MMMiii!

Here’s my most recent chat conversation with Globe Telecom Customer Service. I changed my name and email and removed my number for my own security.

I’ve highlighted some words in bold to emphasize some points of interest and some thoughts as I was chatting with the other person (in italics).

DATE: 2010-08-26 07:53:49
INQUIRY: prepaid
AGENT: jhoy
SUBSCRIBER: Mi
Transcript:
[07:27:59] System message: You are now chatting with jhoy
[07:28:04] jhoy: Hi Mi! How can I help you today?
[07:28:12] Mi: i
[07:28:14] Mi: Hi*
[07:28:19] Mi: 0915xxxxxxx
[07:28:23] jhoy: may i know your globe prepaid concern?
[07:28:49] Mi: I’ve been sending an email to custhelp@globe.com.ph and talk@globetel.com.ph
[07:29:00] Mi: this is regarding the reward points that I am not getting
[07:29:14] jhoy: my apology for the inconvenience
[07:29:30] jhoy: may i know your email address?
[07:29:36] Mi: emxxxxxx@gmail.com
[07:29:58] jhoy: Thank you for the information
[07:30:14] jhoy: may i know when did you redeem the items?
[07:30:23] Mi: i have NOT redeemed any items
[07:30:26] Mi: i am talking about POINTS.
[07:30:30] Mi: not items for redemption
[07:31:17] jhoy: let me clarify,your concern is about your points is not updated?
[07:31:24] Mi: YES.
[07:31:44] jhoy: may i know when was your last reloading date?
[07:32:06] Mi: Last reload date was August 13, the amount of P1000.
[07:32:31] jhoy: may i ask what channel of reloading?
[07:32:43] Mi: Through BPI ExpressOnline.
[07:33:13] jhoy: when did you last time you checked your points?
[07:33:20] Mi: just now
[07:33:25] jhoy: a text notification on points earned will be sent after 7 days from the last reload.
[07:33:30] Mi: well
[07:33:31] Mi: count
[07:33:33] Mi: how many days
[07:33:37] Mi: has it been since august 13
[07:34:12] Mi: I don’t even get a message that the points have been updated if I don’t send an
email about it
[07:34:17] Mi: this is getting old
[07:34:26] jhoy: may i know when did you ourchased your simcard?
[07:34:36] Mi: Years ago
[07:34:39] jhoy: *purchased
[07:34:40] Mi: don’t you have records in your system?

[07:34:46] Mi: i’ve called at least 50 times probably
[07:36:48] jhoy: my apology but we dont have access to check for that
[07:37:06] Mi: Right. I’ve seen the crm at the business center. (Like hell you don’t.)
[07:37:32] Mi: Anyway, for you. I don’t know exactly when I purchased my sim, but I’ve had this
for at least 5 years. (I actually have proof of it’s existence dating back to August 2005, but I have a blog post stating that I’ve had the number since April or May 2005)
[07:39:11] jhoy: Let me get back to you on that. Please give me a minute or 2 to look for the
information you need.
[07:42:42] Mi: …
[07:42:56] jhoy: thank you for waiting
[07:43:05] Mi: k
[07:43:42] jhoy: may i ask for the transaction number of your last reloading if you saved?
[07:44:33] Mi: I don’t have it anymore.
[07:44:35] jhoy: may i ask if you receive the confirmation message that the reloading is
successful?
[07:44:52] Mi: and YES the reloading is successful. if it weren’t I wouldn’t be so patient. (One of the many issues I’ve had was when it took 6 days before P1000 load got credited)
[07:45:09] jhoy: may i know your full name?and other contact number?
[07:45:22] Mi: MI XXXXXX, contact number is that same number.
[07:45:27] Mi: it’
[07:45:40] Mi: it’s not just points for that last 1000 that I reloaded
[07:45:48] Mi: I’ve reloaded a total of 3500 since APRIL.
[07:45:54] Mi: and I only have 253 points.
[07:46:20] jhoy: my apology for the inconvenience
[07:46:25] Mi:
[07:46:26] jhoy: i’ll make a report
[07:46:37] Mi: and WHEN can I receive an update about this?
[07:46:46] Mi: Because I have been contacting Globe for weeks about this already
[07:46:56] Mi: My emails are being ignored as well.
[07:47:00] jhoy: kindly stay online do i can give you the reference id
[07:47:38] jhoy: you will receive a feedback within 3days
[07:47:57] Mi: ok. 3 days it is.
[07:48:01] jhoy: kindly stay online so i can give you the reference id of your concern
[07:48:13] jhoy: Let me get back to you on that. Please give me a minute or 2 to look for the
information you need.
[07:48:14] Mi: today is the 26th, so I should receive a feedback before the 29th, is that right?
[07:51:10] jhoy: thank you for the information (You’re welcome?)
[07:51:25] jhoy: i mean thank you for waiting
[07:51:30] Mi: …
[07:51:43] Mi: k
[07:51:48] jhoy: Hi, the reference ID for your concern is MRG10080002453. Our Investigation
Team shall get in touch with you to give you feedback on your concern within 3days
[07:52:21] Mi: ok. so as I’ve said, I should receive a feedback by the 29th. is that right?

[07:52:44] jhoy: Ma’am, your concern is being handled by our support group. Kindly expect that it
will be resolved by 08/28/2010. Thank you
[07:52:59] jhoy: is there anything else i can help you with?
[07:52:59] Mi: oh. 08/28/2010 then.
[07:53:33] Mi: none for now.
[07:53:34] jhoy: kindly monitor for the feedback within 3days
[07:53:46] jhoy: Thank you for using Globe’s Chat Assist. I’m pleased to serve you anytime!
[07:53:48] Mi: ok.
[07:53:49] System message : Chat Session has been ended by the chat assist representative.

She kept on saying “let me get back to you on that” but when she comes back, she doesn’t come back with answers to my questions.

*SIGH*

What kind of training do they get there? From previous experience, it seems that their customer service is kind of like assisting with minor concerns and the rest are “Log and Route” … but they should at least work on their communication skills. I’m not talking about grammar. Their grammar could be so bad for all I care, as long as I understand them… but with chat support, they don’t even need to have listening skills. They just need to read and think. They’re so hung up on canned responses as well.

Let’s wait then, until the 28th.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

This post is actually late already. The rainy season started a couple of weeks ago but since it’s the BER months already, I’m expecting more rain. Rain is nice. It’s cool. It’s not so hot. I don’t need to make a makeshift dehumidifier because it’s so hard to breathe in the heat and humidity. The air is humid but at least it’s not so hot (most of the time).

To be honest, I love the rain. It makes the temperature comfortable. But I also hate the rain because it brings floods and what not. Also, I’m currently too lazy to get new shoes so when it rains my socks get wet because my shoes has leaks. Just yesterday rainwater got inside the house. Note: Rain Water. Not water from the streets. Our house has too many leaks that it floods inside.

I would like to leave this place soon.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Divine ice cream pleasure is HEAVEN Ice Cream.

Give in to the richest, smoothest, and creamiest by NESTLÉ Ice Cream. Revel in the exquisite goodness of its four sophisticated flavors—Belgian Chocolate Bliss, Strawberry Dream, Vanilla Almond Secret and Butter Pecan Obsession. HEAVEN Ice Cream is made with only the finest ingredients and contains no artificial food colors. Available in 800mL(Php 175) & 450mL(Php 115) tubs across supermarkets, groceries, and convenience stores nationwide.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Scott and I went to the BoI office in Intramuros. I read various posts about going there via public transportation but nothing really was clear. Or maybe my sense of direction is that bad that I couldn’t understand it. We walked around asking for directions as well but imagine 6 people pointing in different directions with their arms (enter picture of tokusatsu pose… or power rangers for those who don’t know tokusatsu) and each giving different ways to get there.

I live in Quezon City so I will talk about how to go there via EDSA which is probably the fastest way compared to taking a bus or jeepneys.

1. Get off at at MRT TAFT Station and walk to the LRT EDSA Station.
2. Get off at LRT Central Station.
3. If you’re facing the street once you get down, go left. Keep going straight until you see a parking lot to the left.
4. Turn left and when you get to the street, you should see the entrance to the underpass.
5. Go down to the underpass and keep going. There will be a sign that points to the right saying Intramuros. Go up on the right.
6. Keep walking along the sidewalk until you see the entrance of Intramuros to the left.
7. Turn left and enter Intramuros.
8. Turn right once you get inside and just keep going straight. You’ll see various food places to the right and dorms on the left.
9. Once you reach the gate, turn right. You should see a green building (As of July 2010). That’s the Bureau of Immigration building.

For aliens (foreigners) who need to extend their visa and don’t have an ACR I-Card yet…

1. Once inside, go straight to the assistance desk (I can’t remember what it’s called).
2. Ask for visa extension forms. If you’re already overstaying, ask for the Motion for Reconsideration form. The visa extension form just needs your name, passport information, address in the Philippines, address in your home country, and the date of expiration for your validity of staying. The Reconsideration form will just ask you why you weren’t able to apply for an extension before your due date and why you need to stay longer.
3. Remember to bring a pen with you. If you don’t have a pen, you can buy at the photocopying machine. You need to have the first page and the page where the due date is stamped on your passport. Each photocopy costs P2.
4. Submit your papers at the Receiving windows. There are 4 I think. They will compute how much you need to pay. Bring cash with you, as they do not accept credit cards. There is also a “plus $50 or peso equivalent” stated there but not added so be sure to have an extra P2400 when you go to the cashier to pay.
5. Come back in 2 hours. There’s a Starbucks nearby and you can stay there while waiting.

I don’t know what to do for other cases.

I think we walked more than what we had to because of the people who were giving us bad directions. Hopefully this can help someone. I swear I think I lost some pounds walking around. I haven’t even taken any weight loss supplement yet but you can read more info on weight loss supplements if you click here.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

We went to El Nido from Puerto Princesa via a shuttle. Or a van. Either way, it’s an airconditioned vehicle that is twice the price of the regular bus but almost twice as fast. If we took the bus, it was only worth P300 but it would take approximately 10 hours to get to El Nido. If we take the shuttle, it will only take 6 hours or so.

We booked with Fort Wally Shuttle Service. I highly suggest booking in advance but not TOO too early because they’ll probably lose your reservation.

We stayed in Marina Garden Beach Resort which was by the shore in the heart of El Nido. From there, we had the tours A and C arranged by the resort. It was a bit pricier than most. When we walked around there were available tours that was P100 cheaper than what Marina had arranged for us. But the first day of our tour, there was only the three of us so it looked like we were on a private tour.

For the first day, we had Tour C because the weather was perfect for it. We went to the Hidden Beach and the Secret beach and some other beaches. We each ate a whole Maya-maya or Red Snapper for lunch.

The second day of the tour, we had Tour A, but there were other people in the tour which was just fine. It was still just 2 groups. The more, the merrier. But it was kind of uncomfortable other people seeing my flab. I really need to get in shape (I KNOW, CIRCLE IS A SHAPE) and get diet pills that work coupled in with regular exercise. But I’m already expecting to be broke so… never mind.

We had dinner at Squidos on our first night. Scott had butter-lemon crab and he loved it. He said it was better than the crabs we ate in Singapore. It was only P150 for 2 crabs (Around $4.00). I had their specialty which was the Stuffed Squid. It was mighty good.

The second night, we ate at Balay Tubay where there was this “Live Performance” with us as the only audience he had and the singer sang depressing songs. The servings were huge. We learned our lesson to ask first how many people can eat one serving of their food. I had the Pancit Bihon.

For the third night, we ate at Marbers where we had the beach as our scenery. I ordered Pancit Palabok which was good. Loraine liked my food better than her Pesto Pasta.

We woke up early on our 4th day there to go back to Puerto Princesa and hop on our plane back to Manila in the evening. The shuttles only run in the morning because the roads are too dangerous to travel on at night. We did our last minute pasalubong shopping in the market and hung out at Itoy’s for the airconditioning and coffee.

THE BEACHES WERE BETTER IN EL NIDO. If you’re going to go to Palawan, might as well go to El Nido and/or Coron (Although I haven’t been there as of writing this).

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

I NEED TO PACK!!! Loraine gave me a list of items to bring. As of the moment, I’m not yet done packing because I forgot to inform my brother Iks that today is the flight and I’ll be borrowing his backpack. I’m waiting for him as I type. Anyway, this is Lori’s email for me because she knows how stupid I can be when it comes to traveling. AND this IS technically my first beach trip.

PACKING TIPS

1. Pack smart. Pack light. Pack what YOU can carry yourself. If you cannot carry it yourself, leave some stuff behind. I think you know this already.
2. Duffel bag or Backpack.
3. Bring a plastic bag/ eco bag for pasalubongs.
4. Bring baryadong pera. Don’t bring all Php 1,000 with you. Bring enough cash.

ON CLOTHES:

1. Swimsuit of course. We have three swimming days. you can recycle swimsuits para lighter ang dala nyo.
2. Sarong. For protection to Haring Araw, as banig.

THINGS TO BRING:

1. Goggles/Snorkeling gear if you don’t want to rent. Php 100-150 ang rent ng snorkel.
2. Aqua shoes. Not really that necessary. We can rent. Same rate as snorkeling gear I think.
3. Comfy footwear.
4. Cameras. I’m bringing both my point-and-shoot camera and underwater camera. At kukunan nyo ako ng pictures.
5. Camera charger
6. Cellphone charger
7. SUNBLOCK. Utang na loob.
8. Sunblock with the anti-jellyfish feature
9. Plastic bag for dirty clothes
10. Plastic bag for wet clothes
11. Bitbit na bag. Dito ilalagay ang towel, extra clothes, camera, food, water, at kung anu-ano while we tour. Expect it will get wet. Ilagay sa loob ng plastic bag ang mga gamit kung hindi waterproof ang bag.
12. Ziplock bags for money. Pwede na din normal na maliit na plastic bag.
13. Off Lotion. I buy the sachets para mas tipid.
14. Normal Lotion or petroleum jelly. Baka mag-dry ang skin. Apply bago matulog.
15. Sunglasses
16. Hat/Cap/Sunvisors/Bandana.
17. Towel. I pack a light towel para hindi mabigat at hindi mahirap patuyuin.
18. Medicines - for ALLERGIES, headaches, biyahilo meds
19. Toiletries: soap, shampoo, tootpaste, toothbrush, conditioner, deodorant, kikay stuff
20. Umbrella. Pero sana hindi magamit.
21. Cards/Books.
22. Water during travel. 2 liters ay pwede na.
23. Snacks. Mga kutkutin sa bus and resort. I prefer to bring my own. Baka may patong na kasi pagdating dun.
24. Ipod with a cool playlist - for the long van ride.
25. Flashlight. For night walks.
26. Hard bread for fish feeding - Skyflakes/Breadpan/Prima

NOTES:
El Nido has rationed electricity 8pm to 6pm I think. But it can be erratic at times.
I will be collecting Php 100-200/pax for common fund. We will probably be tipping some of the good guides there.

Do let em know if you have any concerns.

I’m not even including anymore the womens vitamins. Right now since I just really went through the list NOW to italicize the non-English words, I’m looking for the waterproof cards that I won’t feel bad if it gets lost in the sand. I really want to try playing cards on the sand. Well, off to pack and look for the cards!

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Here are promos that I’ve found so far for this year’s elections. Actually, it’s tomorrow!

1. Krispy Kreme - Free Krispy Kreme Orange You Glad chiller.


(Thanks, Chloe!)

2. Subway - B.O.T.O/ - Buy One Take One Free.

(thanks, Tintin!)

3. C2 - P10 for 500ml at any 7-11 and Mini Stop branch
(Thanks, Sara!)

4. 7-Eleven - B.O.T.O. - Buy One Take One on selected items.

Notice that most of them are about food. I don’t know yet what 7-eleven has to offer. So let’s vote and think about dieting later. You can check out apidexin reviews some other time. For now, it’s time to get your voice heard.

Let’s go out and vote!

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

No, I’m not going to be like those Filipinos you normally see on TV, who, after being in another country for a couple of years, would snipe at their own country about how the other place is better, and what not.

But… It IS HOTTER here than Hong Kong. It’s so much hotter. It’s really really hot! I went to Farmers, Gateway, Shopwise, and SM in Cubao today, and it felt like all the airconditioning broke down. Sure, they were on, but it still felt hot inside. It was like an oven inside all these malls. And usually they would be a lot cooler than outside. Maybe not much for Farmers and Shopwise, but SM and Gateway should have been cooler! A lot lot cooler! But it was so hot!

I read today from INQUIRER though that today is the hottest day of the year–so far–according to PAG-ASA. That’s just the temperature reading, though. Other days have been hotter, probably, if you consider the humidity and lack of wind, there’s that “feels like” factor that some websites provide.

Anyway, we went around these malls looking for Navel Oranges and Shampoo and body soap. We weren’t able to get the Navel oranges and we settled for something else for the shampoo. I didn’t buy Apple juice for my colon cleanse regimen although I found a bottle of organic apple juice. I didn’t want to carry it around in this heat.

AAAAHHH IT’S SO HOT!!!

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

And so I went and conquered Corregidor yesterday. Man, I’m so tired. We were even planning to go to Ocean Park after it but we were so exhausted we just wanted to go home when we got back to Manila.

Now on to the damages.

Financial Damage:
The travel package was P1999 from Sun Cruises.
Lights and Sound show is an addition P150. This is optional and it lasts for 30 minutes. But what are you going to do in a remote place for 30 minutes? You also won’t get to go inside the historical Malinta tunnel with out it, so it’s going to end up a requirement. I paid for my brother so it’s P300 total.
I wanted to buy souvenirs but I ran out of cash. Good thing the place where we ate accepted credit cards. The keychains I got were P175 each. I got 2, so that’s P350 in total.
When we got back to Manila, I wanted to thank my brother for coming with me even if he had work that same night, so I treated him to dinner. We ate at Sizzling Pepper Steak amounting to P620.
We met at Ministop in the morning and I bought Silvanas, Powerade, and candies = P98.
Random transportation fares that I paid for:
Jeepney from house to train station = P7 x 2 = P14
Cab from Pureza LRT2 station to the bay = P100
Cab from the bay to Recto LRT2 station = P100

Weight Damage
Lunch was a buffet with Menudo, Roasted Chicken, Leche Flan, Buttered Vegetables. Minestrone, Pandan juice, and my favorite of the day, SEAFOOD PAELLA!
The damage here is to my tummy. :( And to my weight.

Tiredness
Well… I’m sooo tired and sleepy.

I read some phentermine reviews and this one uses caffeine to raise the heart rate for fat burning purposes. But a lot of people drink coffee and other caffeinated drinks anyway right? Maybe I should just drink espresso everyday.

So much being a tourist. My camera’s battery died out on me in the last hour of the trip :( I need to buy a spare battery.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

I’m dreaming of a loooong … vacationnn (to the tune of White Christmas).

Next week, I’m on vacation leave for 3 days and my 2 rest days follow that. So I’ll have 5 days in total. The first day (20th) I’ll be going to Corregidor with Jennie. The rest of the days… I don’t really know yet. I need to seriously work on my updated CV and maybe clean up a little. I also need to update TheTopBunk … as I’m writing this, I’m backlogged for a couple of days already. I’ll also hopefully be going to the gym on those days except the 20th and the 24th.

The trip to Corregidor (I booked on this website) will be a guided tour. I know that’s not the best way to do trips, but it’s my first time to explore a little so I might as well be guided and have someone else take care of everything for me.

The Hong Kong trip that I’ve been dreaming about for over a year already will not be a guided tour. I’m determined about that but I really have no idea about going on trips. I mean, someone really needs to teach me how to go about planning these trips step by step because I’m a real dummy. I might end up booking Outer Banks vacation rentals for what should be Inner Banks if a place like that exists. I might end up getting a more expensive hotel or something when I could have got something a lot cheaper. I intend to spend but not waste my hard-earned munniez.

My Tagaytay trip last month was totally ruined because of a storm so hopefully this pushes through.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!