Not My Day

Tough day today folks...I encountered a very rude lady Chinese customer during my work shift. Her phone has no dial tone. From the onset of the call she was already yelling. What I did not like about her is aside from venting her anger on me for the supposedly ineptness of the company she had criticized me personally. She said she does not understand my English!!&%#$&!! I am almost tempted to say. Look who is talking?!!! What about the fai, fai telo, telo? (Five, five zero, zero) My office mates noticed I changed my color from my fair complexion to red complexion. My bad, it is not my day today. 

No offense to some Chinese guys and gals reading my blog. I do not mean all Chinese, just that lady Chinese I spoke with during my work shift. When I accepted the job in the current account I am working with. I was advised Canadians are five times nicer than my previous account. I agree Canadians are very professional people. The things is, there are too many settlers in Canada. Some customers I encountered rude in most of my work shifts are Chinese, those from India and my fellow Filipinos. Holy cow! I am also an Asian. But I know where to put my feet on the ground.

As front line agent, I was not put in front of the computer without proper training. Every Nationality has his own unique accent. Oh, I am just venting folks. I guess... it is time for a cup of coffee.  Anyone wants a cup? Tim Horton? Stabucks? Or Batangas coffee? :)

The Breakfast

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Folks, remember I posted a story about a coffee tumbler from Starbucks with gift certificate I received as a sort of an incentive? It has 31^st December 2010 as its expiration date. The Christmas activities, work and my plan of moving to a new place preoccupied my already clogged brain. It was around middle of November I last visited a Starbucks closest to my place of work. I thought of using the gift certificate for a coffee mug or a tumbler. Those that I saw being sold at that time were the expensive ones. Being a practical buyer, I hesitated buying those expensive mug or tumbler just because of the Starbucks logo. I thought maybe comes December they will have new stocks reasonable enough for me to let go of my treasured gift certificate.

I had forgotten all about the gift certificate until last night. I happened to open my cabinet to get my gift for my godchild. The Starbucks paper bag with the gift cert inside it was in there as if greeting me. This morning after work, I teased the young man at the counter inside the Starbucks near our office. I would like to renew the gift certificate because the tumbler I would like to buy is not available. He declined politely with a grin. I had a fresh brewed coffee and a sumptuous sandwich for breakfast. I was the first customer. I told the young good looking fellow at the counter they will have lots of customers after me. True enough. While I was seated in a couch waiting for my order, more customers started to line up.

What caught my attention are the Caucasian families of six. Judging from their English accents they are British. The two cute little boys with curly yellow hair started pounding on the wooden table. I guess they had mistaken the table as a drum. I looked at the cute little ones with the smile while their grandma busied herself looking at them with her finger between her lips gesturing silence. When I got up after the last gulp of coffee the young lad at the counter called out – “Thank you ma’m… Happy New Year!” – I replied with a smile and thumbs up then headed to the bus stop for a ride home. Not bad to start a new day!  ☺

What’s In It with Coffee?

Had you visited Manila, and some other cities in the Philippines, you must have noticed a lot of coffee shops located almost everywhere. Among the top ten coffee shops are ~♥

1.      Starbucks

2.      Gloria Jean’s

3.      Bo’s Coffee

4.      Figaro

5.      Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf

6.      Seattle’s Best Coffee

7.      Café de Lipa

8.      UCC Café Plaza

9.      McCafe of McDonalds

Let us stop and talk a while..

10.  Café Capreal 

In Manila, most of these coffee shops are located inside hotels, shopping malls or they have their own rented place like that of Starbucks. Starbucks rank number one. You could easily find one, either close to offices, golf course or any strategic locations frequented by people from all walks of life. To be more attractive to coffee lovers, this coffee shop sells, tumblers, coffee mugs, bags or other items bearing Starbucks name. Although Filipinos love coffee, those who have tight budget may not be interested buying the items. They are quite pricey. Coffee lovers do buy them as keepsake items. One thing I noticed about Starbucks is their accommodating place. You could enjoy your stay in the place as long as you want. In some coffee shops waiters would ask if you have other orders or needed something. As if to say, you need to give way to other customers.

As people used to flock to these coffee shops. The entrepreneurship mind of their marketing staff had conceptualized the idea of selling cakes and pastries to go with coffee. Coffee shops are even popular than ice cream parlors. After all who wants to sweat it out at the gym to ward off excess calories? So what is with coffee that made it so popular? Nothing really, it is the place that is more important. Coffee shops are places you could conveniently stay while waiting for your friends. It is a good place for buying time while waiting for a business partner for an important meeting. Or a place to simply read the morning news paper while enjoying a stick of cigarette all by your self.  ☺