better days

finally! i have lived the first week of not-too-stressful stage of my career! yahoo! it is indeed a known fact that prayers can get answered! he really listens! thank you god! you have spared lil old me! i am forever grateful!

i have experienced silver lining… so far… i don’t wanna jinx it! i am actually getting the hang of it, ticketing for that matter. i have to thank paolo and aira for guidong me every step of the way. thank you! thank you! thank you!

so far this week i learned never to be ruffled by power-tripping customers who think we are wasting their time. in the first place, they needed something so they came to us, they just have to wait to be serviced like everyone else. they’re just people who think highly of themselves and i can’t really blame them for thinking such… after all, everybody is entitled to their own opinion. just gotta have to respect that. 

if not entirely sure of what to do, even if i had a pretty good idea on how to handle a particular situation, never be afraid to ask. after all, my ass is on the line if i happen to screw it up. i am no longer naive in terms of handling procedures! yahoo! job well done swt P! i am proud!

my supervisor constantly checks on me coz he thinks i may be having a hard time. but i kept my cool, i had it under control sup! thanks for worrying! you do care after all! you are such a complex individual!

the best thing about committing so many mistakes is that i now proceed with caution. taking down mental notes of not doing the same mistake again, and co-workers never forget. it’s all part of the job. they won’t forget and i won’t either. i will do my best to do what is right and what is expected… nobody’s perfect after all. 

great job sweet self! i am proud! now concentrate! you need to get yourself regularized! 

gimme some of that JBS!

yes… it has been a month since i started my “stressful” life. i don’t mean it to be in such a negative tone but if all of the shit happens to you in a span of a  week or a month for that matter, you’ll understand.

for this week, i am once again assigned as a duty officer, meaning i have to haul my freaking ass everyday to work, put on the uniform, apply tons of make-up, and appear uber pleasant and uber helpful to our members, perform the complicated task of ticketing, and of course SMILE like there’s no tomorrow. fun isn’t it? terrific!

so there, even if i scream for the nth time: “cut me some slack! i’m new!“, it will fall on deaf ears… i didn’t realize that asking questions or even asking for just a little bit of help annoys people. i constantly miss out on some things because this work is just plainly ovewhelming! period! i am in a pitiful state although i just don’t show it (i do try to act calm and collected, even though my inner bitch would like to rip the head off of somebody!) , i am trying my hardest to remember everything and know everything in just a short amount of time. it is pathetic! who does that?! fyi, i am no super woman! i don’t expect myself to know everything in just one sitting!

but then again, others won’t be that understanding. they expect a whole lot and they expect you to perfect such a complicated task in just one day! they expect you to be able to handle every situation all by yourself, meaning you already know what to do… good god! i don’t have super powers people! it takes time! i mean, can you even remember when you first started!? damn! stop letting me feel sooo god damn stupid coz you are succeeding! i am way too frustrated at myself and at almost everything that is relatively work related! 

for the two weeks that i have been assigned at the counter, i had credit cards thrown at me, irate passengers cursing me because of the pricey rebooking fee, impatient passengers that just couldn’t understand why they had to wait, members thinking we are ripping them off because of the costly fuel surcharge! fyi members, we only relay what is within the terms and conditions,or what is in the policy. we don’t make the rules here! as  for the taxes and other surcharges, the management defines that, not us! duh?! just imagine me, keeping a straight face and still smiling even if i was being cursed right infront of my face… imagine the stress? yup! the things i have to go through each day at work.

i admit, i made a whole lot of mistakes, some of them major ones but at least i learn from it. i shall try my best not to make the same mistakes again. too err is human… or something like that.

sooner or later i will prove you all wrong! i will have the last laugh and time will come that i will be that irritated bitch that you wished you haven’t crossed with in the first place! do remember that i can easily forgive but i don’t forget! time will come that you’ll pay your dues and you’ll wish that you were nicer to me from the very start! (that’s my inner bitch talking) 

so out of sheer  frustration, i vented it all out on a Jumbo Banana Split at pancake house! i even had to bribe my friend to join me so that i’ll have someone to air out my woes to! thanks bax! haha! til next time! i felt a whole lot better after!

too much to blog… so little time!

as much as i want to update my blogsite with what’s been happening to me lately, i just can’t seem to will myself to write… it’s a bit sad i know… i hate it! it seems that everytime i sit infront of the computer, a sudden rush of laziness encompasses me… weird right? but then again, this might not be the right time to blog…

in time… i will blog… i know i will… 

press the mute button…

i started working permanently (so to speak) in makati starting july… within two weeks, i learned to swear and get a bit impatient with stupid and persistent clients/callers/customers… thus, i thank the inventor of mute buttons because it keeps me sane. funny but true… instances like:

caller1: (spelling out his name) J for Juliet, O for Oscar, R for Romeo, G for Golf and E for X-ray…

… (pressing the mute button) ano daw? E for X-ray?! at kelan pa nag-start sa E ang X-ray?! stupid!…

 ~***~

caller2: (stating the booking reference) letter B for boy, number 2, letter X for saxophone, letter A, number 72

moi: i’m sorry ma’am, that’s B for Bravo, number 2, S for saxophone, A for Alpha, number 72?

caller2: no, B for boy, number 2, X for Saxophone, A for apple, number 72!

moi: (getting a bit confused) ma’am, as in letter B, number 2, letter S, letter A, number 72? 

caller2: hindi, X as in SAXOPHONE!

 … (pressing the mute button) e gaga ka pala! kelan naman nag-start sa X ang saxophone? stupid! baka naman xylophone! at may gana ka pang magalit! bumili ka kaya ng dictionary nang malaman ang correct spelling!…

moi: letter X po ma’am? as in X-ray?

caller2: oo nga, X nga as in saxophone! 

… (pressing the mute button again) sige, ipilit pa po natin na sa X nga nag-uumpisa ang saxophone!… 

~***~ 

caller3: hello! hiphop abs? inquire lang ako dun sa info-mercial…

moi: i’m sorry sir, this is mabuhay miles, a frequent flyer program of Philippine Airlines.

caller3: ay ganun? hindi ba ito yung sa hiphop abs?

… (pressing the mute button) were you even listening?! may sinabi ba akong hiphop abs?! mabuhay miles nga eh! mabuhay miles! goodness! napaka-slow nyo naman sir!… 

~***~

caller4: pa-check naman ako nung booking ko

moi: okay sir, can i get the booking reference?

caller4: ano na nga ba yung booking reference ko iha?

… (pressing the mute button) aba malay ko sir! ako ba yung nagpa-book ng flight nyo?!… 

these are just some of the instances i have undergone… in a short amount of time, i have spoken to really stupid people who have no clue of what they’re talking about. it could really make you crazy but then again, mute buttons are our bestfriend. 

one instance, it was down time and everyone was free… meaning no calls… i was the only one talking to a caller. i pressed the mute button and commented on something out of mere irritation. my workmate heard it and broadcasted it all over the office.

“guys! marunong na si princess mag-mute button! MRA ka na talaga! haha! nagtataray ka na rin! at tumataas na ang boses mo! bravo! welcome to the MRA world! haha!”

there… i am now a certified MRA… just a thought… patience is something not innate in me… it is something that i have acquired over the years in my career life… so i am thankful to mute buttons!

yon’s best shot

for almost a year now, Ken Ruther “YON” Layosa has left the Philippines to work in the Middle East. braving the unknown, he headed out there to make a name for himself, and making a name he did!

i can’t be any prouder for his achievement and how far he has gotten in his career! although he resides in saudi arabia, we still communicate. i remembered he told me he was planning to join a photo competition and needed my comments on his photos. that’s how we usually are, we seek each other’s opinion on different matters. and as time goes by, he has gotten really good with his craft! he is indeed improving!

in the recently conducted YOUR BEST SHOT Competition by the Camaraderie Photo Club last june 13 (friday the thirteenth) in the Philippine Embassy, he won the best shot award! congratulations my friend! although some folks believed that friday the 13th is supposed to be an unlucky day, but not for ken! he won other awards too for all his photos and won second-runner up over-all! 

here is his winning photo: best shot

and his other winning entries:

and here’s the photo taken after the award ceremony: ken is the chubby guy in green (he might kill me if i call him fat… hehe!)