Home on Mondays: Is Shipping Your Home Items to Your Home Country Worth It?

We did the big move back home in November last year. We choose between sending our items via LBC or by shipping it. It was 10 years worth of accumulated stuff, so we decided to get help from a shipping company. 

We made a detailed list of the items we were set to bring home. We eventually decided to ship our things because of our toy and fabric collection and appliances (TV, piano, several air purifiers and kitchen appliances). We thought it might be too risky to ship those items via balikbayan box. Our cleaner also told us that the TV she sent back home was damaged. 

Requested for a quotation from several reputable companies. They came to our home to inspect the items we were going to ship to assess how much it would cost. We eventually chose the one that was associated with the company that brought my items when I moved to Singapore. We asked a gazillion questions and we were reassured that our items will arrive safely. 

Our things were packed a week before our flight. At the end of the second day all our items were put inside a container van. It was locked and immediately loaded on the ship. The shipment arrived three weeks later and delivered to our new home on the first day of December. 

We finished opening all the boxes last summer. We had a spreadsheet of everything that was packed and how many boxes were packed. It was almost double of what we estimated if we sent everything via balikbayan box. The cost would probably have been the same. 

The advantage of shipping your items back through a shipping company is they have people who would help pack your items. The items are insured and they make sure everything will arrive in one piece. So far, only one item has been missing, my old MSI laptop. The drawback though were unforeseen additional expenses. 

We were charged additional fees for the volume. We were surprised about it because when we unboxed most of the boxes were not full. What was more painful was getting charged the customs fee six months after the items were delivered. The fee was 250% higher than what they quoted. The amount really affected our budget since we were originally told that there were no charges anymore. 

So, was it worth it? I think it was since it was not possible for us to pack the items ourselves. All our appliances and collections arrived in one piece (old MSI laptop still MIA). We could have probably saved money if we split up our items. Sent the appliances and other risky items via a smaller container van. Then send less valuable items via balikbayan box. We could have also de-cluttered months ahead of our scheduled departure, but that would have been dependent on being well enough to do it. 

We were initially happy about getting all our items in one piece, but that was quickly erased when we were given an unexpected large customs bill. The receipt showed that it was billed in November 2021. We were only told about it in April 2022. They also gave empty promises about a discount and allowing us to pay in installments. So the happy service turned sour and left us disappointed. 

We just decided to pay it in full since we just want them out of our lives. Shipping your items back home? Do think twice about it. 

#BeKind #StaySafe

I was Brave

I skipped over to the office yesterday to return my devices. It felt surreal when we were dropped off at my block. The place was deserted. The walk-a-lator which I normally used wasn't even turned on. The last time I was at the office was March 2020. 

It was like the universe was conspiring for me not to go. Just when we were about to leave, the sky dropped heavy rain. An hour after it was still pouring heavily. We decided to brave it and go. The Grab driver who picked us up missed a turn. We ended up adding 20 minutes more to our trip. As the car went farther and farther away from the office I asked, "Is the universe holding me back?" 

I was relieved when we finally reached my block and as we walked over to the next block I started to feel a bit sad. For a few seconds I wanted to go back home and not do what I was supposed to do. I marched on, dropped my things off and spent a few minutes taking photos. We were not able to go in anymore since the office is closed. 

To be honest I was a bit teary eyed, but I got distracted with taking photos. Then I got busy chatting with my seatmate. I sent him photos of where we used to walk when we'd go for merienda. He hasn't been back to the office either and had a lot of questions about our usual haunts. 

I've been getting questions about whether it's true I've left my job. And questions on what's next. Yes, I have left my job because I finally decided to follow the advise of my doctors. And what's next is real rest. I'm grateful I have been getting offers for work, but I'd like to focus on resting for now. I will eventually figure out what I want to do next, but for now I just want to spend time with my loved ones and enjoy being permanently home. (Friends have began placing bets on how long I'll be in this state hahaha). 

I was brave yesterday. I cried for another reason. 

Now gotta finish packing!

CB////*Yr2/205 #StuckAtHomeDay/Yr2/226 #NewG245 #Home1 #Xmas53 #StayHome #BeKind 

Rad Changes Coming Up!

I've been trying to memorize the view from our apartment. We have a nice view of the park and it may be awhile before I get this kind of view again. Back home we could see the Skyway on one side and SM on the other. Save for the random planes that passes by there's really not much to see. Sometimes we try counting the number of new cars Toyota parks in the lot beside us. 

Things have been crazy busy for us the past few days. I have to finish packing today to make sure I fit everything in our luggage. I'm following the advise of my friends who have previously done quarantine -- bring your own snacks and bring your sewing machine! Yeah, I still have my sewing machine with me because I had to finish my gifts. I also didn't want my precious sewing machine to be crunched under tons of boxes.

We got swabbed yesterday and decided to do something radical -- get a haircut! Not just a trim, I had my hair shortened... really, really short! Here take a look --

I told myself since I'm transitioning to a new way of life I needed a new look. I think the hairdresser got really excited when I told him I wanted short hair. He seemed pretty pleased with his work. The last time I had my hair this short was 20 years ago. Ralph and Myra were so surprised yesterday when they came for dinner. 

I'll do the same for the hordes of stuff I've accumulated. I was so busy the past 15 years I just stuffed everything in plastic boxes. I might as well give things away so they can be used better, no use keeping stuff to be used "someday". I realized also I need to change the way I live. Ralph pointed out to me that having planned what to do until Christmas goes to show my A personality is still on overdrive. Yes, I really need to learn to relax and just chill. Being an incessant planner is what got me in huge trouble haha. 

I think the first thing I need to do is fix my body clock. It's been so messed up since it's been hard to fall asleep. I've been conking out faster after the movers shipped all our stuff. I managed to finally wake up at 8 in the morning today. With just 3 hours of sleep I'll try to stay up until a more appropriate bedtime. This is where I'll start for now (see, trying to be chill hahaha). 

xoxo

CB////*Yr2/204 #StuckAtHomeDay/Yr2/225 #NewG246 #Home2 #Xmas54 #StayHome #BeKind 

Our Last Month in Singapore

I guess I was really exhausted and drained. I slept for 12 hours! I haven't had a day where I could just chill. We've been very busy the past few weeks (check out my one second per day video below) with the move, organizing documents and preparing our home in Manila for our arrival. 

I usually take a photo by the lift whenever I go out for errands or doc appointments.
This was for the month of October. 

Transitioning back home has been a huge project altogether. I'm glad the only poking doctors did to me this month is the two vaccinations I got, my second COVID-19 vaccination dose and a flu shot. I lived through very minor symptoms of the flu shot while the shipping crew was packing up our house. 

I knew our last month was going to be very busy. I had to detail what to do per day to make sure I don't miss anything. There were some surprises along the way, like finding out that my giant luggage wasn't going to survive another trip. We also had to let go of some things we wanted to do because we don't have the time for it anymore. 

The most important lesson I learned this month is to let go of things you don't have control over. A forgiving heart also helps a lot with your well-being. I will be forever grateful for the decade I got to spend in Singapore. It was a really great run and I go home with a lot of learnings and skills I could hopefully use for my new mission. 

Here's a preview of our last month in Singapore through a one second per day video -

And now my next task is to send out that farewell email I've been procrastinating to do for a few weeks now. I'm dropping off my devices at the office tomorrow so please reach out to me via my personal accounts. We're also changing our home address so please ping me if you're sending snail mail :)

CB////*Yr2/202 #StuckAtHomeDay/Yr2/223 #NewG248 #Home4 #Xmas56 #StayHome #BeKind 

The Reset Button

I was a bit disoriented when I woke up to an empty apartment. Surprisingly found Sweetie on the couch and not the dining table where he usually hangs out. He was on the couch because he used his chair to hang some laundry on the balcony. All our conveniences are gone. It's probably on its way to Manila now on a ship. 

It's like a reset button has been pressed. It feels liberating just to have the basics. I just got what I need from the kitchen to get through the next two weeks. Most of the clothes I packed are for home use. The most radical move is downsizing to just one pillow and a small blanket. My Fitbit says I had 4x more deep sleep last night. 

We're starting fresh when we get home. Gone are the busy work-work-work days and now I have time to focus on what's really important in life. I was forced in this situation for a reason and I hope to fulfill my new mission properly. 

Stolen shot heehee. Gonna miss the view.

I thought the new journey would start once my technical last day comes. I realize now that the reset button was pressed a long time ago. I was holding myself back because I was afraid of fully embracing change. Kuya told me once, sometimes we care too much it's very hard for us to let go. I still feel guilty I could not continue to serve. I feel I let so many people down because they were counting on me to help. I just hope they understand I unfortunately got sick 

And so the ship has sailed. I'm on this new journey with Sweetie and Miggy. Cheers to making many new joyful memories!

CB////*Yr2/200 #StuckAtHomeDay/Yr2/221 #NewG250 #Home6 #Xmas58 #StayHome #BeKind 

Epic Move

Whew! The movers are almost done boxing our things. They had to custom build some of the boxes and I'm amazed how fast they could do it. My gift wrapping skills is incomparable to their expertise. I think the most difficult item they had to pack was the exercise bike. The shop delivered it assembled already and it did not come with a box. We were able to save most of the boxes of our small appliances so that was easier to pack. 

The moving company said it will take a month to ship and release the shipment from the port. I don't want to think about the horror of unboxing everything. We'll probably take it slow since Christmas is coming up and we'll have to prioritize fixing our place first. 

I think the ship is sailing tomorrow. It's probably sailing together with the balikbayan boxes my friends also sent. If things stay on schedule it will arrive within the next two weeks. The moving company will help us deal with the paperwork to get it released from customs. Hopefully that won't be difficult. 

Grateful for the crew who tirelessly boxed and carried our items to the container. The process was difficult for them since our apartment is so tiny they didn't have enough space to pack. By end of the day our place we'll be empty and we'll be left only with our luggage. After this we'll focus on the move out cleaning and get the aircon serviced. On my end I still need to finish a few quilt projects I'm giving as gifts. 

Today is St. Jude Thaddeus' feast day. He is the patron saint of impossible causes. Do pray for his intercession for your impossible causes. 

CB////*Yr2/199 #StuckAtHomeDay/Yr2/220 #NewG251 #Home7 #Xmas59 #StayHome #BeKind 

Packing Day

The shipping company moved our packing day earlier. We had to cram sorting and arranging the things we're sending back home in the last 48 hours. We've been working until 4 in the morning the past couple of days. We're just watching the crew box everything up now. I admire their energy and expertise. They work so fast. At the rate they're going they'll probably finish everything by mid-afternoon. 

The first time I had a chance to work with a mover was when I moved to Singapore. I think they got bored with me then because I only shipped one box, a mattress and a folding table. They were disappointed when I told them we're not packing everything in the house. A year later I hired them to help us move homes. Ahhh, they were so happy and we finished the move by midday. Getting a professional mover is really worth it. It saves you time and effort from doing all the heavy lifting. 

This move is harder though since we're transitioning countries. We had to sort through 10 years worth of stuff. When we moved to a new apartment last year we didn't unpack everything. I had a lot of clothes I didn't wear anymore. We took the pains of sorting and assembling our things so we don't have to do it when we get home. You can imagine how much junk you could accumulate in ten years. 

When we get home I'll work on downsizing more. I have a lot of pre-loved items that I don't need anymore. I also don't expect I'd be traveling anytime soon and someone else will probably have better use of winter clothes and boots. I already gave away some of my books and will have to work on sorting those that are back home. 

When we get home we'll have to merge our two homes. Oh boy, that's going to be fun... not! I know this isn't the best time to be doing this since there's a pandemic. Unfortunately it's part of the process we have to do to complete our family again. Praying hard that we'll be protected from harm as we complete this transition. 

CB////*Yr2/198 #StuckAtHomeDay/Yr2/219 #NewG252 #Home8 #Xmas60 #StayHome #BeKind 

The Last Week Checklist and Keeping it Together

I just saw the last doctor I have to check-in with today. She's truly one of the best doctors I have and we were surprised with her farewell for me and Sweetie. She said, "You're one of the best and most supportive couples I have met. I really, really admire you for the spirit because your medical journey has been challenging. Others would just cry, but you soldier on and you've done very, very well."

I was speechless with what she said and was just able to mumble a "thank you". Good thing Sweetie was able to thank her properly. I was happy and grateful to hear what she said because I've really tried my best not to burden anyone with my illness. I holler only when I know I really need to be brought to the hospital. I'm truly grateful to everyone who have been taking care of me. 

It's crunch time for us now. We need to finish assembling what the movers will pack and bring back for us. I got my flu shot also today and hope it won't have the same effect as the COVID-19 vaxx. My doctor insisted I get it done before going home for added protection. I just need to complete the kitchen inspection, empty the trolleys and organize my cables and everything will be ready for packing. My luggage is already set, I just need to re-organize it. 

Goals for the next few days: complete the mover stuff, get some sleep, return my work devices, get swabbed, get a haircut, get remaining meds, buy luggage to replace the one that's unusable, finish sewing the gifts and say goodbye to friends. We've assigned Friday as sleep day since we've been busy bees the past few weeks. 

CB////*Yr2/197 #StuckAtHomeDay/Yr2/218 #NewG253 #Home9 #Xmas61 #StayHome #BeKind 

Our Last Week in Singapore

Our trip back home is looming! The mover called this morning to let us know that they're coming a day earlier to pack and load our things on the ship. Oh-em-gee! That means we need to hurry up sorting and packing our stuff. We've been working on it for over a month already and it's not easy. It's a good work-out though haha. 

Today we went out for some errands. Picked up my new eyeglasses and got a few items to help us finish packing. I'm really so glad my vaccination is complete already. They wouldn't have let me in if I didn't have it noted on the app. We also grabbed a quick bite at Shake Shack. I doubt if we'd be able to eat out when we get home (best to keep safe!). 

The next few days will be very busy! I still have to see one more doctor, pick up meds, get my flu vaccination and hopefully get a haircut. I'm not sure though how I could personally say goodbye to my friends. Worse off I would just send my gifts via Lalamove. Sigh. 

I seriously felt sad earlier when we went to Harbourfront Centre and Vivo City. We used to live across it, so it was like our "kitchen extension". I would get off the bus from work and meet Sweetie and Miggy at Toast Box. Sometimes on weekends we'd fancy a sundae cone at 2 in the morning. We'd just cross the street and hang out at the 24-hour always open McDonald's. We even used to walk from home to Sentosa Beach. I look forward to creating new happy memories when we get home and out of quarantine. 

Just keeping this short today, gotta go and pack! Happy new week everyone! 

CB////*Yr2/196 #StuckAtHomeDay/Yr2/217 #NewG254 #Home10 #Xmas62 #StayHome #BeKind 

Tita, My OFW Inspiration

Yesterday I asked a friend when she plans to go back home. She said she hopes her contract gets renewed because what she earns here she can never earn in her province. Her daughter also works here. She convinced her to come here also to earn enough for her children. She said she had to be smart about making a living to pull them out of poverty. 

I met Tita eight years ago. She was hired for a short time to be my caregiver. She's one of those typical OFWs who went abroad for her family. In the many years I've known her I saw how she's really worked hard for her family. She's really smart about it though because she told me yesterday she just bought a farm! 

I kidded her and told her that Sweetie and me can just build a small nipa hut and live with her. She actually said "Pwede naman!". Of course we won't impose on her, but I'd want to visit her someday when she goes back home. Tita is a true fighter, she calls me anak and I can't help but admire her spirit. I also learned through the years that she was widowed early and was one of the reasons why she left the country. 

Tita's story is probably common across many Filipinos who left our country to earn a living. I had a similar reason, but it was more because the opportunity presented itself to me. I think though the experience of being far away from family is a similar pain I share with all OFWs. I know that OFWs contribute a lot back to our economy, but why do we allow Filipinos to leave and be away from their families? 

I had this thought because of what Tita told me yesterday, "I can never earn the same in my province." It's really a sad, sad thought. I took a look at some stats this morning to take a look at how the different regions in the Philippines are doing. The 2020 report of the Philippine Statistics Authority said there was negative growth across the country, so I took a look at the 2019 report. In 2019, "All economies of 17 regions grew in 2019 with Bicol Region as the fastest growing region at 7.4 percent." (Source: PSA). It was interesting to see the list of regions that grew a lot for services and industry. 

Whenever the elections come up I think we always naturally look at how leaders respond to crisis, the easy things like cleaning up your city, road repairs, building new infrastructures, but we never really assess them on economic gain. In my travels I've seen how strong leaders are able to change their cities/provinces, but I'll reserve that for another post. My point today is just to think about how our current leaders have improved our economy, both national and local. It would be interesting to see what kind of programs they've done that improved the lives of citizens. 

P.S. I'm happy for Tita's future plan to settle in her farm. That's a solid financial freedom strategy!

CB////*Yr2/184 #StuckAtHomeDay/Yr2/205 #NewG263 #Home22 #Xmas74 #StayHome #BeKind

The Journey

October 15, 2011 flight

I officially moved to Singapore on October 15, 2011. That's almost a decade ago already. I never planned to be an OFW. If my Dad was alive he would never have allowed me to leave since my siblings both live abroad already. Well, it just happened. What I thought was just a chat turned out to be an interview haha. The process went by quickly and I eventually found myself in Singapore. 

Many have asked me why I never applied to be a PR. It wasn't a priority for me because I always knew I would eventually go home. My original plan was to go back home as soon as Miggy finished his schooling. I was lucky because in the first few years I was able to go home a lot. Most of my projects and pilots were done in the Philippines. Eventually I had to focus across Southeast Asia and then Asia Pacific. 

Service apartment :)

Things became harder for me when my coverage grew. I couldn't see my family as often anymore. A friend's passing was instrumental in how decided to bring our family together in Singapore (story here). Miggy decided to finish his studies here and Sweetie followed after a few months. I still traveled a lot, but we were happy to be together. 

Complete, May 2016.

Miggy finished his studies two years ago and wanted to start his career back home. We knew we had to let him go and give his freedom to find his way around the world. Oh boy, becoming empty nesters is the worst feeling in the world. Both me and Sweetie felt very lost. We literally found ourselves going out everyday. We'd go home late to avoid the feeling of an empty house. 

Shortly after that I took a break and spent two months at home with Miggy. It was then I started thinking about going back for good. Miggy brought me back to Singapore and went back home a few weeks after. I have not seen him in person since February 2020. It's the hardest thing to go through as a mom and I guess that partly contributed to me getting sick. 

My doctors have advised it's best for me to go back home. Yup, even in the middle of a pandemic. That's one of the reasons why half of my doctors insisted I get vaccinated. Good thing I got cleared. Having another PE effectively changed my future. I took it as a redirection to go back home. I know it's a huge risk, but we'll take the necessary precautions to be safe. 

And so my OFW journey will end soon. I will miss living in Singapore, especially all its conveniences. They have taken good care of me here, but I feel there's something waiting for me back home (aside from my Mom and Miggy!). Excited to see how my life unfolds in the coming months. 

CB////*Yr2/176 #StuckAtHomeDay/Yr2/197 #NewG271 #Home30 #Xmas84 #StayHome #BeKind

Mr. Stormtrooper's Story

Mr. Stormtrooper celebrated his fourth birthday at home yesterday. We were reminded of it when his arrival video popped on FB. I told Sweetie we should celebrate his birthday! We were not able to celebrate yesterday because both of us were feeling unwell (#signsofoldage). So I thought we could do it today. 

I lined up Mr. Stormtrooper's buddies for a family photo. He used to stay in Miggy's room in our former flat. We put him there to watch over Miggy. Since we moved we put him in the living room so he could watch TV with his buddies. I think he's happier in the living room now since he gets acknowledged by those who VC with us. 

Couch view.

So, how did Mr. Stormtrooper end up with us? Well Sweetie's friend, Hannah, called him up one day and said she had something for us (since we like Star Wars). The store at her place was just going to dispose of Mr. Stormtrooper so she asked if she could have it. They gladly gave it to her. He was due to be disposed that day when she asked Sweetie to pick him up. 

Sweetie would have taken the MRT going home, but Mr. Stormtrooper was required to have his own card! So Sweetie ended up walking through the train station with Mr. Stormtrooper in tow. You can just imagine the many stares he got. Sweetie got a cab and Mr. Stormtrooper had to stay on the front seat. The seat had to be fully reclined for him to fit. Sweetie said the taxi driver kept looking at Mr. Stormtrooper throughout the ride. They also got a lot of weird stares from pedestrians. Haha. 

I've re-uploaded his coming home video here. It was a happy day haha. And yes, we are bringing him home with us. Just need to figure out how we can bring him in one piece (maybe he'll fit the Jolly gigantic box?).

Day 12 Minimalism Challenge, Spend time with loved ones. Well I do this all day now everyday. Yesterday I spent an hour on the phone with my Mom. It was pretty hard for me since I start losing my voice just a few minutes through our conversation. Well I usually have her do the talking anyway and just ask questions in between hehe. That was the big thing for me yesterday since I had to lie down the rest of the day. My prayer every night is for God to heal me so I could spend more time with my family. 

CB///*Yr2/123 #StuckAtHomeDay/Yr2/146 #NewG323 #Home81 #StayHome #BeKind 

Happy 56th Birthday Singapore!

Majulah Singapura! Happy, happy 56th birthday Singapore! 

Singapore has been my home for 10 years now. Today I wanted to celebrate what I'm grateful about living here. 

1. My life was extended here thrice - I had OHS to repair my mitral valve and my respiratory doctor saved me twice from PE! This was made possible by my guardian daddies who brought me here. 

2. Miggy's completed schooling - one reason why I grabbed the opportunity to move here was to make sure I could pay for Miggy's tuition. Grateful for the opportunity because I was able to send him to school here. I'm so glad he finished back in 2019. 

3. We were able to buy a home back home - I lived like I was in Manila to be able to save. I was able to live on a SG$50 weekly allowance the first few years (thanks to the free food at work) and that's how we were able to buy our first home. When you really put your mind to it, you can do it. 

4. I met a lot of amazing people - I never imagined I'd meet so many people from different walks of life (and nations!). It never occurred to me that I'd have so many lovely friends from other cultures. 

5. I learned a lot - I'm grateful I've been able to work with a lot of awesome, intelligent people. I'd like to believe I evolved a lot from being the shy, super introverted person I was when I moved here. I learned a lot from the people around me. I also became a better, more confident version of myself. 

6. It was an experience like no other - from just covering Southeast Asia I eventually expanded across Asia Pacific. Wow oh wow, I had so much fun exploring and getting to know other cultures. And key to that was Changi Airport! I always looked forward to traveling and would go to the airport early to complete my travel rituals. LOL. 

7. Appreciating parks - I must admit exercise isn't really in my vocabulary, but when I moved here I learned to appreciate the parks they situated within neighborhoods. We used to walk from Harbourfront to the beach in Sentosa. The West Coast Park became part of my breathing exercise regimen. I'll probably do more walking when I eventually go home. 

8. Efficiency - one of the best things you can experience in Singapore is the efficiency of systems. If the train breaks down, there's a back-up bus that's ready to be used. Renewing your pass is done through an appointment system. When you go to the center it takes just ten minutes and you leave with a new pass. When you go to your doctor's appointment you'll usually see him within 15 minutes of your appointed time.  (Even the Philippine Embassy is efficient with time here!). 

9. The Zoo - my favorite zoo here is the Jurong Bird Park. I'm really grateful they have super well-maintained zoos here. It's on my bucket list to visit the bird park one more time before we go home.

10. Celebrations - one thing I learned more about here are the different holidays other religions/cultures celebrate. I now have better appreciation of CNY, Eid al-Fitr, Edi al-Adha, and Diwali. We'll now celebrate that too when we go home. 

And before I forget, I developed my love for milk tea because of Singapore! I will definitely miss Toast Box, Fun Toast, Killiney, Ya Kun Kaya Toast and Wang Cafe. Sigh.

Thank you Singapore! You will be forever in my heart <3

Day 10 Minimalism Challenge, Ditch the makeup for one day. Hahaha, I rarely wear makeup! I wore lipstick two weeks ago and promptly had an allergy. LOL. I guess for this challenge I'll look through whatever makeup I have and throw the ones that smell like a grandma already. I recently checked my mascara stash and they were all dried up already. Gosh, that's how long we've been just home! Aside from following this minimalism challenge, I've been clearing out "tiny bubbles" in my home and getting rid of stuff I don't use anymore. 

CB///*Yr2/121 #StuckAtHomeDay/Yr2/144 #NewG325 #Home83 #StayHome #BeKind 

How Filipinos Shine Abroad

Yesterday I was telling my doctor how my usual day goes working from home. He was surprised how much I do in a day and asked several times how I cope. I told him we've been so busy this year and we all just had to cope. And then he asked me again how I cope and told me too bad I have a very hard job. We laughed and then he told me what he has experienced working with Filipino medical workers. 

#OFW 

He said it's been a joy to work with Filipinos. "All of them just do what is needed with a smile." He then asked whether this ability to cope is something that is taught to us in school. Or is it because of the water (of course he was kidding). I had a similar conversation with my manager last year. He noticed that when we promise to deliver something we always do. We are also always on time for deadlines. 

I didn't really know how to answer because I noticed it's just in-born in us. We just do what we have to do and make the extra effort when needed. I said that it's probably all of us experience disasters growing up. Typhoons, flooding, earthquakes don't choose who to strike. I remember when I was in school we were all stranded in school because of flooding. We coped by all moving to classrooms in the upper level, rearranged the desks, ate whatever the nuns gave us and slept on the floor until we could go home. 

It may also be the stringent training provided in school. We were taught to do well and work hard. We do that for our family. If there's one thing we always worry about it's being able to provide well for our families. So when we end up working abroad we give all our effort to do well. And for the medical workers here in Singapore, the Filipinos are really the best. The nurses who took care of me after heart surgery were Filipinos, the medtech who's been taking my 2D echograms is Filipino, CT scan? Xray? Blood tests? All Filipino. 

My doctor said it several times how amazed he is that Filipinos always do well and cope very well especially in stressful situations. He even compared it to his country and said it's definitely different how we cope. I concluded by saying that's the Filipino resilience and spirit. We're just naturally that way because of the conditions we live in. 

I know the term "Filipino resilience" is something we're starting to hate, but I think it's something we should hold on to. It is a special trait we have that shines abroad. The Filipino spirit just keeps powering on. 

#CB//237 #StuckAtHomeDay/267 #WFH157 #StayHome #BeKind  

How I Cope with Homesickness

I miss those days I could just hop on a plane and be home for the weekend. I used to do that a lot when Sweetie and Miggy still lived in Manila. We had a brief respite when all of us were in Singapore while Miggy was studying. Miggy's finished school and has been in Manila for a year now. I was able to see him monthly since he went home since we'd have him over in Singapore quarterly and I went home every so often. I was expecting to do the same this year, but I haven't seen Miggy since February. This is the longest time we've been apart :'(

I pinged my childhood friends this afternoon and told them I'm feeling super homesick. The longest time I've been away from home is 6 months. I was only 4 years old then and we spent 6 months in the US. I turned 5 on the way home from the US. I don't think I felt homesick back then since I had my Mom and Titay to play with everyday. So I pinged my friends this afternoon and told them I was feeling super homesick. They are scheduling an online meetup this Friday (yay!).

This is how I cope with homesickness -

Nag Miggy on Chat - all day, everyday lol.

Order Filipino Food - I can cook, but there are dishes that are best cooked for you. I even put together list of where I get Pinoy food.

Watch Vlogs from Back Home - we watch vlogs from all over the Philippines, I prefer the vloggers with pets though haha. I'm also watching this vlog from a Filipino-Italian based in Australia, his Mom reminds me so much of my Tita Olive.

Ping my Family and Friends - of course, must get tsismis! Errr I mean check on family and friends lol. I especially miss those times I meet up with friends at Commune. Or have weekend get-togethers at Mom's.

Build my Balikbayan Box - probably all Filipinos who work abroad do this. I only finally did this only this year. I didn't need to before because I used to just bring home all my pasalubong. This is the reason why I'm planning for Christmas now.

I'm so grateful to my friends who have been watching out for my family while we're away. <3


CB//155 #StuckAtHomeDay/185 #WFH105  #StayHome #BeKind   

Two Months Since We Moved!

Two months ago we moved to our new apartment. We love this new place because it's allowed us to try new things. The first few weeks were hard since we had to make our home livable and organized. We are so relieved we made the decision to move before our lease ended. Moving helped us cope better with the movement restrictions. Having a balcony makes a huge difference.

The funny thing is we haven't explored our new area. We are sandwiched between two parks! We have a great view of one of the parks. The park has been empty, but we've been seeing more people jogging the past week. I'm content just to see the park and the birds flying around for now. Someday we'll get the chance to walk through the park.

My lunchmates recommended this area. They are in the building beside us, but we haven't seen them in person since we moved! They've been able to go to the grocery together (social distancing of course!), but because of my medical conditions it's safer for me to just stay home. Someday we'll get to visit the nearby shops and get to know the stores where we've been ordering food.

I think aside from learning to bake bread what makes me happy just being home is learning how to garden! I've been hovering over my plants like a true blue plant parent haha. Head over to my gardening blog to check out my plantdemic adventures!


#CB/64 #WFH49 #StuckAtHomeDay94 #StayHome #BeKind