I am grateful that I will be able to start working on December 1. I will have to undergo training 3rd week of November before I could officially start. It will be a big help for me and my wife because we will need not to spend on rent or food except for specific foods that we really want that are not in the fridge.
Hallelujah to the King!
I am mesmerized when I see how God paints nature with different colors. I love seeing the leaves turn into bright colors like red, orange, yellow, purple, fuchsia(did I spell it right:)) etc.... It just amazes me. Well, I love nature.
On another topic, I had a three days of training as a caregiver (probably one of the businesses that thrived in this recession) without being interviewed. Maybe it was because I was referred by the sister of the owner. They are from Baguio. This Filipina lady is married to an American (older) man and their adult home business seems to have grown. I think they are well off through this business. Although when the husband drove me off to the bus station, he said that his wife tells her children to study well so that they won't be doing a job like what their mom/dad do. Well, to me, it is still a decent job however people perceive it.
I have heard from people that I've met that their friends or they themselves have been applying for jobs for many months and have not been called for an interview. One friend, who is in another state, told me that his church mate who works as a supervisor in an airport was laid off in December of last year and, until now, he has not found a job. The worst is that his family arrived in the US without knowing that he had no job.
My three days of training allowed me to see the nature of job. The owner then asked me if I like the job and I said that I do because I love serving and ministering to others, such as the elderly. It puts smile on my face when I converse with them. Most of them are funny to be with. I wonder what will happen when I grow old:)? Thus, it was not that difficult for me to get into it. I also hope that I will be hired as a part time after school instructor, which I could do in the late afternoon. I have not heard yet about the other jobs that I applied for.
I was grateful to my wife for driving me to the place for three days. She had to wake up very early in the morning even if she was suppose to get more sleep because she usually arrives home late in the evening.
I am glad that I was able to take the bus home so that was easier for my wife. On the first day, however, I got lost because the driver let me off at a place where I was not suppose to go. I began to be anxious about how I would be able to get home because I didn't know the place or have a cell phone. Now both of us have one. Anyway, I was able to manage to get home; although my wife was quite worried about why I had not arrived.
I went to the community clinic today to know the result of my tubercular spot test and the nurse who attended to me said it is positive. She handed me a paper that tells where to get my x-ray. I wonder why it came out positive when my two succeeding sputum tests in the Philippines were negative. I pray it is still negative though. Seeing a doctor here is exceedingly expensive and I have no job yet:(.
Setting aside my health update, I though it might be good for me to write a bit of my impressions to my new abode.
1. Mall. I rarely see people in the mall as if no one is buying:). No matter how big the malls in Philippines are, there are always many people.
2. Street. The car stops in an intersection whether there is a car coming or not. When a driver in the Phi sees that there is no policeman around, he unloads or loads in an unloading zone or beat the red light. The bus only stops where they are designated to load and unload passengers.
2. People. Of course, people in the Philippines are ever friendly even if you do not really know them well. People here are so private and you hardly know your neighbor-especially at an apartment setting.
3. Houses. There is so much space between houses. In the Philippines, you can wave your hands from a window to say hi especially in squatter areas. You can even hear the slightest sound one can make especially if what separates you is wood or just thin concrete wall.
4. Music. Music or sound is modulated. Music in RP reaches the other planet. In the area where we are at, I have heard cars with very loud music as if you are in a carnival site. Jeeps/public transportation vehicles in RP usually have music turned on (some are terribly loud).
5. Skin color. There are tanning places where you pay a lot of money. Many people back home spend a lot of money just to have whiter skin. I am not among them. I love my color. Human thinking is very complicated- no satisfaction as on earth.
6. Visiting a doctor. You do not just go and see a doctor. You need to call to make an appointment. Health insurance is very important. In RP, you can visit any time as long as you have money and that the clinic is open.
7. Pets. Pets here are treated like member of the family. I was told by a couple that one of their couple friends who have no baby bought an expensive $1,000.00 dog and the dog has at least three designated rooms/spots in their house. Pets in RP are just merely pet and can sometimes be a food specially if it is a dog-azucena:).
8. Workers. I see many old people work in the store or malls. I seldom see old people employed in malls as cashier, etc...in RP: they are mostly young and not oldies. Companies advertising job usually attached this phrase "We are equal opportunity employer."
9. Minority. I often hear that minorities here have more edge over the nationals especially when applying for a job-(may be- I still need to prove it:)) . They are given better consideration. Minorities in RP are really minorities:( until the IPRA law came. Yet still, many minority groups are still not given attention to.
.........
(Sharing what was sent months ago and was sent to me again recently:))
While a man was polishing his new car, his 4 yr. old son picked up a
stone and scratched lines on the side of the car.
In anger, the man took the child's hand and hit it many times; not realizing he was using a wrench.
At the hospital, the child lost all his fingers due to multiple fractures.
When the child saw his father.....with painful eyes he asked, 'Dad when will my fingers grow back?'
The man was so hurt and speechless; he went back to his car and kicked it a lot of times.
Devastated by his own actions...sitting in front of the car he looked at the scratches; the child had written 'LOVE YOU DAD'.
The next day that man committed suicide.
Anger and Love have no limits; choose the Love to have a beautiful,
lovely life.
Things are to be used and people are to be loved, but the problem in
today's world is that, people are used and things are loved.
Let's be careful to keep this thought in mind: "Things
are to be used, but People are to be loved".
Be yourself.... This is the only day we HAVE. Make it a great day!
Watch your thoughts; they become words.
Watch your words; they become actions.
Watch your actions; they become habits.
Watch your habits; they become character.
Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.
I seem to be adjusting well. I think I have gotten out of that jet
lag. It was for a number of days that I did not have a good sleep. I
am slowly getting the tempo of sleeping with the time here. I
still feel uncomfortable sleeping while it is not dark though. I associate sleeping with darkness because it is how I have been used to in my home country. It gets dark here at 10 in the evening
which makes me think that the real time of going to bed should at least be at 11 or 12:).
The processing here seems fast. I just had my SSN in 10 days which is good.
My wife brought me to the Old Country Buffet as a treat on my birthday. I
I was feeling nauseated after eating:(. I think because I ate a lot of
sweets:). Nevertheless, it was fun. The next time we went there, I ate less of the sweet ones and it worked:).
My lap top got infected with virus. I have trouble accessing any of my files. A window keeps popping up telling me at the end that I need to purchase their product. It blocks
any program that I try to open. Grrrrrrr!!!!!!!
One time, my wife went out for a walk. On our way home, we saw a birdie that was trying to fly but couldn't soar high. I picked him up and held him gently in my hands although he was trying to escape from my hands. I took a picture of him before I would let him fly. He finally got comfortable in my hands that he did not want to fly anymore. It was even sleeping. So I had to put him on one of the branches of a tree near us. Still, as if he was lonely and did not want to fly. So I thought of taking a picture while on the branch.
To my surprise, before I could take a picture, with the camera on his face, he flew in full swing as if he was not a novice in flying. He might have thought the camera was a big bird who wants to eat him. I though he might get drowned in the river he was flying over but he managed to fly safe until we could not see him. I know I will not be able to hold him again, but I am glad that he flew and was free...... free to fly! (Will post the pix later when I am able to download it!).
