Uso Pa Ba Ang Flip Flops?

I hate it when somebody steps on your foot, most especially when they don’t even bother to apologize. I stepped off an elevator just a few minutes ago, this employee got on as I was on my way out. She stepped on my toe and continued to cackle on about who knows what and didn’t even say sorry. I hate that. I hate it too when people won’t wait until you get off the elevator and just shove themselves in. I have complained about this countless times in our quarterly employee satisfaction survey. Etiquette should be a module during training.

Okay, so my toe doesn’t hurt but there’s dirt on it. Incidentally, I am wearing my new Havaianas. And no, I didn’t buy them. It was given to me by my favorite aunt just before she flew back to California. I’ve always wanted to have one just because everybody has a pair. Imagine how excited I was when my mom sent me this text message: Anong size mo? Bibili ka namin apat Havaianas. Huwattt? Four pairs? Then I realized she probably meant dapat and not apat. My excitement went down four notches.

Every time I go inside Chocolate to check them out, I end up leaving the store empty handed. I’m just too stingy to buy overpriced rubber slippers. Besides, were not really allowed to wear them in the office. Some just get away wearing Havaianas High Look flip-flops during dress down days. Office Security are supposed to report non-compliant employees but I think it’s not really clear to them what is and isn’t allowed. One employee argued that she should be allowed to enter the office because her slippers are not really informal. She told the guard she had gold slippers so the guard let her in.

Ippo beat me to a pair of Havaianas. He received a pair of Havaianas Kids Monsters from his Tita Carla for his second birthday. I got myself beige Logo flip-flops around the same time. Those are the High Look imitations for only P150. Honestly, now that I have my own Havaianas, I can’t feel any difference. They look and feel the same way on my feet. I thought that the real ones would actually be more comfy. Maybe the flat flip-flops would be more delightful on my feet. But I’m not about to buy a pair. I don’t even know if the flip-flop craze is over.

The Party Planners

My team is planning this year's Christmas party. I know it's not that big of a deal to other teams, but this is one team activity that excites me. Last year, we had our little party at the The Heritage Hotel. We haven't finalized anything yet but Paula proposed to have it at the Linden suites. She may be able to get us a discount. I just hope we can afford it.

The highlight of the party is the exchange gift (what else?). It’s already become a team tradition. I've just posted a wish list in our team folder, and were using superhero and villain names. Last year's theme was cartoon characters and I was Patrasche (Dog of Flanders). Our themes may be a little lame, but it's still fun. Other suggestions for codenames were colors, anything pambansa (like pambansang hayop - kalabaw, pambansang bulaklak - sampaguita, pambansang isda - bangus), countries or state capitals.

For food, I suggested that we go for potluck. I just hope the boys don't just bring alcohol and chips. Oh well, somebody already volunteered to bring rice. Is that good or bad? I'm not sure what to bring either. I’ve only thought about easy to prepare appetizers like fried chicken lollipops or lumpiang shanghai, or something heavy like spaghetti. My mom told me to just order food from our neighbor. Their caterers and can take small orders. I might just do that.

This is making me hungry.

All About Money

I’m trying to rack my brain for money-making schemes. I should be earning from my little sideline of selling glutathione but half of my customers seem to have forgotten they still owe me.

I am on the shy side and not the type who’d remind you of your dues. I just pray that you would remember how much you still owe. I know that’s not exactly a trait a business-minded person should have, but what can I do? I just don’t want to offend anyone, and I try to put myself in their shoes. I wouldn’t want someone to nag me about my debts. Although I must say that I’m also the type of person who won’t get a good night’s rest knowing I’m neck-deep in debt. Good thing my credit limit is just P12,000. Hahaha, pitiful huh?

I’ve managed to pay off my BPI credit card and cancelled it right away. I’m thinking about zeroing out HSBC and canceling that one too. When I got robbed, I lost my HSBC credit card as well as my bill. I forgot about my due date so I was surprised to see late charges. They seem to charge higher than BPI so I’ll probably look for a different credit company as soon as I settle my finances with them.

What to do? What to do? A few things have crossed my mind but I don’t know if I can pull it off.

- Sell bags for Christmas. What kind and how much?
- Sell cookies for Christmas. Who would buy them?
- Join a bazaar. Yeah right, as if I have time to do this!
- Publish a Tagalog romance novel. I actually interviewed someone who did this for a hobby, but I’m not sure I have the time and talent for this. You probably think this is cheesy, but for P10,000, I think it’s worth it. But then, I wouldn’t know where to take my work.

Det has long been convincing me to try being an insurance agent on the side. Like I said, I’m not the aggressive type. I’d probably be my only customer.

I wish I could be more like my brother who is earning money from buying and selling through eBay.

Hmm… any more ideas out there?

The Write Up

Last week, Jon, Tin and I were obsessing about our TL kits and write ups. We are due for STL (Senior Team Lead) assessment (yey), and as usual, we were comparing notes.

Here’s what I came up with:

I never imagined that I would become a team leader when I first stepped in eTelecare. In my stay here, I discovered that this company gives much trust to its employees. I say this because I had no professional leadership experience when I was entrusted to support my very own team.

It was through the leadership development modules and the support of my colleagues and superiors that I was able to help my team members achieve their goals. With this I realized the value of interdependence. I could not have survived without asking a few of my co-team leads how a few things are supposed to be done. Now that I am one of the tenured team leads, I am always happy to answer questions raised to me by our younger TOICs.

I’ve learned that building a solid relationship with the team members has many rewards. For one, the fun and friendship we have cultivated keep us going to work, even during those inevitable “down times.”

In the workplace, some stand out while the others just blend in the background. As a TL, I believe in rewarding those who work hard to meet and exceed their targets. I also believe that it is my job to make sure no one is left behind. As the leader I am responsible for my team and what I would like to see is for everyone to have a special role. Nobody is left watching. Everyone should have a chance at a task, no matter how small it is. This promotes ownership and further enhances relationships within the team.

Three years of team handling has allowed me to see different personalities in my team members. They taught me that there is no one way to handle them. Some teams long for a gentle hand, and some pursue an iron fist. I assure myself that whichever way I take is fine, for as long as I am able to accomplish my purpose. And that is to bring out the best in them.

I’ve come to know that sacrifice is necessary in this line of work. Years after having graduated from calls, sometimes I still find myself on the other end of the line, trying to figure out a way to resolve an internet connection issue. When service levels are at stake, we have to do what we can to make the load lighter for everyone. Sacrifice has many faces. Sometimes it’s called right-sizing. It is always sad to lose a team, but being open minded about it helps. Looking at the glass half-full made me realize how much I gained being assigned to work on a special project and being cross-posted to a different department.

The role of a leader is both challenging and rewarding. It’s a learning process that has made me a better person. I have given out much as a team leader, but the experience has given me so much more.

A Time To Let Go

Mama and mommy (my mom’s sister) recently brought up a sensitive issue. They said that they’ve been thinking about it for years. Mommy suggested it’s time we put papa in his rightful place.

We’ve kept papa’s ashes at home since he died in 2000. It’s a comfort knowing that he’s just with us. I didn’t know that this concerned some of our relatives. One of mama’s older cousins said that it’s time for us to let go. I never thought about it that way, but now that it’s been brought up, I realize that it does make sense. Rambi and I still find it difficult to let go.

Yesterday, I cried in the car when Denver told me that now’s a good time to let papa rest. He’s right.

My father’s dreams for us have been realized. Rambi has two stripes in the Air Force. Papa has always wanted to have a child in the Army, Navy or Air Force. Nobody had to force Rambi to enlist. He just did it because he knew it would make our father proud.

He also just got a Toyota Celica that is one of my dad’s favorite cars. If I am not mistaken, he got that too because he knows papa likes it.

He also changed his last name back to Bernabe. He used his adoptive mom’s name when he migrated to the U.S. in 2005. When he was asked if he wanted to change his name, he said yes so he could use my father’s last name. When mama asked him why, he said he wanted his children to carry our family name.

As for me, I may not have done much, but I know he’s happy that I have a son and a job to support us. I know he was always worried that I wouldn’t be able to survive because I was spoiled. I think he would be proud to see that I've become independent.

Maybe it is time to let him rest.

We’ve decided on bringing him to a Columbarium within the Shrine of St. Thérèse. We just have to wait for Rambi to come home next year. I pray that papa didn’t have to suffer in all the years that we kept him with us.

We’ll let you go very soon pa.

Left or Right?

You Are 50% Left Brained, 50% Right Brained

The left side of your brain controls verbal ability, attention to detail, and reasoning. Left brained people are good at communication and persuading others. If you're left brained, you are likely good at math and logic. Your left brain prefers dogs, reading, and quiet. The right side of your brain is all about creativity and flexibility. Daring and intuitive, right brained people see the world in their unique way. If you're right brained, you likely have a talent for creative writing and art. Your right brain prefers day dreaming, philosophy, and sports.

Are You Right or Left Brained?

Huwattt?

It's always half and half with me. Is this why I don't excel at anything? Should I be using more of my left brain, or more of my right brain? Maybe I should retake the test.

Pisos and Popsicles

On Wednesday, Denver and I got Dora Alphabet Writing Cards for Ippo’s classmate who was going to celebrate her fourth birthday in school. Ippo wanted one too but we didn’t get one for him because I knew he would just bite the flash cards to pieces. So yesterday I felt guilty and decided to get him something before heading home. Denver and I bought some Justice League play money since he’s so fond of “pisos.” That’s what he calls money.

When I got home, Ippo’s yaya was excited to show off the giveaways he received from the birthday party. I was very happy to see a clock, button pin, bag tag and key chain. What was special about these items is that each one had a picture of the guest. The celebrant’s parents scanned Ippo’s school ID photo and had it printed on the giveaways. So cute! His yaya kept the key chain and mama insisted on keeping the bag tag. I ended up with the button pin.

Ippo has recently learned to love popsicles. The first time I saw him eating one, his chin, shirt and hands were filthy with orange popsicle drops. Ippo cried when Denver took a bite from his popsicle last week. Denver tried to give the popsicle back to our son but Ippo didn’t want to take it anymore. We’ve learned not to touch his favorite food from then on.

I think it was a Nestle ice cream vendor who passed by our apartment yesterday. Maimai asked me for some money so she and Ippo could buy some popsicles. I went outside to check on them, and I saw Ippo trying to hand over his play money to the ice cream Man. He said to the vendor, “mah-kano?” It appears he was trying to mimic his yaya’s “magkano?”

When he was done with his popsicle, Ippo went to see me inside my room to show me chocolate popsicle drops on his left foot. He told me “yuck, ma-dumi.” My son is already two years and four months old. I’m going to miss all this when he grows up.

Miss CSI and The Hilton Heiress

On Saturday afternoon, Denver showed me a text message from his ex. She simply asked him how he was. According to Denver he didn’t reply. I’m just wondering how his ex got his mobile number after changing numbers twice. I guess she also has CSI skills like me. Hahahahaha.

Last night, I gave my two cents about Denver’s friend. Something about what he said she said ticked me off. I told Denver that this friend of his is “walang kwentang tao” and a social climber. I know that’s so mean of me to say. I’d be pissed off if Denver said something like that about my family or friends, but I couldn’t help it. She wipes white people’s asses in the U.S. for a living but she acts like she’s a Hilton heiress. I don’t want to justify my opinion of her with details of her royal bitchness. I don’t like her, period.

Sad

It is quite difficult for me to write this entry. I don’t want to go through the details. I was held up by a cab driver and his companion last week.

Yesterday, I was crying as I sorted through my belongings. I cried because I remembered the picture inside the wallet that was taken from me. My wallet had a picture of me, my dad and my mom. I’ve had that picture with me since my father died. I found it in his wallet after he passed away, and kept it in mine so I could remember him everyday. I know he kept that picture for twenty years.

Last week, I lost things that I love and have had with me for years. Gifts given to me by my mom, brother, aunt... So many things that bring with them a lot of good memories. Even my engagement and “wedding” rings from Denver.

People have been saying that the important thing is that I’m alive. I know that. I was so afraid for my life that I just did everything I was told, and willingly gave everything I owned.

I’m just very sad. I wish I had begged for that picture.