Monday, January 09, 2012

Reflection - 'cos I hear it so often.

Reflection on your essays, reflection on your week, reflection this, reflection that.

This is my reflection over the past sem.

1. Friends
I got to know the ones I knew better and not necessarily liking all outcomes. I got to know new ones who will now have a permanent place in my heart. I think we bruised each other, and got ourselves chipped all over. This is a good thing, everyone needs to shake down. Some are bad processes, some are not that bad, but in the end all is good-for now. My roomie is awesome. She reminds me of my grandmother, not in the physical sense, but some of the things she says, her life lessons and her day to day goal. I live with a motivational speaker. I can't thank God more.

2. Studies
I am finally doing something I love. Bullshit of the century. Even in Uni, you have to do courses you don't want to like BM and Entrepreneurship and stuff like that. My year is also the guinea pig year for a new course, I would say that it is a helpful course. To be honest, I can't wait for the next semester. I really want to take a chunk off my major, see what the tough meat is all about. Excited much.

3. Location
There is a tendency to forget that I live on an island because I hardly see the sea. Despite the amount of outings and such, I still forget. Occasionally, the breeze comes to remind me that there is this vast amount of salt water surrounding me, the clouds at night do the same.

4. Weather
Needs getting used to. Nuff' said.

5. Church and CF
Is pretty cool, I think I need time to get attached to it. I think everyone does, naturally.

6. Myself
I think I have gotten a bit more headstrong, a lot more self conscious, somewhat lazy and maybe a bit more adventurous. I have now the opportunity to do everything I want, it's called freedom. However, I don't feel like I accomplished anything. I am yet to stretch myself and do things differently. In a way, I feel like my whole personality and character has not been structured yet and set into stone, not that I want to make myself incapable of being malleable by humility and what not, but I can't help but desire to be stronger in quiet sense and somehow more in control of myself. This is probably my future goal.

Next sem, here I come. :)

Tuesday, January 03, 2012

The Phone: How to be an Effective Caller and Answerer

This post is for all the idiots out there who do not know how to make or answer a call. Today I will shed some light for you and educate you on how to be a courteous and not so imbecilic person-on the phone, of course.

Lesson 1: Introduction

Upon answering the ringing phone, answer with a salutation, appropriate to the timing of the day. For example: Good morning, good evening, hello.... etc etc...

Situation 1:
kring kring...

Answerer: Hello?


Situation 2:
kring kring...

Answerer: Good evening?

Get the picture?

*Note: Never answer the call with 'good night'.
_____________#______________

Lesson 2: Whoissit?

It is natural for the Answerer to know who the Caller is, so....

YOU CALLERS JUST STATE YOUR FRIGGIN' NAME. DON'T YOU EVER EVER EVER EVER DARE ASK THE ANSWERER WHO HE/SHE IS. OKAY?

phew*

Now that that is settled, let me give you some situations...

Situation 1

Answerer: Hello?
Caller: Hello. Who is this?

The above conversation is NOT COOL! NOT COOL, GOT IT?

How the conversation should be:-

Situation 1 (The Proper Version)

Anwerer: Hello?
Caller: Hello.
Answerer: Who is this please?
Caller: My name is Educated Caller.
Anwerer: Blimey, my name is Educated Answerer.
Caller: Jolly good, ol' fella!

The above conversation is more or less the way it should be in reality. You may, of course have a different name.

There is however one situation where you should be able to avoid the name giving game. That is if the purpose of the call is to find out about a person who called you but you have no idea who is the person.

Situation C0mplicated:

Answerer: Hello?
Caller: Hello.
Answerer: Who is this, please?
Caller: I received a call from this number a couple of hours ago and I would like to know who called me. Who owns this number please?

That is the only situation where you shouldn't reveal your identity first, if you are the caller. There are probably a host of other situations like a complicated, dramatic, life or death situation but my temporary lack of creativity prohibits me from being specific.
_____________#______________

Lesson 3: The Main Content

This portion of your conversation entails the purpose of your call. It may be:

- an informative call
- a nagging call
-an angry call
-a flirty call
-a social call

The point is, whatever it is, it is up to you.

_____________#______________

Lesson 4: The Conclusion

Many people like to finish the call with a grunt or absolutely no indication that the call has ended. This is very unprofessional, rude even. The next situations will give you an example of what it
sounds like:

Rude Situation 1:

Caller: Alright dude, bye.
Answerer: *grunt*

click.

Rude Situation 2:

Caller: Alright dude, bye.

click.

That's not very nice, is it? Be courteous, try some of the following examples:

Better Situation 1:

Caller: Alright dude, bye.
Answerer: Bye dude.

click.

Better Situation 2:

Caller: Alright dude, bye.
Answerer: Goodbye, Mr Watson.

click.

Better Situation 3:

Caller: Alright dude, bye.
Answerer: No, don't leave me, please don't, I can't be alone, I can't. I'll die... please... please... he's coming, the boogeyman, he's coming!

click.

Answerer: Dude? Dude? DUDEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Okay, perhaps not the last, but the two previous ones were just fine.

_____________#______________

Now that you're educated, I hope you make this a practice in life, so that you will not be a pain in the buttocks for people like me.

Thank you.