Heto ang sample:

Client: I want my card delivered ASAP! Do you understand?!

Me: Yes Ma'am...

Client: DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!

Me: Yes Ma'am.

Client: Are you raising your voice?


Me: No ma'am...

Client: No. You raised your voice!

Me: No, I didn't. You can have this call reviewed if you want to.

Client: I definitely will!

Me: Ok. Anything else?

Client: Yes. What's your name?

Me: My name is ****; You want my ID number?

Client: You know what? You're RUDE!

Me: Thank you.

Client: Thank you? Is that the correct way to

answer? Go on training boy...

--line disconnected--

Di ba, ang sweet namin? Sobra ngang na-miss ako ng client na yan at nagawa pa niyang tumawag ulit pagkatapos naming mag-usap--para magreklamo. hehe..

Siya ang dahilan kung bakit ako na-admin hearing, kung bakit na postpone ang salary increase ko, at kung bakit halos mag-resign ako sa trabaho. Sa kagustuhan kong makabawi, pinlano kong ilabas siya sa blog na ito para ipahiya. After all, I have all the reasons to celebrate when it comes to how she manages her account with us.I planned to write in details, as in down to the most minute detail, ang kaniyang account handling. Sabi nga ni Kenken: "Digital ang Karma"

Pero, isang Sunday message ang nagpabago ng isip ko. Kaya instead of me summoning up all my writing prowess to come up with the most unimaginable adjectives na ikakabit ko sa tabi ng picture niya, I've decided that I should share with everybody the lesson that I've learned. Here it goes...

What Love IS and What Love IS NOT
(Sermon by Rev. Jess Gariando from I Corinthians 13:1-7)




LOVE IS...

Patient - It means an ability to allow ourselves to be inconvenienced or to be taken advantage of without feeling bitter.

Kind - It means overcoming evil with good; we ought to pay wickedness with graciousness.

LOVE IS NOT...

Envious - Being envious means wanting what others have, or hoping that others don't have what they actually have now.

Boastful - Boasting or bragging is an act of making others feel small or useless by making them realize what things they don't have in life.

So iyon siya. In the end, I realized that no matter how hurt I was, or no matter how much my dignity as a professional was trampled upon, it still won't do me good to fight back. Hindi ko ikayayaman ang paghihiganti ko. Kaya, I'll charge everything to experience, and let go of all the bitterness that I have for that client.

After so many nights, I'll be going to bed again without even thinking of ways on how to get back to that person. At last, my heart is free...

...This is my February Finale!

The Judgement Day part 2

(photo of me and Gelo during the Manila Care summer shindig.. as usual, na-enjoy niya ang mala-helipad kong bunbunan. hehe)

Para sa ikapapanatag ng mga nagmamahal sa akin: tapos na po ang admin hearing and things turned out for my favor; thanks to my bosses, especially to boss Jesus Christ.

At clarification din, para sa mga iba ang pagkaka-intindi sa admin hearing: hindi po ito court hearing. Hindi po ako nagpunta sa korte para sumigaw ng "Sinungaling ka! Hindi totoo yan!" habang minamartilyo ni judge ang desk niya at sumisigaw ng "Order in the court!"

Ang admin hearing ay isang meeting with the administrative officers of the company to give an employee a chance to be heard, and to substantiate the complaints filed against him. Yun po ang naganap.

So, to cut the long story short, they listened to my story and they finally understood where I was coming from. I'm staying (and YOU-dakilang card holder- and YOU, you're gonna love me! bwahahahahaha)

Kaya lang, as much as I want to celebrate my victory, I can't do it whole heartedly kasi one hour after ng hearing ko, a friend who was like a brother to me, went through the same hearing. And just like me, he's planned to resign. And he did. Inunahan na niya ang admin.

He said goodbye to me, through my email yesterday. And kaninang lunch time, he made that farewell official. Gusto ko sana siyang samahan hanggang sa makumpleto ang processing ng clearance niya, kaya lang, malapit na ko'ng ma-over break. And when he was saying his goodbye, hindi kami makalapit sa kaniya kasi we were huddled for a meeting.

Kaya this blog is dedicated to Gelo "Eight" Ilagan--my little brother, kabit, asawa, kakosa, ka-text twist, ka-merlin, KAIBIGAN.

Malungkot pag walang siraulo sa office. You'll be missed. And tandaan mo, kung napasok mo ang HSBC, bakit naman hindi mo mapapasok ang Wells Fargo or JP Morgan?


Mata ne!

The Judgement Day

Haay!! Bukas na ito... ang pinakahihintay kong Admin Hearing.. salamat sa dakilang cardholder na nakipag-digmaan sa akin eto ang ending ko.. hehe..

Don't worry, I didn't reget our fight! Sabi nga ni Victoria: "You want war? Gue, kaw na lang..." BWAHAHAHAHAHA..

Alam kong taga-call center ka rin.. kasi yon ang nasa job information mo.. Malas mo lang, ako naka-usap mo.. Sabi ng katabi ko dito, Customers are always right.. Ok fine.. My answer: The hell I care! Ma**la Care!

Anyways, If things don't turn out to my favor, then I'll just have them sign my resignation letter. Otherwise, I'll stay...

Pero sabi nga ng kaibigan kong si Sandy, "Sana term na lang ang maging decision para I have a reason to leave..."

Sa kabilang banda, agree ako doon... Right now, I feel like Louis, yung vampire na ginanapan ni Bratt Pitt sa Interview With the Vampire.. "I badly wanted to die but I don't have the courage to end my own misery..."

..Sana nga term na lang...

...Kasi I feel like leaving...

...but I just don't have the courage to do it...

So, tomorrow is going to be one of the toughest days of my life... It's a make or break moment, so help me God.

(photo taken from:http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://i53.tinypic.com/9h6wwp.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.pinoyexchange.com/forums/showthread.php%3Ft%3D463098%26page%3D181&usg=__sC66MpMq6K6-GT8Wwve80QZIwtI=&h=478&w=720&sz=47&hl=fil&start=58&zoom=1&tbnid=XoyetRaBwwYUvM:&tbnh=148&tbnw=179&ei=NPtCTYGrNYvRcZ7b5eMN&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dvera%2Bvictoria%2Bface%2Bto%2Bface%2Bmagkaribal%26hl%3Dfil%26gbv%3D2%26biw%3D1366%26bih%3D624%26tbs%3Disch:1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=961&vpy=241&dur=2218&hovh=183&hovw=276&tx=169&ty=92&oei=CvtCTZCWOcPxrQe284D1Dw&esq=4&page=4&ndsp=20&ved=1t:429,r:18,s:58)

Ang Pinakamahal na Toll Fee

Kagabi, on our way to World Trade Center para um-attend ng annual holiday party ng HSBC, Lucille and I had no choice but to drive through the expressway papuntang coastal road.

So, dahil expressway, siyempre may tollfee. And para mabilis kami, dun kami sa exact fare lane kasi konti lang napila dun eh. Lucille asked me to get the P22.00 na nasa pouch nya. Ako naman, hanap ng pera. Eh hindi ko pinabuksan yung ilaw ng kotse, feeling malinaw pa ang mata, at kinuha ko ang isang paper bill sa pouch nya. Naiwan yung P50.00 at yung nakuha kong bill ang ibinayad namin, nagdagdag na lang kami ng P2.00 coin.

Paglampas ng tollgate, Lucille had to go to a nearest washroom so we decided to pull over sa isang gasoline station para magpa-gas na rin.

Lucille: (sa gasoline boy) Unleaded, P500.00, cash. (sa 'kin) Nap, paki-kuha yung P500.00 sa pouch.

Hanap naman ako, after a while di ko pa rin mahanap yung P500.00 so naki-hanap na si Lucille until we realized na wala talaga yung P500 sa pouch niya.

Siguro naman, gets na ninyo na yung perang naibayad namin sa tollgate ay yung nawawalang P500.00. Ang akala ko kasi, P20.00 bill yung nakuha ko.

Ending, P502.00 ang bayad sa tollgate, P500.00 ang gasolina. Mas mahal pa ang tollgate sa gas!

Grabe! Iyon na ang pinakamahal na toll fee!

Lesson to learn: Alamin ang mga alternate routes para hindi ka obligadong dumaan sa expressway.

PARTY! PARTY!
(Lucille and I at the HSBC Black Party)

Welcome 2011: My New Year Swak and Ligwak Report!

Wow! 2011 na.. dami'ng nangyari last year di ko na maalala lahat... pero eto, konting flashback lang..

Jan 11, 2010-- 60th Birthday ni Nanay... regalo ko sa kaniya: Christmas basket na napanalunan ko sa raffle sa office.. HAHAHA (SWAK!)

Feb 14?, 2010-- Church Banquet.. di ako nanalo sa raffle kasi di hinulog ng registration team ung raffle ticket ko.. HUHUHU (LIGWAK!)

March 12, 2010-- Last day ng Autofi Care Family sa operations... HUHUHU (LIGWAK!)

Holy Week of April 2010-- Church family camp... tuwing gabi lang ako nakaka-attend kasi training ko sa bagong department na nilipatan ko... HUHUHU (LIGWAK!)

May 2010-- Tuloy-tuloy ang training sa bagong department.. 'Met new friends... HAHAHA (SWAK!)

June 2010-- Berks JAM Youth Service 2nd Anniversary.. 'Daming um-attend.. HAHAHA (SWAK!)

July 1, 2010-- Birthday ni lolo Randy.. kumain kami sa house nila...'Met new friends na nakilala niya sa SM Pala-Pala... HAHAHA.. (SWAK!)

August 27, 2010-- Birthday ni Tatay... 'Visited his grave in Manila Mem sometime that month.. HUHUHU (PERO SWAK!)

Last week of September 2010-- Church 11th Anniversary... Core Leave ko (Vacation for 10 working days--bayad lahat!).. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHHAAHAHAHA (SWAK NA SWAK!)

October 2010-- Nagbakasyon si PJ sa Australia.. Marami ang masaya... para sa kaniya (kasi it's his long awaited vacation eh.. kala niyo ah..)

November 2010-- Nagbalik si PJ galing Australia.. Marami ang malungkot... para sa kaniya (kasi bitin ang bakasyon niya, sabi nila.. kala niyo ah..)

December.. eto medyo marami...

12/5 > B-day party ni Ms Charm/Christmas party ng Team Charming/Team Building ng Team Charming/Picture taking ng Team Charming/slash/slash... HAHAHA (SWAK!)

12/16 > Birthday ko.. I celebrated it sa house ng ate Daisy ko, na tinitirhan ngayon ng Nanay ko, kasama ang kapatid ko.. Party Theme: Children's Party/Comedy Bar; Guests: Mga pamangkin at ilang kabarkada ng kapatid ko... HAHAHA (SWAK!)

12/18 > (Morning) Kids Alive! Children's Festival... more than 1000 children had fun.. Thank You, Lord! HAHAHA (SWAK!)
12/18 > (Evening) 'Went to Starbucks- Tagaytay with friends and redeemed my planner (Salamat kay Diyosa Lot-lot Lianza!).. HAHAHA (SWAK!)

12/24 > My 1st Christmas Eve with my family after 2 years of working on a graveyard shift...Birthday ni PJ... Di na ako natulong 'gang umaga...HAHAHA (SWAK!)

12/25 > Christmas Day... Karaoke-to-sawa! HAHAHAHA (SWAK!)

12/26 > YP Executive Launching.. What the? Meron pala?! HAHAHA (SWAK NA RIN!)

12/27 > Back to work.. KAKATAMAD!!! HUHUHU (LIGWAK!)

12/30 > Farewell party/Last Supper ng Team Charming (Giligan's Festi).. HUHUHU (LIGWAK!).. Dami ng Food.. HAHAHA (SWAK!).. Laki ng Bill.. HUHUHU (LIGWAK!)... Patak-patak.. HAHAHA (SWAK!)

12/31 > NEW YEAR'S EVE... Last day ko sa Team Charming... Nag-senti ako sa Boss ko thru LN.. shift ko that day: 12:00NN to 9:00PM.. After work, derecho uwi sa Silang, Cavite to welcome the New Year with my family.. Sobrang saya! HAHAHAHA (SWAK NA SWAK!)

JAN 01, 2011-- My family recorded our "MTV: Family Concert" as requested by ate Daisy (na nasa Lousiana, USA)

JAN 03, 2011-- Day 1 ko sa bago kong Team/Family... Meet and Greet Dinner kinagabihan (Giligan's ATC--suki lang?)... Dami ng Food, sagot lahat ni Boss Greg... BWAHAHAHAHAHAAHHAAHAHA (SWAK!)

...Whew! Stop muna diyan... dami na eh.. anyways, whether my year was SWAK or LIGWAK, I'm still glad that God has been faithful to me the whole year round...

'Looking forward to another year of blessings!