A Whole Year of Updates (5/5)

It started last year, almost a year ago. I felt my career was getting stagnant. I sent emails to companies I wished to work for and fortunately received positive responses from a few. In October, I moved to Siemens. Totally different. I easily adapted to the quirkyness and love for pancit of my colleagues.

Siemens had been my home. I drowned myself with work. Before, if I felt going home then I did. But here, I would come in between 7 or 8 in the morning and leave 12 hours after. Less Facebook and Twitter.

February of this year, the boyfriend and I moved to a new apartment with Alex, a friend. Our Saturdays were spent on the rooftop over beer and kwentuhan. On Sundays, we'd go to Binondo to eat at Wai Ying's or drive to Tagaytay for their famous bulalo at the meat market.

To sum, I have a really good job, new house and my tummy is well fed. BUT, I feel empty. I want to be satisfied but I do not know what for. Perhaps pressure is getting on me. Friends are getting married and having babies. Some are enjoying the greener pastures. Some are just a year less from graduating in law school. Thing is I do not want to get married yet, all the more I do not want to carry the bump. My ambition to go to London has been forgotten but my fancy over anything English will never be over.

On Getting Married. I love weddings. I daydream of my own wedding - the beach, chucks, football field for the AVP, 90s OPM, matching tattoos, doing my own make-up, the entourage, name it. I envy a lot of my friends who are getting hitched. They seem so happy, all prepared and excited to finally become one. The boyfriend and I talk about it too. We have the same ideas and of course, excited. BUT, financially we are not yet ready. AND perhaps, emotionally too on my part. I want to achieve A LOT first. I want to go back to school, travel and build my own library. To add, the boyfriend just moved to a new company and is still establishing his own career. I keep on telling him to concentrate on his performance at work and that I will understand if he has less time for me. Both our families are excited for us to start our own family. It's just that marriage has taken a backseat in our minds.

On Building a Career. Working in Siemens is a whole lot of fun. The girls are awesome; I learned to put on make-up and wear colorful skirt in the office. We've travelled out of town twice - Cebu and Bohol, both times were so much fun. The boys are funny and bastos-friendly. Hahahah! I love my boss, how he keeps his cool when the tough gets going. He throws very corny jokes and always gets us motivated - especially through food and movies. We just launched our book club after everyone got hooked on Christian Grey. Lunch and merienda are so funny even if it's just pancit canton on the table. There is nothing I can complain about.

Going Both Crazy and Happy. I have a lot of goals this year: travel around the country each month, get inked, enroll in the Open University, read more books, get engaged, shave my hair, buy an iPhone, drink with random people, party like there's no tomorrow and fall in love all over again. Next definitely to tick is to put on a real tattoo - "Saudade" the longing for something not existing.

Saudade