Jeepney Series - Deodorant Please

This is my experience on my way home today.

Here in the Philippines, we use “jeepney” as our mode of transportation. It is a like an owner type car, only longer and covered on top. It has a long seat where all the passengers will be seated next to each other.

It was almost 12 in the afternoon so the sun is very high and so is the temperature. Since jeepney(s) don’t have air conditioner, everyone is sweating. However, not everyone is sweating all over like the person who seated on my right side. His arms are dripping with sweat and it keeps on hitting my arms. And worst, he raised his left arms to hold on to a steel bar (attached to the roof), to prevent him for tumbling down in case of sudden breaks. I am only 5’2” in height and the person seated next to me is taller.

Can you imagine where his dripping wet armpit would be?

Yes.

His armpit is on top of my shoulders.

And to really make my day worst.

The person seated on my left side is also dripping wet and he raised his right arms to hold on to the steel bar as well.

This means I have two wet armpits on top of my shoulders.

And they are huge. And I mean huge that they are literally squeezing me.

I remember Adam Sandler (on one of his movie) jumped to take a shot on a basketball game, and then his face hit the dripping wet torso of his opponent on his way up and on his way down.

That is exactly how I felt.

I understand that it is hot these past few days; however can they at least take a bath and use a deodorant that can really help lessen their sweating.

Seriously, how much does a deodorant costs nowadays? A deodorant manufacturer now sells their product for 5 pesos per sachet if I am not mistaken.

It is time for me to sleep now.

Hopefully I will have a better experience on my way to the office later.

Till next time.

Brain Drain

Brain Drain.

According to PinoyAboard (another Blog), Brain Drain in the Philippines started in the 70's. Although there is no clear number to show or how this affects our country per se, we are losing a lot of job workers here in the country. This is due to one reason and one reason alone.

ECONOMIC REASONS.

We have seen a lot of families, who have at least one person working for another country, have better lives than Filipino's working in the Philippines.

Until we have CALL CENTERS.

Wow. Now most newly graduates no longer have to work abroad to earn more money than the regular employees in our country.

However, brain drain can still be seen here.

Working for 4 years (and going), I have seen different kind of professionals in the industry. I have handled Nesting agents who were dentists, students taking up Law or Medicine or Political Science, Accountants, and a whole lot more. And if they last as long as I did in the call center, then they might end up just like me, whom after working for years in the call center industry, can no longer continue with the profession that I really wanted to when I was in college.

Change is permanent.

And this includes changes in the Fields that we took up when we were in College. I took up Computer Science; it has a little bit of hardware, a little bit of networking and more of Software Programming.

I remember the computer programming languages that we have back then are, COBOL, Pascal, C, C++, and we need to self study Visual Basic because of our thesis. And yet after I graduate, I looked in the newspapers (to pursue my dream as a programmer) and they are looking for programmers who are knowledgeable with Crystal Reports, SQL, and other programming languages that I haven't tried before. And I just graduated. @$^&#*!!!

Changes in the computer industry is very rampant that if you were stuck in a call center, you will be surprised on how much it has changed since you started and after you graduated. And this is the same with any to other College Degree.

These agents could have been professionals.

If got caught by the amount of money earned in the call centers, they will be outdated and may no longer be qualified to the fields that they took up.

My supervisor, Jimmy Bautista, once told me that "Ang Call Centers ang sumira sa mga pangarap ng kabataan" ["Call Center Industries have ruined the dreams of our youth"]. It hurts. But it is true. As much as I wanted to study again, just like what they do in the US, I can't because even if we are earning more than the minimum wage, it is still not good enough to continue or pursue my study and support my family at the same time.

I wrote this for:

1. Our government

2. Parents

3. Students who are now High School Graduates, graduating from College, and or College Graduate.

In My Point of View:

Let these students start from the minimum wages and work on their way up, while improving their skills and knowledge from Degree that took up. This will ensure that they will really enjoy the fruit of their labor while continually enhancing the College Degree that they took up. Hopefully, this will eliminate or lessen Brain Drain from their chosen fields.

Parents, on the other hand, will know that all the money and effort that they spent to ensure that their children will have a College Degree will not just go to waste. Waste, because they are not using the skills and knowledge they got from their chosen fields if they are in a call center.

Government... Ah never mind. I don't have enough money to pay them to move their butt and do something about this.

Point is... Brain Drain is no longer happening because our professionals are leaving the country. It can also happen because of Call Centers, "that have ruined the dreams of our youth".

Note: I have nothing against Call Centers as it has been my bread and butter for the past years. I was able to get a housing loan, to provide shelter for my family. This is just my POINT OF VIEW.

Business Needs

Business Needs

This is easily understand by an employee as "The company don't want to loose money".

But, have the employer ever thought of

"Employees Needs".

The same way as he employer don't want to loose money, so are the employees. I just hope they won't even try to use these phrase again "Take care of your employees and they will take care of you", because this is not how the employees felt when they are no longer earning the same wages on a monthly basis because of business needs.

What is worst is that, they are now giving the job to another center in another country because they will earn more this way.

I understand that this how a business a work. Anyone who put up a business wants to earn more. However, can't they have the balls to tell us what is really going on. Make us understand how reducing our workdays and work hours will help the company and help us in return. and for how long will this happen? Will it worsen next week, next month, next year?

Any employer wants to have an Honest employee, but why can't they can be an honest employer as well. Is it so hard to step down from your pedestal and reach down to the people who help you get where you are? Or is it because you have boasted too much before that now you can no longer face us when things are falling apart?

Be humble. Having higher position doesn't necessarily means that your can boast and force other people to just simply follow you. You are working with people here, people who have feelings, family to take care of and WE are not STUPID.

Jeepney Series - Bayad oh!!!

Mama Bayad oh!!! Bayad Oh Mama!!! Oh Mama Bayad!!! Mama Oh Bayad!!!
(from a comic book na nalimutan ko ang title) Sorry po sa author ng book.

Bago nya nasabi ang mga kataga sa itaas, eh humugot muna sya ng hangin para malakas at hindi sya mahirinan. Sa mga sadaling iyon eh busy ang lahat ng mga nakasakay na malapit sa driver ng jeep sa pakikipagkwentuhan . Pagkasabing pagkasabi nya ng "Mama bayad oh!!!" Walang nag-abot.

Biglang tulog ang lahat.

Bayad Oh Mama!!!

Oh Mama Bayad!!!

Mama Oh Bayad!!!

Wala pa ring nag-abot. Nagkabuhol-buhol at nangangawit na sya sa pag-aabot ng bayad eh tsaka lang me kumuha nito. Sa wakas nakapagbayad na rin sya. Kaso yung katabing nyang matanda na nasa bukana ng jeep eh biglang nag-abot ng bayad. Kaya ayun...

Mama Bayad!!!

Mama Bayad Oh!!!

Bayad Oh Mama!!!

Oh Mama Bayad!!!

Mama Oh Bayad!!!

Nakakainis ang mga ganitong pangyayari sa jeep pero aminin nyo nakakatawa din kung isisipin di ba?

Meron pang, titingnan lang yung kamay mo tapos tatalikod na. Ang mga paborito naming linya na mag-asawa, habang iniaabot ulit ang bayad, ay ang mga sumusunod:

"Maganda ako hindi ako mag-aabot ng bayad"
"Mayaman ako hindi ako mag-aabot ng bayad"

Isa pa ay yung pahinhin effect.

"Mama bayad oh" in a very soft voice. (ganda pakinggan, wait ulit)
"Mama bayad oh" sa napakahinang boses na parang katabi nya lang ang driver at nagbubulungan sila.

Minsan, may sapak yata ang kasama ko, ginaya nya tuloy ang boses nung nag-abot ng bayad.

"Mama bayad daw oh" sa napakahinang boses na parang katabi nya lang ang driver at nagbubulungan sila.

Tawanan lahat ng mga pasahero.

Eh may sukli pa kaya;

"Ate sukli mo oh" (syempre kasing hina ulit ng boses nya). hahaha.

Hindi pa nadala.

Nung bababa na sya;

"Mama para po" (sa mahinang boses ulit). Eh sa hina ng boses nya nakalampas tuloy.

"Mama para po" (sa mahinang boses pa rin, pero may inis na). Para di na magpapaulit-ulit ang mahina nyang boses, dahil nauubusan na ko ng pang describe sa boses nya, nakababa din ang ale na nainis pa sa driver.

Oh wag nyo ng itanong kung sinigawan ba nya yung driver.

Pag-andar ng jeep nagbuka ako ng bibig pero walang lumalabas na salita. Nagtanong yung asawa kung ano daw sinasabi ko. Ang sinabi ko sa asawa ko ay:

"Mama para!" Mama para na!" "Mama!! Para!!! Ang bingi bingi mo!!!" "Hindi mo ba ako naririnig" (pero lahat ng yan eh lipsync lang)

Nagtataka o naiinis pa kasi sila kung bakit di sila naririnig ng driver.

Kung bingi ka, dapat malakas ang boses mo kasi di mo naririnig ang sarili mo.

Pero kung nakakarinig ka ng maayos at mahina ka magsalita pag mag-aabot ng bayad o bababa; anong tawag sa iyo? (sana may makasagot)

"Sa nakakaalam ng title ng book na nabanggit sa taas, kung familiar po kayo pakilagay na lang po comment para maupdate ko ang blog ko. Eto ay bilang paggalang sa may-akda ng libro. Salamat"

Jeepney Series - Tao po ako

Uumpisahan ko ang blog na eto dahil sa napagbiruan naming mag-asawa ang mga nararanasan namin sa jeep (bluecab) kanina.

Sigurado akong marami sa ating mga commuters ang nakaranas na nito. Yung tipong maluwag nman talaga dapat pero parang ang sikip at ang bigat ng pakiramdam mo. Malamang kasi napagkamalan ka na namang sandalan ng mga taong walang pakialam.

Ewan ko ba? Pero sa tingin ko naman lahat tayo alam natin ang pinagkaiba ng tao sa sandalan di ba. Ang nakakapagtaka nga lang may mga taong hindi yata yun alam. May nagmamaganda lang. O kaya dinadaan ka sa edad.

Sana may makita akong T-shirt na may nakasulat na; "Tao po ako, hindi sandalan". Mapansin pa rin kaya nila? O magsisingisi na lang yung mga nasa harap mo kasi nagmukhang tanga yung tao sa tabi dahil di nya alam ang pinagkaiba ng "tao" at "sandalan".

Marami pa akong kwentong Jeepney na sana magustuhan niyo. Till next time. Bayad oh. Ouch biglang nakatulog lahat ng pwedeng mag-abot ng bayad. hahaha.