A day at the Universal Studios

Easily growing to be one of the most popular attractions in Singapore is its recent addition to the Resorts World family of recreational facilities: The Universal Studios in Singapore.

From the entrance down to the last stop, kids and the young at heart are assured to be treated with loads of fun the Universal Studios style, Rides and attractions recreated from the famous movies produced by the studio.

Overwhelmed by excitement and awed by the sights in front me. I wasted a lot of time thinking which ride I should try first.

My bestfriend Henry and I decided to try the Enchanted airways from the Shrek trilogy. Then we took tons of pictures infront of the castle from the kingdom of Far, Far Away. We had a nice sumptous lunch at Glorias Snack Shack from the Madagascar fame and then we took my son to the carousel, Madagascar style!

Undoubtedly one of the more popular rides in the theme park is the Rapids Adventure from the classic Jurassic Park. Word of caution, if you see the sign that says you might get wet, do take it seriously. We got off from it, soaking wet! We had to buy shorts and slippers after the ride. Never make the mistake of wearing shoes if you want to ride the Rapids Adventure or the ride in Waterworld which I never got to see because I had to change my shirt and all.

The next ride we took was the Canopy Flyer, which didn't disappoint although another round would've been nicer. Then we went to Ancient Egypt and took pictures of Giant tombs before riding the roller coaster from the Revenge of the Mummy.

It was a real bummer because we did not know that all rides close at 7pm, had we known that we would have went there earlier, but over all it was all worth it.

Tickets are priced at $66 on weekdays and $77 on weekdays.

We could not have celebrated and capped Jaden's 2nd birthday at the Universal Studios. As Jaden will aptly put it, it was awesome!

The Sentosa Experience

Our third day in Singapore topped yesterday's Singapore Zoo experience. This time we went to the famous Sentosa and spend the day with our good friend Reggie (my bestfriend Jeff's sister). We took the MRT from Tanah Merah to Harbourfront and we rode the monorail to Sentosa.

Its easy to get around in Singapore, as I have mentioned on my previous post, all the railroads are interconnected. You just have to get off and transfer to another line whenever you reach an interchange.

The only thing that I hate in Singapore is the weather. Its humid and damp. Comparable to Manila in summertime. Apart from I can't think of anything else to dislike. Comparing it to the Philippines is no contest. Everything here is organized. People respect the law and I guess that's the main reason why they got to where they are now.

Megazip

We took pictures at Imbiah Station of the famed Merlion, then we went off to Siloso Beach and rode the MegaZip. It was a fun, exhilirating ride. Then we went to the Underwater world and we were mesmerized by awesome spectacle of sea creatures.

To cap the night off, we took the Jewel Cable Car in Ambiah lookout.







I can't wait to see and visit the Universal Studios tomorrow! Jaden's 2nd birthday celebration is truly something he will remember!





Underwater world





Jewel Cable Car



Trip to Singapore

I'm only on my 2nd day here in Singapore and I'm already loving it here. You can't help but compare it with the Philippines. Like it or not, its so much better here.

My friend Henry, who came here to work last year observes that people here fear the law. He says its a very fine country, test the law and  you'll get "fined".

He took us to the Merlion on our first night in town, right after we got settled from the airport. We just left our bags had dinner and off we went to see the famous half lion half fish statue at the Merlion park in Marina Bay.

The next day we went to Singapore Zoo. Which was quite a challenge because we had no tour guide and we had to find our way to the bus station at Ang Mo Kio from Bedok South. From my friend's flat we hiked to the nearest MRT at Tanah Merah and took the train to Paya Lebar interchange. In Singapore all the trains are interconnected. To cut the long story short, we were able to find Singapore Zoo in a little over 2 hours.

Singapore Zoo is located in Mandai, it houses over 3000 animals in its lush tropical rainforest setting. Key attractions on the zoo are animal feeding sessions, rides, tram rides around the 28 hectare zoo and of course, the animals!

We wanted to see the Night Safari too but we were pressed for time because we had to meet our friend back at Paya Lebar. My wife, my 2 year old son and I, had a lot of fun. The highlight for me was seeing a live white tiger that I only used to see on TV (Nat Geo).



White Tiger

 We're just on our second day and we still have 3 more days to go! I can't wait to see Sentosa and the new Universal Studios!!!

Voiceless in a voice industry

Last October 13, 2010 a forum was held at Gelatissimo in Greenbelt 5 attended by Call Center Representatives from various call centers. They were all there for one reason. That is to support House Bill 2592 filed by Rep. Raymond Palatino from the Kabataan Partylist.

The outcome of the forum validates and solidifies the need for a legislation to protect the rights of BPO workers who are subjected to exploitative and harsh working conditions implemented by the seemingly untouchable BPO companies. We are not just over-reacting, it is really happening. And call center workers endure in day in day out or for most of us when the rest of the world is sleeping we get tied to a chair for 8 hours, virtually bound to answer non stop calls from clients.

Everyone was given the chance to speak after a brief introduction of the bill. Attendees were also given a comment and feedback form to ensure that every one is heard and no issues were left unattended. To cap it all, we all shared a common ground, and most issues raised by representatives from one company to another were the same issues prevalent on another.

Examples are as follows:

-          Call center agents are compelled to go to work even under hazardous conditions (i.e. floods and typhoons). Pregnant agents are not spared. Rarely do they make exemptions and missing work on a natural calamity will still count against your performance

-          Most BPO companies introduce metrics (rating systems) that constantly change and are in some cases, unrealistic and unhealthy. They require agents to take in calls non stop (not even for a brief eye rest and severely restrict bathroom breaks) Agents are actually required to ask permission from their supervisors before being allowed to go to the bathroom. In some centers, agents shared that they have to be given a number before they can go to the bathroom to pee. Failing these metrics could mean your immediate termination from your employer/account.

-          Some companies treat sick leaves for more than a day as a grave offense and may eventually lead to your termination regardless if you were able to provide a medical certificate


-    The right to form unions is expressly prohibited in all BPO companies

These are but a few of the common concerns raised on the forum. The time to raise our voice and be heard is now. The irony that we are rendered voiceless in an industry that thrives on voice should end now.

Act now. Speak and Be Heard. Support House Bill 2592!