Look what's inside my mailbox

My mailbox has schizophrenia. Look, you can see some bad news like (Candidacy ended from oDesk and messages from the buyer itself telling me: YOU ARE NOT WHAT I AM LOOKING FOR. Duh nice move to ditch after interviewing me huh?) But here's what to look forward to, another buyer just suddenly hired me without undergoing any interviews. How's that huh? First time to do an hourly basis rate. Hope I can make it thru. Since I am no writer, the task itself is writing. Wow this is a challenge.

Also, see that pickjack message. Yeah pickjack is a paid to post site and yeah its legit but guess how much i earned. It didnt reach a dollar lol. Good news they didnt have any minimum payout but your earnings can decrease if you dont sign in and if you post nonsense questions like what I did. LOL I asked if Lady Gaga is a man hahah. :)) But those pay to post sites and pay to click sites are boring me because I am the type who likes to work in a more office setup way just like oDesk. But its still has a sentimental value to me. After all, my first payment is from a pay to post site which is the now defunk, Destroy Debt. Dont you ever think of signing up to Destroy Debt to earn money. Because it has stopped its revenue sharing since April 10 this year. If you are the type of surfer who loves posting and strolling around the WWW, try this one and you are rest assured you are paid in dollar or cents lol. Be sure you are really online most of the time and you contribute a lot. Sign up here!

Okay last but not the least, the mystery shopper thing at the bottom of my mailbox. See its really nice when people reply to you. It gives you more confidence to work hard.

I still have colds but I want to start with my oDesk assignment now.

Laters.

♥,
Cecily

✎ Max Factor's Mineral Make Up Launching

Good News for all Max Factor users!!

Tomorrow, they will launch the NEW Natural Minerals Foundation at SM Megamall. Its the first store to launch this product. Special Freebies awaiting for customers who will purchase tomorrow so hurry now and grab!. :)

They will actually have a sale event too @ SM Megamall, Watsons Megamall, Cinderella Megamall and SM Batangas.

♥,
Cecily

✎ Swine Flu + oDesk update + Mystery Shopper + Kapitbahay + Opal Conditioner

So I have flu at the height of the level 4 pandemic, Mexican Swine Flu.
But its not really Swine, don't worry lol.

I guess I was just too tired from last week that's why my immune system didn't have the ability to fight from a viral infection.

I finished the oDesk job (the one I have told in my previous entry) in less than 2 days. Today, I was paid, $40.

I received numerous candidacy ended as well lol. And yeah it still hurts haha. :)

I can't make a "raket" because of my condition. :( BUT guess what? I received an email from this mystery shopping company and they hired me as their shopper. So by May 13, I am going to have an assignment at this fastfood store. Yipee! The raket is not that big but it excites me lol. More about this next entry. :)

Oh by the way, I recently told this story in girltalk. I have this pasaway na kapitbahay. They nurtured a pig inside their backyard and what's even worst is that they used our own WALL as the pig's house. After numerous of stress from the smell and the pig's noise, I bravely went to our municipality and told them to inspect their house but with the confidentiality of our name. They agreed but if the pig's owners would file the case in legal court, they might need more our assistance and would want to reveal our anonymity. Gosh, sounds really scary right?

By the way, I bought Opal One Minute Treatment (Fuscia color) as recommended by my fellow gtalkers. Smells nice! Will post more about it next time.

♥,
Cecily

✎ oDesk: Building Relationships with your Buyers

Cecily,

I have a big project for you.

Are you available?

This is the exact email that I have received from my current buyer---just now. You don't know how excited I am while replying to it. For everybody's info, I have been looking for another oDesk job these past few days. As I have said previously, my current buyer gives work only at occasional times and at fixed range. Few days have passed since the last time I have worked for him, I heard no news yet. I thought he might end the assignment because I am aware that I don't deliver work in a fast manner (sorry, im a noob lol) But he did communicate again with me! I am so happy. It was really hard to find a job at oDesk these days.

Did you know that the one who invited me for an interview (Virtual Assistant position) is really cute lol. I havent talked with him yet but I have made my research. And yeah he is something but unfortunately he never called me at Skype. I have waited for two days to be called but he didn't. Maybe because we never got a chance to be online at the same time but I have caught him online several times and he quickly disappears after I sign in. Talking about weirdness. I was a bit optimistic about him since his secretary (or so called) said that I am fit for the position. But yeah, after two days of long wait, I want to moved on and so I did, I applied again inside oDesk as well as outside. I am still waiting for an answer to any of them until this current buyer of mine, contacted me again. YAY for the win. :)

I am freaking out. Yes, its exciting but really I literally spent sleepless nights finishing the project with this buyer. Im so afraid of the bulk especially now that he said its going to be a big project. I just recovered from a bad cold actually. :( OH EM GEE. LOL i literally did that in the picture. I slept in front of my PC while working. But I wont complain that much as I have been waiting for this for so long. Phew. Wish me a lot of success!

One important lesson? Don't burn bridges between you and your buyer. Build relationships with him/her and soon you will be the first one to be noticed if he needs a work to be done. I am not the best provider around but when I email him, I did it in a respectful manner. I apologize if I made a mistake and I tell him exactly my availability to finish a project. Of course there are bad buyers around, you will notice them when they demand a lot from you but they don't pay you enough! If you find yourself in this position, you can always make a report at oDesk and they quickly respond. I have tested their live help several times. :) Alright, till next update!

♥,
Cecily

✎ Skin Problems? Hear My History

If there's a Guinness Book record award for the most sensitive skin category, I think I will be a finalist.

I don't have a flawless skin. That's it. Ever since I was a child, I am always prone to insect bites, cuts, scars, prickly heat, name it. I think I have them all lol. It's not that I was not fully taken cared of by my Mother but because my skin is so sensitive that I can't even wash the dishes with a liquid dish washing soap. Why? Because my fingertips will surely crack. Yes, I have this fingertip eczema that worsens every time the weather changes and of course with stress. Anyway, I have battled every skin problems in my lifetime and so far the worst kind of them all is (drum roll please?)

Acne.

Yep. I am an acne ridden lass. Used to be, take note. Haha. It all started when puberty kicks in. I have a very active hormones. As early as kindergarten, I already have a crush with my schoolmate lol. When I was in 6th grade, I am in love already lol. Blackheads came popping up in my face. Big pores, oily face, mestruation at 13. I have three older brothers and imagine the horror they have to tell me everytime they look at my face. So as early as 12-13, I am already conscious with my face. I self medicated it. I tried popping out one blackhead and it disappeared. Another blackhead emerges and again I pushed it out onto my nails. BUT like infatuation, it just came rushing without warning. I just woke up that I cant stop them from reappearing anymore.

Mall Dermatologists
I had my first facial treatment when I was 18 at a one stop dermatological shop in a mall. Yes it took that long. They picked my blackheads professionally. Had me lasered, masked and all those things they do in a facial shop. I was given topical creams. and after few days, VOILA. It was magic, they're gone. I was flawless.

But I was 20 and my face was starting to form red dots again. This time, my face got worst! Aside from blackheads, I have whiteheads, and tiny tiny red spots. Since I study in a very reputable school where kids are pretty flawless and zit free, I asked my mom to help me with the celebrity dermatologist. Yes you are right, I was caught up with the frenzy of the media. The lady doctor gave me oral prescriptions and some topical creams. I followed immediately my fairy godmother even though I am quite skeptical with drinking medicines. She told me to take this drug at the onset of my menstruation. She called it Oil Control tablet. Repackaged---Placed in a ziplock plastic. I obeyed like a blind patient.

Real Deal with this Celeb Derma.
Three days after, I notice a very beautiful me. Although I am not yet acne free, I feel like a woman. I feel....should I say....sexy. LOL. I even flirted out with a guy friend during these period. Just clean flirting girls, take note. Two weeks after, I am still in my period, bleeding profusely. I started to feel dizzy and so irritable. I went to the celebrity doctor and all she said is, "Iha, that's okay." How can she say that its okay? I am losing blood here. So I decided to go to a gynecologist. There is always a first time hah. My gyne checked ME. and asked some questions. I said, I am taking this drug and she looked at it. She said, its an oral contraceptive. I said, WHAT. Hey even though I look like that kind of girl but really, I am not sexually active! I am so into my studies. So I felt really deceived by that celebrity doctor. To cut the long story short, my gyne recommended her derma to me. She treated my irregular mestruation and I went to her derm.

Welcome Stieva-A
Alright, my second dermatologist is a sugeon. Yep. Turns out that old ladies are his expertise but I was desperate. The dermatologist is a believer of "no knife" theory. But he believes in the miracle of Tretinoin. I was desparate and took a chance. The Tretinoin stings. The pea size is a size of a 1 peso coin as said by my dermatologist. Now that's really a new thing but I obeyed. And so I developed rosacea (red face, much worst than the pic). My new dermatologists said its okay but deep inside I know that its not. Great. My college graduation is getting nearer and I have this red face. Taxi drivers think its cool and thought that I am a balikbayan but I am not and its not really cool. The redness stings like hell when I perspire and my acne---The're taking a lot of time to go out. Thank God, my derm suggested me to take a low dosage while my grad is nearing. Lesser redness but massive oiliness. Tretinoin is really painful on my part. It removed my zits for a certain point but it came attacking like a plague after few months. The drug is not acting on my skin anymore so I have to change. It was unfortunate for me to attend my brother's wedding FULL of zits in my face. The make up artists did his best to hide it and he succeeded but the embarrasment that I felt was incomparable. Imagine the faces of the people around. sigh. memories.

Welcome, Isotretinoin.
January 2008, I am 22, I decided to change derma for the third time. I am really breaking out. My derma did some facials to me and glycolic peels. I was prescribed to use clindamycin and erythromycin gel at night. He assured me that it will go away and I shouldnt worry. Its effective because it dramatically improved after few weeks. I was able to attend different parties by February and I had short stint flings lol. Boys kept coming now and then and I am confident with my clear skin. Good things must come to an end says, Nelly Furtado in her song. I started getting zits again after April of last year. The zits are small but they are overpowering my face.

We have no choice, you need to take Roaccutane, says the doctor.
What is that?, I asked.
It is a strongest of all acne treatment. It shrinks the oil glands which causes your uncontrollable pimples, he emphasized.
I gulped and decided.

Yeah. Around July 08, I decided to take the capsule. I was prescribed 20mg at the onset. By August, the zits are purging. By September. they are really big and cystic. My derm upped the dosage to 30mg. I quit my work because I cant perform well anymore. I am literally a moon crater. By October, they are starting to shrink. By November, they flatten and the scars are becoming visible. By December, the redness were gone, I can go out confidently with the use of make up. The scars are visible around my jawline.

I am in my last 8 pcs. And I am proud to say that I am acne free! At last. I can go out now and people look at me not with pity but in awe. haha. I can write more about it but I will continue nextime. This is too long already.

Watch out for my next detailed entry regarding my rollercoaster ride with Isotretinoin. :)

UPDATE #1
UPDATE # 2 - LATEST

♥,
Cecily

✎ The oDesk experience

Alright. This is going to be my first post about my journey towards earning money online. :)

Lets start of with oDesk.

I started working at oDesk last April 3, 2009. Yes, that's really recent. It was purely accidental. I actually wanted to apply as an online English teacher with a Japanese owned company but they were not replying with my application so I decided to call them. For some reason, I first wanted to research about the company before following up...and then I stumbled upon oDesk at Google and so the history goes on...

After I signed up, I immediately build my profile. I took two online exams: The oDesk readiness exam and the US English Basic Skills Test. I passed btw lol. And then I applied to 11 job postings. Yes, you've read that right. Eleven. I almost hit the quota of 15 application lol. Luckily for me after a day, I received three interview invitations from them and another two after few days. I was so happy and never imagined that these buyers* will contact me because I am not really confident with my cover letters ;P. What happened to the other applications? They rejected me. :) Saying that they prefer other candidates and others say that I was charging them a high bid. That's ridiculous because as far as I know I only charge $2.00/hour. I guess they only wanted to make excuses.

Anyway, among the five interview invitations, two buyers hired me.

Buyer #1: My task is to research about people with debt. Those who reside in the UK only. I was too excited but I had a hard time with the task. It eats up my time and searching people in debt asking about their contact info is like finding a needle in a haystack. I found some contacts and gave it to my buyer but I wanted to terminate the job. My buyer told me not to cancel it and I did. After few weeks, I didn't follow up about the task. I guess its really not my thing. And today (April 20), I received an email saying that my buyer suspended it. I received no payment, I received no negative feedback. Its okay. I am after the feedback anyway. ✌

Buyer #2: My task is to cut and edit an audio. This is my first ever real task. I gave a good impression with my buyer because I passed his qualifications which is to submit an edited audio before he can finally hire me. It was an easy job but difficult at the same time because of the bulk. I have to finish 400+ audio in two days! But I cant, and I honestly told him that. I didn't really sleep at all just to finish it plus the audio were really random so I had to organize them in some way. After the first task, he asked how much I would like to be paid. I told him I will charge $72 because I had to work for 3 days. He agreed but told me to work faster because there were other providers* who are much faster than me. But since I gained his trust, he gave me more task. I was paid, $40 for my second task.

↑↑↑ My first payment for the things that I did over the internet. lol. Of course it wasn't a get-money-fast idea. I had to work hard for it and use my skills. How will I encash it? I will not. I will make my account fatter before I'll withdraw lol. If I decided to do it, I'll post my experience here. :)

I am still hired by Buyer #2 but for now, he doesn't have a task for me. I worked in a fixed rate as opposed to hourly rate which oDesk encourages. So I am still searching for another job at oDesk.

Right now, I received another invitation for an interview. This time it is going to be different. Its a Virtual Assistant job. I am quite excited about it since I will be paid hourly and the task is not difficult at all. The only uh-oh is that I'm going to work in a different timezone. :( We'll talk about that. The buyer seems to be good in compromising. I hope I'll get in and its going to be a good job. I have pending applications as well so its really advisable to be online most of the time if you really want to get that job!

But my first tip is, do not accept anything for the sake of getting in. Some buyers are like those bad eBay shoppers or hoppers. They give you task and wont pay you the right way. I'll expand this topic nextime.

Oh if you want to check oDesk and want to work there like me, you can check my referral link below. Don't worry, I wont get any profit from you asap because you need to earn $1000 before I can actually benefit from that. lol. Well anyway, the chances are quite vague but I want to try it--Just in case. lol.

♥,
Cecily

*Buyers---oDesk term for employer.
*Providers---oDesk term for you, the one offering the service.
italics---these words are italicized because it will help me make some great tips on how to land a job in oDesk nextime. :)

Welcome to Cecilywishes!

Due to popular demand of my friends, I am creating my blog now.

Welcome to cecilywishes.
Feel free to follow my blog--Anytime :)

This is mainly about my life, my journey towards earning money online (I have lots of them and I don't know how to manage them without making a blog!), and I will post about beauty stuffs (because I am really girly and I like cheap finds on how to stay looking young and pretty!) And I like arts and crafts too so I try to post some tips oh how to's etc etc. Watch out for more updates :)

♥,
Cecily