You know what birds do? You know, their thing -- relocating, moving, migrating? Yup, that's what I did.
Last February, I have decided to leave Manila and work in (*drum rolls*) ILOILO City.
As soon as I got off work on the 28th of February, which was my last day with that company, I headed to Philippine Airlines ticketing office to redeem my free flight (should blog about that) and I booked for the March 2nd flight without batting an eyelash.
The next day was spent packing and looking for possible jobs and a place to stay in Iloilo. I didn't know anyone in the city aside from distant relatives and my bestfriend who lives in Guimaras— and aside from the fact that I didn't want to bother them, the pretense that I am a strong, independent woman must be consistent, so I had to find my way to my own place all by myself.
When I finally found an available room, I messaged the owner and found out that it was very near to the developing MegaWorld business district, where I plan to spend my next working months and years in. So I told her that I am coming from Manila and that I will check out the place on March 2nd and will move in immediately if I find it to my liking.
And boy, was I ever lucky to find this place. It's just by the outskirt of the business district, and going to the mall and workplace would only take 5 minutes by car, maybe less. It's situated at the end of a road though, so that means I'd have to walk 5 minutes to get on a cab or a jeepney (thank God for taxi-hailing apps!)
I have to tell you, the morning walk is so therapeutic! The sound of the trees and birds, the greetings of my distant neighbors, or even some passers by/street vendors, really gives a calming effect and a sense of peace (of course, until I get to my workplace, which is often toxic —a very usual ambiance in the BPO industry).
In the afternoon, I get to walk the same street and enjoy the many colors of the sky brought about by the sunset. AND AGAIN, it only takes a little less than 10 minutes to get home.
Isn't that just fantastic? Compared to Manila, this is really where I find my peace and calm.
Iloilo is the city of LOVE. And this bird loves it here a whole lot!
Plus, Guimaras is a boat-ride away! *heart-eyes*
4 months!!! (--and I said I was gonna blog more this year!)
What has happened...
- I went home to the Philippines
- I got back to Qatar
(too much for a list, LOL)
Between those moments, I had a lot to blog about, and yet not one single post. Partly because the internet connection in the Philippines is too bad. (nah-just kidding, it's better now, actually, I am just really lazy!)
So February this year, my little sister turned 18 (just in numbers heehee). I felt sorry that I did not get to be there for her, as I had been for my three cousins when they each celebrated theirs. I am really into organizing parties and events, and I had many plans for my sister's debut. Anyway, I was there "in the spirit" ^_^
I decided to come home a month after. Through Etihad which had one stop-over in Abu Dhabi. At first, of course, I was excited, coz I was gonna see one new place. I posted TripAdvisor review, please disregard the grammar errors I think I did that half-awake, just the same, here's some more info:
I once forfeited a flight because the plane left... and I was busy reading a book at the airport's upper level --well that's a different story. Anyway, I always made sure I find the boarding gates immediately after check-in, and wait there, no matter how long the delay would be. Luckily, this time, I was not left behind :)
The flight from Doha to Abu Dhabi took only an hour. Just enough for a light snack, and I always loved eating in-flight. I love traveling by air planes. Anyway, I'm getting distracted by the thought of dried fruits and nuts. As soon as the plane started its descend, I looked outside the window to see how Abu Dhabi looks like. At first it was all sea and sand. It was a pretty sight, but I hoped to see buildings. I finally saw one, and it had the Ferrari logo on top, and that was it. That's the largest building I saw from the top, and the rest were like houses and small buildings. I was a bit disappointed, especially when the plane landed. I looked around (tried to look around when the plane was heading to the main airport building), and the tallest building I saw was the airport control tower. (Later on, I found out from a friend that the airport was a bit far away from the city.)
So to cut it short, I boarded the plane to Manila, arrived in the early morning, got a Grab (local transport provider) and got welcomed by our dog, Mimi (yep, no one else but her --on their defense, only my mom knew I was going home and it was really waaay too early!)
I'll write again about the Philippines stay.... when I want to. HAHA. Off to lunch!
