At home with (Google) Chrome

Has anyone tried out the newest browser offered by the Google search engine? I downloaded it about a month ago and have been using it since then. First of all, I love the interface. It's pretty neat. Simple yet really functional. There aren't a lot of menus and toolbars added, only the necessary icons. I used to have Firefox but when I tested the latest version, I experienced frequent crashes. Although I like Safari as well, I don't like it's background color and moreover, it takes up a lot of memory space. I'm not into Explorer and Opera because of the load time. Try it out and share what you think!

Pseudonym uncovered

I was surprised to learn that my officemate, Ally (www.allena83.com), who introduced blogging to me, found out what my blogsite is! I don't know how she uncovered it but I feel a bit uncomfortable because some of my writings in this "online journal" are very personal. As you probably can tell by now, I am a very private person and I don't intend to reveal my thoughts publicly. I want to remain anonymous in this side of the web. But well, it's probably time for me to get out of my shell. From now on, this girl will see a little bit more of me that I choose not to disclose to others. (Ally, let's keep this a secret, ok? *wink*)

"Jon & Kate plus eight"

Last night, I watched an episode of Oprah regarding a family of ten. It was aptly entitled 'Jon & Kate plus eight'. It's a feature about a couple, Jon and Kate, who had twins for the first pregnancy and a sextuplet on the second. Although it is not surprising to learn about big families, in the US, it's not at all typical to have this number of children.

When the couple was telling the story about the time when they first found out that they're gonna have six kids in addition to two daughters, it sounded amusing and almost unbelievable, but Kate said it was not funny at all. I cannot imagine how she could raise of her eight kids much less discipline them. I can attest to how difficult it is to take care of even one child as my mother did to my nephew. I admire this couple's strength, especially of the woman of the house. Truly, God gives enough grace to whom He has given monumental task.

Team building foregone

I decided not to join out team building activity because I agreed to meet with a guy I've been texting with for several months now. I was quite disappointed when I saw him. I wished he was taller and more masculine. There was a momentary awkwardness which was normal since I only saw him once (during my nephew's 2nd birthday), and we didn't get to talk at that time. We decided to eat in a restaurant but we had to explore the mall before we found the right place. We had some talk while eating. I asked him about his former girlfriend, his interests and his family background. I wouldn't say it was great but it was not so boring either. We went to play some games at TimeZone and sang our hearts out at the videoke machine. It was fun. He even took me home. He's really sweet and thoughtful, I could almost fall for him, but I don't think we'd go beyond friendship. It was a nice date though. The first I've had in a very long time. :)

HOPE shines through

I couldn't resist posting this creative work of mine. =) I don't know if it's gonna make sense to you but I consider it my masterpiece. I completed it during one of the lowliest days of my life and oh, did I ever mention that I have battled with constant depression when I was younger? It was only through Divine Providence that I was able to get through that difficult stage.

Read on!

None a place is too dark that cannot be illuminated by a grain of light
None a soul is too weary to know not how to crack a smile
None a person is too poor to not impart something to others
None a season is too gloomy that cannot be driven away by sunlight
And none a soul is too quiet that you cannot even hear its own breathing.

In ugliness you shall find beauty
As you shall find refuge in sorrow
Everything would pass in this world,
And soon you & I will be in heaven.

Job-hunting again?!

The other day, I went through a screening process at John Clements, a company that directly hires would-be call center agents. I was asked to choose among four possible companies and I opted for the one that offers the highest salary. They did not reveal the company name until I decided. I thought it was Dell that they partnered with, but turned out it was Siemens. I got a referral and a schedule for exam and interview. It was supposed to be earlier this morning but I didn't make. I let the person in charge know that I wasn't gonna make it. I reasoned that I wasn't feeling well, which is not quite true. I am just terrified to go through the application process. I'm so afraid of being turned down, but I have decided to prepare for it. I will have to brush up my technical knowledge and do some reading before the "big day" arrives. I hope everything turns out well.

I lasted 32 seconds...How 'bout you?

Found this quiz from one of the blogsites I visited (http://readingadventures.blogspot.com) and found it intriguing because I didn't know what a velociraptor is (Thanks to the illustration, I need not search it's definition in Merriam-Webster, hehe). Anyway, this simple test revealed that I don't fully know myself because I'm not sure how I would react to certain situations. Take the test and find out how you'd fare. =)

I could survive for 32 seconds chained to a bunk bed with a velociraptor

Created by Bunk Beds.net

One proud mama

It's Lodie's (a close friend of mine) birthday today! This is her first birthday as a mom and I plan to surprise her. Yesterday she sent me a message asking when I would visit her and her one-month old baby. She sounded a bit sulky and I understand, because I haven't found the time to visit her since she gave birth. I didn't reply because I already contemplated on giving her a surprise visit on her special day. I hope to make up to her with this surprise.

After my shift, I dropped by Goldilocks to buy her a cake and went straight to their home. I got to see my godson-to-be for the first time! His name is James Nathanael, but we call him Janael. Lodie told me in detail what she went through when she delivered her baby. From what she described, it was truly an excruciating experience. I could almost feel her pain when she underwent the 14-hour labor. If the baby got out a few minutes later, my friend would have been cut through the caesarean section. I'm glad she delivered normally. Thank God!

I could see how content she is with her life. She's so radiant. Really a one proud mom. She's found her God-given husband and now she's a mother to Janael. I feel a bit jealous of her (*wink*).

First impressions don't last

For the second day in a row, I took in MOD calls. These calls are not the usual calls from customer but from agents who need approval for issues that require escalation to level 3 department. I also need to assist these agents in resolving difficult concerns and play the "expert" when it comes to technical matters. I honestly don't want to take in these calls as much as possible but I didn't have a lot of options since it's already the senior team leader who asked me to carry out this responsibility. I don't want to go about doing this because I realized I'm not prepared for the job but I can't turn away from it because it's part of my duties as an interim MOD.

I initially enjoyed being an interim MOD. I applied for the position and was elated when I got accepted. I really wasn't expecting it because I felt that I messed in the qualifying exam. It was probably with a stroke of luck that I got accepted. Anyhow, as I mentioned, I really loved carrying out the tasks at first but everything eventually turned sour. I discovered that I don't have the required skills to stay competitive in such a position. One other factor is that I got rejected when I went through the interview process so I can be an official MOD. I remember, I was so ashamed of myself after the interview. I was so devastated. It shattered my confidence and I had to regain myself after that demoralizing experience.

Anyway, earlier I got a call from one of the agents in Ayala (there are other sites, i.e., Bacolod and Cebu). This particular agent has a very strong personality and I always get nervous whenever she asked me questions because I feel like she's measuring me and she doesn't like me (I didn't like her either). Of all subjects she could ask me, it was one where I'm not very familiar with. I tried to assist her the best that I could but it took her awhile to resolve the customer's problem and it was later endorsed for escalation. Afterwards, when we meet in the hallway, I asked her what happened to her call. She recounted it to me and then we talked as if we're very comfortable with each other. I was glad how things turned out because although I never really liked this girl, she doesn't deserve my preconceived notions of her. I now see her in a different light. It made me happy. Indeed, first impressions don't last for me. =)

A refreshing break

My three-day vacation ended today (two restdays and one-day leave). I've had enough rest but was not able to accomplish much. I pretty much just helped out my mom baby sat my nephew on Friday, accompanied my brother to the mall on Saturday and practically slack the whole day on Sunday. My family doesn't usually get to gather around during weekends due to schedule constraints, so I'm glad we were to bond again, especially with my mom. She recounted stories about her father and her siblings that I haven't met yet because they live in the province. I also learned a few things about our clan, but felt sad for some misfortune that has befallen some close relatives. It was enlightening to discover new things about your roots. You also get to understand yourself better. Most importantly, I learned lessons from the life of my kins that I will carefully keep in my heart.
Although not much was carried out during that three-day respite, it was nice to just spend some time away from my very exacting job. I was refreshed and ready to take on new challenges again.

A lonely day at the church

I’ve never been that late for a worship service at our church in Day by Day. I seated at the back so I will not disturb other people anymore as I look for an empty seat. The praise and worship segment is almost halfway through. Pastor Ed’s message that day made me want to cry. It was about our personal walk with God. As the pastor mentioned, it’s possible that one is always present at every church activity but totally neglecting personal fellowship with the Lord. As clothes cover our nudity, so is the so-called “corporate worship”. It tends to hide our true identity before God (paraphrased). I was reminded that indeed, we are all naked before God. He looks upon the condition of our hearts more than our ways. I was so broken hearted upon hearing this message; I’m guilty of it. I had to suppress the tears forming in my eyelids.

I had originally planned to join YAMAN members after the service for lunch but I wanted to be alone so I can think and hear God’s voice more clearly. I wanted to be alone so I headed straight to Harrison Plaza to have my lunch. (Ate Judith and other church members saw me eating alone at Greenwich.) I intended to go home after eating but ate Celi texted me and asked where I was. She even called me after awhile and I knew I had to join them at McDo. I wasn’t really in the mood to talk with anybody at first so I kept silent but soon, as the conversation progressed, I can’t help but have fellowship with them and we even tackled about graven images. We showed Janice some biblical passages supporting the teaching that God hates idol worship. It felt good to share what you know and to be listened to. I must admit, I still had a good time and I momentarily forgot my burden.

"Thank you for calling..." no more?

I am getting so frustrated with the kind of job I have. I long to have a normal life. I want to sleep at night and complete my tasks during the day. I've been in the call center business for more than four years now and haven't accomplish much. I am still an agent. I haven't gone past that position. Am I just slow in achieving my goals or am I just not cut for this career? I'm starting to rethink my life goals. Although it was never my intention to climb high and fast the so-called 'corporate ladder', I sure neither planned to be stagnant and remain as an agent forever.

Maybe I just need to pause and reprioritize or maybe I need a different environment. I'm really getting sick of taking in calls, but what can I do? It's what I'm good at (at least that's what I think). I don't want to settle for a low-paying, 9-5 job. I've got a lot of bills to pay every month. But I really want to experience having a regular schedule.
I may be whining right now but I don't think I'm ready to give up my "all calls", high-paying job just yet. In due time, I will...

Malling generation

Yesterday, I accompanied my brother to shop for some stuff and take advantage of the three-day sale in Megamall. The trip is usually just 30-minutes long but it took us more than an hour to get there due to heavy traffic. Of course, not only a handful wants discounted items at the mall. Needless to say, getting to the mall was already very stressful, aggravated by the sultry weather that day.
When we got there, it was worse than Divisoria. The clothes were all piled up and you need to
literally dig to find a good buy. After finding about four nice t-shirts, my brother had to fall in a
30 meter-long line to fit the clothes. We then marched to another part of the department store to find more stuff. There was an instance when I thought we lost the basket that contains the items we're about to pay for. I almost panicked. I really did. I was ready to walk out right there and then. I mean, it was not a walk in the part finding those shirts and stuff and then we'd lose it? All efforts would be in vain. Thank God we found it. After falling in another 30 meter-line to the cashier, we headed to the optical shop to look for shades that my brother can use whenever he's biking on the road. We stayed there for an hour just trying to decide which one suits his discriminating taste. It took so long for him to decide and I was already getting impatient. We finally found the perfect pair of eye shades which was not too expensive and the good thing is, it came with another pair of sunglasses for free! Not bad eh?
We went straight to Puregold supermarket to accomplish the much procrastinated task of doing the groceries. We arrived a little more than an hour before the store closes. It's a good thing my mom prepared a list of things to buy and it really saved time. We got home at around 10PM, ate some because we were starved. We didn't eat the whole time at the mall to save money. I was so tired that I slept like a baby for the night. It was truly a stressful experience in this day of malling generation.

Dreaming away

I woke up feeling nauseous. I've had enough sleep but my mind was restless the whole night. I tossed and turned the entire time and struggled to stay asleep. I had several dreams during the night and they seem so vivid but as soon as I rise, I could hardly recall the details.

I usually have dreamless sleeps so when I have dreams I sense that something's going on with me, like a major change is gonna take place or maybe I'm going through some sort of personal difficulties. Whatever the case, I don't just shrug off these "visits" because I know they tell us something somehow. I remember the story of Joseph in the bible. He was given divine wisdom to interpret the pharaoh's dream and so he was given an important position in the palace. I sometimes wish I have that gift. That way, I will have a glimpse of the future and have a better understanding of how the present circumstances in my life affect my tomorrow. But then, I just have to decide on what's best when presented with choices. I still wonder what these dreams mean but perhaps my mind just wouldn't want to stop working.