Friendships and Betrayals July 30, 2009
Posted by jennipot in Life.1 comment so far
At this age of 40, I can say I’ve been through hell and back. When people talk about ghosts, I always tell them that people are a lot scarier than ghosts. Look at all the atrocities that man do against each other especially to those who are weaker. Look at the cruelty man can inflict on nature and animals.
Closer to home, when I experienced tragedy in 1996 and lost everything, one of the first people I lost when I found myself penniless was the person closest to me. It was a very dark time in my life because from many friends I ended up with very few friends. A scene I remembered was when the sheriff threw me out of our store, there were lots of people watching. All of them I knew since I was a kid, but no one would meet my eye. Everyone pretended they didn’t know me. Only 2 people then gave me support, a friend of mine Rina, and my brother in law.
As I tried to get back on my feet, I myself didn’t have much time to spend with my rich friends because I didn’t feel comfortable that they are always paying the bill. There’s also the pain of seeing what I have lost, and shame that people might see me. For a while I thought I didn’t have a right to be happy again, so I became an expert at being miserable. But that’s another story.
The good part though is that those friends who have stuck by me even then and til now, I treasure forever. And the new friends I made in my 2nd life, I also treasure, because I knew they care for me just because I’m me.
I have always been so open to people, eager to trust and make friends. In my 2nd life I learned to be more careful. One kind of people I hate most is those who’d take advantage of you or step on you even when you’re already down. They’d even push you further into the mud. One time there’s this “friend” who was also a supplier who owed me money. She asked me to meet her so she can pay me back, and when I saw her, she showed me her bag, slashed, cried and said she lost the money. Later on I found out it was all a scam. She slashed the bag herself.
There were other similar experiences. And today I found out that even though age and experience had taught me to be more careful, I still got fooled by a person I thought I could trust. It makes me quite sad for a while, but then, I handled it the same way I did those people who betrayed me before. I refuse to dwell on them anymore, life is just too short and I’d rather be happy. Life has taught me that karma does exist, and sooner or later, bad things people do will come back and bite them in the butt. It may not be the payback we expect but payback does happen.
Saddest part is, it’s usually about money. I always say that money isn’t everything but it sure makes life easier. But some people would sacrifice friends and family for money. I never understand that. Aren’t people smart enough to know that it’s just not worth it?
I can’t say much, because I promised someone I’d keep quiet, but if you read this and you’re the one who made a fool out of me, I’m so sorry for you. You know me enough that I make friends for life, and I love for life. But when a person betrays my trust, that’s it. You are no longer in my life, and I will not spend another minute feeling sad. In fact, I am so glad I found out. And the money you filched from me? That’s my tuition fee, price I pay for knowing what a liar you are. Thank goodness I found out.
But this won’t make me shut myself from other people. I won’t let anyone ruin my chances at finding new and good friends. It’s always a risk I know. And I just have to keep my eyes open, while keeping my heart open as well. 
Farewell Solomon July 25, 2009
Posted by jennipot in Life.1 comment so far
Before Solomon, all dogs I have had I have raised since 2-3 months old. With him it took me a while to woo him and gain his trust. He is an askal but his coat is very soft and white, and his eyes are so gentle. I noticed though that his paws were deformed from living all his life in a cage. That was more or less 10 years ago.
He was now very much a lolo and walked like one. His hind legs were already stiff, but he’s never changed his gentle nature, and whenever I call him he’d put his head on my lap for me to pet. I’m thankful that when his time came he didn’t suffer. Even though I will miss him, I am thankful I was able to give him a happy life. I hope he’s now in dog heaven with Sam and my other dogs who already passed away. Solomon, thank you for bringing joy in my life and being part of my family.
Papa’s 7th Anniversary July 12, 2009
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Even though it’s now 7 years since Papa passed away, I still find myself forgetting that he’s not in this world anymore. When I make a decision or think of something, I hold mental conversations with him.
Life with Papa was not very easy, but I always knew since I was young that I’m the daughter who’s closest to him. As a kid, he would take me to his gimiks with his drinking buddies when they hang out in one of their homes to eat & drink San Miguel. Either I play with one of the kids there or I just amuse myself. He would take me to his pelota games and buy me a Kobe Chicken (any of you old enough to remember?). It stopped when I hit puberty. I think one of his friends told him to stop bringing me since I’m already growing up.
Fond memories:
1. When I was around 6 years old, he took me to Unimart, just me & him, and let me buy whatever I want. The whole cart was filled with toys and junk food. I remember he paid P150 for the whole thing, and when I got home my sisters wanted some, and I was super reluctant to share! I remember this grape flavored chip by Jack n Jill, yummy I can still smell the flavoring. My father never experienced the mall craze, when we used to go out there were no malls.
2. Papa taking all of us to take the Love Bus to SM Cubao and eat at the food court there. Again, no malls yet. The fare was P2.50… we would eat at Sizzling Plate.
3. Me running out of our apartment to run after Papa, catching him waiting for the elevator, asking for P1 or P2 so I can buy “Chippy”, “Barbeque Curls” at the sari-sari store (P0.60 per pack only before) and the rest, candies! He’d always give me some
4. Me asking Papa what does “putang ina” mean and him sputtering. One time when we’re in China, some guy approached him offering “ho-pien and gu-pien”. When I asked him what those are, he was laughing and sputtering at the same time. Then when I kept at it, he said “That is the t*t*(p*nis) of the ho(tiger) and the gu (cow). LOL!
5. Papa giving me a hard time when I wanted a debut party, but once convinced, danced the waltz with me at the party, and made a VERY short speech saying to me: “Be careful… you are now 18!”. I think he got nervous because he was quite tipsy when he did that. I was the eldest, so when the 2nd daughter (Mimi) was turning 18, HE insisted she has a debut party. Hehehehe
6. Papa getting all teary eyed and telling me to stay when I packed up my bags to leave after he broke his promise and hit me even though I told him to stop doing that coz I’m old already. Oh boy that was hard for him to do (pride). It was kinda funny coz I kept saying “what I can’t hear” and he repeated it about 3 times before he realized I was pulling his leg. By the way I packed 4 suitcases by the time he decided to ask so it was hassle unpacking again hahaha
7. Papa catching me on the phone in the middle of the night still making telebabad with the love of my life (not my boyfriend though) and scolding the hell out of me.
8. When I was 14, used to go to school really early to spend time with my boyfriend, he’d wait for me downstairs. I’d tell Papa I am going early to be one of the “cleaners” of our classroom (yeah right). One day I slipped and my whole leg fell into the sewer. Had to come home, and of course he met my boyfriend for the first time. He got mad of course, but after a while he came to like my boyfriend especially because he’s a reporter in a Chinese newspaper, so Papa would get the basketball results without watching TV. When we broke up Papa got mad at me. 
9. When I started my business at 19 years old, he kept telling me that I will fail. How can I earn P0.50 per piece? I’m too young. In 6 months I earned P80,000. I used half of it to invest it back into the business, the other half I bought the most top of the line TV and betamax (yeah I’m old). When he saw, he called me to his room, not to scold, but to ask me to buy him a set too. When I got to Sony, I called him and told him it would be nice if we have a Laser Disc, he agreed. When I got home I told him, you know Papa, you would have trouble operating it because you don’t like reading manuals. Voila! I got a LaserDisc in my room, in exchange I have to tape the movies for him to watch in HIS room. Good deal huh? Anyway I also found out that he was telling his friends how I was able to start my own business (I didn’t have to borrow any capital from him). When I had my own store, he took me to Binondo to buy my desk.
10. Papa turning green when he found a denture in his noodles. He was horrified that the cook from our favorite noodle house would drop his dentures in our food (we were home it was take out). I looked at him, then looked at the dentures, and told him it was his. I can still remember his face, how he tried his best to keep from laughing (he felt he had to look stern all the time) and my tummy aching from laughing so hard. He tried to salvage his dignity and went to wash his dentures, put it back on, and ate the noodles.
11. Papa crying when I hugged him, when we had to separate because of the mess that happened to our family. I think that was the 2nd time only that he left me hug him as an adult. The 1st time was when he agreed to let me have my debut party. I never saw him cry before that.
12. Calesa trips with Papa and the whole family to watch Chinese movies in Escolta or Ongpin. No malls then. I would sit with Papa, and my mom and 2 sisters would ride another calesa ( I got too big). Last full show then late late dinner at San Jacinto in T.Pinpin.
13. When we were kids we fight over Savory chicken. One day he had enough so he ordered Savory chicken every night thinking we will soon get sick of it. He had to order 2 coz I could finish one on my own (I’m bad). We’re now on our way to 40’s and we still love Savory chicken. Too bad Papa 
14. After the tragedy, I was already working as a developer. In one of our rare meetings (he lived far away) he told me he would disown me if I go work abroad. After a few months, I remember it was just me & him by the beach (entrance was P2 per head), Jared was playing on the beach, and we were talking. He said that if that’s where my heart is and I am confident that I can handle it, then he will let me go.
That was the last time I spent time with him, after a few months I was told he had cancer. He was lucky because he didn’t suffer much. But he never really saw her daughters recover, or his son finish high school. Of us 3 daughters he worried about me most because he felt bad I guess that I am still single. At that time I was making a small salary. I wish he saw me get promoted. I hope he’s watching over us til now and happy about what we have achieved. He started as a “kargador” and became a successful businessman before the tragedy. His kids also started from nothing and did come out surviving as well. What makes me sad is that he had to lose everything he and my mom worked for because of another person’s selfishness, but that’s another story.
His funeral was very simple, done in a province. None of his friends were there, because by then we couldn’t ask them to come. It was a far cry with what I have always envisioned for him, in my mind it would be something similar to a “Mano Po” funeral. There were no wreaths, but his neighbors brought flowers from their homes, told me how generous he was, even though he was poor. Whatever he had he’d always been willing to share, even the pancit my mom would cook for him. I quit smoking when he died. I had to sleep beside his coffin when we close for the day at the funeral parlor. I was there for about 10 days. He never knew I smoked, so I didn’t want him to “find out”. When I went back to Manila, I just don’t have the urge anymore, so why do I have to smoke right?
Mind you, he had flaws. But one thing I never doubted ever, is how much he loved us, how much he loved me. The only way I know how to pay tribute to my father, is to become the best person I can be. And as he always said (I say this a lot to people I work with and train), “Whatever you hear from me, those that are right, keep them. If they’re wrong, just throw them away.” I kept all the good things he taught me, and I hope he’s proud of me. I can also say that in this life, I still haven’t met a man who loved me more than he did.
I miss you Papa.
My Job and My Dreams June 27, 2009
Posted by jennipot in Life, Uncategorized, Workplace.add a comment
“People who do not focus on the work in front of them have no right to talk about their dreams.”
I got this quote from Bambino, a Japanese telenovela about a young man who wants to be a chef. It’s starring my favorite Jun Matsumoto These Japanese shows are really good, including the cinematography ha. He was considered good in his province but when he went to Tokyo he found out it’s a whole new ball game. Currently he’s being assigned as a waiter and he’s really upset because he wants to work in the kitchen.
The quote got me reminiscing the early years of my second career. My second life started on 1998, when I decided to go back to school to take up B.S. Computer Science. I already had AB Economics degree but I was aiming for computer jobs. At that time I was at the lowest point of my life and I really hit rock bottom. I decided to get that degree and go into IT, maybe one day finding work abroad.
I started as an OJT with no allowance, armed with my own laptop. I’m glad I was hired after that, and started as an employee at 32 years old. At that time I felt pressured because I was competing with people 10 or more years younger than me. I felt lucky that I was given a chance, and with that I gave my best effort. Actually some people predicted I wouldn’t finish my degree, but I did. Then it was predicted that for someone who has been her own boss since 20 years old, I wouldn’t last working for someone. Was that a challenge or what?
I started as a developer, but part of my job was also to make sure that the services were well maintained and running 24/7. I guess I did a good job because about a year after, I was asked to take care of the support part, and take care of the programs that were developed.
At that time, for the next 6 months I wondered if I made the right decision. But inspite of that I still gave my best, and it took a while but I learned to like what I’m doing, and take pride in it. To make the story short I was upgraded 5 steps up in 4 years, ending up being a manager. I felt blessed to have bosses who recognized my efforts, and it made all the sleepless nights worthwhile. I also know that I did work hard and deserved the rewards. Don’t get me wrong, I made mistakes, cried buckets, but everytime I did, I just kept getting back into it.
One of the most memorable moments was when I made a mistake that caused all my other team mates (about 10 of them) not to go home, to fix the mess I created. If I made a mistake and fix it that would be good, but to have someone else carry my burden was really painful, and worse, no one scolded or yelled at me. They just sat down and got to work. I remembered sitting on the floor in a corner crying. After about 20 minutes of being ignored and feeling sorry for myself (all of them were guys and I was the only rose by the way), I asked myself what the hell I was doing sitting there being useless. True I can’t do what they’re doing, but I can help by checking and testing what they did. So I wiped my tears and got to work. It took a few hours but things got back to normal.
Since then I became REALLY careful before hitting the ENTER key. I’ve trained a lot of fresh graduates after that, and that is one thing I ALWAYS tell them. Double check! Triple check! Crap happens when you’re not looking! Always back up! There’s no rewind button in the computer.
One thing I learned also, is that when you do not do your part in the organization, or you are useless, it’s not really the company who’s paying your salary. It’s your team mates, those who do their jobs, and doing YOURS because you couldn’t or won’t, that are paying your salary.
Although I was grateful for the companies and the bosses who hired me, my main motivation then was to be able to sleep every night with the peace of mind that I did my part and helped, that my wages were earned by ME. One of my bosses before who is also a friend told me, if you’re not the solution, then you’re the problem. That stuck to me. My daily goal even now is to be the solution, and later, if you ask me to describe myself in an organization, I would tell you that I’m a problem solver.
I used to keep comparing myself with my colleagues, and felt that I had less opportunities than they do. I felt that I was the least useful person in a group. Later though I realized that making a living doesn’t always mean we get to do what we like at times. There really is no perfect job, but whatever we are tasked to do, we should do it well and give our best. That’s being professional. Even now, handling so many personnel, I look for those who do the same. One of the biggest mistakes one can make is to think that one job is less than the other. Everybody who works, can be the best in their fields. It just takes focus and dedication, and in every organizaton, everybody has a part to play.
If we don’t focus on the job at hand, how can we expect to reach our dreams? Sometimes the path we want to take isn’t what was given to us, but as long as we keep our eyes on the goal, and do ordinary jobs extraordinarily, I don’t see why we can’t reach it. And along the way, don’t forget to enjoy the good things that happen as you walk towards that goal.
Addicted to Hana Yori Dango (Boys Over Flowers) June 17, 2009
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It’s been a while since I got really addicted to a telenovela, and lately it’s Hana Yori Dango. First I heard about it was when it was when the popular Taiwanese Meteor Garden came out. I watched both Season 1 and 2 and enjoyed it. Then came the Korean Boys Over Flowers, which came on ABS-CBN a few weeks ago. I came across it by accident, but out of curiosity, decided to watch it. I was hooked! At that time it was after another favorite of mine Us Two “Tayong Dalawa” hehehe, but later they changed the time slot to right before TV Patrol.
I was able to watch the whole thing though on the net, and I’m in love with all 4 of the F4 guys. I found myself laughing and crying during the whole thing, and even stayed up all night to watch. Took me 3 nights since I have to work on days. I was sad to see it finished, but then I heard about the Japanese version so that’s next.
Hana Yori Dango season 1 and 2 were really nice too! Even though all 3 has the same base story, each version has different twists and additions that makes each of them interesting, and would have you hooked to watch the next episode.
I’ve always preferred feel good movies, and usually I’d rather watch something which I know has a happy ending. That’s why I love these telenovelas so much, I know in the end they end up together.
After that I repeated all 3 again. Yep, I’m nuts. And then I decided to go back to where it all started and read the manga. Again I was surprised that I was hooked, mainly because all 3 telenovelas and the manga itself have different twists or where they put the “episodes”.
Why I got hooked? I asked myself that. It makes me feel good, and makes me remember my teens and 20’s when I was full of hope and life is one long journey ahead of me. Most of all, it fascinates me how Domyouji loved Makino, it was really intense, and even though this is a Cinderella story, and I’m now 40 years old, somehow I still believe that such love exists. Then there’s the comedy parts and the kilig moments as well. Made me feel nostalgic.
Of all 3 versions, I love the Japanese version best. Mind you, all 3 are great, but Hana Yori Dango pulled at my heartstrings most. Makino played by Mao Inoue was also the best among all 3, when she cries I cry with her The songs are all great also, but again, the Japenese songs I really love. Right now I love most is Flavor of Life by Utada Hikaru . Even now it moves me because it is usually played when there’s a dramatic scene in HYD. My brother knows her, and I found that she sang the OST of Kingdom Hearts which I used to watch him play on PS2. Her style is reminiscent of Evanescence but less nasal meaning I like Utada Hikaru a lot better! I just wish I remember more of the Japanese language (I minored in Japan Studies in my La Salle days).
As for actors, my favorite now is Jun Matsumoto, who played Domyouji. Actually compared to Jerry Yan and Lee Min Ho, he’s the shortest (I like tall men hehehe) but I love his acting. I decided to watch some of his works, and I love “Myo no anyo Papa ni Ageru” or “Myu will give Papa Her Legs”. He’s also a member of the boy band Arashi. Shucks I feel karma coming. I always laughed at my mom’s obsession with Jerry Yan, but I’m really getting bad too
I also now understand my sister’s love of reading manga. It all came back to me. I have one huge drawer full of manga, translated in Mandarin which I used to read when I was in my teens. They’re still here. I want to donate them somewhere but I don’t know where. I think I should scan them before the bugs get them huh?
It goes a bit deeper though. For the past years I’ve mostly focused on work and survival. I didn’t allow myself to feel such tender feelings, mainly because it also makes me sad at times to remember some of my old memories. But then I guess the moratorium is finished. I feel again, and I’ll just have to focus on the good memories instead of the bad ones, the same way I deal with life, focusing more on the blessings than the disappointments.
If you got time and liked Meteor Garden and/or Boys Over Flowers, do watch the Japanese Hana Yori Dango as well. They also have Hana Yori Dango Final, which is a movie made after the 2 seasons, worth watching too since it’s about Domyouji and Makino before they got married. I wonder if there will be future versions of HYD.
First 2 days in Cebu May 16, 2009
Posted by jennipot in Food and Drink, Get Laud, Health, Life, Shopping, Travel.add a comment
I arrived at Cebu yesterday (Thursday) around noontime. I took the promo of Crown Regency Cebu Getaway. The hotel feels more like a condotel, but it’s new and well furnished. I was pleasantly surprised to see that there are 2 queen sized beds in the twin-sharing room. I came with my brother Jared (who took his first plane ride) and my friend Oliver arrived on another flight.
The last time I was here, it was about 16 years ago. During that time I came with my Slimmers World gym buddies, and I was told to just buy a ticket with specific dates and they’ll take care of the rest. I did that and when we arrived, we were picked up by a military jeep. At that time, kidnapping was rampant and I was a bit unnerved when I saw that. And during those times there’s no texting yet. I had a Motorala Cellphone that I can bop you on the head and kill you with. Anyway, I freaked out when I saw lots of armed military men around where we were going, and realized I was in a military camp. I broke into a cold sweat, and scolded myself inwardly why i didn’t find out more about the trip. To make the story short, I found out that we were being hosted by the wife of the colonel who’s in charge of that camp, and I breathed a sigh of relief. It’s one of the funny moments I have had.
Back to the present, on the first day I walked around the whole SM City Cebu. My feet were killing me by the time I finished roaming around. Today I roamed around Ayala Cebu. Yep, my first 2 days were malling days. Actually I was looking for possible spaces that we can get for Get Laud, since there has been a clamor from Get Laud customers for us to have presence in Cebu. Will announce when we do have one!
With the suggestions from friends we tried out the Lechon Cebu by CNT Lechon at the Food Choices in Ayala Cebu. The line was always long, and we weren’t disappointed with the taste. The meat is soft, it’s a bit too salty for me though because I don’t eat rice. I had quite a lot though because it’s so tender! I also tried the Dimsum Break products, but they’re not very good except for the Pai Kwat (tausi spareribs). Don’t order the fried ones by the way, the steamed dimsum are a bit better.
One thing I like about my 2 days here is that there’s always a cab if you need one. Oh and there’s a Starbucks at the Ground Floor of this hotel. Next building is a McDonalds and 2 buildings away is Robinsons Place. Civilization!! No, I haven’t bought from McDo. I haven’t bought a Starbucks coffee yet. But there’s a feeling of comfort knowing they’re there. Obviously I’m a city girl through and through!
We went back to the hotel in the late afternoon and went up to do the “Sky Experience Adventure” which is included in our package. That’s the Edge Coaster and the Skywalk. I was both excited and scared about the prospect. Sadly, I wasn’t able to do any of it. I didn’t fit into the chair of the Edge Coaster. As for Skywalk, it’s required to wear their jumpsuits and I don’t fit into them. It made me kinda sad, but I was determined to enjoy myself. There’s an area where the Sky Bar is and the view is spectacular. I can also watch Jared and Oliver on the Edge Coaster as they pass me by. It made me feel a bit melancholy for a moment though, but I’m happy to see them enjoying themselves.
We had buffet dinner at the Sparx Restobar, which has a live band and a long buffet. Grabe! I was stuffed, but again, was able to eat a plate of vegetables (that’s my commitment and I’ve stuck with it for more than a month now. someone said it takes at least a month to create a habit). After dinner, I left Oliver and Jared to do their Skywalk. They had to postpone til after dinner because it rained. I went then to Prana Medispa to avail of my free one hour massage. And before that I was able to enjoy the dry sauna and steam bath. The massage was heavenly, especially after 2 days of walking and carrying my bag (I’ve wondered so many times why it’s so heavy but when I look inside I don’t feel like removing any of the contents).
Tomorrow we go to Maribago Bluewater. The wedding is there at 4pm but we’re going early so my bro and Oliver can go swimming. I am planning for a quite day of reading and relaxing myself. I have no intention of swimming, I don’t want to scare the people away hehehe. We go home on Sunday afternoon, I am hoping I can have another massage (I got 1 more free massage) before we leave. Also we still haven’t seen the 4D movies, hope we find time to avail of that. We won’t be able to go sightseeing, but I hope to come back soon. I’m glad travel now is so affordable and hope it stays that way.
As I looked out the night lights from the window, I think of how many things I want to do, places I want to go, but I’m limited to this big body. I’m not feeling self-pity, but I’m just accepting facts. I will continue with my food habit change, that’s for sure. I’ll also be faithful in using the exercise machine. I’m not sure how fast or how far it will take me, but I intend to just eat better now. I hope slowly I can shed some of this weight so I can walk better. I enjoy travelling and seeing new places. I want to try new things. I am hungry for more new experiences. Life is short and I will enjoy whatever I can for now. I’m not going to stop myself from experiencing them just because I’m big. True, there are limitations, but I won’t let them get me down. It’s seeing the glass as half full, that’s what I always do.
I’m babbling. But I’m happy. Too bad I missed today’s episode of Tayong Dalawa and Boys Over Flowers :-P
Tomorrow is another day!
Details of my package: 4D3N stay @Crown Regency Hotel, roundtrip ticket via Cebu Pacific
- daily breakfast buffet at Glo Cafe (food is very good)
- lunch buffet at Wan Shan Lo (haven’t tried it yet)
- dinner buffet at Sparx Restobar ( buffet has different types of food and lots of desserts, service is good, has live band)
- free massage at Prana
- 4D movie (haven’t tried it yet)
Will post again on those I haven’t tried
BDO Credit Card Woes…. geez April 16, 2009
Posted by jennipot in Life, Shopping.add a comment
Ok, I still have to blog about this. I called today just to confirm the cancellation of my credit card. Remember in my last blog, I requested for the cancellation before Holy Week pa. They said after 3 banking days it will be processed. It’s been a lot more than that, and guess what, when I checked, I was told that the request is “still under process”. Now here’s some of the conversation:
Jenny: All I am asking if whether my card has been cancelled already.
Agent: Ma’am it’s still being processed.
Jenny: What do you mean? Ok, since you already received my request for cancellation 2 weeks ago, and I have no outstanding balances, and I have not used the card since, can I be assured that I will not be charged any annual fees?
Agent: Ma’am, your cancellation is being processed.
Jenny: I know you already said that. What I’m asking is your system. How things work. Since I do not use your card and let’s say someone bothers to process my request one year from now because no one’s doing it now, is it safe to expect that I will not be charged any more annual fees?
Agent: (after hesitation): Yes Ma’am.
Jenny: Ok, please make sure that my request goes through. I have no intention of calling you again. Sorry don’t take this personally but I have had enough of your service. Good bye and have a good evening.
Pati cancellation di pa rin magawa ng maayos. Pag ako nakatanggap ng bill na kung ano ano ang i-charge ewan ko na talaga ano pa gagawin ko. Wala naman ako makausap na may powers na ayusin ang kapalpakan nila! When will it end?
BDO credit card woes - the Conclusion April 7, 2009
Posted by jennipot in Life, Shopping.1 comment so far
I called BDO card customer service and the answer still is the same. No change. So I did as I promised myself, I cancelled my card and told them they can have my P1,607.68. And I also will tell all my friends about what happened.
If they’re going to migrate Equitable Bank Visa members to their card, they should have made sure that the migration included my PAYMENTS which I have done faithfully and promptly. They should have looked at my past records and see that I never leave any balance in the statement. I always paid the full amount. They should have done their part because I did everything they told me to do.
The last straw was when the agent told me I already paid for the whole balance. I told her that I PAID IT BECAUSE THAT WAS THE ADVISE OF THEIR SUPERVISOR. The guy told me I should pay first to avoid interest charges and upon resolution they will credit back my money. And now they’re using THAT as reason why they will not give it back? Look what “good faith” brought me. I paid in good faith. They didn’t do anything about it inspite of a month-long issue. They told me to fax a letter and send all the proofs of payment and I did that too.
I decided enough is enough. It’s just not worth my time and energy to feel bad about their bad service. It’s not worth waiting for 10 minutes minimum to get an agent to talk to you, and in the middle of it you get cut off because their system is SUCKY. I did it 3 times in the morning, I got cut off everytime I tried to talk to them, on the 3rd attempt, I was at the end of my patience and tired of it all. And after they told me that the status is the same, and tried to verify my credit card number for the nth time, I just told them to FORGET IT and just cancel my card. Again I have to wait for 3 banking days and they will send me a confirmation of the cancellation. I told the agent, that they have told me several times that they will give me feedback but THEY NEVER DID. And this is how they reward good payers.
I just need to blog about it so I can have a closure, and after this I’m forgetting I ever had a BDO card. The bank, I’m still ok with it although I notice they’re offline a lot. But reality is that they’re everywhere. Also the bank people I’ve encountered were nice and accomodating.
But for BDO credit card, goodbye and I hope that I have no more trouble CANCELLING my card!!!
Shabu Shabu/ Hot Pots March 22, 2009
Posted by jennipot in Food and Drink, Life.add a comment
My favorite topic has always been food, and one of my favorite meals when I eat out is the hot pot or shabu shabu. I love that everything was boiled and usually I would put the noodles at the latter part of the meal when the soup is flavorful with all the stuff we threw into it. I remember when I used to live in our staff house at Alabang, I’d organize shabu-shabu parties with my team mates. That was really fun but with all of them being guys, I ended up being the one cooking as well
Places that I enjoy going to are:
Healthy Mini Shabu Shabu - I love that I have my own individual pot so I can anything I want with it, and I don’t have to compete with others to grab the food, and they also serve good steamed dumplings on the side. You choose the main course (beef, chicken, etc.) and they serve it with a platter of veggies, etc. Branches I’ve visited: Rockwell, Boni High, Greenhills. I know there are lots more
Tong Yang - Eat all you can! And they have smokeless grill too. This is great if you are 4 or less people, you get to try as many stuff as you can. Fat beef still my favorite there. They also have a buffet of cooked items and sushi, but not as good as I want.
Thousand Cranes - this is in Greenbelt 3, similar set up with Mini Shabu Shabu, they’re a little cheaper I think.
Luk Foo Hot Pot - if you go to Pure Gold Sucat, they have 2 Luk Foo’s, one’s a Chinese restaurant, the food’s really good and price is reasonable. 2nd one is Luk Foo Hot Pot. It’s not eat all you can, but the price is reasonable, and their shrimp wonton and shrimp dumplings are YUMMY! I usually use the sate soup base. Nice about them is when they serve the soup base it already contains pechay and tofu. Service is good as well!
Tian Tian Hot Pot - Gosh. I was just there yesterday. The last time I was there was 15 years ago. It’s in Pasay Road, beside what used to be Mars Disco (for those old enough to remember! hihihi). I was pleasantly surprised that when I went in, I saw the place hasn’t changed much. And the food is still as good as I remembered. Their dumplings and wontons, as well as the beef and pork balls are great! And their sliced beef is just right, not too much fat. One word of caution, they give you a list of everything they have, you check the box and order all you want. Tendency is when you’re hungry you tick too many boxes, and then you end up worrying about how to finish everything. Only order what you really want to eat, you can always order more if it’s bitin. It’s all raw anyway so it only takes minutes for them to serve your order. The good thing is, you can take home the remaining soup and food because they use microwaveable containers. Service is great too! I’m definitely going back. Oh, and they give 20% discount if you pay in cash, from 11am - 2pm I think. Only for shabu-shabu orders.
Usual things I order: taiwan pechay, baguio pechay, beef balls, sliced beef, pork balls, japanese corn, sliced chicken, wonton, dumplings, sotanghon (only if I’m really hungry).
I don’t usually order sea food because I prefer to eat at Dampa if it’s sea food, more value for money
Well that’s it for now… maybe one of these days I should organize another shabu-shabu party at home… hehehe
BDO Card woes March 22, 2009
Posted by jennipot in Life, Shopping.add a comment
I gotta blog about this because it’s one of my worst experiences with a credit card company. My credit card used to be Equitable Bank Visa, but then BDO bought Equitable so they converted my card to a BDO card. It was ok at first and since I shop a lot at the SM stores, the tie ups they had are great.
3 weeks ago I received my bill and was surprised to find that there was amount under Fees/Other Debits. I called BDO card customer service but was informed they were in the middle of a system maintenance or migration and can’t access my account. I called a few days after, and this time I was able to tell them about the problem. They told me they will text back but never did, so after 1 week, I called again. I was told then that they have to verify my old credit card number, so I gave it to them. They said they’ll follow up and expedite resolution of this matter. And for good measure I even gave them the transaction numbers and dates of the last 2 payments I made on my account. By then I already figured that my January and February payments didn’t reflect on the BDO card account. I was told to call after 3 banking days.
I waited for 4 banking days to be sure, and I was really upset when the person I talked to said EXACTLY the same thing as the last time. They need to verify my card number AGAIN and that they will “expedite” and “follow up” the issue. I got mad and told the agent I cannot accept that answer and insisted I talk to her supervisor. By the way, I waited about 30 minutes before my call was answered so you can imagine that I’m not very happy. And to have that answer again. I looked at my old bills and noticed that they were using my old card’s number, but this one that has a problem, they already used my BDO card number.
The supervisor asked me to fax them a letter and my proof of payment which I did. He said I should call after 2 banking days to confirm receipt of the fax. That’s going to be Monday. I just hope that they can come up with a solution because it’s already been 3 weeks since I first called them. And it’s unfair for me to pay for something I already paid for. I was advised to pay for the amount first, and they will just reverse once this issue has been resolved. We’ll see. I paid today the whole amount. If they mess this up I am REALLY going to get mad and I’ll make sure all my friends hear about it! I am so disappointed with BDO card!!!
Abangan ang susunod na kabanata!
