Never Say Never!

Irate customers, unhappy callers, rude responses, abusive language; those are just a few of the what a customer service representative encounters in a day. But how do these affect them?
One of the most sought after job, which is now a trend, is the call center. Their good compensation and benefits are great that most of the job seekers want to have. 

Everyday, lots of applicants drop in their resumes wait for an interview. A lot, with no sweat, were able to make it but there are also a lot who don’t. Those chosen ones will be trained for 1 to 2 months. However, some trainees, after a month or two or even after a day, quit and leave the job. Such reason why the company is always hiring for replacements everyday. But the question is, why do call center agents can’t barely survive call center?

As I took my first call during my training at a call center, I can't help myself but to get terrified. I want myself to stay composed during the calls but I always get loss. I encountered lots of dead air. I want to keep back on track but I can’t. Everything I learned from the classroom training was all gone. The person next to me, who was also my co-trainee, felt the same way. He even mentioned that he wants to quit and not to return the following day. According to him, most of his callers were kind but the sad thing was he wasn't able to resolve their concerns because he was lost. It is expected that first day duty is always the worst. 

During my calls, the callers were kind at first but since I could not address their problem effectively they become rude and irate. There are some calls that I want to release immediately just to avoid the problem but I certainly can’t because it’s a grave offense and is equivalent to termination. So, as much as possible, you just have to keep your patience with you. 

Back to my co-trainee, his self-esteem is so low that he was not able to help his callers. In relation to my case, my self-esteem also decreased when a caller became irate. That day, I empathized those individuals who can’t survive call center. Maybe, for them, being in a call center is a curse. They could not handle the pressures in the work area and that leaving the job is the only option for them.

However, there’s always a room for improvement and that everyday is a learning process. If others made it for more than 5 years then why can’t we. Time will come for us neophytes, receiving a call will be as easy as ABC. So, “never say never!”.

All in a Day's Work....

I was having my initial rounds in the ward with my nurse aide. We came to our muslim patient with a DNR status. The room was filled with people. Patient's family and relatives were surrounding him and already mourning. Accessing the patient to do some assessment is quite difficult. However, I managed to reach the patient. I could only see a portion of his face and upper right arm. I grabbed a hand and pressed the fingertips to elicit pain. I checked for any reaction such as withdrawal, movement or any facial expression but could not find any, so, I pressed harder. Momentarily, requested the person standing in front of me who apparently was blocking my view to move aside. While continuously pressing the fingertip, I got a better view of the patient and to the owner of fingertip I was pressing. To my uttermost surprise, the fingertip I was holding is of the patient's wife. Dumbstruck for a moment. I could only watch her reaction. Boy...she had the ugliest facial grimace I ever saw! Immediately, we ended our visit and went to our nurse station as fast as we could. Shutting the door behind us my nurse aide and I burst into rage of laughter. Lesson learned: go back to the basics..clear first the area.

Is Being an Alcoholic Hereditary?

Children raised in a home in which a parent has a problem with alcohol have double the risk of becoming alcoholics themselves. There are various reasons for this unhappy fact. Research shows an inherited or genetic influence that increases the chances of becoming an alcoholic. The stress of living in a home troubled with alcoholism further increases the likelihood of children becoming problem drinkers themselves. Additionally, children of alcoholics often have poor self-image and esteem, and have greater difficulty in facing the stresses of daily living. When circumstances become difficult and problems arise, there is a greater likelihood of turning to alcohol as an escape.

Prevention is greater than cure -- stay away from alcohol!

Body mass index

Your weight matters, but it has to be considered in the context of how tall you are. Body mass index takes the two numbers into account. Like waist circumference, BMI is an indirect measure of risk, but a higher measure correlates with greater risk. The catch, however, is that it is not always entirely accurate. A person in excellent condition who has a lot of muscle mass may have a high BMI.

Too much excess weight is associated with diabetes, heart disease and stroke, some cancers, sleep apnea, osteoarthritis, fatty liver disease, and complications in pregnancy.

Bottom line: People with BMIs less than 18.5 are underweight. Target BMI range is between 18.5 and 24.9. Overweight is considered between 25 and 30, and a BMI above 30 puts you in the obese category.

(credits to YahooNews)

Empty Sweets

Refined sugars make up around 21 percent of the calories most people eat -- more than 30 teaspoonfuls per day. Much of this sugar is well hidden in food and beverages. To reduce the sugar in your diet, start by substituting naturally sweet foods for sugared snacks.

Reducing the Sugar in Your Diet

Sugar contains no nutrients or fiber. It's high in calories and can crowd more nutritious foods out of your diet. If Sugar has a grip on you, here are three simple tips to help you reduce your dependence without eliminating sweet treats altogether.

1. Indulge Less Frequently

    How often do you eat desserts or sweet snacks? You may choose one.

          * 1-4 times/week

          * 1-2 times/day

          * 3-4 times/day

          * More than 4 times/day

   If you answered more than once a day you would benefit from reserving treats for special times.

2. Eat Smaller Servings

   When you do eat sweets and sugared foods, learn to savor small portions. Eat slowly, and make your portion last. You can train yourself to be satisfied with a smaller serving.

3. Make the Low-sugar Choice

   Choose low-sugar alternatives when shopping. It's not always easy to tell how much sugar a product contains, because sugar can be disguised as fructose, sucrose, corn syrup, and other ingredients. When possible, however, buy products you know are low in sugar.

Your Turn

Think of some ways you can reduce the amount of sugar you are eating. You may list them on a sheet of paper.

Your Challenge

Try a fruit smoothie. Also, observe how many sweets and other sugary foods you are eating and then cut back to a healthier level.

Is alcohol less harmful to women than to men?

Alcohol's Effect to Both Genders

A question was raised, "I have heard that alcohol is less harmful to women than to men. Is this true?"
The answer is NO, this is not the case. When alcohol is taken in to the body, it is absorbed and carried to every organ in the body. Alcohol tends to dissolve in the body's water stores (in various cells). Women have less water relative to their body weight than men. If the female drinks the same quantity of alcohol as a male over the same time period, the female will have more alcohol in the bloodstream than the male. This will result in more rapid and severe intoxication in the female.

The main chemical enzyme that breaks down alcohol in the body is called alcohol dehydrogenase. Females process less alcohol through this mechanism than do males. This further increases the harmful effects of alcohol in women as compared to men.

Alcohol has also been shown to increase the risk of breast cancer in women, even when small quantities of alcohol are consumed daily (one-half to one and one-half glasses per day). The risk of breast cancer is further increased if one is taking oral contraception or hormone replacement therapy as well as regular alcohol.

Another significant problem is that pregnant women never drink alone. Alcohol present in the blood of the mother will eventually get to the baby developing in her womb. This can cause permanent damage to the child. It has not yet been determined what level of alcohol, if any, would be safe in pregnancy.

Again, prevention is better than cure. Alcohol should be avoided.

Youth for Change (Boto Mo, Ipatrol Mo)


The ABS-CBN’s held a program entitled “Boto Mo, Ipatrol Mo” at St. Michaels College last September 2009. Its goal is to invite every youth to be an active and watchful citizens of the country. The event started at 6:30 am and was covered by ABS-CBN Cagayan de Oro. The sun is slowly rising to its peak and we can feel the heat penetrating our skin. It was a whole day event participated by young people who wants to be a “Boto Patroller” or anyone who desires a change in the Philippine governance. Every college schools in Iligan City were encouraged to participate.

Each school was given the opportunity to showcase their talents during the program and our group, Revived, was chosen to represent our school, Mindanao Sanitarium and Hospital College (MSHC) . We sang 3 songs, “My Jesus, I Love Thee” originally by AVALON and “Because Of Who You Are” by Vicky Yohe for the first part...and a secular song “Tara Tena” sang by KYLA, KAYA and V3 for the second part. The event was until midnight. However, we didn't stayed long because we have schoolwork and assignments that requires attention. 

The event was a big success with the help of every active and concerned youths around Iligan City.