Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Being A Sport

On one hand is the Aux Sportsfest. Call center agents from locally-based centers were gathered at People's Park on that glorious day. The sun was cooperating, hiding behind clouds and seemingly aware that we nocturnals have gone on too long without it that its presence would be too overwhelming. I remembered this was Madam Chaka's dream gathering sans the political flavor- way back when the boards were allowed. It was nice that it came true. I suppose it could start a bit of a revolution for our industry. At the very bit least, it gives us a reason to meet others of our own kind.

And mingle we did.

Some sighed collectively at host Kent's dreaminess while I scoffed at the proliferation of varying degrees of bis and homos in Davao. Albeit it's a non-problem, I just think there's too many. I've read somewhere that 90% of male call center agents are not straight, a term used so loosely it doesn't mean its weight. At that moment, that fact glared at me in the face.

In the following days, agents would be battling it out in various discipline of sports. Each would be playing for their team, although considering the atrition rate of BPO industries, they might as well swap players; with people who bat in my league considering only one thing: where the hot bodies are.

On the other hand is a situation that calls for me to be a sport. It is a circumstance that requires me to be noncommittal but present. Right when the motorcade was commencing, the trio of us walked some ways off to Tata Benito's where the service was great but the coffee lame. Conveniently located in a very charming renovated building in downtown Davao, it offered one of the blandest drinks I have ever tasted. The drink was also asking me to be a sport about it.


I occasionally take a peek at my companions and although they make conscious efforts not to look at one another too long, they're trying nonchalance and strained conversation conveyed a more powerful but secret intimacy. I can't exactly say I've been there and done that but going against the grain of what is conventional, of what is socially acceptable, is hard. I know it will hurt, one way or the other.


As I raised the cold glass to my lips and took a bite of the tuna-filled pandesal, I offered a silent cheers to being a 'sport', or sportsmanship if that is the correct term. Here's to the games that we all love to play.

Friday, February 13, 2009

Happy Heart's Day

Love doesn't make the world go round. Love is what makes the ride worthwhile. - Franklin Jones
Loving gregariously through these babies. Cutest ever.

Oh well. :)

Love Language

One morning, I saw Lucy Torres and Kris Aquina talk about the Five Love Languages on TV and it piqued my attention. Take God for the internet and it took only a minute of googling to find out what mine is. I took this quiz at Greater Quest and these are my results.

Score - Love Language
9 - Words of Affirmation
3 - Quality Time
5 - Receiving of Gifts
4 - Acts of Service
9 - Physical Touch

It means that I'd like to listen and, I think more than the first one, I'd like to touch. Sounds so needy. No wonder nothing's working. Hahaha. What do you think? What's yours?

Photo from here.

One Year

February 11. It was exactly a year ago when we signed up our contracts as call center agents. We were Wave 5A and we called ourselves Team Orgy, simply because of our hedonistic urges to kiss and do body shots, without regard to sexual orientation, when we get drunk- which was most of our weekends when we were still on training. After training, we were deployed to different teams and didn't get to hang out that often anymore. It's now a year later. Most of us have gone on to different things: some quit the moment they passed as registered nurses and some have just disappeared. Only about 10 of us have left. But while we don't get to do our gimiks anymore, we still wear our team's name like a badge of honor. Something in the pitchers of margarita and tequila and Red Horse didn't quite get washed out after the hangover cleared up: we were, still is, and forever will be Team Orgy.

Collage by the talented Lestot

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Crazy YM

I was chatting with Freny, a friend from work, about senseless nothings when YM went crazy. All contacts I have from work suddenly disconnected and then after 3 minutes got reconnected. Obviously, something's wrong with the office's internet connection. An ISP problem, perhaps? Whatever the reason, something should be done about it because on my computer at the office, this has been happening quite frequently. At least now I know, it wasn't just my computer.


Crazy.