TIMELESS

20 YEARS AGO Ateneo de Davao University , Library Lights camera Action : I just heard the university bell at 6:00 pm. I suddenly woke up from my deep slumber... My evening class starts fifteen minutes from now! I, in my usual green Tachini T shirt and levis jeans, have to pack my books and notes in my bag quickly. Gosh, they are soo heavy! I don’t know why I am carrying my whole house. I am using this favourite cubicle which is actually for grad and law students but then I really like the atmosphere and the fifol here are so cool. I can really concentrate on my studies. For the next four years, I will be this cubicle's usual resident. Being a university scholar of Ateneo de Davao University, I’ve got to maintain an average grade of 93% and above in all my subjects. I am also aiming for a full scholarship in the next semester. My agenda is crystal clear – to be at the top of my class, no matter what. Not easy but not impossible either. I guess I am living a life of a nerd. I have no close friends except Elvi, a philosophy professor of Ateneo, with whom I am sharing a flat together with his cousin who is also taking a biology course. They are a bunch of nerds too, but nice ones. I did not like the Cocofed dormitory. Anyway, I need to excel in all my subjects and at the same time get one extra curricular activity that I like. I am hoping I would pass my Atenews entrance test. And then the interview. Babeth, the editor seems to be very keen on getting me, maybe because of my previous editorship in my highschool paper. She liked my article on the Lumads of Davao. Hmmm, I am so excited already!!! I am a bit hungry ! The banana and camote bbq which I had awhile ago, just was not enough! My stomach though which is very flat is gurgling like a volcano. I am looking after my meager budget so I can go watch a movie this Friday night, my only indulgement – was it the The Mission ? or something ? I cannot remember. Anyway, I am not really eating properly, I guess with my very thin waiflike look, a bit girly sometimes, very fragile and intense – people always took me for a gay princess. But then, I am not a screaming faggot like the others. I am actually the reserved type. I am not out like them. I am determined to prove something and I need to survive. Ohh, Gosh, I just saw my crush! He’s really so cute …. This building is really full of … hunks... Well, I think all the books that I am reading really opened up a lot of things in my mind. I am obsessing with Atlas Shrugged now. Who is John Galt? But deep in my heart…I am still the proverbial poor barrio lass who got enough of the bananas and decided to went to town! 15 YEARS AGO

Mindanao Region Whewwww that was a touch landing…. This airport is really amazing. Not as big as Davao but Cagayan de Oro’s airport being on top of a huge mountain is a sight. I’ve gotta get out of this plane soon. Pity, this cute male flight attendant keeps on flirting with me even in this early morning flight.

In my two years being a junior auditor of Joaquin Cunanan Pricewaterhouse, I’ve been travelling like crazy the whole of Mindanao Region whether by your usual plane, boat, bus and even private helicopter or plane. We also have trainings in Manila twice a year. I love travelling. August is in a lean season but this special engagement to audit Manila Mining Corporation is really interesting. We’ve just finished our substantive with San Miguel – Coffee division, and that was really exhaustive.

As usual, we will be treated like royalty. A company driver will be waiting for us in the airport for sure and will bring us to the company accommodation or hotel. I just love this extra attention that we are getting especially when I am with Nonie, our branch manager. He is a total prima donna, a certified tantrum queen and an obsessive whinger. No wonder he is promoted in two years to his position, and no wonder everyone hates him – male bitch! Well, I learned a lot from him. Ohhh well …. I am so looking forward to the physical count! Would I be counting gold bars?

10 YEARS AGO Riyadh, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

I am looking over the wide expanse of the city of Riyadh. It is really amazing - - totally different from the Philippines. Very dry and arid land but the never-ending sky is so clear and cobalt blue. Honestly, you could not really get homesick here. It is always sunny. Working on the top floor of the tallest building in Olaya Road in Riyadh, as a Senior Financial Analyst of Al Faisaliah Group of Companies, I thought I almost reached the pinnacle of my career. Well, I never dreamed of becoming a Financial Controller or becoming a CEO. That’s too big for me. I thought I am just contented doing the number crunching without being totally crunched, and still have enough time to socialize and continue my adventures in this foreign land. Four years ago, I was with a different company – Arabic Computer Systems as an internal auditor. And then I moved on to another company Al Hejailan Group as a Group financial analyst. Before I left the Philippines, I worked with DTI and BIR after leaving the auditing firm, JC & Co. I liked it in Saudi. No regrets. Everything that I needed was paid for by the companies that I worked with – from yearly paid vacation, airfares, first class accommodation, and other expatriates allowances. Aside from being tax free, I was getting ten times as much as I would normally get from the Philippines. Very true indeed. Saving a lot of money, I was able to help my younger brother and sister finished their degrees. My being out overseas, really helped our family financially. My Dad suffered a stroke and my mum being an elementary grades teacher could not cope with all our expenses. I met a lot of people from work and some become real friends for life. It’s funny but then circle of friends are really formed and established when you are away from home. Some of them are now in the USA, Canada, back to Philippines or in some other countries. But most of them are still in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. I always missed this part of my life. I am single, vibrant and free, and having fun. It is also the time of my life when I truly trusted people and became very open with my sexuality. Very dangerous and very ironic that I did this in a very homophobic environment. But then, I was with real friends who accepted me for who I am. 5 YEARS AGO

Melbourne, Australia It’s freezing cold and yet I am standing with a group of friends on the Southbank bridge waiting for the big event – the heralding of the year 2000. Fireworks and more fireworks when we crossed over to the new millennium. It was an exhilarating event. I immigrated to this beautiful country in June of 1999 as a skilled migrant. It was also the time when my younger sister Armi gave birth to my first niece Natasha Celine. It took me more than five years though to process my papers. While I was in Saudi, I have been preparing for my dream to move to Oz, and start my life all over again. My new country is beautiful and it has heaps of opportunities. It can be too cold during winter time but then I love wearing my winter clothes too. During my first months I worked as a temp in various roles and it was indeed a good way of assimilating into the culture and meeting friends. I passed my membership to the CPA Australia as an associate and I am still doing further studies to be a full fledged member. Currently, I am working in a finance company in the accounting department as an overall Assistant to the Financial Controller.

Two years after I arrived in Melbourne, I became an Australian citizen.

It was also during this time that I met my boyfriend, Norbert. He is a lighting consultant but he has also previous experience in the military. In so many ways, we have so much to complement each other. We are our own version of the yin and yang. We bought our house near the city. It is a 17th century 4 bedroom Victorian terrace house located in the city fringe – in very good condition but needs a lot of renovation. Good challenge for both of our artistic and innovative inclinations. I have also finished my interior decorating course on my spare time, which I am really proud of. I think I am veering into my artistic side much more lately.

LAST YEAR Richmond, Melbourne

My parents visited us last year and it was really good fun bringing them around the country. It is a bit difficult because my Dad could not move the left side of his body (feet and hands ) very well (he had a major arthero stroke ten years ago), but then he really tried and he did very well. Hope they can come back again in the future. Riss, our dog died of old age. Met a pinay named Grace through her husband Peter who works with Norbert in the lighting company “Custom Lighting”. That was September of last year when they attended Norbert’s 47th birthday. They just moved from Hongkong. From then on, we clicked to each other like two pancakes in the air. We have so much fun doing Mary Kay together and having some bbq parties now and then.

THIS YEAR

Still in Melbourne

My younger brother and his family arrived in April this year. I originally sponsored my brother to come here three years ago when he was still single. When he got married the other year, I was devastated since it would affect his application and it did. It took us another year to reprocess his paper with his family. It is a long long wait only to know that when they arrive here, they have plans on moving to Sydney where the relatives of his wife is living. It is a bit sad and frustrating for me at first because I thought that they are going to stay with us in Melbourne. But then they have their own lives to live now, so I just hope the best for them. Things are just going as we plan. But then and again, I always still miss my old friends - Dale, Angel, Ace, Ezon, and Frenzy. Hope they are all well and happy.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- YESTERDAY Thursday... working, we finished our month end financial reports, so I was just doing some tidying up, I still maintain the trophy of being the tidiest staff at work .... and then in the evening we did our Bikram Yoga. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TODAY Friday, still working, i luv fridays since we are allowed to wear casual clothes, weatherwize - beautiful so am wearing a Tshirt and jeans ... just finishing my cashflow for next week and decided to finish this blog today.

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TONITE We are going to do our Friday Yoga ... and maybe eat in the Buddha's Restaurant, owned by a very close friend. Her food is so yummy !!! I just love Thai Food.

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TOMORROW Do some cleaning up - my own version of spring cleaning... we are also doing our bit by bit renovation in the house, for the past weeks we were overwhelmed by the job of polishing the floorboards of the stairways. We took off the carpet to show the old old cedar wood but we did not realize the work involved !!! Maybe movies later in the evening.

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NEXT YEAR or SO

Still in Melbourne and looking forward to a grand vacation in Europe or the USA. Maybe moving to a new house - something modern and less clutter. We got enough of the old Victorian look with museum type of furnitures !!! We need something fresh, modern, elegant and clean abode. Maybe a smaller one this time.

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5 TO TEN YEARS FROM NOW Looking forward to early retirement !!! Moving to Brisbane or Sunshine Coast, where it is more sunny. I love the sea and the warm weather. Might even travel around Oz and explore the outbacks !!! Live and enjoy the moments....

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