Still Life of an Urbanite.

Trainer Wanna Be

Rachel Wu — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 17:57:00 +0000

I was given an opportunity to handle a new class to be cross-trained to a different line of business in our company. The supposed to be trainer recently resigned and the position is yet to be filled. I expected this to happen but I keep on crossing my fingers that I will not be chosen to train the batch because of a. I’m not good at presenting myself in front of a group; b. trainers are often blamed if the agent incurred a critical error during calibration sessions; c. big bosses will sit in your class to observe and I might not handle the pressure. Sorry for the jargons, !

Classroom training ended earlier and I did not expect to like it this much! I’m so moved with my trainees’ comments on the “Facilitator and Training Evaluation” form. Here are some of their comments per se:

What are the Trainer’s strengths?

Catches our attention and see to it that everyone listens and understand the topic.
Knows how to balance her being serious and perky.
Very approachable and motivates us.
She made learning so fun by initiating games related to the topic.
She has a good voice and speaks clearly. (?)

LOL, good voice? I’m not getting the meaning of the last one, but I want to thank PPO Makati Wave 6 (aka Wave UBH, because they’re crazy) for being so interested in learning the product, I didn’t have a hard time conducting the training. The feedback they gave to me was exceptional and I couldn’t thank them enough. I’ll never forget this class.

CLASS PICTURE (From L-R): Anjelo, Bernard, Clarence, Melody, Mark, Mike, the trainer wanna-be, Caila, Marj, Donna, Jaysa.

Qwertified and Corbyful

Rachel Wu — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 05:24:38 +0000

I QWERTY-fied myself a few months by buying a Nokia E72 in zodium black. So far, I’m enjoying its capabilities especially the optical navi-pad. Though it’s media features is not that impressive, I am so far contented with its e-mail and web browsing features. I’ve come across the Nokia website when I upgraded my phone’s firmware and I drooled when I saw that they’re offering this gadget in a new color – zircon white!

The new Nokia E72 comes with a Bluetooth headset and in-ear earphones, all in color white. I am thinking of switching my black into this one, but I need to shed off approximately 4,000 pesos for a phone that has the exact same features as my old one, except for it’s exterior color. Nokia is such a bitch, releasing this pretty gadget very late. Had I known in the first place they’re releasing this color, I could have controlled my impulsive self and waited for it. So now, all I can do is stare and drool.

Another mobile phone I am currently raving to buy is the Samsung Corby Touch in cupid pink. I am using a Nokia 2730 classic as my second phone as it was the free phone given by my other service provider (Sun Cellular). Well, since my Nokia E72 is more on the serious side, I want to settle for another phone that looks fun and cute. Samsung Corby has convenient widgets to satisfy one’s social networking needs and different colored jackets to suit your mood. Their latest release has WiFi capabilities so there’s no need to pay for pricey mobile internet hours!

Why are there a lot of nice things in this world?

Let’s Get It Started

Rachel Wu — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 20:47:42 +0000

We had an annual physical exam in our company and I was surprised on how much I’ve become unhealthy. I weigh more than I supposed to, my visions are getting worst, and my blood pressure is relatively low (good heavens, no lumps in my breast). This led me into jump-starting on a healthy lifestyle because being unhealthy is a very serious thing. I’ve been dealing with this for the very longest of time and I can’t seem to make it work. It’s very frustrating and depressing at the same time because I won’t fit on my old clothes anymore and my cheeks are getting bulgy in photos tagged by my friends in Facebook and I have to un-tag myself because I look like a loser pig trapped in a human body. Big Lulz. And I was like, OH NOES, THIS CAN’T BE!

I’m currently on the look-out for some nearby gyms but they’re relatively expensive and knowing how busy of a person I am, I might not fit it in my schedule. I am also considering on buying a cardio exercise equipment so I can work out at home but I presume my bed will be so inviting, I wouldn’t want to step on that equipment. Shoot, I knew it. I haven’t learned the word “self-discipline” yet.

My goal before the day I turn 25 years old is to lose all these bulges and eat more healthy and try to live a healthy lifestyle (there’s too much “healthy” words there haha). They say it’s all about the discipline. By that time, my medium-sized clothes should fit me. I should not un-tag myself on Facebook photos. I should not huff and puff after climbing the stairs at MRT GMA-Kamuning station. I should be wearing a two-piece swimsuit on my next Boracay trip. And the list goes on and on. I need to do this whatever it takes.

—

On a much different note, I am now a short-haired chubby girl. Look!

This is Rachel Wu, back from blogging hiatus!

This is not goodbye.

Rachel Wu — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 20:01:03 +0000

Honestly, I don’t know how to start writing this entry. If you’re a reader of my blog, you would see that I often post entries/pictures related to my best buddy and our antics. The deal is that he just resigned from our company for a better job offer so I wouldn’t get to see him everyday starting tomorrow. It’s not that MOA is far from Makati or we’re not going to see each other anymore, but the thought of not being able to see him on his usual seat, correcting everyone’s grammar and pronunciation, teasing how fat I am, is going to be so sad.

Surely enough, our friendship has been tried and tested– through thick and thin. From dismissal cases, usual everyday arguing, countless tampuhans, who would’ve knew we will be this close? I have anticipated this day is going to come, and I’ve prepared myself for it because eventually when the right time comes, I’ll also resign, it’s just that someone really has to go first. Maybe it’s hard for me to write about sad thoughts so let me just post random pictures of us.

November 2007. Training at ACS Cubao. I'm not in this picture, you were with a different pool of friends.

We were transferred to ACS Makati and we're not team mates yet and still not that close.

We're both team leads assigned to support the nesters during their certification. Ahem, best team leads!

Here we talk about technology, blogging and online business.

We're both Part D message takers before we agreed to be cross-trained to PPO.

Going to Starbucks Valero to buy frap during weekend shifts.

watching movies at Trinoma (seat row "M") and playing at Timezone during rest days.

ACS Lipa, Chami, Lomi, Goto.

I have a lot of pictures of us but posting them wouldn’t be enough for me to say how much I will miss the guy who used to seat beside my left. As this poem I wrote way back said, we’ll surely meet again soon. It’s also his birthday today so I’m wishing him success and all the blessings in this world has to offer. I’m glad you’ve found a job that will make you wear corporate attire everyday and is in line to your course. Knowing your capabilities, I believe you will be promoted in no time. Good luck, my competitage, bok, porang, bokya, bokrang, pokrang, kulot, boi, Romeo, JayR! This is not goodbye. Always keep in touch!

Stored Value

Rachel Wu — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 04:39:34 +0000

It has been 3 days since MRT ticket booths are posting signs of “STORED VALUE CARDS ARE TEMPORARILY UNAVAILABLE” and I am completely annoyed because:

1. I hate long queues
2. It may be the cause of my (possible) tardiness
3. I don’t like the hassle of getting money from my wallet then putting back the coins/change everytime I purchase a ticket. (Argh)

Being the concerned, not to mention frustrated commuter, I asked manong cashier what’s the reason behind this unacceptable shortage of stored value cards. He said, “kasi po yung ibang tao hindi alam yung bonus ride kaya hindi nababalik yung mga stored value cards…” I was like, are you freakin’ serious??? Hey fellowmen, I am not expecting this, cmon it can’t be.

If I were to formulate an action plan for the shortage, I would:
a. Post reminders across the walls of the MRT stations and it should be in Tagalog and English, bold enough for everyone to stare at, with a catchy graphic to grab attention.
b. Hire someone who can record a short reminder of consuming the bonus ride, delivered in an upbeat manner and play it like, let’s say in every 10 minutes. Again, should be in Tagalog and English please.
(Jayr and his nerdy mind #2:)
c. Implement a law/regulation to keep people from not using the bonus ride and it should be strictly imposed. (OMG!)

Remember, ignorance is always not an excuse. And MRT, please produce more stored value tickets, or if you can create a reloadable card like that of Timezone’s, everyone will be a happy camper.

(oh and btw, I’m blogging using my E72!)

Jump Then Fall

Rachel Wu — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 03:56:31 +0000

Know what I hate?

Gripping my hand on the steel bar of the MRT, ladies’ section, ALONE. I’d rather ride the MRT on the crowded unisex section with my friends then making kulitan and kwentuhan on the day it has been. I miss that badly.

Not being able to watch a movie I’m dying to watch in cinemas (Avatar, Sherlock Holmes, Legion to mention a few).

People who don’t ask for your opinion because of their pride. People who ask your opinion but won’t believe you anyway because they’d rather listen to those who are more experienced but sadly, you believed was incapable. (I understand where’s this coming from and I know that I’m not a grammar master, but I was not placed in this position “just because”.)

The thought of my friends leaving our company very soon. / The thought of me quitting, too. / The thought of a new start. / The thought of bigger responsibilities.

Seeing the food I love to eat and avoiding it.

Finding and losing it.

Counting calories.

But you know what?

Thank goodness for Posh Nails for my beautifully done nails.

And thank goodness, I'm still cute.

Mishap

Rachel Wu — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 23:58:45 +0000

Have you been called a “tenant” by your family in your own house because they barely see you? I am proven guilty because it’s almost everyday I come home at noon, then sleep, wake up and eat (sometimes), then go to work. This is not so good, I know. But given a lot of responsibilities, and being the person who cannot afford to be inefficient, I just have to do it. Right, my blog has turned into a work-related-ranting-place, LOL.

Okkkaaay, I’m going to change topic now because randomness is awesomeness.

My boss and I had a little heart to heart talk about friendship over lunch. I told him about a little problem I had with my best friend who I felt like keeping a distance from me and I was so clueless about the reason for such sudden behavior. (I have no idea why he talked with me about this in particular, really). He told me that maybe, there’s something the best friend would not like to continue to happen, OR maybe I was acting differently which made the “best friend bond” awkward. Boss also said that at one point or another, one of you will wake up one day and feel something surprising from within, only to realize that you “crush” your best friend, but none of you will never have the guts to ask, “Kahit ba 10 seconds, nagka-crush ka din sa akin?”. LOL, parang yung new movie lang ni Kimerald haha! Anyway, to keep the story short, the best friend and I are okay now (and I think once he read this entry, he will ROFL or txt me with “suntukin kita jan eh!”). See, we’re better this way, right competitage?

I finally bade goodbye to touch screen technology and say hello to QWERTY. As I promised myself, I need to have a Nokia E72 before the month ends. The phone’s a total Blackberry killer and its features are more than I expect them to be. I super love it!
haven't taken a decent picture of it yet, so for the meantime, here's my hand navigating my new baby.

I went out last night with my friends and ate dinner at Mr. Kabab West Avenue. It was my first time there and I can say the food is great for 130 pesos only. After eating, we drove off to UP Ayala Technohub (also my first time) to find some place to chill, only to find out that there’s also a Mr. Kabab there. Now, we know. Haha. Sayang sa gas, hassle!
Big Balls at Night @ Technohub. Nice! (They change colors, btw)

Protected: Borders

Rachel Wu — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 00:29:25 +0000

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Goodbye ’09

Rachel Wu — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 21:19:35 +0000

My year-ender entry always leads to my drafts folder – every time I attempt to write a decent one. Its 2:36 AM, second week of January, yet I still don’t have an entry. Can I just simply say I had a blast last year or does it have to be in details? I figured out that I will not be jotting down any resolutions this year; rather I’m going to plan ahead of the things I want to do and accomplish this 2010. It’s going to be amazing, I just feel it.

What 2009 Did To Me?

I gained weight. I became an emotional eater and suddenly make eating a second favorite hobby next to the internets. I’m stressed, I want to eat this. I’m happy let’s eat that. LOL. I also proved that even if I had these flabs on, some stranger guy would still get my number. Hah!
It gave me more friends. Real friends. Wonderful friends. Amazing friends. Smart friends. Bully friends. Silent friends. Gossip friends. Plastic friends. Part-time friends. Stalker friends. Online friends. Facebook friends. Enemy friends.
It made me want to go places. I hated traveling way back because of the hassle of packing my things and the long hour boredom on the plane/car/bus. But now, I realized that it’s more of the people you meet and the new things you will discover in that place. Nice!
Bring out my talent. Not a professional singer here but I liked recording my own voice or taking a video of myself singing with the guitar. I need to work on my confidence though. Someday, I plan to be a YTS (Youtube Star). Just kidding!
Let go easily. As they say, you can’t always get what you want, but you get what you need and deserve. The pain of letting go sucks but you have to march because the parade of life is ongoing and you don’t want to be left behind, do you?

I’ve got a long list of 2009 memories but what I posted were the highlights of the superb year it has been, and how it changed me in some ways. To start the year fresh, I had updated my hairdo! Look:

LOL. Sorry, I didn't comb my hair again. Haha.

I know it’s late but, Happy New Year bloggers of the worldwideweb!

Hey Christmas!

Rachel Wu — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 02:43:21 +0000

Guess who had the most boring Christmas ever? ME! I spent it at the office in front of the monitor, working. It’s not that I am workaholic, it’s because we’re required to go to work. This is the second time I’m doing it anyway so I’m cool with it. Except that I wish my parents are here to spend the season with us. *sigh*

I’m not yet done with my Christmas shopping because, knowing myself, I’m too lazy to go out and shop around. I’d rather give my inaanaks gift checks so they can buy what they want, right? Or I can just give them a sloppy kiss and a hug. But hey, look at some of the gifts I received:

a fake bread which you can use as a wrist support when you're using the mouse, an indoor plant whose scientific name I'm always forgetting, a red bee clip-on, a weird looking giraffe toy, and some bangles.

I had so much fun kris kringling! I also got an aluminum tripod and a Moleskine journal, etc etc! Thank you to all who gave me these wonderful gifts! Now I know that I am blessed, not only with these gifts, but with amazing friends and family.

Spread the love and Merry Christmas to all!