Transition

It's going to be an interesting week ahead as I'm expected to jumpstart my new assignment in HR effective March 1st. I will be doing two roles on a concurrent basis - as HR Business Partner and WFM Recruitment Specialist (until April). I should be doing 100% HRBP work by May.

Life is sometimes fair

It sucks to be Kris Aquino (Yap) nowadays. I can just imagine the amount of stress she's going through. She's in a delicate situation, being seven months pregnant and she's bombarded with issues regarding her philandering husband, basketball player James Yap. Details of his extra-marital affair with a Belo Medical Group girl surfaced in recent weeks. Rumor has it that the girl might be pregnant. If it's true, then James will be having three kids within the same age range. James fathered a kid with a former girlfriend prior to being with Kris. And yeah, Kris might not be willing to admit but her child with Phillip Salvador is suffering from a mental illness.

If it's any consolation, she has a ton of money to go with her dysfunctional life.

It just goes to show that you can't have everything.

Gin Kings capture PBA title

Ginebra raced from behind to snatch Game 6 from San Miguel, 96-94, last night at the Big Dome. The win locked up the 2007 Philippine Cup for the preaseason favorites, four games to two.

Finals MVP Jayjay Helterbrand connected on two freethrows with 2.9 seconds remaining for the winning margin. SMB's Lordy Tugade overshot a desperation three, while Olsen Racela shot a banker after the final buzzer had sounded.

Great comeback win for the Gins as they rallied from 16 points down in the first half. More scintillating is their series comeback though, sweeping the last four games after they dropping the first two games.

Barangay Ginebra

I went to watch Ginebra rout the San Miguel Beermen last night to take the Finals series lead, three games to two. The Gin Kings' Fast and the Furious, Jayjay Helterbrand and Mark Cagouia led the way with 26 and 28 points respectively.

I haven't watched a PBA game live in about a decade so it was a blast experiencing championship fever. Hopefully, they can finish the task at hand and capture the All-Filipino Cup tomorrow night.

Transfer

It's official.

I'm moving to my new role as HR Business Partner soon. On paper, my transfer is effective March 1st. Realistically speaking though, I'm looking at either April or May to assume the role full time as I still have some deliverables for WFM.

I'm looking forward to moving back to mainstream HR. This is unchartered territory for me. Hopefully, I'll be able to deliver. I don't want to let anyone down, most especially the people who believe in me.

Rampage wins UFC debut

I watched the rerun of the UFC 67 (Feb 3, 2007) bout of Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson against Marvin Eastman. The Rampage scored a knockout (by strikes) in the second round.

He was such a class act, very humble in victory. You know a guy is grounded when he doesn't talk trash to anyone.

I'm looking forward to the Chuck Liddell-Quinton Jackson matchup. Iceman vs Rampage. It should be one for the ages.

From Cyberone to 1800

Since joining IBM, I've relocated workstations twice already. Heck, we're moving again. The whole WFM team is relocating to the spanking new 1800 Eastwood Avenue building right in front of McDonald's.

The good? It's very huge. One floor there equals to about two-and-a-half floors in Cyberone. As a result, the whole team will fit with still enough space for expansion. Moreover, we'll be using IP-ready phone handsets already. They're easier to use than the old units we have. We'll also have huddle rooms for our dedicated use. No need to go get reservations from the business center. Oh yeah,we'll be having our own testing center as well.

The bad? The 7th floor of 1800 prohibits the use of mobile pedestals. I find no reason for this except that it will soon house the entire contact center operations. As with the normal call center industry practice, pedestals aren't allowed on the operations floor.

The hassle? As we will now be utilizing the IP phones, we will all be issued new local numbers. They won't allow us to use our existing locals. It'll be a bitch trying to update everyone.

The worse? The WFM team will now be serving three sites (Cyberone, IBM Plaza, 1800). It's gonna be hell doing the rounds on all these floors, especially for the selection team.

The worst? Our stay on the 7th floor is temporary. Meaning, we will eventually move out again once a permament fixture is found for WFM, and when the contact center folks move in.

All this trouble for our temporary settlement. I ain't even sure it's worth it.

Model Citizen

I did what a good citizen had to do. I got my 2007 Community Tax Certificate (more popularly known as sedula) earlier today. Should I had gone to get it at the city hall, I would've paid around 25 pesos. But I decided to get thru the City Treasurer's Office booth here at the office so I had to pay almost ten times that amount. To get one's CTC, the law says a citizen has to pay the city government 1 peso for every 1 thousand pesos he/she earns annually. Of course, nobody declares their true worth. So naturally I had to undervalue myself too.

Still, I could've declared nothing. But I chose to declare something.

I think I deserve a light pat on the back.

Convergys?

I've seen some ads/articles from some major dailies that Convergys is positioning itself as one of the major players in the HR Outsourcing industry. This was in line with their winning the bid for the Intercontinental Hotels Group HR backoffice account.

Uhh... last I checked, Convergys ain't even in the top tier of the HR Outsourcing industry. For contact centers, yeah probably.

Please. That must be some strong shit these people are smoking. Get real folks.

Random ramblings about Singapore

- It's such a secure and safe place that you don't even see policemen around. Heck, they don't even check your bags when you enter establishments.

- It's a very chic and cosmopolitan city, that (almost) everyone in their workforce is well-dressed. Maporma silang lahat.

- Some Singaporeans are insanely rich. I met a Indian guy whose daily driver is a Rolls Royce. It wasn't a Seraph or a Phantom, but it's still a Rolls. Oh yeah, he looked butt ugly too. I wouldn't trade places with him.

- Their public transportation system is outstanding. I feel like I never want to ride our own MRT/LRT anymore.

- Their public housing units (HDB's) are nicer than most condominiums here in Manila.

- Singapore's well-known cleanliness is a bit overrated. Most of their washrooms ain't clean. Of course, Manila washrooms are worse and incomparable. But still.

- With that in mind, Paragon's washrooms are the best (very clean and very nice).

- Tangs has the best fitting room I've seen.

- The Ministry of Sound at Clark Quay is freaking huge. It's like Embassy times ten minus Manila's social climbing crowd. That makes it a bajillion times better.

- Wherever Pinoys are in the world, they just have to congregate and mix it up at one place. Apparently in Singapore, it's the Lucky Plaza along Orchard Road.

- The Orchard Road experience is never complete until you jaywalk.

- Contrary to public perception, Singaporeans are actually nice.

- Contrary to what I've been hearing, I never saw Singaporeans blatantly making out in public. I was actually on the lookout. Too bad I didn't catch any.

Flying Tiger

I booked myself a roundtrip CRK-SIN-CRK via Tiger Airways with a promotional rate of USD 75. I thought it was an awesome deal so I had couldn't help but book in advance.

My whole trip going to Singapore took about 8 hours long. The bus ride from Megamall to Clark Air Base went for about two hours. I had to wait about another two hours from check-in to boarding. Then comes the three-and-a-half hour flight, plus an additional thirty minutes for the check-out/disembarkation proceedings.

It was hella tiring since I had to be at the Megamall terminal before 7am. Got out of Singapore's Budget Terminal at about 4pm. Since I had to wake up at about 530am, that meant I was up for more than ten hours. That is literally half-a-day. Got no complaints though. Flight was on schedule. No delays whatsoever. We even arrived earlier than estimated.

Was it worth it? Yeah, I think so. Not bad for a Php 3800 roundtrip ticket. Will I take it again? Absolutely, as long as it's around that price range. Other than the long ten hour ordeal, what's not to like?

Back in Manila

Just got back from a week long trip to sunny Singapore. Wifey Barbie played hostess-cum-GRO the whole time I was there. She went half-day from work most of the time to be able to show me around. Wasn't able to tour the whole island but it was a fun and enjoyable experience nonetheless. Thanks, Bu. Looking forward to another trip in the coming months.

Edit: Cebu Pacific has a promo for its Manila-Singapore route. Almost 5k/roundtrip. Hmm. I think I'll be booking for May.

Off to Sing

I'm flying to Singapore tomorrow morning. I'll be visiting wifey Barbie and will be staying with her for a week. It's also my first trip to the lion city so I'm pretty excited.

I'm taking Tiger Airways by the way. So it should be an adventure riding the bus to Clark and all. Hopefully, my flight doesn't get delayed as it'll be a long day. Need to be at the Megamall bus terminal before 7 am, while the flight's at 1130 am. Assuming I arrive at Macapagal Airport at 9 am, I have more than two hours to burn but I doubt there's anything I can do there though.

Anyhow, I'm just looking forward to the week-long break I'll be having away from work. I've been going home real late the past couple of weeks. I seem to have had more 12-hour days this month than I've had over my first nine months in IBM.

There will be changes when I get back though, and I'm getting prepped up for the switch.

Work work work

I left the office about 1 am this morning. I was at work for a record 15 hours. Talk about doing overtime. I had several conference calls the whole day, the last of which ended at almost 12 midnight.

Good thing I'm going on a one week break. Work's been toxic lately.

Errr...

I passed on a pair of Pradas several weeks ago. I think I'm starting to regret it.