POEA Day 3

I was able to be at the institution on time. Fall in line and proceeded to window 9. Presented my papers and went down for assessment, then was directed to go upstairs to pay the fee and all was done. Wow this was to done just in about two hours and yet I have to go all the trouble for three days just to secure a piece of paper that will allow me to get out of Philippines.

And so I went back to the processing area and ask if there are still things to be done and was told that all is done. Then I saw this girl. I know she’s familiar. I have seen her sometime in the Feast, a Catholic Charismatic gathering of the LOJ community, and I think she needs help. I was sure it was her but I am not quite sure if she will accept a help of a stranger like me. So after sometime I mustered all my strength and approach her and asked her if she is attending the Feast. And she said yes, thus I directed her on what to do in the process. It was a short conversation and I short instruction on how will she go through the process. Again I was smiling God really makes me smile. She is bound to New Jersey and will work as a physical therapist.

And then I went to Cubao, got myself lunch and went home to get my laptop. All afternoon what I did was to write and inform my cyber spiritual family that I will soon be leaving. But I assured them that it is not goodbye, rather its just see you later. Things aren’t permanent. I still don’t know what will happen next. God has a lot of surprises for me. What awaits me in Guam is something that I don’t know. All I have to do is have faith in the Lord that He will lead me to the place where He wants me. A place where I will expand my borders.

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POEA Day 2

Day 2 was for my schedule of PDOS or the Pre-Departure Orientation seminar. The seminar was mostly how we will interact with the foreigners we will meet in the foreign land. How we will conduct ourselves, our rights, and also on how we will adopt ourselves to the customs and practices of the foreign land we are bound to.

It was also the day for me to get my Physical examination which I have to rush. I have to repeat my urine exam because they said it has minor problems thus paying an additional fee for the repeat exam and paying half of the original fee to expedite the release of my records….

During the PDOS I was able to meet people. One is bound to mainland USA who has a flight to catch on the Friday, it was Tuesday then. He secured a work as a computer programmer in one of the computer company. Some are bound for Canada and mostly are bound to Europe particularly Italy. There was a woman who is returning to Italy and shared some of her experiences. There was one lady bound for Guam, who works in the field of Marketing. The spokesperson of the seminar made clear why we Filipinos are one of the sought after workers in the world…that is we have been sacrificing a lot for the love of our families thus we do the very best we can in our jobs abroad so that we can support our families that we left behind.

Then in the afternoon I rushed to the accredited clinic to get my physical exam result and was hoping that I am able to secure the document I needed from POEA. I was able to get it but by the time I fell in line for the processing one document needs notarization…and time was not at my side. Processing ends at 3:30 and the time was already 3:00. No choice but to go out and find any notary, by the time I came back it’s already 3:40 and my papers were not accepted already but was ask to go back tomorrow.

I just smiled at the person behind the counter and said “Thank you!” our Lord really knows how to make me smile. I am dead tired and my back aches a lot but I have to follow; I have to do what God really wants me to do.

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Life in Guam

I arrived in the island last December 3, a couple of weeks before Christmas, and I had mixed emotions the moment I set foot to this foreign land. “I will be working here” that is what I am trying to inculcate in my mind because I know when I begin to not think of it boredom and homesickness will creep into my system.

Yes I am a strong person and I think I can manage to live anywhere but this place is different. I encountered many obstacles so that I can move forward. I am used to with fast pace lifestyle and easy access systems like transportation and establishment open till 10:00 pm. Here I need a car to move around. From the simple things like going to buy drinking water or buying bread for the morning needs a car. Unfortunately I don’t drive back in the Philippines and that it takes a long time to secure a driver’s license. You need to go to schooling in order for you to be able to take the written test and wait for your actual driving test. Here shopping malls close at 5pm on Sundays and holidays. Unlike back in the Philippines, holidays are time to spent time until wee hours of the day. One thing more most establishments are part apart and are very few unlike back at home I can go to SM Mega mall and the three malls that surround it or I can ride the MRT and be at Ayala are or Cubao area, or at SM west area going to the new mall of the Ayala’s right next to the MRT station.

Another is that I have no friends yet here. I missed my friends back in Manila. Specially my KFAM family. I missed our Sunday get together in the Feast and the after the Feast activities that we do. I missed are talks about life and its wonderful and mysterious facets. I missed our exchanges of thoughts and arguments regarding what we stand for and what we believe. I missed our sharing and prayers and anything that we have, our friendship has grown that we have this thing been going on and on and we look forward to have projects. We had an outreach project for the orphans but unluckily I was not able to take part of it because on the night I will be flying to Guam. I know I will have contact with these friends of mine but the distance will be an obstacle. I also know that I can have friends here as well but with the different culture and traditions and social setting I know it won’t be the same as what I already have. I try to communicate with my friends back in the Philippines through email and I hope the ties we have won’t be broken by distance.

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