Christmas won't be the same without you

Today marks the first day of Christmas here in the Philippines. We got the longest Christmas in the world starting from the first of  September up to the Feast of the Three Kings which is on the first Sunday of January. Yes. It's that long. And absurd.

What with Christmas songs filling up the air as early as September when typhoons are more frequent. Increasing number of homeless children and adults begging in the streets. Capitalist owners of malls preying on people by launching sales every other week which actually lead to heavier traffic as if we haven't had enough of the daily traffic jams.

Courtesy: Philstar.com

I strongly believe it will be worse this year since election is nearing. What better idea to campaign than using the festive season to plaster their faces on to tarpaulins that greet us a "Maligayang Pasko at Manigong Bagong Taon from insert name here".

I'm not really a Christmas person. Well, I was but something happened that changed my mind.

There were only a handful of people I dearly love, and one of them was my grandmother. Her mind never gets old and she's always on the move, traveling, dancing, singing, gardening. She never gets tired even when she's already in her early 80's. She's the one of the most generous people I've ever met and whenever our parents would hit us, she was there to defend us because she didn't believe in punishments.

I always thought she would live a longer life because she was a healthy living person and she looked happy and content every single time. I hoped and prayed that she will stay with us long enough for me to take her to places she had always wanted to go to and also for me to buy her a grand piano. I wanted to be her Santa Claus this time not the other way around which was what she always had been.

However, things will always happen no matter how hard we pray or hope.

Six years ago, I just graduated from college and just took up my licensure examination and was just waiting for the results.

A couple of weeks before Christmas eve, We received a call that she was sent to a hospital because she blacked out. They said that she had been suffering from hypertension which made her blood vessels weak and due to the constant pressure that was within her vessels, an artery burst which caused massive internal bleeding.

Being a nursing graduate, I knew it was very serious. That we would lose her. But I still hoped. I still prayed. I bargained her life with my passing the examination. I didn't care if I had to do it all over again many times or if I didn't pass at all just as long as she would stay with us, even for just three years. By then, I would be employed and would be able to pay my dues to her.

Still, she passed away. My Santa Claus had left me forever.

They say that youth ends when someone you deeply love dies. For me it's true.

After what happened, I stopped going to early morning mass. I stopped looking forward to Christmas gifts. I stopped believing in the spirit of Christmas.

For me, Christmas is just another day. Nothing special. A mere propaganda produced by capitalists to drive people from their houses to spend their hard earned money on tangible things that didn't really matter at all if you come to think of it.

Christmas is just around the corner. I hope it stays that way.

Mixing business with pleasure 2 (How to become a successful Mystery Shopper)

Mystery shopping has given me the opportunity to travel to places I've never been before while earning. I actually thought that I finally had found what I was looking for. Every visit has become an adventure. However, one of the facts in life is to have a balance in everything. Yin and Yang, hot and cold, adventures and misadventures.

Although I mentioned that I get to travel while earning, don't expect much on the earning part. You will earn if you're able to plan ahead. Remember lesson number 1. Be prepared. Plan ahead. Have a budget and stick to it.

This is the part where the misadventure but still adventure, I guess, starts.

Of course with Mystery shopping, you don't just visit the stores assigned to you but you have to report them afterwards. Since we're exhausted with Day 1, I was only able to submit my report on just 1 store. I had to rest because I had to wake up for Day 2. Yes. I scheduled them consecutively which leads me to Lesson Number 2. Do not make the same mistake that I did. Do not schedule visits the day after the other most specially if there were a lot of stores assigned to you. Allow a rest day in between for you to be able to complete your report and also to recuperate from the long travel.

So on Day 2, I woke up late. I had to finish my 3 other reports which I did and we still had to go to the bank to get some funds before we could go to the stores. We were able to get moving around lunch.

Our destination? Nueva Ecija.

Nueva Ecija is the largest province and the biggest rice producer of Central Luzon and the Philippines, thus, often referred to as the “Rice Bowl of the Philippines.”

Courtesy: http://lakbaynuevaecija.blogspot.com/p/tourist-spots.html

We still had to go to Cubao to board a bus going to Nueva Ecija. It took us almost 5 hours to go to one of the stores which is in Cabanatuan.

Gen Luna Statue and Marker (Cabanatuan City)

A statue of Philippine hero General Antonio Luna astride a horse stands at the plaza in front of the cathedral on the exact spot where the brave general was assassinated in 1899 in the city that adopted him subsequently.

Courtesy: http://lakbaynuevaecija.blogspot.com/p/tourist-spots.html

We arrived there around 5pm and we got confused because the place where we alighted was still under construction. As it turned out, it was actually SM Cabanatuan, not the Megacenter where we're supposed to be headed. So we still had to get on a tricycle to go there which meant additional expense which lead me to Lesson Number 3. Stick with the address on the assigned store. Tell the bus driver or conductor where exactly you are heading so that they can guide you.

And we still had 3 stores left to do.

After visiting the one in Cabanatuan, we headed to Talavera, Nueva Ecija.

Municipal hall of Talavera, Nueva Ecija

courtesy: youronevoicecanmakeadifference.wordpress.com

It took us almost an hour to arrive to our next destination. It was already dark. We were supposed to be headed to San Jose but noticing how high the fare was, we figured that it would take us a couple of hours to go there so we decided to just go the nearest store in Talavera and just spend the night there. Yes. We had to find a lodge in a place we haven't been to without any shirts or toiletries. So we still had to buy them before finding an inn where we could spend the night. Haaay.

Lesson number 4. Expect the unexpected. Always bring with you an extra shirt, an extra underwear and some toiletries if you're going to some place you haven't been to. Always bring extra cash too.

So we're like, Lugi na. We spent more than what we could earn from this trip and we still had two more stores to visit. I was thankful though because I had my boyfriend with me and realized that if I wasn't with him, I would have gotten in trouble. I was really upset with how things turned out but I didn't have anyone else to blame but myself because I didn't learn from Lesson Number 1.

Our dilemma during that night was how to find an inn that would suit our budget. I was wary to ask the people there because they might lead us to some other place where we would get in trouble so we had to walk and find a person trustworthy enough. We were able to ask a couple who recommended an inn that was actually kind of far from where we were so we still had to board a jeep then alight where we were instructed to do so.

The street where we alighted didn't have any signs so we just walked into a very dark street and saw a lodge. We tried to knocked and called out people but only dogs were responding. I was really losing hope and thought about going home to Manila but my boyfriend saw a person standing near the lodge and asked him the supposed inn where we were heading. The lodge was actually for Masons but there was a nearby inn and that we just had to keep walking until we see it. We finally saw that inn and got checked in. 

Another dilemma was the food. The food there was pricey and I didn't think it would suffice for the both of us. We could have bought food earlier but we didn't do that because we're more concerned on where we're going to spend the night. Since we didn't have any other choice, we ordered their food. The food was, well, it's not impressive but we're hungry so talo-talo na. We could have gotten a more decent food with the same price outside but there were no food stalls nearby.

After eating, we just drank liquor while watching TV even if the TV had a really bad connection. Yes, we were able to buy liquor but not food. Talk about bad decision making which was what made this adventure a misadventure after all. Haaay.

A lot of if onlys. But no one can ever turn back time so we could only learn from these misadventures. Anyway, they were still adventures if you just look on the brighter side of things. We were able to see Nueva Ecija from different sides. We were able to handle each dilemma without quarreling which was a good sign for me since I was able to successfully handle my emotions. We were able to realize that planning is everything and that when you fail to plan, you plan to fail.

The same with life. I kind of concentrated to mystery shopping these past few days for me to have an excuse to travel and to ponder on things that trouble my mind. I realized that I had to apply these lessons to a bigger scheme of things which is life. I have to plan ahead but still be able to expect and embrace the spontaneity of the unexpected. I have to be able to face whatever life throws at me.

So Day 2, for me, was still successful.

Mixing business with pleasure (How to become a successful Mystery Shopper)

Like other jobs and professions, being a Mystery Shopper has its ups and downs. It's not always going to be fun and exciting. It may not deal with more serious business like saving lives or finances but it is still tiring at some point.

Recently, I was assigned to 10 stores (Yes, 10 stores. Wheeew!) from all  over Luzon. I applied to them because I thought the expenses would still be lesser than the amount of payment in total. Or so I thought.

Day 1- Successful day

So my ever supportive boyfriend accompanied me to Valenzuela then Rizal then Manila for the first day. I was able to do 4 stores (Yeeey!) with expenses that would cover the payment for only 2 stores so I still had an income of 2 stores plus we were able to go to places we've never been before.

I know this is quite confusing so I will take the initiative to compute.

Every store I visit- 8 Euros x 4 stores = 32 Euros
Expenses= almost 16 Euros
32 Euros - 16 Euros= 16 Euros (Gain)

I'm sorry if my computation confused you more. I'm not really into Math ever since.

So this day was a successful day. We were able to visit the stores and at the same time, have a date in the Art Capital of the Philippines which is Angono, Rizal.

Courtesy: rclaw.wordpress.com

 We saw a lot of wood carvings and sculptures around the area. We even saw some giant paper mache or the so called "Higante" which actually have a festival every 23rd of November.

Courtesy: www.angono.gov.ph

“Higante” is an endemic cultural icon in Angono first used as symbol of agrarian protest. It was appropriated during fiesta to add fun in the celebration. Today, the local government considers it as a symbol of success and greatness which an Angono individual should strive for.

There were a lot of shrines too which pay tribute to the Katipuneros who fought hard for our freedom. Apparently, Rizal had lots of them which made them earn a sun ray on our flag. That's what actually some history remaining in my ever tumultuous brain.

After some sightseeing, we ate some street foods and boarded an FX bound for Megamall.

Although we were able to still gain some money out of this trip, it could have been better if we were more prepared by having our own lunch because earlier in the trip while we were in Valenzuela, we spent 300 pesos for our lunch. I could have gotten more from this trip if we didn't spend that much just for lunch. So that's Lesson Number 1. Being prepared by planning ahead.

And did we learn from lesson number 1? No.

And that earns a spot on my next post.

And she saved the world again. (My second task as a Mystery Shopper)

I was just done with my second mission yesterday.

I kicked some butts, conversed thru Russian, Spanish and Gibberish (Yes, it's a language. Look it up.), defused a WMD, started World Peace and the list goes on.

Just kidding.

My second gig in being a mystery shopper was a success and I got to purchase a pair of heart-shaped, sterling silver earrings in a jewelry store. I'm not that into jewelries primarily because I don't really have the means to buy things like that but I have a slight fascination with earrings that I actually got three holes on just my left ear so it was really exciting. Though I was thinking about selling these earrings for an extra income, I actually chose a pair that I really liked which wasn't that pricey. Well, just in case no one buys it from me then I would be more than happy to wear them.

The sales associate was a very nice girl who knew everything about the product. I was able to elicit the right questions and she did everything possible to accommodate them. She made me feel at ease even though I was feeling like I didn't belong there. She didn't hesitate, even just for a moment, to connect with me. I just hope that with the positive reviews that I've given her, she would be able to get a raise or a promotion because that's what she truly deserves.

This is just one of the things that really made me look forward to do every assignment. The interaction with different people. The feels. It's part of being human I guess. The ability to communicate with other people who you don't really know personally but you're able to connect with.

So that's about it for this mission. Next mission is a pharmacy visit. Hope this one is better than my first pharmacy visit.

How I became a Secret Agent

I used to be so engrossed with everything spy- movies, series and books. I adored Ethan Hunt, Sydney Bristow and James Bond. I somehow wished that CIA or MI6 would contact me to become one of their agents but that's impossible since I don't live on either countries where their central offices are. Sometimes, during the time when I used to daydream a lot, I'd be a secret agent on a mission to save the world from anyone who wants to wreck havoc on our tiny, little planet. May it be a dangerous organization or a terrorist or a mad scientist, I'd be the heroine of the day.

It could be the thought of being in a thrilling adventure which had drawn me to it. Or being able to do something for the greater good without sacrificing privacy even though it entails sacrificing one's life.  Or being able to adeptly speak in different languages. Or just the pure pleasure of kicking the bad guys' butt for a good reason.

And then one day, I became a secret agent.

Yes, you read it right. Well, sort of.

This is how I became a spy.

I stumbled across a forum where people were discussing about being a "Mystery Shopper". I got curious of course. Who wouldn't when the words "mystery" and "shopping" are combined, right? So I researched about it and found out that establishments are using mystery shoppers to evaluate the customer service of their employees. They are given guidelines and questionnaires which aids them in doing their assignments and in return, they will be compensated.

So what the heck, I filled out the forms and signed up. Right there and then, I became a secret agent. Or a mystery shopper. But I would really love to be called a spy or a secret agent though I don't get to save the world from evil, dangerous guys or kick someone else's butt. (Though I'm still hopeful.)

I didn't get assignments right away. It took months before they assigned me a shop and I think, they only assigned it to me because there's no one applying to that job. Anyhow, I was still elated to get my very first assignment.

It was a drugstore in the middle of nowhere. (That's why. Tsk) And nowhere means, well, a highly unfavorable, volatile area which deserves a whole, different post should I have the will power to reminisce a place you wouldn't want to see ever again in your whole life and in the next lifetimes.

So I was there, did my thing. Unfortunately, my reviews about the shop were not that good. I was actually afraid that my reviews would become the basis for the employee to get fired from her work but, hey, I was only doing my job. Nothing personal.

When I submitted my reviews, I got a perfect score. Not bad for my first assignment huh.

So far, I was assigned to three more shops: a jewelry store, a testing facility and another pharmacy store. I'm really excited to visit these shops especially the jewelry store since I'll be purchasing something that I will like and they will reimburse it! Yeah!

So there goes my spy story. I got to get to my next assignment now.