My Name Is Fernand Yim: December 2008

As The Year Ends....

Yesterday, that was the shift after Christmas, it was a beautiful day. It was Aux 8 galore. Aux 8 means we are not taking calls but still getting paid. We were playing charade and it was fun. We even joked that playing charade was becoming our part-time job because there was a bet money involved. Just petty cash anyway, yet it was really funny.

Again, the merry-go-round twist came in today. The Team will be divided into two. I am part of those who will be moving to the newest team on the floor. Elve, May, and the rest were very affected. They were not able to control the tears from their eyes. I myself was affected as well. I am already comfortable with them. In fact, I am very happy and satisfied to be in the team. I consider myself lucky enough to be with the team. But again, like what Boss Ivor said, nothing is constant but change.

It is really lonely on the floor after the news was revealed. I couldn't even control my own emotion. I even dared to talk to Ms. Agatha. I understand the business move. However it is still weird and very untimely. I don't know what to say. Even if going to work is very tiring and not-so-safe most of the times,I still feel excited about it.

Still, I know everything will be fine.

To the team,

Thank you so much. I never felt alone and unwanted since day one. I really appreciate you all. I wish we could stay together so that I could have more chance to know you more, and let you to know me more.

To Boss Ivor,

Thank you so much. There are so much to say but I am having a hard time finding the right words, the right way to put them together. But the bottom line is...Thank you so much.

That's it for now.

Simple Wish

The traffic in SLEX is killing me.

Going to work at night, or so early morning (take your choice), always either keep my spider sense on the active mode, or my right forefinger and thumb busy pinching me from a deepest pit of dreamland.

Going home from work is another story, a very tiring story.

Thinking over the same things is becoming a hobby, a bad one.

At least, good things have started and making me excited with the new year.

Wishes for now? More time to sleep, more time with my family, more time with my friends, more time for my love story, and more time with God.

That will make me so happy. With more time.

Yes, with more time.

Not Good But Will Be Fine

Last night, when I was talking to Boss Ivor about what happened to me last Friday, I just realized something. I don't know why I only felt stupid just this too late. What was wrong with me? After that short talk, when he frankly said that he didn't believe me because I did not file a police report, I just realized how stupid I had been. All of the sudden, I felt like I was so stupid and...yes, stupid.

He has a point and I know that what he was trying to tell me was just the right thing to do which I was not able to do at all at that instant when it happened. I also realized that there is so much I need to know and learn if I would want to continue on living or working in the city, I need to learn them so that it won't happen again.

I just can't wait for my next rest day. I had fever when I was home this afternoon but I couldn't afford to be absent again. Now I am feeling okay. Just three more nights after this shift. Arg, can't wait.

So Beautiful

>> Sunday, December 14, 2008 – The Love Story

This year started with so much pain and hatred. Surviving this year was a puzzle back then. Now that it is about to end, wow, it is so wonderful! I am so happy and, more importantly, I am safe. Safe as my soul dwells in His arms.

I think having my cellphone stolen is somewhat a blessing in disguise. It is because it is like leaving all the pains far from behind me. Like saying, it is over now. Beautiful things are now coming in, behold! I am so good now. Yes I am, after all the things that I have done in the past, I forgive all those people. I am not even in the position to keep bitterness at all. See, the good LORD has forgiven me. So should I do the same. Besides, everyone is fair under His own judgment.

YesterSunday was beautiful, funny, and totally weird in a special way. It was so good that I was not that late in the church. I knew the message was for me again, as usual. The sermon was about the Obedience to the LORD. I knew it all already. But listening to it, it was like learning the old things over again. I love God so much. I love it to know that He will never let me go through it all. Blessed be the Name of the LORD.

After shift, Gracia and I went to...where else? Robinson's Place. We looked for so many gift materials for her office-mates. We went to Bench and bought a beautiful bag which, as Gracia explained to me, was for her cousin who is graduating this year from high school. We excitedly bought the bag. Then we bought a paper bag for it in National Bookstore. I chose the paper bag, I felt something when I touched it. Somewhere in my childhood days, something rushed in with so many emotions in it that I couldn't understand it right away.

Then we ate in Binalot. We kept on talking about so many things. Some shocking things that I am not allowed to even mention them here. I had a terrible runny-nose problem that day. It was so funny that I kept on sneezing from time to time.

We did so much window shopping. But the best part of it was, again, when we were in 711 in Turbina. Where the fireworks and magic happened all together at the same time. Laughs! I know that Gracia will laugh a good deal upon reading this! Our story is not like an ordinary love story. And it is full of twists and turns. And it is beautiful.

Thanks to the many receipts we had that served as our bridge of communication, not wanting uninvited strangers to take a scoop of what was going on. Our language of love was written there. On those pieces of paper. It was so wonderful. Explaining each other side. Learning each other more. Opening each other to know each other more. It was so wonderful. Now we are free. Free to express what is inside.

Before it ended, Gracia gave me the paper bag which had the bag inside it. Surprise, it was for me. There a note that said:

Dearest Nan,

For almost five years, you've been my constant source of joy and sorrow, inspiration and depression, love and hatred...laughs?! Hahaha!

Thank you so much! May you have a joyous Christmas!

God bless!

Always,
Gracia

Am I lucky? So much I am.

P.S. Chris called us so early yesterday. We missed her so much. It was so beautiful hearing her voice again. We love her so much. I pray to the LORD that she and her family could join us this Christmas.

Nothing, No One Is Forever

So many things are going on in the country today. Sometimes it is hard to breathe and pretend that everything is okay. Manny Pacquiao won again. That's something we should be happy and be proud of. Then there is the news about the unexpected death of Marky Cielo.

Now why am I talking about him here? Should I tell you that Mama and my sister Nicalyn are so affected by the news. My whole family actually. Sometimes it feels like I was the one who just passed away. They both even cried for him. Mama was even inviting me to have leave from work so that we could visit Marky Cielo in Antipolo City. See that we are also from Antipolo. I was born and spent most of my childhood years there. Now comes the beautiful memories of it.

When I came to work the day after Marky Cielo died, everyone was asking what was I doing there, joking about the news. Sometimes I find it funny. I got so much of it. Even when I was still with Teletech two years ago.

And yesterday, oh I wish I had a camera to capture the event in Makati, the rally against Charter Change or ChaCha. I respect the other people's opinion about it. However, when I think of it, I am in favor of Charter Change. I believe that is what our country needs today. A big change. The Philippines is composed of thousands of islands. It is not effective to have it governed by the present type of Government we have now. I remember when I was still in college, Professor Onate was very disappointed about the expired medicines under the management of the Department of Health. From there, I understood that because every rule and important message should go under different and many go signals before the Filipino people could finally take advantage of them. It was a waste of so much time. It was very upsetting to hear. This is just one of many other reasons I have why I go for Charter Change. So I go for Charter Change.

Now here is about the saddest part I have to tell today. Last Friday shift, I was absent. Reason to that? I was about waiting for the bus in Turbina for almost two hours. So I decided that whatever bus would arrive, I'd go and take it. There came the ordinary bus going to Alabang. I thought it would be fine. Then I easily got sleepy. When I woke up, everything seemed okay. When I finally got off and searched for my not-so-beautiful cellphone inside my bag to know the time, know what I found out? It was no longer there. The scariest part of it was to realize that my money was no longer there as well. It was like all of the sudden, I was stuck in the middle of nowhere. I was so offended and very angry. I did not know what to do. It was so scary and...I don't know. I don't know what to do next that instant. Then I remembered my ATM card. Finally a spark of hope was there. Surprise, it was not there as well.

Now, don't wanna talk about it more. It is just making me so angry again.

Anyway, the next day, I went to the nearest BDO branch in Calamba. They helped me out with it. I needed to call the BDO call center which I did. Weird and funny thing about it, they needed to verify my personal information. They told me that they needed to block the card so that whoever had my card wouldn't take advantage of it. Why it was funny to me? It is because that is what I usually do with my present job today. Thing is, I am working with credit cards.

Now I am okay. Mama said that if something is gone. Something new will come. I believe that.

The First Date

I was rushing early Sunday morning to get to Lipa to attend the Church service. It was the first Sunday of the month! And I came so late that I decided not to walk into the Church. I went to 711 instead to wait for Gracia and Comy. I bought Unggutero by Bladimer Usi. I find the three jokes at the back part of the comic book really funny. However, I was a bit disappointed reading the content of it.

Then Gracia came around lunch already. We went to Robinson’s. We had lunch in Reyes Barbeque. They really serve delicious foods. We did enjoy our lunch. It was just that we had to wait fifteen minutes, I believe, before we had our orders.

Gracia told me her experience on the bus on her way to Lipa that day. She was seated next to this former-drug-addict-turned-to-devoted-catholic-and-Virgin-Mary-follower. This man in his late thirty’s was holding a Bible. Gracia was telling me this man was taking every verse in the Bible literally which was wrong. Gracia was correcting her and it was like, she was preaching the whole bus with the Holy Spirit. Everyone there was listening, even the Bus Steward. It made me so proud of her. I enjoyed the way she told the story.

Then she excitedly told me about the dress she would wear for their company’s Christmas party. The motif was retro. We searched for the perfect pair of earrings, accessories, and Betty La Fea’s type of eyeglasses. We searched the whole Robinson’s for each, there were few who almost close to what she was looking for. Still it didn’t satisfy her elite fashion taste. I couldn’t really help her because I was not really into fashion. We were hearing news around about the result of the Dream Match: Pacquiao VS De La Hoya. There were couple of people I heard saying Manny lost the game but I refused to believe them.

Anyway we both went to SM Lipa instead to continue the adventure in search of those accessories she was looking for. There I saw the beautiful pants in Folded and Hung, the checkered one which I was dreaming to have since 2006. Now, it seems like everyone has it. When I found it, I noticed my only shoes, which are red, don’t match the pants. So we looked for the perfect shoes for the dream pants of mine. We found one in Rusty Lopez. I was very happy and satisfied. Gracia bought a beautiful red cap from Folded and Hung as her gift for the person she picked as her monito.

Finally we found one for her Betty La Fea’s eyeglasses. It was a nice one. After that we watched Twilight. My most favorite line there is this: I don’t have the strength to stay away from you anymore. Hopefully I remembered it right. The movie was…okay. Both of us didn’t like it that much. It was just…fine.

Then we went to Turbina and had a cup of hot drinks in 711. She had hot chocolate. I had French Vanilla. Funny thing which I liked the most about that day was when there were two Peso coins which we put together and made our wishes. It was so funny and wonderful, hearing our wishes for our careers next year, our dreams for our families, our personal dreams, for eightmiles, and so much more. It was really fun hearing the transformation of each dream and I felt like it was one of the most intimate, special things that we shared together. I admit that I always think of that something else every time we are together although I always keep control on it.

All in all, it was a very beautiful day. I was very happy, recharged, and full of new hope. Very happy. I am.

Welcome to the Incredibulls!

The last two days of my recent working week were a little challenging to me. I was not feeling well. It felt like there was a trapped fever inside my body. My bones felt so weak. There were times I felt I was losing my voice. I believe it was the weather. Christmas is now making me excited. And sick. I wish I could have a break this Christmas.

The shift before the Team Building day, the system was down thirty minutes before my shift ended. Boss Ivor declared the system was down so we said the right disclaimer to that for each call, advising the callers to call back. Mine was almost working already; however, I let another disclaimer for one more call. And surprise it was monitored by Boss Ivor! He just told me that the system was back and we could service the call then. I said sorry and serviced the call after that. It was just a very short call. Then there was another call came in. The number did not appear on the screen. I simply thought that the system was having again some technical issues. Still I continued with servicing the call. I asked the caller to tell me his sixteen-digit account number which he did nicely. He said, five, four, three, two, one, toooooooot…. (Sounds like when a machine dies). I said, “What, sir?” Then the caller said to look to my right. Arg, it was Boss Ivor! He had monitored the last call. I felt the heat on my face. It was funny and embarrassing at the same time. But it was sure fun, anyway.

Last Saturday was our Team Building in Pansol and I had a shift. So LA and I and other four in the team left Sykes already after lunch. But before the shift ended, I had a very long call with an old African-American caller. We were arguing about her $15.00 payment she made through Western Union. She was giving me an invalid reference number. I couldn’t locate her payment. I was advising her to call Western Union to follow up her payment. It was just an easy thing. Still, she was having a hard time understanding me, or perhaps she was trying not to understand me. The ending? She just wanted to have the assessed late fees in her account waived! I pressed the mute button and laughed out loud!

LA and I bought Tequila as requested by Boss Ivor. As usual, there were series of traffic issues in SLEX. LA and I reached Pansol around five in the afternoon already. When we were in Villa Rhodora, I ate right away. I was starving already, and so LA. Then I stayed for one hour there then I went home. I tried to take an hour sleep with no success. I fixed myself and got back to the resort. Everything was fine and full of fun. As I had observed, everyone has their own character. Boss Ivor is really cool as well as the rest of the team. I was having a good time with them. Although I was still feeling shy being with them. We took pictures around the resort and in the pool. It was really fun.

Then, there came the big thing. Everyone was in the pool except May, personal reason. We all had one bottle of SanMig Light. It was an open forum that made me feel a little bit out of place. Blue started the crying confession and the rest of the girls in the team, most of them, were crying. I didn’t know how to react to that. I was sneezing from time to time. When everyone had done their part, we went on eating again. Khai is really a good cook. While Chris made good barbecues.

After that, I had little conversation with Dede, Blue, and Trish. I took a bath then I went to my bed and easily fell asleep. I woke up around three-thirty in the morning. I asked for Boss Ivor permission to go home because I needed to attend the Church because it was the first Sunday of the month.

Watching One True Love

Last Sunday, I went to see One True Love with Gracia and Jerlie. Comy did not make it that day because he was in Quezon. The movie was just fine. It was not the type of movie I did enjoy that much. However, like I always say, it is the people you are with that makes the difference. Anyway, what do you feel about watching a movie with your both parents present in the same place? Arg, unexplainable awkwardness.

At first I thought it was just my imagination when a man who looked very much like Papa walked in and took the seat in front of Jerlie. I told to myself, what would Papa do in there anyway? It was not his type of movie. Then, when my eyes finally adjusted to the darkness, it was him! And Mama was with her, too! They had a movie date with, ehem, Roron? Arg, that’s family Agor for you. Laughs!

Of course they did see me. We laughed a lot after finding each other inside the movie house. I was trying to ignore the fact that Mama and Papa were there, just in front of me. Still, it was so weird. Don’t want to feel it again. Laughs!