With My In-Laws

Yesterday, or last night, marked my last day in Convergys. Finally I’m done with the clearance. I also have now my trophy with me at home after 7 hours standing there in elevator lobby to wait for people I know who might be able to help me. I feel so relieved and also sad at the same time knowing that I might not see my good friends from Convergys again, just like in Sykes. Anyway, I need to focus on 2012.

I spent the two-day clearance in Convergys and San Pedro. Psyche was so cute and showing serious signs of hyperactive personality. She wanted us to play catch-the-ball in the middle of the night! She was very talkative. And being there for one night, she thought I would be staying there for good with my little bag, laughs! So on Tuesday night, while I was waiting in Convergys to get my precious trophy, Mama sent me a text message about the two donuts Psyche received from a cousin. Psyche said that she would wait for me before she eats the donuts. She wanted to wait for me so to share it with me. I was deeply touched just like those in Hallmark moments. Psyche was so good at making people cry in a good way, if you know what I mean. And hey, for the records, I did not literally cry there in the elevator lobby, laughs! What I’m saying is I’m missing her, our family, the old times.

I don’t get to see them like we used to do before. I put my faith in God’s promise the He would bring my family back together in one house. Sometimes this makes me jealous of my wife her being with her family all the time. Gracia always tells me that if it’s the other way around, it’s not going to be a problem with her. That might be true. But it is still different when it’s happening. You know, it’s more than a statement. It’s a daily life for me.

Don’t get me wrong. Her family which is now my family, too, is great. Her mother is amazing and very sweet. Her sisters are awesome. Every one is wonderful, including their in-house cousin Arnel. Her Papa is also nice to me but it’s a bit awkward most of the time because he rarely talks. I could see the effort in the two of us but we always kind of fail to connect. Perhaps it is because he never had a son. Maybe it’s me who had a chain of father issues before. That’s going to be a long story to tell. What I am saying is that we want to get along as a family but it’s not easy, I just realized.

During my first months with them, I had this silent, or secret, competition with the other sons-in-law. No one was really competing. I think it’s more of manly pride? Can’t get the right thing to say. Let’s get down to the story.

Last Sunday Gracia and I spent almost the whole afternoon after church shopping for the Christmas gift for her co-employee for their company’s Christmas party this Saturday. I was really tired but I was kind of showing off, making her feel that I was a very supportive husband which was sincere act from me. After that, when we got home, I was like relaxing while reading a magazine. Just like any other woman, she wanted to fix everything before we went on relaxing. I was even joking at her that she was acting like a mother now, laughs!

Then she wanted me to pin those belt holders behind the door but I was kind of into the magazine’s interesting article. Before I knew it, her Papa was in our condo-type room doing the nailing. It was very embarrassing as if I was not a man enough to drill those nails into concrete walls. I tried to get the hammer from him but he was determined to finish it all by himself. I know that it was no big deal for him. But for me, I was kind of hurt and very embarrassed. I had a hard time getting over with it.

Then next day came in. I was cleaning our house as part of my house-husband role when Kiel, Gracia’s nephew, started knocking outside our window. Automatically I opened it for him and one of his little fingers got caught and in the next seconds, he was crying hysterically. Everyone was very concerned and that included me. I felt ‘Strike Two’ blinking over my head as Gracia’s father trying to comfort his grandson. I felt so exhausted that I spent hours sleeping until it was time for me to get ready for my trip to Convergys.

Now I am back here in San Pablo and I felt so blank, trusting God in everything. Tried reading Bible but it’s…I don’t know. I know I kind of need some help here but if someone asks what kind of help, I don’t know the answer.

But I’ll be fine. I know that because I always will, by the grace of God.

Funny Chat

Funny Chat

Now that time is running before the team gets disbanded in September, everyone is always making sure to have fun on the floor.

One time, we were playing on the chat room. When someone left his or her computer unlocked, Ellen, Robyn, Nikka, and Ivan were playing on that person’s chat! Well, it was only on the team chat. And it was really funny!

See the pictures below.

Also I want to share the newspaper versions of the picture during the Class Awards in Convergys where I got this!

Updates And...

This day was quite…I don’t know…tiring? I was trying to keep up the positive attitude but it was really a bit…too much?

One of my team-mates got 1.5 survey score (We have survey every after each call where customer can score as 5 being the highest and 1 as the lowest score) and it did pull down the day performance of the site and of course, of the team. This guy is my friend and it was really unbelievable that it was coming from him. He is one of the best guys on the floor and this 1.5 survey score would not change that. I think we all need sometimes to encounter situations like this so to learn and therefore, to grow. But of course, it will be better if we learn without getting bad experience.

TL May was a bit scary, well, she was really scary and I remembered that day when I got my 2.0 survey score last year. She was very competitive and like what she always said, she is her real person. She is what she is. She lets you see her best and at the same time her worst if appropriate. But I like her as she is. She  is very strong and when you make mistakes, she will make sure that you will learn from it. That shapes my character and it did help me realize what I could do and that inspires me so much.

For my friend who got 1.5, he is still one of our assets. Again, a lesson was learned. In fact, everyone did learn from it.

Per the positivity, I know God will bless the team and the site with more perfect surveys and there will be no more non-five surveys. Looking forward to the end of the month.

And, hey, I forgot to tell you that yesterday was my interview finally for my application for QA Apprentice post. That was so scary! I could not relax. I was wishing to get over it as soon as possible. Well, the lady whose name was Zaida, she interviewed me, she was very nice. The presence of Ms. Jo, the QA manager, was adding to my nervousness. I hope it did not show at all.

The interview was kind of short and I was not able to get a chance to tell my winning line! And that is…laughs! No way am I gonna say that here. I’ll keep it for the next interview! Naks! Assuming! Laughs!

I also want to thank all the people praying for me. I really appreciate you all. I am so pleased and blessed that my Christian friends and families are all praying for me.  I wanna say the whole church is praying for me! Well, I pray that the will of Father God be done in this phase of my life.

Arg, so much I am thinking lately. But I know it will get better not soon…but NOW. 

P.S. Nikka is coming back next week. Also next week is our team building.

Applying For QA Apprentice!

After the Strong series in our local church for the whole month of February, by the way it was our second year whole month celebration; the Book of Joshua is now one of my favorite books in the Bible. It is so inspiring and so exciting that it revealed so much of God to me. My favorite part was the most ambitious prayer of Joshua praying for God to stop the rotation of the whole earth for one whole day! Was that amazing? And for the last week of February, I was praying my long shot prayers to Father God, smiles. For now, I keep those prayers to myself and to my Christian brothers.

Also I finally re-joined a Victory group in the church. I used to say before that I still had no time and would be very much interested to join one in the future once my schedule permits me. But then and again, I felt like God was telling me that there was no such thing as No Time. I wondered, what if God said He has no time for me, how about that? I don’t know about you but that was a very dreadful thought.

And you know what? It was great that I finally had my Victory group. I was with Jae Em, Bong, and Red last Sunday. It was fun and easy and you know that familiar feeling that you are so at ease and God’s presence is with you. That one was amazing.

Then when I went to work, I felt so relaxed and so inspired. In the first hour of the shift, TL May post the invite for the application for QA Apprentice in the team chat room. This was the same position Gay and Jeh applied before and were hired. Being a QA Apprentice means no income increase but more time of staying in the office for some…QA tasks. But the cool thing there is that you get handy with what’s going on in the heart of Customer Service. And also I feel like I wanted to do more. I am happy with taking calls, err, I can’t believe I could now say this, laughs! Truth is, it is the people I am working with that makes the huge difference. Everyone wants you to achieve your career goals. Unlike with…never mind, laughs!

So after asking Father God in prayers if I would try and, ehem, I then told TL May that I am interested. I felt relieved that I finally got the right courage to say it and at the same time, I felt so pressured and could not help it but worry too much with a lot of what-ifs. But TL May assured me that whatever happens, she will still accept me, laughs!

Then yesterday I stayed in the office for a couple more hours asking Gay and Jeh to orient me with some things I should be prepared about. I think they were very fair not to tell me about the whole process but they gave me tips on how to stay cool in the interview. After that, I tagged myself along with Gay and Khai , didn’t know Khai drives, in Khai’s car and they planned to drop me in Pacita thinking that I could save money with that idea (then finding out later that it would actually cost me more, laughs!).

Gay Espanto

I was not sure if it was because Khai was five-month pregnant that the two decided to stop in Greenwich in Gas station in South Expressway. I was so worried for I was not ready that I dod not have extra money for it and did not have my debit card. But then, like a true blessing, Gay paid for my meal! Yehey!

Khai with her husband

I enjoyed the food and the conversation. Well, Khai just told me that the other applicants are very good. That made me a little more upset but I was holding on tight in my faith. Let the will of God in my life be done.

And we had to go for later that day, Gracia and I would meet. And that was another story. 