Found this interesting tidbit from @U2.com: "... today is the 29th anniversary of the first meeting of the band that would become U2."
Why is that interesting? Because it's also Wicca's birthday! I'm sure he'll get a kick out of this trivia.
Happy birthday, Wicca.
Patintera is busy navigating the corporate world at the moment.
Sunday, September 25, 2005
Friday, September 16, 2005
RIGHT BRAIN ::: Blame It On The Rain, Yeah, Yeah!
No, I wasn't a fan of Milli Vanilli. But I do find it entertaining how despite the perspicuity of their cheap trick, the RIAA, in their most unseemly stupor, awarded this duo the Grammy for Best New Artist. I guess the voters were sold on the running man. Go figure. Anyway, I'm not about to get started on the most ridiculous Grammy winners ever--much as I'd like to. This here entry is just an ordinary summation of the comings and goings since my last post. Let's get started.
I finished reading a book (Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim by David Sedaris) last week, something I haven't done in a long while. There are lots of excuses to why that is and I leave it up to you to decide on their validity. For one, when I crack an old favorite, I get drawn to it for weeks and read nothing else. Other times when I'm at the bookstore, everything just looks the same and when I do find something I like, it either is too expensive or I have second thoughts about spending per se. Yes, I'm indecisive like that. There's a book called The F*ck-Up by Arthur Nersesian that I've been wanting to get for a very long time but it always seems to be out of stock at Powerbooks. Then one day, I found several copies of it on their shelves so I got excited and picked one up. As I walked towards the counter, guilt crept into my head, manipulating my thoughts like a hand-tossed dough. And so I paced around for awhile weighing the issue until, finally, I put the title back and walked out empty handed. So I'm happy to report that although getting this new book was a stab in the dark, I enjoyed it immensely (I love humorist essays, more so those about one's family) and know that I'll be reading it again sometime in the future.
Also last week, I went in for another interview with Archie Rodriguez--Mr. CPK as I told you about in my last entry. But before I go on with that, let me tell you about what happened while we waited for him.
There were three of us (a guy and two girls) TL candidates picked out from some ten applicants in the group activity/screening who were waiting to be interviewed. The guy was a former chef and was Tier 2 for Dell in Client Logic; the girl was, like me, another agent from Teletech's long line of leavers. They both seemed au courant with call centers which resulted in a pretty engaging conversation with all of us exchanging inside info on habits, callers, etc.
I have to mention that the guy was a total geek and I say that with utmost respect and amusement. He went on extensively about medieval warfare and weaponry, Dungeons and Dragons, and how nice the New York "hole-in-the-wall" pizza take-out counters were.
Eventually, we were told to go in (one by one) for the interview with "ACR". I'd love to devote a thousand words to this part of that day but it really was nothing out of the ordinary.
His first words were in the form of an apology saying he'd just come from a television interview which caused him to be about 90 minutes late. He had generic questions which I've been asked innumerable times (education, leadership ideas, employment history, etc.) that I probably was only half-conscious as I sat there and moved my mouth.
I noticed he had rather plain digs: desk, computer, knick-knacks, box of Kleenex. What? No wood-paneled walls, leather furniture, plasma TV, Cuban cigars, or even a knight's armor? It was nondescript, to say the least. Even his screensaver was pretty mundane--photos of company events and his model girlfriend's fashion spread. I was probably wrong to expect what I did because, after all, this was a guy who took a temp job at Sega customer service in California when he could have gone home to the Philippines and be a hotshot executive in his family's businesses. We probably talked for a good 20 minutes or so before we shook hands and said our goodbyes.
On my way home, I remembered him saying at the beginning of the interview that he wanted to get to know me better because he thought, of all the people he observed in my group, I had the credibility and skills to handle the job. Coming from him, I thought that was an immense complement but I only uttered a subdued "thank you" lest he thinks too much of himself or that I'm grossly deprived of affirmation. Anyway, they're supposed to let me know the results some time next week.
I like it when it rains, but only when I'm at home and without any need of going outside. It's not so much about getting drenched as it is about having to walk around with my feet and shins getting all splattered with mud.
Speaking of which, everybody should agree that last night's downpour got to an alarming level. My brother and I were up all night scooping up bucketfuls of rainwater which had seeped through the cracks into our living room. It's nothing unusual for us because we do that at least once every Rainy Season but we always have to watch out for a possible repeat of what we jokingly call 'the great flood of 2000'.
By 4 am, the rain had subsided to ambon but we were still at it. Although we had removed a substantial amount of water, we still needed to mop up to thoroughly dry the floor. I had been up for nearly 24 hours by this time and working for through the night that I finally got too tired to continue and laid down to call it a night--at 6 in the morning.
People always ask me if I'm back to work yet and the answer is still 'no'. It's just that I don't want to join a company when I know I'll leave months later when the job I originally wanted finally accepts me, not a good practice. I tell them that I have pending applications at such and such places; places where I plan to grow a lengthy career. You'd think that would be a sufficient enough answer for them to drop the subject but nuh-uh. What gets me seething is these folks go on to pose the money question and even try to insinuate how I shouldn't live so blithely. Come on, just because you're working and I'm not doesn't mean I owe it to you to work, neither does it suggest that I have no direction in life. It has gotten to ridiculously imposing levels, these inquiries. I just shrug it all off. Meanwhile, I'm having a ball writing and watching Colby Miller on MTV. A little guilty pleasure never hurt.
I finished reading a book (Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim by David Sedaris) last week, something I haven't done in a long while. There are lots of excuses to why that is and I leave it up to you to decide on their validity. For one, when I crack an old favorite, I get drawn to it for weeks and read nothing else. Other times when I'm at the bookstore, everything just looks the same and when I do find something I like, it either is too expensive or I have second thoughts about spending per se. Yes, I'm indecisive like that. There's a book called The F*ck-Up by Arthur Nersesian that I've been wanting to get for a very long time but it always seems to be out of stock at Powerbooks. Then one day, I found several copies of it on their shelves so I got excited and picked one up. As I walked towards the counter, guilt crept into my head, manipulating my thoughts like a hand-tossed dough. And so I paced around for awhile weighing the issue until, finally, I put the title back and walked out empty handed. So I'm happy to report that although getting this new book was a stab in the dark, I enjoyed it immensely (I love humorist essays, more so those about one's family) and know that I'll be reading it again sometime in the future.
Also last week, I went in for another interview with Archie Rodriguez--Mr. CPK as I told you about in my last entry. But before I go on with that, let me tell you about what happened while we waited for him.
There were three of us (a guy and two girls) TL candidates picked out from some ten applicants in the group activity/screening who were waiting to be interviewed. The guy was a former chef and was Tier 2 for Dell in Client Logic; the girl was, like me, another agent from Teletech's long line of leavers. They both seemed au courant with call centers which resulted in a pretty engaging conversation with all of us exchanging inside info on habits, callers, etc.
I have to mention that the guy was a total geek and I say that with utmost respect and amusement. He went on extensively about medieval warfare and weaponry, Dungeons and Dragons, and how nice the New York "hole-in-the-wall" pizza take-out counters were.
Eventually, we were told to go in (one by one) for the interview with "ACR". I'd love to devote a thousand words to this part of that day but it really was nothing out of the ordinary.
His first words were in the form of an apology saying he'd just come from a television interview which caused him to be about 90 minutes late. He had generic questions which I've been asked innumerable times (education, leadership ideas, employment history, etc.) that I probably was only half-conscious as I sat there and moved my mouth.
I noticed he had rather plain digs: desk, computer, knick-knacks, box of Kleenex. What? No wood-paneled walls, leather furniture, plasma TV, Cuban cigars, or even a knight's armor? It was nondescript, to say the least. Even his screensaver was pretty mundane--photos of company events and his model girlfriend's fashion spread. I was probably wrong to expect what I did because, after all, this was a guy who took a temp job at Sega customer service in California when he could have gone home to the Philippines and be a hotshot executive in his family's businesses. We probably talked for a good 20 minutes or so before we shook hands and said our goodbyes.
On my way home, I remembered him saying at the beginning of the interview that he wanted to get to know me better because he thought, of all the people he observed in my group, I had the credibility and skills to handle the job. Coming from him, I thought that was an immense complement but I only uttered a subdued "thank you" lest he thinks too much of himself or that I'm grossly deprived of affirmation. Anyway, they're supposed to let me know the results some time next week.
I like it when it rains, but only when I'm at home and without any need of going outside. It's not so much about getting drenched as it is about having to walk around with my feet and shins getting all splattered with mud.
Speaking of which, everybody should agree that last night's downpour got to an alarming level. My brother and I were up all night scooping up bucketfuls of rainwater which had seeped through the cracks into our living room. It's nothing unusual for us because we do that at least once every Rainy Season but we always have to watch out for a possible repeat of what we jokingly call 'the great flood of 2000'.
By 4 am, the rain had subsided to ambon but we were still at it. Although we had removed a substantial amount of water, we still needed to mop up to thoroughly dry the floor. I had been up for nearly 24 hours by this time and working for through the night that I finally got too tired to continue and laid down to call it a night--at 6 in the morning.
People always ask me if I'm back to work yet and the answer is still 'no'. It's just that I don't want to join a company when I know I'll leave months later when the job I originally wanted finally accepts me, not a good practice. I tell them that I have pending applications at such and such places; places where I plan to grow a lengthy career. You'd think that would be a sufficient enough answer for them to drop the subject but nuh-uh. What gets me seething is these folks go on to pose the money question and even try to insinuate how I shouldn't live so blithely. Come on, just because you're working and I'm not doesn't mean I owe it to you to work, neither does it suggest that I have no direction in life. It has gotten to ridiculously imposing levels, these inquiries. I just shrug it all off. Meanwhile, I'm having a ball writing and watching Colby Miller on MTV. A little guilty pleasure never hurt.
Friday, September 02, 2005
RIGHT BRAIN ::: Dream A Little
It's the beginning of September, folks! Yes, I know, everyone's well aware of that, no need to shout it on mountaintops. But trust me, there is an unending list of things to sulk about, personal and otherwise, that I'd rather come full circle and be in euphoria.
So what have I been doing? What do you want to know it for? Get a life, loser.
Just kidding.
The gang didn't make it to Joey's party for various reasons, i.e. are we going or are we not? is it on or is it off?
I went to Makati last Saturday for another prospective employment activity. I know I said before that I won't go back to a call center job but this one was a start-up and I wanted to see who the players were. The guy who built the business plan and heads the whole company is the same dude who started CPK, Italianni's, and Tequila Joe's in the Philippines--at guwapo sya, Kastilang mestizo. I was impressed that he built and grew his company at such a young age; he was 26, I think, when he opened CPK. (I'm 27 now and the only investment I've made is bad credit, hah!) From the things he said, you could sense focus, intelligence, and profound pride in being Filipino. He even went on to state that he was, indeed, Pinoy even if many people think otherwise. Kasi nga, matangos ang ilong, matangkad, at balbas-sarado pa. There was no doubt in his mind, after almost a year doing research, that we can outperform other countries when it came to this industry. I thought to myself, "well, how ironic is it that the Insulares turned out to be more involved in our country's future than us natives." For his part, since he's not as endowed with wealth as he'd like to be, he gives back to the community in the form of companies and jobs which in turn feed the economy. "Never mind if some guy in the BIR steals our money," he said. "Two wrongs don't make a right." I've always believed that everyone should channel energy into performing their tasks well instead of looking up to a figurehead to get things done. It would be a huge learning experience for anyone to be part of a start-up company with that kind of optimism and direction. Then again, every business venture can brag about those qualities and only time will tell what sets this company apart from other centers out there. One day, I hope to have my own company that will thrive here in Cavite--I don't want it to be anywhere else.
Still no word from PAGCOR about the job there. Sometimes I ask myself, why would I want to work for them now of all times? The administration is on shaky ground at the moment which is possibly causing these delays in decision making. I wouldn't know, I've never worked for any government office. Carl, another K-Lite DJ and good friend, is egging me to turn in a demo for their station because they need one more jock. I have mixed feelings about it but knowing how it's the one thing I'm willing to drop everything for, I will go ahead and do that. Everything's a big you'll never know. The prospect does sound exciting especially since I already have friends there who share my musical interest. They'll never see me coming.
Time to get off this theme park.
So what have I been doing? What do you want to know it for? Get a life, loser.
Just kidding.
The gang didn't make it to Joey's party for various reasons, i.e. are we going or are we not? is it on or is it off?
I went to Makati last Saturday for another prospective employment activity. I know I said before that I won't go back to a call center job but this one was a start-up and I wanted to see who the players were. The guy who built the business plan and heads the whole company is the same dude who started CPK, Italianni's, and Tequila Joe's in the Philippines--at guwapo sya, Kastilang mestizo. I was impressed that he built and grew his company at such a young age; he was 26, I think, when he opened CPK. (I'm 27 now and the only investment I've made is bad credit, hah!) From the things he said, you could sense focus, intelligence, and profound pride in being Filipino. He even went on to state that he was, indeed, Pinoy even if many people think otherwise. Kasi nga, matangos ang ilong, matangkad, at balbas-sarado pa. There was no doubt in his mind, after almost a year doing research, that we can outperform other countries when it came to this industry. I thought to myself, "well, how ironic is it that the Insulares turned out to be more involved in our country's future than us natives." For his part, since he's not as endowed with wealth as he'd like to be, he gives back to the community in the form of companies and jobs which in turn feed the economy. "Never mind if some guy in the BIR steals our money," he said. "Two wrongs don't make a right." I've always believed that everyone should channel energy into performing their tasks well instead of looking up to a figurehead to get things done. It would be a huge learning experience for anyone to be part of a start-up company with that kind of optimism and direction. Then again, every business venture can brag about those qualities and only time will tell what sets this company apart from other centers out there. One day, I hope to have my own company that will thrive here in Cavite--I don't want it to be anywhere else.
Still no word from PAGCOR about the job there. Sometimes I ask myself, why would I want to work for them now of all times? The administration is on shaky ground at the moment which is possibly causing these delays in decision making. I wouldn't know, I've never worked for any government office. Carl, another K-Lite DJ and good friend, is egging me to turn in a demo for their station because they need one more jock. I have mixed feelings about it but knowing how it's the one thing I'm willing to drop everything for, I will go ahead and do that. Everything's a big you'll never know. The prospect does sound exciting especially since I already have friends there who share my musical interest. They'll never see me coming.
Time to get off this theme park.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)