The Wall

Have you ever heard of the runner's wall? For say, when athletes or any random civilian joins a marathon and whilst running they suddenly encounter hurdles that can hinder them from completing the race; e.g muscle pain, loss of breath or they begin to second guess themselves -- regardless of the concern -- if they really can move on or not; they've then encountered "the wall".

The reason why I've been so aloof lately in terms of updating my entries is because I'm starting to lose the fire and i'm beginning to doubt myself if I really belong in this industry or not. Hence, I think i've hit the wall. I've been quite uninspired with everything: where i'm currently at, my job, my PAY and the situation of my life in general.

I feel so stuck! It appears to seem like i'm trapped on a contraption called a rocking chair; feels like i'm moving but i'm actually heading nowhere.

Have you ever wondered why we're all here and why we choose to do the things we do? You can try to scrutinize the entire universe but perhaps you still won't be able to figure it out.

I. AM. LOST.

I need a sign of some sort! I'm not really a believer of signs but I think at times like these, you tend to grab on to anything that would aid you towards getting back in track to your path.

Until that sign comes..

The prisoner of the wall,
DJ

Eve of 2011

I extremely apologize for the hiatus. I haven't been blogging for the past few months due to a lot of random shenanigans. I'll definitely be back next year.

For now, let's all keep in mind that sometimes it's best to let go to make space for better things to come.

Happy 2011!

DJ

Alcohol and Charm

August 13 2035H
At the hotel I work for in Manila.

What transpired earlier was such a hilarious yet flattering experience.

Whilst I was standing on the desk, updating random profiles, a guest walks up to my direction; I look up, give him my metal-mouth smile and welcome him to the hotel as I notice him carrying a huge bag while dragging his huge luggage.

DJ: Good evening, checking-in?

Guest: Oh yes, I'll be checking-in.

DJ: May I have your passport or any type of ID with your photo on it?

The guest then grabs his passport from his bag and hands it to me -- I assumed he was Australian but his passport indicated that he's a British citizen.

DJ: Mr. B******, you'll be staying with us for a night?

Guest: That's correct.

I then go and register him whilst doing my redundant "check-in spiel" and all that jazz. After he filled up the form and after explaining every detail of his package, I then ask..

DJ: May I have your estimated time of departure tomorrow?

Guest: I'll be checking out real early; perhaps around 0500H.

DJ: That is pretty early sir. I'm afraid you won't be able to avail of the buffet breakfast since it begins by 0630H; care for a packed breakfast instead?

Guest: What? you guys do that? that's awesome! YES PLEASE!

DJ: What would you prefer sir? We have a choice of American, Continental or Filipino.

The guest goes for American and I can see from his smile that he was really impressed.

DJ: Also, since you'll be leaving quite early, would you like to have a wake up call?

Guest: Absolutely! You're a star, DJ! -- accompanied by a huge grin that could go for miles.

At this point, I took the advantage of "indirectly" asking for a recommendation from him. So.. I grab this comment card from one of the random dockets of my desk whilst looking at him and saying..

DJ: Perhaps you'd like to fill this up for us; we would love to read your thoughts about your initial experience at the hotel.

He hurriedly grabbed the form and asked for a pen and then he jumped the gun by asking "Where do I recommend you?".

In the back of my head, I was chanting HALLELUJAH!! My plan actually worked! haha.

The funny thing is, I could smell the alcohol from his breath so I sorta used that to my advantage because he wasn't in his sober state. I also noticed that he was literally scribbling on the comment card and he couldn't even spell some of the words correctly. I then jokingly asked him..

DJ: Sir, you're still sober, ya?

He then gives me another grin but I was pretty sure that he was already intoxicated with more than a slight buzz.

Attached below -- I'm not so sure if I can post this here since it's quite confidential; but yeah, who cares? haha -- is the actual comment he wrote down:



Don't you find it quite hilarious? I've learned that you seriously need to use your cards well in any given situation.

After that silly experience, I've re-used this new-found-skill i've learned and I actually received more recommendations from guests! Garnering me a prize of Php 200.00 since I received the highest recommendations for the month of August in the front office department. Well, yeah, Php 200.00 isn't really much but what's important is that guests actually appreciate what I do and it really inspires me to do even better in my craft. The monetary benefit is great but it's the pride that's really rewarding.

Below are the other commendations i've received:







































So yeah, it's just a random story I chose to share and I hope you use this as an example to do well on your own perspective fields.

'til then..

See you guys at the skies!

The agent who's Php 200.00 richer,
DJ

Hello Patience, are you there?

I have always fathomed myself as an individual who is highly skilled in the art of diplomacy whilst being equipped with an abundance of patience; however, recently, i've noticed a slight change that threatens to abolish these "gifts" of mine.

Patience and diplomacy as we all know are two very essential qualities to have if you opt to develop a career in the hospitality industry. You need these qualities whenever you deal with irate, slow or just anyone who knows how to push your buttons -- both colleagues and guests alike.

Having been officially a part of this industry -- as an employee and not an intern -- for 2 whole months now, I catch myself often cussing for numerous reasons whilst being on the front desk. As a frontliner, you come face to face with different personalities from a diverse range of nationalities; some good, some bad and some just plain nasty! I've encountered most of these personalities and I must say, some instances definitely test your patience and professionalism.

Like I mentioned earlier, I have always believed that I can firmly categorize myself as "someone who rarely gets pissed off" hence, having a great deal of control towards annoyance. After a short span of time in this industry though, I begin to question myself if I really have the ability to act like everything's all right with a sweet smile but I just wanna scream my lungs out with words that definitely will not make my momma proud.

I think it's just the stress that's getting to me; all the complaints, the arguments, the joiners that have bitch-fits, the workload, the change of shifts and the PAY. I swear, what I'm earning right now isn't upto par with the amount of stress this job entails. Most people celebrate every payday but in my case, I just get depressed everytime I face the screen of the ATM machine. Sigh.

Okay, I realized I'm just ranting now. Haha but isn't blogging all about freedom to express one's thoughts?

I'm just baffled by the fact that I easily get irritated lately with the simplest of things and it's definitely a huge shocker for me; this job is morphing me into an irate, atrocious person who lacks sleep! Damn! Okay, atrocious might be too much of an adjective to describe myself haha but I sorta feel that I'm starting to turn into one.

I guess having to work 6 days a week without even having time to go unwind can really bring out the grouchy side of a person. This is all just a phase i'm assuming and I sure hope this fades soon.

So.. Patience, are you there? Hello? It's all right to come back home to Papa.

'til then,

Patiently waiting for patience,
DJ

Time is a luxury

0219H - Manila

I've been on an extreme hiatus in terms of updating my site lately and it's all due to my job that has turned me into a creature who is relentlessly in desperate need of time. Six days a week man! YES, six EFFIN days on that desk per week. SHEESH! I don't really want to complain or what not but after a month at work, i've realized that my new job has been taking its toll on my personal life. Don't get me wrong though since I'm learning a hella lot of stuff but I just can't seem to find adequate time to fit in my personal life in my schedule.

So.. how has work been like, you ask? It's been great! like I said, i've been learning a lot and i've finally mastered the technique of tearing the tiny piece of paper coming out of the credit card device. Checking-in and checking-out guests (literally and figuratively on the checking-out part) is now second nature to me. I've just been late for work once; t'was when I had a party to attend because I was in dire need of booze and I was supposed to report to work at 0600H -- I mean who leaves a party so early right? -- but I ended up tucking in myself to bed at a half an hour past 0300H. 0630H and someone was banging on my door like there was a robber in the house, I opened it and voila! it was my maid informing me that there was a phone call for me from someone at the hotel I work in, I pick up the phone in my groggy state and I catch myself starting to speak in gibberish -- I think the booze finally started to kick in at that point -- but I just coughed it out. After registering the voice of the caller, I realized that it was my supervisor! She advised me to report for work immediately because I was already 30 minutes late -- waaay past the grace period -- I said that i'll be there as soon as I can and by the time I hanged up the phone, I looked at the clock and I started cussing inappropriate words to myself! I just grabbed my uniform from my closet without even bathing and hurriedly asked my dad if he could drop me to the hotel. When I reached the back office, they questioned me as to why I was tardy so I just came clean and told them that I partied last night; they warned me to not repeat this behavior again because it would reflect on my evaluation since I was still on a probationary status. Lesson learned: Party EARLIER and try to fill in your system with as much booze as possible so that you'd have an excuse to leave the party. HAHA

It's currently 0230H and I catch myself eating left-over pizza after slumbering for 12 hours STRAIGHT! I have to report to work at 0600H and i'm glad that I have some time for myself regardless if it's in an odd time of night, err.. morning. Having been on the graveyard shift the past week, I find myself experiencing "jetlag" without even being on a plane -- How ironic is that? It already makes me feel like a flight attendant since FA's don't have regular sleeping patterns and most often than not, they experience jetlag. In my case, I'm experiencing it whilst my toes are on solid ground. After working against my body-clock, i've grown a certain level of sympathy towards individuals who wound up in a call center -- kudos to you guys!

This entry doesn't even seem to make sense anymore! Let's just say i'm happy to be back and that i've finally found time to actually do something else aside from hibernating or serving people whilst at the front desk.

To end this, let me remind you that TIME is a LUXURY and it's best to not waste it on random shenanigans that fail to benefit you in any way.

Cheers!

In frantic need of time,
DJ

Rekindling my passion

Ahh.. that feeling of rapture and delight! Such a great feeling indeed. I'm finally reacquainted again with the first love of mine -- the hotel front desk. I know, I know, it's quite silly of me to say this, but yeah, I'm totally nuts over the reception! Do you ever have this sentiment of ecstacy towards someone or something but you can't really point out what it is? It's that je ne sais quoi! That thing you just can't grasp! -- that's what I felt when I was back in Dubai, training at the front desk of an Arabian resort.

I haven't mentioned this yet, but yes, I have lived in Dubai for almost half a year for my internship. I was working for the Jumeirah Group wherein I was deployed at Madinat Jumeirah (The Arabian Resort of Dubai) and I was based at the Front Desk/Reception as a Guest Services Executive. I had a blast! The people I worked with were some crazy, outgoing and very VERY spontaneous individuals! -- when I say spontaneous, expect the worst haha. That was approximately a year ago and I was never given a chance to be placed at the front desk again ever since I came back to Manila -- not until NOW!

So yeah, I've been on a hiatus lately from the blog world because I had to focus on my "career". I had a series of interviews for a couple of companies this week and I was pretty much preoccupied with that. I was interviewed for a Passenger Service Agent position at PAGS and I passed all the interviews but the salary is terrible -- oh yes! you won't be able to survive! Trust. Me. -- and I'm supposed to commence my training tomorrow; luckily though, I didn't sign the contract therefore there's nothing binding me with PAGS. A while ago, I had my final interview with the Operations Manager and the General Manager of a boutique hotel in Makati and I also got the results on the same day -- I PASSED! -- and I'm completely on a high right now.

My orientation will begin on the 14'th (Friday) and i'm sooo excited for it. Also, I believe that this shall be a very good credential for me on my CV when I meet up with airline recruiters because this position allows me to directly deal with guests and handle their complaints, queries and what not. Again, it's an investment! I don't see myself with the company for long though; I just plan to stay with them for a year or so -- just until my braces come off -- and then i'll go and try my luck with the airline industry again.

My dream has always been to fly over the rainbow so high but I guess it's all right to side track a bit. hahaha

Just an update on my end, I hope you're doing great on your end as well!

Until then.

Your new Front Office Agent,
DJ

Flight Attendant dream status: On hold.

You got that right, I'm officially putting my FA dream on hold due to some issues I have to deal with.

Yes my dear readers -- if I have any. haha -- I went to the dentist a while ago to have my braces attached. Braces as we all know is a major NO-NO in the FA industry -- well, for most airlines -- due to some safety issues not only during training but also in the actual aircraft itself.

So yeah, you guys might think i'm bonkers to have them on especially right now wherein there are OD's for some multi-national airlines but i'm actually seeing this as an investment; in due time, my slightly crooked teeth will be aligned and the problem with my jaw -- which I only found out today -- will be resolved.

Honestly, I've always believed I had a great smile -- all modesty aside -- and that my teeth were OK. Since I started browsing through different FA forums and blogs, i've noticed that most aspirants tend to put their dreams on hold as well for the sake of having their teeth fixed. Also, i've read that most of them experienced rejection from different airlines due to how their teeth look like. In my case, I only started to notice the misalignment of my teeth after reading those stories.

Fellow FA wannabes, i'm not insisting that your teeth has to be perfect in order for you to actually make it in the airline company of your choice but it sure is a factor. Take note of EK, they value the smiles of their employees and i'm pretty certain that it's part of their criteria -- along with your personality and how you present yourself of course -- in selecting their cabin crew. If you personally feel like you need to have your teeth fixed, by all means, go ahead and do it; we have all the time in the world and this is definitely going to be a lifelong investment.

It's best to keep in mind though that our smile can only lead us to some extent, the verdict will still depend on how you exude yourself to the recruiters and how you manage to make them suckers for your charm.

I swear, I look like a geek! haha all that's missing is a pair of nerdy glasses and i'm good to go. These canker sores are such a drag as well! I just had my braces attached today, 24 hours hasn't even gone by yet and my gums are already begging for me to save them. Oh well, like I said earlier.. it's an investment and no matter how overused this next line is, it really DOES make sense: No pain, No gain.

So.. what's in store for me now, you ask? I still have noooo idea whatsoever. Let's see where my path leads me and then i'll just play it by ear.

Don't worry though, I won't be on a hiatus and I promise to still keep on updating this blog of mine.

See you guys at the skies in 2011!

With metal in my mouth,
DJ