My Big Step

6/15/2015 07:00:00 am

Testing, Testing, 1 2 3…

Well whaddya know, this thing works. I think.

Hi there. My name is Maria Bianca S[REDACTED] and I’m not an alcoholic.

I am, however, the newest citizen of Blogspot and Singapore.


Okay, I’m technically not a Singapore citizen, just a resident, and not a permanent resident, but an employment pass holder to be.

I don’t have the card yet, but I applied for it at the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) last Friday. Someone told me that the card will serve as my national ID which I think is really cool because fun fact: we don’t have one in the Philippines. #RipleysBelieveItOrNot 

But let’s backtrack a little bit to about a month ago, when I first got hired by a Singapore-based bank. 

It was all a bit surreal. I wasn’t looking for a job, and did not even apply for it. They just found my updated profile on LinkedIn, called me, then set me up for an interview.

They flew me to Singapore for it. I had the Sunday to enjoy the country before my panel interview on Monday. They paid for my hotel and everything! The interview was surprisingly easy that I thought I must have failed for sure. 

But within the week they called with a job offer. I was stunned and ecstatic. So let this be a lesson to you, kids: set up a LinkedIn account.

The next month was a blur of packing and farewells and tying up loose ends. A lot of tears were shed in the process. It was a very confusing time for me - I was happy for my great opportunity, yet I was sad to leave my loved ones behind, especially my boyfriend Sam.

Sam was extremely supportive of my decision, even though he admitted that he wasn’t crazy about me being a plane ride away. This is our first time to be away from each other in the eight years we’ve been together, so this will take a lot of getting used to. But even though everyone is saying that LDRs don’t work, I am confident that we can get through this.

Sam wanted to fly with me to Singapore, but as my company-sponsored flight is via Singapore Airlines, it would be expensive for him to book a flight to be with me, and I thought it would be impractical. He could just wait for a Cebu Pacific fare sale next time and fly in to see me, once I’ve settled in.

As I said at the beginning of this post, I flew in last Friday, June 12 – Philippine Independence Day. How apt that I would choose that day to be my own independence day from the Philippines.

Singapore Airlines is nothing like Cebu Pacific. I had my own small television screen in front of me, and I was able to watch a movie (too bad they didn't have Independence Day) while enjoying a delicious meal with dessert and a glass of wine.

When I landed in Singapore, I was in awe of the airport. It's so beautiful! I remember reading somewhere that it won best airport of the world award and now I understand why.

Then I saw this design:


Singapore is turning 50 this year. I have great timing.


Theme song of this episode:

 I gotta feeling (woohoo!) 
That this year's gonna be a good year 
That this year's gonna be a good year
That this year's gonna be a good good year

P.S. Speaking of Independence Day, I laughed way too hard at the #rp612fic jokes on twitter. Here are some of the best ones. Benta!







Till next Monday, 

Add me to stay updated!
✌ Facebook ✌ Twitter ✌

Share This Story

Tags:

Mondays are Better with Songs

You Might Also Like

2 comments

  1. Unknown15 June 2015 at 09:38

    Hi Maria, awesome blog! How do i subscribe to future blog posts?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Maria Bianca S.15 June 2015 at 10:25

      Hi Nantoy, thanks for the compliment! You can enter your email on the "follow by email" box below my picture on the sidebar (if you're on laptop) or below the post (if on mobile).

      Delete

Hi, you have reached Maria Bianca's website. I can't come to the blog right now, so please leave a message after the beep. BEEP!