Goodbye at&t u-verse

Last night was our last shift with at&t u-verse in Sitel. Everyone updated their Facebook status with goodbyes and farewell messages. Some kept on saying "Good luck" to one another. Most of us took the last pictures, packed our stuff, turned over the headset and our key lockers. It wasn't easy though, especially for some of us who started the call center career with at&t u-verse in Sitel. I, for example started the first call center job with at&t u-verse, and for more than a year with the company, I can say that I really learned a lot of things.

More than other jobs, being a call center agent takes a lot of patience and perseverance for you to succeed. It really takes a lot of extra effort. Just imagine you would stay awake the whole night and leave the house or reach home late or early dawn, you don't only put your health at risk but putting yourself in danger as well. Then the moment you put your headset on, calls start coming in and you would be grateful if you will just get a single irate customer that keeps on swearing at you, that no matter how you get used to it you still can't stop yourself from being upset or mad at them (though you don't really let them know that you really are). You hold on to your temper and keep on uplifting your spirit that they are not mad at you but at the service that your company you are working for. Well you represent the company so it's still the same, you deserve their yelling (at least according to them). You will also learn to multi-task, pulling up the customers account, checking their profile while talking to them understanding their concern while fighting your self to be awake. You tend to keep the work done precisely in a very timely manner.

A lot of people criticize our job 'coz it doesn't require a degree to make a career out of it. Yes it doesn't, but it's one hell of a job. A job that's even more rewarding than other professional jobs. It's saddening that here in our country, teachers, engineers and some professional jobs get lower salary that we do as call center agents. Well, maybe because we deserve it after all.

My Sitel at&t u-verse Family

Some of my teammates (LtoR) Coach Luther Mejia, Virginia, QA Brent, Chui and Me

Boring

Boring...don't know what else to do, I ate, watched new season of CSI but still feel so bored today. I only had one rest day and yet it feels like a week. It's not really my legal rest day, but my head was freaking aching last night so I informed my supervisor that I won't be going to work last night.

Tonight will be my last shift this week, the last shift with at&t account then it's my rest for three days. Don't have plans yet, don't know what to do, I got to have plans to entertain myself apart from watching a lot of movies 'coz it for three freaking days or I'll kill myself with boredom. Maybe I'll text Genie or Bien or Dats for whatever plans they have in mind hehehe..Good luck to me tomorrow..

Aftershock

Just done watching a Chinese film called "Aftershock". I came to know about the film when it was featured in one of the pages in my Facebook account. The movie was praised with positive feedback though I didn't read the whole review I already thought the film is a nice film to watch. I immediately looked for the movie online and found a copy of it and downloaded it and indeed, it's a good film. Your heart will cry to it from first to last.

The movie was based from a true story about the earthquake tragedy in China in 1970s. The story of a simple but happy family who got separated by the disastrous event. The aftershock made them suffer for almost their lifetime 'til one day, after 32 years, the same tragedy happened that brought these people together and were able to patch things up, healed the long overdue wounds and longing. "Aftershock" may not be the best tragedy-drama movie that you would ever see, but it's worth watching as it would inspire you to deal with you own aftershocks in life.

So far, this year there are two good foreign films that I have seen, the first one was an inspiring Indian film "My Name Is Khan" and this one. Too bad movies like these don't get a chance to be shown here in our place. I'm looking forward for more heart-warming and inspiring movies like these and I would always share it here. 'Til next time.

It's finally Dell

Relaxing at home while listening to Train's Save Me San Francisco album. I was not a fan at first, except for their old hits "Drop of Jupiter", but when I saw their album available online and downloaded it and started listening to it, darn it, i just can't stop listening anymore, their songs are really irresistible. "Parachute" and "It's Not Goodbye" are my favorite.

What have I been doing lately?Well, everything seems the same, normal week, nothing seems especial. Though still thinking about having another job next month, but I know too much thinking will just pass. I tried my luck in different companies, I made it in one company but the offer was not good. Though the basic is a bit higher than my previous job, you won't get the basic salary 'til you pass the training stage for a month, so I thought where will I get my money to pay my rent for the whole month. So I just decided to stay with Sitel with Dell account, it's a bit far (in Libis) but I'll give it a try, the account is pretty cool and for sure I will learn a lot. Training starts this Oct 4th and that would give me four days rest after our last day with at&t this month.

I'm ok with Sitel, but I still wanna know if there still better opportunities for me out there. I might apply in other centers and who knows I might just get the best one there is. Keeping fingers crossed, Inshallah!

Mall of Asia Escapade with Bien, Rex and Sweet

Had a great time with Bien, Rex, and Sweet (Alvin) in Mall of Asia tonight. We had a never ending stories about our new careers here in Manila and the past experiences in STI. It was our first bonding time since we moved to metro. Rex was our clinical instructor and Sweet was our math teacher while Bien and I were IT instructors in STI.

We talked things over roasted chicken and some menus in El Pollo Loco. After eating around 10pm, we decided not to go home yet and sung our lungs out in Timezone karaoke booth. I reached home around past 12 midnight already. Everyone enjoyed it, especially me, that's the only fun I have apart from watching movies in cinema.

Hope next time, other STI friends here in metro like Nikka, Genie, Anale and Amor can already join us. It would be a lot of fun, I could just imagine. After all life is not just moving on, there are things in the past that is always fun going back with. Out past experiences with STI may all not good that there were some frustrations and bitterness when we left, but meeting these people who I can consider friends is one of the reason to be thankful of, one of the beautiful things that happen to me in STI. Someone that you can always depend to freshen you up after the hard days work. I'm looking forward for another get-together and fun time with these people.

Here are some of our photos ....

Dell or Sears

Just had my late lunch for the day. Just took two scoops of rice and some hot sardines and since it's late afternoon, I ate it along with a cup of hot coffee (not much a perfect combination right? hehe). It was satisfying 'coz kinda miss having it for a meal and sardines always makes me remember my home town, Zamboanga City (most sardines factory can be found in Zamboanga City).

Speaking of 'missing', one thing that I will surely miss is my current account at&t u-verse. I will miss my teammates, the stuff we do, the people on the floor, the irate and nice customers, the troubleshooting steps that we do, the tools that we used, everything. So far we only got 1 more week together as we will be deployed to different account next week. Some of us will be staying in the same site, some will be transferred to different sites especially for technical account. Not sure yet for my status, but I have finally decided to take DELL (I passed the interview and training starts this 27th), a technical account, which I think will really help me develop my technical skills. It is a lot further from our place but it's really ok, though at first I was hesitant. Though not sure yet if SEARS will take me too 'coz I had my interview first with them but no result yet if I have made it or not. SEARS is a sales account and I couldn't really imagine myself doing sales. The only reason I tried applying because I wasn't sure then if I will make it in Dell, and SEARS is just in OJV too, so it's closer to our place. But now I have finally decided to take DELL, so my status is still floating 'till SEARS will submit the result on Monday. But I talked to OM and to my coach that I will take DELL but they said they are not sure yet since SEARS interviewed me first and if I made the assessment, I'll be counted in SEARS already....I don't know why it would be difficult for them to give us a chance to choose once we passed both accounts. I mean I wouldn't like it there so the tendency I might not perform.

Anyway, I know everything's gonna be find, I know they will let me take Dell over Sears, 'coz if they won't, I may just attend the training and will still apply to different center. I can't do things that I don't like, especially if I have a lot of choices and chances of doing what I really like.

For now, I'm firm with my decision to take Dell and can't wait to start with the training this 27th Inshallah (If God wills)!

Hereafter - Official Trailer [HD]

After working together successfully with the inspiring bio-film last year in 'Invictus', Director Clint Eastwood and Matt Damon team up again for another film that might earn them another Oscar nominations. Though empty handed from last year Oscar, 'Invictus' was nominated for two major acting awards, Best Actor for Morgan Freeman and Best Supporting Actor for Matt Damon. Clint Eastwood has a total of four Oscar Best Picture films and won two for Unforgiven (1992) and Million Dollar Baby (2004). He was also nominated for Best Actor in lead role for both films. Other nominations include Best Films for Mystic River (2003) and Letters from Iwo Jima (2006). Matt Damon also has three nominations and won one for Best in Screenplay shared with best friend Ben Affleck in "Good Will Hunting". Other nominations include Best Actor for Good Will Hunting and Best Supporting role for Invictus.

Hereafter is a supernatural thriller film that centers in three different people that experience death in so many ways (imdb.com). Also starred by Bryce Dallas Howard (Eclipse, Terminator Salvation, The Village). "Hereafter" will be coming out in cinemas this October 22, 2010.

Disturbed - "Another Way To Die" Official Music Video

Just watched this music video from Channel V this morning, didn't know that an official music video has already been released. The group was not featured in the video but its theme is very meaningful as it talks about pollution that kills the environment and possibly the entire human race if its totally neglected, thus explains the title of the song "Another way to die". Their album is called "Asylum" which debuted at No.1 in Billboard 200 Albums and this is their first single. Searched it in Youtube today and wanna share it to you guys, enjoy!

Eid'l Fitri

Still full with bread and hot coffee that I just took for the Iftar. Still thinking of eating rice later or will just have some noodles and juice with a glass of milk. Tonight could be the last night of Ramadan, if the Islamic leaders world wide declare the last day of fasting tonight, prayer for Eid'l Fitri will be tomorrow morning Inshallah (in God's will). I'm happy and sad at the same time. Happy because it's Eid'l Fitri and every Muslim should celebrate but sad because Ramadan is over.

Glad that my supervisor allowed me to take my rest day on Friday morning so I can pray the Eid'l Fitri prayer, it's also my off on Wednesday 'til Thurday afternoon so I got a two-day off. Currently I'm just waiting for a text message from my cousin so I can go to Taguig tonight or tomorrow night and pray the next morning. It would be my second Eid'l Fitri here in Metro Manila, it's difficult and it made me miss home more. Anyway, I know there is nothing permanent, who knows the next Eid, I'll be back with my family in Zamboanga City Inshallah! Advance Happy Eid'l Fitri to everyone!