Say Hello to Eloise, My Outsourced Content Creator from the Philippines

Here’s a post which hopefully will be the first of many more to come by my new outsourced content creator, Eloise.

Lately, I’ve been hearing more and more about outsourcing, the global economy, yadda yadda yadda, we’re all doomed, etc. So, a quick tap or two a la Google and I came upon a website listing folks in the Philippines available for “virtual” work. Enter: Eloise, a “Freelance Photographer, Article Writer, SEO, UAW, Link Builder, Product Support Specialist” with an advanced level of proficiency in English and a background in nursing, hotel and restaurant management, culinary, baking and pastry arts. Neato.

I think outsourcing and globalization are fascinating topics with no easy answers. I also think there’s a great opportunity for me and my new outsourced content creator to explore such facets of contemporary life firsthand and to share our findings with readers via this blog. Consider it a bit of hokey conceptual art if you will, or merely a cheap opportunity for me to continue honing my particular brand of jackassery.

Connecting with Eloise has been a ridiculously smooth process so far. She has been extremely efficient and punctual and far exceeded the specifications I laid out for her first post.

For the time being, I’m just asking her to write one post a week about her life. If we get along and I don’t drive her too crazy, I might see about having her come up with more content for me and maybe do a bit of research as well.

Here’s her intro in her own words:

My name is Eloise Alvaro. I’m the youngest of seven children. I am different from my other siblings because I don’t talk much and I choose to express my feelings through actions and appearances. My parents live in General Santos City, a small boomtown place in the largest island in the Philippines. It was not on Google map years ago but I guess what Manny Pacquiao has accomplished as a boxer is what put the city on the map. I’m already 25 years old, living independently for almost 5 years now. I am away from my hometown and have made Cagayan de Oro City my second home. I have not finished college mainly because I did not like the course that my family pushed me to take – Nursing. Nursing and taking care of sick people is not really my kind of thing. I even flinch at the sight of blood. I’m more of an artistic person but I’m not that good in painting or drawing. I mean I can draw but it’s not that great. I love to cook and bake and that’s the one I really want to enrol to. Just last year, I had successfully enrolled myself to a culinary school. Unfortunately, the fee for internship was so high I could not afford it so up until now I’m saving so I can go be an intern and get my culinary diploma, finally finishing as a pastry chef.

They say I got my liking to photography because of my father. He was a photographer before he married and became a church minister. I bet they’re right. He was the first person to teach me the importance of light and lenses in relevance to capturing a photo. I am fascinated and drawn to photography and have educated myself on the trade with the help of the internet. I even joined some photography workshops to hone what I have and learn from other enthusiasts as well. Eventually, I landed on my first client for a wedding photo shoot and there started my freelancing photography work.

I also like anime and comics. I grew up collecting comic books and magazines together with my brother and have followed Spiderman, Avengers and X-Men’s stories fervently. I had a collection of plastic toy soldiers and mini tanks together with other spy and action packed books because I once thought I was better at being a boy than girl. I eventually got over that thought though. The comics, spy books and other anime mangas lead me to become a cosplayer. I also thought that cosplay and photography is good together. I join cosplay events and even go to other places for cosplay conventions. I feel like through this kind of thing, I can express myself more and build up my confidence.

Three years ago, when I was still coping up living away from my family, I started working online as an article writer because I thought it was cool. And for me, it is cool. Writing and reading are two of the things I really enjoyed. I have written many short stories and poems while growing up and have loved the English subject at school. So when a writing job opened up to me, I grabbed it then.

I hope to get better at what I do and learn more about things I am not familiar with. With this blog, I hope to get more out of life, the internet and know more about how people change and connect and react. I think it is important for people to know that I can take care of myself well and that I am dedicated to the things I love. I believe that there are only 3 constant things in this world: death, change and God. This is where I revolve my life. Having this belief, I enjoy working and making money for myself as well as having fun by wall climbing, swimming and cosplaying. My life is as normal as any other person, with little extraordinary quirks at the side. I get hurt, I laugh and I treasure my family and friends. Most importantly, I live my everyday life not for my but for my God.

Do you have any questions for Eloise or maybe some suggestions for future subjects she could write about or photograph for me? If so, say hi and share your ideas in the comments section below. Thanks.