A CUP OF CAMERON MITCHELL, PLEASE!

I can't get over with last Monday's The Glee Project episode.  It was one of my saddest moment watching reality TV show (regardless if it's all silly scripted or not).  My fave geeky contender Cameron Mitchell walked off the show and decided to give the spot to his best buddy Damian McGinty.  Awww... it is so moving and made me love Cameron even more.


Cameron Mitchell is a 21-year-old Texas boy natural musician and had never taken a single music lesson.  He was instantly Robert Ulrich' (Glee's casting director) favorite during the audition and continued to wow Nikki Anders (vocal producer) and Zac Woodlee (choreographer) singing his original song "Love Can Wait".  Cameron got a cool nerd style, awkward sexy moves (some call it nerd-titude) and an incredible pure voice.  One glance you'll think everything's wrong but staring at him makes it perfectly right.


Cameron struggled in with the theme "sexuality and didn't agree on kissing part because that is the line he drew and doesn't want to cross it.  And being at the bottom three, he felt, was just right.  And felt like being on the show is just not meant for him and others deserve to win.  Inspite of Ryan Murphy's trust and assurance that he can write a character out of him, Cameron decided to leave.  


Now that he's gone, I can't find any reasons to enjoy the show as much as before.  I usually hate people quitting but in his case, I can sympathy with what he feels.  But I'm still hoping that they will put him on the show...heck, I'm gonna watch every single episode his in!  For now, I'll be contended (still sobbing) on this one video created by one of his fan.  Please enjoy!

CALL CENTER AGENT TURNED BUSINESSWOMAN

It was a huge step for me switching from a yuppie lifestyle of call center agent to a "not-so-glamorous"  businesswoman.  Ironic as it sound, but true.  

Call center is a very stressful, sick-prone and routine job yet the reward is a pretty high compensation.  So you get to travel, party or drinking session with colleagues weekly, and still saves money (if you manage it well).  While others think being an entrepreneur is way glamorous, maybe if you already own a big company and can afford numerous employees.  Not in my case.  I'm just starting and I do have a very limited money to invest.  Hence, I'm the owner and the employee.  In my small internet shop, I do the opening.  Clean the floor, each station, windows and assists all the customers.  If you'll see me after cleaning the shop, you'll never think that I'm the owner.

Being young (and they say I look younger than my age) and entrepreneur is kinda like discriminating.  People would think that I'm just a staff and treat me like I don't know my stuff.  I have to prove myself first before I gain respect from our customers.  But everything paid off when people started to notice our shop, consider it as their new "tambayan" and became our friends.

I know I still have a long way to become a successful businesswoman.  But I'm ready to face the trials and I'll never stop learning from the mistakes I've done in the past.  There's a lesser percentage of unsuccessful self-employed people and I'm positive...I'm one of them!

BLACK AND WHITE WEDDING THEME

Let's get out of business matters in the meantime and have a relaxing topic.  

My boyfriend and I are planning to get married next year, so I do have in my mind two wedding themes: vintage and black & white theme.  Vintage is really cool and I'm kinda imagining myself wearing a lacy fascinator instead of the traditional veil in a Royal-ish wedding.  But since we're a very simple couple and budget is a big factor to us, it boils down to the classical and minimalist "Black and White" theme.  It is equally elegant as Vintage theme, it's simple yet most striking statements at a wedding.  I'm trying to picture the details of our wedding... and it gives me ounce of excitement and chill.

Sophisticated Black and White Dress

Elegant Wedding Cake

Table arrangement with cute details

XOXO Soap souvenir

Heart Egg Stirrer

Unique wedding invitation design

Bouquet

I know wedding preparation isn't easy as it looks like... but we'll make it work : )

CUSTOMER ISN'T ALWAYS "RIGHT" (PART 1): LOLA THE SKYPER

I worked for 5 years sa isang well-known international credit card company.  That makes me very conscious when it comes to customer service and making the client feel respected (naks!) especially mga elite 'yung mga hina-handle naming customers.  Now that I have a computer shop business, mas doble pa palang customer service at PATIENCE ang kailangan ko.  At first, sobrang bait ko dahil alam ko kung gaano ka-importante ang good relationship with the customers.  Pero later on, I noticed na umaabuso sila.  And I feel like there's a need to put a thin line between being nice and minding my business.  Ipapakilala ko sa inyo isa-isa ang mga customers namin na masasabi kong tumatatak talaga.  Some may think they're a big joke, but they're for real.  Meet first Lola The Skyper  : )

Si Lola ay napaka-lakas ng boses kapag nakikipag-usap sa anak na nasa abroad. Tolerable yun kasi kahit naiingayan 'yung ibang customers, naiintindihan nila.  Pero marami pang foul si Lola.

Pagdating pa lang, may dala na syang mani (take note: ung may shell), biscuit at juice..etc.  Parang sa picnic lang ang punta.  Hindi naman namin pinagbabawal ang pagkain sa loob lalo na kung matagal na oras naglalaro.  Pero kung magpupunta tayo sa computer shop at isa o dalawang oras lang naman, hindi na siguro dapat magdala ng bulto ng pagkain.  At higit sa lahat, iniiwan lang ni Lola ang basura sa station at 'yun ang BIG NO NO!  Kaya nung huli, inunahan ko na si Lola ng bigay ng plastic at sinabi kong "nasa labas po ang basurahan".  Yun lang ang naiisip kong way para masabi ko in good way na what she's paying is for computer rental and not to clean her trash.

Merong karay-karay si Lola na dalawang maliliit na apo na mga age 3 & 5 siguro na ang hobby eh maglabas-pasok at gawing playground ang computer shop.  Hindi yun pinapansin si Lola dahil busy siya sa pakikipag-skype.  So ang nagyayari, kame pa ang nagsasaway at minsan napag-utusan pa kami tawagin ang apo dahil lumabas!  Hindi ko alam na day care center na rin pala kame.  Hindi naman talaga dapat nagdadala ng maliliit na bata sa computer shop lalo na't nakaka-distract sila ng ibang nagre-rent.  Minsan kahit anong saway namin, hindi sumusunod kaya nung huli pinapabayaan na rin namin at si Lola na rin ang sumusuko sa ingay ng apo niya.

For the record, 1 year na nag-sskype si Lola at hindi pa naman katandaan.  Siguro mga late 40's or early 50's.  Pero hindi niya pa rin matutunan ang skype at spoon-feeding talaga.  As in ako ang nag-eenter ng user ID and password, tumatawag, nagba-browse ng facebook at minsan kailangan ko pa kausapin ang anak para makita 'yung gusto niya ipakita kay Lola.  We're very much willing to assist naman pero gusto niya na halos nakatutok kami sa kanya which is hindi naman pwede.  Wala naman kaming tutorial session/ fee and minsan isa lang ang bantay, so we need to attend to other's customers needs and we can't leave the server dahil kailangang i-set ang timer ng bagong dating at syempre baka mawala ang pera.  Sana lang kung hindi talaga matuto si Lola eh magdala siya ng kasama na marunong sa computer kahit basic lang, di ba.

CUSTOMER ISN'T ALWAYS "RIGHT" (PART 2): MR. DUMBO

How's your meeting with Lola the Skyper?  For me, not so great.  But still, we try to accommodate her as much as we can and customer pa rin siya no matter what.  Ang feature customer naman ngayun ay si Mr. Dumbo.  Why we call him such?  Malaki at medyo heavy siyang lalaki na may kulot at mahabang buhok.  No wonder, hindi siya pwede sa non-airconditioned internet shop.  Isa siya sa mga unang customer namin mula ng makabit ang aming aircon.  Hindi ganun kaganda ang mga first meetings namin sa kanya.

Dahil sa napakababang regular rate sa lahat ng computer shops sa lugar namin (P15/hour at meron pang mga promos), we really need to do something para at least ma-lessen 'yung mga expenses namin most especially sa electricity.  So we decided na kung isa or dalawa lang naman ang tao at hindi ganun kainit ang panahon, pinapatay muna namin ang aircon.  Suddenly, here comes Mr Dumbo at biglang magco-comment na "wala bang aircon?" sa mayabang na way na parang pag-aari niya ang shop (note: nalaman namin later on na isa pala sya sa mga sisiga-siga sa lugar na 'yun).  Syempre nag-reply ako with a smile na "wala po kasi gano tao" at ang isasagot niya "eh ayan, hindi ba sila tao?"  Parang gusto mo na lang sagutin na "ang sabi ko, walang gano tao...hindi WALANG tao."  Kung ang habol lang naman pala ay magpalamig, sana ay bumalik na lang sya tuwing makikita nyang bukas ang aircon.

Pero as a customer, binigay ko ang request nya.  So everytime na dumadating siya, binubuksan namin ang aircon even if it's not necessary and pinapa-pwesto ko siya sa pinakamalamig na part.  Dahil mainit sa labas, hinuhubad niya 'yung damit nya at tumatapat sa aircon pagpasok ng shop, as if walang ibang makaka-amoy nun.  And he act as if utusan niya ang kausap.  Akala niya siguro staff lang kami dun.  So everytime may queries sya, I answer it with confidence to show him I know my stuff and talk to him professionally.  I think he was satisfied with our service naman dahil naging regular customer namin sya, he even brings his girlfriend and son.  Good!  At nakita namin ang soft side ni Mr Dumbo dahil napaka-sweet pala niya sa kanyang family.

Imagine, binili nya ng ice cream ang anak at girlfriend at sa loob sila ng shop kumain.  Are you for real?  Kahit naman po siguro walang sign not to eat that kind of food, eh you have to think na it's possible to drip on computer parts at kahit pa sa floor na pagmumulan ng langgam.  And that was our last straw to Mr. Dumbo.  Kahit medyo kinakabahan, sinabihan ko sila to finish it outside.  I think naintindihan naman nila.


Right now, Mr. Dumbo is still aircon addictus pero sasabihin nyang mamya na sya magre-rent kapag bukas na aircon and naka-smile na kapag magsasabi.  Sometimes it's worth to show na hindi ka nasisindak sa kanila at we're always willing to help him lalo na sa facebook niya. : )

CUSTOMER ISN'T ALWAYS "RIGHT" (PART 3): SALA NILA ATE

Maraming mga bading ang nagre-rent sa computer shop namin.  Minsan, in group sila mag-computer para mag-dota (yes, dotador din sila!)  or magpakitaan ng mga boys nila sa FB.  May time pa nga na sila ang nagbabayad ng rent nung mga guys na kasama nila. Magaan loob ko sa mga bading kaya naging ka-close ko sila agad.  Sa sobrang comfortable na nga lang nila, minsan pinapakia-alaman na nila pati server.  Either andun sila nakaharang para tignan lahat ginagawa ko...minsan makiki-check ng facebook.

Naging mas comfortable sila nitong summer.  Dahil sa naka-aircon kame sa tanghaling tapat, papasok sila hindi para mag-computer kundi para tumambay at magpalamig. Hindi lang 'yon, ginawa nilang sala ang shop dahil dun sila nag-tsitsismisan at naghahalakhakan na mas maingay pa sa mga gumagamit ng computer.  It is true na malaki ang kinikita namin sa kanila because of their everyday rent pero it doesn't give them the right na gawing tambayan ang shop anytime they want to. Ang malas nila, naabutan nilang nagco-computer si Mr. Dumbo at sinabihan silang "dun nga kayo sa labas mag-ingay!".  Bigla sila nanahimik at lumabas.  Minsan pala, may pakinabang ang pagka-siga ni Mr. Dumbo, hehe!

CUSTOMER ISN'T ALWAYS "RIGHT" (PART 4): US ARMY

I thought, magtatapos na ang pag-nosebleed ko ng mawala na ko sa call center world. Akalain mong may naligaw na Fil-Am sa amin!  Just like any other customer, I assist him and nakikipag-kwentuhan since ma-kwento rin siya.  Napag-alaman kong he's a US Military at nagwo-work sa Philippine Embassy.  Ok siya at first kaya pinasasalamatan kong hindi ako mahihirapan makipag-communicate sa kanya.  

Kaya lang, narinig ko rin lahat ng kayabangan niya like sa US daw may secretary sya kaya hindi siya masyado knowledgable sa computer, na since dumating daw siya dito sa Pilipinas eh lagi syang iritable dahil sa traffic and everything, at ang below the belt for me is meron siyang superiority complex.  Dahil hindi lahat nakakapag-english ng maayos sa lugar namin (hindi naman kasi kame executive village), akala niya impress na impress kami sa kanya.  He didn't know that with my previous job, ang dami kong elite foreigners especially Americans ang nakaka-usap and I know their lifestyle.  I'm not amazed to hear that he has countless credit cards, traveled popular tourist spots here in the Philippines at kahit mga adult clubs kinukwento niya.  Like, we don't care.  Again, naging comfortable sya masyado sa amin.  He sometimes demands us to do something even he knows na wala yun sa list of our service.  For special accomodation ginagawa ng boyfriend ko (my business partner and computer whiz) to satisfy him.  However, one time na wala ang boyfriend ko and I told him if he's willing to wait for him mamyang gabi, he asked for his number dahil he'll be the one to call him daw.  No, that will not happen.  Meron po kaming ibang buhay at nagpapahinga rin kami.  Hindi niya pwedeng tawagan at papuntahin ang kahit sino sa amin para lang sa ipapagawa niya.  Inspite of it, customer pa rin namin si US Army and he continuous to do freaking request...pero kapag andun na yung taong gagawa.

CUSTOMER ISN'T ALWAYS "RIGHT" (PART 5)

I don't intend to mock the customers dahil sila ang fuel ng aming business.  Pero as a customer, meron din dapat tayong sinusundan na guidelines at etiquette sa pagpunta sa kahit saang internet shop.  Naging customer din ako pero alam ko kung ano ang mga responsibilities ko.  I respect the properties of the owner dahil nag-invest sila dyan ng malaki at hindi ko rin gugustuhin na maging kahiya-hiya sa paningin ng ibang customers.  As an owner, I learned how to say "no" kapag feeling ko hindi na rin appropriate ang ginagawa nila at lalo na kung makaka-apekto 'yun sa iba. Minsan kasi, dahil sa ayaw nating mawala 'yung isang client hinahayaan natin sila.  Not knowing na mas marami naman ang mawawala dahil sa inis at distraction sa kanila.  At the same time, hindi din dapat natin i-take personally 'yung galit or inis sa customers dahil in the end, ikaw ang talo.  That's life.


CUSTOMER ISN'T ALWAYS RIGHT...BUT THERE'S A WAY TO SAY IT RIGHT.

Travel with Top Models

People close to me can tell that I'm an ANTM walking-dictionary.  I've been a huge fan of the show for, I think 6 years now and I've watched each and every episode more than twice.  Ironic because I'm not a fashion-forward girl nor a model-wanna-be.  Well, it's a very good form of entertainment.  When you put all the beautiful girls with different ethnicities, boosting confidence, and unpredictable personalities in one house, all wanting to win a $100,000 modeling contract...you'll sure get a powerful TV show.  At first, I thought that's all what I'll get.

At about two-thirds of the way through the season, contestants  get a free international trip since models are expected to work abroad and be booked by international fashion designers.  Little did I know, I'm traveling with them too.  Here are some of the fascinating things featured in this reality-TV show.

Tokyo, Japan (Season 3)

Tokyo Street Fashion

I watched anime as a child and have seen their cute fashionable outfit.  But to see real people in this trend on walking on the street, it's as if I'm in a big costume party.. it wouldn't cross my mind that this is serious fashion in Tokyo... but it works!  Some models find it ridiculous but for me, the layering, school girl look with much vibrant and color coordination is just amazing.

Bangkok & Phuket, Thailand (Season 6)

The Tuk-tuk

Models are expecting a fully air-conditioned car or cab to transport them for their "go-see" challenge .  But to their surprise, an open-ended, three-wheeler motor vehicle tuk-tuk is waiting for them to travel around the city of Bangkok.  But seriously, this is a Thai Taxi!  It is named "tuk-tuk" because of the sound of their engine.   It is quite similar to our tricycle but what's cool is you can sit comfortably at the backseat and have a great view of the road (and exposed to high pollutions too : )

 Floating Market

Thailand's floating market are among the most-photographed destinations in the country.  This is where the sellers, their boats laden with a wide variety of tropical fruits, flowers, vegetables and fresh produce, come to meet and barter their products with other traders.  And ANTM is obviously interested to capture this traditional market as they did their photo shoot here which models were given an assignment to pose hanging upside down from nets as a mermaid.  With nowadays modern supermarkets and department store, I would definitely love to buy stuffs here and use boat as my cart!

Amsterdam, Holland (Season 11)

Red-Light District

The main tourist attraction of Amsterdam is not only its beautiful canals and architecture but also their famous red-light district. Red-light district is a part of an urban area where prostitution and sex-oriented businesses are LEGAL!  Women display and parade their wares right at the red-lit window and men can "shop" prostitutes.  I never imagined that this kind of world exist.  The girls of ANTM took over part of red-light district and pose much like prostitutes do, good thing, the purpose is to sell Dutch designers' dresses.

 Oh, and I love Dutch' wooden shoes.

And their windmill!

Auckland, New Zealand (Season 14)

Hobitton

To ladies delight, they arrive at the well-known village Hobitton which is the actual filming location of Lord of the Ring for a short photo shoot challenge. This beautiful little houses surrounded by amazing nature were located in Matamata in New Zealand.