Wednesday, July 27, 2011

HSBC is the WORST!

WHY YOU SHOULDN'T GET AN HSBC CREDIT CARD
Let me tell you my story...

THE SCENARIO:
There are always a couple of booths in our office' ground floor almost everyday. These booths sell credit cards, phone lines, cable lines, and other postpaid subscription stuff. Last week, HSBC approached me and gave me an application form. I said I'll just take it upstairs to our office room and review it. Then the agent insisted that I fill out the form right then and there. Just to get through with it, I signed up the form quickly. Then I was asked to submit photocopies of my payslips and IDs. I said I'll give it later. But since I was too busy, I wasn't able to give the requirements back.

Then the next day, while I was going crazy at work, the agent called me and asked me to fax or email my requirements to him. He also interviewed me a bit. He asked me how long have I been with the company so I answered 3 months going 4. Then he said, during the CI, I should say that I've been with the company for 6 months already. So there, he taught me how to lie. Anyway, when I had the time that afternoon, I took photos of my IDs and payslips, and emailed them to the agent. Then he called me back to say that the details in my payslip weren't readable, so he instructed me to photocopy them and submit to their booth in the ground floor. What a hassle! So I insisted on taking a new snapshot of the payslips, then I emailed them again. Fortunately, he didn't call me again.

THE CLIMAX:
So the weekend passed...and just when the clock ticked 12 earlier today, I got a call from the agent. My co-workers and I were about to go to the cafeteria for lunch when my phone rang. Anyway, so I answered the call. He briefed me about the stuff I should say when I talk to the CI agent. I thought that's for another day, so I got surprised when he said he'll forward that call to a CI agent.

I wasn't prepared. My co-workers didn't know who I was talking with on my cellphone. We're on our way to the cafeteria and my co-workers were teasing and playing around among themselves. I can barely hear what the CI agent was saying. I wasn't even able to focus since my co-workers tried involving me in their jokes and I had to put the CI agent on hold just to stop them. Btw, the CI agent was a girl and I can't remember her introducing her name but I didn't mind.

When we reached the outdoor, it was raining hard and there were lots of people, so all the more that I can't hear what the girl on the phone was saying. This was the conversation that followed:

(then her rudeness started)
ME: Ano nga yung sabi mo? Pakiulit.
AGENT: (in a very impatient tone) You've been in the company for 6 months, is that right?
ME: Ha? Ano un? Di ko marinig. Eh kasi naman lunch break kayo tumatawag e.
AGENT: (very b*tchy tone) Excuse me! Ma'am, nagsi-CI kami. Anytime pwede kaming tumawag kahit lunch break or kahit ano'ng ginagawa niyo.
ME: Pwedeng pakilakasan? I can't hear you.
AGENT: (raised her voice, kinda close to yelling) Ma'am, malakas po ang boses ko! Yung mga kasama niyo po ang maingay. Sabihin niyo po tumahimik sila. Kayo rin baka madecline tong credit card application niyo.
ME: (to my friends) Uy, tumahimik nga kasi kayo di ko marining yung kausap ko.
ME: (to the agent) So ano nga uli yun? Hello?
AND SHE EFFIN HUNG UP!!!

That was a first time! what kind of service was that? That girl was thinking that I need her more than she or HSBC needs me?!? WELL SHE'S WRONG! I am the client here. And in the first place, if not because of their credit card seller who kept on disturbing me while at work, I wouldn't have considered signing that f*ckin form! I DON'T GIVE A DAMN about HSBC credit cards because I HAVE 2 OTHER CREDIT CARDS that are PERFECTLY WORKING for me! FYI, I haven't even heard a SINGLE POSITIVE FEEDBACK about HSBC Credit Cards.

THE CONCLUSION:
It wasn't only I who experienced the same rudeness from an HSBC agent. My friend's dad considers them the WORST! Also, they increased my bestfriend's credit limit without even informing her. And based on my twitter friends' comments, HSBC seemed to have the worst agents, worst service, and worst client relations! So i suggest:
NEVER GET AN HSBC CREDIT CARD if you don't want to continuously experience HASSLE!

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Crazy over Kobe!

It's the third time that Kobe Bryant visited here in the Philippines. And I didn't let the chance to see him pass. Hello, he's my basketball idol! Well that's besides Michael Jordan, which is already given haha!

Thank God for my job that I gained a lot of basketball-related contacts, and even contacts inside the Big Dome. We got 4 free Upper A tickets from our friend from Araneta Coliseum, but a few hours before the show, some of our bosses backed out and didn't use their tickets, and those tickets were given to us! We got 4 lower box tickets so we gave away our 4 Upper A tickets. It's indeed our day!



This "Take Every Advantage" Manila Tour 2011 of Kobe Bryant drew a huge crowd in Araneta Coliseum. The dome was filled with all of his fans, including us! Everytime the big screen focused Kobe, we were cheering for him. In fact, out of thousands of people there, me and 2 of my girl friends were captured by the camera and flashed in the big cube screen at the center of the dome! Wah! So fun! haha




Also, we're not only there for Kobe, but for our friends from the 2 competing teams: UAAP All Stars and the Smart Gilas Pilipinas. I must say that Nike was never wrong in getting Kobe as their endorser. This was actually the first and I think, the best Nike event I've ever attended.




Originally, the UAAP All Stars and Smart Gilas teams will only play for 10 mins; but when Kobe saw that Smart Gilas beat UAAP All Stars with a huge score gap, he decided to put 8 mins on the clock and play with the UAAP All Stars against Smart Gilas. Kobe wore an FEU jersey. He played so well that the lead was cut down to 2, which could've been a tie, not until Greg Slaughter messed up with that crucial shot from under the ring for the last few seconds. So the Smart Gilas won even if Kobe didn't make it easy for them.


After the game, before Kobe entered the dugout, he threw the jersey that he used to the crowd. Two girls were able to catch it at the same time and nobody was letting go. Security guards had to stop them.



 After the game, we went to the dugout to greet our player friends. Then we had dinner in Coffee Bean, Coliseum Circle; finally, we're off to Blue Onion, Eastwood.



I may not have gone too close to the Black Mamba ('coz we're too far from the court), I was still happy because we were able to have fun and experience this for free!:)

P.S.
A day after the game, we found out that Marcus Douthit of Smart Gilas is actually a friend of Kobe since their basketball days in the US. In fact, they partied together in Republiq Club, Resorts World after the game. Cool!:P

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Plant For Life

Last 1st of July, I experienced one of the best things in this world...and that was to spend a day to give back to nature! Our office organized a tree planting activity in the Ipo Watershed, in Norzagaray, Bulacan. As a water company, we recognize our duty to save and protect the environment as it is vital in giving life to everyone. The Ipo Dam is one of the biggest sources of the metro so it is essential that we protect it.


We left the office at 6:30am and we got there at around 8am. We had a short program where the officials of the participating companies/institutions shared a few words. Then we took a 30-minute boat ride to the area where we'll be planting trees.






It was so fun 'coz it felt like a hiking/trekking activity going up a mountain. We met a lot of Dumagats, the indigenous people who live in the area. Also, we had to cross streams to get to the planting site. I haven't seen such a clear and cold stream for the longest time!





We planted Narra seedlings, which were prepared by the Dumagats. It was such an adventure! We ended at around 1pm, then we had lunch under the trees. We took a dip in the stream and it was so refreshing! It was a fun yet very productive day!:)



We were able to plant around 5000 trees since we were a big group. Our next tree planting activity is on July 29 in the same venue. We have scheduled month tree planting activities to reach our target of 35,000 trees until the end of the year.


 My attempt on Photography:

kids of the Dumagats

Making the Most out of One Night!

Saturday night (July 9) and I got no plans of having a long night. I just went to Araneta Coliseum to watch the PBA game: Talk N Text vs. Petron Blazeboosters. As usual, we got hungry after the game so we we had dinner at Coffee Bean (Coliseum Circle). I love the food there, most especially the salad and pasta.

We're supposed to have a spontaneous trip to Tagaytay, but we ended up in Blue Onion, Eastwood City. I didn't had any alcoholic drink there 'coz I decided to meet up with my friends who were in Makati that time.

 the geeky look LOL

now without the glasses haha

After a couple of hours, when I was about to leave Blue Onion, my friends hid my Blackberry that's why I can't leave the place. After struggling to get back my BB, I was finally able to move to Kyss in Makati City. It's the after-party of a successful skateboarding event of Vans Philippines which happened earlier that day at A-Venue. Got lots of free flowing alcohol. Finally got reunited with Patron!:) I was glad to finally party with my girls in Makati, since I haven't partied with them for quite some time 'coz I work and live on the other side of the metro.

 the girls

 BFFs


 Wendell, Troy, and another friend

After an hour, we left the party. Just when I though the night's over,  my friend Farah and I drove to Palladium where our foreign friends were. We got in for free even at 3am 'coz we knew the promoter. We stayed there for just an hour, then finally called it a night!


See, that's how "having no plans at all" can lead to "having a fun spontaneous night"!:)

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Philippines Bikes for Water: LTdF 2011

Last April, we took part in the Le Tour de Filipinas Cycling event. It's a 4-stage cycling event wherein cycling teams from different Asian countries competed. In this event, we have aligned our advocacy of protecting the environment and providing everyone an access to clean and safe drinking water -- the Philippines Bikes for Water.

Stage 1: Manila (April 16)
It was Rahim Emami of Azad University (Iran) who won this stage.

 Mayor Fred Lim

 with my officemate Kris

 Mr. Cayton & Ms. Patricia Hizon awarded the winners

chillin' by the Manila Bay

Stage 2: Bataan to Zambales (April 17)
It was Kazuo Inoue of Bridgestone Anchor (Japan) who won this stage, however we weren't able to join the group this day.


Stage 3: Zambales to Bataan (April 18)
Mirsamad Pourseyedi Golakhour of Azad University (Iran) won this stage, but we didn't make it here because it's just the morning that we left Manila. We proceeded to our boss' rest house instead for a meeting and a bit of unwinding.

 Our boss' rest house. It's "antique"-themed

 i enjoyed swimming at the pool during sunset

 while resting on the hammock

the beach with dark gray sand 


Stage 4: Pangasinan to Baguio
The final stage! We witnessed the cyclists as they rode up to the high lands of Baguio City. I really admired their determination. We stopped by a few spots to cheer for Team Smart (Philippines). It was Rahim Umami of Azad University (Iran) who crossed the finish line first. And after the long journey, it was Team Azad University (Iran) who won 1st place, 2nd was Team 7-Eleven (Philippines), and 3rd was Team Smart (Philippines).

After the race, we had lunch at Rose Bowl and proceeded to Microtel. We attended the awarding ceremonies and party at night. We also had late dinner and drinks at our company president's resthouse in Camp John Hay, then we headed back to the hotel. The next morning, our bosses just attended a couple of meetings while Kris and I shopped in the  Baguio City Market. Then we headed back to Manila. But since it's already Holy Week, our bosses had their own family reunions in their respective provinces on our way home.


 before stage 4 started



Our team :)



 at work in the hotel

 Mayor Domogan of Baguio City at the center

 Team Smart

 proud!

 fireworks!!!

 Don Podring band

 Microtel

 late lunch in Pangasinan 

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

HSBC is the WORST!

WHY YOU SHOULDN'T GET AN HSBC CREDIT CARD
Let me tell you my story...

THE SCENARIO:
There are always a couple of booths in our office' ground floor almost everyday. These booths sell credit cards, phone lines, cable lines, and other postpaid subscription stuff. Last week, HSBC approached me and gave me an application form. I said I'll just take it upstairs to our office room and review it. Then the agent insisted that I fill out the form right then and there. Just to get through with it, I signed up the form quickly. Then I was asked to submit photocopies of my payslips and IDs. I said I'll give it later. But since I was too busy, I wasn't able to give the requirements back.

Then the next day, while I was going crazy at work, the agent called me and asked me to fax or email my requirements to him. He also interviewed me a bit. He asked me how long have I been with the company so I answered 3 months going 4. Then he said, during the CI, I should say that I've been with the company for 6 months already. So there, he taught me how to lie. Anyway, when I had the time that afternoon, I took photos of my IDs and payslips, and emailed them to the agent. Then he called me back to say that the details in my payslip weren't readable, so he instructed me to photocopy them and submit to their booth in the ground floor. What a hassle! So I insisted on taking a new snapshot of the payslips, then I emailed them again. Fortunately, he didn't call me again.

THE CLIMAX:
So the weekend passed...and just when the clock ticked 12 earlier today, I got a call from the agent. My co-workers and I were about to go to the cafeteria for lunch when my phone rang. Anyway, so I answered the call. He briefed me about the stuff I should say when I talk to the CI agent. I thought that's for another day, so I got surprised when he said he'll forward that call to a CI agent.

I wasn't prepared. My co-workers didn't know who I was talking with on my cellphone. We're on our way to the cafeteria and my co-workers were teasing and playing around among themselves. I can barely hear what the CI agent was saying. I wasn't even able to focus since my co-workers tried involving me in their jokes and I had to put the CI agent on hold just to stop them. Btw, the CI agent was a girl and I can't remember her introducing her name but I didn't mind.

When we reached the outdoor, it was raining hard and there were lots of people, so all the more that I can't hear what the girl on the phone was saying. This was the conversation that followed:

(then her rudeness started)
ME: Ano nga yung sabi mo? Pakiulit.
AGENT: (in a very impatient tone) You've been in the company for 6 months, is that right?
ME: Ha? Ano un? Di ko marinig. Eh kasi naman lunch break kayo tumatawag e.
AGENT: (very b*tchy tone) Excuse me! Ma'am, nagsi-CI kami. Anytime pwede kaming tumawag kahit lunch break or kahit ano'ng ginagawa niyo.
ME: Pwedeng pakilakasan? I can't hear you.
AGENT: (raised her voice, kinda close to yelling) Ma'am, malakas po ang boses ko! Yung mga kasama niyo po ang maingay. Sabihin niyo po tumahimik sila. Kayo rin baka madecline tong credit card application niyo.
ME: (to my friends) Uy, tumahimik nga kasi kayo di ko marining yung kausap ko.
ME: (to the agent) So ano nga uli yun? Hello?
AND SHE EFFIN HUNG UP!!!

That was a first time! what kind of service was that? That girl was thinking that I need her more than she or HSBC needs me?!? WELL SHE'S WRONG! I am the client here. And in the first place, if not because of their credit card seller who kept on disturbing me while at work, I wouldn't have considered signing that f*ckin form! I DON'T GIVE A DAMN about HSBC credit cards because I HAVE 2 OTHER CREDIT CARDS that are PERFECTLY WORKING for me! FYI, I haven't even heard a SINGLE POSITIVE FEEDBACK about HSBC Credit Cards.

THE CONCLUSION:
It wasn't only I who experienced the same rudeness from an HSBC agent. My friend's dad considers them the WORST! Also, they increased my bestfriend's credit limit without even informing her. And based on my twitter friends' comments, HSBC seemed to have the worst agents, worst service, and worst client relations! So i suggest:
NEVER GET AN HSBC CREDIT CARD if you don't want to continuously experience HASSLE!

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Crazy over Kobe!

It's the third time that Kobe Bryant visited here in the Philippines. And I didn't let the chance to see him pass. Hello, he's my basketball idol! Well that's besides Michael Jordan, which is already given haha!

Thank God for my job that I gained a lot of basketball-related contacts, and even contacts inside the Big Dome. We got 4 free Upper A tickets from our friend from Araneta Coliseum, but a few hours before the show, some of our bosses backed out and didn't use their tickets, and those tickets were given to us! We got 4 lower box tickets so we gave away our 4 Upper A tickets. It's indeed our day!



This "Take Every Advantage" Manila Tour 2011 of Kobe Bryant drew a huge crowd in Araneta Coliseum. The dome was filled with all of his fans, including us! Everytime the big screen focused Kobe, we were cheering for him. In fact, out of thousands of people there, me and 2 of my girl friends were captured by the camera and flashed in the big cube screen at the center of the dome! Wah! So fun! haha




Also, we're not only there for Kobe, but for our friends from the 2 competing teams: UAAP All Stars and the Smart Gilas Pilipinas. I must say that Nike was never wrong in getting Kobe as their endorser. This was actually the first and I think, the best Nike event I've ever attended.




Originally, the UAAP All Stars and Smart Gilas teams will only play for 10 mins; but when Kobe saw that Smart Gilas beat UAAP All Stars with a huge score gap, he decided to put 8 mins on the clock and play with the UAAP All Stars against Smart Gilas. Kobe wore an FEU jersey. He played so well that the lead was cut down to 2, which could've been a tie, not until Greg Slaughter messed up with that crucial shot from under the ring for the last few seconds. So the Smart Gilas won even if Kobe didn't make it easy for them.


After the game, before Kobe entered the dugout, he threw the jersey that he used to the crowd. Two girls were able to catch it at the same time and nobody was letting go. Security guards had to stop them.



 After the game, we went to the dugout to greet our player friends. Then we had dinner in Coffee Bean, Coliseum Circle; finally, we're off to Blue Onion, Eastwood.



I may not have gone too close to the Black Mamba ('coz we're too far from the court), I was still happy because we were able to have fun and experience this for free!:)

P.S.
A day after the game, we found out that Marcus Douthit of Smart Gilas is actually a friend of Kobe since their basketball days in the US. In fact, they partied together in Republiq Club, Resorts World after the game. Cool!:P

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Plant For Life

Last 1st of July, I experienced one of the best things in this world...and that was to spend a day to give back to nature! Our office organized a tree planting activity in the Ipo Watershed, in Norzagaray, Bulacan. As a water company, we recognize our duty to save and protect the environment as it is vital in giving life to everyone. The Ipo Dam is one of the biggest sources of the metro so it is essential that we protect it.


We left the office at 6:30am and we got there at around 8am. We had a short program where the officials of the participating companies/institutions shared a few words. Then we took a 30-minute boat ride to the area where we'll be planting trees.






It was so fun 'coz it felt like a hiking/trekking activity going up a mountain. We met a lot of Dumagats, the indigenous people who live in the area. Also, we had to cross streams to get to the planting site. I haven't seen such a clear and cold stream for the longest time!





We planted Narra seedlings, which were prepared by the Dumagats. It was such an adventure! We ended at around 1pm, then we had lunch under the trees. We took a dip in the stream and it was so refreshing! It was a fun yet very productive day!:)



We were able to plant around 5000 trees since we were a big group. Our next tree planting activity is on July 29 in the same venue. We have scheduled month tree planting activities to reach our target of 35,000 trees until the end of the year.


 My attempt on Photography:

kids of the Dumagats

Making the Most out of One Night!

Saturday night (July 9) and I got no plans of having a long night. I just went to Araneta Coliseum to watch the PBA game: Talk N Text vs. Petron Blazeboosters. As usual, we got hungry after the game so we we had dinner at Coffee Bean (Coliseum Circle). I love the food there, most especially the salad and pasta.

We're supposed to have a spontaneous trip to Tagaytay, but we ended up in Blue Onion, Eastwood City. I didn't had any alcoholic drink there 'coz I decided to meet up with my friends who were in Makati that time.

 the geeky look LOL

now without the glasses haha

After a couple of hours, when I was about to leave Blue Onion, my friends hid my Blackberry that's why I can't leave the place. After struggling to get back my BB, I was finally able to move to Kyss in Makati City. It's the after-party of a successful skateboarding event of Vans Philippines which happened earlier that day at A-Venue. Got lots of free flowing alcohol. Finally got reunited with Patron!:) I was glad to finally party with my girls in Makati, since I haven't partied with them for quite some time 'coz I work and live on the other side of the metro.

 the girls

 BFFs


 Wendell, Troy, and another friend

After an hour, we left the party. Just when I though the night's over,  my friend Farah and I drove to Palladium where our foreign friends were. We got in for free even at 3am 'coz we knew the promoter. We stayed there for just an hour, then finally called it a night!


See, that's how "having no plans at all" can lead to "having a fun spontaneous night"!:)

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Philippines Bikes for Water: LTdF 2011

Last April, we took part in the Le Tour de Filipinas Cycling event. It's a 4-stage cycling event wherein cycling teams from different Asian countries competed. In this event, we have aligned our advocacy of protecting the environment and providing everyone an access to clean and safe drinking water -- the Philippines Bikes for Water.

Stage 1: Manila (April 16)
It was Rahim Emami of Azad University (Iran) who won this stage.

 Mayor Fred Lim

 with my officemate Kris

 Mr. Cayton & Ms. Patricia Hizon awarded the winners

chillin' by the Manila Bay

Stage 2: Bataan to Zambales (April 17)
It was Kazuo Inoue of Bridgestone Anchor (Japan) who won this stage, however we weren't able to join the group this day.


Stage 3: Zambales to Bataan (April 18)
Mirsamad Pourseyedi Golakhour of Azad University (Iran) won this stage, but we didn't make it here because it's just the morning that we left Manila. We proceeded to our boss' rest house instead for a meeting and a bit of unwinding.

 Our boss' rest house. It's "antique"-themed

 i enjoyed swimming at the pool during sunset

 while resting on the hammock

the beach with dark gray sand 


Stage 4: Pangasinan to Baguio
The final stage! We witnessed the cyclists as they rode up to the high lands of Baguio City. I really admired their determination. We stopped by a few spots to cheer for Team Smart (Philippines). It was Rahim Umami of Azad University (Iran) who crossed the finish line first. And after the long journey, it was Team Azad University (Iran) who won 1st place, 2nd was Team 7-Eleven (Philippines), and 3rd was Team Smart (Philippines).

After the race, we had lunch at Rose Bowl and proceeded to Microtel. We attended the awarding ceremonies and party at night. We also had late dinner and drinks at our company president's resthouse in Camp John Hay, then we headed back to the hotel. The next morning, our bosses just attended a couple of meetings while Kris and I shopped in the  Baguio City Market. Then we headed back to Manila. But since it's already Holy Week, our bosses had their own family reunions in their respective provinces on our way home.


 before stage 4 started



Our team :)



 at work in the hotel

 Mayor Domogan of Baguio City at the center

 Team Smart

 proud!

 fireworks!!!

 Don Podring band

 Microtel

 late lunch in Pangasinan