Why speaking your acquired languages is important?

"A language not spoken is a language forgotten" , that was the quote i read on one of the posters at a BookSale Branch in SM Manila wayback 2008-2009. I wonder if the sign bill was still there, clipped and untouched. Now it's dawning on me how the quote has clearly lived up to its expectations, for the fact that my skills in speaking the Iloco language is immensely deteriorating which i've noticed when i talked to my mother over the phone last week.

 I must say that she spoke to me in a clear-cut crisp Iloco, and definitely i could comprehend what she was talking. Surprises of all surprises, i tried matching her pace in talking Ilocano but i could barely form my words in speaking it out. It was like, i'm trying to think first of how i'd translate my english/taglish thoughts to convey in to a real time spoken Ilocano language. And say what! i found so much difficulty in uttering the simplest of a direct complete sentence in Ilocano. And so my mother said "apay agut-ut tatel ka nga agasarita ti Ilocano?" (read: why are you so hard-up in speaking ilokano?)

 It was awkward and kind of foolish a feeling, i really wanted to say it on my native tongue but my conveyance of thoughts including my resonance are clearly failing me. So i got no choice but to answer in English and Filipino.

During an introspect after i ended the call, i tried deviating my thoughts by reminiscing memories through an Ilocano fashion way of imagination (just like meditating the past but in an Ilocano-way-like version, cuz most of the time, when i meditate, the language is either in English or Tagalog), it's fairly easy! I never falter to construct and follow my train of thoughts via the Ilocano version. It wasn't at all difficult, juggling and imagining things in the back of my head.

The discovery of the difference between spoken language built-in to your nature versus the unspoken & unpracticed language for a period of time clearly defines the thin border that no matter how ingrained a skill is, it will fade away through time especially if you're not practicing it.

Learning a language is best instilled during the toddler years, according to research. That's the reason why some wealthy families would hire their yayas who could speak fluently in foreign languages such as Spanish or Latin. This way, a bilingual nanny would indirectly amplify the instilling of new language to the toddler.

On the lighter side, having a knowledge with multiple languages can lessen the chances of getting an Alzheimer's disease, so long that you are practicing each of those acquired means of communication.

I'd definitely want to speak Ilocano nowadays but seldom i meet a pure one who could ignite once again the tongue that was once been so fluent in delivering communication without an utter misplay of words.

mac

Photosynth iOS app

If you're damn inlove with the iPhone app Instagram, the hell i do too. :)
I'm not sure though how i discovered this another awesome application, but, tell you what? Prolly one heck of digging and collaboration from the outer space on one of those lonely nights.

I'm talking about the squeaky and freshly pressed app from Microsoft, PhotoSynth for the iPhone. There is one great edge of this app from all the other photo apps out there, to stitch a 360 degree panorama of your pictures in one slide of a photo.

Your iPhone/iPod Touch has even made it easier and snnazier, true!, once the first image is captured, it will auto frame on the next suitable frame to continue shooting until you've got a 360 output or at least a panoramic view on your subject.

Photography has been one of my luscious aspirations but i never really ventured into it much, yet, the discovery of this easy-to-use app brings my dormant feeling of cravings of photo art erupting into such a volcanic precipice.

I wouldn't post my takes for now. But i guarantee you that once you've downloaded the app. You'll fall in love in to it.

The last time I checked in the APP STORE's review, it was less than a hundred reviewers but the ratings are quite high - almost five stars.

To ignore it is such a bad move, it's for Free and you've got nothing to lose. The social capabilities of the app is readily available so that your photos and shots can be posted on your FB wall. (there's no Twitter linkage though)

You may check out the site here.

Google Authenticator iPhone app

This is an update for the 2-step verification for Google account which i posted before. The Google Authenticator app is so much overrated but nevertheless helpful that i'd cry if i'll lose my iPhone.


The process is so simple: launch the app, then enter the code into the Google prompt whenever you're accessing your big G accounts to other computers or devices.

As of this writing, Neither the app has been updated nor a new version is available. Go grab your free copy from the APP STORE and let this manage your account verification for  Google. What makes this app essential is the ability to generate codes without having to access the internet. Once you've launched it,  you must enter the code a.s.a.p. before the timer ends (see pic above).

PS: i always recommend to always have a printed copy of your Google verification codes where you can access it easily. Don't forget to always have a substitute of these codes in cases where your iPhone is not available by saving an image file of these codes and drop 'em on your cloud storage like DropBox.

nom nom nom

Rarely do i chat eversince, but suffice to say, my knowledge about the chatspeak back when i was younger carried on to these days where technology like ym, fb chat and all those mobile chat apps are overflowing.

One time,  i saw this nom nom nom nom posted on a Facebook wall. I dared never commented on what the heck is that. So i made my own research.

But before showing off what was in store on my research, let me pour out my immediate thoughts upon reading that nom nom nom nom thingee.

I was on the verge of putting it as a profanity because it stirred a sudden clipped language of Ilocanos, which is heard normally from street kids doing word fights. (nam! nam! nam!). I seconded my thoughts that it isn't the case of cursing at all.

Maybe it's an onomatopoeia of sleeping? Agh! no it mustn't be.
Aha, it's like a call for being thirsty? As you voice out the words, it sounded like someone wants a drink, real fast. Nom nom nom nom. Ain't it? like when a toddler  badly wants water, he'd blurt out 'nom! 'nom! 'nom!

So much so for my guessing game works. I consulted the big G. And here are the results:

nom nom nom represents the sound made when someone is eating or chewing something and really enjoying it (from urbandictionary.com). 

I couldn't make the words out of it esp on how to describe, yet this nom nom nom thing seem like got stuck in my head for a while now.

It gives a kind of satisfaction on one's mind upon reading it in the head. And oh yeah, i tried voicing it out loud trying to sound like chewing physically while murmuring the sound of nom nom nom, it worked!!!  You really feel like eating, mixed with enjoyment and satisfaction, esp upon hearing the reverberating sound of "tsalap" "tsalap" "tsalap".

Honestly, while writing this post, i'm emulating the sound through my mouth with matching nom nom nom, and i'm really laughing out loud.

On the sidelights, this nom nom nom expression was actually sounded by the cookie monster from Sesame Street while eating his cookies. So it was maybe or exactly originated from Sesame Street huh?

Now my imagination is going far beyond, it could also be used by an all-male group to denote that the lady passing by is satisfyingly sexy and magnetic. (consider it non-sexist okay?) And oh yeah again, there's a pint of truth to what i've just said, it actually is the sound/noise one makes while performing the thing on a female.

And as the roll goes by from urbandictionary.com, it's also the sound made while playing the pac-man game. Relive it, it actually is real!!! nom nom nom.

This one would be the last definition, nom nom nom also the sound made when a cat is lapping down a really good food down on her bowl. Imagine it, or try to think of your pet cat when trying to chomp down a bowl of milk. Oh yeah, it's the  tongue that really makes the sound.

It maybe not obvious but at least, i'm at peace now with the clarity and meaning of this expression. A vast outline it is for the meaning of nom nom nom, indeed!






-mac

Dearest Mother (mother's day 2011)

Dearest Mother

i've always thought about you these days

for how long since we've seen each other?

months... years already.

i've forgotten the last spoken words

when we had our goodbyes

but your smile...

the last time i saw you

has been imprinted in my heart

Dearest Mother

i know, life has never been that easy

deep inside, and behind your grin and laughter

i could feel the weight and the tinge of forbearance

yet you never showed to us, the weaknesses

instead, you showed us how to care

you strove to show us the goodness in life

you instilled the virtues of lawfulness

you taught us how to survive

Dearest Mother

i missed you so much

that i want to bring you in my embrace

and hug you tightly in my arms

i may have not said those magic words all the time

you may have thought i never cared

yet in my heart i wish to be the best before you

to please and bring honor to you

albeit in little and subtle ways

Dearest Mother

I could never thank you enough

for your unending concern,

for the sacrifices you braved

despite the fragility

for the support in times of sadness

although we are only forlorn

for believing in our own capacity

yet we are only lowly

for the love

despite we're physically apart

Dearest Mother

Maybe your grey hair is now apparent

i could still remember when i was a child

that you'd ask me to pluck one of those

a lot more similar to those memories

made me realize suddenly

to be with you in your older years

to care for you

that it's now turn to serve

Dearest Mother

Worry not for i'd always be there

you may not see me as often now

but my heart goes with you nonetheless

that i've always prayed for your better health

that though we are apart

may you always take care of yourself

so that when the time will come

that we'll see each other again

i would say....

Dearest Mother,

i love you so much.

-mac

(dedicated to my mom)

Mother's Day 2011

iOS 4.3.3 (untracking your location)

Apple was quick enough to respond on the recent hubbub thrown at them from all angles of the technoworld - the buzz about "your iDevices are tracking you".

The news came to a wildfire last week of April and has intensified further when countries such as South Korea came up to Apple questioning why it's collecting location information.

The first wave of news about this tracking, spying, and storing the location information where you have been, made me a little freaked out. It has subsided and ebbed slowly as soon as i've set foot on the blogs of NYTimes' David Pogue and Scott Adams'. Their insights and perceptions at least have made me calmed down. (I'm an advocate of privacy, so despite the vastness of the internet, i'm kind of cautious on my online trails nevertheless)

As of this writing, my iDevice is currently working its guts to finalize the iOS 4.3.3 update. I'm glad Apple has immediately insinuated this update.

So, for all of you folks who have iPhones, iPod Touches, and iPads... go and connect your iDevice to iTunes and update your software. (yun lang! unjailbreak na naman)

-mAc

5 Best Practices in Lessening Supervisor Calls (SUP CALL)

As a customer, you would feel insignificant or simply unserved whenever a prolonged loop of resolution is always thrown to your queries and complaints. It is best to understand what went wrong despite putting all the necessary efforts, reverse psychology and other strategic tactics just to straighten up the issues and get what you wanted. Assuming, most of the above points  were covered and you simply just doesn't want to give up in getting the perfect satisfaction; might as well ask - I'd like to speak to your supervisor!

That statement must be the dreaded level in a call for all service representatives in the call center industry. Yet, there are numerous ways on how to cut the rope before the heat gets in there. Below are 5 best practices in reducing sup calls.

1. Take ownership of the customer and the call.
Immediately provide assurance and obviously tell the customer that you're owning her case once the problem has been stated and established. This will add a factor of confidence from the customer of what you can do and beyond.

2. Set expectations
Probably this is always being overlooked by most representatives, but in most ways, this is actually a great equalizer. It's also an effective "cover your ass" strategy so long that you convey with utmost clarity and charisma. It's always a rule of the thumb to set expectations after you and the customer have  come to terms on what the problem is all about.

3. Always sound confident
Your voice is one primary asset when talking to the customer. Although, accent and fluency are all subjective, it's always a win win scenario when you can match the pace and mood of the customer. It'll always create a good vibe and a feeling of mutual attachment from the other end when you're confident on what you're saying.

4. Be professional but always personalize the call
This may sound contradicting but the formula is actually easy: Personalize your calls by simply being you (inject a thought provoking situation which  you think & feel that could lead to a great chit-chat) without red flagging your QA guidelines or policies.

5. Be Proactive to offer your Supervisor
It would be useless if you're fighting to the customer just so she will give up in getting your sup on the phone. It's the customer's right anyway to talk to a sup if she want to. From the deepest recesses of your mind, you'd feel it when it's coming, and to counter that, don't say "let me check with my supervisor" instead, "my Supervisor would be happy to assist you". That way, you'd be much more a pro in the eyes of the customer.


Don't ever feel guilty whenever a customer is asking for a supervisor. This oftentimes happen when you're trying to establish the rules and policies of which the customer wouldn't want to accept. As they've said, you can't always please everyone. To reflect and to think back what could you have done better in turning that sup call into a praise call, is a great tactic to improve. You will know and you will always analyze the two sides of the coin what went wrong with it and how you could have made it to be a satisfied customer.






posted by MAC