Thursday, December 29, 2011

A TV for Me!


I finally bought a TV. Make that two! I can't believe I did. I'm not a TV person and I've lived through more than a year in my apartment without one...but oh boy, the Abenson-HSBC promotion was too good to pass up! Bought two LG LCD 32" TVs yesterday with my dad: one for my apartment and one for our home in Navotas. It's relatively big for my apartment use, to think that my place is a studio apartment and is just a few square meters in total.

Each TV is just about PHP 600 per month, at 0% interest for 36 months! That's like, one less dine out per month lang

Sunday, December 18, 2011

SM--Reducing/Reusing/Recycling?

I'm not sure if I've blogged about it, but I call myself a Save the Earth girl. This is true most especially when it comes to paper, plastic and styro. I switch off lights during Earth Hour, and everytime it's not needed.

I grew up with our printing press where every inch of paper is essential. Rejected works are reused for other purposes, and scrap paper were sold to a recycling company. I never had to buy paper during my school days, and my parents would always frown upon not using scratch papers. Growing up, this turned out to be a good upbringing (like with most lessons that my parents instilled when we were younger--which I used to not understand).

In the office, I'm one of those people who'd load printers with used paper if printing drafts for approvals. While most employees think it's such a burden, I gladly go out of my way to do so.

I used to envy Korea, where you purchase every plastic bag you use for groceries. This prompted people to bring bags and/or boxes. In the UK, particularly in Marks & Spencers stores, they also do the same or you can purchase Eco bags and use it again when you shop at M&S. I even used my M&S bags while shopping in other countries. I wished that the Philippines would do the same; passing by the Smokey Mountain for decades, I know how plastic bags really don't decompose.

When I was still working in Ortigas, I was so happy when Pasig City government launched Straw-less Fridays and mandated that fast food chains use paper for packaging instead of styro and plastic. Take out food are now in brown paper bags. The SM Hypermarket in Pasig also had Bring Your Own Bag Wednesdays. Bring a bag for your groceries, otherwise you'll be carrying them in brown paper bags or in reused boxes. From then on, I always carry my reusable bags whenever I do my groceries, Wednesday or not.

Soon enough, the craze expanded, and now most--if not all--SM malls are selling Eco bags. I now have at least five of those.

So yesterday, I planned on shopping til death at SM Megamall. Of course I brought my Eco bags. After hours in the department store, I head to the counter and pay for my stuff; brought out my Eco bags for the bagger to use. I had to tell her, "Miss wag mo na iplastic, may dala akong reusable bag."

Now the funny thing is, she goes, "Okay po ma'am. Ipa-plastic muna po natin bago ilagay sa Eco bag, kailangan po kasi yun." I was so pissed that I couldn't help but tell her, "So miss, ano pang sense na mag dala ng reusable bag kung ilalagay mo rin sa plastic?"

Unbelievable. I sure hope this is an isolated case. Otherwise SM is just doing a side business selling reusable bags, and is just trying to appear as if they're trying to help in reducing waste.

Saturday, December 10, 2011

Boosting Ego, the F Way

Everyone says men have big egos. It gets bruised easily, and they work all their lives to build it. Little do people know--or maybe most women just don't admit--women do too. Women mask it for 'confidence' at times.

So how do some females boost their, uh, confidence? It's in the number of people that had liked them, took them out on a date, or fell in love with them. No, it's not dependent on how much schooling you've done, nor how successful your career is. It's also not how many cars or properties you own. Because even with all that, if you have no boyfriend or at least you're not dating (or no one is asking you out), people would still think there is something wrong with you.

This is where flirting comes in. Taken in moderate amounts, this dose of ego-trip can boost a woman's ego, and be harmless. If you're lucky then your God-given face is enough to make men line up for you and there'd almost be no question regarding confidence.

However, I have noticed that for ladies with average or below average looks, this can spell disaster. Imagine this, you're a high school nerd or a nobody. Every boy wants to get the cheerleaders' attention, not the one who could pass for a younger version of the school librarian. Fast forward, you get to college, and go wild. You dress seductively, you learn how to put on make up, you start going out to pubs, get drunk, party all night--eventually you meet boys.

It's exciting, it's flattering, and you just can't get enough of the attention. It can be addictive. It's when you don't only want to make people like you, you want them drooling over you, and the worst is when you are so addicted to it that you want those guys to love you--even if you have no intention of reciprocating.

To be honest, I know at least a few. I don't like seeing them posting all those come-hither photos trying to attract people on Facebook; I don't wanna know that they've had sex with x number of guys. I know people change, but I hope not so dramatically. I hope they still know who they are, their values, and that beauty is not measured by how many people adore your photo every time you post one.

Party Party?

I used to think that doing nothing but socialize and attend parties is great. But not now that I sort of get a piece of it. December 2011, employed in a group of companies and by the top executive, I am invited (and at times required) to a lot of Christmas Parties. I've just had two weeks of it and I already wanna go back to being invisible.

Dec. 04 - ePerformax Red & Black Ball, SMX Convention Center
Dec.07 - Globe Telecom Appreciation Night, Makati Shangri-La
Dec 09 - TDG Managers Up Christmas Party, Casa Marinero
Dec 11 - NYK Fil-Japan Christmas Party, PICC
Dec. 14 - Air and Travel Division Christmas Party, Casa Marinero
Dec. 15 - TDG Corporate Center Christmas Party

I'm supposed to party tonight, Dec 10, with my Origin team (college barkada) at Republiq bar in Resorts World, but I really can't na. I am swamped! Whew!

Tin and Abet, you're next. 

Wednesday, December 07, 2011

Tell Me About It

Excerpts from today's workday:

"I don't know what you're doing or maybe you're not doing anything."

"I'm not sure how long you've been doing this but you'll never be as efficient as them because they've been doing this for a very long time."

"You have flown a lot, but I have traveled a lot. And I'm three times your age. You don't know what's happening."

Nice.

Thursday, December 01, 2011

My Compromised HSBC Card

Most of the time when you see a bank's name on a post title, it's a hate post. And yes, this is too.

27 October 2011:
I was in our office's Halloween party and I receive an SMS from HSBC asking me to call their hotline for security reasons. I call, and I was told that MasterCard had reported that my card's security may have been compromised. Period. They can't tell me more in detail--as they have none. The solution: Block my card and provide me a new one. It should take five to eight banking days. I think to myself, it's gonna be a long weekend (All Saints Day holiday) and will probably get it after two weeks. Well, it's either that, or someone else uses my card. So what the heck, I give my go signal.

Today, 01 December 2011:
Y'got it. It ain't here yet. That's after over 10 calls to Customer Service, with agents sending a "follow-up" and nobody can tell me why I don't have my new one yet. Nobody can even confirm if they received my last payment (since I pay online and input the card number). Now I'm not sure I want to pay again as it may get lost in transit...

I'm thinking of just closing this account. Anyhow, I have a Citibank Shell. Maybe I'll just get a new one that earns miles or something. There's no use paying annual fees if you can't use your card. It's Christmas--shopping time--and I'm supposed to be earning points on my card for purchases, but no, I'm shopping on cash basis right now.