July 10, 2009 at 8:31 am · Filed under Uncategorized
The past days have been a series of exciting discoveries in this city of hot sands by the sea, Jeddah. I have been here for less than a week and will be staying here for a couple of years more.
This morning my Filipino roommate at the hotel and I washed our clothes. My roommate bought his Tide at 1SAR [1SAR is equal to PHP13 more or less] at a supermarket while I bought my Bonux at SAR1.5 at the Bakala, a small air-conditioned store similar to variety stores in the Philippines.
However, there was neither a washing machine nor a wash basin at the hotel we were staying. Thus, we improvised our laundry implements. He washed on the sink at the bathroom while I washed on the kitchen sink. We got big plastic plates from the cupboard and put washed laundry on there.
We improvised our clothes dryer too. We have gotten a metal rod and placed it perfectly against the aircon braces as a clothesline by the veranda that faced the wide city street and hoarded clothe hangers from the room attendant. We got our clothes hanger.
It was a perfect timing too. A couple of hours after we finished washing our clothes, the water stop pouring from the faucet. It was a good day for soap and suds.
June 23, 2009 at 10:47 pm · Filed under Uncategorized
I have not been fond of cars. Unless used for business, vehicles are a liability. First, they do not earn you any additional money. Second, they use expensive gasoline, and third, they depreciate. Thus, buying, detailing, and maintaining a car has been shunned, if not dreaded.
The last car I drove this June
Yet, I am not saying I have not used a car. In fact, my car was my home. Driving through the city was soothing [one should do this on very late nights; if done on a rush hour, one is driving the road to hell]. I carried much of my paraphernalia in the trunk: Three plastic cases of clothes, my gym bag, my laptop, my two plastic bags of food and goodies, my four pairs of shoes. Inside the car, I would hang several shirts and pants.
Much more, if I got drowsy on late night gimmicks, I would sleep in the car. For a couple of times, I slept at the Shell gas station at The Fort until dawn and drove a few blocks, took a bath at Fitness First, and drove across EDSA and reported for work very early in the morning, avoiding the morning traffic rush.
So why did I have a car and still dodge away from its liabilities? I got a company car! Yes, the only way I got a car was for work. Acquisition, maintenance, insurance, registration, toll and parking fee, and gas were shouldered by the companies for which I worked. Still, I could bring my car home. Wasn’t that a good perk for work?
So far, I had a Rally Blue Kia Rio in 2004, a gray Honda City Z in 2005, an automatic Honda City in 2007, and a sleek black Honda City before 2009 started.
Now, I am carless. I had been a commuter veteran, but am now an ignorant pedestrian. Adjustment is uncomfortable. The 15-minute car drive from Meycauayan to SM North is now an hour and a half. I used to be always on the go, carrying all my stuff. Now, I have to fit everything in my big backpack. Traveling has become harder. Most of all, my family and I cannot go on trips in my car anymore.
The good thing is I will still have a company car abroad. At least I can still carry all my stuff wherever and whenever I go. That is a soothing assurance that I will not be backpacking again, and torture my back in pain. As of now, I have to plan my trips, know the fares, and be the commuter veteran that I was. Where bus fare matrix I kept?
June 19, 2009 at 3:04 am · Filed under Uncategorized
An influx of change has arrived. Together with the torrential Manila rain, this flow cannot be stopped.
My resignation is in effect. I reported for my last day of work last week. People were amazingly happy for me leaving for abroad. Several colleagues requested for my contact and asked assistance if they too can apply for a post. I found it weird that they had felt envious that I would resign. I was surprised, pleasantly surprised.
This week, I usually wake up at 10 o’ clock in the morning. I have late laid back breakfast and take my time packing for my trip. It is no rush.
However, this chillax mode has been prolonged–and this means prolonged days not earning. Contrary to the schedule agreed earlier that my flight be scheduled June 16, my headhunter informed me a couple of weeks ago that my plane ticket was dated earlier: June 3. I was notified when I was riding a motorcycle, doing my rounds in Puerto Princesa [I drive neither a bicycle nor a motorcycle, much more; my female sales personnel was driving while I was backriding her, I mean the motorcycle]. I definitely declined the sudden change in schedule. I did not take it. As a result, I am still waiting for a new ticket hopefully to be given before the month ends. Aargh!
