Preparations

It's been... what? A week already since my last post. I had been busy for the past week (with some bouts of flu and stomach aches to boot). I can't speak much; I am currently busy finding ways to have some money (yeah, show the money!) for my airline ticket back to Singapore.

At the same time, finding a potential flat/room in Singapore is the next big challenge I am facing nowadays. With only references in the Internet forums, I a very short period of time in finding a potential place to stay before I would start my work by second week of April.

Hopefully, I could raise enough money for my ticket and soon find my place to stay.

Gone 30

"Happy birthday! You look great for your age. Almost Lifelike!"

(one of the quotes from a forward email by a friend, entitled Things That Hallmark Cards Don't Say)

* * * *

Yes, I am thirty today, March 20. It's my birthday. Shameless plugging, but I am not ashamed of saying I am thirty years old. Being that years old is something I am preparing for eventually since last year. And being that old (to others) is something in my mind only. Upon waking this morning, I still feel 29 or less and nothing more.

Talk about trying to discount your years of living on the face of the earth.

And what would be my plans for the rest of my days from now? Plenty. Actually I am just beginning to pave my own path in this world. With having a job outside of the country, I feel this is the start of something big and life-changing for me for the rest of my life. All the while, I was in the period of hibernation. Now I'll take charge of my life.

What would be my wish? That is only for me to know and to keep.

So give me some lovin today - greet me a happy birthday or give me a virtual high five (not that I am beggin, I just feel exhilirated today to know that I have lived this far in my life).

Thank God for birthdays!

Back Home Culture Shock

I'm back here in the Philippines. I came home last Saturday. My job contract will not start until April 10. So I came back to prepare my stuffs to bring back to Singapore and prepare the required documents for processing my employment pass.

Astonishingly, I felt culture shock once I had glimpsed again the familiar city life, traffic, buildings and people here in my home country. Maybe because I had been used to the (efficient) way of life back in Singapore where one can simply go to virtually any place by using their MRT, or the almost zero number of jaywalkers crossing the street (well, a handful of local Singaporeans do break their simple pedestrian laws but unlike here it's pointless to put up pedestrian signs since breaking the law is already of way of life here), or there are fewer types of vehicles in Singapore - cars, buses, trucks, bicycles, MRT - while in the Philippines you get to have those vehicles mentioned plus jeepneys, tricycles, and pedicabs.

But it's nice to be with my family and friends again. Home sweet home. It will be a quite a long vacation (almost a month from now till my start date of work); I'll try to rejuvenate myself in the meantime before I'll head back to work once again.

Take Me Home, Lah

This could (or should I say would) be my last blog post here in Singapore. For now that is. I'll be leaving tomorrow for my scheduled flight back to Manila, Philippines. My short three weeks experience here in Singapore was amazing and fulfilling at the same time. Uniquely Singapore as what the TV advertisements here have been showing.

All the same, mesmerized as I am of this country, my heart still years to go back and visit my home country once again. I miss my family and friends. I'll be taking a break back home as I prepare my things when I come back here again in Singapore to commence my work in April.

Adios amigos, asta la vista. Philippines, take me home again (as what local hawkers here would say - "take away, lah").

* * * *

A food for thought. I took this photo of the banner last Saturday during the career fair in Suntec City Conference hall.

Finally, Hit The Nail's Head

I just received some good news yesterday from my job agent: she told me I got the job from one of the local banks here in Singapore. Yipeee! Gooodah, goodah!

I had my job contract signed this morning and will be starting by April next month. My prayers have worked (thank God) and those long days of waiting have finally ended.

I'm realy (no absolutely bloody, in British accent) happy.

I Walk Alone: More Pictures

With background music of Green Days Boulevard of Broken Dreams (had just been inspired to post images of my trips while walking down streets and alleys especially along Orchard Road), I present more pictures of my Singapore adventure below.

There are plenty of colorful flats (apartments) around the neighborhood. Rarely would I find groups of bungalows or row houses clustured in one area.

A sample of a hawker stall. This one sells various beverages from fruit and vegetable juices (like carrot juice or sugar cane or lemon or rock melon juice) to various canned drinks (like barley or wheat grass or soy milk or chrysanthemum tea).

Now this is a sample of a hawker stall selling various Chinese meals. Usually those who man these stalls are of Chinese or Malay descent. Thus, every time I order from their menu, I resort to the "pointing finger-head moving" system of communication with them. They would ask me questions in their own dialect. I would just stare at them blankly without understanding a word they said. I would become mute, until I'll try to talk back in common English mumbo-jumbo like "what" or "ummmm". They would blankly stare at me too. I would point at the food I'd like to "take away" (not take out in Singapore, but yes, take away) with and try to mumble Asian like words such as "hai" (but that sounds Japanese). I would nod to signify that I want the food I pointed at.

This is the bird I was talking about before that was common in public places. They flit around and rummage through debris and litter. I don't know its exact name. Can someone help me out?

Near the Orchard MRT station is this long mosaic tiled wall which I commonly found featured in some tourist brochures or website photographs that feature Orchard Road.

One of the towers of Ngee Ann City mall. The structure of this building is built using red marble. I believe this one houses numerous company offices.

A 24 open type restaurant utilizing some fragile looking rattan swings. Some of the restaurants here along Orchard incorporate gimmicky features such as these.

This is one of the coolest looking malls I have seen here in Orchard Road. To me, the blue tinted glass and metal structure looks like a christmas tree. The picture below features the intricate metalworks of the cone structure inside.

Of course, our San Miguel beer is known internationally and is one of the best tasting beers in the world (this picture was taken just outside a restaurant near Wisma Atria mall).

Here I am against the backdrop of Singapore Visitors Centre also in Orchard Road (picture taken by my friend). Mind you, I am the one in the middle, not the one at the right (it could have been a great shot if not for that person suddenly appearing out of nowhere).

Park Life Pictures

Lo and behold, besides buildings and malls that Singapore can offer, there are parks that visitors can visit and explore peacefully nature at its best. And one of them is Fort Canning Park. They say this is the most historical part of Singapore, based from the multiple old structures I discovered here.

Oh, halu. I made my entrance to the park via this stairway route. It was not a steep climb. I assure you.

A historical fort gate. Resembles that of the Fort Santiago stone structures we have back in the Philippines.

One of many huge trees lining up every path one walks inside the park. Good thing these living things provided some shade amidst the humid and hot weather that day.

I discovered this underground construction. I did not go inside for I was intervened by a caretaker. I told him if I could take some pictures. He answered no. I noticed from a sign nearby that I need to purchase some ticket to go inside. When the caretaker walked away, I took this shot from afar (well just outside, not inside of course; I could have focused more on that soldier's pose). Then I scrambled away (pasaway).

I just liked taking some pictures of these small stone structures.

Here, I thought I was taking some pictures of some ASEAN sculptures (my reference was in the brochure's map I was carrying). Upon close inspection, these were tomb stones of some Singapore leaders.

Now this is one of the weirdest sculpture I have noticed in the park's ASEAN scultpure garden.

I guess, based from the sign, this park is a favorite venue for garden weddings. Minus of course the spot where the graveyard lies.

A few blocks from Fort Canning Park, I stumbled across this old church building that was transformed into a congregation of restaurants, bars and multitudes of small shops inside. Oh, this was named Chijmes (pronounce it as "Chimes"). Don't ask me why the spelling? Wrong spelling wrong.

A stained glass inside Chijmes. Well, what else would I talk about it?

One of the restaurant's inside Chijmes - Hog's Breath. Nice name. Reminds me of Hogsworth from Harry Potter. Specialties? I guess pig dishes. I never passed by it nor entered the restaurant; just took a picture from afar.

Searching And Still Searching

Based alone from the tons of images I am posting to my blog, my friends (and other people) back in the Philippines would actually think that I am simply enjoying my "vacation" here (blogging and taking pictures) and is not busy searching for a job. Truth is, I have contacted some of the job agents I have spoken to since last year, reminding them that I am currently in Singapore. Some of them had already called me up and took my skillsets and other basic information. I have also done other preliminary interviews with some job agencies (since last week, I had accomplished two personal interviews).

But now, I am momentarily playing the "waiting game" that every job seekers know about - that phase where the "waiting" period looks like will last forever. I would follow-up on some agencies regarding my application but most of them would tell me that they're still looking for potential clients that would consider me.

Still searching. Sounds as if that search would most likely end up in nil results.

Then again, I know, it's part of every job hunters expectation to wait for that sweet call of some client or employer or agency to summon you to report to them. It may take them days, weeks, months, and even years. The bad thing is if that job hunter does nothing during that period of waiting. That is why, while waiting, I try to review again my skillset knowledge. Plus, I try to look up for other potential jobs through the internet and even in the local newspapers here.

I'll not sit down and grumble a lot.

Why am I writing this? Because I am inspired but this blog by Brown regarding his struggle to find a job in the face of homelessness for him and his family (truly inspired that I linked his site to mine; this would be an occasional read).