Welcome 2013! It's a new day, It's a new Life =))

my Leica ;)

Bring it on 2013!

Well, my Christmas and New Year were celebrated here in in Singapore with friends.  I went to dawn masses to celebrate it spiritually and thank goodness the sermons were very refreshing to the soul.  I would say the yuletide was memorable and fulfilling.

The biggest news for this year 2013 is actually my resignation from Gemalto.  You heard me right. I resigned from Gemalto and it has been a week of me here in Singapore without a job.  I have been submitting my resume here and there :) But personally, I'd like to go back to Cebu and find work in there or maybe somewhere else.  My heart is actually telling me to explore other things - schooling, MBA?  My former Japanese teacher posted a job ad which says about an IT Engineer in Japan.  So yeah, I sent my resume to him actually and if things go well, I might consider it actually just for the experience ;)

Well, experiences are really life changing.  It makes your story meaningful.  It gives you opportunities to know yourself better and in a way tell the world of your existence.  Perhaps, meeting people whom you'll share some of your best or worst ....

Anyway, I haven't bought my ticket back to Cebu.  I was planning it over this weekend but I was waiting a reply from a friend about her SG trip this Feb.  Good thing I remembered because I promised her about the accommodation last December, otherwise I would have booked my ticket.  I am still open to any good opportunity in Singapore though which is the other reason why I haven't book a ticket.   But, my stay in Singapore will only be valid until the second week of February so I need to get a confirmation or maybe a good job.  I hope I'd get replies the soonest time possible....

And finally, I bought my first ever camera, which is a Leica.  Just for point and shoot stuff :D  This is the first ever digi-cam I bought and I am so happy about it.  The first digi-cam I had was a Panasonic Lumix which I won from a raffle draw =)).  You see,  I got a good savings after I resigned because of the last pay.  And so, the good thing to do is gift myself with a new toy to play.  My week will be filled with tourist mode and cam whoring I guess, so don't be surprised if the next entries will be mostly pictures.  Oh, don't worry because I'll try to make my post interesting.

Ciao and happy Sinulog to the whole of Cebu!!!

Sinulog in Cebu - Present!

Forgive me for the very late update, it's because I got busy again from a lot of things.

My latest escapade was I went to Cebu to celebrate Sinulog. It is a religious festival in my hometown and celebrated by the whole island. And because of its vibrancy a lot of Filipinos from other Philippine islands and aliens are enchanted and visit Cebu.

I have missed two celebrations already so I dared not to miss this one. So, I went to Cebu last January 14 and a flight from Singapore to Cebu via AirPhilExpress brought me safely to the beautiful island.

Things I did were, see my family (of course), see my aunts and nephews and nieces, met my college mates and dine with them, checkout my mini house project (thinking of buying a bigger and more beautiful one), went to the cemetery to light some candles, say some prayers and offer roses and chrysanthemums for my mom and sister, went to the Cebu Cathedral and the Sto. Nino Basilica, videoke with friends, clubbing with friends and lastly witness the Sinulog under the drizzle in a humongous crowd (planning to visit for next celebration).

Thank God I was able to do a lot of things and went back to Singapore safely and despite the flu I got, I was able to enjoy my Cebu adventure.

I am planning to visit my country again and this time on a different vacation and it is somewhere north. My leaves were approved last week so the next step is to get a good flight....

By the way, please see the winning performances....

Free interpretation:



Sinulog Based:

Stop me!

I was not able to blog for like a week already. Well, the weekend I had was spent in Johor Bahru Malaysia, again. My passport must have been complaining of my trips there. Actually, our housemate celebrated his birthday there and we had karaoke with free food and some drinks. It was fun singing and dancing and just letting loose of yourself to the point of looking a bit crazy - sanely crazy :D

Anyway, haven't you noticed guys? I have been writing all the fun stuff I have had. I did so because I just want to remember good things. But sometimes, I still have lots of issues in life in general.... Thank God I could still resist them as compared before where everytime I had some troubles or any gush or flush or angst or something, I write them here. I actually have tons of complaints about things and stuff like that but looking at the bright side is way much better to handle things and for that it's less stressful. Things change, and I hope I only treasure more of the good experiences; but of course, not to forget the lessons in every journey be it maddeningly sad or a joyful exultation :D

Have a great night everyone and always try to find time to enjoy :)

Thanks for calling blah blah blah...

Most of my friends are working in a call center and in fact, my first job was with a call center too. Please forgive me if I may sound blunt or offensive. Peace....

To tell you the truth, it was no fun solving other peoples issues and understanding people of different backgrounds. A more difficult one, is when the person on the other line is not willing to cooperate. Honest to goodness, most of the time it was dreadful.

I was able to survive the grueling work for about a year and seven months. The ill effects of it were tremendous. I had irregular sleeps, most of the time I was irritable, dandruff started to mushroom in my scalp and gaining more territory than the MILF each day, my pimples were getting severe and I was always tired. Most of my breaks were spent on talking what happened just moments ago on the phone or how I got away from the irate customers. I've seen some that they were gaining weight not to mention that their skin seemed dried up.

Since money was there and it pays higher if you do great in your metrics or if you know someone in the higher echelons - office politics is rampant and promotion can sometimes be a little dubious; people tend to go to spas or flock in coffee shops. Meals from fast food chains were a box office too. Those who have developed the nocturnal rituals can be seen usually at late night bars or disco houses.

But why in the name of Mother Teresa is everyone wanting to continue their lives in call centers? Well reasons are reasons and they were there to justify and convince every single cell in our bodies. Some were dignified reasons and others were merely copied reasons, and just to have their own reason, one will pick any known reasoning to be his or her own. But some reasons were really truths in their own essence. Being martyr is a virtue but being a slave is another thing.

Anyway, after long months of reflection and and self evaluation, I ended up deciding for myself what I wanted to do. I decided which will make me better as a person and gladly took challenges which others did not. In short I resigned with a huge smile. Some of my friends actually are now taking courses to better their skills. Others created a career in call centers and did their best, and others decided that it's time to really start new tracks. I guess it's better to follow your dreams than to wear a hat that was never yours.

I think in general whether be in call centers or any company for that matter, if you feel you are still enjoying what you do and that you are not stagnating yourselves, then don't quit. But, if the whole charade is getting into your nerves already, it affects your way of thinking or behaving and you are becoming less as a person, then quit. Your work will not give you a bonus for being the most martyr or the most loyal in the company. Going to a dentist to pull out that bad tooth is more practical than that of medicating with pain killers.