I was "verbally" tagged and the person who tagged me would not leave me alone till I wrote this..hehe..and since I am taking a break from my studying anyways I might as well do it. Here are a few of my secrets...
1. I absolutely LOVE anything sweet! I got a bad case of sweet tooth.
2. I am a perfectionist. If something is under my responsibility, I want it to be perfect.
3. I can learn a new song very fast and I can sing it back to you exactly as it is sung.
4. I can remember people's faces and events extremely well. I can't remember people's names or the names of places for that matter.
5. I can remember conversations too. I have no problem in recalling what someone told me a year ago.
6. I can be so insensitive sometimes that it scares me.
7. I am a romantic at heart. I don't tend to show it but sometimes I do like all that mushy-gushy stuff..though not all the time.
8. I have a phobia for exams ever since primary school.
9. My mind goes completely blank (which is rare) and I will start smiling ridiculously (which is again rare) at the sight of my cuddly bear.
10. I absolutely HATE rain! I find rain very depressing. Not to mention it gets cold and harder to travel around AND my clothes gets wet!
Well, if you do not mind sharing 10 of your secrets, then go ahead and write about it. I am not going to tag anyone "verbally" nor online..hehe :P
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Friday, June 06, 2008
"Interesting" convos...
It is just 4 days away from my exams and here I am updating my blog...oh well..I deserve a break once in a while right?? Anyways, a few weeks ago, my Uni organised a fundraising campaign to raise funds for this new building they are building and also to sponsor scholarships to students (*gawd sounds like an advertisement*). Since they were paying damn good money for helping them out, I eagerly signed up for it and even went through a phone-interview. All the chosen candidates had to go through 2 full days of training (more like lectures). We were pretty much drilled into what we were supposed to do and then we started on our "jobs". It was more like a tele-marketing sort of thing where each one of us are supposed to ring up the Alumni members and "converse" with them for a few minutes (or networking they say) before bringing up the donation bit cos obviously no one would want to donate if you just called to ask for money. I am telling you these tele-marketing people are really smart. They have different strategies and tactics to work around a person's mind and I am proud to say I picked up some of the skills..hehe..
So you imagine..me...a so-not-a-conversationalist doing this job. I thought I was pretty much dead as it requires alot of my brainpower to start convos with people. But I was surprised at myself..I did manage to do reasonably well according to my standards that is. I talked to many different types of people..some really nice, some rude, some very talkative, some not so talkative like me, some really helpful while some not so. I was really amazed how people actually opened up on the phone. I mean after all, they were talking to a complete stranger i.e me. I had really good convos with some people and I had really "interesting" ones too. I also found out it is much easier asking men for money than women..the women I had spoken to were damn stingy..I am serious...I want to share some of the "interesting" convos that I had with some people...and it just so happens that all the convos were with men..
Prospect #1: Pakistani guy who did his MBA course in my Uni. I was happily talking about India and Pakistan and what not with him. I talked to this guy for at least 15min and at the end of it when I brought up the topic about the letter, which the Alumni was supposed to receive telling them about the campaign, he said he didn't receive it. So this means:
1) I wasted my precious 15min talking to this guy.
2) he would not donate a single cent.
And what do you know, I was right!!Instead he wanted to know more about graduate courses in Uni and all that. So while I was telling him how to get this info, this what happened:
He: Sorry what is your name?
Me: *told him my name*
He: Oh I see, my name is --
Me: Uh ok..*obviously I know his name..I addressed him using his name*
He: Nice to meet you
Me: Nice to meet you too *have no idea where is this going...*
He: Do you have a nickname or something?
Me: Umm no..everyone calls me by tat name
He: Oh ok. When you send me an email about the courses I will get your name
Me: *What on the earth is he thinking* Oh no no..the Uni will email you not me
He: Oh ok *sounding a bit disappointment for gawd knows wat reason*
So after that, I thought I should probably hang up and call up better prospects. I said my goodbye and all that "sugary" stuff we were supposed to say..
Prospect #2: This guy, my dad's age, has his own accounting firm. The moment I introduced myself, he said he wasn't interested but I managed to turn him around by saying I wanted to just have a chat with him (*form of strategy*). Since it is related to the field that I am doing, I had no problem in striking a convo. I was actually having a nice chat with him. Of course, the bonus was that he even donated in the end..hehe..At the end of the convo when I took note of his details and all..this is how the convo went:
He: It is a pity you are leaving if not we could have been friends
Me: *taken aback* oh well if you don't mind I can keep in touch with you through email? *I was thinking of networking only*
He: Sure sure, I don't mind. Please send a picture along with your email.
Me: *again taken aback* Haha..but why do you want a picture of me?
He: So that I know whom I am talking to..*which he had a pt bt I wasn't willing to entertain*
Me: *And I had to say this..*Oh haha..If I send a pic of mine then you also have to send a pic of urs too with your email! *realising too late this might have sounded wrong*
He: Sure!I would do that! *very willingly*
I finally ended up the call on that note. Happy that I got something at least.
Prospect #3: This guy working somewhere I forgot. His daughter is a student of this Uni also and doing the same course as me. Somehow he sounded a bit distant but I just thought the line must be a bit messed up. So I was happily chatting away with him when this happened:
He: *suddenly* just hold on a min..
Me: Ok *hearing him talking to someone in the background*
He: *After a while* Sorry about that..the cops pulled me over just now
Me:*Did I just hear it correctly..cops?COPS??* Oh..uhh..how come? *lost for words*
He: I think I was waiting for too long in the line. Didn't know the cops would come around this side. It is just a quiet street. Luckily I wasn't fined.
Me: Oh i see..I am really sorry...
He: So what were you saying again?
So I went on..the guy was willing to talk and I had a good feeling he would give..
Me: So a one-off of $100 is acceptable to you?
He: Yea sure, let me just pull over and take out my credit card..
Me: *Yippee* Ok sure.
He: You should be proud of yourself. You managed to get $100 out of me.
Me: *Just laughed..what else was I supposed to say..*
In the end I did apologise though for talking to him while he was driving. He should have mentioned it in the beginning..
Prospect #4: Retired cranky man. Had to go straight to the point and managed to get money in 2min flat!! Here is how it went after I introduced myself:
He: Are you calling for money?
Me: Well yes but that is not the main issue. I also just wanted to have a chat..
He: Oh pls stop all that nonsense. What is this abt?
Me: *pissed off and shocked but still maintaning my calm composure* Ok well there are 2 kinds of funds...
I went on to describe one of them first which he sounded like he was interested and when I described the second one..
He: I am not interested in tat one. Is $20 enough for donating in the first fund.
Me: Well yes thats enough *though obviously he could have given more*
He: You want my credit card details rite?My credit card no is...
Me: Just hold on a min!! *the stupid system had too many buttons*
He: Hurry up..cmon cmon!!
Me: Ok Ok!
He: You know how much of trouble I am getting into for giving you my credit card no??I am supposed to be somewhere else right now.
Me: *That's it..he crossed the line* Well, if you had told me earlier you were going somewhere I would have called back on another day.
He: It didn't turn out tat way now did it??hehe
Me: *he dared to even laugh*Ok sir, your credit card no pls?
He: Well I would like to donate $50 (it was $20 before *rolling my eyes*) to this fund and my no is -----
I asked him all the relevant details after that and I thanked him and kept down the phone. That was the shortest phone convo I ever had.
So these are the few "interesting" ones I had. They are somemore but I think this post is long enough and I think I have wasted enough time already...I enjoyed my work though even if it was not that pleasant everytime. I loved the people I worked with. They were awesome!
Ok ok now time to get back to work..hehe..
So you imagine..me...a so-not-a-conversationalist doing this job. I thought I was pretty much dead as it requires alot of my brainpower to start convos with people. But I was surprised at myself..I did manage to do reasonably well according to my standards that is. I talked to many different types of people..some really nice, some rude, some very talkative, some not so talkative like me, some really helpful while some not so. I was really amazed how people actually opened up on the phone. I mean after all, they were talking to a complete stranger i.e me. I had really good convos with some people and I had really "interesting" ones too. I also found out it is much easier asking men for money than women..the women I had spoken to were damn stingy..I am serious...I want to share some of the "interesting" convos that I had with some people...and it just so happens that all the convos were with men..
Prospect #1: Pakistani guy who did his MBA course in my Uni. I was happily talking about India and Pakistan and what not with him. I talked to this guy for at least 15min and at the end of it when I brought up the topic about the letter, which the Alumni was supposed to receive telling them about the campaign, he said he didn't receive it. So this means:
1) I wasted my precious 15min talking to this guy.
2) he would not donate a single cent.
And what do you know, I was right!!Instead he wanted to know more about graduate courses in Uni and all that. So while I was telling him how to get this info, this what happened:
He: Sorry what is your name?
Me: *told him my name*
He: Oh I see, my name is --
Me: Uh ok..*obviously I know his name..I addressed him using his name*
He: Nice to meet you
Me: Nice to meet you too *have no idea where is this going...*
He: Do you have a nickname or something?
Me: Umm no..everyone calls me by tat name
He: Oh ok. When you send me an email about the courses I will get your name
Me: *What on the earth is he thinking* Oh no no..the Uni will email you not me
He: Oh ok *sounding a bit disappointment for gawd knows wat reason*
So after that, I thought I should probably hang up and call up better prospects. I said my goodbye and all that "sugary" stuff we were supposed to say..
Prospect #2: This guy, my dad's age, has his own accounting firm. The moment I introduced myself, he said he wasn't interested but I managed to turn him around by saying I wanted to just have a chat with him (*form of strategy*). Since it is related to the field that I am doing, I had no problem in striking a convo. I was actually having a nice chat with him. Of course, the bonus was that he even donated in the end..hehe..At the end of the convo when I took note of his details and all..this is how the convo went:
He: It is a pity you are leaving if not we could have been friends
Me: *taken aback* oh well if you don't mind I can keep in touch with you through email? *I was thinking of networking only*
He: Sure sure, I don't mind. Please send a picture along with your email.
Me: *again taken aback* Haha..but why do you want a picture of me?
He: So that I know whom I am talking to..*which he had a pt bt I wasn't willing to entertain*
Me: *And I had to say this..*Oh haha..If I send a pic of mine then you also have to send a pic of urs too with your email! *realising too late this might have sounded wrong*
He: Sure!I would do that! *very willingly*
I finally ended up the call on that note. Happy that I got something at least.
Prospect #3: This guy working somewhere I forgot. His daughter is a student of this Uni also and doing the same course as me. Somehow he sounded a bit distant but I just thought the line must be a bit messed up. So I was happily chatting away with him when this happened:
He: *suddenly* just hold on a min..
Me: Ok *hearing him talking to someone in the background*
He: *After a while* Sorry about that..the cops pulled me over just now
Me:*Did I just hear it correctly..cops?COPS??* Oh..uhh..how come? *lost for words*
He: I think I was waiting for too long in the line. Didn't know the cops would come around this side. It is just a quiet street. Luckily I wasn't fined.
Me: Oh i see..I am really sorry...
He: So what were you saying again?
So I went on..the guy was willing to talk and I had a good feeling he would give..
Me: So a one-off of $100 is acceptable to you?
He: Yea sure, let me just pull over and take out my credit card..
Me: *Yippee* Ok sure.
He: You should be proud of yourself. You managed to get $100 out of me.
Me: *Just laughed..what else was I supposed to say..*
In the end I did apologise though for talking to him while he was driving. He should have mentioned it in the beginning..
Prospect #4: Retired cranky man. Had to go straight to the point and managed to get money in 2min flat!! Here is how it went after I introduced myself:
He: Are you calling for money?
Me: Well yes but that is not the main issue. I also just wanted to have a chat..
He: Oh pls stop all that nonsense. What is this abt?
Me: *pissed off and shocked but still maintaning my calm composure* Ok well there are 2 kinds of funds...
I went on to describe one of them first which he sounded like he was interested and when I described the second one..
He: I am not interested in tat one. Is $20 enough for donating in the first fund.
Me: Well yes thats enough *though obviously he could have given more*
He: You want my credit card details rite?My credit card no is...
Me: Just hold on a min!! *the stupid system had too many buttons*
He: Hurry up..cmon cmon!!
Me: Ok Ok!
He: You know how much of trouble I am getting into for giving you my credit card no??I am supposed to be somewhere else right now.
Me: *That's it..he crossed the line* Well, if you had told me earlier you were going somewhere I would have called back on another day.
He: It didn't turn out tat way now did it??hehe
Me: *he dared to even laugh*Ok sir, your credit card no pls?
He: Well I would like to donate $50 (it was $20 before *rolling my eyes*) to this fund and my no is -----
I asked him all the relevant details after that and I thanked him and kept down the phone. That was the shortest phone convo I ever had.
So these are the few "interesting" ones I had. They are somemore but I think this post is long enough and I think I have wasted enough time already...I enjoyed my work though even if it was not that pleasant everytime. I loved the people I worked with. They were awesome!
Ok ok now time to get back to work..hehe..
Sunday, June 01, 2008
Changes..
She looks from a distance,
At events surrounding her,
Making her wonder,
Her mere existence,
In this ever- changing place.
She is confused,
Yet amused,
At the outcomes,
And at the unexpectedness,
Of it all,
Making her smile,
For awhile,
A smile of irony,
A smile of bitterness.
She thought,
She could never go wrong,
But this was not so,
As things changed,
As she went along.
She is unsure,
Of the promises kept,
Of her ability to accept,
And adapt,
To everything new,
To which she has no clue.
She desperately seeks,
The answer in her heart,
Is everything going to be torn apart?
Or am I going to disappear,
And no one will ever hear?
At events surrounding her,
Making her wonder,
Her mere existence,
In this ever- changing place.
She is confused,
Yet amused,
At the outcomes,
And at the unexpectedness,
Of it all,
Making her smile,
For awhile,
A smile of irony,
A smile of bitterness.
She thought,
She could never go wrong,
But this was not so,
As things changed,
As she went along.
She is unsure,
Of the promises kept,
Of her ability to accept,
And adapt,
To everything new,
To which she has no clue.
She desperately seeks,
The answer in her heart,
Is everything going to be torn apart?
Or am I going to disappear,
And no one will ever hear?
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