Closing Time

No I’m not talking about Semisonic’s song about closing time. But rather my 1st closing shift in the store. To tell you honestly, it was tiring but fun.

Here goes my story. I arrived at the store at around 7:30 pm to start my 1st closing shift. Since it was a Saturday evening, there are a number of customers, mostly students from Ateneo. At 1st, it seemed boring because the flow of customers, as I assume, is slow and go by the trinket. But I was wrong, the customers came by the numbers, which are most of them came from their usual Saturday night gimmicks and some of them are even wearing gown!

Reggie, one of our partners at the store, taught me tips and instructions on how to pre-close the area I’m responsible to clean. Afterwards, I proceed in doing my CS, which I was supposed to clean the other day but I didn’t know. At around 1:30 am, I start to clean my area. I was assigned at the backwall area. The backwall is what you see behind the POS register where we usually makes frappuccinos and brew coffees. At 2:00 am, the work began.

Although I’m adept at cleaning such chores, it was monstrous because of a lot of stainless steels to scrub it clean. But nevertheless, I enjoyed cleaning as if it was nothing. What’s funny is that I didn’t even sweat! (It’s air-conditioned inside the store anyway). We finished everything by 3:30 am. I was somehow lucky not to be assigned at the backroom area because as I bring in utensils to be washed and sanitized, it was a tremendous task to do due to the fact that there are a lot to sanitize!

We left the store at around 4 am and headed home. Tiring as I say it but it was okay.

I almost shed my tears

“I love the Philippines!” that’s a praise I heard at work. But here’s the catch, I wasn’t uttered by any of our kababayan but rather an unlikely person I least expected to say it…it was a foreigner!

Ok here’s the story of it. It was my few minutes until my off from work when this elderly, Caucasian woman entered our store to buy some gifts for her husband’s birthday. Since I wasn’t doing anything at that time and my co-partner was at the POS waiting for her to pay, I approach her to lend a hand. Of course, I spoke at her in English. Then to my surprise, she answered in Filipino! Even my co-partner at the POS can’t believe what he heard. To start a conversation, I asked her how long she has been living here in the country and she proudly said “20 years and counting.” Then after some chit-chat she paid her merchandise. It so happened that the one she bought was a Starbucks t-shirt with the Kape Vinta Blend logo on the back. I shared her that Kape Vinta was the 1st coffee beans from the Philippines that made it to Starbucks. After she had her ohh’s and ahh’s as I explained the beans, she immediately bought it without question! She said to me that she loves the country so much and nothing will make her happy than buying products that are proudly Filipino. After her transaction, she said her sweet goodbyes.

As she left the store, I couldn’t keep my tears back. I’m so deeply touched how she care for the country she and her husband loved so much. How pitiful to think that the irony of that was that most Filipinos will condemn this country to hell. How I wish she can tell our countrymen why it is worth it to live here. How I envy her and if only my countrymen will be like her then this country is way on the way to success.

Jasp, if you can read this blog, think about what the old lady said. Think and reflect. Don’t be rash on your judgement and THINK constructively.

Meeting, hanging-out and hurt

Our store meeting today was great. Even though there are some concerns brought up like low ratings on snapshots, cost cutting on maintenance and some areas of improvement, it was ok. I guess those problems were common in stores. Also for entertainment, I sang a song of one of my Alma Mater’s popular song. They were amused and laughed their hearts on that song.

I had a pep talk on Glecy, one of our MOD (Manager on Duty) about an unpleasant incident when she was still new in Katipunan. According to her, a customer bought 5 flavor locks of each of our beans. The customer wants to pay it in his credit card. But the credit card is suspicious because the credit card is from some foreign bank abroad that wasn’t known. She called Equitable-PCI bank to confirm the card while she asked a partner to have chitchat with him as a stalling tactics and to dampen his suspicions. But an hour later, because Equitable-PCI was hard to reach, the customer suddenly entered the backroom area of our store (it is off limits to public) and suddenly snatched his driver’s license and sped off with his van. Glecy’s suspicion on the customer was right: he is a syndicate who possesses a fake credit card to purchase a lot of products but only to find out that credit card cannot transact at all thus the purchase will be void. Luckily, she was able to keep the credit card and alert all banks and other stores of the perpetrator. Unfortunately, our Libis counterparts weren’t lucky because they fall for it.

After the meeting, we pigged out at Jerry’s Grill just behind our Support Center. We took up all night to socialize and have some UBE (Ultimate Bonding Experience). I had at least 5 bottles of San Mig lights and good thing I didn’t puke nor got drunk.

As I right this blog, I got a feeling that I was kick in to my guts none other by a good friend of mine! I comment on the movie “The Great Raid”, a movie about WW II stuff here in the Philippines. As a historian, I find it historically wrong and I know the dark side of the story. I commented to my friend that it was a mediocre and he got “sick” of me debating on such things. Although he has a point that I critique a movie even if I haven’t watch it, I find it hard to accept that he can’t bear my side of the story.

Jasp, have the big US of A eaten your bits of your Filipino mark to the brink of your own destruction and insanity? Had they blinded you that US is really a friend of our country? Dude, I’m a nationalist and I’m proud of our country. It’s just not right to always make our country’s history from the point of the conqueror. It wasn’t right at all.

Jasp, I know your mad at me but please have some dignity on respecting other’s opinion on the other side of the issue. Truth hurts man. It really is and hard to swallow. Please stop blinding yourself of such sanctimonious lies of our conquerors. Please, do it for me as a friend. That’s all I’m asking.

Over and Short

Kaya ayokong madestino ng matagal sa mga POS register. It’s either I’m short or over sa benta ko. And to my surprise, I was over by 150 pesos! I can’t remember which customer I didn’t gave his/her change. Hay…I wish I should have less time in the POS so I won’t be short or over next time.

Somehow it is understandable because the flow of customers was overwhelming. But what doesn’t make sense is that I count the money before I give it to the customer. Oh well, I don’t know what will happen next. Even though I’m a rookie at the job that doesn’t mean I’m excuse in sanctions. I don’t want also my manager to have a bad impression on me even though they are so kind and open.

Anyway…enough said. I still have to practice my song number for my 1st store meeting. Ciao!

On men and free

Nakakapagod din magtrabaho kaya minsan bulagta ka na pagdating ng bahay. Pero sabi nga nila, kapag nage-enjoy ka sa trabaho minsan di mo alintana yung pagod.

Anyway…we had this guy customer with his friends. As always we have to take his order. When he asked for his name, he said “Free”. Uh oh, I know what this means. During our training, we we’re warned of this type of scenarios wherein customers will give names like “free”, “rent” “play” etc.

I don’t want to call out his drink because of the name he gave. But I got an idea; I’ll give him a taste of his own medicine. So, instead of saying “for free” I said “for MR. Free”. Guess what happened…the other customers looked at him while he go to the bar area to claim his drink. He is looking at the floor! He he he. So what’s the moral of the story? Never play a joke that will backfire. But good thing he didn’t say his name though to save him for further embarrassment.

Ecstasy and Brain-Freeze

Alam niyo ba feeling ng makadanggil ng isang taong hate na hate mo? Alam ko kasi nagawa ko kanina yun. Ano ginawa ko? Simple lang, binara ko siya at wala siyang nasabi haha. Buti nga sa kanya.

Well anyway…1st time kong maglinis ng aming mother ref. Grabe at kasyang-kasya ako sa loob! Huwag lang sana akong masaraduhan ng pinto ng ref. Hehehe.

On Pride and Prejudice

I went to DLSU to confirm my master’s degree from the admissions. I also visited our branch in Torre Lorenzo to buy my favorite drink, Iced white mocha, and the partners there were happy to have a partner coming by (thanks to my Starbucks logo on my shirt). Even my co-trainee was there and we had a few minutes of chitchat. After that, I went to Katipunan for my shift.

While I was at the espresso machine making espresso shot, a girl partner of my whispered me something I’ve been expecting; backstabs from my co-partners. According to my partner, some of our partners are saying that I’m bossy, inattentive and annoying! I was shocked because I’m just a month in the job and here come the backstabbing. I didn’t expect it to be so soon.

Luckily, I was able to talk to my boss about it. He too was aware of those backstabbing. To my relief, he seems not to opt to join the bandwagon. He said to me not to worry because he sees that I’m doing well at my job and he told me he too was being backstabbed! Fortunately, I was lightened-up with that and my burden was lessened somehow at work.

I have idea who’s who those bastards who backstab me. Well, I don’t care about that. I’ll just make them miserable hehehe.

1st entry

Wow, after a long, long time, makakapag-post ulit ako ng aking blog. I’m no archer anymore but a barista. I’ll tell my stories as a barista here and reflect on my day’s work.