Singapore Lah!

Last June 16, my friends Blanca, Tiny, together with Tiny's friend Liza, and I boarded AirPhil Express' 3:20PM flight to Singapore from Cebu. We were to spend 6 days in Singapore for a holiday.

I must say, the immigration officers at the Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA) are tough! They asked for a lot of documents from my friends (aside from the usual company ID that we know will be checked). After a few minutes of delay at the immigration counter, we breezed through the last security check before we settled in the waiting lounge.

When we got to Singapore's immigration counter, the only thing the immigration officer said to me was 'Good evening,' as a reply to my greeting. He did not even ask a single question!

Another college friend, Kirk, and his brother Don met us at the airport. Despite their suggestion, we chose to take the MRT instead of a taxi (or two taxis). Ha! We lugged our suitcases around as we moved from one train to the next, one station to the other.

We have already anticipated that we will be walking a lot around Singapore. In fact, I brought along some sneakers and flip flops just so I can go around Singapore comfortably.

For a Filipino earning in the Philippines, Singapore is just so expensive. But I had a lot of fun going around the different sights and attractions, meeting friends who have already called Singapore home, and just exploring a completely new place and culture with close friends.

We will definitely go back to Singapore. By then there will definitely be another new attraction to check out (Singapore Zoo's River Cruise, for one).

I'm sharing some pictures from our trip. Enjoy!

A Pushover

There has been some unneeded drama in my life recently. The highs of my recent Singapore trip were replaced by a lot of heartache and tears.

My closest of friends know the reason for the negativity in my life these days. In fact, I have always felt so helpless and trapped. I cannot even share these with the people we assume will always be there to support us for the reason that they are the cause.

I have cried buckets before and thought I have run out of tears. Boy was I wrong!

I was in the middle of my cry-a-thon when one of my good friends sent me a message on Facebook about a comment on one of our photos from our Singapore trip. She made me laugh. And for a while, I forgot about how down I was feeling. Even if I didn't want to unload my problems on her, she insisted that she can be a friend who'll listen. So I spilled my guts to her. At first, she didn't say much except to urge me along with my story. However, after I have told her everything, she told me that she'll be brutally honest and let me know that I have always been a martyr and pushover when it comes to my family. She apologized for being blunt, probably fearing I might get offended. I assured her that she shouldn't apologize because she just voiced what I had been feeling all along. And she was right, 101%.

Yes, I admit that I always accommodate the wishes and decisions of my family for me. Not anymore. From then on, I said to myself that I will have to stand up for myself. That day, my friend was just the person I needed. I didn't need another lecture on how I should think of my family, or that maybe they just care so much about me. Nor did I need a friend with the usual 'okay ra na' (it will be okay). I needed that wake-up call.

Getting My Barangay Clearance

I have been super, and I really mean super, busy for the past week. I had job interviews, meetings, appointments, and 60 essays to grade. Whew! Add to that, I had to secure some requirements for my agent's license. Yes, I've decided to take on a new career.

One of the requirements was to get either an NBI clearance or a barangay clearance. I already have my NBI clearance, which I already submitted to that one company I was supposed to start working for in July. I could get another, but that would mean another P115 for something I already have. So, I decided to get a barangay clearance. Easy enough, right?

The only obstacle I had though was finding the barangay hall of Barangay Calamba, where we belong. That is another story.

I called ahead to make sure there were still open since it was almost 10:30AM. I know offices close for lunch, but lunch can mean as early as 11AM for government offices. The lady I spoke with assured me that they will be open till noon. Good.

Requirements:
Nothing. Nothing except for the P20 for the clearance. The barangay secretary handed me a pen and a piece of paper and asked me to write down my name, address, and the purpose for the barangay clearance. I just wrote Employment as my purpose.

Total amount I spent? Twenty Pesos. Although, I must warn you that I am writing specifically only for my barangay, Barangay Calamba, Cebu City. Requirements and fees may differ from one barangay to another. I know this because I looked up some of the requirements online before I went to my barangay. It's better you call your own barangay hall ahead and inquire about requirements and fees before going there.