School Year - University of Wyoming

We've been hearing a lot of things about when the school year will start, and that laramie will be busy again because there will be students again... but man, parking spaces nowadays are fully occuppied, mas marami ng cars sa kalsada - ayos - dumami na tao - hindi na mukhang haunted ang laramie. hahahaha.

kasi pala, dito sa states - ung mga konting population na state katulad ng wyoming, mas mura ung universities. So ung mga ibang students from other states go to different places to study... parang las pinas and manila - ur living in las pinas but you go schooling in manila. parang ganito din pala dito - you live in california, you want to study in wyoming - pwede. dun kumikita ung mga apartments and boarding schools. population daw ng wyoming pag walang school eh 18,000 - pag school year na, nagiging 27,000 - i don't know how true. you know me pag dating sa numbers - hehe.

our resource manager came here from denver and visited the laramie site. so we went to walmart earlier to buy food to pig out. it's so late na, tomorrow we will be heading to estes park for a tourist visit. :)

have to getup early - but i feel the need to update my blog.

it's 23 already (in manila) while i'm writing this, but its still 22 here. It is our third year anniversary. Last year, I was in australia during our 2nd year anniversary, this year - I'm here in US.. hmmmm, what's for next year - I'm hoping it will be the BEST!

hiatus

i LOVE to update my blog all the time but i guess i don't have the resources to do so for now. so the previous posts that you will be reading (previous to this post and after VISA UPDATE) are all BACK TRACKS.


thank you. :)

Alas; Thai Cuisine

us and our ehem.... many to mention

Wohooooooo!

At last, Training Certification is done! I did pretty bad with my last presentation compared with my first one. Oh, well. What can I do? not enough time to prep.

We had lunch at Sweet Melissa's - Vegetarian Restaurant. I had Pizza Pita.

Today we had a blast of dinner at Anong's Thai Restaurant - it was so relieving to finally eat in a non-american restaurant. LOL.
I shouldn't be whining - im in the US - what do I expect.

Crab Rangon was nice. Stir Fried beef in garlic sauce is wonderful. Sour soup with mushroom is just heaven - and the Fried Rice - nothing can compare to other american restaurant that offer fried rice. This one is really rice.

Their Thai Iced Tea was a bit weird. I drink milk tea in Chowking but the color of this one is different - i don't want to say terrible - but orange for a milk tea? i'm having second thoughts as to what i was drinking....

Mexican Food this time

Tomorrow we are having our trainer certification final presentation.

Instead of making the material, here I am with the rest of the gang at a mexican restaurant. because our country manager and HR director drove from denver to wyoming, we had to eat out and catch up a bit.

here are the singers serenading us with their mexican songs...

the restaurant is called Corona Village which serves purely Mexican cuisine

i liked my food; couldn't remember what it was

Prairie Rose

Today we tried a very neat and small restaurant in front of our site.

They serve good burgers and fries and the one I had which was foot long chili-dog. I couldn't remember exactly what it was called - but I liked it. It was just too much for me.

Today I learned that as part of the American culture, you shouldn't wave or call the attention of your waitress. When you enter a restaurant - doesn't matter how small or big, you have to wait until they ask you to proceed to your table. You don't call their attention if you are ready to order. Apparently, it is their responsibility to come to you and take care of your dining experience.

Unfortunately, when I wanted a pepsi refill - i waived my hand - before a colleague told me its a bit rude. Gosh! Oh well, tourist lang! :p

My First Breakfast

Sige, super detailed post na.

But this is my blog, what can you do? hehe. Here's my first breakfast here in the hotel. Gosh, should I be scared that I will be eating the same food for the next 20 or so days? I'm not a fan of pancakes - pero BACON, ay pwede!

First Sunday

ok.
sorry for the OA posts.

we had dinner at perkins - a restaurant just beside the beautiful Holiday Inn Hotel.

I'm just overwhelmed. finally, i'm here. safe, sound. doing ok. here's the pics of my room, i just took a picture of it via my phone since the batteries of my camera is not working.

Lovely.

Our trip to Laramie, Wyoming

here's my food last night delivered by BY JEEVES from Black Eyed Pea

From Holiday Inn Select Hotel, I had a good breakfast today. I just love buffet. :) fruits, orange juice, bacon and oh so much bacon, sausage, eggs and soup. What more can I ask for? - yes, its free.


Via a rented car and armed with the powerful GPS, we headed to Holiday Inn at Laramie, Wyoming. I don't know what's waiting for us. All I can say is that the GPS was amazing. Every mistake of road we take, GPS automatically calculates another route for us - hanep!

so there's the little helper

I don't want to sleep via our way to another state, so I'm all awake during the drive. Suddenly, we are driving through the shoulders of the very big highway. I didn't realize it until i looked back. Shit, sheriff. uh-oh. We got pulled over. We are driving 89 on a 75Mph highway. After all the interview, i thought the policeman will just let it slide - but nope; we got a ticket for overspeeding.
And now everyone's awake na.

But we made it in Holiday Inn, Laramie Wyoming -- safe and sound.

Another problem though - walang signal!!

Denver overnight

ahay, travel travel and more traveling alone.

its hard to travel alone only because you don't have anyone to talk to; the experience, the independence, and yeah - the pleasure of going to cities all by yourself is OK. I don't have to worry about anyone, I wake up on my own time, go here and there where I want to without someone else telling me what to do. But, I pull my big luggage alone, i take pictures alone, cruelly MY pictures alone, i kill time alone. ahay. but i'm cool. hey! independence you all.

my first two pics were from Radisson Hotel during my overnight at LA

From LAX Radisson's Hotel, i took the 2hours flight of Frontier Airlines to go to Denver where my bosses and other managers are staying and waiting for me so we can head to our final destination... Wyoming! Here's a pic of DIA

yep, you have to take a SHUTTLE BUS/TRAIN in order to get your luggage. Buti di ako naligaw

Denver and California are on different timezones, so instead of a 2 hour flight, it became 3 hours, but its just 2 - ok, whatever! hahaha.

I could have not imagined a BIG airport. Gosh, I thought I'll be lost finding my luggage. And so I followed this girl who I knew was on the same plane as me.... but while I was following her, she stopped to buy a coffee! ha! i was caught clueless as to where to go. Buti na lang i am able to read - ok, so follow the signs. and then whoah! I have to take a train in order to get to the baggage claim. ha! grabacious!

After the train, I heard someone calling my name. Turning around and looking for a familiar face - nope. I didn't recognize anyone. Then again, I heard it. Finally!! a familiar face. Our Country Manager - mind you - country manager, in his rubber shoes, cargo shorts and shirt, picked me up from Denver Airport. He was with the Site Director of Laramie Wyoming. Am i this important that two HIGH END people are picking me up from the airport - ha, I WISH!! hehe. siguro feeling nila mukha akong kawawa. hahahahaa.

But it was just a relief that finally, I get to talk to someone - I know.

From Denver Airport, we headed to Holiday Inn Select. I don't have a room reserved to me because we are supposed to leave for Laramie that noon. I guess everyone wanted to go shopping and make the most out of Denver so they moved the Laramie trip the next day. Since I don't have a room, I get to stay overnight with my manager. I was so freaking tired that I didn't manage to go with them to shop. Well, for one I don't have money, second - I badly needed sleep.

But I was hungry too. No food. It was a Saturday I think when I arrived. Since I got my US Credit Card, I went ahead and activated it and had food ordered and delivered to the hotel (since the hotel restaurant is closed). My first ever meal after the PAL plane is here in Denver, at freaking 5PM. I had overnight already in LA mind you.

to Los Angeles CA and my Overnight at LAX

August 8, 2008.

I am aboard PAL while writing this on my notebook. I left Manila at 10PM. I felt a bit sad and lonely - flying alone. There are many things that worry me so much but I just have to do this - I gotto do it. 747 is huge, as in really huge. There are around 10 people in a row and there are 95 rows man! Can you do the math? are we 10K in this plane? We had a long turbulence earlier - scary. but it was funny for me - hehe, because I liked it. I got two pictures to accompany this post but I can't save it here. darn! ------------------

I find it weird but I want to take note of everyday happenings in this foreign land. But i got confused. I left Manila august 8 and I arrived here at US august 8 too... hence, two entries in one day!
Here's my first encounter of US. Ok, I left Manila August 8; after 13 hours of being on the plane - I finally arrived here in the US and its still August 8 - la lang. Harhar, I don't know what to say!! It's 8:3o when the plane touched the ground and there was sunlight still!! I didn't know that 8:30 PM is supposed to be bright pa noh - hahahaha.

I made it to US!

Just to let you know that I am indeed at LA! :)

Here I am waiting in line in US customs when I saw Fannie Serrano

visa update

i got my visa today. yahoo!!!! from the ENTRIES field it says - M. Does it mean i'm multiple entries? My visa is expiring on 2018 pa! hahahaha - love it talaga.

last work tomorrow sa startek, on friday naka - OFF na ko because my flight is on friday night at 10 PM. I'm flying PAL non stop to LA and stay overnight there.

God Bless. :)

Grabe! i love you alicia keys!!

ALICIA KEYS, "As I Am" concert Live in Manila happened today at 8PM till 12MN. Exactly 8:15, three MTV VJ's went out and announced the front acts.

First front act was Luke Mejares who sang 3 songs followed by another ex-southborder vocalist Duncan Ramos who sung more than Luke did. Cool. After Duncan, lights went on again. Alicia is not yet around.

9:20, sounds went louder and faster,, back up dancers and musicians started to position on the stage... OMG - alicia keys in the house.

She was already singing but not yet on stage and everyone stood up from their seats and then finally, waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah - i saw i saw i saw - OMG!!

ok, not quite the details - i can't tell you exactly what happened. it was amazing.
few things i am super uber happy about

1. i am happy i didn't get to sell my tickets. why, gosh, magsisisi ako kapag nagkataon. super lapit ko sa stage and yet, my buyers were buying my tickets for 2,500. kalerkey. eto pa.
2. my seats are sooooooooooooooo damn good. i'm row S yes, pero naman - siksik ung venue so kahit row S ako, kitang kita ko siya!! and our seats are third and fourth from the aisle - but owners of seats 1 and 2 didn't show up so we get to occupy the other two seats. buti nalang, kasi ung tatlong magkakasunod na katabi namin e mga amerikano. so we get to move, hence - we enjoyed dancing and swaying to the music! ayos.
3. fish and co. snack there was sooooooooooooo good! love it.
4. i enjoyed her music - she sang the songs i truly loved - including HEARTBURN, kaloka!

i'll post some pictures soon. I am just so happy at the moment. Even if I don't have anything at the moment, akeys was able to lift me up. Thank you. I enjoyed it so much.

i'm a true blood lellow lover now. :)

new workplace, new bossings, new country!

tomorrow, august 4 - i'll be joining a new company. same work, different place, different people, different ALL!

part of it is another dream coming true! -- i'll be going to the US soon! Not just that, let me tell you where i'm going...

from manila - stay overnight at LA - another trip to denver - then to wyoming
from wyoming - to denver - then LA - then GUAM - then manila

i'll be reaching 4 states for this trip! just lovely. but how can i be happy? hope to resolve my issues soon.

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will i be in hiatus for my blogging? we'll see. stay tuned.

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i'm selling my alicia keys tickets, if it doesn't get sold - i'll watch it anyway - no choice. let me know if you want. it's here

downer's

and i continue to fall my friends...

i don't blame anyone. i blame myself. i can't help but cry out while thinking of solutions to all my problems. i experienced something i am so scared to happen. yet, i didn't do anything in case it eventually happens. i was caught off guard, i made decisions and options i shouldn't have done before. and now, i'm suffering.

this experience is truly humbling. i went to people i know which i wouldn't even do even in my dreams. but i have to do it, else chaos - just chaos. i don't have any pride left, but i'm still true, i am still the same me.

it's a hard lesson i learned. i have not recovered yet. i'm not stable yet. but i want to get back to the groove soon before all is too late.

sorry to all the people i disturbed and i asked help from. thank you for even listening to me and entertaining me. help doesn't have to involve what i was asking for. pray for me. thank you for trusting me.


THANK YOU ALL!

Murphy's Law

"Whatever can go wrong will go wrong, and at the worst possible time, in the worst possible way"

wishing this won't be seen by the gxs people LOL

i couldn't possibly think that this will ever happen to me. I am the most careful person you'd know especially on things that I don't own. And this! I was on financial crisis - not because of this alone but because of so many reasons. Can i declare bankruptcy now? - i should have decades ago!!

thank you to the ever affordable http://www.pinoylaptops.com/

can't thank you enough!!

a quick one

my head is spinning and my heart is beating fast. there are so many things i have to do and there are things that worry me so much. i can't think clearly

i just couldn't update my blog right now.

one thing though, please pray for my cousin (mother's side) - he's still confined in the hospital for dengue and type 4 diabetes.

TeleTech Cainta, Robbed

Robbers Strike at Call Center in Rizal Town - report
07/21/2008 08:06 AM

MANILA, Philippines - At least 10 men with high-powered firearms struck before
dawn Monday, robbing 16 agents of a call center in Cainta in Rizal province and
escaping in two vehicles with government (red) plates.Radio dzBB's Sam
Nielsen reported that the heist, which was done in eight minutes, occurred
at the TeleTech call center at the Robinson's mall compound in Cainta Junction
past 2 a.m.Police said they are looking into a "similar" robbery at the Cherry
Foodarama in Antipolo City earlier this year, when robbers quickly disarmed the
security guards.Investigator on case PO1 Efren Raginan said the armed men did
not enter the mall itself but went to the area outside TeleTech where call
center agents were taking a break. He said the robbers surprised the mall's
security guards, disarmed them, and proceeded to the call center where they held
up the call center agents.After taking the cell phones, money and wallets of the
agents, the men escaped aboard an avocado-green Kia Carnival van with plate
number SEV-987.Follow-up interviews with guards showed a second getaway vehicle,
a maroon FX-type vehicle (SRB-588), was used in the heist.Police are now tracing
the plate number to see if the plates were stolen or forged. They said the
government plates may have been used to gain entry to the mall compound. -
GMANews.TV

@ Yahoo
10 heavily armed men rob Cainta call center

At least 10 heavily armed men, on board two vehicles, disarmed yesterday security guards of Robinson's place in Cainta, Rizal and robbed some 21 call center employees of an undetermined cash and jewelry.

The employees of the Teletech Call Center were having a break at the covered parking area of the Robinson's Place, when the suspects arrived on board an avocado-colored Kia Carnival (SEV 987) and a maroon Toyota Tamaraw FX (SRB 588) at about 2:20 a.m.
Police said the suspects, all wearing bonnets, disarmed five security guards of their service firearms- a 12 gauge shotgun, a caliber .38 revolver, a Motorola hand-held radio, three Kenwood hand-held radios, nine cellphones and a wrist watch and wallets.
After robbing the security guards, the suspects divested the call center employees of their personal belongings.
The suspects fled toward an unknown direction.
The Cainta police are still investigating the incident. - Non Alquitran/Philstar

buti talaga Sunday shift pa non (sabi ng sup ko before), so scary nga! I wish all centers, businesses all over the country take precautionary measures about this. It's not really safe anymore, considering teletech has so many security guards on duty 24/7. These people aren't scared ata of being killed and known! biruin mo RED plate pa ginamit - kalerkey. Stolen or not, hindi na talaga SAFE!

Monday Updates and More

Got this from another blog:



The rules are simple. At the end of the post, the player tags 6 people and posts their names, then goes to their blog and leaves a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer.

1. What was I doing 10 years ago?- I was in third year high school. Enjoying public education, :p harhar
   
2. What are the 5 things on my to-do list today? >> 1 - reach out to Marvin and offer help in his new room, 2 - read denver website and scout for good places to go to (better make the most out of it), 3 - scout for cheap cams in ebay/mall, 4 - plan my upcoming US trip (because sooner i'll find out I haven't prepared so much, and I've been preaching in class - preparation is the key! - maybe prepare what to bring, clean my luggage, etc.), 5 - do WORK related stuff before office hours, 6 - hopefully be able to spend time with BF over food! hungry na ko >> this is 6 already LOL! and that's my top 6.
3. Snacks I enjoy: - cake and ice cream.
4. Place where I lived: - Tondo. Don't ask me. I'm born and raised here.
5. Things I’d do if I were a billionaire:- buy a house. buy a car. put up 'businesses', will give mamu and pappy free trips around the globe
6. People I want to know more: maybe my new co-workers. I'm worried lang that they wouldn't like me or vice versa. hehe.

Those who are reading this, you know what to do! Copy and paste, then answer on your own. leave me a message if you did.

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On Other News. I went to Startek's Site and found this:

STARTEK EXPANDS INTERNATIONALLY TO PHILIPPINES
Strategic Move Provides Clients With Greater Flexibility and New Delivery Channel
DENVER, July 17, 2008 – StarTek, Inc. (NYSE: SRT) today announced a new contact center in the Philippines that is expected to open in the fourth quarter of this year. The new overseas facility complements the company’s 21 centers currently operational in North America, all of which focus on providing StarTek’s clients with the highest quality in customer management solutions, including customer care, technical support and back-office support. This new capability rounds out “StarTek Choice,” a flexible option composed of three quality delivery channels including North American support, offshore support, and the virtual solution known as StarTek-At-Home.

The nation’s largest communications companies currently use StarTek’s North American-based services, but also seek cost-effective, round-the-clock services through offshore delivery channels. After careful consideration, StarTek selected the Philippines as the optimal location for its offshore center for the following reasons:
· Large talent pool of highly literate, English speaking, college-educated workers, with great cultural affinity to the U.S. and customer care skills
· Reliable, and redundant communications infrastructure, including dedicated connectivity to the U.S. that ensures high voice quality to U.S.-based customers
· Opportunity for lower cost operations due to attractive labor rates
“Cable, telephone and wireless communications companies require high quality, cost effective support in order to achieve their business objectives in the current competitive marketplace,” said Larry Jones, Startek’s
President and Chief Executive Officer. “When it really matters, clients look to StarTek to optimize and leverage multiple delivery platforms. By opening a new facility in the Philippines, we expect to provide them with the flexibility of three quality delivery channels for customer service and back-office support.” The 78,000 square foot center is located on Sen. Gil J. Puyat Avenue in Makati City, and at full capacity, is planned to house approximately 1,100 customer care representatives. A StarTek veteran with more than twenty years in the contact center industry is already in-country. The center is expected to open early in the fourth quarter of this year. “We’re committed to giving our clients a quality experience whether they are using a center in Greeley, Colo. or Makati City, Philippines,” said Jones. “To our clients and their customers, our goal is that the experience be seamless.” Additional information about StarTek’s new Filipino contact center is available at http://www.startek.com/.

ABOUT STARTEK
When it really matters, communications companies look to StarTek (NYSE: SRT), a leading provider of high value business process outsourcing services. Since 1987, StarTek has partnered with their clients to solve strategic business challenges, improve customer retention, increase revenue and reduce costs through an improved customer experience. Known for creating the highest customer service for clients and their customers, StarTek services include customer care, sales support, complex order processing, accounts receivable management, technical support and other industry-specific processes. Headquartered in Denver, Colo.,

StarTek operates 21 facilities. For more information, visit www.StarTek.com or call 800.541.1130.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
The matters regarding the future discussed in this news release include forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. Important risks and uncertainties relating to the contact center opening described above that could cause StarTek’s actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by any such forward-looking statements arise from dependence on and requirement to recruit qualified employees, labor costs, management turnover, considerable pricing pressure, capacity utilization of our facilities, inability to effectively manage growth, risks associated with advanced technologies, highly competitive markets, geopolitical military conditions, interruption to our business, and increasing costs of or interruptions in telephone and data services, as more fully described in the Company’s Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2007. Other factors include, but are not limited to, inability to realize anticipated productivity, not realizing anticipated call volumes, foreign exchange risks and other risks relating to conducting business in the Philippines, risks relating to our revenue from our principal clients, concentration of our client base in the communications industry, consolidation in the
communications industry, trend of communications companies to out-source non-core services, lack of success of our clients’ products or services, risks related to our contracts, and decreases in numbers of vendors used by clients or potential clients. Readers are encouraged to review Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Risk Factors and all other disclosures appearing in the Company’s Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2007, and subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
# # #

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very unusual: i woke up today with 897 mails in my inbox, very unusual for my mailbox.

New Layout and Other Updates

This early Sunday Morning, I was able to spot a nice clean XML Layout that's not HARD to install at all. I'm saying goodbye to my very nice and old template. Thank you so much to Pannasmontata for my old template. I'm not very much a fan of dark sites - hihi, but I tried it out and hopefully it won't be so lame before your eyes.

• there are still things I have to work on.
• comments aren't working 100% yet. i can't find the comment link where to change it form blogspot to haloscan.
• i need to add credits still.
• hopefully i can change the font size

saying goodbye to my white paper template

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was really sleepy today during the latter part of the day. its marvin's 'lipat-bahay' day. my poor boyfriend, he didn't get any sleep since the time he was out of work I am sorry too because I wasn't able to make it to at least help. i just wish this day be over for him so he can catch up and have the best and LONG sleep ever. have a wonderful rest. love you.

Saturday Malaise

This has been our trend every weekend. Its just too bad that Marvin has a shift tonight.
Supposedly, there's a sportsfest today at 12:30PM. If you can recall, I signed up for bowling. I was contemplating until early this morning if I have to go or not. Hay, but i was stuck fulfilling my girlfriend duties so - I didn't make it. In fairness to me, I told our co-captain that I might not show up. Why? 1) rule is, a player has to at least play and participate twice in the game 2) - sportsfest will continue until september 3) - i'm resigning. sayang sa effort. Well - I would have loved it if I played. :) sigh!!

Anyway, we went to this Levi's factory outlet sale. We braved the heat fitting these pants here and there. In fairness naman, the normal marissa pants outside costs around 3K plus never goes on sale lower than 2K, bought mine so cheap. :) Satisfied. I have so many things I worry because soon I'll be out of the Philippines again. I keep saying to myself - I need this, I need that, I have to buy this, I have to buy that - ahay! But no, I think I'll buy divi shirts na lang, tutal summer naman sa states. hehe. tutal hindi naman siguro halata un. I'll leave my shirts here na lang db... well anyway,, I'll leave you with a pic of jowa who's super pawis na kakaikot at kakafit ng pants nia.

couldn't capture pics of the pants, baka bigla akong palabasin eh. hehehe