castle hopping journey

last nov 7, i had a day off from work with leny, my official driver :) we went to counties: sligo, mayo and galway.. dropping by castles:

donegal castle

soli's castle

parke's castle markree castle
cloghan castle
athenry castle
but still, i didnt find my prince :(

but there's a knight.. in a real shining armor :)

something irish...

well, aside from their love of beer.. the list goes on but so far, these are what i've stumbled/found/heard:

what's the craic? -- translate -- anong balita syo?

thursday gimmick -- kung sa tin TGIF, dito thursday ang pubbing. im thinking, they dont wanna be wasted on a saturday kase sayang ang weekend. kaya friday na lang haha

how are yah? -- up to now im still trying to comprehend, who's rude? the who who was asked or the one who asked. first, for not answering or the latter for not waiting on the reply. i mean, i heard this all the time.. parang hello, kumusta ka? regardless if you know the other person -- personally or not. sometimes, i feel guilty for not replying but most of the time, its enough for me to say hello back. comeon, mahirap mag-english and by the time na naisip ko na ano reply ko, zoom, wala na din ako kausap!

not too bad -- most of the time, yan ang reply sa 'how are yah?' -- does it mean that you're not good? did something not-so-good happen???

doll, sweet, pet -- terms of endearment ba 'to? complement? you're a doll.. hmm, pwede na. you're sweet.. pwedeng-pwede na. you're a pet, ano ako aso? haha

class - di ko pa din gets kung ano ibig sabihin nito, cguro sosyal haha

grand -- sa tin, its nice. its ok. dito kelangan, superlative.

any plans for the weekend? -- kelangan may plan ka sa weekend.. parang ang boring pag wala. since ako laging wala, ang lagi kong reply.. i'll just have a quiet weekend. at kung meron man, baket ko sasabihin syo?? taray! haha

'wee' -- for something small.. pwedeng wee brain :) wee olive haha

dinner -- dito pag lunch, dinner. pag dinner, dinner pa din. well, minsan supper. basta, something heavy, dinner na un. so pag lunch, what do we have for dinner? eh lunch pa nga lang ako nag-iisip ka na ng dinner hehe

jumper -- ang alam kong jumper ung damit na nilalagyan ng shirt sa loob. dito, ang jumper -- sweater.

half past 7 -- sa tin, 730. o kaya 7 quarter. sa knila quarter past 7. feeling ko tuloy pag tinatanong ako, shortcut ang reply ko hehe

eto naloka ko dito, pero parang di ko pa naman sya nadinig.. sabi lang ng friend ko: yung 'you'...pag singular 'you'...pag plural 'yous'...magaling! = ) at sir'yous' daw sya dyan haha

modelo ng fridge

At my friend's new house, checking the fridge :)

With Leny, Laurice, Jean and Norvs.

Singapore to Ireland -- model pa din haha

6 months and counting...

i've been here in ireland for exactly 6 months and 11 days.. i still dont like the weather and the place seems dull esp for me who's used to the big city. it gets boring but i think im better off here, i think so.

i dont have the same friends i have in singapore, but i know, i still have them and i have different set of friends here.

my work is a lot better. dont get me wrong, i learned a lot in my previous job but this one's different. i like the busy days, the weekend work, the incomplete BRD, the status call, the pressure -- it makes me grow, improve my craft, rather, my skills. we're not busy now, i dont hate it, but i dont like it either -- there really is no work. but all in all, i believe that i have a bright future here. i got to use my testing skills and prove that i can still break a software for a living :)

summer cruise

summer may be over in this part of the world.. but before i fully bid goodbye to the sunshiny days (which happened not too often), some friends and i joined the summer cruise.

foyle bridge leny and i

with caroline and caryl

with the guys: mark, peter and roberto

the sunset...

summer's gone

tomorrow, summer will officially end and autumn begins. that fast noh? i haven't had the time nor the chance to wear my summer clothes :)

weather sucks here! big time!! i swear!!!

... the beach

Went to Rathmullan beach last weekend. It was a sunny day. But still, the wind is chilly. Good thing, I've decided not to wear shorts and flip flops. Instead, I had jogging pants, sweater and sneakers. Hah?! The beach babe has turned manang along the shore haha

For that, I will always miss Phuket and Bintan.. And of course, the 'Girls' and the gorgeous boys along the shore haha

no longer feeling a beach babe...

with my housemates: norvs and leny

i wish i can be a superwoman!

but im not superwoman u know. im not even a darna hehe

ok, just trying to be funny again.

i cant be anything.. i wish im not a loser, thats another thing. and i cant be like that either.

back to being superwoman, that was my famous line for today. said that twice in less than an hour. not too much ha?

nope, no one was asking me to do big and save the world.. not really. it was just some line i used when i want to do something big and save the world hehe

first, with u know who... not lord voldemort but just u-know-hu! when he asked me to execute some tests so the status will be updated for today coz he has a call this afternoon. ok, this sounds boring.. anyway, the status was updated by 1% and he's glad about that but im not, so i said i'll try but he has to send the status in 10 minutes, thats when i dropped the line... ohh.. cant be a superwoman that fast!!! -- his reply, :)) u r superwoman.. same hair aswell -- OMG! yan lang ang masasabi ko.. and my emotions went in turmoil again.. argh!!!

second, get in touched with some of my friends back in sg. they are having a bfast dinner (ask chelle what is it?) tonight at pinevale, my former kapitabahays.. here comes the drama :( i wish i can be there, i miss these times, happenings, the laughters, the long talks, the movie marathon, everything.. but i cant be there, can i? if i am just superwoman, i wish i can fly there and be with them.. but i really cant. its just one wishful thinking!

so, who says im saving the world? even just for a moment, want to save myself from sadness... but ofcourse, im ok.. for now, im just gonna wait for prince -- you know, my u-know-hu and im gonna be fine hehe

*sigh.. a double sigh.. a triple sigh

i did promise that i wont be writing about this, about him. but you know, small talks give me random thoughts and i cant help it :(

nope, im not day dreaming and i wont do that here in the office for everyone to see :) just trying to be funny here but talking with you even if its just online makes my emotions go high. it doesn't happen everyday, anyway :)

oh no! its as if we talked about something special.. its just the usual, you being nice to me. you trying to welcome me here. its really good of you and i really appreciate it, so much!!!

cant even remember what was it that we talked about before you asked me about work :( now, i wonder if thats the only reason you have. but i did ask you what's up before anything else right? and you said nothing just trying to say hi.. and so thats how we started talking about the weekend, the travel, the beach and the going home.. and then after a moment, thats when you asked me about work.. *sigh

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its been sunny the past couple of days.. ergo, sun is up until probably half past 8, too bright and not really so good for the eyes but.. a big BUT... cold and chilly at times.

currently, its raining outside.. cloudy.. *sigh

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just realized that you just reminded me of home, now, i feel really sad. and homesick!

i am never like this for a long while.. i even missed singapore more than i miss my family, dont get me wrong... i've been away from home eversince when, college i guess. it takes time to get used to it.. but not today. today, i feel like i want to go home!

now, its ur fault! *sigh

i got you for life

questions never seized to amaze me. it will just popped out of my head from nowhere. whether im busy working or just staring at my monitor. i always say that even for one moment, i didn't have any regrets leaving the life i used to have to a more relaxed and peaceful one. how can i? when i prayed for this, a long time.

nope, im glad im here. if there are reasons holding me back in sg, those are my dear friends. if they're here with me, i would not even dare to look back.

why am i writing when i've written this same blog.. oh no! i will always write about this stuff until i am devoid of my longing for them. kahit maging para akong sirang plakang paulit ulit dito, ok lang yun.. blog ko naman 'to :P kaya di ako magsasawang magsulat. and habang merong mga friends who continue to support me even though im so far away and walang guarantees na we can still see each other, magsusulat ako. that's how i missed you girls!

just like what i said, i hope that the distance and time difference wont put a toll on our friendship. i've lost friends a couple of times because of these reasons, i dont want to go through that again. i hope i got you for life!

An Old Irish Blessing

i found this inscribed on a paper weight... search it on the net and true enough, it is entitled...

an old irish blessing

May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind always be at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

brrr

its a cold day today, i wonder what's the temperature outside that even the office heater is not enough. i'm actually shivering here. or probably, its just what i'm wearing. but i am actually wearing a lot: top, long sleeves bolero and a sweater :(

and everyday is a bad hair day for me.. yday, i started missing my curly hair again. it could have been manageable better than a straight hair. oh well, my hair is frizzy and no longer straight.. but curvaceous. buti pa sya :) aba naman! mag-jacket ka ba naman everyday na makapal ang collar tapos kungdi madaganan ang long hair, nakataas naman.. gets? saka ang hot water pag shower pati na din ang blow drying. sira talaga ang hair mo!!

another reason to be cold, i've been watching 'one fine day' for a week now and i'm down to my last 2 episodes. for sure, tapos ko 'to tonight. ano naman connection sa pagiging cold, tanong mo? kase GY is so cold there, colder than the start of the coffee prince. pa-ending na tinatago nya pa din yung true emotions nya. but i would have prefer it kung ang pipiliin nya is hyo joo. i found his relationship with his supposed to be sister, too unconventional.. but i like it when he said to mr. kang that he'd rather die with jealousy and gave his sister away than to hurt her by letting her know his feelings..

and then, one person i know seems cold lately... he seems far even if he's talking to me, i wonder why. oh no! im not starting to like him, could i?!?!

derry

went to londonderry last saturday with some of my friends. we went to foyleside mall, there is nothing extraordinary about it though. but since there is no mall here with more than 1 floor, it makes a difference. foyleside has 3 floors with shops like topshop, dorothy perkins and debenhams. i was looking for mango though :( sad, sa dublin lang ata meron nito..

i didnt buy anything expensive. leny and i went out looking for sa red big sign: SALE.. and there it was in dorothy perkins, i bought two tops and 1 crocheted coat (i dont know what its called hehe thermal coat kaya?) all for the price of 15 pounds.. btw, pounds na ang currency rate sa derry although its still a part of ireland kaya medyo expensive na din..

saka i bought two earrings and two sets of earrings/neclace in wallis. 75 percent off!!! 1 pair of earrings is at 3eu ata..

galway, knock and ashford castle

last friday, i went to galway to visit my sister.

last bus trip going there from here is 435pm. our office hours is until 430, going to the bus station will take around 5-10mins and waiting for the cab takes around 10mins...

my teammate and friends suggested to leave early, i said i might be leaving by 415 because im too shy to leave the office that early.. though, a lot of my officemates are going to leave by 430. that 15mins is still a big deal for me since i am still new here. oh well, i asked permission from my team lead if i can leave the office by 4pm, his reply: ofcourse! and just enjoy galway!

my irish teammate, c, volunteered to give me a lift going to the bus station. my newfound friend, now housemate, leny, volunteered to give me a lift also if she's not busy. ciara and leny are going to the office after they drop me off at the station.. hmm.. i decided to go with leny, im more comfortable with her. dont get me wrong, c is a sweet girl. got my luggage from joan, i left it in their car so i dont have to go home to retrieve it before going to galway.

we reached the bus station around 415pm, the bus is nowhere so i waited for more than 20mins. when it arrived, there were not much passengers so i got the seat behind the driver. i wanted to see and enjoy the view, it was a long long longggg ride.. almost 5 hours, all along i was thinking that i was going up to baguio. the view was like that anyway: trees, hills, fields, sheeps, horses...

when i reached galway, it was already late and dark.. probably around 10pm :( and i was too tired. my sister was already waiting for me at the bus station. the drive to her house is 30mins more and i haven't eaten anything yet. by the time we arrived, i was knackered and starved :)

ate prepared ginisang munggo and pritong tilapia for our dinner, yummy! it was good friday after all so meats are not allowed :)

her place is nice and cozy, small though compared to my house now. it was a two bedroom flat and she's sharing it with her friend.



the next day, we went to some of her friends' house to have lunch. i met jose and leah and the rest. they prepared chicken bbq and fish. after that, we ran este drive to galway town again.. oh, it was her who's behind the wheel not me.. we roamed the busy main street and went inside shops. i didn't buy anything though, its too expensive for me except for one black coat :) it was on sale anyway. the weather was nice also at that time, it was sunny but still cold though.. at least, it was not raining.. thats enough for me. shops close here at 6pm so it was not long before we're heading home again. we dropped by leah's place again to have dinner hehe

on easter sunday, we went to marian shrine, at knock, mayo to hear mass.



then we went to ashford castle, it was a huge place but we weren't able to get inside. it is a hotel after all.



the next day, i was off to letterkenny again to move/transfer to my new house. it was a really busy weekend.

good friday

i thought holy week in singapore sucks. when i was there, i missed spending holy week in pinas where its solemn and where my family just stayed at home, where pabasas are everywhere, people join alay lakad and where eversince i as child will wait for the arrival of the hampas dugo and pasan ng krus at the morning and the procession of life sized replica of saints at night.

in singapore, there's nothing like that. malls are still open though there are stations of the cross also. that was how i spent my 3 holy weeks there from 2005-2007.

now, im here in ireland. and if i thought that holy week sucks in singapore, i dont know what to think about holy week here. at least in sg, good friday is a holiday. well, im writing here at the office. though, easter monday is a holiday here. or maybe just maybe, they are celebrating the ressurection and not the death. who knows?!?!

*** its not about holy week sucks per se, its about how we celebrate it. i want a solemn holy week where i can comtemplate on my life, and the Passion of our Christ to redeem us for all our sins.

my first long weekend in ireland

last weekend, i went to northern ireland.. nothing to worry, i've heard a lot of stuffs about it by now. but it's safe for us. we were there for some shopping, not me though. i bought a few but not much. i was with joan and joboy. sharms and hubby, laurice, ogie and norvs were there too. we met them at banbridge outlet where we bought a lot of lacoste bags.. its not shopping! i dont have a salary yet.. buti na lang..

unfortunately, i bought 3 lacoste bags.. seems cheap compared to the sale price in sg.. kaya ayun, didn't control myself.. napabili ako hehe

next stop was junction 1, parang outlet style din ang mga stores. i bought a nike rubber shoes there. kelangan na at sumakit na paa ko sa boots na suot ko hehe next time, i'll wear it again para i can shoe shop :)

then, its dinner time na. we went to nando's at belfast where we had dinner with everyone. we had grilled chicken, tastes like pinas chicken bacolod.. sabi nga nila, close to home :)

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ate beth arrived sunday evening, we had dinner at a chinese restaurant and just went to tesco for some groceries.

she cooked for me again.. enough to last for 1 week :) lucky me! hehe

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monday was a holiday, it's st. patrick's day. we went to town to see the parade.

as expected, it was a commercial one. but since its my first time to experience st. patrick's day here, my sister and i stayed.

and then we walked around town.. ergo, store hopping :)

we went to dorothy perkins where i bought a gartered summer black dress just for 1.50 euro :)

lot of things to blog about

last weekend, i went out to watch a movie with joan... first time! the movie was 4pm and still considered a matinee so it was cheap for 5.50 euro.. which is like 11sgd.. not cheap pala hehe

and we didn't buy our tickets online, we just went to the cinema and there was no queue in buying tickets. its free seating here as long as you're early, you can get a good seat.

the movie was nice and i still love mc darcy! :)

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i still walk going to the office in the morning as long as the weather permits me. for a few days now, the weather was fine. today, there was a drizzle but no wind so its still acceptable. it was a 15 minutes walk but no, i dont think or reminisce anything. thats bad. oh well, when the color from my face ran out and my mind was numb from the cold outside, how can i think?!

nope, i dont think also when im at home. i may not be busy as there are no other things to do but i tried to make myself occupied by watching my koreanovela.. and that is why i love gong yoo hehe

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we're going to belfast on sat.. im looking forward to seeing some big malls.. finally :)

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ate is going to visit me this weekend too.. hope she can catch the last bus going to letterkenny on saturday. otherwise, she's going here on sunday and she'll be arriving on the afternoon.. we're gonna be losing time to bond :(

monday is a bank holiday. yipee! and ate is going back to galway on tues :) am so excited! may kausap ako sa house for 2 days hehe

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im going to move in with norvs and leny on april 5. another moment to rejoice :) i dont want to leave alone muna, i tried it for almost a month now. and i dont think it suits me. its hard. there are a lot of adjustments and a lot of things to know.

anyway, its going to be different. i may have a lot of adjustments to do when i live with them but i ithink that its gonna be ok. they seem to be nice persons naman. plus, i know naman how to make pakisama dba mga sg friends? :)

their place is quite far from the office.. so, no more walking in the morning. i might go with norvs or leny or i could just call a cab in some days. going home, bahala na.. whoever can give me a ride, if not, cab again. its better this way, at least may kasama ako at kausap sa bahay.. hopefully, its gonna be goodbye to lonely days :) im crossing my fingers!

moving out

i've decided to move out of the house that i am renting right now. its a drastic decision but i've made up my mind. there are a lot of reasons though my landlady mentioned that these are all silly. i dont care. im just concerned about myself and safety.

for more than a week now, i've been living alone. the house has 3 rooms, im renting the en-suite. the 2 vacant rooms are still for rent. im not sure what the owner prefers their tenant to be. could be male or female. the keys to all the doors are not provided, i only have a key to the main door. for more than a week, i am trying to be strong. i never live on my own except when i was in pasig. but i secured that place and it was just for a few weeks and then my brother lived with me.

anyway, after a few emails and some things said. im done! i cant live there anymore. i dont care if they hold my advance payment, if thats the price i have to pay for my peace of mind.

i am a stranger in this place, in this country. and if the only place i can be secure is my house and i could not find refuge there, where should i go?

just missing the old days

feeling melancholic ako today. could be brought by the cold wind..

anyway, i just needed to get this out of my system..

i miss a lot in singapore.. people i took for granted, small things or gestures that remain unnoticed. its true, you only get to see the value of something when its gone.

i miss my friends, my housemates. i miss the good old days even the tampuhans and the silent disagreements. i miss the laughters and the fun.

i miss having lunch at the food junction. i miss cooking for a lot of people, yung pang-carinderia. i miss going to the holy trinity church and visiting Mama Mary and the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

i miss the sunny/rainy weather, i miss using my umbrella :)

i miss the bus and the mrt. i miss going to LP. i miss the friday night movies and dinner... even the makan sutra.

i miss singapore. and mostly, i miss my friends.

you know, life here is a lot different. maybe, im just adjusting. or probably, im just truly, really missing the good old days.

i just realized that in chasing my dream, i have to leave a lot of people behind. people who affected me in a lot of ways probably they're not aware of. but i know, that these people are going to support me all the way..

sweet dreams

back in sg, i normally sleep past 12am.. sometimes, 2 or 3 depending on what i was doing that night. and at morning time, i have to snooze my alarm a couple of times before finally moving out of bed.

oh well, here things changed a lot. whenever i see my bed, i wanted to go under the duvet and cover myself. you know, pag malamiggg masarap matulog. and i guess thats what happening now. for the past few days, i've been home before 6pm. and there's nothing to do here. i dont wanna clean the house (because there's like a lot to clean!!!) nor stay at the living room all by myself. so what i normally do, go inside my room and changed. then, go to bed. would you believe that for the past few days, i slept before 10pm and woke up by 730am.. that's like 9.5 hrs of sleep. galeng!

i survived the night alone

when joan and joboy brought me to my house, i setup my laptop and connected to the internet to checked for my emails.

by 8pm, i was already cooking downstairs. syempre, no dinner for me.. bread and juice lang. i was not in the mood to eat din naman, i have a sore throat kase.

when i was done cooking, went upstairs and watched 'one more chance'.. then, went to sleep na.

well, the problem was not with the wind nor sleeping alone. my sg mobile keeps on disturbing me. i think i had 3 phone calls during the night. one from ait, diners and another one from a chinese lady.. naku! how much naman kaya ang babayaran ko for receiving roaming calls nyan :(

im looking forward to heroes marathon tonight...

my new place

written feb 25

when i moved out of the b&b after 2 days of my arrival here in ireland, joan and joboy adopted me for a couple of days. they welcomed me into their house.

last satday, i moved in to my new place. its not homey and relaxing compared to tropica. think of pinevale, last wkend, its messier than pine times two. and that made me realized how lucky i am to have friends who helped me move out/in in singapore. here, im all alone and all by myself talaga ang cry ko :( my sister was here last weekend again, to accompany me and helped me clean the place na din. buti na lang.

the place is nice din naman. my fireplace sa sala, i think every house does. ang lamigg ba naman dito.

and we had to drag the mattress from the double room to my room pala. the owner ordered a new bed for me but the delivery will be on wednesday pa.

why ireland?

someone asked me.. why ireland?

hmmm.. let me think about my answer for a while..

few years back, i've been thinking of moving here to be near with someone i know. however, there was no opportunity at the time and i did not make any effort in finding one either hehe

after some months, things changed. and i thought about moving out of singapore. you know, just running away from bad memories. but still, when the opportunity presented itself, i was not ready to move.

then a year later, luck came and i grabbed the opportunity. i believed after all these years, i am no longer running away from something. i have a lot of memories in sg and i am not letting go of those. they may remind me of my past but they made me who i am today. plus, my friends there will kill me if i forget them!

so, why am i here? i just want some changes in my life. i've been in sg for more than 3 years, its about time to move.

and, i can come back there anytime i want naman. and i know that my friends will be there waiting for me.

mahangin ba sa labas?

for the past few days, i've been sleeping before 10pm here (6am sg/ph) and waking up before 7am (3pm... that's almost 9 hours of sleep). but if you know me, this was actually the time i put myself to sleep during friday nights or wkends. does that actually mean that my sleeping habits are still the same? 'coz by 8pm here, im already too sleepy to move :(

today, i was awoken not by my alarm clock but by the howling sound of the wind. its actually scary, i thought someone upstairs was dragging something :( well, the howling sound continues. and its really really cold outside. yung tipong tatangayin ka sa lakas ng hangin at pagbalik mo indoors, someone may ask you... mahangin ba sa labas?

1st day at work

written feb 20, 2008

today begins my first day at work, joan accompanied me until i met the hr and my team lead.

and then my team lead showed me to my desk and help me get settled, like logging in to my pc, installing everything that i'll be needing,introduced me to everyone on the team and helped me get my badge (that's my id). ohh, he also requested for some starter pack for me.

and i am actually amazed on how he did devote some time for me to do those things. i mean, he can just show me where to go or who's to contact but to be there and do everything when i can also do those things, i was truly honored (feeling hehe) and its a lot different to the one i left behind. i have my id, my pc, my stationery and my desk. its nice :D

and they welcomed me here, everyone is nice and giving me smiles.

oh by the way, tl just checked on me. i told him that the lotus notes is not working when i launched it. so, he has to logged some request and he just told me to read some things with regards to the project on the net or i can just go home when i feel like it. wow!

another by the way, its 430pm here and i just saw some employees going home.. double wow!

1st days at ireland

arrived here sunday 1030am ireland time (that's 630pm ph and sg time). my sister met me at the airport. however, it took me some time to get passed the immigration. there's just a long queue for non-eu peeps.

travel by bus from dublin to letterkenny took almost 4 hours. and the route is awesome. fields everywhere, parang north expressway hehe tipong postcard views.

arrived in letterkenny around 5pm. joan and joboy met us at the bus station and brought us to the b&b where i stayed for two nights and two days. we just put our things inside our room and then went to glendale (this is like a subdivision at the back of the office) to view one room.

actually, the entire house is for rent but the owner is sub letting the place by room. so, there are 3 rooms available: en suite, double and single. the en suite is like a master's bedroom in sg, it has a bathroom attached. however, the bathroom is smaller compared to the common bathroom where the tub is. well, the place seems nice and its like a 10-15 mins walk to the office.

we had dinner at a chinese restaurant (parang di ako sa country ng mga intsik galing hehe), pero ok lang. same wavelength ata at that time ang isip ni ate at ni joan. after dinner, we went to joan's house and had dessert while watching tfc and making chismis and just admiring the fireplace hehe syempre, na-mesmerized na naman ako.. first time eh :P

before i forgot, its cold at night... like shivering cold. but when we reached our room, thats another story. where the heater is on, and its a lot warmer.

the next day, we went to the mall and ate showed me some of the stores here. we went shopping and its a lot cheaper here compared to sg if its on sale. i was able to grab jeans at benetton for 10 euros, thats 20 something in sgd.. not bad, ayt?

and i have my shoe size here too.. so, shopping pa din hehe

after joan's office, she and hubby picked us up at the dunnes store (where muntik na kong bumili ng clogs for summer, excited eh?). we went to their friends' place where there's a vacant room. their place is a lot nicer than the one in glendale. the catch? it will probably take me 30 or more so minutes to walk to get to the office. norvs and lenny are kind enough to accommodate me though. they said that they can take turns giving me a lift. pero syempre, kakahiya naman yun na everyday na lang ako makisakay diba? so, i just decided na i'll just get the en suite for the mean time while im still carless (is there such a word?) but i think if i want to join norvs and lenny, i have to get a car and hopefully by that time, ok pa din sila makipag-share. i'll just cross my fingers.

on my 3rd day, ate has to go back to galway and work. and i have to checked out of the b&b and moved in with joan and joboy. they picked me at the b&b and adopted me from tuesday to sat or until i move in to my place. their house is homey and they left me there for an entire afternoon while they were at work. i just unpacked some things and clothes and then cooked my alfredo's pasta-- which tasted bad actually. im not familiar with the ingridients here, i bought the wrong all purpose cream :( well, i threw the sauce away. too bad. buti na lang, i cooked ginataang sitaw at kalabasa hehe

and it was still cold. brrr!

my departure

i left singapore just right after dinner. and my housemates and friends were there with me until i reached the departure area of the changi airport.

the send off party

my housemates and friends organized a send off party for me last feb 15. everyone were invited...

-----Original Message-----
From: Ongkiko, Ma Zarina Farrofo [CMB-IT]
Sent: Monday, February 11, 2008 1:00 PM
Subject: You are all invited! - Feb 15 830pm


You are all invited!

Olive's send off party
Feb 15, 2008
8:30 p.m.
at The TROPICA
Tampines Ave 1
Blk. 61 #14-01

and this was my reply:

Hi,

Tomorrow is my last day here in Citi, rather in SG.
And I wish to share with you my last night here before I embark on a new journey. I hope to see you there!

I may be leaving
But this is not goodbye
I may be far away
But in my heart, all the memories will stay...

- olib
oliveray76@gmail.com

-----------------------

the party started a little late, syempre pinoy hehe

the first guest was che... eh sabay kaya kame umuwi :D
everyone was there, len arrived from the philippines. i guessed she thought that its going to be a surprise, well, it was. if not for che wehehe

jim cooked minatamis na saba, chelle brought pasta, my housemates ordered menudo, tita vangie had cheesecake, nette and hubby brought cake and len imported bibingka from pinas. may nalimot pa ba ko?

i had gifts too: http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=4u808ff9.1c6la3ht&x=0&y=-fhi1tm

i had real fun girls, and im surely gonna miss you!

thank you notes

this is the email i sent to all my managers and correspondents in ny, a day before my last day.

--------------------------------

Subject: Thank You

Hi, tomorrow is my last day here in Citigroup. And I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere appreciation to all of you for the support, guidance and help you have given me during my stay here. Its been a pleasure working with you. Thanks again for everything and I wish you all success in the future.

Regards,
Olive

--------------------------------

and these are some of the replies i received:

--------------------------------
Olivia,

Best wishes for your future endeavors.

Thanks for everything!!

Peggy
--------------------------------
Olivia,

You were a great aid in getting PIDS live for Asia.

It was a pleasure working with you and wish you the best in your future challenges.

Best Regards,

Ken
--------------------------------
Olivia,

It has been a pleasure working with you. Wishing you much success in all future endeavors.

Terrence

--------------------------------
Olivia,

Best of luck.

Thanks,
Mahmud
--------------------------------

and this is timeless...

hey....wish you all the best...

oh my god........why are everybody leaving....

my goodbye letter

Hi Girls!

I just want to say thank you for the friendship. Cliche as it may sound, but words are not enough to tell you how much I appreciate knowing all of you. You've been an integral part of my life here in Singapore. And that makes it hard to say goodbye.

It's been quite a long ride.. but a ride I deeply enjoyed. There may be tears and heartaches along the way but I found solace in knowing that I have friends like you. It is indeed a time-well spent.

I know this journey is not going to be an easy one. Syempre, you're no longer there :) Pano na lang ang mga special occasions without you, girls? But I know that this is a blessing that I've prayed for quite a long time (not 6 months but 2 years in the making ata 'to..). Its not yet the end and we may probably grow apart. Nevertheless, rest assured that I'll keep in touch.

- Olib
for updates on my ireland life, you can check this link -- http://myjourneytoireland.blogspot.com/ -- dont send the link to anyone.. im not yet ready to share my life with others :D

PS: pa-fwd na lang kay lenski and gay..
PSS: i'll see you in paris :D

... and the countdown continues...

i had a bbq party with my close friends. we had chicken wings; pork; chorizo and bacon with asparagus, cherry tomatoes and bell pepper... courtesy of chelle and con...

it took us a long while to start the fire. buti na lang jim was there to save the day, este the bbq pala hehe she knows how to start a fire wehehe

and before i forgot, my housemates prepared the bbq goodies the other night.. thanks to raqs, joy and gay :)

the bbq goodies

while we're busy starting the fire

still grilling

picture perfect with the guests

we had an underwater pictorial too.. unfortunately, the pictures are too censored to post it here.

uncle guard was kj though. he didn't allow us to have our time at the kiddie pool :(



i had a really good time today, i hope you guys had fun too.

... and the countdown continues...

the plan was to go to night safari (never been there), have dinner at makan and watch the second screening of ps i love you at the cathay...

it was a memorable night running to the bus stop of the shuttle to safari. we were so late that on our way there, we were discussing whether we have to go via chua cho kang or take the shuttle from orchard. if we take the 1st one, it would probably take us less that 2 hours. if via shuttle, it can be 1.5 hours. we decided to take the second one.. but the last bus just left when we arrived. to think that we walked and ran for more than 10 minutes.

hotel rendezvous bus stop is just beside the cathay where we're going to watch the 140am movie. and i've decided to get our ticket instead and change the time to 1115pm hehe

upon getting our ticket we went to makan to have our dinner... hoping that its open as almost all of the stores are already closed for the holiday. fortunately, its business as usual. however, our favorite oyster omelette store was closed already :( we had chicken wings, baby squid, sweet and sour fish and yang chou fried rice.. yummy!

afterwards, we walked again for 30 minutes going to the cathay to watch our movie. and then we went home..

to my friends who were with me (you know who you are), this is for you...

thanks for being with me as i watched my last SG movie THIS YEAR.
it was not good as the book but your presence made it better.
nyt!

.. and the countdown begins - part 3

i was supposed to meet my GT friends today for dinner. unfortunately, we're lost in translation. i went undertime and i was not able to check the forum. i sent out sms's to a few of them but everyone was busy.. i waited in orchard for an update until only viols showed up.

we went ahead and had dinner na din even if it was just the two of us..

it was nice seeing you again viols. next year, hopefully, i can come back for a visit and see you again.

london bridge is falling down

i booked my ticket, finally!

and im leaving soon :(

im flying with the british... airways lang hehe and the stopover is on london. goodluck to me, i know its mahigpit there pero sana naman wala ako maging problem.

its gonna be a long flight.. almost 20 hours :(

.. and the countdown begins - part 2

went out with my housemates.. watched bahay kubo and cried a river.

ang sakit sa ulo as in... plus, ang kulit ng mga filipinos. ang ingay sa moviehouse!

we had my fave ice cream too... ben and jerry's double chocolate fuder brownie.. yummy!

we went shopping too. by the time we decided to go home, each of us were holding an esprit shopping bag :(

the embassy called

ok ok... i dont want to see raised eyebrows.. the embassy wont be able to give me a call, i know..

oh well, one of the staffs called me. my passport is ready for release. but i was so busy earlier i could not even go to the restroom. so, i told her that im gonna pick it up on monday..

and thanks to joy, i realized it too late.. as in late, coz its midnight when she asked me about my contract start date.

the contract that i submitted to the embassy has a start date of feb 4. tangeks! feb 4 na kaya sa monday and my passport is still with them.. sana na lang when i go on monday, they wont question me about it :(

.. and the countdown begins - part 1

.. chili crab dinner with my former kapitbahays at pinevale: chelle, che, elay, con, pau, cernan and joy.

we're supposed to go to no signboard.. because of a lot of reasons or probably busy sched , we opted to stay at pinevale na lang.

and i had an urgent call to attend to, work related naman,.

anyway, sobrang busog ako knina..

thanks to che for buying the chili crab sa hawker.. first time nya ata hehe saka for buying the bread na din..

and to chelle, for helping me to do my laundry and for buying me groceries..

i owe you girls.. big time!

the irish embassy

i was there for barely two minutes, i submitted my passport and then that's it. the receptionist told me that they would just give me a call when its ready for release. when? not sure... probably by tomorrow or friday... that means, i have to go on an unofficial half day leave again. Releasing of passports are done in the afternoon only.

wheelock place is just in front of the embassy and i could not help it. i went inside zara. there are sale items but the jacket i wanted was not, but i was able to buy few tops hehe

my room is a mess

our sala even messier... i have boxes everywhere and shoppings bags scattered on the floor. its not a good sight actually.

i'm also selling some of my stuffs. and i've actually disposed some of them:

bed / tv rack / mirror / foot spa : to name a few to elaine
cabinet organizers : che
cabinet and hanger organizers / bfast tray / electric fan : raqs
speaker / bags hanger : joy and gay
book shelf : teetel
puzzle mat : chelle

i still have so many things left unlabeled.. and i only have two weekends to take care of these...

my entry visa

i got a call from the ireland embassy.. my entry visa has been approved.

tuloy na tuloy na 'to... one way ticket to go.. then poof! goodbye singapore confused pa din eh

from 21 to 25.. now its 20

jan 21 was my start date on the original job offer i received.

a while ago, i got an email from hr. orla was asking when can i start.

i told her if its possible to start on the 25th feb. my last day in citi is 15th and i dont think i can be there by the following monday which is the 18th.

it seems that the qa department are in need of manpower. i need to be there sooner than i think. i can leave on the 17th. arrive on the 18th and start work on the 19th. she said that she can give me a day's rest. so.. to make this short, i will start on the 20th.. a midweek.

depending on my sister's reply to my query.. i might be leaving on the 16th or 17th... i do think its on the 16th, so she can still pick me at the airport and bring me to donegal. this is sunday and she has no work. otherwise, if its a monday.. i have to commute from dublin airport to donegal :( this is like 4 hours by bus...

one emotion at a time please...

its finally sinking in. just an entry visa then im really going or is it leaving? start a new life. meet new friends. establish my career. adapt to new environment, weather, culture and country.

i've been hoping, wishing and praying for this moment to come for a long while and now that its just a month away, i dont know what to feel. im...

lucky to be given this opportunity.
happy that the long wait is over.
thankful that my prayers have been answered.
excited that im gonna shop for new wardrobe :)
tired that i have a lot of mess este things to pack.
sad that im leaving my friends here in singapore.
confused that there are a lot of things going on inside my head.
scared of what the future brings.

... just thinking and feeling all of these; makes me tired, confused, depressed, happy and excited all over again.

green card, contract, resignation updates

i was expecting my green card to arrive anytime today. but i was kinda worried 'coz no no one is around at home to receive it. so, i passed by the guardhouse before going to work. i told the guard if they can receive the courier if no one will answer on my unit.

i went to work, attended trainings, worked then went out to meet my GT friends. while on our way to clarke quay, i got a call from an unknown number.. and it was the courier guy, telling me that he's just a few minutes away from my place. told him to just leave it at the guard house then i'll just get it later,

well, that was like 7 hours ago.. i've opened and checked the contents of the envelope. there's my greencard, my updated job offer and my contract. well, based from my contract.. i have to start on feb 4.. huwat?!?! my last day here is feb 15 pa :(

hmmm... syempre, no choice naman ako but to tell my new employer na thats not possible. they know naman na i have a month's notice pa.. eh buti nga di na sila humirit sa office. lucky me!

plus, i need to get an entry visa pa pala. i might go down the ireland embassy on monday. baka punta ko office tomorrow to print an itinerary. im not sure if this is a requirement. kase ang gulo ng mga nakakausap ko sa embassy... last week when i called to inquire, wala naman.. pero yday, meron na.. hayy...

and my employer finally decided to talk to me.. after two days. pero wala naman syang sinabi. so i asked him na lang if he has any issues with my resignation and my notice period. wala daw pero i might as well talk to his staff. kase he's old na daw and he cant remember things.. so, i reminded him na lang.. told him na a few weeks ago, we've already spoken that with regards to my termination.. im going to use my PR contract which is just one month notice lang. and i told the same to one of his staff who replied that if i have already spoken with boss then there should be no problem...

hopefully. sana. puhon, im crossing my fingers...

i resigned

yesterday, i've submitted my resignation letter. i was hoping that my employer would at least give me a call and advise me with regards to my termination clause... see previous post.

however, my managers came to me first. they asked me where i should go but when i told them that i will leave singapore and i have all the papers ready, they said that there's no point asking me to stay.. aba! at may plano pa sila.. ako, wala na at alis na alis na hehe

the sad thing is, they are not going to get a replacement.. so, all my tasks are going to just one person... who, im not really comfortable that she can handle it. anyway, that's no longer my problem :(

my agent called me din pala.. she said that she was able to read my resignation letter and she asked me where im going, if i happen to be going also to the company that another colleague is transferring to... coincidentally, she resigned just a day before i did and take note, we're both on the same team. going back, our conversation went like this:

me: no, definitely not. i might be leaving singapore.

agent: might?

me: no, will...

agent: where are you going?

me: somewhere in europe

agent: for good?

me: no, i dont think so. i might be coming back. im not giving up my permanent residency so probably, im coming back.

agent: why dont you just take a holiday then come back?

me: no, i dont think thats a good idea.

agent: why? are you getting married?

me: how i wish! maybe i can find someone to marry there

agent: yeah and then you can retire

me: yeah, thats my plan... im leaving singapore coz i cannot find someone here..
agent: and then you come back here and bring your husband.
me: sure, i'll contact you again when im ready to go back..

ngek! as if.. makipagbolohan ba...

checklist part 2

1. drug screening - check
2. green card - approved
3. file resignation
4. apply for entry visa

then, another checklist to follow :)

_hr emailed

and my green card is already approved. finally!

im just so ecstatic, i dont have any thoughts what to write here. so, just...

.
.
.

thank you LORD!

_hr called

last night. the dete called them and asked for my passport details. but, i've sent a copy of all the pages in my passport with stamps and the hr cnfirmed that she has it with her 'coz she dusplicated it before sending to the dete. we're at a loss of what seems to be the problem. could it be that i have one stamp there with cancelled status? that's my ep. it got cancelled when i received my pr card, for which i also have an ica stamp on my passport... hmmm..

drug screening done

got my drug screening result yesterday. as expected, negative lahat.. syempre, as if naman i do drugs noh. drug addict lang ako whenever im sick especially if i have the common colds and coughs.

but apart from that, i only take my daily dose of vitamin c.. kase nga sipunin ako.

oh well, at least, 1 down.. visa result to go and then im off.

feeling senti time

i know my days in singapore are numbered. but i could not find the courage to bid goodbye or even inform my friendsters that i am leaving for good... yep, you read it right... it might be for good. i intend to try my luck in ireland and maybe eventually, get a permanent residency. we'll see in two years. im hoping that ireland will be good for me..

oh no, there's no definite date yet. im not even sure if im really going for real. of course, a part of me is saying that i have to go and its meant for me. but another half has opted to be pessimistic (or rather, realistic.. i just dont want to fail..)

anyway, i maybe saying my goodbye the date i file for resignation.. which is when? yeah, i dont know nga. a few of my friends here in sg already know pero i could not really plan anything yet talaga. so even if i want to make the most of my stay here memorable, i could not make a move.

there are a lot of things i wanna do before i leave. i dont worry about finding someone to stay in my room or even sending my things to pinas.. these are the least of my worries.

i just want to have enough time to spend with my friends and to explore singapore. there are a lot of places here that i've never been. there are a lot of things to do here that i i've never done. hopefully, a month is going to be enough even if i know that im gonna be really busy at work at the time.

i just want some time....

checklist

its the start of the new year... and im looking forward to new hope, new blessings, new everything.

to start it with, i left all my worries behind (hopefully), back to where they belong. and i started doing something on my checklist.

before Christmas, i sent all my requirements for visa except for my drug screening (well, its as if i am using it noh? plus, its as if its legal here in singapore or in any country for that matter.. eh di nawalan ako work pag ganun).. well, its one of the reqmts for my employment, so sige na nga.

so, i have my medical checkup just this morning for drugs nga. and ang daming wiwi haha i had to drink one bottle of mineral water beforehand hehe

i spoke to my employer too.. and of course, he asked my why.. i just told him that i have intentions and my visa is still under processing. he seems ok with it. he said that if i leave after april, its just one month.. if before april, we will honor the PR contract.. ok, the PR contract is just a month's notice too.. i didnt argue with him anymore when he said that its not terminating whatever that means. he said that we'll talk again after my visa is approved. basta ang alam ko, my PR contract is 30 days notice lang and no penalty basta i leave after 3 months upon PR approval..

so now, i'll just wait.. i've done everything i could. and there's nothing else that i could do but... WAIT,

checklists:
1. submit visa requirements - check
2. drug screening - check
3. talk to employer with regards to my contract - check

for now, i'll just wait for HR to inform me when i should submit my resignation letter. then, appeal to my employer once again to just let me go after 30 days. after that. then i'll just cross the bridge when i get there...