I have no time to update this blog. Such is the life in Manila for an average corporate worker. It takes 1.5-2hours travel time from house to office. By the time you reach home and eat dinner, your time is gone. You lose so many hours of your life coping with inefficiency and inconvenience. No wonder couch potato is a national weekend hobby for a lot of people. - I forgot I used to live a couch potato life :)
Yes indeed, I started a new job at the Fort. (As they say, Fort is the new Makati). It took me almost 2-3 months to get hired by a decent company. Like everywhere, the best way to get an interview is actualy submitting your CV to a 'kakilala' (referrals). Unfortunately, I dont keep in touch with a lot of kakilalas in the higher ups. I took the short cut for some companies, and the long cut/normal Jobstreet procedures for many. Limiting myself to investment bank as first choice, finally I got into one. And when I tell people I work in banks, some people would ask me 'Teller' or 'New Accounts'? I forgot the society's knowledge is limited to retail bank as the only form of bank that exists in the world.
Unexpectedly I got the 3-letter corp title. Don't know if it's a good news or not, because I would prefer no-brainer jobs at this point. I'm getting a salary slashed by half, and a tax increased quintupled. I used to afford international trips as far as Sydney. Now I wonder where my salary can bring me to. Yeah and people say adjusting is easy, I guess you won't know unless you have to go through one. :)
Starting anew is challenging. I forgot a 10am interview actually means 11am. Filipino time is the time, despite being MNCs. Only a few companies have the ethics to start a 10am interview at 10am (usually the expat interviewers will start on time). Getting an NBI clearance means you have to fork a whole day waiting in queue from 9am to 4pm in Robinsons Otis (the branch reportedly having the shortest queues already). Getting a police report for a minor car accident means waiting from 730pm to 11pm filling some grueling forms and answering questions. Hmm, queuing, indeed, more fun in the Philippines.
Wait till you try squeezing yourself in public transport at peak hours. @#$#X I have called out all the evil curses I can in all the languages in the world. But then after this 8/11 Ondoy-the-second flooding, I probably have to say I'm lucky that I dont own any of the cars half-soaked in the rainwaters.
Most challenging is meeting new friends or catching up with the old, if they still exist. If you're unfortunate, you'll get into some cold shoulder situation getting you pissed why o why, if I'm a nobody so be it, I'll stay away from you lol. Nothing is absolute in this world, better make friends than enemies anyway. I'm still glad true friends still exist, there might only be a handful, but they're always worth keeping.
Apart from the couch potato culture, I have also relived the 'kia-kia-si' culture. Dont take me wrong, I also fear death. Just that there are indeed people (filchis in particular) who are used to sheltered pampered life who have low tolerance for a lot of stuff. In Tagalog, 'maselan'. A friend declined to eat at Masuki because it's 'dirty'. My goodness, I lived in one of the cleanest cities in the world and I dont mind eating there. And someone from Manila just commented it's dirty.
There's always two sides of a coin. Still a lot of positive things, but they're probably limited to family bonding. I am now present again in all family gatherings, events, lunch treats. My nephews can recognize me. The guard in the building doesnt always have to ask who I am. I get to accompany my mom for parlors and dimsums.
And yes, I get to travel and explore a few trips locally before starting working. Never imagined I would go on Pinatubo and Sagada treks. I can get a hot stone massage at 1/5 of the price I paid before, indeed heaven.
So much for the list of rants and good things. Anyway it's always good to make your life a little exciting :) Till the next time I can get long leaves like this, then I can blog.
C'est la vie.
