Another Bowl of Soup

Let’s face it… There is nothing more interesting in this world to talk about than… well sige, let’s give it a try muna, shall we?


Let’s start with work…

What can I say? Everything is quite good. Let’s be specific and discuss work in a more specific way. What can be more specific than to go metrics?
I’m on my fifth month and one last month after this and I will know if I get tenured or not. The month of December was the last month for being on transition, which leave January to March as the month for probationary status. Sad to say, I did not quite pass my scorecard for December, but, then again, none of us in the team did. At least I got an almost 2.75 score. The results for January are still pending, and that, is my first month score card as a probi-agent. The score cards are divided into major metrics with corresponding weights in points. A total of 85 points are up for grabs. My unofficial standings are as such:


Customer Satisfaction: Not only our team, but the whole site as well, suffers from this. I think I failed this metric. Very arbitrary so to speak, as one could get a score of 10 as an agent but get a final fail total if the client thinks otherwise of the whole department or the whole bank in sum total. I got a survey with all 10’s but got a final score of 2 just because the client did not agree to bank policies. Oh well… Moving on

Quality Score: With flying colors, shall I say? This is a score given by the team lead after monitoring calls from the agent. Out of a possible 120 points I got 105. So I guess I passed this metric.

Compliance: This is another arbitrary item. The compliance team in the US monitors from 0 to infinity number of calls per cut-off, and I only got one monitored call for compliance and unfortunately, it was a high-risk, so I failed this too.

Sales Points: I should say I passed this metric since my sales point was at 190% of the goal in the first cut-off and though the final cut-off score is still in the wings due to a site-wide recalculation, I would peg my final cut-off score at 120% of the goal, give or take, so I guess this is a pass.

Adherence: This includes AHT and attendance. With AHT, I was a bit high for my curve at 370+ from the 260+ goal, but my attendance was no problem, although there were two days that I got unplanned absences that I promptly applied Sick Leaves for upon my return with proper medical certificates, I would say this one is a fail, for worst case scenario computations.

Professionalism: In my last score card, my team lead gave me a passing 3 out of 5. I believe that my performance has greatly increased and all my Action Plans have been met so I guess this will either be a pass 3 or an improvement 4 for January.

And the bottom line: I do not really know, it is all really up in the air. I hope to pass but if not, well, I gave it my best, and I am looking forward to the prime pay this pay day, and that’s that for the moment.

WAS THAT FUN? Hmmm… Nah, let’s try something else…


Friends and personal life:

Where to start? I guess work has basically cut out what my days would be. I get up a 9 am, prepare myself breakfast, which would usually be a cup of coffee, some cereals or oats, then prepare my stuff for work. Get showered, get dressed, grab a jeep, grab an MRT, and punch in. After shift, it’s either a smoke or two, drop by a coffee shop, if and when I feel like it, grab dinner to go on the way, then, take a quick shower, eat dinner slumped in front of the TV watching DVD’s or check my mails, blog hop, or write poems, when the fancy strikes, then read a chapter or two of this Andrew Greeley novel that I belabor but committed to finish. Basically that’s what a typical day would go like.

Of course there are petty distractions. A good text session with one or two persons, whom, I know, won’t go anywhere. I know me. I can not have a ‘textual’ relationship. Well… what else? The MRT rides, oh well… Hehehehe…

You know what I mean. There are those mornings with meaningless strangers in the MRT. The quick little bumps and grinds I would get - the silly nudge and brushes, and of course, the more brazen ones who would cop a feel of my morning woody, or blow hot puffs on my neck. Well…

Oh and of course Charmita and her gloom and doom office story of how heads are rolling because the account is downsizing. From the get-go, once I learned she would not be among those who would get kicked out, the story just got boring and I do not really give a hoot with everyone’s tale of woe as long as she is secure, that’s all I care to know.

And then the rest days - I would get off Saturday evening, head over to a nearby Starbucks branch and have my celebratory mug for a week well spent, walk awhile in the gimmick spot, and then head back home for some glorious sleep. Lately, I do not relish going out on rest days. A quick look at my bank account tells me this should be the rule. I am saving up for my Vacation Leave to go back to Iloilo, so I bid goodbye to my vagabond shoes for the moment. Rest days, therefore are bonding days with my pillows and thin foam on the floor.

Friends? They are busy with some things else, and are a source of disappointment for meet ups recently. I know. Life gets in the way, so, no plans, no disappointments, right?

On other endeavors, I have decided to take up Masters in UP Open University. I know the deadline for first semester applications would be end of February, but I am still waiting for my papers from Iloilo, so I guess that’s that for now.

As for the writing, I am also waiting for the launch of the coffee table book, and an informal invitation to go to Baguio and read a few of my poems for the Writers Night during the Panagbenga Festival, but I am not so hopeful about it either.



Idle hands they say are the devils work shop, but then, I have basically kept my hands to myself. I chuckle at bubbly co-workers ranting about their having too little time for everything. What tops the charts off of course is the impending commercialized sway of this one day of licensed debauchery and unparalleled cheesy cheesecake saccharine overload romantic hullabaloo… IZTAP IN THE NEYM OF LOURVE! The Balenstayms day! It is such a blessing/curse that the day falls on a rest day, and for the rest of the populace in my team, it’s a sign from the heavens to pick up the pace and beat the deadline. Some are overcome by the mania, and not a few people have resolved to ask someone else out, or, out of the blue, become emboldened and finally pop the question ‘Tayo na ba?’ Oh well…

My plans exactly? If only I had any decent cooking utensils, I plan to cook me my legendary pasta dish, make a quick blueberry cheesecake, brew some caffeinated potion, grab a good ‘end of the world cataclysmic’ movie, and have me a dine-in valentines night. And the sex, you ask… well… “Hi wer u? D Lst tym was swell, ker 4 a re-run?” Or maybe a quick “Ei, changed my mind abt not fckng around n luking for sumting serious, is ur offer still valid?” Or maybe “Hi, I’m reconsidering that 3sum, but just to be clear, I’m top. Directions please.” Ahmmmm….Nah… This explains why my cellphone bills suddenly dropped by 30 percent. I do not reply anymore, nor do I send wala lang texts. I’m tempted to buy a big wash basin, some detergent and fabric conditioner, then do the laundry. I know it would save Laundromat expenses, but, in this apartment, where to hang the laundry? More importantly, ironing eats up electricity and it would be such pains, so, No.


Therefore… as it looks, Valentines Day will be nothing more than just another day. By the way, Pope Paul VI had decreed in Paschalia Mysterii that St. Valentine, the supposed patron of Valentine's Day has been stricken out of the list of Catholic saints, along with St. Nicholas (Santa Claus) Saint Christopher (The Safety Medallion Patron) Saint Patrick (The Dragon Slayer) Saint Catherine of Alexandria (The Virgin and Martyr) simply because there is no proof as to their existence. Therefore, Saint Valentine's Day is non-existent! Bitterness much? This year, I will not sweat it. Not even an excuse that “I’m having a date. A date with the Lord.” Another day, another bowl of soup. Unless…

Photo Credits:

http://sugarloaded.com/tag/la-paz-batchoy-recipe/
https://www.mriwm.com/ProjectSites/Learn%20SharePoint/MRIWiki/Wiki%20Pages/Home.aspx
http://roseykrh.blogspot.com/2008/07/poetry.html
http://www.indiana.edu/~rotc/prospective/curriculum.php
http://chasingmyhat.wordpress.com/page/2/