During my vacation last week, I often fetched Shaynna from school. To get there, I have to pass by my highschool “alma mater”. That school sure did change a lot. The single-level classrooms have been replaced with a huge multi-storey, sophisticated building. A waiting area has been added to the simple school gate. But the traffic condition is still the same. I think the number of students has ballooned. But I’ve always loved that green-colored school uniform.

Seeing that school brought me back to my highschool days. I miss my highschool friends. I have never met most of them again when we went to different universities. I tried to look for them in Friendster, Facebook, other social networking sites. But I think not everyone is as addicted to the internet as me. How I wish I could find a good free web directory that has all the information I need to find all of my childhood friends.

I stayed in Iligan City for a week. But I never came across someone from my highschool. Perhaps it is time for me to finally join the annual grand alumni homecoming?

My mother grew up to be very unfortunate that she and her siblings had to be separated and work as household helpers. She was very fortunate that the couple she worked for sent her to college. When she married my father, they had a hard time making ends meet until my father got a good job in Saudi Arabia. From that time until I finished college, we enjoyed a few luxuries, thanks to my father. But things became difficult again when my father had to quit his job abroad. Then I was given the opportunity to work abroad and be able to help my family. When I received the bad news about my previous company’s situation almost five months ago, I relayed it to my family. Worried about getting a good job amid the recession, I longed for comfort from them. Even simple words like “Don’t worry. It’s gonna be OK”, would have helped a lot but all I heard was… “you should have taken up nursing. It would have been easier for you to find a job again”. I admit I was a little bit disappointed but all those difficult times my mother had to face might have given her a huge scar that made her say that.

Thank God I’ve been blessed with a good opportunity here in Singapore. Aside from that, I still enjoy being in IT. From time to time though, I wonder what if I am one of those wholesale liquidators or personal shoppers. I think I would enjoy doing them, too.

Enough of being depressed over the bad news. After thinking things over, I have to admit, I have become too comfortable here in Osaka that I’ve been putting off my plans of getting a more stable job. Well, I guess almost everybody does not want to leave his comfort zone. I did exert half-baked efforts but now is the time to really get serious. I am fast approaching 30 and being the family’s breadwinner, I need to join a company that would help me with social security disability insurance, unemployment insurance, and all kinds of insurances out there.  Above all, it is really great to be part of a company that would really make me feel fulfilled in this career path that I have chosen.  Oopppsss…gotta stop now. I think I’m beginning to sound like I’m in an interview.

There are a lot of good travel deals that you can find in the internet, in the travel brochures, etc. But, it’s very rare to find a cheap one especially in the Christmas season.  During this season, it is usually the regular fare, sometimes it’s more expensive.  What with the rising fuel surcharges, even if an airline claims to give out about 1,500 pesos from Osaka (Kansai International Airport) to Manila, it would still total to more than 30,000 pesos.  So, once again, I’ll be spending this year’s Christmas here in Japan.  It’d be three Christmases away from home.  I’m just glad that it’s a working day here in Japan.  At least I would be occupied, thus avoiding homesickness.  My flatmate will be in the Philippines at that time so, this year’s gonna be gloomier… I hope not.