So far, so good

2 weeks have passed since i have left everything behind and took a path so unfamiliar to me.. i left everything in Cebu even the person that i was.. being in Manila made me discover so much about a lot of things and surprisingly even myself.. i have been fortunate enough that by only 5 days of being unemployed i already found a new one.. it still amazes how i ever did it?? oh i know!! God.. you made everything possible.. to be honest the first day I ever really experienced Manila (MRT, heavy traffic, tagalog speaking people, heavy rain and street flood, pollution) i wanted to pack my stuff and go back straight to Cebu and never come back.. it is really different here.. you have to be rough, tough, alert, patient and smart! making adjustments if i just did it on my own would have not been an easy task.. i was lucky enough that on my first few days at work i have met a few friends who have helped me with the directions and how i would get around he busy streets of Makati and Ortigas.. so these were the list of adjustments the few days i have been here already:

1. wake up as early as 5am to get ready for work.

2. at 7am you go fight your way to an fx seat bound for ayala in makati.

3. traffic flow from Ortigas to Makati is not that heavy yet so I'm still enjoying Mosnter's daily program while trying control self from laughing (don't ask me what the name of the segment coz i forgot). if you go beyond 7:00 am sharp (i am not kidding) you will definitely turn into a living skull from being stuck in traffic.

4. at 8am- 830am have breakfast at the office and talk with new friends (actually they do the talking and i do the nodding and smiling. it's much fun that way than giving myself a head ache that early from trying to figure out what the right words to say in tagalog).

5. work for 8 hours and after that when clock strikes 6pm joyce and I would go on a jeepney ride bound to the MRT station. (Buendia station).

6. challenging part of my day! fight with the rest of the ladies for a space on an MRT.. i learned that you have to wear deodorant and learn how to hold breath until you reach your station. also never ever smile at anyone in there. the first time i was with joyce i was having a good laugh at myself because i was like running like a mad person and i was actually enjoying picturing myself and so i ended up smiling the whole time and i realize that the people around me were looking at me strangely. maybe it is not polite for them when they are sweating and swearing to see someone enjoying because really how can you find it fun right? maybe in their head they think i am going crazy because how can someone still manage to bring out a smile with all the horrible smell and and angry people. so smiling and giggling is definitely a no no.. serious face always.

7. and of course my favorite part of the day, meet up with Makoi at Mega Mall. we eat together and talk about our day. it's what i look forward to everyday since i got here. so even though i was having a horrible day i can always find a reason to be happy.

waking up early, fighting your way to get a seat on a fx or MRT, all the running, all the sweat and all the getting lost, all the nose bleeding from trying to communicate in tagalog without having to sound like Manny, well I've survived all those in my first week here. i never thought that I can even call myself a city girl but seems to me i just might become one sooner. it is not as bad as i thought as what had everyone have been telling me. i have discovered that i can make it on my own and that there is absolutely no way that a bad thing will happen to me as long as I have Him by my side. I know that this is just the beginning and that this is not even half the battle that i am about to face. everything will start the soon i am going to start my work. right now everything seem bright and breezy because i am still under training for our projects. they are still what they call me "being equipped" and that would normally fall to sleeping always (oh come on as if you don't do this!! it is not my fault when training room is conducive to relaxation) and no mental stress yet so far. when i will be deployed to what they call "madugo" projects i know the real hard part will now start and i better prepare myself for that. I needed to become strong, independent and confident right? well here is my chance now. I can do this!! God help me on this journey that i took.. never leave my side and always remind me of your loving presence..

That's all for now.. ALL IS WELL!!

Thank you Lord

Who would have thought that in just a few days i am no longer unemployed. despite whats happened to me, all the unfortunate events that came my way while i was trying to find work it all turned out pretty well after all. i just couldn't believe that i got in. i will be starting next week, monday.

wish me luck then.. :D

1st day in Manila

Manila.. the first time I have ever been here i have told my self I will never ever try living here.. there was that MRT/LRT where it's completely packed people! it's so hard to move around. then the traffic of course. it was not just an urban legend it is so real and i thought cebu had the worst traffic.

i never thought that i would even consider working and living here. what you would really do for love right?

May 5, 2010 was the last day of my work in IN-CHEE-AR and my last day to be in Cebu as well. I flew to Manila all by myself for the first time. it was awful though how of all the flight delayed it has to be the one i was taking. 3 hour delayed and i felt like not going to Manila anymore. and so i waited impatiently for if i don't i will be jobless for a long time if i stay just in cebu and yeah long distance relationship sucks! BIG TIME!

Arrival at manila it was already 2am in the morning. have to wait for my baggage and have to travel from the airport to the boarding house. Saw the place I was staying and I am loving it. we have tiled floors. a terrace. our own cr. i definitely love the place!

I canceled on my first scheduled interview because i was not conditioned to be interviewed. I didn't cancel on my Beriberifone interview though which was scheduled in the afternoon. So for the first time I traveled from boarding house to Ortigas. makoi thought me how to go there but when you lack sleep and when you are tired you cant tell the difference between left and right. i have to be on my own now because makoi needs to work. how i even got out of the village was already a big challenge. plenty of time have i turned to a dead end and boy was it scorching hot! and i hail out the wrong tricYcle. driver would give me a little laugh every time i would ask in bisaya.

at last i got out of the village and as makoi instructed i took a bus on my way to ortigas. manila is huge! makoi was on the phone telling me to look to my left and look for certain establishments and still this coconut shell of mine was just i guess too dumb. it was hot and i was sleepy and i was already having a bad time because i have no idea how to get to ortigas and i was almost late for the interview. i wanted to cry and just buy a plane ticket to cebu ASAP! i am having trouble speaking in tagalog that was why i couldnt ask for direction. Makoi was already angry at me for being too weak and i couldnt blame him. finally i saw UNIONBANK and i remember that building the first time i went to manila. I remember we passed through that building just before we arrived at ortigas. so i was saved after all.

i took an exam on c++ and was i disappointed at it. i hadn't had any review and I forgot about pointers! i hated it! after i finished the exam i was interviewed by two guys and was it awful. It was like freezer inside the room! Whenever they would ask me a question my voice is trembling. i couldnt understand what they were asking me. i just wanted to light myself a fire. i was frozen until i couldnt take it anymore and i asked the two guys to turn down the airconditioner! both of them were laughing because they were both also cold! i am not confident about the interview. It was awful. the last thing i said to my interviewers was can i get out now?

now they tell me to wait for the result. they will have to evaluate the exam i took and yup the interview. i doubt i am gonna hear from them again.

well after that feeling a bit defeated i decided to go back to my boarding house to unpack my stuff and get some rest. I went home safe and i didnt get lost. just that the van i was riding didnt understand when i said "lugar lang". i said it like 3 times and he finally asked "bababa ka ba?".. :)

well that's about my first day here. tomorrow is another day hopefully by then i will learn how to speak tagalog fluently.