Call Center Confidential

I do have friends from outside of work, you know.

In fact, last April 1, I had dinner with them. My housemate, Julienne, and I decided to invite them for dinner sa Luk Yuen sa may Glorietta 5. Not a posh resto, I know, pero during our college days, Luk Yuen was where we almost always had lunch. We love their congee and wanton chips.

Di ba nabanggit ko na dati na ang housemate ko sa apartment ay college friend ko na babae?

Ito si Julienne, college friend, and housemate:

She was the smartest girl in my batch. She is still the smartest, most intelligent girl I know. She works with Landbank Foundation.

They send her everywhere around the country.

As in EVERYWHERE. All expenses paid. Sigh.

We rarely see each other anymore, even though we live in the same two-storey apartment.

And on the rare occasions that we do bump into each other, we're too tired from work to even muster up the energy to strike a conversation. We call each other "Sunshine."

And then there's Ayin:

One of my favorite people. EVER. How do I describe Ayin? Well... ito ang Friendster testimonial niya sa akin noon:

OOOOHHH!!! AHHH!!! I'M COOMMINNGG!!!!
those are the only words I utter
whenever I am with Ryan. We usually
hang-out inside Toffer's car,
specially pag naka-park ito sa harap
ng College Bldg. ng Bene. We LOOOVVE
PDA!!! so usually mas preferred namin
pag mejo malapit na kami mahuli.... ni
Dean Obispo!!! bwahahahahaha!!!!

Haaay. She hasn't changed one bit. She was still just as kalog as ever during our dinner. She mentioned that she thought Julienne and I were playing a practical joke, scheduling our dinner on April Fool's Day.

Right now, Ayin is a teacher. She mentioned to me kung saan siya nagtuturo pero nakalimutan ko kung saan kasi I couldn't get over the fact that she really was married. Ang weird pala ng feeling na malaman mo na ang kabarkada mo years ago ay may asawa na and life moved on dramatically for them and yet, ako, wala. Walang nangyari.

This is her with her husband.

And this is her with her American Idol, Danny Gokey.

During our college days, Ayin auditioned for Miss Saigon when it was staged here in Manila. She got invited for a second audition kaso she chickened out and never returned. Sayang.

The guy next to Ayin is John Joe. He was the theater-guy in our group. Grade school teacher sa Paranaque. He teaches Christian Living. Pero nung college kami, nagbabasa yan nang mga libro na pangkulam. Weird how things turn out, ano?

Does this guy look familiar to you? He should be. I know him as Nikolo Baua, a Communications grad of San Beda Alabang and a good friend of mine. Pero nowadays, Niko Baua na ang name niya, at siya ay isang news correspondent ng TV Patrol World.

Astig, di ba? Sabi ko sa kaniya during dinner, "Batiin mo naman ako sa TV!"

He just laughed, thinking I was joking. Seryoso kaya ako. So kinulit ko siya sa Facebook account niya. Sabi niya, he would just name a victim after me.

Ok na sa akin yun.

There was supposed to be one more college friend who would join us. Kaso dehins siya dumating.

Si JP Abellera.

Ang super-super-super busy na si JP Abellera.

Ang super-talented, award-winning writer ng Star Cinema na si JP Abellera.

Sorry, do I sound bitter? Inggit kasi ako sa kaniya eh. Prodigy siya ni Jose Javier Reyes.

He's won multiple awards for his writing. I think he was the head writer of Juday's "Kasal, Kasali, Kasalo" and some of John Lloyd's movies.

Namumula ako sa bitterness.

Hindi siya nakarating nung dinner kasi may storyboards daw siya na kelangan tapusin.

Tignan niyo naman kasi kung sino mga katrabaho niya:

Eh ako?

Si Manong John Lloyd lang. I have to get out of this place.

One time, my friend and I were having lunch sa Mcdo downstairs.

When we had finished, we stood up to leave but before we were able to take two steps away from our table, we saw someone enter the door.

Someone whom we recognized immediately because of his tall stature and delicious good looks.

It was Akihiro Sato.

Hindi niyo kilala? He's a model. A very good-looking model. Japanese-Brazilian yata siya.

Napa-upo kami uli ng friend ko.

"OMG, si Akihiro Sato ba yun?" tanong ko.

My friend nodded fervently, "Oo, si Akihiro Sato nga yata." Sadyang full name lagi ang pagbanggit namin sa kaniya.

We were about five tables away from him and I couldn't take my eyes off of him.

My friend, who had his back to Akihiro, kept going to the CR just so he could take a look at him over and over again as he walked back to our table.

"Magpapicture tayo sa kaniya!" sabi ng friend ko, na medyo naglalaway na.

"Eeee, nahihiya ako," sabi ko, pa-demure.

"Buquir! Si Akihiro Sato yan! Wala nang hiya-hiya pa!" sabi ng friend ko.

"Hindi ko yata kaya, makita ko palang siya naiihi na ako!" sabi ko.

"Sige na sige na sige na!" pilit ng friend ko.

"Naiihi talaga ako dahil sa kaniya!" sabi ko. He was really good-looking kasi sa mga print ads niya eh.

Pero after 15 minutes of cajoling, napilit din ako ni friend.

So, lumabas muna kami ng Mcdo para hintayin si Akihiro Sato na lumabas. Ang plano namin, paglabas niya, saka namin siya lalapitan para humingi ng picture. Yung friend ko ang tatabi sa picture. Hindi ko talaga kaya eh. Dyahe. Ako na lang makikipag-usap at kukuha ng pic.

Paglabas namin, sabi ng friend ko, "Kaninong camera ang gagamitin natin?"

Natulala ako, "Ano ba? 8210 lang ang phone ko!" During that time, that is.

My friend had a motorola that had a not-so-good camera. So, pumunta muna siya uli sa loob ng PeopleSupport para manghiram ng camphone.

Habang wala siya, naghihintay pa rin ako sa labas. Mga twenty minutes din kaming naghintay. Ewan ko ba dito kay Akihiro Sato parang super bagal yata kumain ng chicken nuggets.

Bumalik yung friend ko, "Wala akong nahiraman."

Fine, so phone niya ginamit namin.

Sa loob ng Mcdo, nakita kong tumayo na si Akihiro Sato.

"Ayan na siya!" impit kong sigaw.

Hinihingal ako habang naglalakad siya palabas.

Paglabas ni Akihiro Sato, lumapit ako agad. Napraktis ko na sa utak ko kung ano sasabihin ko.

So ang sabi ko sa kaniya, "Excuse me, Mr. Sato, can my picture have a friend with you?"

Natigilan ako slightly sa narinig kong sinabi kong katangahan.

Bawi ako, "I mean, can my friend have a picture with you?"

Ngumiti si Akihiro Sato, at sabay sabi ng "Blaabeeboo blehbleh."

Hindi ko naintindihan talaga yung sinabi niya. Para siyang utal. Apparently, hindi marunong magtagalog ang lolo mo.

Pero mukha naman siyang game magpapicture. So tumabi na yung friend ko, at kinunan ko na sila ng pic.

At eto ang resulta:

Si Akihiro, obviously, yung nakapula.

I know, I know, mukhang di gaanong may itsura si Akihiro dito sa pic nato. Ang chaka kasi nung phone nung friend ko eh.

At oo nga pala, tinakluban ko yung fez ng friend ko kasi nahihiya siya.

Pagkatapos makunan yung pic, sabi ko, "Thank you!"

Sabi ni Akihiro Sato, "Plek plooploo."

Ewan.

In fairness, ang gwapo niya in person. Pero iba itsura niya sa mga print ads niya eh.

Tignan niyo:

Devah?

Natutuwa talaga ako sa Facebook.

Actually, medyo addict na nga ako eh.

Halos buong Peoplesupport yata andun na. Kung taga-PS ka, i-add mo na ang group na "Faces of Peoplesupport".

Para naman makita niyo na rin kung sino ang mabebenta dito, ahehehe.

Tapos andami pang mga applications at quizzes. Dehins ko masyadong pinapansin ang mga ito, pero one quiz did get my attention.

Ito ang "Which Kontrabida Are You?"

I took the quiz at eto ang resulta:

Ito ang nakasulat:

Bookie completed the quiz "Which Kontrabida Are You?" with the result Clara .

At ito ang description ng isang "Clara":

Ikaw ay isang demonyitang kapatid na gagawin ang lahat para masira ang buhay ng sinomang kagalit mo e.g. Mara. Sadista ka, walang konsensya, plastik at matapobre. May rason naman kung bakit ka ganyan... dahil na rin kulang rin ang atensyong ibinibigay ng rich parents mo. At higit sa lahat, maiinlove ka sa kalove team mo na si Christopher Roxas, or at least kamukha niya. Need I say more?.

Demonyitang kapatid? Sadista? Walang konsensiya?

Pwede ko pang tanggapin yang mga yan.

Pero... si Christopher Roxas???

You mean this guy:

OMG.

No wonder ganito na ngayon si Gladys Reyes:

Sorry sorry sorry if I haven't posted anything for the longest time.

New hire training is really taking up most of my time lately.

Anyway, I'm almost done with the top ten list. The picture above is just a teaser. Hope you like it.

Will be releasing it next month. Kinikilig ako sa mga napili ko.

But guys, kulang pa ako ng about four more candidates.

A lot of people have sent me nominations and dozens of pictures, however, dehins pumasa sa judgment ng super-secret-committee ko (which is composed of manong john lloyd and me).

And btw, dun sa mga nagnominate sa mga guards natin dito sa PS, come on. Alam nating lahat na si Manong John Lloyd ang cutest security guard.

Nominations are still accepted at my email: akosicallboi@gmail.com.

Please please please help me out.

Naloloka na aketch.

This email made me laugh. I don't think I need to reply to it, pero I still want to share it with you guys.

Hi Callboi!

My name is Lauren, newly-hired agent of PS. We're on the same account, sa dot.com nga lang akechi. I just heard yesterday that you have a blog about office 'gossips and chistmists'. SInce wichels akeching magawa kahapon dahil rest day ko. Super check naman ang lola mo. And bakla super naaliw talaga ako. Mahilig din kasi akong magbasa ng email ng ibang tao. Siyempre nag-bakla ka pa kung di ka magiging chismosa edi para kang baklang walang silbi sa ating society diba? Kaloka!

Bitch, let me tell you I've read a lot of blogs but I think your blog is the funniest and super nakaka-enjoy basahin. I'm even thinking of writing my own blog kaya lang di kasi magaling sa mga blind items, gusto ko harap-harapang barahan para masaya!

I just spent the last 5 hours of my life back-tracking lahat ng blog entries mo ateh!, Feeling ko tuloy mag-bestfriend na tayo! Natatawa talaga akechi sa mga talak mo. Super ire-recommend ko to sa mga friends ko dati sa eperformax, chismosa rin kasi mga tao dun eh.

Uy, Close ba kayo ng sup ko? Si Jerome Mendez? Super bait kasi ng coach kong un eh. Bakla rin kaya masaya! Ang daming bakla sa exp**** ! Pang Gay Pride Parade lnag kulang na lang pumapasok ng may costumes with matching float pa! Kaloka!

Keep up the good work! Parang ung blog mo ang daily dose ko ng vitamins and minerals! Stresstabs, kaw ba yan?

Nagmamahal, (Shit, parang MMK lang!)

Lauren

• *************************************************

Dear Lauren,

In fernez, gurl, napatawa mo ako.

This is possibly the first time I've been called a bitch and I didn't mind it, hehehe.

Taga-Eperformax ka pala? Marami akong kakilala dun. At OO, tsismosa rin sila.

Esca-later!!!

Love, lust, and lechon,

callboi♥
akosicallboi@gmail.com

P.S.

Close ba kami ni Jerome? Hindi.

Pero ok naman siya, as supervisors come and go. Hindi siya tamad, tulad ni... ni... ehem.

callboi