.:.the E-zoNe.:.

I’ve always wondered what it would be like to be a medical representative. It sounds too glitzy to me, with the free car that comes with the job, all the sponsored events where the rep ushers in or shoos in the doctors, it just sounded too palatable. I have tried to look for postings on the said field more than a couple of times but then failed to hit the apply button, every time I see the requirement that says female applicants need to be at least 5’2″ in height. Yes, sadly, I am vertically challenged. And so the prospect of becoming a medical representative was locked up and forgotten. Read more…

Been back in the call center scene for almost three months now and I am seriously thinking of giving it just one more year. I need to have a different career. First and foremost, I am not getting any younger and taking the night shift is not doing my health any good. Second, my son is growing up up and I want to have a job/career that lets me spend as much time as I can with him. On the other hand, God is telling me to wait it out. I need to be able to graduate from this phase so I can receive my sprititual blessing and promotion.

Here are my options so far, when I finally get to finish my call center stint:

• pursue my sales career
• set up a small food business
• set up a bakery

I certainly hope I get to accomplish one of those, especially the second and third line item, since I’ve always been passionate about food. I think my current weight (although I already lost weight) attests to that. Oh and speaking of weight I’ll be looking for articles about fast weight loss tips and next time hopefully I can blog about it.

Been a week from the time hubby went to that final interview for that job he really wanted. And he’s been rather frantic every time his mobile phone would ring or would make a sound due to incoming text messages. I guess the recent global recession has made companies resort to a more stringent employee screening process. Oh well, I guess we just have to pray more and keep looking.

The day is about to end in less than an hour and here I am craving for a Starbucks Java chip frap with blended whipped cream. Yes that’s my signature Starbucks drink. For a hot coffee fix, my favorite is a venti cup of Hot White Mocha, quite a sugar rush compared to a macchiato or cappuccino but I won’t have it any other way.

It’s been almost 2 months now since I left the call center industry and of course along with that parting, I likewise have to say goodbye to my coffee fix, not only is it exorbitant now considering our current income capacity, but I wont have a need for it since I can now afford the luxury of sleeping like a regular person. Goodbye to graveyard shift!  But here I am, missing my caffeine fix. Or is it really the coffee that I’m missing? It certainly is not the work, believe me I am so not meant for the call center industry. Perhaps more than that highly fattening, expensive frappuccino, I miss the people I used to work with. I miss the laugh trips and the bashing sessions, yeah I probably miss those people who became my friends.

I miss all of them and though I may not see them all the time (perhaps some I would never see again), I’m grateful for the times I’ve shared with them and the friendship we’ve built (no matter how fleeting), over a cup of coffee.

writing

I’ve been wanting to write this entry since Tuesday of this week but could not find the time and energy to do so. Lately when I get home, I only get to do my usual routine – change, help in the kitchen, have my brother eat dinner, feed my son his dinner, take a bath, plurk, facebook, and check my email.

I got my real first ever free lance writing assignment – and I’m absolutely thrilled and floored. I did not bid on the project for the money, in fact, I quoted a meager amount for the bid because I really wanted to get the project. The selected applicant will be tasked to write a small paperback book that is all about a story of a little girl who experienced a miracle. I know that this project is a blessing right from the start.

The day after I emailed my proposal, I got an immediate reply from the employer. And here is what he had to say:

“Dear Erlyn,

We are confident you are the one to re write ” Angelica’s Story”. Thank you so much for your sample writings of your blogs . Your requested rate is $x an hour, what we would ask of you is to limit the first session of working with us to 5 hours. As you may need more time to complete the project we will re hire you again and again until the project is finished. We have 6 daughters and have to be careful on how we spend. You are worth so much more than the wages you request .
I will set up our payment information and hire you after you respond to this initial message.
Then what I will do is send you links and information concerning the story. We would want you to send us the format of the story, chapters, as you would finish them. We will do the layout of the book after you finish writing it and would be glad to send you a copy of it and give your credit for your part in the writings on the book. We hope to make a movie of it soon also that we will produce and maybe you could help orchestrate some of the information for that in the future.
But for now, we are  excited to choose you to help us create this small paper back book.

Thanks again,
John

Ps Mostly what I wanted to make clear is that we only want to payout 5 hours of time for your initial work with us and we will re hire you to finish the work as our budget will afford to.”
I was ecstatic upon reading his reply and could not thank God enough for this assignment. What’s more is that they will give me credits for my work instead of the usual assignments I get as a ghost writer. I am anticipating a battle – a spiritual battle, as I start this project since this story is a powerful testimony of the Lord’s saving grace and loving kindness and I’m certain that the devil will work his hardest to make sure this project is not completed. As such, I am praying for victory, and cling to His promise that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Thank you God!

***photo taken from the internet

Rest days or time away from work is too precious, that it seems to almost slip by unnoticed. I guess that has to account for the fact that I no longer enjoy what I’m doing and I definitely am not denying that. I would have drafted, printed and turned over my resignation letter in a heartbeat, had my husband stayed with the big C. I guess it’s his turn to rest now. In the mean time I’ll have to drag myself each and every working day to go to the office and put up with someone who has an alternate reality. I am tempted to go on in detailing the animosity and mental wellness of the said persona but I decided not to. Not because I fear that the said imp will find out of this entry, but simply because I paid precious money for this domain and hosting package, and I don’t believe such a lowly creature deserves much more space.

Good night people!

Last Tuesday I brought along some clothes with me so I can sleep in the office instead of going back home since I do have a lot of things to do anyway. After finishing the tasks I have outlined for the day, I went ahead and got my back went down to the 2nd floor and took a shower in the shower room. Immediately after dressing and brushing my teeth, off I went to check out the sleep room in the third floor. No luck, already full despite the fact that it’s only 4pm. So I went up to the fourth floor instead and found a spot there. I could feel my headache going a notch higher already. Now the spot I found is right in the middle of 2 other girls. Unfortunately, both of them are snoring so all my attempts to sleep were apparently futile. It was already past 5pm when I finally decided to just go home. I rang my husband to check if he’s already on his way to the office and if he could find a way to pick me up and drive me home. He told me that he will get stuck in traffic and he wont make it in time for his 9pm shift. So we agreed that I’ll just take a cab.

Before going down to leave, I went back to the 3rd floor to go to the clinic. Sad thing is, they don’t have a medicine to give me to alleviate the pain. I have way too many allergies. I’m allergic to paracetamol, ibuprafen and mefanamic acid. Beat that! Anyway, I told the nurse on duty that half my head felt numb with tension pain and I actually feel nauseous.  I was told that if the pain will escalate I will just have to go to the hospital.

I have no intentions of following that since I have a high pain tolerance. That is proven by the fact that I have never been hospitalized my entire life, except of course at the time when I gave birth. So when I got out of the office, I prayed that I get a cab right away. God is indeed good, I hailed a cab once and the cabbie obliged. I told him that I’m going home somewhere in the east. Traffic was horrendous actually, and in between napping, sending SMS and talking to my husband on the phone, I get to check where we are already. Right when we were already past Green Valley Country Club, I felt the pain getting worse. I guess the traffic exacerbated things. Right then and there, I called hubby and told him that I will just ask the cabbie to bring me to the Medical City’s emergency room.

When I got there, hubby was already there. The nurses and doctors were all polite and I was given immediate attention. I was later on asked to lie down on a bed and was asked to gulp several medicines. I was napping in between talking to my husband and the doctors. Good thing that it’s not anything related to the brain as per the neurologist, was just diagnosed with vascular headache. I was prescribed a number of medicines and later on I was happy to be sent home. Drugged and happy, doesn’t sound right eh? We got home almost 10pm and as an evidence that I’m too drugged, I woke up at 10am the following morning, I ate, slept again and then I woke up at 2am the next morning. How’s that for a rest? hehe

Oh well, I’m just really grateful that that was the only thing. I’m praying that it’ll be the last time I get to go to a hospital’s emergency room.

cluttered desk

Tomorrow I will have seven (7) new agents added to my current team of four (4). Quite manageable you’d say. Perhaps I would agree with that given my circumstances four years ago, meaning – single, without child and without so much bills. Today, I’m going through the motions as if I was walking down this path for the very first time.

I work for the BPO industry, specifically in a contact center, where the company generates revenue from having a pool of phone representatives answer to client’s customer calls day in and day out.

I am actually wondering how come I feel quite inadequate to be handling a team all over again, to think that I was able to manage a team of 40 agents for 11 months in the past. I guess things had to change at one point. In my walk with God, I know that God has had to humble me and is still trying to humble me in a lot of areas in my life and one of that is at work. I used to be very cocky, thinking that I have all the answers and that I am good due to the fact that I was able to inspire a lot of my subordinates to reach greater heights. But looking back now, I would say that it just always because the Lord is saving me each and every time.

I am anticipating that the coming days will be so much challenging and to some point stressful, but I trust that the Lord will be there for me each and every time.

***photo taken from  the internet