ARE YOU WORTH FACEBOOKING?

When Facebook first hit the Philippine youth, I was all glum about it. I’ve been maintaining Friendster, a blog and Multiply, and I didn’t want to get into another social networking fiasco, like a lost underwear in a laundry bag full of dirty clothes.

But then again, one writing assignment got me into Facebook. My client wanted me to get in touch with him over there. I couldn’t get why he wanted that but I acquiesced anyway. So voila! I got a Facebook account.

At first, I was so busy stocking it with information and then I got tired. I let it sleep for awhile, just approve friend requests of friends I know, and then suddenly, my photos were stuffed. Turns out, photos of friends which have you in it are also uploaded in your profile. Coolness. Now I don’t have to upload. People can just do it for me. I poked around for more fun, and found poker. I told myself, “Finally, something worth Facebook-ing.” I climbed up the ranks pretty easily and my online poker career started there.

But I didn’t want to be unfair to Facebook. I knew it was so much more than poker. So I published some of my poetry there and updated on my friends’ walls. (Walls are like their corkboards. You can write or put up anything there and whatever you put up, it is understood to be intended for the one who owns the “wall”.) Then I started checking it out everyday. More and more friends added me up and the funny thing is that, most of these people are people I knew waaaay before, like elementary buddies. High school acquaintances in Cebu ask how I was and I knew they all saw my latest pictures.

I say I also enjoy looking at how they were..and I think this is what we do Facebook for. I got in touch with a friend I made during first grade. She used to be bullied because she had a birthmark on her forehead but now she’s turned out to be a really pretty girl. Actually pretty was an understatement! She looks like a model! I also discovered some handsome boys during elementary and high school who turned out to be not so handsome after all.

Then I came into a very profound realization: ugly ducklings and have-beens, that’s what Facebook is for. Facebook runs almost always on autopilot; even if you’re not updating, you will be updated because other people are always looking around. Facebook is a good avenue to catch up how everybody’s been, and notice that Facebooking (yes honey, it’s a verb now) will eventually define how you’d be feeling for the rest of the day. Frankly, I feel a lot better every after I Facebook. I’d see old friends who have been successful and old flames who turned out to be not worth my time. LOL.

All I can say is that Facebook is out to build more and more avenues for “catching up”. Ugly ducklings and have-beens, Facebook is for you. Then again, a friend asks, “What about those who aren’t either?” Well, they could just keel over and die a virtual death. Then we’ll all bury their ashes under a virtual rug and we could go on Facebooking without them.

So, are you known for something yet? Are YOU worth Facebooking?

Email me your silent violations via live_out_loud@ymail.com. I’ll get back to you when I’m not Facebooking.

Having No Degree and Rocking It

In my defense, I have a degree.

Okay, next topic.

Most third world nations are plagued with the apparent haste of globalization, the thicker competition for jobs and the number of kids who do not find traditional education attractive anymore. There are more bars newly erected than schools. Ever notice that before?

This alarms me. (And a few thousand parents out there.) In a country where putting AND KEEPING food on the table is of highest importance, a lot of people struggle to get a diploma, a degree, to at least assure them of employment after they graduate. Then they try to venture into the corporate world. Then there’s the food-on-the-table pressure. .

However, there are also a lot of jobs which do not really require a diploma, but can put food on the table. And expensive perfumes on the dresser! Here is a list of the things that you can try to plunge into in case you just want to earn.

1. Call Center. First on the list, of course. Most call centers do not require a college diploma, as long as you’re good in English and you have problem-solving skills. Most call center companies also offer intensive training for their agents so even if you’re just armed with English, you will survive in this industry. Most call center companies offer an above rank-and-file rate for starters and that’s what makes it very attractive to most people nowadays.

2. Online Writing. I was almost self-supporting all throughout fourth year college because of online writing. There IS a lot of money in this industry. See, the web is the virtual mall nowadays. More and more businesses are investing on their online wings, therefore, online articles (GOOD stuff to read—a major come-on) sell high especially if you’re a skilled writer. My advice to writers out there—learn online writing first. It is waaaay different than writing in print. If you have been following my Wednesday column (Mindanao Times), I wrote about online writing a few weeks ago. Five stars for you if you read it.


3. ESL (English as Second Language) Teaching. Aside from call centers, there is also another baby industry growing. Actually it’s not so “baby“ anymore. More and more foreigners want to keep up with the English speaking world. I remember working in this industry three years ago. This industry pays a minimum of P50 per hour, that’s P400 for eight hours. Way above minimum wage, eh? And again, you don’t need a degree. Just learn English and ace the interview.

4. Digital Art. This is pretty tricky. Of course, you won’t really need a degree to master Adobe (all the Adobe in the world!) but you will spend sometime learning them—and a whole lot more-- before you master layouting, logo designing, web development, et cetera. This industry belongs more in the freelance arena; because there is more money there, if you know how to work your network. This industry also is bombarded with demands because companies nowadays stand neck-to-neck against each other in terms of marketing competition. They are more aggressive than ever. The bolder they go, the higher the impact. Arts and sales will scream louder than ever! Thanks to the corporate world.


It is also widely held that while such professions vomit a hefty paycheck, they do not offer a lot of opportunities to move forward and advance careers because they are more individually targeted and static rather than team targeted. And, if there really is moving forward, like up the corporate ladder, only a few people will benefit from it.

As this article ends, I still haven’t decided if a degree is unnecessary nowadays. But yearbooks are always fun to look at a few years from now. So there. Haha.

Email me your thoughts…live_out_loud@ymail.com…but right after you finish your homework. Because as what I’ve said, in my defense, I have a degree. :)

How to be English-ly Eloquent

How to be English-ly Eloquent

A lot of people nowadays find eloquence in the English language a very good advantage. In fact, one of the biggest reasons why I landed a job I wanted so much is my mastery of the English language.

With call centers sprouting like crazy and more ESL centers expanding, learning how to communicate in English (both oral and written) becomes one of the country’s leading concerns. In fact, there is more pressure for us Filipinos to up the ante because we are considered as one of the best English speakers in the world. If you feel left out because you can’t even put your is’s and are’s properly, here are a few tips on how to get chummy with the English language.

1. Learn the basics. Nothing beats learning the basics. Re-learn what nouns, pronouns, verbs. adverbs, adjectives, conjunctions, prepositions and interjections are. (They are called eight parts of speech, by the way.) I’m sure you remember encountering these words when you were in your elementary years. Rekindle your memories with them and vow to never forget their worth. Thank me later.

2. Read, read, read! Read everything you can get your hands on. I am a very industrious reader; I’d read anything, from the Bible to the back of a shampoo bottle, to an eight-page celebrity magazine expose. This helps me get used to English, and my brain also gets used to processing things in English. Hence, when I start forming and opinion or an idea, I do so in English already…instinctively. If you are not a very industrious reader, I recommend reading “easy” materials like magazines or preteen novels. In this way, the learning becomes light and at the same time enjoyable. You can move on to reading Ayn Rand and Tom Clancy and John Locke later.


3. Actually speak English. Now this is the tricky part. In the Philippines, where people are taught to be humble, speaking English comes off as cocky to a lot of people because it is not our native language. However, there is no better practice than actually speaking English (I don’t care who you speak English to!) because it is where you can apply everything you’ve learned—the basics and the advanced ones. If you find this difficult, you can start singing in English (hehe!) and move on to speaking whenever you’re more comfortable.

4. Appreciate English. English is home to a lot of very good artistry—talk about Nobel prize winners, the local Palanca and Pablo Neruda. There are so many things to appreciate in the English language. I recommend reading poetry, since they’re short and oftentimes very moving. They’re compacted emotions, and beautiful symphonies arrested in flight. There are poems which haunt you to sleep and poems which make you shiver, fall in love, timetravel... No, poems are not 4D, but they’re good tools to help you appreciate the English language in a jiffy. My personal favorites include John Donne, Sylvia Plath and our very own Edith Tiempo.


5. Surround yourself with English. Now this is a habit; and this must not stop. Listen to English songs, read English literature, watch movies in English (switch the subtitles on for better comprehension!) and most importantly, talk to people in English. You’ll be an expert in no time. And don’t forget your basics.

Congratulations, you can now call yourself a Filipino. Oops! Just kidding.

Let’s try your English out, email me IN ENGLISH--- live_out_loud@ymai.com

Why School Rocks (Louder than Employment!)

I’ve been away from school for only two months now. And I must say it isn’t an easy journey. I never believed my friends when they said that college, or school in general, was easier than work. I was always itching to get out of school. In fact, I studied at an early age, 2, thus, I finished college at 19. Even so, while I was in college, I considered taking up summer classes just so I can finish earlier. I was always ahead of everyone, in a rush, and then a bubble busted: I graduated and didn’t know what to do with my life.

I wrote for a dozen of websites and it kept my wallet fat during my senior year. I also did some gigs in the events industry and some small time online entrepreneurship. At first, I didn’t have problems with money. And then my nightmare arrived: my online projects waned, along with my events gigs and I didn’t find my online entrepreneurship as fun as before. So my funds kind of went down the drain. The panacea: a full time job.

It was for sheer need; and so here is a run-down of why school is still better and easier than employment. In the office…

1. You seriously cannot be late. In the office, the clock is a major stakeholder. If it says you’re late, you’re late. You can be reprimanded, suspended or gossiped about in the office. (Who does she think she is? She’s just new and now she’s always late?!) In school, there is a fifteen minute grace period for one to still get the chance to attend the class s/he paid for. And that grace period, I think just spurs out of the fact that you’re paying for the education, not merely for the anti-tardiness training.
2. You seriously cannot be absent everyday for six months straight. In our country, it is general rule that you have to report regularly for six months straight before you can call yourself a regular employee and enjoy the benefits of a regular employee (i.e. leaves, healthcare, etc.) So for six straight months, you have to report in your office. School gives you an allowance of at least ten absences for thrice a week classes, at least seven for twice a week classes and at least three for once a week classes. I think the reason for such time allowances is mentioned in number 1.
3. You seriously have to look credible ALL THE TIME. Whoever said wearing heels everyday was okay was lying. And I don’t care if I mean you, Paris Hilton, Mary Kate and Ashley. Heels hurt the feet. They make your legs breeding grounds for varicose veins and make your calves hurt. Moreover, the clothes which are classified under “office wear” or at least “smart casual” are not really the most comfortable clothes on the planet. At least, at school, a shirt and sneakers are considered decent. Then there’s make-up to haunt me! God gave me a face, I didn’t want another one! When I get home I always breathe a sigh of relief every time I get to wear my comfortable slippers, my loose clothes and my plain face again.
4. You seriously cannot be un-serious. In addition to looking credible all the time, you actually have to BE CREDIBLE all the time. In the office, I cannot say words like “LOL”, “Yeah”, “Uh-huh” and some words from the gay lingo I so love garnishing my daily conversations with. I almost cannot yawn, laugh or get a snack as often as I want to. Oh well.

So to the school kids out there, make the most out of your studies. Trust me, school is a walk in the park compared to employment. My advice to the fresh grads who are also struggling with their first job: choose a job which you truly love and believe in. Rewards are not all monetary.

(Hey school kids, I didn’t mean stay in the institution as long as you can! LOL.) So who says work is easier than school? Hit me back and I’ll hit you harder! Just kidding…live_out_loud@ymail.com.