New chapter

August 29, 2007

new chapter

nanawa din ak0ng magbl0g
wala pa rin ang letter "0" k0 kaya
zer0 pa rin ang gamit k0

i pr0mised myself that i'll p0st
s0mething 0nly when i get a j0b
true en0ugh, i am getting a j0b
sa isang call center.

it all began when...
(cue dream epek)
____________________
matap0s ang ilang lingg0ng
nay, m0nths 0f waiting
f0r the blasted nursing b0ard results
at pagp0p0pr0crastinate sa paghahanap
ng trabah0, naawa sakin ang friend k0ng si chet
(0r baka nanawa na siya sa pakikinig sakin)
at tinulungan niya k0 gumawa ng c.v.
at sinamahan pak0 magpas nit0 sa
teletech - sa 4th fl00r ng sm bac00r.

unf0rtunately, 11am pala ang cut-0ff
s0 ang p0sturang imp0st0rang l0la
niy0 na si ak0 na nagbihis ng kay ganda
ay bumalik na lang kinabukasan...
_____________________________
(cue c0rp0rate 0ffice envir0nment:
printing, ph0ne rings, pe0ple g0ssiping in english)
s0 there i was,
9a.m.
way t00 early
even f0r the security guards.
i was first in line but alm0st the last t0 enter
i had t0 put up with this k0rean freak with
her circus sidesh0w 0f a girlfriend
making 0ut beside me
'please! im t00 y0ung t0 die 0f utter disgust,'
i silently prayed
and then the glass d00rs 0pened and i was in
i met ate edel 0n the way, als0 an applicant,
she resigned fr0m c0nvergys and was trying her luck
t00 at teletech.
we filled 0ut this dem0graphic pr0file sheet
and waited f0r 0ur names t0 be called
It turned 0ut
we had t0 endure 0ur panel interview
(2 interviewees, 1 interviewer)
in a cl0set like r00m,
thank g0d im n0t exactly claustr0phbic.
i just l0ve swinging chairs
s0 i had t0 st0p myself fr0m spinning
r0und and r0und
The 0ther interviewee was n0t 0nly a
f0rmer callcenter empl0yee but als0
a st.sch0 grad!
Upping the ante, i b0asted my UP credentials
my sec0nd degree and my 0ther acc0mplishments.
And when asked whether we had questi0ns i remembered
chet and reimars v0ices in my head
(Cue v0ice 0ver)
'Magpabib0 ka! They 0nly want t0 kn0w if y0u can speak
english!'
S0 i asked a questi0n and i saw the 0ther interview
b0w l0w as if t0 c0ncede this r0und t0 me
'What kind 0f acc0unts d0es the c0mpany handle?'
"G00d questi0n!" said the interviewer and she pr0ceeded
t0 inf0rm us 0f what acc0unt they had - 0nly 0ne curretly.
__________________________________
i went back t0 my seat and waited
and met this half-thai half-filipin0 chick
wh0 chatted me up, frankly, i d0nt like
t0 talk with strangers 0r g0 c0zy with
them 0n the first meet, its just n0t me
but bef0re i ran 0ut 0f slang english w0rds
my name was called yet again
__________________________________
(Cue eerie silence and click clacking 0f keyb0ards)
im g0nna cut this p0st sh0rt by stating that i had t0 endure
2 m0re exams
and then they asked me t0 c0me back at 3
________________________________
(Cue m0re eerie silence and silent whispers)
They called my name after an h0ur 0f waiting
t0 tell me that i passed the last exam
2 0f my seatmates, ate edel and this y0ung guy
were als0 t0ld t0 c0me back n tuesday
t0 retake the exam.
i felt al0ne and c0ld
we numbered 15-20,
surviv0rs since that m0rnings virtual slayings
beside me was this teletech empl0yee fr0m taguig
applying as a trainer, he was quite a braggart really
always dr0pping the term trainer ever 0h s0 casuall.
but 0ther than that he was nice.
________________________________
(Cue heartbeat)
4 pe0ple were called, my name included
the l0ne female in the c0mpany 0f 3 men.
we were t0 be given this c0mputer exam
and a call test - cant remember their names actually
althr0ugh0ut i believed this was the part where
they will tell me t0 "sh0ve 0ff because y0ure unqualified"
but they asked me t0 wait
_________________________________
(Cue faster heartbeat)
i was called by the manager i think f0r the final interview
and i remembered chet and reims v0ices again
"if asked t0 relay s0mething ab0ut y0urself - just talk,
even if it is n0nsense"
'Err right, n0nsense.'
And s0 n0nsense it was, i think it amused j0ey - the b0ss
that i talked ab0ut chatting t0 walls and t0 my hamster
in the end after m0re tasks he asked me t0 wait.
______________________________
(Cue SM jingle)
i sincerely th0ught that sm w0uld be cl0sing bef0re they let us 0ut
there were like 0nly 3-4 pe0ple left
i was called f0r the last time and was handed with a paper
i passed, f0r the time being, and was tasked t0 present
myself t0 the clinic d0wnstairs the next day f0r a physical/
medical exam.
i remember saying 'i think i sh0uld cry n0w'
________________________________
i went d0wn and met chet wh0 was
patiently waiting f0r me d0wnstairs
but my mind was t0rn between reims
hypertensi0n, the b0ard results,
and the j0b.
_________________________________
thank y0u t0 my friends reim and chet
f0r supp0rting me in every crappy h0le
i fell int0.
and t0 j0i2 t00 wh0 always puts me first
bef0re himself!
and t0 my hamster - f0r the endless fun
and t0 my mama - she is perfect t0 me,
i l0ve her t0 the ends 0f the universe.
_______________________________
this ends my dramatic sch00l life
and begins the adventures 0f my career...