Half Happy, Half Sad

I was happy because I celebrated my birthday with my friends in Tagaytay this week, which was supposed to be an overnight and turned out to be a dinner only trip. We are laughing all the way and excited to be together before Mitzelle will be leaving us for London (actually in Scotland).

After my birthday, when I returned for work, I was surprised that it was already my judgement day, I mean it was the day the that I will be informed if my 2 weeks extension was okay or not, which means if I'm going to be regularized as an employee or not. Thank God for His birthday gift to me, which means you know what the results are. At last I could already have a vacation leave plus the additional benefits.

It was only a week that Mitzelle was informed that she was supposed to leave the country as soon as possible making her sad because her sister and her parents will be arriving the following week because it is her sister's wedding in January.

That's the reason why I am also half sad. We didn't have the chance to see each other before she left because I had work and she didn't followed us at the mall the day before and now we are the only three left here after Elo left us almost 3 years ago. See you guys soon...
.

An Expensive Haircut

I was supposed to let my hair grew longer because I want my curls back and for a change in my looks but its been more than 2 months since my last haircut. I go to Fix in Glorietta 4 for my haircut since junior high for our prom, since then I became a loyal fan of having my hair done there but only for special occasions. Mike was the one doing my hair every time I go there. I also tried Fix in another branch but the stylist there can't make my hair short and the style I like, which Mike can. So I didn't try the other branch of Fix from then on and just stick to the Glorietta branch.

As a background, there are 3 classifications of hair stylist in Fix a long time ago, there is the barber, which is the cheapest and the most affordable one, there is the hairstylist A and the Senior hairstylist, which are pretty pricey. I could still remember how Mike grew from that salon. He started only as a barber with having a hair that looks like a witch broom. As I said, I only went for a haircut there for special occasions so that would be 2 to 4 months in between every visit. Then the years went on and of course there are changes in the salon that has been made, the price went up from PHP 140 to PHP 210 (i really can't remember the exact amount) and the barber category was already gone. My hairstylist Mike went up from being a barber to being a hairstylist. Then there's the another price hike from PHP 210 to PHP 265.

While waiting for my friends, I decided to have a haircut and I went to the reception area to ask if Mike was there because I thought it was his off and the girl said that he is available. I was shocked when the girl in the reception area told me that the haircut now was already worth PHP 350, so I asked right away "since when did your salon had this price?" and the girl said since October 1. At first I was hesitant because it was already getting very pricey for me. But since I seldom got my hair fix, I gave it a shot. While waiting for my turn, I noticed that the salon is not that crowded anymore unlike before where some of the customers are standing up already waiting for their turn. The stylists too are only a handful.

So I was already called to be seated and waited there for I think 10 minutes without some one asking me that I should go to have a shampoo first. I was in a hurry that time because my friends already arrived and was already waiting for me. The girl beside me was having her haircut too. At last, I was shampooed and waited for 10 minutes again and when Mike went out from their quarters I thought it was my turn for a haircut but he passed over me and went to the girl beside me. It was not yet my turn and I was in a hurry. The assistant gave me 2 magazines to read but it was not the latest magazines because I've already read them from my previous haircut sessions. I hate it when my hairstylist is in a hurry when its my turn because I've waited long enough then he is rushing to cut my hair. My turn came and he is rushing again. I was disappointed though half pitiful because there are only 3 stylist that day and they are the only ones who are rotating as I have heard.

With the high-priced haircut and the service not that worthy anymore because of the long waiting, not that accommodating service, rushing stylist, I've decided that it would be my last haircut there. Anyway it has been the same style he is doing in my hair even though I asked him a different one that would suit me. I'll try the salon near our place instead. They are just PHP 70 per haircut, way far from Fix. I'm just regretting that I have to change my salon for almost 7 years. c",)

After Four Months

It's been a long time since my last blog, just to give you on what's happening in my life, actually I am expecting to be regularized from work this week but sad to say I'm not. I am extended for 2 weeks because I haven't met a time requirement which is only 10 seconds behind. After 4 months of expecting, I was extended. But it's okay at least I'm not thinking about it anymore.

I was supposed to have a permanent days off swap for our new schedule this quarter, exchanging my Thursday for a Wednesday so that I could have a consecutive offs which is on a Tuesday and a Wednesday so that I wouldn't have the sandwich type of offs, which the one who made the schedule sucks because anyone else in our team had the same sandwich days off. But on the first week of the exchange of offs, I thought I was supposed to sign something that I was agreeing to the swap and that was the company policy in filing one but I was shocked that on the day that I was to report for work I was texted that our swap was already approved. I was wondering because I didn't filed for it yet but then it was allegedly approved. So I let it pushed through even without my permission. After staying at home for my days off, I reported to work then I was again shocked because in our break schedule it was written that I was AWOL. Again, for the 3rd time. I was informed that our swap was only for the off and does not affect our shift sched which I have is 10am and my exchange mate on 8am so I reported to work at 10am, then I'll just see my work file as AWOL? I've worked hard not to absent myself because it is a requirement for our regularization, but thanks to my boss which he fixed that "AWOL thingy."

The week passed by and it is a Wednesday again, I was wondering if my exchange mate filed another swap since I was informed that even if we agreed our off would be permanent, it is advisable to file it weekly. Again, I didn't sign anything for it to be approved, nobody told me that a swap was approved or anything and I didn't get any text message saying that a swap was approved. So I reported to work today (Wednesday) hoping that it was just a normal day. I was at the office around 9am which is too early for my shift because I was expected to be reporting at 10am. There's no sign again that I was not supposed to work today. Then when the 10am arrived, my exchange mate was there and was walking towards my station. Our swap was allegedly approved according to her but I was not informed that I had one since I didn't sign anything, which I know was the proper procedure, so this morning I was messed up and upon learning that I have to go home because it was my off. My exchange mate assumed that because we agreed it to be a permanent swap, I was not part of any filing of it and I was not informed. I decided not to continue our permanent swap because of the so much hassle that is causing me. It's okay not to have a permanent swap since everyone in our team was swapping weekly, at least you can choose who to swap with and you have many options. At least now I'm not going to work for Christmas day and on the New Year. Thanks to that incident, I've learned another lesson...

Working in a call centre...

After working in a bank, I tried my luck working in a call centre. What the heck if other people would criticize me for working in a call centre at least I'm earning unlike others who committ crime and all of other stuffs. Even though that it is far from my career path, at least the company gave me hope in working and earning money. I was supposed to get this job first but the bank was the first one who gave me the offer so I went on to the bank first.

After 1 month of typing names and birthdays in a bank, luckily there's an ad for the same call centre I'm targeting to apply to before working in a bank and it is a non voice account and the place is in Makati. So I went there to apply and waited for 4 hours just to have my exams and was scheduled for an interview after 2 days. I was worried because after the interview, the HR people are requiring me to submit a certificate of employment from my previous employment. I was thinking if it was possible for me to get a COE from my previous employer since I'm not cleared yet, I think. But with the help of my friend from the HR of my previous employer and from my former boss, fortunately I got not just one but two copies on the same day. Then I was already hired and was secheduled to attend the orientation after 2 weeks.

My training was held in Santa Rosa, Laguna which my company has a branch there which I think is there Main branch because they own the whole building unlike in Makati where they are only renting fo the space. My training in Santa Rosa went on for 1 week, which our transportation was shouldered by our company. The training was intense since we are 30 in the group and we have to pass every test the trainors would conduct. After failing for the first test because I didn't have time to review because I have to fix my BIR records, I was aiming for the perfect score for the rest of the remaining test. At first I was not joining in any group because I prefer to be alone and I was aloof all the time. I'm having a hard time to memorize all of my colleagues name. But here are their names: (in no particular order)

1. Ivory
2. Lisa
3. Phey
4. Mel
5. Loren
6. JR
7. Roland
8. Nochi
9. Barns
10. Billy
11. Arlene
12. Mae
13. Cha
14. Nat
15. Mark
16. Ervin
17. Hermie
18. Jaja
19. Janice
20. Corazon
21. Irene
22. Rhea
23. Rap
24. Fitz
25. Bennex
26. Rick
27. Joel
28. Liza
29. Craig

To make the list complete, add me. The last 4 persons are evicted from our group because they didn't meet the company's requirements when we are already in Makati.

After 1 week, we are back in Makati to have our OJT for another week. After the eviction of 4, we are down to 28. Then almost half of our group was already on the probationary period, then the other half was extended for 1 week, including me beacause we haven't met the required requirements. Here's the table of the 1st probationaries and the extended ones. (in no particular order)

Probationary
1. Bennex
2. Fitz
3. Roland
4. Ivory
5. Barns
6. Corazon
7. JR
8. Irene
9. Mark
10. Ervin
11. Hermie
12. Mae
13. Nochi

Extended
1. Cha
2. Nat
3. Jaja
4. Janice
5. Arlene
6. Rap
7. Ryan
8. Arlene
9. Rhea
10. Rap
11. Billy
12. Mel
13. Loren
14. Joel
15. Rick

The last 2 from the extended period was evicted. Then we are all in the probi position. Now, we are distributed to different teams (at the first place we are told that our group will be working as 1 team).

Working in a bank...

Yes, you read it right! I have worked in a bank between March and April. I applied last March, hoping to get work and I did, with the help of my classmate during college, who is already working there. After the series of interviews and exams, I was expected to report after 2 days. I'm one of the pioneer of the prescreeners of the Applications Processing Unit and there were just three of us in the prescreener team. In our contract our job description was just to clear backlogs of phone verification of credit cards and personal loans. In short, we just type the name and birthdate of the applicants in the computer and see whether their application has a duplicate or if it is declined, then we terminate the application and that's it. We just mainly type all day, 5 days a week.

And if you're wondering why only for the duration of one month? Unfortunately the boss of my boss terminated my contract because I have to leave for 5 days to go to Davao for family reasons. When I asked permission to my boss, she permitted me to go and when my ticket is already settled, suddenly the boss of my boss talked to me and told me that they couldn't afford to loose me for 5 days because of my critical role for the department, even though I'm just in a contractual basis. And so I am faced in a delimma of whether I will go to Davao and loose my job or not to go to Davao and save my work, with the ticket already settled and the money used to buy those ticket is my salary from work and I can't demand for a refund anymore because I was leaving the next day, I decided to go to Davao and loose my work.

At first I was confident that I will be called to report for work after my trip to Davao because i called my friend at the HR and said that there's no vacancy that would replace my position. But because I know how the boss of my boss thinks and she's the type of the autocratic person, she didn't bother to consider me again for the position. And so now I'm broke with my salary spent for my tickets, the catch is I enjoyed going to Davao and Surigao del Sur, having a get together with my relatives which I haven't seen for almost 20 years!

I decided not to find a job again because my sister is coming home this June and I would like to spend time with her because this is her first time to go home since she left 9 months ago...

Ikea invades the Philippines!

OMG! I can't believe it that Ikea products are available now in our country. The first time I heard of the place Ikea, I have no idea what it was and was curious about it since it sounds unique. I heard of it 7 years ago when me and my family visited our relatives in Canada and of course I had the chance to visit the place in Richmond.

Me being a fan of interior design and stuffs, I was so amazed with the place and the products that they feature and offer. It was like I was in wonderland from the factory entrance until you reach the end and the pieces of stuff was so fancy and posh for me because all of the stuffs are not found in the Philippines. Some stuffs may be bought as a give for all season, may it be for weddings, birthdays, Christmas or even for Valentines. I bought some stuffs, of course, like the silver candle lamp, 100 pcs. tealight candles, an Espressivo (table lamp), Doldis (a wooden wall clock), a magazine rack, a 4-piece frameless picture frame, a 4x6 postcards and a wall mounted CD holder. Who could resist not to buy?

Their designs are so out-of-the-world and very consumer friendly. They also showcases some ideas that you could make in your own homes. They just don't offer products but also services for their products like building it right in your homes, interior designs that you could consult from them. They are also committed and dedicated to their consumers because when they found out some reports about their products they usually research on the possible problems and correct them by product call backs and exchange or their consumers may have their money back. I was also fascinated by their product catalogue either by the hard copy or their website catalogue that you could download and print. When I logged on to their website I was shocked to see that they are already internationally known. I was surfing to see if Ikea is available locally in the Philippines but sad to say it wasn't yet, but hopefully soon. Lucky for me to browse Our Amazing Planet and finding out that there are already importers of Ikea! (",)