I went to UK VACS (Visa Application Center) this afternoon to apply for a visa. Our company paid 19k for the application fee and that is non reimbursable - so even if I get denied TY na yung pera, grabe na negosyo, tsk! I don't know if there's a possibility of being denied. Wag naman sana...
I thought I'll be leaving by next week. My project manager was already expecting me to arrive this Monday. He even sent me an email yesterday, wishing me a safe trip. He erroneously assumed I'd be flying this weekend. But he'll have to postpone my welcome party 'til the end of September because according to the consul the processing will normally take 10 to 20 working days because I'm a first timer UK visitor (yeah.. even if I already have a Work Permit) Sheeshhh, antay na naman... sobrang excited pa naman ako :(
While waiting at the center I chatted to a nurse who was sitting beside me. She told me that the embassy processing is stricter now because the last time she applied there was no biometrics screening (they now take your photo and scan your fingerprints so that the airport officials can verify your identity when you land in UK). She reckoned that it's because of the recent terrorist attacks, so additional security measures are imposed for those seeking entry to UK. I agree with her, and I also think it's also because the Prime Minister is new... everybody in the government is trying to do their job to impress him.
Out of all applied for Work Permit by our company only me got approved. The Indian HR who submitted our requirements can't explain why lumusot ako since she confirmed I also lacked the document that caused the others to get denied. Hmmm may effect yata yung smile ko sa passport picture ko :p I'll be going alone to UK. It's going to be one bloody hell of an adventure :) I hope makakasunod yung mga kasama ko agad and I hope more that Harley will be assigned there during Christmas season. This is it.. just one step away from my UK dream. I am sooo close, I hope nothing will go wrong.
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Friday, 31 August 2007
Wednesday, 15 August 2007
Row3x your boat gently down the baha...
The best yung baha along Buendia-Mayapis area this morning - the worst ever. The road wasn't passable by vehicles until after lunch. It's because of the sudden heavy shower brought by typhoon Egay. And according to our guard, it's also because the Manila bay was already umaapaw due high tide so the flood had nowhere else to go. Rose, Steng and I had to hire a tricycle. But since the seat wasn't high enough and di ko carry na mag sit on-the-air while nakaangat yung paa, nabasa ang pwet ko! Ewww talaga... baka magkaroon ako ng an-an, buni or alipunga sa lovely buns ko huhuhuhu :( I have to treat my buns to some extra TLC this evening - scrub it and lavish it with alcohol para ma-disinfect. At least on the bright side, the drought is over.
A view of the flood as seen from Rose and Steng's unit.
...only in the Philippines.Read more...
Tuesday, 14 August 2007
My UK work permit
I got an email yesterday from our Indian HR that they already received my work permit and she attached the scanned copy as proof. Finally after almost two months of waiting, it has finally come. Yippee? Nah... I'm still not in the mood to dance and do a jig because after I receive the original work permit 3 days from now, I still have to go the UK embassy here and have it stamped. What if the British consul will deny that coveted stamp just because he doesn't like my short hair? Or what if there'll be no project at all even if I'm already ready to fly? Aw bloody hell! I am torturing myself of those what-ifs, which is unreasonable. Well it's just that I want the Euro tour so bad...
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Wednesday, 1 August 2007
Drama Queen
I just received this text from Mama:
"Helo Day dawat nimu ako txt ghapn.. gkapoy na man ko Day knus-a pa kaha ko mamatay..."
Translation:
"Hello hija (sosyal version ng inday). Did you receive my text yesterday? I'm tired. When will I die?"
Heller nag-"hello" pa sya, tsk!
Oh I'm not alarmed. I've been receiving texts with such theme since she started her menopausal stage. She even told me that sometimes she would wake up crying or suddenly lapse into depression for no reason at all. Or sometimes she'd just get angry at Papa because of something he failed to do or she would simply remember that he's a womanizer (heller matagal na nya alam babaero Papa ko noh, 20 years ago pa). Papa ko rin since he retired has become irritable and matampuhin. So ayaw din magpatalo and they get into bickering. Nag-e-LQ pa rin sila, which is with their age hindi na yan sya cute! Hayyyyyy buhay.
Though I know it's just another menopausal blues, I'm still worried. Since I'm far away, I can't talk to her and reassure her. Sira din kasi phone ko, I can't call her. Grrr! I already spammed her, Papa and even my sister text messages but no one has replied, nada, tsk.
I hope when I start my menopausal stage I won't be a drama queen too. But I guess there's no escaping the depression due to the hormonal imbalance. It's unfair why we, women, have to endure so much. Men's greatest scare in life is just circumcision, and most didn't even feel it because they were circumcised when they were still babies. Unfair!!! Next lifetime, I wanna be a man.
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"Helo Day dawat nimu ako txt ghapn.. gkapoy na man ko Day knus-a pa kaha ko mamatay..."
Translation:
"Hello hija (sosyal version ng inday). Did you receive my text yesterday? I'm tired. When will I die?"
Heller nag-"hello" pa sya, tsk!
Oh I'm not alarmed. I've been receiving texts with such theme since she started her menopausal stage. She even told me that sometimes she would wake up crying or suddenly lapse into depression for no reason at all. Or sometimes she'd just get angry at Papa because of something he failed to do or she would simply remember that he's a womanizer (heller matagal na nya alam babaero Papa ko noh, 20 years ago pa). Papa ko rin since he retired has become irritable and matampuhin. So ayaw din magpatalo and they get into bickering. Nag-e-LQ pa rin sila, which is with their age hindi na yan sya cute! Hayyyyyy buhay.
Though I know it's just another menopausal blues, I'm still worried. Since I'm far away, I can't talk to her and reassure her. Sira din kasi phone ko, I can't call her. Grrr! I already spammed her, Papa and even my sister text messages but no one has replied, nada, tsk.
I hope when I start my menopausal stage I won't be a drama queen too. But I guess there's no escaping the depression due to the hormonal imbalance. It's unfair why we, women, have to endure so much. Men's greatest scare in life is just circumcision, and most didn't even feel it because they were circumcised when they were still babies. Unfair!!! Next lifetime, I wanna be a man.
Read more...
Holy Kettle Corn is ya-ya-yummy!
I am addicted to Holy Kettle Corn since I tried it last Friday. I've been eating a bag per night for straight 3 nights now, munching while watching another Kimura Takuya's dorama... ohhh the good life!You can find Holy Kettle Corn (HKC) stalls everywhere. There's one in Glorietta, SM megamall and at the Petron station near our office (along the Buendia-Makati Ave. intersection). The medium size bag costs 25php and the large one costs 60php - not bad eh. It's healthy also because it doesn't have butter or the usual cheeze/barbecue flavoring. It just contains sugar that is sweet and salt that is not sweet (duh!)... Okay, it's not that healthy, but definitely a better option than a regular junkfood.
There's also Kettle Korn. There's a stall in SM Makati and also sold in convenience stores like Mini Stop. I don't like it because it contains more sugar than HKC. One time I found lumps of sugar at the bottom of a bag. It's just an HKC wannabee.
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Thursday, 26 July 2007
Take My Breath Away
If I told you how I feel about you
Would you say the same and
If I wrote it in a letter
Would you keep it or throw it away
I never thought I'd feel the way I'm feeling lately
When everything you seem to do just drives me crazy
Every waking day you take my breath away
With every word you say you take my breath away
You look at me that way, baby come what may
I hope that you'll always know how to take my breath away
How to take my breath away
You told me how you feel about me
Cos' I did not know
If you said you'd fill my heart with all your loving
'Til it overflowed
I don't know the way you feel but boy I'm hoping
I always used to hide away, but now I'm open
Every waking day you take my breath away
With every word you say you take my breath away
You look at me that way, baby come what may
I hope that you'll always know how they take my breath away
How they take my breath away
Take my breath away
Take my breath away
Take my breath away
Every waking day, you take my breath away
With every word you say, you take my breath away
You look at me that way, baby come what may
I hope that you'll always know how they take my breath away
How they take my breath away
(how they take my breath away)
Take my breath away
Take my breath away
(how they take my breath away)
Take my breath away
Take my breath away
Take my breath away
Take my breath away
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Wednesday, 25 July 2007
I am blessed
Our management gave us the no-brainer task to segragate resumes of those that applied in our Jobstreet ad. So far with the hundred resumes I finished checking, noone passed. It's a waste of time really but it's good that they've given us something to do.
As I perused the resumes I was surprised to find out there were many of the applicants currently earning less than 10k, some even below 5k. Most of them are Computer Science graduates with up to 4 years experience although usually as technical support/computer technician. Immodesty aside their salary differ by a very wide margin with the salary that I and most of my IT professional friends are enjoying. Shocks, I can't even imagine having a budget of less than 10k a month! Tapos less tax pa yun ha :( Though I felt sorry for them, I had to reject their applications because we need experienced developers who possess the skillset we're looking for.
I remember 7 years ago when the HR of NEC called up to inform me that they're hiring me. I was ecstatic because I was told I'd be earning above 10k - gosh I thought, "10k? Wow this is it.. I'm on my way to being darn rich!" I couldn't stop thanking God for giving me job even if I didn't graduate yet (I received the job offer a month before our graduation). With the training and experience I got from NEC I was able to start building a competitive skillset. I'll be forever grateful of NEC for that. And now 7 years after (although hindi pa rin ako rich because of the darn taxes and darn mall sales tsk!) opportunities keep popping, not only for local employment but also overseas. Headhunters call when you least expect it. The future is truly bright.
What I did today is a humbling experience for me because I have realized how blessed I am that I'm not one of those whose resumes I had to reject. Whenever I feel envious of others who are earning more than I am, I should remind myself that I am also earning pretty much that now I can afford to rent a condo on my own. Whenever I feel the urge to whine because I haven't been assigned to UK or US like some of my colleagues, I should remind myself that hey I'm lucky I've been to the Land of the Rising Sun! Whenever I feel the impulse to bang my head on the cubicle's wall because I'm so bored, I should remind myself that I'm lucky I'm getting paid a hefty sum doing nothing. Yeah, I am truly blessed.
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As I perused the resumes I was surprised to find out there were many of the applicants currently earning less than 10k, some even below 5k. Most of them are Computer Science graduates with up to 4 years experience although usually as technical support/computer technician. Immodesty aside their salary differ by a very wide margin with the salary that I and most of my IT professional friends are enjoying. Shocks, I can't even imagine having a budget of less than 10k a month! Tapos less tax pa yun ha :( Though I felt sorry for them, I had to reject their applications because we need experienced developers who possess the skillset we're looking for.
I remember 7 years ago when the HR of NEC called up to inform me that they're hiring me. I was ecstatic because I was told I'd be earning above 10k - gosh I thought, "10k? Wow this is it.. I'm on my way to being darn rich!" I couldn't stop thanking God for giving me job even if I didn't graduate yet (I received the job offer a month before our graduation). With the training and experience I got from NEC I was able to start building a competitive skillset. I'll be forever grateful of NEC for that. And now 7 years after (although hindi pa rin ako rich because of the darn taxes and darn mall sales tsk!) opportunities keep popping, not only for local employment but also overseas. Headhunters call when you least expect it. The future is truly bright.
What I did today is a humbling experience for me because I have realized how blessed I am that I'm not one of those whose resumes I had to reject. Whenever I feel envious of others who are earning more than I am, I should remind myself that I am also earning pretty much that now I can afford to rent a condo on my own. Whenever I feel the urge to whine because I haven't been assigned to UK or US like some of my colleagues, I should remind myself that hey I'm lucky I've been to the Land of the Rising Sun! Whenever I feel the impulse to bang my head on the cubicle's wall because I'm so bored, I should remind myself that I'm lucky I'm getting paid a hefty sum doing nothing. Yeah, I am truly blessed.
Read more...
Friday, 20 July 2007
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