Ang Tunay Na Hunger Games

Ang laro kung saan tinitiis mo ang gutom o takam at paunti-unti lamang ang pagkonsumo sa isang partikular na pagkain. Para sa bandang huli, meron kapa, pero ubos na yung sa kapatid mo. At bilang premyo, pwede mo siyang asarin sa pamamagitan ng tanong na "Ay, wala kanang ice cream? Ako, meron pa!!!" gamit ang isang malandi at nakaka-inis na tinig. Walang pana o weirdong costume. Ito ang tunay na Hunger Games.

Welcome to the Wonderful Land of Ties!

It is a place where people tend to forget that they are actually humans
and would rather consider themselves as machines...
A place where being boring is cool and being cool is not.
Where t-shirts are out and collared polos are your best bud,
where leather shoes are a must and matching neck ties are everywhere.

Welcome to the corporate world, welcome to the reality of finally having a JOB..
I can still remember those days when i always made fun of all the people i see walking around wearing skimpy corporate attires, they look like dweebs! people whose fashion sense has left them since the beginning of time. To me, they always appear similar to robots.

With their heads sticking up high, with arms swaying synchronized with every step that they make.. it surely was a peculiar sight.. but, then again, I never thought I would be one of them..
being forced to wear nothing but these "uniforms".

I tend to call them uniforms since they technically prevent me from dressing in my own style, in want i want.. though at first I would consider myself as one of "them", then again, I thought... what made them that way in the first place? was it their boss? was it their job? was it that just wanted to look sophisticated? or was it for money?

who knows..

Each and every person has their own reasons in being so corporate, in being so sophisticated, in being uptight... may it be for work or for money, nobody cares anymore..

At some point, when you look at it, there's a lot more to this "world" than being so fashionably stereotype. Being one of them, acually made me learn most of these things, I suppose...

it really doesn't matter what you where or what work you do...

What's important is that you are able to do what you are supposed to do..
Doing the things that you want to do for yourself and for you family...

It's really all about living the dream that you once had, finding the reason of your worth..

Now, if you will see some people wearing polos and leather shoes, think again...
Don't let their image of being stiff fool you...

Look closer, there might actually be something more behind those corporate attires...

Expressing What You Cannot Express

Not everyone finds expressing their feelings easy or having it come naturally. While the stereotype is that men have the hardest time expressing their emotions, everyone at one time or another in their life may find it difficult to say how they feel..

Learning why you have trouble expressing your feelings can go a long way into changing that behavior. Saying how you feel is something you can learn how to do, just as readily as you can learn how to fix a faucet or mend a button on a shirt. Here are ten common reasons I came up with why people find it difficult to express their emotions to someone else..

1. Conflict Phobia

You are afraid of angry feelings or conflicts with people. You may believe that people with good relationships should not engage in verbal “fights” or intense arguments. In addition, you may believe that disclosing your thoughts and feelings to those you care about would result in their rejection of you. This is sometimes referred to as the “ostrich phenomenon” — burying your head in the sand instead of addressing relationship problems.

2. Emotional Perfectionism

You believe that you should not have feelings such as anger, jealousy, depression, or anxiety. You think you should always be rational and in control of your emotions. You are afraid of being exposed as weak and vulnerable. You believe that people will belittle or reject you if they know how you really feel.

3. Fear of Disapproval and Rejection

You are so terrified by rejection and ending up alone that you would rather swallow your feelings and put up with some abuse than take the chance of making anyone mad at you. You feel an excessive need to please people and to meet what you perceive to be their expectations. You are afraid that people would not like you if you expressed your thoughts and feelings.

4. Passive-Aggressive Behavior

You pout and hold your hurt or angry feelings inside instead of disclosing what you feel. You give others the silent treatment, which is inappropriate, and a common strategy to elicit feelings of guilt (on their part).

5. Hopelessness

You are convinced that your relationship cannot improve no matter what you do. You may feel that you have already tried everything and nothing works. You may believe that your spouse (or partner) is just too stubborn and insensitive to be able to change. These positions represent a self-fulfilling prophecy–once you give up, an established position of hopelessness supports your predicted outcome.

6. Low Self-Esteem

You believe that you are not entitled to express your feelings or to ask others for what you want. You think you should always please other people and meet their expectations.

7. Spontaneity

You believe that you have the right to say what you think and feel when you are upset. (Generally, feelings are best expressed during a calm and structured or semi-structured exchange.) Structuring your communication does not result in a perception that you are “faking” or attempting to inappropriately manipulate others.

8. Mind Reading

You believe that others should know how you feel and what you need (although you have not disclosed what you need). The position that individuals close to you can “divine” what you need provides an excuse to engage in non-disclosure, and thereafter, to feel resentful because people do not appear to care about your needs.

9. Martyrdom

You are afraid to admit that you are angry, hurt, or resentful because you do not want to give anyone the satisfaction of knowing that her or his behavior is unacceptable. Taking pride in controlling your emotions and experiencing hurt or resentment does not support clear and functional communication.

10. Need to Solve Problems

When you have a conflict with an individual (i.e., your needs are not being met), avoiding the associated issues is not a functional solution. Disclosing your feelings and being willing to listen without judgment to the other is constructive.

I am not saying that you should always tell people what you think. I believe that sometimes, it is best to think about the situation and decide from there whether expressing yourself will prove to be beneficial or not..

Life as I DON'T know it..

Nowadays, I am not entirely sure anymore of the things that are happening in my life...

At this point, I am beginning to question the things I have, the decisions i'm making and the people around me..

When exactly do people realize that their lives are turning out the way they wanted it to be? Some say that there will be a turning point and it will present itself to you at a very opportune time.

But when can you exactly find out if what's happening is indeed your turning point in life? Long has it been a terrible conundrum for me.. Long have I waited to figure out the way to help myself be aware..

When exactly do people realize that they are happy?

Is it when they can manouver a smile and carry on with the day?

Is it when everything is going fine and you enjoy every ounce of time you have left?

Is it when the people around you is happy and you hear no bad things about yourself?

When exactly can you say that you are on the right path?

I personally believe that Life, in it's truest sense, is neither meant to be understood nor analyzed. It is way too grand and complicated to just be throroughly solved by meager minds.

Now, if i will be asked if I am truly in control of my life, I would plainly answer 'no'.

It may sound totally anti-climactic, but i guess that's how it is. You live your life in such a way that it will never be predicatable. You can be as controlling as you can or be as certain with all your decisions; However, there would be things that are bound to get out of hand. All that you can do is be prepared for everything and make the right choices. Consider not only yourself but also the people around you, no matter how distant or close they are to you. I may not fully appreciate the complex plan laid out for me.. One thing's for sure, though.. I know that everything will definitely fall into place. With every right thing that i did, it made me wiser.And with every mistake i committed, it made me stronger.

Our Lives As A Story

I know we have all had the times where life seems to pile things onto an already heavy load. The times where our legs seem so tired that we are about to fall face first into the dirt. Well when you are at these trying times, ask yourself what is it all for, why are you doing this?


For me it's my faith... the faith that my dreams are about to come true. The faith that a life lasting love is in my future. How can it seem like the wicked go unpunished while the good are tried and tried again? We all have our demons that we battle, some of us battle more often than others. So whether it be faith, the lord, or a loved one, we all must find our strength and keep it close to our hearts. For it will be this strength that gets you through these battles. Because life is anything but fair, and often times it can be downright mean. But when you are in that darkness, there is light even though it cannot be seen.


There is a purpose to life like a moral to the childrens book of life. Although we cannot read these pages or skip to the end to see what happens, as characters in this book of life we can continue to move foward. We can continue to brush ourselves off, find our strength in times of need, and march through those pages toward our moral in life. For each of our own stories are being read at this very moment, our pages are being turned, as we move through the experiences of our book to a moral in our own personal story. Granted that some of us are in the chapters of heartbreak and loneliness, while others are in the chapters of love and happiness, we all are on a journey.


But if you fail to brush yourself off while face first in that dirt, if you take that deep breath in defeat, our story is not a story at all... but merely ideas that never made it to the library of life!

Has This Happened To You

Have you ever woken up one day and were just totally caught off guard by how or where you are in your life? Like it's all a dream and at any minute you are going to snap out of it and everything in life will be right again! If only life were that easy.


The reality of it all is that the only way to make life right is by doing it yourself. By going after the things that you want the most. That might mean that you will look like a fumbling idiot along the way, maybe even a jackass at times, and people will probably laugh at you. Well you know what I say, let them laugh! Because a person with passion goes after the things that they want without hesitation and without fear of how they are perceived from others. And out of all the traits that a person can possess, I would have to say that passion is amongst the top. The passion for life, the passion for love, and the passion for obtaining happiness.


I would hope that we can all have that passion and bravery in our lives; the bravery to break way those chains and pursue those pleasures in life that we seek. But with every yin there is a yang, and with that bravery will come fear. Which is only natural to fear when you have the risk of losing. But the happiness in life that we seek is worth the risk and the love that we yearn for.


Those tears on our cheek will dry up, the aching heart in our chest will heal, and the empty arms of our soul will hold another! So chin up, and put a smile on...

life will get better! :-)

Looking at the Reflection in the Mirror

Looking at the reflection in the mirror, I ponder for a moment. Remembering times when life was far more complex and much less difficult. Wondering if I will gain control of who I am, what I stand for and my future?


My happiness depends on myself and myself only. I feel as though I have an idea of what that might compel. However I have not the slightest idea of what it will take to really get there. Things can seem so out of reach sometimes. I'm just trying day by day to get a little further, jumping hurdles and working my way through the obstacles that are laid out in front of me. I seem to be getting very good at dodging what life is throwing at me though.


As I continue to stare at my reflection, I notice something. I'm jaded, it is written all over my face and there is no denying that I have neglected myself. Taking all the time in the world to please everyone around me, I have simply pushed myself to the side and left no time to tend to me. I seem to be spinning in circles trying to make sense of what is twirling around me. It is all moving too fast, I find it hard to grasp on to anything when it is flying by me at the speed of light. The reflection staring back at me is clearly trying to tell me something. It is just a matter of figuring it all out.


Life seems much more complicated these days, far more than it ever has before. I find myself second guessing who I really am and what it is I want out of my life. But I am surely working on it. And as I stare deeper into the face looking back at me, I realize I am a lot stronger than I put off. And with that strength I will make it through anything. I know what my boundaries are and I carry my values and self-respect with me no matter where I go. I have grown to be independent and strong willed.


I just have to let go of my insecurities and fears to allow myself to become who I want to be.

Why is Life Complicated?

A lot of people often complain about this-may it be about their school, love-life, social-life, friends, choices, or their life itself.

I too ask this question several times.. expression it should only be, for nobody really knows the answer to it, I attempted the impossible..

I tried to understand it and this is what I came up with and maybe, hopefully people would find ease in this..

Considering this thing is already compicated as it is, I still ended up with a complicated statement to explain it but when thought of, you would get my point.. hopefully that is.... here goes..

Life isn't really complicated. Yes it isn't jerk!!..

PEOPLE are the ONES who make life COMPLICATED.. You and the people around you make it complicated.

HOW? WHY? for the simple reason that every person is created DIFFERENTLY from one another-from their looks, attitude, personality, etc.

but most importantly, people have different opinions on one subject or another. That is when life begins to become complicated... Opinions are almost as good as wants and often if not always, when a person does not get what he wants, he becomes frustrated...

And when do we commonly say the phrase, why does it have to be complicated?
when we are frustrated right? frustrated for not getting what we want, for not being able to understand the other person,for not knowing what to do.. You know what i mean..

so what good did i just do?

maybe none.. but with this, i just want to say..

if you do see it in my point of view, and you dont want to make things complicated for urself,


JUST BE THE PERSON WHO JUST ACCEPTS THINGS AS THEY ARE.


Remember, they are not you..


In simple terms, BE THE BETTER PERSON and BE THE ONE TO GIVE WAY...

Doing The Right Thing

When you hear the phrase "Do the right thing" do u think of doing the right thing for yourself or for someone else, for your country, or for the world?
Or do you just think about just not doing the wrong thing?

And can you even see what the right thing is until you are miles past it. Also the idea of right and wrong has become so gray you never even know what is right most of the time.

Does a bad person know that he/she is a bad person. If she/he thinks their a good person but everyone else thinks that they are bad, what are they?

As far as simple social ideas of what is right and wrong I have always had my own idea and values of what is right and wrong. I just wonder how much of it is all bullshit sometimes.

Why Am I Blogging?

If years ago, someone told me that I’d be blogging, I’d probably think they were on hallucinatory drugs.

Yet, here I am…a delighted addict!

There are a thousand reasons why people blog.

I’m someone who has always enjoyed the evolutions of my life. I feel as though I’ve incarnated a hundred times already in this single lifetime. Parts of me have remained the same, yet other parts have evolved in ways that I could have never imagined.

The thing I love about blogging the most, is that it’s very much like my life…constantly moving forward. It lives in a “single moment” as each post is created, savoring that moment; then moving on to the next…and then the next.


Not only is blogging a wonderful way to express myself through writing, but for me, my blog is a complete representation of “where I am” at a particular evolution in my life.

I can change the entire “feel” of it’s visual design, to match my own interior design.

Blogging is all about energy.

I always believed that communicating with people via the Internet, would somehow cause a distancing between me and the rest of the world. But on the contrary, it has allowed me to connect “energetically” with others, without any physical limitation.

The term “web” is so appropriate for blogging, because blogging creates a tremendous web of energy, that allows people to connect on a very powerful level, where they even unconsciously start blogging about the same topics.
It’s like a “Universal Web” that brings people together who are meant to meet, who would maybe never be able to meet otherwise.

It amazes me how many times I’ve been connected to people who have taught me valuable lessons through their own evolutions.

Blogging is so much more than the technical aspects of a computer. It reaches way beyond anything physical.

It reaches...the soul.

Thanks everyone!

RELATIONSHIP EXPECTATIONS

Unfulfilled expectations always cause problems.

Having expectations in our culture is expected. We are brought up that way. Having great expectations sounds great however when the expectation is unfulfilled, we bitch, we moan, we become disappointed. That is a problem for most people. For example, if I expect you to love me a certain way and your love doesn't show up that way for me, I will most likely be disappointed. A better way might be to strive to get the need of being loved fulfilled by allowing your love partner to love you the way they love you. Your need to be loved a certain way is not a healthy need, it is only and always an unrealistic expectation.

Another disappointing thing about expectations is that they often do not come true. One love partner knows the expectation. The other love partner doesn't know the expectation of the other. Expectations are in the eye of the beholder. Can you see the problem? Needs must be communicated. Expectations are rarely ever communicated. Needs can be cussed and discussed. You must give careful thought to what needs must be fulfilled for you to know you have a healthy love relationship.

"Expect the best," is certainly a better attitude than the alternative. Some say, "If you always expect the best for your relationship, everything will work out better." This is a myth. It will work out the way it works out and you will be disappointed because it didn't work out the way you expected it to. You don't always get what you expect. We often expect our love partner to make the best choices for themselves and our relationship and when they are not our choices, we often get angry or disappointed. . . or both. Most people call this situation a problem: a problem we create by our expectations.

Try this: "No expectations, fewer disappointments!" It's that simple. Not easy. Simple. By considering a new point of view, by changing our thinking about expectations, we open ourselves up to whatever good the 'us' of the committed you and me may be working on together at the time. Since we are detached from the way things need to work out, we may be surprised by the result. Even when we imagine the very best, we are often surprised, because if there were shades of doubt present in our imaginings, things may turn out better than we imagined. . . or worse. Once we learn to identify our own individual, healthy needs, we must also learn not to be attached to the expectation of how those needs get fulfilled. This will always generate lots of surprises. That is when the adventure begins; the adventure the heart was crying for. Surprises create a sense of adventure; surprises you can enjoy together; surprises that create new and exciting possibilities for the two of you to experience.

Some of the surprises may show up as challenges for the relationship. They bring couples together and give them something to share. When two people really love each other and are committed to work together, those kind of surprises create the kind of conversation that empowers both love partners to continue to self-inquire, to investigate their curiosities about what they can do to stand together, to be challenged by the surprise and know that everything is going to be okay.

Problems are not to break us. Working together on problems makes us stong. While there is something to be said about "expecting the best," we must remember that disappointment comes from unfulfilled expectations. This does not mean that when your expectations do not get met, that the results are always bad. It only means that if your expectations don't get met. Disappointment usually follows. By thinking in terms of needs instead of expectations, we create vulnerability. Having needs with no expectations about how they will be fulfilled causes us to feel vulnerable. We have more to lose because now we know what we want. The outcome is less predictable. There is some risk involved. And we have a responsibility for getting our needs met. Never give yourself away in the relationship. By "give yourself away," I mean making sacrifices that conflict with what you need from the relationship. Never sacrifice your own personal integrity with regard to getting your needs met. The healthier image you have of yourself, the less likely this will occur.

There is a difference between duty and responsibility. When duty does not meet our needs, it is something to be avoided. For example, if there are children in the relationship you have a responsibility to take care of them. When it feels like duty, you have a responsibility to take care of your need to not have it feel like duty. We all experience the need to have healthy choices exercised and when they don't show up in our relationship, we either choose to have conversations about them or not. If the choices are abusive and therefore unacceptable, we begin to think about making a responsible choice to leave the relationship. However, always picking our lover apart because their choices are not the ones we would make can only point the relationship in the wrong direction. If we could accept the notion that everyone is doing the best they can, regardless of whether their choices are our choices, our attitude about our relationship would improve and perhaps the relationship we have would become the relationship we enjoy being in.

We must learn to distinguish between expectations and needs. Everyone has a need to be loved, to be understood, to be accepted and to be forgiven when necessary. For us to have expectations about how those needs get fulfilled can only cause disappointment. The number one problem in relationships is undelivered communication. It's the things we don't communicate because the last time we did, it caused a confrontation, argument, anger, frustration and we want to avoid these feelings so we stuff them. The next thing you know is, your partner didn't take out the garbage and you want a divorce and it's not about the garbage. In my opinion, the number two problem in relationships revolves around unfulfilled expectations. So, how do you sidestep the disappointment that always comes from unfulfilled expectations? Who wins the "expectations versus needs" dilemma? Needs, of course! You focus on your needs and make a commitment to never have any undelivered communication about them. Talk about what you need with your partner. Express your needs with love.

Unfulfilled expectations always cause problems. We often call things that happen that cause disappointment, problems. To avoid disappointment or problems. . . as best you can, have no expectations, good or bad. When you have expectations there are never any surprises because the outcome is almost always predictable. Disappointment follows unfulfilled expectations. The predicaments that follow are predictable. If your relationship is not full of surprises, it is most likely very boring and may border on being unhealthy. Having healthy needs is a natural and creative attitude to embrace. It is important to allow your love partner the freedom to fulfill your needs in their own best way. What you can be with in life lets you be! When you know what you need from your relationship and can express those needs to your partner and be okay with allowing them to love you the way they can love you, you will see a shift in your relationship that goes far beyond what you ever could have imagined!

-kira-

Looking For "Mr. Right"

Finding the right person is very hard and very wrong... It is best to be the right person for the one you love and start from there...You'll always end up disappointed when you set standards and define a "right person" for you...and don't rush things coz somewhere somehow God is preparing somebody for you."


Don't be in a hurry to get into a relationship because you can never find love if you insist that you are already into it. Try to find time to really understand your real feelings, to know who you really are, and what you really want in a relationship. You're right, there's no such thing as a perfect relationship, but there's a compatible partnership that goes along with it. If you already knew that you're too big to fit into a small sized t-shirt, don't give it a try. You'll probably break it and pay for the damages you have made.


If you knew and felt that the relationship will not last, DON'T GO DEEPER INTO IT. You'll just suffer the consequences and live like hell for the rest of your life. It's really hard to say goodbye though, but you can't make it any better by just pretending you still have the same feelings. Try to let go and give yourself a chance to live life to the fullest. Give yourself a chance to grow and give your heart a much needed attention. Then you will find that you have made the right decision and you made it all by yourself.


We call it love when we can't leave someone and see them crying as we try to let go. We are wrong, it's just pity.


We call it love when we're too attached and think that losing the one we love will somehow make us weak and unable to face the storms of life. We misunderstood, its just that we're too much dependent on them.


We call it love when we give our whole life to them, the wholeness of us and imagined that if they leave, no one would accept us and our past. We are mistaken, its just insecurity.


But no matter what the definition is, the truth still remains that love isn't something you can buy or beg. It is real and existing. You can't touch it but you can feel it in your heart. You can't find it, but it will knock before you when you least expect it to come. It can make you the happiest soul in heaven, but don't forget that it can also make you the most miserable person in the whole galaxy...

-kira-

Letting Go

How do you walk away from someone you love
And take the road of friend;
Can you reroute the course you have taken
And start over once again?

I don't really want to let you go
But inside me I know I must;
The times we've loved . . . the times you've left
My heart says stay . . . but it's my mind I must trust.

We have shared so much together
Laughter . . . fun times . . . tears;
Yet sometimes we can't turn back time
We must walk away, and allow ourselves to heal.

I know one day you will be happy
And your soulmate you will find;
I know we each have one out there
Even if for now . . . only in our minds.

May life be gentle with you
May God's best come your way;
And on some quiet tomorrow
You will realize things were better this way.

-Kira-

Having An Open Mind

Today someone told me that I am a really open person. This was in response to a conversation we were having about my view on relationships, people from different religions and my work. Being in the field of teaching and education certainly exposes me to many people from various walks of life, different customs and cultures, religions, political beliefs and values. Perhaps I was attracted to that field precisely because of my openness.

Today I believe my friend was talking about something deeper than being an open person and that is acceptance: acceptance and the willingness to embrace peoplen who are, different from me, to listen to their point of view, to consider a different way of thinking and to be respectful in the process. I'm referring to acceptance of people as human beings, and not defined by gender, race, nationality, ethnic group, sexual orientation, social or economic class, or whatever label you choose to give someone.

As young adults, we always have a choice about being an open person although some people choose not to exercise it. We can choose to look at a person or situation or issue differently. We can decide to have an open mind. I choose to have an open mind. I choose to accept people with different views than my own. This doesn't mean that they will become my friends, but I choose to accept them anyway. I choose to read whatever interests me. Sometimes I read controversial pieces that I totally don't agree with, yet the choice is mine to read them so I can gain an insight into that world. I don't have to agree with it, but I respect people's rights to be read and heard, as long as it doesn't harm anyone: that is where I draw my line. (I admit that this line is often fuzzy.)

Having an open mind is so important to understanding one another. I've seen my share of closed minds, of people who are so adamant that their belief is the only way to think, that no matter what anyone says or does, they will not budge an inch to consider another point of view. Too often we are conditioned to grow up with the idea that our way is the only way.

One thing I have learned from my work is not to assume that people all have the same perception about the simplest of things. What is an accepted rule of society in one culture may be interpreted as rude or offensive in another. The sexual preferences are many in the realm of non-verbal communication such as personal space, style of dress or eye contact, and even more complex are the differences according to context. Do the rules of behavior change if a bride-to-be is meeting her future in-laws, a professional is going for a job interview, or when a person is entering a holy ground? Of course they do and the "rules" of politeness and what is considered acceptable for that culture in different contexts are not always universal, yet often we assume them to be. People know what they learn, even when they are not aware of it. Often times it is when someone is faced with a culture or situation different than their own that one realizes that differences do indeed exist.

So it is in this spirit that I ask you: Do you know and accept yourself? What preconceived notions do you have about certain people, places or experiences that prevent you from opening up your heart in acceptance of them? Might you grow by opening the door just a crack? You never know: you may just make a new friend!

You Are My Heart, My Hope, My Help

You are my heart, my hope, my help,

The passion that is me,

The whole of which I am a part,

My peace, my ecstasy.

You are my future, present, past,

My ship, my sail, my ocean,

The wind that brings me home again,

The home for every motion.

You live within me, yet I am

Without you all alone.

With you I am full of light;

Without you I am stone.

Is this foolish? Yes, perhaps,

But also it is true.

I think of life as something I

Can spend with only you.

Ah, my love! Love longs for such

Sweet celebrants as this!

Love is a burden and a joy,

Slavery and bliss.

This day of love come love with me,

Come sing with me my song.

Come be my Valentine, and I

Will love you my life long, my love,

Will love you my life long.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Working in a Call Center

Working in a call center means big pay. It means numerous benefits and overnight promotions. Your workplace will have lounges which contains many amenities. Having a job in a call center is fun, easy, and even glorious!

That's what many people want you to think.

Indeed if you see call center agents, they do look rather glamorous.

Endless parties, money to splurge, and luxurious work places.

However when you look closely, the picture begins to dim.

You'll see people in a production line working their asses off for greedy Americans. They are like ants trying to make up for lost sleeping time, risking their lives in the dead of the night, and their body clocks turning upside down because of the endless shifting schedules.

In the USA, a general call center representative would earn around 80,000 php or almost 2500 USD. The typical call center agent in the Philippines earns less than a fourth of that! If you think all call center agent earns more than twenty thousand pesos, you are dead wrong. The basic pay is almost always twelve thousand pesos. It then becomes more or less twenty thousand pesos because of the night differential, transportation allowance, and other types of allowances and benefits.

Not that I am exaggerating, but call center agents constantly face the dangers of traveling at night. There's your friendly local hold upper, the proverbial mugger, and your ever loyal fast cruising buses.

And let's not forget the fact that sometimes you would be asked to go on mandatory over time, especially if you are new. You would also sometimes have a shifting schedule which means that your body clock would go haywire. And don't you ever forget the night shift. Sure, it seems exciting at first. Working at nights, wow! However, when you experience the night shift, you'll realize that it'll destroy your sleeping pattern and make you feel drunk all the time.

For family people, it would be doubly hard for you to work in call centers. Imagine not being able to see your kids grow up, tuck them to bed, and attend to their needs.

The advantage of working in a call center is of course the higher than average pay. The many allowances and benefits. I also like the almost progressive atmosphere in call centers. If you perform well, you get promoted. Plus you get the chance to grow all the time.

So that's it. Those are the advantages and disadvantages of working in a call center and it's up to you to decide whether the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.

Eyes

I gaze into twin pools of warmth
Bright and sparklingI see something indescribable
Something I can't quite put my finger on.

Twin pool, blazing and brilliant
Making all your sweetness
And all your compassion
Crystal clear.

Twin pools shimmering and glimmering
Showing how you're
Sweet, sensitive, caring and kind
Funny athletic cunning and friendly

Twin pools, so animated and intense
Help me to share
Your love of life,
Your life of love.

I gaze into twin pools of warmth and
I see the sweetest person I've ever met or ever will meet
I recognize a sincere and honest lass who can never be
replaced
I realize you are so special because
When I look into your eyes
I witness a miracle, I find a friend.

Lover's Dance

Glistening bodies entwined
in an ageless erotic dance,
seeking pleasures from each other,
seeking wonder and romance.

She touches his face with tenderness.
He draws her body near.
Aching, needing hunger
will make their destiny clear.

Their lips meet in soft kisses,
their tongues begin passion's war.
Forgotten now, the outside world.
All is here, behind this door.

He strokes her body tenderly,
she arches up for his caress.
He finds her silken portal
and her womanly wetness.

She moans in fiery desire
and pulls his hand away,
wishing to end this exquisite torture
and get on with passion's play.

She straddles his waiting body,
eases him into her feminine hollow.
She leads him on a rhythmic dance,
his thrusting hips must follow.

She rides him faster, even then,
to hear his wondrous sighs.
She shows him all the delights
she has between her womanly thighs.

They stare into each other's eyes
and gasp as ecstasy unreels,
and tangles them in a lover's knot
that every answer reveals.

Sated, they lie side by side,
spent but hungering still.
She touches him where their passion came
and tastes their lovers spill.

Their mouths meet in passionate need,
hungry animals once more.
This time he rises above her,
her body to explore.

Their ballet begins again,
as he thrusts his manhood in,
vowing not to end the dance
unless her cries he'll win.

Like beasts of old they become,
riding with desire,
only resting their throbbing bodies
when sated by their fire.

_Drifting_

I sometimes find I'm drifting
Through this life without effect;
I often wonder if I'm truly
Worth what I've been blessed.

I search through days that have been hard,
To try to understand,
The many trials that I have known,
The life that I have had.

You see me in my daily grind,
So confident and strong;
Yet when I am alone, I question
Just where I belong.

I often try too hard I find,
To analyze and guess,
To scrutinize, investigate
My life I will confess.

For somewhere deeper, there must be
Some meaning to this life,
Some way to make a difference,
Give a reason for this strife.

Is there some hidden meaning?
Some agenda to be found?
A greater purpose waiting
If I care to hang around?

It teases and it taunts me,
Always slightly out of sight;
A hazy vision out of reach,
Where darkness hides the light.

I struggle to bring clarity
To what awaits me there,
And yet this weak illusion
Always fades before my stare.

It seems the harder that I try,
To focus through the haze,
Just serves to add more questions,
Through my endless, tired gaze.

Perhaps I'm trying just too hard,
To understand it all,
For can we ever truly know
Just what we have in store?

Each incident, each moment passed,
Just adds upon the next,
But in the end, will I find truth ...
Or will I be perplexed?

Perhaps I make it harder
Than it has to be sometimes,
But will my searching bring to me
My meaning over time?

Or will it leave me broken,
And confused as I feel now,
While questions bring no solitude,
To this, my wrinkled brow.

Let's Talk About the "S" Word...

I've found the past couple of years to be an eye opener in the world of THESE experiences. I'm not necessarily referring to my own experiences, but those of society in general. There was a time when more smart-conscious decisions were made relating to sexual relationships. But times have changed. The pillars that hold up our individual sexual values have started to crumble. No longer can we create our own standards without feeling ostracized by the society that forms the standards for us. With influences coming from the media, infatuated hormones and opinionated peers, teenagers today have turned the act of love making into a WHIMSICAL JOYRIDE...

The difference between making love and having sex is miles apart. To make love, the partners involved use their hearts more so than their parts. To have sex, the partners use their parts more so than their hearts. The key to this "vice-versa situation" lies in the selected noun that the partners use in their actions. Since hormones and hearts both exist on a different level, saying that they are the same would be to take away all the feeling, emotion and love involved in love making.

In my opinion, teens nowadays are letting their hormones control their sexual decisions by giving in to the pure pleasure of sex. To make up for their lack of solid reasoning behind their acts, they try to rationalize their choices. The justification that many couples come up with for having sex is love. I can't help but wonder how many couples would actually stay together if their relationship existed without sex. (can you? huh? huh?)

Friends and peers are a big pressure factor when deciding whether or not to have sex. As seen in many after school , the popular phrase "DI NA USO ANG VIRGIN NGAYON!.." isn't far off the mark. Just knowing that three or four other couples in a social group are having sex can sway a couple to give in and start hitting their own home runs on their sexual playing field. With each new couple having sex, the pressure current becomes stronger and stronger, especially for those couples who are not sexually active.

At this point many couples get swept in the flow of the current and just go with it; they do the nasty. Once they've committed themselves to having sex, it's very hard to stop. The couple might find out that they aren't ready for this big step in their relationship, but to stop having sex would mean to lose face with friends! Well, do you think that they're going to stop having sex? Not a chance! And, so they continue their acts of whimsical joyriding, without any care to see where the ride is taking them, just to keep their status with their social group.

The media is also a persuasive factor that plays a large role in the life of a teenager. Although t.v. shows, films and magazines are all supposed to offer escape from reality, many teens buy into the situations presented as if they were real. For instance, how many teens watch The FIFTH WHEEL? Now, here's a show that says to kids straight out, "Yo guys! It's o.k. to have casual sex and not think of any consequences.".. Yeah sure, it is just a reality show... Well how about some REALITY CHECK mga chong? The one thing the writers failed to look at however, is the number of youth that watch the show, and in that number, how many take the ideals of the show and use them as their own personal values. Teens who watch the show are going to take this into account when they have their own sexual experiences. It only reflect the fake morals seen on-screen.

The reality of consequence is the fastest wake-up call anyone can have given to them. One needs not carry a glass ball around with them to predict the future. All it takes is being able to visualize the repercussions of their actions. Now, I know that every teenager has been taught in health class how the sexual reproduction system of a human works: the little male spermy-wormy goes for a swim up the canal and fertilizes the little female egg-weggy hehehe... So, I am dumbfounded when a couple that has had unprotected sex is shocked when they find out they're expecting. Well, Hell-oOo?!? Didn't you read the label on your penis, buddy? You know, the one that said, "May cause pregnancy; DO NOT USE IT IF YOU ARE NOT READY TO BECOME A FATHER." In a case like this many people will have an abortion. Abortions are used so often that I'm sure by now it can be considered a method of birth control.

And if the parents do decide to keep the baby, how can they care for it? To pay for all of a baby's needs, a full time pay check is required. Assuming the mother stays home to care for the child, the father needs to quit school to work full time. Once someone leaves high school, they seldom come back. So, now he's stuck taking care of a baby and the wife (as he's probably married by now), paying for all the diapers, food, clothing, health care, mortgage, insurance, etc. These two parents have all the responsibilities of grown-ups.and they're only in their teens! And what's it all for? A simple night of hot blooded, hormone filled passion, or as I refer to it, a whimsical joyride.

The pillars haven't totally fallen to the ground although the pressure has been great. With so much outside influence, it is hard to come to our own conclusions about what's right for us. Everybody else seems to already know. The rate at which teenagers are evolving is awesome. We want to do it all and we want to do it now! I hope that we take the time to learn about the joys of the heart and try to shy away from the joys of the part. The former is much more fulfilling, I'm sure, and leaves you with more respect for yourself and your significant other and it gives you a nice, warm feeling inside.?