Craving for Pinoy food in the land of chili sauce...

Last year, whenever I would talk to a friend who's been living abroad for quite some time already, one thing I would always hear them talk about is how much they miss Filipino food.

Adobo. Sinigang. Menudo. Lechong manok. Lechong kawali. And all the other (mostly) greasy, unhealthy, cardiac-arrest-inducing dishes that a true Pinoy loves.

That was last year.

With the recent to move to SG, I now join my roster of friends who crave for Pinoy food every so often.

I miss the food cooked by Tey's Mom, Tita Tess. I miss my Mom's adobo. I miss adobo.

One would think that because SG is just three hours away from Pinas, there'll be an abundance of Pinoy restaurants.

Uhm, so far the ones I know are 7107 in Marina Square and Bonifacio in Chinatown (both of which are a bit pricey). The more affordable ones are Mang Kiko's at Lau Pa Sat and at the Youth Park. Oh, there's also Tapa King in Lau Pa Sat. Of course, the place where one is sure to satisfy his or her craving for Pinoy food is Lucky Plaza. Where else?! Haha!

Though there aren't that many Pinoy restaus, the good news is there are a lot of Pinoys in SG. The even better news is that there are a lot of Pinoys who cook.

I remember the first month at Mr. & Mrs. Bernabe's home. Weekends are always a treat because JoAnn would cook some fantab Pinoy dish. I remember the mom of Richie who did a really wonderful dish when she was here and I was here for vacation ages ago.

Recently, the Pinoys from the department I'm part of had an impromptu potluck lunch at the office. Happiness.

Alexie cooked caldereta. Pau brought steamed rice. CJ and Angela brought Tori Q. Chris and I brought roasted chicken. (It was a cheat though because I just bought from Cold Storage. But our peg is the Rustan's chicken so that should count already. Hehe!)

The star of the meal, without any doubt, is the caldereta. We all had second servings of caldereta and rice (eeeep!)

Now that I finally moved in a place I can call home, I'm getting my fix of Pinoy food almost every day thanks to housemate Cyp who loves to cook. So far, we've had sinigang, tinola and binagoongan. Yum, yum.

I recently cooked breakfast for them during one weekend. Nothing fancy. But what was Pinoy about it was the sinangag. Hehe! I know, I know. It's like saying I won first place in a contest and there are only three contestants. Hehe!

The thing is it's been ages since I last cooked. I'm glad the skill is still there. Maybe as I get well-adjusted to the new home, new life, I'd be able to cook more often.

So the next time there's a really major craving for something Pinoy, I'll just check out what's in the fridge and make something that looks and tastes like a Pinoy dish. After all, us Pinoys are very resourceful and innovative. We always find a way no matter what. Haha!

Happy to support Pink Dot 2011...

On 18 June 2011, Singaporeans will, for the third year running, gather at Hong Lim Park to form a human pink dot in support of the belief that everyone deserves the freedom to love.

Happy to be here to witness the event.

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Pink Dot has an important message to our friends and supporters from around the world. If you're a foreigner planning to attend Pink Dot, please note that only Singapore citizens and Singapore permanent residents are allowed to participate in the formation of Pink Dot.

Pink Dot stresses that this rule is mandated by the authorities governing Hong Lim Park (Speaker's Corner), where the event will be held, and not by the organisers of Pink Dot.

Pink Dot welcomes everybody, regardless whether you are straight or gay. However, Pink Dot also recognises the importance of playing by the rules and seeks the kind cooperation of our non-Singaporean/PR friends and supporters. You are welcome to join in the festivities! During the formation of the dot, a special area will be set aside for non-Singaporeans/PRs to watch and observe. Pink Dot appreciates all the love coming in from around the world - it is something words cannot describe.

Let's all celebrate the spirit of Pink Dot in spreading the message of Supporting the Freedom to Love across the world!
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Mid-point PR rev was good.

Yesterday, I had my mid-point performance review with my team lead and I was pleased to hear that I'm doing as expected.

Simply put, I won't be packing my bags to go to Manila anytime soon. Haha!

Kidding aside, I was really glad when I read my performance review paper. My team lead is really a good, smart and cool TL, I gotta say. She cited a couple of instances which led her to the initial rating that she gave me.

Compared to the Philippines where the usual probation period is six months, here I'm having mine for three months. I don't know if it's the usual case here or if it's just with my workplace.

Uhm, what is it exactly that I do? I'm now in the publishing industry and I do production work for four medical journals. Three are related to Dentistry and one is Dermatology. Health professionals from different parts of the world submit papers about studies/researches they've done to the dentistry/dermatology society. The society sends all the papers to me so that I can publish them online and in print.

It seems like a simple job, but I'm telling you it's not. It involves a lot of processes and procedures. Add to that the fact that the authors, editors, printers, typesetters I work with are located in different parts of the world.

The first few weeks at work were a whirlwind of events. I would dream about my work. When I wake up in the morning, I would be thinking about what article-related issues I have to work on. On Sunday nights, I would start getting butterflies in my stomach. Haha! That's how stressed I was.

But thanks to helpful work colleagues, I'm slowly starting to get the hang of things. Early last week, I closed my first issue ever for one of my dentistry journals and another one for my dermatology journal. I was so proud. Haha!

There is a feeling of fulfillment after getting a paper online and an issue published, because I feel like I'm doing my part to ensure that the work of these health professionals are put out there. Ultimately, I'm hoping that these studies would help lead to some kind of medical advancement in dentistry and in dermatology. Hehe!

Come the first week of July, I will have another performance review and that's when I will get my confirmation appointment.

Yeah, that's how optimistic and confident I am. Haha! I have to be!

Back to regular programming...

It's been officially two months since I packed my bags, bid my family and friends farewell, and boarded an AirPhil flight to Singapore.

Two months.

It seems like such a short time. But within that brief period, so much has happened in this foreign land I am now trying to make my new home.

I'd like to write about so many things, but I don't even know where to begin. The last blog entry was about how I got here, how the Singapore dream turned into a reality.

And now, I'm here.

I really am here.

Each day, I wake up thanking Lordy for this huge blessing. To be honest, I never thought I would be working in foreign land someday. Seriously. I was blessed with a good career in the Philippines. I had a good set of friends. My family was there.

But I was dreaming of Singapore ever since I set foot in this country three years ago.

I had no idea how to make the dream a reality, but seeing friends who have made it here served as an inspiration for me to take (almost) every measure to get here.

Since that fateful day I landed here, I've been wanting to write about how things are going. I've been wanting to chronicle everything and make sure it is kept somewhere so that one day, I can read it again and remember how I started here in Singapura.

But things just got a bit too crazy. Adjusting to the new work environment. Trying to fit in a multi-cultural work group. Finding my way around the city. Searching for a place to call home. Reminding myself to look the other way when I cross the street so as not to get hit by the approaching car, or if I'm really lucky, a double deck bus. Haha!

These, and several other things, are the reason why I have been away from blogging. But as I've said, things around here are starting to see some semblance of order. Haha! Baby steps, baby steps.

I guess that's what I'll do with blogging as well. Little by little, I'll write about my day-to-day adventure here in this fine city.

So far, things have been really good. There are some challenges, but nothing too big to make me want to pack my bags and go back to the Philippines. Haha!

It's going to be good.

I'm back...

Now that things are starting to get some order since the move here to SG two months ago, I think I will be able to blog again.

So much has been happening, and so many things to write about. That's for sure.

UP Boy becomes Wiley SG Boy... :)

The road to Wiley begins...





Flying to seal the deal...





Paalam, Manila...





My love affair with Singapore started in the latter part of 2008.

CebuPac had one of its major seat sales. When I saw that Singapore was one of the destinations included in the sale, I immediately booked a flight. I had reason to go. I could stay with good friend Richie at his place in Serangoon back then. Friends from work Jean, Joi and Lloyd were in Singapore. I even got to squeeze in an overnight side trip to Kuala Lumpur to meet up with local couchsurfers.

Having heard good things about Singapore, I was very much excited to go. A few days at the island-city state was all it took for me to start dreaming of moving. Five days in the city of fines was more than enough for me to begin wanting to move to this fine city.

It took a little over two years for that dream to finally become a reality.

Last December, I came here to do the half-marathon of the Standard Chartered Run. By the time I flew back to Manila, I have already decided in my head that I will embark on the journey to get to Singapore this year. There were a couple of reasons that helped me finalize my decision to consider a career, a new life in this small city.

First and the most obvious, I love how (almost) everything seems to be working in order and discipline. Second, since Singapore is small, I felt I wouldn't have a hard time getting to know the city. Third, for someone who doesn't want to be too far away, Singapore seems to be the best option to begin a career outside of the Philippines.

Fourth and probably the one that really helped me decide, almost all of my friends who have gone to Singapore have nothing but success stories. Richie has been here for a couple of years now. Jean is now on her third year of living here. JoAnn took the leap after leaving Smart, and what she was able to accomplish here was just inspiring. THe same goes for Rej who decided to move a little closer to home after working for a year in the US. Then last year, Jon and Cyprus made the move and I have heard how good things were. Twitter buddies Sarge and Ian have established a career here. Twitter buddy Chris just moved and from what he wrote in his blog, it was worth it.

When I got back to the Philippines, I was already set on making 2011 the year I would move to Singapore.

I drafted a game plan beginning with talking to my manager before the year ended to mention about my career plans. Thankfully, she has always been very understanding and supportive of me. I am forever grateful to be under her guidance and mentorship.

Come January, I updated my online resume and began sending our applications via the online job sites. I also got a list of PR firms/ad agencies in Singapore and I emailed my application letter and resume to them. I would often get regret letters but that didn't stop me from continuing to apply.

I booked a flight for March when CebuPac had its seat sale. The plan was to stay in Singapore for almost three weeks in March to look for a job, and hopefully make the move by April.

In a way, that was what happened.

While looking for companies to apply to, I decided to check out Wiley, the company where Chris and another friend Miguel worked for. The two guys spoke well of the company. When I visited the Career section of the company website, that was when I saw the job posting for Produciton Editor. I read the job description, and feeling confident about the task I decided to compose my cover letter and send my resume.

On top of applying online, I also told Chris about it and I gave him my resume as well so that he can send it to HR.

A couple of days after I turned in my resume, I got a reply from the headhunter of the company. That one email led to a series of email exchanges. It was my preliminary interview. By the end of January, I got the call from the headhunter and the next thing I know, I was on a flight to Singapore to have the panel interview and the exam.

I had the interview and the exam on the Monday. When I flew back to Manila, I kept on checking my email to see if there was any good news. I was supposed to hear the results by Wednesday of that week. Worrywart that I am, I began to feel anxious when I didn't see anything in my Inbox from the headhunter. Chris told me to send them an email, and that's what I did. That was the start of the delivery of good news.

February 11 was the ay I received the email informing me that Wiley was keen to consider me for the position. By Monday, February 14, I was preparing my documents to be sent to Wiley for the processing of my employment pass. It was happening. I got the job!

I had to fly back to Singapore on the first week of March to sign papers, undergo a medical exam and bring my application for an employment pass to the Ministry of Manpower. I flew back to Manila on March 12 with a huge smile on my face.

The last few weeks of March was a whirlwind of events. I gave my resignation letter to my manager on March 1. But I still had much work to do, including the Smart Internet for All exhibit, a major advocacy project which began last year. The exhibit turned out to be a success, and I was really happy that it did because I was leaving Smart with a bang.

Aside from this, I had to start telling friends about the move. I don't know why I was being shush about it. It turned out to be a mistake because it cost me a friendship with one good friend. The last three weeks were spent meeting up with good friends, having quality time with people I love, treating my family to a good dinner, and packing things.

On the afternoon of April 2, I was at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3. I had with me my luggage (17 kilos excess baggage!!!), my passport, my claim pass for my EP, and a boarding pass for Flight 2P800 of AirPhilippines bound for Singapore.

It was a little emotional day. I was on the verge of tears while waiting for Tey to pick me up from my house. I kept telling myself that I had to be strong for my family. I didn't want my Mom to see me crying because she might start crying. But as soon as I got in Tey's car and she started to drive away, that was when I allowed the tears to fall. After crying for a couple of minutes, I pulled myself together.

I thanked Tey for bringing me to the airport. By 4:40, I was boarding the Airbus320. I texted friends one last time, and I was happy with the well-wishes. I arrived in Singapore at 8:10PM. Jean was at the airport to fetch me.

It's been five days since I got here, three days since I began work at Wiley, and so far everything is going well. There are a lot of things to learn with work, the local environment, but I'm more than excited.

I am forever grateful to the many, many friends who have helped me get to SG. You know who you are I cannot thank you enough. Of course, I am also very thankful to Lordy for this huge, huge blessing. Prayers from friends and loved ones really helped. I believe in that. (Pati na din The Secret. I believe that telling the universe out loud what you want helps you get that thing.)

This is quite a long post, but that's how usually journeys are, right? And this is one journey I'm more than happy to be in and one journey I hope to be (and I know will be) a really, really good one.

From Smart Tower to Parkview Square...

In Pinas, the Smart Tower in Makati was my second home for almost four years.

Here's my new "home." Parkview Square in Bugis. Fantab location. Fantab area.

The office occupies three floors.

Looks like Batman's building, huh?! Hehe!

But we're moving to a new office this June. I dunno how far away it is, but when I looked at the MRT map and based on Twitter buddy-turned-work colleague Chris, it IS far!

Excited to see the new building though. It's designed to be a "green" building, so that's interesting.

Buhbye Manila, Hello Singapura...

Boarded Air Philippines flight 2P800 last Saturday. Bound for Singapura.

Today officially marks the start of a new life in a new country as I start a new job.

(Almost) everything's new. Exciting. :)

Please visit our photo exhibit next week...

Hi, everyone. Hope you can drop by our photo exhibit next week.

Photos by Apple Tapan, Jake Verzosa and Jo Ann Bitagcol will be on display.

Smart Internet for All - A Different Kind of Exhibit
March 24 - 27, 2011
Shangri-la Plaza Mall Atrium Area

Leave a comment on the event Facebook page at the exhibit area, and you get a chance to bring home a premium item.

Thanks.

Please spread the word.

Change is coming...

It's March.

Summer's almost here.

Change is coming.

Excited. Nervous. Happy. Anxious. Thankful.