coin diver

coin diver, snapshots by ^Vanessa^.

as soon as the boat docked on the pier little boys came to us and begged for money. there was something in the eyes of this boy that moved me so much i just had to stop and take a picture of him.

Life is not always easy. We should always be grateful for what we have.

..And I've been JiNxEd!

why i don't like math

Today must be the unluckiest day I've had! First, I forgot my wallet so I had to ask the cab driver to go back so I can get it. I locked the door at tito's house before I left and when I fumbled im my bag to get the keys, it turned out I left it on my gym bag. I have no other choice but to wake up the people inside. Gosh, I really hate to do that but I need to get my wallet as I don't have even a single cent with me.

I then dialled my cousin's cellphone hoping she will wake up (she had her phone beside her pillow) i tried twice to no avail so I then called tito on his phone. He was also not answering so I am starting to panic. I tried my cousin again and when I looked on my phone, I was actually dialling a friend's number. HaHa..Gosh, he'll kill me for waking him up at 5am! So anyways, tito finally woke up and opened the door. I ran to my room, looked for my wallet and found it underneath the bed (weird! i really thought it was in my bag. must have fallen somehow).

Then I ran downstairs not minding the fact that it was raining hard and there was water on the pavement. I was worried that the driver must have been tired of waiting and left off! I was really praying he's still there because I told him earlier that I'll just leave my paper bag inside the cab while I go get my wallet. My camera was in that bag! Imagine my relief when I saw him there. I apologized to the cab driver for making him wait long and then we sped to the office.

We weren't fast enough. I was two minutes late and I had wet rubber shoes and jeans. Not a good thing to start the day huh? :)

Today's training is about accounting basics. I totally messed up when I recited because I got confused and spent a long time thinking what to write. I got to the board and wrote values for the debit and credit, erased it, changed it, then wrote again what I originally put it there. Man, they must be thinking Im so stupid. I was right the first time. See, I told yah, math is not my strongest suit! I hate it! Give me anything but math.

Everybody's in costumes today at training. We're celebrating Halloween! I brought my camera and took pictures so Im gonna update this once I got those uploaded.

The trainers treated us with pizza and candy prizes so at least there's something good that has happened already!

But wait.. Im doing this at lunch and who knows what will happen later? Nothing worse pleassse!

Oh AND I forgot to mention! Im sporting a big bump on my head which totally hurts because I bumped my head real hard while getting down the jeepney yesterday. (stupid stupid stupid!):-P

Training

Puerto Galera Sunset

I'm missing the PWS days real bad! no more endless hours of chismisan and blogging and flickring.Right now Im sneaking here in training while the trainers are busy talking about warcraft with the new hires. I don't know but im getting a little annoyed because some of them are very bibo. Nothing against them really. Maybe they are just excited and not as jaded as me and Gian.

Oh by the way, I have uploaded the pictures from our Galera trip. Just check my flickr account. I've been uploading pics for three days now. Blame it on dial-up. Can't do much in a day. :)

Super inaantok na ko. Nakakatamad ang training. Gosh 7 weeks po ito. Puro numbers! ah shucks..

Back to training! katabi ko trainer ko habang nagsusulat. bahala sya di naman nya naiintindihan..hehehe

The END has come

Let me start my post by sharing to you guys this very funny email that got forwarded from work:

ALL CALL CENTER AGENTS GO TO HEAVEN..

Last night as I lay sleeping

I died or so it seemed

Then I went to heaven But only in my dream.
Up there, St. Peter met me Standing at the pearly
gates

He said "I must check your record.
Please stand here and wait."

He turned and said "your record Is covered with
terrible flaws.
On earth I see you rallied For every losing cause.

I see that you drank alcohol And used drugs too
Fact is you've done everything A good person
should never do.

We can't have people like you up here coz Your
life was full of sin."

Then he read the last of my record, Took my hand
and said
"Come in."

He lead me up to the big boss and said "Take him
in and treat him well. He used to work in a call centre.

He's done his time in hell !!!

~ That one just got me laughing in stitches!

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Today's the last day of PWS. Can't believe that today would be the official day that Im out of the Matrix! We used to joke around that Matrix is like a black hole. Once, you are in, you can't get out!. Three years I've been here and I've survived. To say that this is one of the most difficult programs here is an understatement!
I have mixed feelings about this closure, Im happy that Im finally out (no more dellserv, dispatches, sat scores, xpr and and no more forcing an 80 year old grandfather to dismantle a computer! yahoo! ) but Im also sad because I will be once again put on another team, would have to learn an entirely different program, and would be leaving everything familiar behind! Somehow, waves of sadness are coming over me. Just remembering the good ol days (L2 days are the best!), my previous teammates, mentors, and friends makes me wanna cry. Oh gosh, Im getting mushy here.
BUT! We are ending this program with a big bang. Our team plans to go out of town tomorrow. We'll be celebrating in Puerto Galera. After choosing amongst La Luz, Corregidor, Baguio and Batangas, we finally agreed on Galera :). Im pretty sure that is going to be a blast. This may be the last time team Cocomangas will be together. Oh no! no more spur of the moment weekend trips to Tagaytay, Laguna, Batangas, Baguio and Boracay (Guess where we got our team name?) and no more late night gimiks and drinking/confession sessions! This is the best team I've ever had. I'll say it again. I WILL TERRIBLY MISS THESE GUYS!

THE GOOD OL' DAYS

Enjoying the sun. May '05 at Boracay

Having lunch in Tagaytay. Jun '05

G.A in Laguna. Jun '05

Weekend trip to Baguio. July '05

And not but not the least....8 Waves in Bulacan! :)

Surprises

Of all the days that I'd forget my cellphone, I can't believe it happened today! When I got home, I had a missed call and several messages. Turned out a friend was trying to contact me so we can meet before my shift. Oh I can't believe how stupid I was for leaving it behind. This was one of the rare moments when I could go and see her now that she is working for another company. :(

My mom was also trying to contact me. I asked her to go to the university I attended to get my diploma and transcript. They told her they didn't have a record of my diploma. That was really absurd because I already paid for it almost two years ago! Yep, I haven't gotten my diploma til now. I was always putting it off. See what happens when you procastrinate? My mom had to ask them to sign my clearance again. (It took her half a day to process all these).

Anyways, I was also really glad because one good thing came out of it. This was something I really did not expect because I thought this dream was forever lost! My mom (as a second thought) asked the registrar to compute my grades and it turned out my GPA was well over qualified for being a Cum Laude! Not to brag or anything but I'd always known I can make it because I did put a lot of effort in my studies. I was not able to apply for that before because I got really busy with work and I thought I was no longer qualified because of one subject that I almost failed! Oh gosh, if not for my mom's persistence, I wouldn't have known that I can still get it.

Too bad I was not able to go on stage during our graduation to get that certificate. But Im still SO HAPPY! Even if it's almost three years since I finished college, it still feels so good (Now, I can add that to my resume! Yipee!!)

Another thing that makes this day so exciting is that I now have a pro account on flickr (I discovered it while I was in the office. Im busy organizing my pic sets. :)) courtesy of my two beautiful santa titas! (ahem!) I really can't say thank you enough. Love you guys!

This is so so Me!

Morpheus

?? Which Of The Greek Gods Are You ??


I just love these quizzes! Somehow it really reflects who I am (or how i see myself). Imagining, daydreaming, and being lost in thought? that is sooo me. he he

Im also known as a "bakit?" girl. Because I like asking about different things. Sometimes, my friends at work will just notice me googling and laughing or being amazed all by myself. I guess learning is an integral part of who I am. I always want to explore new horizons or try new things. But, the big problem is I don't always act out on my dreams. That is a problem I readily acknowledge. A lot of times I have apprehensions on fulfilling what I want..

Sunset in Cavite

sunset in cavite, snapshots by crysvan.

We went to Cavite yesterday to have our (me and my bro) braces adjusted. I was really hoping we could stop by Manila Bay so I can take pictures of the sunset but we were stuck in traffic.

I've been addicted with pictures and got more hooked up when i started with flickr. And after purchasing the camera and some accessories, im now broke! But that's ok,no regrets, because im totally enjoying every minute of it. :)

pathetic me

Here I am in an obscure internet cafe a jeep ride away from home uploading pictures and blogging at 11 pm. My teammates and I went out yesterday and since I was the one who brought a camera, Allan's been texting me all day to upload the pictures! Apparently, I got them all hooked up with flickr too! hahaha

I've used out all my upload space in the other flickr account so all daungan pics are here --> . (yeah baby, click the small dot!)

Graduation and Birthday

Our advanced photography workshop is officially over. We had our graduation today. :)

Nat got 3rd place as the Best Photographer and I got a certificate (of attendance)!

yipee!





---

afterwards, we went to Quiapo to get me some new lens and filters. Check this out:


L: without the polarizing filter
R: with the polarizing filter inserted

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then, I went to my inaanak's birthday:





i think she liked my gift! im so happy..'cause i liked it too.. :)
aww the doll drinks milk and it disappears!


----

then back to daungan for some celebration with my teammates


the theme on daungan was wild and wet..well im pretty sure the guys enjoyed it!

Still Flickr'ing Away

naruto
Originally uploaded by ~Vanessa~.

uhmm, I've flickrd and flickrd and flickrd all day and night! Can someone get me a pro account? hehehe. Santa, do you hear me?

---------------------

I'm thinking of selling images online to earn some extra money for this *quite expensive* hobby. I learned about it on this forum. I wanna try it out so I signed up on this site www.istockphoto.com

. The downside is, you only get to earn $0.20 per image download! That's a little low.. but considering Im only going to do this on my spare time, then maybe it's not that bad.

Counting the hours away

I've been here at work for 3 hours now and I've just had one quick call. My three other teammates are all sleeping and I've gone through almost all sites I can think of. Yeah! That's the LIFE! Who else gets paid for doing nothing? most of the time anyway!

Hey mind you, it's not always like this. As they say..We've been through hell and back! I can still vividly remember the days when 3 to 5 hours overtime is NORMAL and AVAIL time is an unheard word.

I've checked my emails, I've flickrd, Visited my friends' blogs, flickrd some more, received a phonecall from a telemarketer from citibank, blogged again and took some tests!

But again they say, life is like a wheel. Sometimes you are up and some times you are down. Times like these are not gonna last forever. Just a few more weeks and we will begin training for the other program. I just hope, and pray, i mean puh-leeesse, im begging! that they don't put us through d*ll hell again! i don't like talking to irate people! not smart-ass know-it-alls who think they own the world just because they purchased a thousand dollar machine people anyway!

Hmmpp. Enough of the ranting. Here are the tests I took, funny how true they are!

Your Brain's Pattern

You have a tempered, reasonable way of thinking. You tend to take every new idea in, and meld it with your world view. For you, everything is always changing. Each moment is different. Your thinking process tends to be very natural - with no beginnings or endings.

What Pattern Is Your Brain?

-----------------------------

F

You would be more observant if you were blind. Or totally stoned out of your mind :-)

How Observant Are You?

** I know, I know I should pay more attention to things rather than stare into nothingness all day**

-----------------------------

You Are Balanced - Realist - Empowered

You feel your life is controlled both externally and internally. You have a good sense of what you can control and what you should let go. Depending on the situation, you sometimes try to exert more control. Other times, you accept things for what they are and go with the flow. You are a realist when it comes to luck. You don't attribute everything to luck, but you do know some things are random. You don't beat yourself up when bad things happen to you... But you do your best to try to make your own luck. You have a good deal of power, but you also know the pecking order. You realize that working the system does get you further. You know who to defer to and who to control. When it comes to the game of life, you play things flawlessly.

The Three Dimension Luck and Power Test

-----------------------------

You Are a Margarita

You aren't just the life of the party, you are the party! You mix a good drink, bust out some great music, and know how to get down.

What Mixed Drink Are You?

-----------------------------

You Are 15 Years Old

Under 12: You are a kid at heart. You still have an optimistic life view - and you look at the world with awe. 13-19: You are a teenager at heart. You question authority and are still trying to find your place in this world. 20-29: You are a twentysomething at heart. You feel excited about what's to come... love, work, and new experiences. 30-39: You are a thirtysomething at heart. You've had a taste of success and true love, but you want more! 40+: You are a mature adult. You've been through most of the ups and downs of life already. Now you get to sit back and relax.

What Age Do You Act?

-----------------------------

What Your Underwear Says About You

You like to think of yourself as innocent, even though you're not! You're comfortable in your own skin - and don't care to impress anyone.

The Underwear Oracle

-----------------------------

You Are 40% Weird

Normal enough to know that you're weird... But too damn weird to do anything about it!

How Weird Are You?

-----------------------------

How You Life Your Life

You seem to be straight forward, but you keep a lot inside. You are always tactful and diplomatic. You let people down gently. You prefer a variety of friends and tend to change friends quickly. You tend to dream big, but you worry that your dreams aren't attainable.

How Do You Live Your Life?

Life Choices

Lately, talks about getting another job has been prevalent on our team. A few of us took examinations for this other established electronics/computer company. See, they are going to open up an in-house call center and are in dire need of technical support agents. We took a shot and applied since we are pretty much confident that we are experienced and certified. So that should give us an edge, right? Anyways, I've been waiting for the results and today I was awakened by the sound of my cellphone ringing. Dazed and still groggy from sleep, I muttered an annoyed hello. She asked if it was okay to do a short phone interview, so I say "yeah, sure". She first asked me to describe myself and my work. To be honest, I totally forgot the things I told her. My muffled brain is still stuck on the dream I was having. All I can remember is I have another interview scheduled on Friday and I need to go to their office this time.

When I got here in the office (im writing this courtesy of avail time), that's all the buzz again. They also called my other teammates and one was scheduled on Wednesday and the other two on Thursday. To be honest, Im kinda hesitant to go on with this. First is the pay is lower (BIG FACTOR) and the next one is it's going to be an entry level position. Working my butt off to get to level 3 is not really an easy thing. So it should be suicide if I go back to the beginning right? It's a good thing that I had mine scheduled later than they do, maybe I can get their feedback first then decide based on their results.

Oh man. I wish I could find a job that I truly love and be well compensated from it. That would really be fulfilling. My friends and I are planning to put up a business. Question is, what? Everything is still a plan till now.

Maybe I should just go out of the country?

or

play the lottery? (What the heck, I've got one in how-many-millions chance of winning! )

I wish I have a lot of money. Then, I could just travel the world and live a carefree life .

Dream on.

My teammate Kappai has this ode to our team - Cocomangas - Read on! .
I can't write it any better than her. She is just soo good with words.

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OMG! I just realized that the rest of my entry has been deleted! C'mon, I just spent an hour writing this up..

Anyways to sum it all, I was just saying that I will so hate the day when our team will be disbanded. Client has decided to take out our account so we will be put up in another one. A Tax Software company this time. Two months of accounting training! Geeez..to think Math is my least favorite subject!! Aarrgh

Weekend Happening

Saturday

Today's our last session for the photography workshop. Im kinda sad it went by so fast. I feel like there is so much more to learn and 4 sessions is just not enough. Don't get me wrong though, I definetely learned a LOT.


still life



after the workshop, I met Neil in Manila Cathedral and took this shot. His friend is getting married and since Fort Santiago is just across the street, I passed by and took some pictures.


Sunday

I bribed my brother to pose for me. I had him pose outside, hold the reflector (made out of aluminum foil and an old folder) and sit still underneath the blistering heat of the afternoon sun. Seventy pesos is not a bad fee ..right? He He





Then I went out with my teammates. We went bowling and watched a movie (The 40 year old virgin) then had dinner in Rockwell. Ü

The Love Birds


1. Con and his balls 2. Just and Cathy


Just in Action


Conrad about to do an exhibition


its your turn..


Porsche Car Show

I got home at about midnight. I've been racking my brains out trying to think of what to submit for our graduation next week. We need to pass 8x10 pictures of a black and white portrait, Maria, and anything that has metal and glass on it. I don't have any photography equipment so earlier, I had my dad accompany me in the hardware and we bought a halogen flood light, some wires, a plug, and 2 yards of black cloth. I had him put the light together then I placed it atop my brothers' guitar stand. Voila! After rolling some cartolina around it, I now have a studio light. Ü

Then I got 2 dining chairs, draped some cloth, positioned the light and took this shot:



What do you think?

Dont Burst My Bubble

dont burst my bubble, snapshots by crysvan.

Petiks time!!

See?? Our team's so busy.....this work is pure stress!! haha taken using my camera phone which by the way is not allowed inside.. he he

My New Toy

Finally, finally! The long wait is over. Last Thursday, Neil and Just met me in McDo Taft. We were supposed to meet at 11am but..bad luck seems to be on my side. My alarm didn't go off or I might have turned it off then went back to sleep but anyways, I woke up and looked on my phone and it was almost 11 so I immediately dressed (without taking a bath...ewww gross!), grabbed the first shirt and pants I can find and hailed a cab. Got there at about 11:30. They were already screaming and pissed off me.. Hehe just kidding!

Hey, I haven't told you guys yet why we were meeting, right? They're gonna go with me to Mayers in Quiapo (let's say they're gonna be my body guards..woot..wait till they read this haha). Im about to buy a new Canon 350d SLR camera. =)

Yup, got one now! Got it on a good deal as well! (There's no other place you can get a good bargain aside from the photographer's Mecca - Hidalgo St. in Quiapo - trust me on this! Ü) I just spent the whole day yesterday reading the manual..Find an interactive manual/tutorial about it as well. Spared me the reading of small text. Now I can just listen and look at the demonstrations!

Before going home after work, we ate first in Jollibee. Tried the camera too. It rained hard and we were stranded..nobody had an umbrella! So we just stayed there and clicked away. Wish I've uploaded the pics so you can see but sleep got the better of me so that's what I did after getting home. =)

**First test will be this coming Saturday at the workshop - Flash Photography! Can't wait for that!

Feelin The Blues

Not feelin' so good right now. Im not sick or anything. Just feeling a lil "sad". Oh crap..guess it's hard to explain. I just am not in the right mood.So I've done some serious movie marathon so I can keep my mind busy. I've watched A lot like love and Cinderella Man. Those are both movies that are definetely worth watching. :)

Anybody wanna borrow those dvds? Hey tell me now so I can bring them on Monday in the office! I've got a few more.. just bought Merchant of Venice, Dukes of Hazzard, The Marksman and The Brothers Grimm earlier..but I can't watch them yet, its getting late..I need to wake up early for an interview tomorrow. I've also been thinking a lot about some career moves. Hope this turn out good. Wish me the best. Ciao.

Workshop Day 3

Interesting day. We first went to National Museum to take a look at Instituto Cervantes' exhibit. It's a collection of pictures celebrating 150 years of photography in Spain. Something like that. Hehe Cant remember what the title was exactly. It was my first time in that museum, been planning a long time to go there but just cant find the time, and someone to go with. Hmm..I'd definetely would wanna get back. We've only looked at the 4th floor, where the exhibit was and I would wanna see the rest of it!


We were also taught how to shoot weddings today. I used film and I have to wait until next week to get it developed. I used about 3 rolls of film. Maria's a beautiful model..Can't help but click away! Im just quite nervous 'cause Im pretty sure I have overexposed a few shots..Stupid me doesnt know how to rewind film manually! So I accidentally opened it up with the film still layed out..jeez I did it twice. =( Bleh!

We took a few shots outdoors and indoor as well. If you've been to Fort Santiago, you know how magnificent the ruins are, so imagine that as a backdrop and this model? wow..I tell you it's really a cool photoshoot.

Im just praying I at least get one decent shot! That's the difference between digital and film! You'll never know until its too late. Anyways, Im just really hoping I could use even one for my portfolio.

I've used my cameraphone to take this low res shots..it's pretty dark too..just want to give you an idea of what we did today. :)