Ice Cream!

I simply love ice cream. You too? Hehe. Then let’s head off to the nearest Mini Stop store to buy that big cone of ice cream that will cost you 15 pesos but would satisfy you for 15 minutes. But before these fast times I still remember the familiar bell clanging that will tell you that the “mamang sorbetero” is around and you would rush out and stop whatever you’re doing just to buy his delicacy- “dirty ice cream”. Wow, how I miss the Avocado flavor! Nah, who told you it’s really dirty? I haven’t heard of someone die because of eating “dirty ice cream"... yet. Hehe. It’s part of the Filipino culture, I should say. Family gatherings or birthday parties will never be complete without it. I also thought nobody hates ice cream, it encompasses the rich and the poor. The socialeras would reach for a Haagen Dazs, middle class will go for Selecta, and everybody else will have other choices for their ice cream.

It’s freezing in a call center office… now, how do you explain call center agents eating ice cream on their breaks?

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Sponge Cola Live in Eastwood City

The date is September 26, Friday night and its been awhile since I watched and heard some good headbanging stuff in Eastwood City, as Sponge Cola did their album launch for the self-titled album “Sponge Cola”. Led by frontman Ysmael “Yael” Yuzon, this band performed to the crowd’s delight some songs from their new album and its carrier single “Puso”, which is UAAP’s official song for the Ateneo-La Salle Finals. The band, with a sound clad with crunchy guitar riffs, booming bass and melodic vocals, also played “Jeepney”, “Bitiw” and my personal favorite “Pasubali".

For a good seat and entrance, one must buy their CD album that is selling for a good 320 pesos, but some girls just don’t give it damn and bought their way to the front seats. Sneaky me, I was able to squeeze in the sidelines to watch, hehehe. I felt weird being surrounded by teen girls. Too bad I cannot make “pa-cute” as I was with my… you know who! She is a big Sponge Cola fan and that’s the primary reason why I’m more than willing to watch the show, and it turned out to be a nice, rocking treat for the both of us.

Unfortunately, only armed with my not so, but almost obsolete Nokia N73 Music Edition, I was able to steal some cellphone cam shots off the mini-concert. Hey, I also saw Ms. Jennylyn Mercado when I’m on my way to the back stage and whew! she’s so hot and skinny..not to mention she just gave birth almost a few months ago. That took my attention for awhile, but darn I was not ready to take some paparazzi shots. Oh well, now I know why should get a decent digicam!

I surely miss getting on stage with a noisy crowd, screaming girls… any call center battle of the bands brewing up soon?

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Free Call Center training

Just imagine kung wala kang trabaho sa panahong ito. Mayroong iba na kuntento na sa current daytime job nila pero minsan ay kulang talaga ang sahod sa pangkaraniwang non-BPO companies. Ang sagot sa kahirapan sa panahong ito: Call Centers. Para sa mga nagbabalak na maging isang call center agent, basta ka nalang ba mag wo-walk in at mag apply para sumubok sa ganitong larangan? Unang una siguro ay tanungin ang sarili kung may sapat ka bang kakayahan para matanggap or aminado kang wala kang ka ide-idea talaga. Siguro nga marunong ka mag english at mag computer, kasi magaling ka mag chat sa Yahoo Messenger at IRC. Pero still in doubt?

Magandang hikayatin ang mga friends and family natin na gustong mag-call center agents na i-take advantage ang mga free call center trainings available. I heard sa Manila, project ito ni Vice Mayor Isko Moreno, na nagbibigay ng “Call Center Career Development Program” sa mga qualified residents ng Manila. I’m sure may mga similar programs din sa ibang metro manila cities, na makakatulong ng malaki sa mga aspiring call center agents. May isa pa akong nahalungkat sa net: ExcelAsia is offering 10-days FREE CALL CENTER TRAINING!!! No Fees, absolutely FREE !!! Aba, ok to. Sana nga free talaga kasi kawawa naman mga kababayan natin na gusto lang ng isang high paying job para sa kinabukasan ng kani-kanilang pamilya.

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Call Center Sa Probinsya

Mas prefer nyo bang magwork sa province sa mga bagong international call centers? Di kasi katulad sa Metro Manila na napaka congested na, mahal pa ang cost of living, compared sa province almost sure ka na mura ang bilihin, at hindi pa polluted. Ang nabalitaan ko is sa Tacloban mayroon nang bagong tayong APAC, located sa Leyte ICT Park. I grew up in Metro Cebu at alam ko na mostly ng mga nagpupunta sa Cebu ay galing sa mga karatig probinsya sa Visayas at Mindanao, kaya it’s a good idea to decongest the urban areas by creating more jobs in the provinces. Pero pano kung sobrang baba ng basic pay ang i-offer ng APAC sa mga agents sa Tacloban? Ang napag alaman ko na sa Teletech Bacolod, ang basic monthly pay ay 8,000 pesos. Sapat na ba yun para bumuhay ng isang medium sized family? Eh di parang ang bagsak nun ay luluwas din ang mga agents to Cebu or Manila for a better pay. I remember na may kaibigan ako from Cebu City na nag-apply papuntang Manila to try her luck here and she was offered a one-time relocation package by e-Pldt. She was single then so it was a good deal.

I often think what if ako naman ang mag relocate to Cebu? I lived in Cebu for 9 years and I saw the city boom from a sleepy city to a bustling urban center. Ang alam ko mas mura ang basic commodities, tuition fees ng private schools at hospitalization na more or less an advantage sa mga nagbabalak bumuo ng isang family. We will see if any other cool call centers will sprout in the provinces, and let's try to think if it's worth to be called "promdi" again.

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