Permanent Na Ako

Last Monday, October 23, maliban sa 51st wedding anniversary ng magulang ko ay labor day dito sa NZ. Walang pasok pero nag overtime ako kasi ay time and a half ang pay plus lieu day, which I will avail of on November 3 in remembrance of my Mom's 73rd birthday.

Anyway, our team leader passed around a holiday paper asking when we are available to work during the holidays, December 23 - January 7. I was hesistant to fill it up since my contract was to expire November 22. I told my TL my predicament. He answered don't worry about it, I'll email HR. Then, he asked further, is a permanent position ok with you? Yes, I answered back.

When I got to work Tuesday, the department manager handed me a letter from HR informing me that I am being offered a permanent position. Wala akong masabi ang bilis ng response nila sa email ng TL ko the night before.

NZ has been good to us and we are very thankful.

First Long Weekend

Tomorrow is the start of our first long weekend here in Auckland. We are going on a road trip with friends to Bay of Islands. It's about 3.5 - 4 hours drive daw kasama ang stopover. Sunod lang kami sa mga nagplano ng trip na ito. Balikan lang but the fact that this will be our first ever outing dito excites me.

Sunday we plan to go to the city, continuation ng Bay of Isaland trip with the same group, eating naman daw sa Chinese restaurant, sarap. After nun, my men and I plan to go around and explore the city kasi wala naman pasok ng Monday.

But I am working on Monday because it pays time and a half and I get a lieu day. I am getting my lieu day on November 3 birthday ng inang ko. Isisimba ko, maski wala na siya gusto ko celebrate pa rin.

By the way, Mommy and Daddy would have celebrated their 51st wedding anniversary on October 23. Sayang.

Connected Na Sa Pilipinas

Nagpromo ang PLDT sa Malolos, yung mga walang DSL, nag offer sila ng phone line at DSL for only 800 a month. Ang ganda ng offer parang telepono na lang ang babayaran. Yung mga kapatid ko nagpalagay, hindi na sila dial up.

Very advantageous ang naging set-up. Ngayon diretso na usapan namin, mas madalas na may video pa. Parang ang lapit na lang nila.

The feeling of missing them has lessened.

Missing my Men

I am now on my third week at work. I am on the afternoon shift, 330 pm to 12 mn. I have to make adjustments with my sleeping schedule since I am used to hitting the sack at 9, ever since we got here. But it's ok.

The hardest part of this schedule is missing the three men in my life. When I leave for work, my two sons are just about to arrive from school. Romy comes in around 520 or so. I leave them notes on the fridge and instructions on what needs to be done. They eat dinner by themselves now and say the table is more quiet than when I am with them. No more loudmouth for them. I am sure this is their way of saying they miss mommy. The good part of this is they get to bond more. My sons have always been close to me, now they get to be closer to their dada.

When I get home, I go to their rooms and give them a big kiss and a hug. Much as I would like to just slide in bed beside Romy when I get home, he still wakes up to ask me how my day went. I know it is much to taxing for him to do this but he does and I love him vey much for it.

Soon we will all get used to this.

Giving Thanks

Today I finally joined the New Zealand working class. I am very thankful to a good man who made the effort of picking me up at home and driving me to where I am now working to apply. Much as I would like to shout out his name, I am sure that he wants to remain anonymous to any who will read this. He and his gracious wife have been very supportive to our family since we got here, more specially so when Romy was still by his lonesome here.

If ever you get to read this, you know who you are. Really thanks from the bottom of my heart.

My Siblings

I got an email from my sister. Usual hi and hello and keeping me update on what's happening in the homefront. Syempre na miss ko na naman ang aking bansang minamahal at ang mga naiwan.She related some issues that have arisen, and being nostalgic and all I said I was the one who was in the forefront of all before I left. Ngayon sila na.

As I would jokingly tell my siblings that I am the only one who puts this family together, the truth of the matter is kaming lahat. We all contribute something to make us all stick together maski magkakalayo na kami. Never was a time na nagkagalit kami. Sure there were petty quarrels when we were younger, but as time went on, lahat kami nag-mellow and decided that we only have each other.

Maraming nagsasabi nakakainggit samahan namin magkakapatid. Truth of the matter, we did not grow up together. But It did not hinder us from being close to one another. Mas mainam pa nga yata iyon kasi, we try to sense each other out that we become sensitive to what the other needs. Ang saya namin pag magkakasama. Palaging joke time.

Matagal man o sandali lang nagkita parang walang naging space between that. Mahal namin ang isa't isa and nothing will change that. We will stick together like birds of a feather.

Mistaken Nationality, Part 2

Yesterday I went to North Shore for a job interview. As I rode a bus to the city, two Asian looking men sat beside me. When I alit from the bus, one of the them went to me and spoke in a language I did not understand. He asked later if I was Thai, said no.

Then, while I was waiting for my bus to come in at Britomart, a couple passed by me with a smile, I smiled back to return the favor. They sat beside the bench I was on and started talking in Tagalog. Natuwa naman ako nakakita ako ng kababayan. Told them Pilipino ako, nagulat sila sabi nila akala namin Chinese ka.

I am keeping track of the number of times I am mistaken for another national, that makes a total of three from my last post. I will keep counting.