Friday, April 17, 2009

Hilton Hotel Petaling Jaya - A Review

Hilton Petaling Jaya
No 2 Jalan Barat, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia 46200

What I like about it:
Two things I enjoyed about this hotel - Breakfast and Swimming Pool! Morning breakfasts are great with a wide range of food and beverages at Paya Serai Restaurant (Ground Floor). The lights and food presentation add appeal to the place. The swimming pool was also fabulous.

What needs to be improved: My check-in experience wasn't that good. The front desk lady was giving me a room that I'll share with another business traveler. I specifically mentioned that I have a reservation and I don't need to share a room with a total stranger. She doesn't speak English well although she's trying to be as courteous as she can.

Also, the room quality is fairly average. The bed is just okay. The marble bathroom simple (no bathtub). The television is small and old, no DVD and there are limited international channels (mostly local). Although the lobby and restaurants are elegant, I was expecting a newer and more extravagant hotel.



My ratings for this hotel are:
3 of 5 = Check in / front desk
4 of 5 = Quality of Service
4 of 5 = Value for Price
4 of 5 = Rooms (Bathroom, Kitchen, etc.)
4 of 5 = Cleanliness

Monday, April 13, 2009

Being a Call Center Trainer (Part 3)


Why we need mental composure: If you want to be a trainer, be ready for tons of feedback and criticisms from both your internal and external clients. As the saying goes, you can't please everyone.

No matter how hard you prepare for every class, there will always be unavoidable mistakes or "not so good" interactions with your participants. As adult learners who are full of life experiences, the trainees may question your job knowledge or even your credibility to teach the topic.

The key here is to view feedback as a gift. You can either use it or file it. If you think the feedback will make you a better trainer, then use it by all means. But if you think that the feedback will not give you an advantage, then file it.

There were several times when the client provides me information in the morning and wants me to deliver the training in the evening. That gives me less than seven hours to study the information, come up with a neat module, check for an available training venue, coordinate with team leaders, notify the participants, prepare for the discussion itself and conceptualize a training agenda that would differentiate it from my previous classes.

Believe it or not, in spite of all these somewhat baneful experiences I've shared, my heart will never tire of training or teaching people. I find a sense of unexplainable joy when I teach. And what makes it even more beautiful is when I see my trainees evolve and become better with what they do, because of me.

Being a trainer is no joke.

Being a trainer is a phenomenal privilege.

Being a trainer made me a stronger person.

I have no regrets or whatsoever for burning the candle at both ends. I love being a trainer and the passion for teaching will forever be in my heart.

Saturday, April 11, 2009

Watermelon Eyes

I couldn't believe my (watermelon) eyes!

Friday, April 10, 2009

There is hope

Whatever troubles you may be having right now, believe with all your heart that the Lord will fill your life with abundant love and blessings.

In the midst of your life's turmoil, come home to the peace of certainty. Certainty that the difficult road will soon be over and a new grace will touch your life.

Easter Day is God's way of telling us that there is hope in every problem. The Lord will shine above darkness and will bring us relief and healing.

Happy Easter to everyone!

Saturday, April 4, 2009

Being a Call Center Trainer (Part 2)

Why we need emotional composure: We live the life of big celebrities like Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt in some ways. No matter how exhausted or uninspired we feel, we need to put on our best smile and be a perfect role model in front of the class.

A slight fever is not enough reason to miss the class. When we feel down and lonely, we find every single strength in ourselves and deliver world-class training. I remember a pregnant colleague while being rushed to the hospital was giving me instructions on what to do with her class. When we roll out policies or guidelines that we personally feel inappropriate for trainees, we have to set aside our own judgment and encourage the class to understand the importance of the issues presented.

As trainers, we have to also be self-motivated as there are no constant recognition (and sometimes even management support) in this profession. We look at the positive side of every opportunity that comes our way and use the challenges to improve our craft.

To be continued...

Recipe: Tinolang Manok (Chicken Ginger Soup)

This recipe is a sure delight to most Filipinos. It has been a popular local dish as it was even mentioned in Chapter Three of Dr. Jose Rizal's Noli Me Tangere. The novel, Noli Me Tangere, was written in 1884 and Rizal is the country's national hero.


What you need to prepare:

-casserole

Ingredients:
-1 whole chicken, cut into small serving pieces
-1 small ginger, peeled and sliced
-1 small garlic, crushed
-1 medium onion, chopped
-2 tbsp patis (fish sauce)
-2 medium sayote (chayote squash), peeled and cut into serving pieces
-sili (chilli) leaves
-1 tbsp canola oil
-1 liter of water
-dash of salt

Let's start cooking!

1. Heat canola oil in a casserole. Saute garlic, onion and ginger until it produces an aromatic scent.

2. Add the chicken pieces to brown the meat lightly.

3.Season with patis and a dash of salt. Then pour water and cover for about 15 minutes.

4. When the chicken is half done, add sayote. Simmer over medium heat for 7-10 minutes.

5. Stir in sili leaves just before serving.

Serve with love!

NOTES:

1. Be careful not to overcook the vegetables.

2. You can also use raw papaya instead of sayote, and malunggay leaves instead of sili leaves.

Friday, April 3, 2009

Sudoku Champ in the Making

My niece who is fifteen months old begins scribbling and enjoying the exploration of the Sudoku world. As a start, she can count one, two and three. :GRIN:

Thursday, April 2, 2009

summer and watermelons

Our summer meal as a family is not complete without the crisp, cold, and juicy watermelon. I guess summer and watermelon are inseparable especially if you're living in a tropical country such as ours.
Other than the water content, the beautiful red watermelon is filled with high concentration of lycopene and some of nature's antioxidants. It is packed with Vitamin A, Vitamin C and Vitamin B6. Everything about it is healthy so obviously, eating watermelon to quench the summer thirst is a safer than taking energy drinks.

A stroll around the city will show you several fruit stalls. I usually buy from Beth's Pakwan (which means watermelon in Tagalog) along Don Bonifacio Avenue. If you're from Balibago and going to NLEX/Angeles Municipal Hall, the store is after Caltex Gasoline Station.

So eat up and take advantage of the nutritious, bright red watermelons this summer. I'm actually enjoying a big slice right now. Happy watermelon slurping!

Being a Call Center Trainer (Part 1)

Being a call center trainer may appear to be an easy task. Your daily mission: wear a smart casual outfit and discuss a topic in front of a group. Plain and simple... you think!

Don't be fooled with the poise, confidence and fluency of these professionals. I've been a trainer for America Online in Clark, Angeles City for five years and I could confirm
there's certainly more than the glamorous outfits. This profession demands solid physical, emotional and mental composure.


Why we need physical strength:
We are willing to work more than 8 hours a day and in flexible hours (double shifts or triple shifts, if necessary). Monday, I have a class on a graveyard shift. The next day, I'll work afternoon shift to catch up with morning meetings. The following days, I'll be required to work early morning to attend conference calls or queue brainstorming. On top of that crazy schedule, I have to finish collateral projects during my supposedly days off.

This line of work is mostly walk and talk. In Clark, the training office is in one building while the training rooms where we conduct classes are in the other building. At least an hour before my class, I walk from my office to the training room to prepare what I need. Yes, while we have maintenance helpers and Internal Computing (IC) support, it will always be the trainer's sole problem if the training room is unavailable or any necessary equipment (computer, projector, speakers, etc) is malfunctioning. So we have to be at least an hour early for our own convenience.

As soon as the participants enter the room, we start talking to check the attendance, distribute modules and energize the class before the discussion proper.

We don't
have the opportunity to sit down all the time regardless of the class size. When having individual activities, trainers should walk around the room to address problems and answer questions. During group activities, on the other hand, we walk from one group to another to make sure they're on the right track and they aren't just chatting about showbiz personalities or latest gadgets.

We provide 15 minute breaks for the participants every two hours of the training to freshen up and quickly grab something to eat. Most of the time, these breaks are useful for trainers to prepare the activity for the next topic.

After the class, we again walk around the room to ensure cleanliness of the area and at times, we may need to talk to participants who have issues concerning the topics discussed. And then complete some administrative work like tracking data and reports.

To be continued...

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Weird News : Man Swallows Scissors

Today is April Fool's Day but this news is no joke.

A Chinese man named Kong Lin, 27, was using nail scissors as a toothpick when his pal's joke made him laugh hard - and the scissors slid down his throat.

He was rushed to a hospital in Putian, China and it took surgeons half an hour to extract the scissors.

Now I'm wondering what the joke was. It must be really hilarious.

Credits: EuroPics