Purpose driven light

We are all created for a purpose, and this lamp post does just what it is made for. Photo by Karen Joyce Prejillano

Final Cut

Nameless crosses: In the land of the freedom fighters lay thousands of nameless crosses, where unsung heroes found their final union of their birth. Photos taken by Ma. Rhodora Prejillano

The legend that was Dao

The Dao Tree is located infront of the Student Union Building in UP Los Banos. Photo was taken during the centennial celebration of UP Los Banos last October 10, 2009

In Full Bloom

These pictures were taken last October 17, 2009 during the Garden Show at Senior’s Social Garden in UP Los Banos, Laguna.

Always red and white and never will be black and white

Life at its peak, beauty at its best and living in full bloom

life less ordinary

Just when you've reached the end, its time to give life for others

Taking flight

After all the tears of losing a loved one, the harder part is over and the easier part begins…letting go.

Fly away, fly hard and free. And please take our hearts with you

Taken on the aerial grounds of Libingan ng mga Bayani after a funeral

We must, whether we like it or not, set you free

I’m Free

Don’t grieve for me, for now I’m free
I’m following the path God laid for me.
I took His hand when I heard Him call
I turned my back and left it all

I could not stay another day,
To laugh, to love, to work or play
Tasks left undone must stay that way
I found that place at the close of the day

If my parting has left a void
Then fill it with remembered joy
A friendship shared, a laugh, a kiss
Ah yes, these things, I too, will miss

Be not burdened with times of sorrow
I wish you the sunshine of tomorrow
My life’s been full, I savored much,
Good friends, good times, a loved one’s touch

Perhaps my time seemed all too brief,
Don’t lengthen it now with undue grief
Lift your heart and share with me
God wanted me now, He set me free

Eureka…really cool

I was just trying to kill time to keep myself busy while handling an irate call. I remembered a teamate, Aida Desalisa, about the website she came across for earning points to win some cool stuff.

Check this out www.wmn.ph.

And while reading some blog entries, I came again one cool blogsite http://tunaynalalake.blogspot.com. I don’t want to comment on the site nor give any feedback. Check it for yourself and be the judge.

Please take the pain off her and pour the cup on us.

Since the day I opened my eyes to this world, there are two women I have grown to know, my mother and my father’s another woman.

She’s not a mistress, but I know, she is one woman my father new the most. His sister Elizabeth.

My siblings and I call her by the monickers “auntie” or “auntie Beth”. She is one extraordinarily great woman, and I’m going to tell you why.

Born in an economically challenged family in Nueva Vizcaya, she worked her way into finishing a Law degree and attaining a Master Sergeant status in the Armed Forces of the Phillippines. And along the way, she held jobs as a household assistant to relatives, sales lady and even a jewelry agent working on commissions. With hard work, perseverance and strong will, she pulled herself out of backladen birthtown to build her own house and set-up other properties.

She has travelled a long way…and along the road, she left memories not just pictures, she created roads not just paths and opened opportunities other than doors.

As I lookback, I see her accompanying me in Los Banos, Laguna as I venture into college. I see her happily chatting with someone over the phone looking happy and in love. I see her eagerly discussing with us the arrangements for my wedding.

I know I have seen her in her happy moments and in her strongest times. I could still hear her conversations with an ex-live-in partner begging to to keep him in the relationship. She said “no” to that man and she stood by it. Even with all the threats imposed by “her” man, she stood her ground that the relationship is off and over. The next day that man packed his bags and told me..”sabihin mo sa auntie mo, umalis na ako” (tell your auntie, I am leaving).

I remember a time, it was Valentine’s day and she was expecting someone to come over for a visit. We knew, that person was someone special because she had food prepared and the table set. She also dressed up for the occassion. The day passed and nobody arrived. She stayed locked up in her room as the food got cold.

Soon, she instructed us to clear the table. The food was stored in the fridge for a few days, nobody dared to touch the food until she had requested it thrown.

Her life is like a still water hit by a pebble. There were ripples, and after the ripples died down, her life was never the same. I never saw her prepare food for a date nor dress up for a friend’s visit. Instead, she focused her life on her only daughter, friends and family. Until cancer broke out.

Life changed tragically for auntie, like a lake hit not by pebbles but by a rock, a big rock for that sent not ripples but waves that carved its mark on the shore. Just when you knew she had the tough times, the tougher times came. She underwent all the necessary test in the hope of getting the cancer removed. The pain, hospital bed, chemotheraphies, she was able to pull through. But the medical procedures failed. Thus, the toughest time.

I was with my sister Karen this morning. The doctor talked to us to inform us of the real state of Auntie’s health. She’s not getting any better, the doctor said. Cancer cells has invaded most of her system and that her right lung is congested with mass formations. It was sad and hearing what the doctor was saying is like seeing doors slowly closing on your hopes. It was hard…but we all knew, she was going through a harder time and our pain is nothing compared to what she has.

Everybody hoped for her recovery. And now, I hope that everybody could understand.

Auntie is one great woman. She is not perfect, she is not saintly but she touched lives. She lives a beautiful life that no pain could marr. And should pain be the way to end it all…please LORD, let it pass. Please take the pain off her and pour her cup on us.

On being a call center agent

Thank you for calling. My name is Chicco. How are you today?

Call center life is exciting and exhilirating at the same time. Depending on how you take on your job, it could be challenging and stressfull the other way.

Being an agent allows you to discover your potentials…not just because you speak English, better but because you learn to handle situations and give resolutions to the customer’s problems. Its a challenge to multi-task. And you learn to work well by yourself and with a team. And all challenges has its rewards.

Occasionally, the company would have gimmiks to perk up your call center life…Again, its how you take it….either you join or let it pass.

Thus in a call center, you get a social life.

On the downside, you get to work graveyard or night shift. But even that has its perks, you get paid for working overnight, and you get home, ready to hit the bed early. People may think it is such an abnormal work…yes it is hazardous at times….

But heck you get paid more.

Have I answered all you concerns for today?

Call center is about customer satisfaction…resolving concerns/problems with utmost care for the customer. Its hard, because you are dealing with problems here. Its how you handle the problem and that’s where the job begins. There are easy calls but most of the time, you’ll get the worst…and soon you realize that you as an agent gets irate also.

I’ve been in the industry for just about 2 years. This is the first call cneetr experience…hopefully its the last. Its good to invest a future in a call center. Its a growing industry..there’s money…its good business. But then again…its not always the money that matters. Getting a life is far the most important.

And by the way…you get to create your own personality on each call. Your choice assume different names….I use Chicco…but i also used Beppo and Kuzco…

Thanks you for calling and have a great day…