Pain and catharsis

After more than two years of being a Contractual Employee and struggling with the traffic, noise, pollution, and strangers, I am now going back to Bicol as a regular government employee. The informal notice came just yesterday. Sad to say, I have to leave the Head Office before the month ends.

Upon learning my application status, I felt mixed emotions, until now. I feel sad that I have to leave so soon to give way for a better employment status in the province, which gave me a catharsis.

I will miss every thing I had here in Manila -- officemates, housemates, food, liberty, spots, noise, and speedy transactions. I even told my Bosses this is both a sad and happy event: sad because I will have to leave my long-time workplace and the bonding among us in the office; and happy in such a way that I have at last got a permanent position in the government and I would again be living with my family. But they told me, this is how life really goes -- every thing must grow.

I know things and events in the province are not anymore new to me since I was born and raised there. But because I am already used to the situation here in the Metropolis, I will again have to get used to what the provincial life has to offer, after all, this is for my growth.

Really, since yesterday, I cannot understand what my tummy wants. I still eat (a lot, haha), but I just excrete my intakes afterwards; and my whole body is aching. I understand this is the effect of mixed emotions that I have been feeling since yesterday -- sadness and excitement.

I am doing my best not to cry, but I guess my tears will just inevitably fall from my eyes on my last day in the office.

I will really miss every thing here in the Metropolis. But the career that is waiting for me in the province is what I have been waiting for and I know I will be happy with my family and working with my fellow Bicolanos.

This swallowing is bitter as leaving is really a hard thing to do. But I know the fruits I will be harvesting would be sweeter.

Thank you so much, my Department of Trade and Industry-Communications and Media Office (DTI-CMO) family. Hello, my DTI-Region 5 family.

Uh! Hhhot!

The country is now experiencing climate change. As early as February this year, atmospheric temperature is already high, as if we are experiencing early summer.

I for one, am experiencing it before and after office hours. Imagine, at night, our room utilizes 4 electric fans - a stand fan, desk fan, ceiling fan, and wall fan - all at the same time at its supposed to be coolest temperature. Pero parang wa epek pa rin sa ssssooobbrrraaaang init! My lipsticks are also already destroyed by the extreme heat, so I have to buy replacements for those. Also, I need to buy indoor clothes, which are so nipis for me to survive the heat. Tsk, magastos pala ang climate change?

I am lucky I have an office-based work, wherein naka-aircon nang bongga for eight hours. I pity those into Sales who still need to transfer from one place to another just to sell their items. Hay... On this, all I can say is that mahirap kumita ng pera and the labor market is another topic, which my boyfriend wanted me to write about (but I really can't unless contest ito. hehe).

People, if climate changes, we can do more by starting it less.

On 27 March 2010, let us all participate in the Earth Hour at 8:30-9:30PM - an hour of lights-off against climate change.

Make a change, Juan! Make it happen!