This week I’ve got Bruno Mars on the top spot, his current single has definitely taken our radio and music channels by storm, just by being lazy! Charice got three upcoming singles on the chart, one slipped to top 10 probably because I’ve listened to it a LOT. Interestingly though “Before It Explodes” was penned by Bruno Mars.  Other songs I found sizzling hot comprises the top 5 – all very hot just like the summer wind!… he he he…

Aside from bringing positivity, it certainly is no surprise why I see a lot of people’s ears jammed with their respective headphones. So why don’t you tune in and groove to the vibe!

Music on my playlist…

May – 4^thWeek Top 5:

1.)    The Lazy Song – Bruno Mars

2.)    Before It Explodes – Charice

3.)    Make It Easy – Lloyd Cele

4.)    Sleepwalker (LIVE!) – Adam Lambert

5.)    One Day – Charice

Warming Up:

• E.T. – Katy Perry feat.Kanye West
• Loser Like Me – Glee Cast
• Waiting Outside the Lines (Remix) – Grayson Chance feat. Charice
• Don’t Hold Your Breath – Nicole Scherzinger
• That Should Be Me – Justin Bieber feat. Rascal Flatts

Want to sleep literally on money? Save and Invest!...

Have you ever reached down your pocket and saw nothing but lint?  Well I have and it’s the position I want to avoid as much as possible. So what I did was to check if I was making enough money or was I spending too much, more than what I had. Unfortunately I was the latter type. (I know right! I struggled believe me, that “Artwork” shirt was on sale! Can’t blame me though…)

I really didn’t care much about how much money I spend on things or food or whatever I laid my eyes on. But a contemptible moment in my life brought out the thriftiness in me. There was this time, a Monday of early last year to be exact, when all I had was 150 pesos and I had to save it until the next payout date. I was almost broke since payout’s a few days later, add to the injury, it fell on a Thursday that week. I was never really fond of borrowing money, probably because I know how it feels to lend money and never had it returned back *cough*”L-J”*cough*. He he he… Knowing myself, I knew I wouldn’t last a couple of days with just a hundred and so pesos, I tried my best to ask my roommate if they could lend me-  my ate, and colleagues but looks like we’re all in the same boat here.

So I did the impossible. Make a 150 pesos last for 3 days. It was not that difficult since I have free lunch at work everyday, so all I had to think of was breakfast, dinner, and fare.  I still got some leftover groceries from the week prior so I was confident I could pull it off. I remember buying rice and some few vegetables for a measly sum. I cooked “ulam” good enough for two servings. Breakfast and dinner solved! Lunch was provided for free so, nothing to worry about that. Fare on the other hand was much harder to budget since even though I only needed 14 pesos back and forth, for 3 days that’s already a hefty 42 pesos. And I couldn’t just walk to office, we’re talking about a good 50+ kilometres or so. Could not imagine arriving at the office all soaked up in sweat. Augggghhhh! That’s when I decided to give up snacks during break time. It was a good thing I actually bought some energy bars in my last trip to the supermarket, had to rely on these sugary sweets for a while.  I kept my budget in check all the time, to make sure I have enough to survive until Thursday. From then on I just kept on praying that everything would turn out just fine.

Then eventually it did! Finally, pay out day arrived. You could only imagine the relief I felt when dough came spitting out of the ATM machine. (That was exaggerated of course, just wanted to emphasize what I felt. It would be effin’ awesome if it did though!) Then it all came to me – how important managing money is. So the first thing I did was to correct my mistake and move on from there. I began listing my budget on a notebook. Income and expenses. Needs versus wants. Current and anticipated budget needs. One by one I was able to identify what actually placed me into this scenario. And it looks like I was just spending waaayyyy too much and too often.  The next steps I did were to look up additional things I could do to improve my situation. So here are the lessons I learned throughout this entire ordeal hope you find them useful too! No I did not take a 4-year course for this, no one has to. Although according to reports it helps a lot to be rational when it comes to money when you’re highly educated. I may not be an accounting major or a finance analyst but it’s just a matter of discipline I guess.

1.)  Create a personal budget – just like what I did, list down your expenses so you know where your money’s going. Check for little details on how you can save form day-to-day. Do you really need the coffee from the store? Will bringing in lunch cost less than paying for food in the cafeteria? Can you just borrow a book from a friend rather than buying an entirely new one? … I also make it a point to assign a portion of what you earn for savings, this is essential for your financial future.

2.)  Develop your art of spending – I know it’s not art per se but it just sounds so cool. Rethink your spending habits! Don’t buy it since it is on sale; think carefully if you really need it. Will you still buy it if it were not discounted? I’ve also read that being thrifty is not enough, there’s even some study suggesting that the “savers” spend more than the “spenders”. How? It’s a balancing act really. “Those who spend money like water don’t understand its value; those who shun financial planning and investing don’t understand its potential”. I also read somewhere that in every institution, there’s always both of these types to keep things in balance.

3.)  Follow up on Credit – I normally keep a list of people who owe me and follow them up once in a while, especially if they are owing a lot. Perhaps a few hundred to a thousand? Many people get discouraged when it comes to this, so it would be wise to make sure that you really REALLY trust the person you’re lending. Or else all that money will go down the drain. Trust me, it happened and it could probably be the worst mistake I’ve made. You could say it was ‘major major’ but nonetheless, it is from mistakes that we learn and mature. Speaking of credits, avoid “bad” debt like loans for personal use for non-important commodities, instead go for business or student loans could provide value over time.

4.)  Avoid paying additional fees- Greatest example would be the extra charges from withdrawing on an ATM not from your bank or fees for returning video rentals late. Also, if it is not needed to pay premium then don’t. This rule could also apply to commuting, by walking to your destination you only not save money but also help save the environment. Hitting two birds with one stone eh?

5.)  Shop wisely and never on an empty stomach! – Create a list! To avoid forgetting important items and making sure you don’t pick up anything that’s not essential. Also, make a budget and take a calculator to the store. I always do this to make sure I don’t go over board or if I need to, it has always to be within an acceptable limit. Avoid shopping when you’re hungry, it has been proven this leads to excessive & compulsive buying. Experts say it is best to shop at the outer aisles in a supermarket since “Produce, dairy, meats tend to be placed on the outer aisles with all the junk food and processed products in the center aisles. Avoid as many of those inner aisles as possible and you’ll see both your waistline and expenditures drop.” Specialists also advice to “…look below eye level. Bargain priced items are often shelved below eye level and out of your immediate view”.

Where’s the best place to shop? There’s no universal answer but canvassing significantly raises your chances of saving money. You’ll be sure to buy the item at the lowest price possible by doing so.  Add fun to window shopping by going out with friends to window shop, at least you have second opinion.  Clear-out stores are also places that are both savings-friendly and easy to see, very few people and lots of discount signs. Remember to search around carefully though, it doesn’t mean it’s on sale then it’s cheap.  Develop your haggling skills, this could come in handy to. From airline tickets to refurbished items; the important thing is to save even just a few bucks.

Yes it was certainly one of the toughest weeks of my whole life, but it was full of lessons that I needed to learn the hard way so it was worth it nonetheless. Right now, I am absolutely happy with the results of trying out these pieces of advice. Consistency plays a large role, so once you start, don’t stop! Seriously! I am planning on investing what I had save however that’s an entirely different territory I have yet to enter. I’ll start blogging about it when I get there but in the meantime these are all the tips I can share, oh and wait, never underestimate the power of the “piggy bank”. Even the tiniest of the penny / centavo is important, as our elders say “Hindi ka makakabuo ng isang milyon kapag walang ang piso” (You can never make a million pesos without a peso). Without a doubt there’s no overnight cure to stop spending compulsively or save hundreds of thousands of pesos, but if you start now then who knows you might be next millionaire just by saving! Ha ha ha! …

"Save a centavo, you save yourself!"

Many thanks to the following websites who helped prove that saving money is actually doable:

Shine.yahoo.com

Ieke.com

Today.msnbc.msn.com

Moneyinstructor.com

Fitzvillafuerte.com

Photo courtesy of:

Uk-debtadvice.com

Bibokz

Once again, here’s a movie that’ll tickle your funny bones. I personally find this satisfying to watch since all the characters are all different and unique in their own little ways. It may be targeted towards the younger audiences but it does not in any way alienate the more mature crowd. As a result, it is considered as one of the animated hits of 2010 trailing behind the Toy Story and Shrek installments.

This is a story about Gru, who delights in everything evil & wicked, plans on stealing the moon. Along the way he met three orphaned girls ( Margo, Edith and Agnes) who have found something in him that no one else did:  a father.  Gru brushes them aside but eventually develops a plan to achieve his goal and decides to adopt them to be used in his schemes – and here’s where all the chaos & fun begins.

“Despicable Me” will easily draw you into the story and I can’t emphasize that enough. It often times deal with inner emotions that struggles to get out, somehow transcending other movies that tackle the same themes, with ease. Thankfully, there were a lot of fun-filled scenes that never fail to amuse.

This very heart-warming film boasts of good storytelling techniques that will make you feel good until the very end.  Not to mention all the characters are likeable, but it’s not automatically though. Steve Carell did a brilliant job in breathing life into the character  of Gru. All the others did very well also but none managed to outshine the lead of course. Well maybe except one – her royal cuteness Agnes. You’ll tend to like them as the story progresses. Oh and did I already tell you how cute and funny Gru’s minions are?! They are a standout if I must say. Loyal with a wild sense of humor, they’ll surely part of the formula that made this movie successful. It may not be at the top of the list but if you’re feeling down & low then this is a perfect movie to help boost the mood & get that decent laugh…

***

Photos courtesy of Worst Previews & Hollywood News

Improve health:

-          Hard cardio exercises at least once a week

-          Light core and arm exercises everyday

-          Lose the belly!

-          Eat less burn more

-          Focus on whole-wheat and organic food groups for diet

Improve Finances

-  Save money for retirement

-  Manage finances by knowing what to prioritize

-  Favor quality stuff and invest in highly-productive activities

Improve career

-          Get promoted

-          Don’t let stress get in the way and stay focused

-          Find the suitable job in the media industry

Improve education

-          Learn the basics of a new language or dialect (probably French because of work and Kapampangan because of locality)

-          Finish reading at least five books

-          Be updated about current pop culture and the media

-          Watch at least a two new movies per month

Improve Self

-          Be less grumpy this year

-          Be more independent

-          Be more confident

-          Be more organized

-          Take more risks

-          Develop a forgiving attitude

-          Read the bible

-          Do something for the kid in me every month.

-          Reduce stress by laughing

-          Laugh some more!

-          Slow down when speaking

-          Before going to sleep,  remind myself of one thing I am grateful for

-          Be kind to unkind people (they probably need it the most)

Improve Blog

-          Personalize banner

-          Modify theme

-          Create at least a post every month

-          Impose quality in every post

-          Organize channels and headings

Being motivated is beneficial because it helps in putting oneself into action, improves efficiency by increasing productivity, leads to achievement of life goals, and fosters friendly relationships. So I don’t see any issues why having a list like this would be harmful. I know what you’re thinking, it’s a lot right?! Well at least now we have a lucid idea of what we want to accomplish. More or less the path is much clearer as compared to not making a list at all. By December for sure a review will be made to show how close I am in completing the goals. So now, I only have 11 months, so here we go! Wish me luck!…

***

Photo courtesy of Pharm marketing Blog

This video has been circulating the net for quite some time now. If you watch it, is just like watching a scene in a movie about ‘the revenge of the wife’ or something. Seeing the video for the first time, I realized why this became a youtube sensation, it has some kind of voyeurism feel to it. You know that feeling in reality shows when you take a sneak peek into the lives of the contestants and learning how human they are, like you? This vid somehow captures that feeling into a much higher level. Oh wait I forgot, this isn’t a movie this is REALITY!

On the comments taken from youtube, a lot majority, sided with the legal wife. That is not surprising given the fact that if they were in her shoes they’ll also did the same thing. Besides, it is never right to claim something that’s already taken right?.

What’s just horrifying is that most of the comments on youtube also approved of this scandalous act. Yes, ‘revenge is a dish best served cold’ but it is disturbing how one can managed to do such a thing in public and let the whole world into her little own world she calls “private life”. (Probably an extrovert, I don’t know…) Some commentators say the legal wife did the right thing since they MIGHT have a child. That she MIGHT be in mid-lower class. That she MIGHT be fighter for a lot more. C’mon guys, we do not know the whole picture. What we know is that the legal wife along with her “minions” attacked a mistress that obviously had an affair with his husband. We even don’t know the other details but we certainly know she’s angry!

She is enraged and we know the primary reason why. If she is trying to be brave, this probably isn’t the right way to do so. If she’s being confrontational, well then this still is not the best way to do it. Absolutely NOT a perfect example to the younger generation. If she does have a child and he/she watches this in future what will he/she think?! I’d feel embarrassed for sure. I will probably think something like this:

“Could not believe mom would do that to a person, or worse inside a mall! Now I know what those big muscle arms are for, talk about genes! Oh wait, who was capturing the video? Oh, my aunt! Geez, it probably runs in the blood, what can I say, birds with the same feather are beautiful eh? So nice to be in a peace-loving family – NOT!!!”

This is just my two cents worth. There are some things worth keeping to ourselves or to a small circle of friends, but definitely not everything is supposed to be open for the world to see. If that’s the case, everybody’s got their own little show to put on, and the police will certainly have a difficult time containing the aggressors. I guess this is not a question as to who is right or wrong since there will always be the three sides in a story. All battling out reasons why they are correct and the other party not. It all boils down in the belief whether ‘the end justifies the means’. I’d normally say it depends on the circumstances involved, but in this case I would have to say no. Society dictates that we have to behave in a particular way, which I’m afraid opposite of what happened in this vid. The Reason why we have society is to keep things in order and in check. In the Market Market Scandal’s case, it would have been better if the legal wife acted civilized and not in a “crazy” way. (I was trying to put it down a notch lower but can’t seem to find the word.) Yes it takes time, money, and all but that’s why we have a system. If this is how everybody acts when faced a distressing situation, then what is our ‘order’ intended for? What separates us from animals if we have to resort to this type of solution?

Gah, I never really write this serious since it takes a lot of emotions that needs to be under control. This is supposed to be my very first post in 2011, and I do not want the year to start on a negative note, so let’s go ahead and play a game called “‘pretend”. After watching the video above, assume that the next clip are also people like you watching as the legal wife “terrorized” the victim! Enjoy! …

Well first and foremost, I was disappointed with it. I remembered the first live-action feature of Street Fighter way back in 1994, and for some odd reason I liked it, not much because of the screenplay but the amount of action involved.

In Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li, there are some notable well-choreographed fighting scenes though but unfortunately was not enough to pull up some dull moments through the film.

This is a story about one of the most famous female characters in the game, young girl named Chun Li (obviously…) who embarks on a quest of revenge and justice.

I watched it because I liked Kristin Kreuk and the whole SF game but honestly the story kind of, sorry to say it, sucked big time. I understand that CAPCOM, the company bigwig behind the movie, wanted this to be centered on Chun Li’s journeys and history. But c’mon, they could’ve inserted more sub-plot lines that could’ve held the movie more cohesively. It’s a refreshing take on what I was used to seeing in the video games version than what’s on screen; maybe a little off here and there but over-all the changes are tolerable. The idea of the Order of the Web was cool too. What’s not are the other weak plot points. The movie’s not really excruciating to watch, it had problems sustaining interest all throughout the film.

It’s great they got Kreuk for title role, though I missed Chun Li’s signature look in the game with two large balls of hair and that qipao she always wore which was an early 20th century Chinese dress. Oh, was the actor who portrayed Vega, part of the Black-Eyed-Peas?

Kreuk plays the role of Chun Li, almost feels like the perfect choice

If you’re new to all this (which you probably aren’t since you read the article…) there’s a big chance you may like it. But just like SF fans worldwide, a very huge number were expecting better. This is a sign that CAPCOM’s trying to take risks and would like to revive/relive the interest for the game franchise itself, which is a good thing. In other words, there could be more future features associated with SF characters that’s for sure. Are they going to make a sequel of this? If they will, I’d really hope it would be waaaayyyyy better than this one.

Photos courtesy of IMDB

To be honest I could only recount just four. Including last week’s which I could certainly say was the ‘bomb’, all because of the effort poured in by family and friends.

The first I could remember could be dated back when I was 8 years old. There were a lot of guests I was not familiar with. I could still remember there was this huge huge cake I thought was all for me. All of a sudden I saw my sister’s godparent slicing the cake. My mom even assisted her in wrapping the cake, being readied to take home. “Why is she taking my cake?!” I grunted. “…she’s not even my ninang”, Okay I was selfish, I admit it. What I did afterwards was kind of blurry but I was so sure I ate a massive part of the cake. Heck was it delicious. Nonetheless, I could still remember I was very happy way back then. My family’s complete and we were all so happy, could’ve wished the day never ended.
There was another celebration way back in high school, mind you, it was both pleasant and … er unpleasant… Three of my closes friends were also celebrating their birthdays in October, earlier than mine. The circle of friends I was in, liked Amazing Race, so it was not a surprise they had incorporated this during their b-days. I happen to sort it all out by myself which was very very very difficult. I love providing the clues, destination, over-all plans, etc. But boy oh boy was it never easy to pull it all together. And so the day came, it was rewarding to see all the friends and classmates I invited around 10 – along with some who gate-crashed. Probably there were more than 20 people in total. “Wow, “ I thought to myself, “how the heck am I supposed to feed all these people with my allotted budget for half this pips?”… Well, thank God for msg-loaded junkies! Oh gulay, was I surely embarrassed! Never thought of it and never had a contingency plan. From then on, I realized the value of Plan B’s.

Believe it or not, it was only last year’s celebration that I could remember after that terrifying event. Yeah, t’was traumatizing isn’t it? Anyway, I kind of created a blog entry for my ‘bday’ last year, but for some apparent reason, it never got published so, here it goes:

Celebrating 21 years of a rollercoaster ride called LIFE
Wow, neat title huh? But this isn’t a slogan for a company commemorating their 21st anniversary, it’s about one of the memorable days I had – my birthday.
My life has become quite routinary lately. (Wait, is that word even acceptable in the dictionary?!) Waking up at 2:30 AM. Drinking water to cool my system. Washing up without even eating breakfast. Taking a jeepney ride to work. Talking non-stop for 8 hours straight. Eating every food I put my hands on. Taking the shuttle back home. I never suspected anything special to happen this daw… until I arrived home…
After opening our door, I immediately went to our kitchen to freshen up, and of course since I’m famished, grab something to swallow down. Took a glass of water from the kitchen which was a few steps away from the “sala”, I turned my back and spat out the water I was drinking. I saw there in front of me: our plain old wall previously, now a signpost of how I’m being taken good care of.

Kuya Lawrence oblivious to me while taking a picture

I really never understand what I was feeling right at that moment maybe because it’s the first time someone did something so special for me on a day I thought was supposed to be ordinary. I’m not saying that others have not done anything special for me at all, what I’m saying is this is soooo totally unexpected, I was even at awe looking at our decorated living room. I caught myself smiling ridiculously and gazing on it for 15 minutes or so. I was alone so it was okay, but if ate and kuya where awake, I’d sure look silly!

Anyway, I finally decided to eat on our small plastic table and then something caught my eye. I noticed that our table had a crack on it, I took away the cloth hiding the crack only to find that the whole table had a big opening in the middle and was just glued together by glue stick! (Ate Yum told me she used it to decorate the ‘sala’, good thing she wasn’t hurt, and talk about resourcefulness!)

So after my “moment” I washed up after eating and hurried to bed since I need to get enough sleep. Around early in the evening while I was sleeping, someone turned the lights on and betcha by golly wow, ate Yum was holding three cupcakes with a candle! She was even singing the happy birthday song! And to top it all off, we ate a yummy and juicy roasted chicken for dinner. Wow, talk about a very fulfilling day!

I wrote down all the greetings and messagesi gathered via social networking sites, these came from family members and friends who remembered (or who had load of course!) :

1.) RACER – Bday mu kua kirky? he he.
2.) ROWYN – Kirkie. . . Belated. . . Lavyu so much. . . Mwah. . . Ingat. . .
3.) ISRAEL – Advance or belated happy bday u
4.) RACHEL – ei…bELated wapi bday..:)
5.) ROCHELLE – kirky! bl8d! u GodBLESS! u muah! U
6.) JIREH – Bez advance hapi birthday I love u so much.
7.) TRISTAN – Kirky! Happy birthday! Ano handa mo, mekeni? Hahah
8.) MILET – Happy birthday kirk!u
9.) DIANNE LILET – Happy birthday Kirk! 
10.) JOELYN – Happy Birthday kirky.,u waah,cgwo gulat k n alm q bday m nuh?hehe pburger k mmya ah?:) hope magng msya k ngyng bday m, erkei? LoveU kirk anthony balmonte..u
11.) KATKAT – .,upfie bdae tito, upfie bdae tito, upfie bdae upfie bdae, upfie bdae , upfie bdae tito.,u
12.) JASMINE – Kirky!!happy birthday!!naway pagpalain ka pa ng may kapal..mg-iingat k lagi.nagmamahal,jasmine o
13.) ANGELI MAE – ,. Hai kua belated APpy bday. . fr: narciza family
14.) MEL C – _hapi birthday po..u
15.) MAMALING – HAPPY BIRTHDAY SA U MAU U HAVE MORE BIRTHDAYS 2 COME. C MA2LING 2(from NETHERLANDS)
16.) KATRENG – Happy Birthday kirk! Don’t 4get 2 thank God 4 adding u another year of ur life! Mag-resign k n s col ctr job m! bday gft para s sarili m! hehe.
17.) ZSAM – ,kuya kirk, happy birthday po!,u
18.) YUM – happy bday kirk! Celebrate tyo bukas… kht 3 lng tyo…cge,try mu na magrest sa byahe, duty kpa later…

***

Not sure though why I always keep a copy of who remembered my birth anniversary. Maybe because it’s that feeling of being remembered even for a while. Here’s just the continuation of the people who sent their greetings via SMS for this year’s celebration.

Clarissa
- Kirkee! Happy birthday!i miss you! Love love! 
Mom
- I remember God’s love for me in people like you… so on wings of prayers, I whisper my thanks to Him and ask Him to bless you in countless ways. Hapi bday 2 a wndrfl son! love u ma.
Dad
- @HAPPY BIRTHDAY@ @TAKE CARE ALWAYS@
Jireh thru Sophie’s phone
- … belated happy birthday!more bdays 2 c0me..Godbless ubEst!(:
Milet
- Happy Birthday Kirk!
Jerome R.
- Happy birthday kirk! Wish you more birthdays to come! Haha!
Angel slu
- Happy happy birthday friend! How are you? (with cute graphics)
Boss jhae
- Helo kirky! Happy birthday!sobrng miss na kita.. dami ko n kwqn2 uyet sau.. tas ikaw..mis ko n kwn2 m0h.. enjoy m0 Day na to ha.. sorry i cnt be der..
Wiggle
- *greet.ii
Upfiew 22nd cdae
Kokii
Nua
Kirk.anthony^^
*k. txt??
Kei
Nua
Keilocc.o8

I guess you’ve noticed it too. Yes there’s a huge reduction in the numbers of SMS I received. But when I opened my facebook account, figured all the load went there. 86 notifications! Woah! Record! Never had this much last year. Maybe since FB was not yet this big back then.

Can’t get over it…

Eighty-six people remembered me…

No…

Eighty-six people were reminded by facebook…

But still…

Wish I could list them all, it’ll just take up too much space. Okay now going back. This year’s October 21st was by far the most special. For the first time I gave myself a neat gift that took me almost a year to save for. Let’s just say that “Lappy” is not your common birthday gift.

I got off early from work. Kuya Wow asked me not to go home since he wants me to spend the morning with him and his special someone, who’s also a dear friend of mine. But as much as I wanted to, my tummy’s just not cooperating. Y’knaw what I mean. Then, I took off in a jiffy. I was planning to spend the rest of the day at home. Play computer games or better yet, finish watching an American TV series. I was thinking about this as I walk towards the door of our apartment. Upon opening, here’s what I saw:

I knew it! There were plans already! Realizing that their plans have yet to be completed, I hurried to go to the wash room and readied myself to go to sleep. Unfortunately Joey woke up and Ate Yum just came home from the market. Surprised to see me early, they immediately sent me off to bed. What a way to force to sleep! And that’s what I did. Waking up several hours later, even though my senses are still kind of numb and all, I could still smell the waft of the fried chicken cooked from our kitchen. And to my delight, there was spaghetti, ice cream cake, and chicken lollipops lying on the table waiting to be devoured. Joey and ate Yum woke up as well as they need to head out to work as well. The day ended with the three of us going to work with full exploding bellies. This was also the perfect opportunity for them to tell me their whole plan, where I was supposed to be stalled by Kuya Wow and not to arrive as early as I did. “oops, sorry…”

I may not be with my immediate family but I was happy with the company of my Ate Yum and Joey. Two very important ladies in my life. I’m not saying this since they did set-up a birthday celebration I could not forget, but because we’ve been supporting each other through thick and thin. In addition to that, we’re the family we got away from our very own. This independent life I’m not yet fully accustomed yet with, has brought a lot of challenges and lessons into my life, pretty much like celebrating birthdays. Interesting and insightful. Surprising and rewarding at the same time. The future may be uncertain but what I’m sure about is that there’s a long list of people who are concerned about me and who I care about too.. And for this I could not ask for a better gift. Thank you all for making life more meaningful and significant for me… oh and thanks for playing such a big part.

Nope, not imprisoned. And absolutely not moving into the field as my new career either!

I was just accompanying a friend who was doing some sort of follow-up for the police report she was expecting for two days now. Guess what, the officer who was supposed to investigate on the case and all was on off and as another officer was searching on their records, nothing was even recorded on the logbook. And to make matters worst, the head of the station told us to come back tomorrow instead and refused to assist us. One of the authorities even gave us the bad news that the OIC “P.O.2. JR”, lost the ‘paper’ where he wrote the case onto. Wow. So instead of writing the info legally onto the records, it was written on a piece of paper?! Who knows it might have been a tissue paper and God knows how & where he used it! Talk about incompetence. Why am not I surprised.

That’s when my friend broke down in tears. Probably because of all the trauma, emotions, stress, etc. had built up around her. Most likely triggered by the fact that the previous officer, who was in charge of the case supposed to be, promised to send her an SMS about any updates but failed to deliver. And now here we are, absorbing all nonsensical talk from a superior who knows nothing absolutely is of no help at all! He just kept going on and on that it’s our fault why we didn’t followed up yesterday AND that they were just humans AND that they do not have the capability to think things through since they have heavy workload ANDthat they file many reports everyday so we can not be prioritized unless we come in personally AND the list goes on. In short, he was putting the blame on us and frankly is just a total waste of time. Now, considering the fact that we were expecting a text yesterday, we do not want to appear as naggy if we dropped by your station. Oh and for the record, we are also working and don’t you preach about stress and all that crap since we coexist in the same society, we breathe the same air, and we work our a**ess off to feed our family. With all due respect sir, the reason why we are with your “accommodating” presence today is to get a police report and not for a sermon. That’s why we have churches and religious places! Talk about luck!

Good thing my friend’s charm caught the eye of one of the local authorities who decided to help. Finally! Who knew that there’s actually a good cop out there! A legend in the flesh, he extended his hands for assistance as “J” composes herself. Leaving me with blabbermouth. The caring officer, “P.O.1 VM”, took it from there. During the course of this whole ordeal, the “Head” just kept on going and going and going… I really felt he would never stop! Goodness! Our conversation was going around in circles and topics were going nowhere so I decided to stop responding and gradually he stopped too. He must’ve worn himself out. Finally!

Then there was light at the end of the tunnel. After a couple of minutes of questions and answer, we finally got what we came here for in the first place. “P.O.1 VM” with quirky remarks, handed over the police report to “J” who was overflowing with excitement and relief. Persons like this budding hero, is probably one of the reasons why I still feel there is hope for the Philippines. Kudos to “P.O.1 VM” who is an epitome of what a cop should and shouldn’t be. He gave us a warm welcome, listened to us without any pre-conceived ideas or partial judgment, and stood up for what is right. Instead of goofing around, slouching on the chair and telling us to just return tomorrow *cough-STATION HEAD-cough!*

So if it’s your first time to get a VERY IMPORTANT document such as this, do not whatsoever feel and show how intimidation. Cops will eat you up alive and push you around. With all of my experiences regarding obtaining such files, I have yet to encounter a positive experience. But maybe “P.O.1 VM” changed all of that. Well, just maybe. Hoping for the best and expecting the worst, as they say… So just be brave, patient, and rational, who knows, you might even meet a “P.O.1 VM” in your area’s police station right?…

Photo Courtesy of: Gulf News…

Just found out that the video was already finished!…
I’ve been waiting for this video for quite a while now and finally it’s here!…  I’v got sooo much to tell you how i went there and how i met wonderful people and all that…  I also have a list of what happened before, during, and even after the vent itself which involves many thank-you’s … Hopefully i’d be able to finish the post before the week ends so in the meantime, here’s a brief summary provided by KNN:

“Estranghero”
Bureau: Baguio

Reporter: Kirk Anthony Balmonte, 20
Camerapersons: Kirk Anthony Balmonte, 20, Guillermo Ocampo, 20
Scriptwriter:   Kirk Anthony Balmonte, 20
Production Assistant: Guillermo Ocampo, 20

When it’s our first time to meet someone, we feel hesitant towards them because we may not know them well. However, as we get to know strangers, it may even be possible that we become friends with them.

The first Stranger Festival organized by the European Cultural foundation. The foundation aims to bridge cultural differences among the youth and create friends among young people from different nations.

This festival was held in Amsterdam, Netherlands and is the culminating activity of a video-making contest, where finalists from over forty countries gathered and competed.

Kirk Belmonte from Baguio bureau created a short film Breath of Freedom on October 2007 during a workshop organized by the United Nations Children’s Fund and OneMinutesJr. This video was a finalist for the category “Inside Out” which is about the social differences of people in society and ways to overcome it.

His short film is about child labor, which is one of the biggest issues that concerns Filipino children. Kirk realized that through creative works, young people can share their opinions and views about issues not just to the country but to the whole world.

***

I’ll keep you posted soon enough, promise!…

But here on this list that I’ve managed to compile, mostly from just ONE person though…. 

Funny and Silly, call center is not all serious too!...

and THAT person fortunately sat just right next to me. And that started my whole laugh trip experience! He knew it of course and the other people in the center that I was writing everything down. And with his permission, here they are! Enjoy!

Names were changed to protect the source’s identity…

***

“Ma’am, would you like to… Would you like to… Would you- BYE!” – Congressman (customer is very irate and hung up)

“You don’t like to talk to me? Me too, I don’t like to talk to you.” – Shadow Mom

“Can I give you our fax machine… uh… number…” – AUTHORitarian

“Is this the name of the business?” – Shadow Mom (reading off directly from script)

“Ang ginagamit ko kasi dalawa: broker o checking-checking.” – Top Gun

“Can I please speak to the Merchant Account?” – Principal

“How sure you are that you have no hidden charges?” – Amanda

“Can you possible fax it as soon as immediately?” – Amanda

“Is she arrived?” – Amanda

“To make it a short… this is a mandatory ma’am… We will give you a lower rates…” –Amanda

“… because further on that…” – Amanda

“Can I please speak to the credit card? … the in-charge?” – Amanda

“Do you have EY-NI terminal?” – Amanda

“Can you please listen PLEASE?!” – Angry Amanda

“Do you hear me?” – Amanda

“You can fax it right now? Yes you can fax it right now.” – Amanda

“May I please speak to the boss? May I please know your name boss. (customer says her name) Oh yes thak you boss.” – Congressman

“I’m not his daughter.” – First Lady

“I’m not a terrorist!” – First Lady

“I need to communicate with him.” – Amanda

“I’m not trying to switching you.” – Amanda

“I’ll just repeat that. What’s follow?” – Amanda no getting client’s fax number

“So you own your own machine?” – KROpek

“We’re open 10-7 easter… yes EASTER.” – Amanda

“Could you louder please sir?” – Amanda

“There’s no EY-NI person?” – Amanda

“You don’t have a trust on us?” – Amanda

“Is Jean is istill connected to your company?” – Amanda

“We’re just trying to checking Deschardeens (Desjardins – literally)… “ – Amanda

“… the merchant account, the one you’re swiping swiping?!” – Amanda

“ for example are you with MONYERIS, CHEY-CEE, or TEY-DI?”

“AMANDA: (talking with client) No sir, we can not send through –

TIBS: (butts in) Via Snail Mail.

AMANDA: we can not send it via SNAIL. “

“ … but I can not seen your billing statements?! … “ – Amanda

  “ tell me the number again so I can write it on MY DESK.” – Amanda

  “ …no problem that Paul… “ – Amanda

“ We embodied all the providers here in (nation)” – Amanda

“ Client: (annoyed) I AM NOT INTERESTED!

AMANDA: Why, who is you?! ARE YOU THE OWNER?!”

“ …yes, this matter you can relate to your boss … “ – Amanda

“ From what company are them? MSI? I never heard it… “ – Amanda

“ No I’m not selling you, can you listen me first?! “ – Amanda

“ What probable, possible time can you fax to me? “ – Amanda

“Am I wrong or am I right? I’m right, right?” – Amanda

***

FYI:   This by the way was taken from my very first Call Center work

Next post: “The search for Next Top Call Center Agent… “

Photo Credits: Call Center Comics.com