Date Created: August 29, 2009
AUGUST 27, 2006. 7:19:14 PM
The e-mail reads:
Hi,
I would like to inform you about the venue of our orientation.
New Joiner's Orientation
Location: 1.01 A and B San Carlos MSE Building Ayala Avenue Makati
Date: August 28 – August 29, 2006
Time: 8:00am – 5:30pm
Attire: Business Attire
Good luck on your first day and WELCOME to ACCENTURE!
...
"hah! i had the job with a whooping 15k monthly salary!"
That was my initial reaction when I first read the e-mail. I just couldn't believe I have landed to my first job!
But after that impulse, there were 3 things racing through my mind.
First, I didn't know what to wear--Business attire means what?
Good thing my cousin, Jena, has used to maintain her wardrobe before she flew to Brunei (she's now working as a chef in 'i-don't-know-the-name' hotel)..so i went to google to find some business attire photo samples and bling! problem solved.
Second, where in Makati should I find that building?! Who could help me? I hurriedly reached for my phone and rang up bud. Maybe he has an idea. I remembered we went to Makati together to get the ojt referral from his uncle and he seemed to know the place. But to my disappointment, hindi din nya alam =,c.. he just advised me to get a taxi... Fine.
Third, who found the job for me? I could recall I was to finish 16th Chapter of Blake when someone who introduced himself as an ACN HR called up. He mentioned about hiring and pre-employment examination stuff and asked me if i am available on this date. I gave him my 'yes' before the conversation ended. I texted tita Grace, who at that time was already here in SG. She had worked in accenture for 1.5 years then she resigned few months after she got married (and she paid for the bond..hehe). I asked her if she referred me but she also seemed surprised. I never created any resume. I never submitted any resume to anybody. Not yet. So how? And honestly until now, I still don't know how I got there. But whoever referred me, whoever he is, be it my school who became the channel or anybody else, THANK YOU!
I was never sure of what will happen next. I've been seriously reviewing for the November ECE licensure exam when the opportunity came. Every cell, every vein, every neuron and every strand of my hair is occupied with formula, numbers and ECE terms. Calculator has become my best friend. Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings I would go to my review center (PERC) and I would spend the rest of my time reading in our room (with the door sign 'Nagrereview, ayoko ng istorbo')..haha! Pati CR namin hindi nakaligtas. I covered the wall with math formulas. I was determined to pass. I really am. Mind you, that 3-month review time, I already finished reading all books, except for Blake and Miller. For the last 3 weekly exams of the review center before the 'first review sem' ended, My bestfriend, Mara, and I were able to make it to the top (siguro mga top 6 out of 7..hahaha!).. It's really a sweat and blood investment. And I was not sure if I was ready to let it go just like that.. But one thing I'm sure of, if my dad could rise up from his grave, he would do it and beat me and say 'go take the exam!'..i always knew he wanted me to have the title before my name. I knew it, because it was his dream..
August 28, 2006.
I woke up early. It is a common instinct that one should make a good impression on his first day at work. And so I did. Pero lin*ek naman kasi na taxi na yan inikot ako! I was also eaten up by the traffic!
I arrived at the orientation one hour late..obviously, I was one of the latest persons who came in.. >_<
August 31,2006.
The formal training was started. We were introduced to each other. They all looked smart while I looked innocent. And there's this one guy seated beside me who looked haughty and i didn't like him!
We were I think 50 plus in the batch that's why it was hard to remember them all. (And my memory hasn't yet let the diodes, fiber optics, radio waves, telephony, radar, impedance, circuit, etc. go so i just remembered few of them..hehe)
Lhen was the very first person i met in the batch. We met during the interview and we've been together til the pre-employment medical check-up. 'was glad she's with the batch, though we weren't seatmates, at least there's someone I knew.
Mami Rose was also there. Lhen and I met her during the medical check up. While waiting for our turn, she left her things to someone else (I think they just met) because she said she's gonna pee. But she was gone for an hour and her name has been called 10 times and 'someone else' who carried her things has already panicked. I still don't know til now where she's been.
I also remembered zigra for her weird and very very very looooong name and witty look. She was humble and I really never expected she was that smart. (She was our 'class valedictorian').
I met Sean at ACN Gateway, the day before our training. He offered me a seat and he assisted me in going through the tasks Ms. Tina has given us. He was nice. And he is brainy too, a 'class honorable mention'. And he became my one week crush. Haha!
Who would forget Reina's 'i'm excited to deliver high performance work with you guys' speech? She later on, became my board mate, and my bestfriend. She became my 'heroine' who patiently debugged my endless-looped program. She was really there during my weakest. She was there during my worst. She was also there when a super typhoon came, which almost left us 'dead'. I love her.
I was also glad when I heard someone introduced himself as a BSU alumnus. He's Robert. Wow may kasama na kong taga-Bulacan..
Eddie Boy was the youngest in our batch. He told us he was just 19 (or 18)..and I began to calculate his I.Q..hahah! he must have really been gifted.
And this haughty guy beside me, Sherwin Jay, who at that time i never knew will become my bestfriend..and my boyfriend..
September 2006
We called ourselves the 'Cobolicious'. Everything that surrounds us became our common place. We laughed together, we ate together, we went home late at night together.
I also began to love programming though it was difficult to catch up (my fault I didn't take my programming subjects in college seriously--I initially thought it was not important for my field). It was at that time when I decided to put off my board examination because it's already exhausting. Programming and Communications are extremely different fields. Before graduating college, I was diagnosed to have a Heart Arrhythmia. I was afraid pressuring myself could worsen my condition, so I had to take one and give up the other. And I had no choice, I couldn't resign.
October 2006
I got my first salary ever! I bought cake, spaghetti and ice cream for my cousins and gave the rest of the salary to my mom. I just left an allowance enough til my next pay day. Ang bait ko daw na anak. Buahahaha!
November 2006-November 2008
I'm picky when it comes to friends but I'm blessed my friends weren't. Because if they were, they would have just dropped me. Haha!
After the training, we were deployed to different projects, and different locations. But spam mails and chat rooms had kept us together. Friday night out became our weekly routine. Di din namin pinalampas lahat ng movie nights. KTVs became our favorite 'tambayan'. I learned from them that you could actually sing even with a not-so-good voice..you just need a dose of 'lakas ng loob' and 'kapal ng mukha' hahaha!
Since Sean, Ferdie and I were located at UBP, we became lunch buddies. I was a program developer while they were testers during office hours but we were scientists during lunch time. 35th floor has became our 'place of science'. While eating, we would talk about heaven, stars, sky, why do airplanes able to fly, what's the real shape of the earth..etc..
Mau and I became 'sizterretes'.. all started when I pinged her and confided 'o cge na nga may gusto na ko kay sherwin'..haha! i love her because she's 'eskandiyosa' like she's always claiming..hehehe..
RJ has always been there for me too! He's the kontrabida of my life..Leaving 'i-never-wanted-to-hear' comments with my decisions..wahahaha! But at the end of the talk, he would always say 'whatever will make you happy..' And no matter how kontrabida he is, he never left nung kelangan kong itest kung gumagana yung webcam at headset ko..haha! kudos RJ
Don't ask how mona and Kate became friends. They're both crazy.
Beskwin never left my side too! no matter how busy she is at work, she always had time for me.
Sherwin, as I always bring up, has always been the best thing about me..love him muchyy...
December 2008.
I resigned. It was hard. It was difficult to leave. I've already established my world there and I didn't want to go out of that zone anymore. But I had to.
But nothing had changed. I would still go online to AIM and greet norms 'good morning' (i've consistently been doing it for..hmmm..more than 2.5 years), though i don't regularly greet the others, I knew they're just one ping away..(kasi nakikita ko silang online..happy na ko dun..hehe)
Rome would ping me even at her busiest days..hehe..
Lhen and Abel would ping me to ask 'something'..^_^
And Msdhee would always tag me in her note, which I never fail to respond..weheheh..
August 28, 2009.
I called them. It's cobolicious' 3rd year anniversary. It's our anniversary. I might be oceans away but i know i'll always be part of it. Happy 3rd year to us! cheers!
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