Kapag ganito ang view ko sa window, siguro hindi na ako lalabas....

Marina Bay Sands, Singapore

I wonder how I would be if I had opted to accept the job offer here instead?!?

I guess I could say that I am very lucky to have the kind of family I have. No, I take that back, I am indeed lucky to have the kind of family I have. I am a living testament that your own family are the only people who will love you for who you are and for who you are not!

My parents were wise enough to teach us the importance of respect early on. As I made my first outside the house on my way to the first of day of school in nursery, I was told to have and show respect for people, whether it be a schoolmate, a peer, a teacher or a school staff, it is very important to have and show them respect. Of course it didn't make any sense back then, or at least I didn't know what exactly they mean, but nevertheless I am sure I was told to do so by my parents.

Growing up, my parents made us realize the difference between fear and respect. That it is better to have the latter than the former. That it's not a sin to reason back if you know you are right provided you do so in a respectful manner. My parents were kind enough to hear our thoughts and encourages us to voice them out. You'd be amaze to hear us 5 talk. Behind the casual banters and tirades, every word has an underlying respect for each other's opinions and thoughts.

Reporting to different supervisors and managers in my six years of working in a corporate world, I have come to exercise the practice that I have been told ever since. I may have opposing opinions with my direct supervisors, I may not agree with everything they have to say, but it is always important to have and show respect for them. If not for their position at least respect as a person.

Now, that I am overseas, I am grateful more than ever for having been told to have and show respect to everyone. Meeting other people and knowing different cultures makes me think that I was indeed very lucky to have been raised the way that I have been.

I miss my parents and how I dread going home to Nueva Ecija because of the travel time. I miss how my Mommy would tell me to always take care and tell me lotsa stuff and eventually would ask money from me. I miss telling her at times that I don't have enough. I miss how my mom would ask me/us on what food we like to eat. I miss how I managed to hear a mass my my parents whenever I'm in Nueva Ecija. I miss seeing my aunts and my uncles and my cousins and how we plan drinking sessions at times.

I miss sleeping in the matress in our living room. I miss my sisters and how we make fun of each other. I miss opening the our refrigerator and seeing that there are more Coke Lite inside than real food. I miss my sister's cooking. I miss walking to the next street late night because I can't sleep and because I'm really hungry. I miss smoking with my sisters and how I always ask for yosi from Ate Ayen. I miss sleeping with Ate Griz when she's off. I miss pestering her when she's awake. I miss watching DVDs with them. I miss going to the mall with them.

I miss reading tons of email in the morning at work. I miss how I sometimes get pissed whenever I read some unreasonable emails. I miss answering emails and sometimes not answering them. I miss how I make make my officemates laugh and I miss how they make me laugh. I miss Emily. I miss drinking coffee with Ana in Starbucks PacStar. I miss the "team meeting" in Starbucks PacStar. I miss the 5th Floor and how it can make you smell like food even for just staying there for a couple of minutes. I miss the sour cream flavored french fries. I miss GF. I miss wearing long sleeves to work. I miss wearing short sleeves to work. I miss dressing up for work. I miss looking at Rizza's catalogues for more clothes to work. I miss my Dream Team. I miss Anj. I miss Rizza. I miss Carla. I miss Grace. I miss how them calling me "Wi". I miss everyone calling me "Wi".

I miss the GOAL Officers. I miss Kat and I miss playing with her because she's so gullible. I miss Mommy Lee and how we exchange new songs and videos. I miss singing with her or her singing with me. I miss Twisha and I miss looking at her facial expressions because her desk is in front of mine. I miss secretly keeping her phone or wallet so that she'll think she lost it. I miss how we used to talk about a lot of stuff and how I persuaded her to watch "Stardust". I miss my uber small table at the corner near the aircon switch. I miss going to HR's Office when I don't have things to do. I miss going to 2nd Floor to bug the RAs. I miss Emily. I miss JD and how I always make fun of him. I miss how he tries to save him some dignity, wherein he almost always fails. I miss bugging Ems to go somewhere even if she has lotsa things to do. I miss talking to her about basically everything. I miss being open to her about everything. I miss her kagagahan and I miss my kagaguhan with her. I miss being serious with her.

I miss going out on a Saturday night. I miss seeing my friends get drunk. I miss getting drunk with them. I miss going to Big Fish events with them. I miss having a great time with them and how we always can laugh about things. I miss Basol. I miss Mark. I miss Dadi. I miss Momi. I miss always seeing familiar faces every weekend in clubs. I miss Klein! I miss hating how hot it is in Bed especially if it gets too crowded. I miss how I complain about their air conditioning and yet I always go there on weekends. I miss seeing JP dance on the platform and how he will pull me up there and so is Basol. I miss he three of us dancing and how we would sing along to the music being played.

I miss going to GB3 and watch a movie alone. I miss eating out alone. I miss having my alone time and just walking the streets of makati alone. I miss going to Glorietta and complain about the number of people there and how it used to be quiet 5 or 6 years back. I miss the Timezone in Glorietta 4. I miss people watching in CBTL in GB3. I miss Cyma. I miss writing blogs. I miss reading books and how I sometimes would skip a night out just to finish a book. I miss getting a massage and how I sometimes get a massage after a stressful day at work. I miss a lot of things and I can go on forever, I guess what I'm just trying to say is that... I miss HOME!