Update

 Ano ng bago?

42 anyos na ako

Finally may jowa na matino

May 2 akong pusa

Nasa Inglatera pa din

Na diagnose ng endometrial cancer year 2020

Kasagsagan ng pandemic.

At 39, death sentence ito for me.

I had surgery to remove everything

No chemotherapy.

Salamat naman, hindi ko na ata kakayanin

kung magchechemo ako sa sarili kong unit

kung saan ako nagtatrabaho.

Hanggang ngayon lutang

I dont consider myself as a survivor kasi 

I never had chemo only surgery.

But I did survive.

My odds could have gone the other way.

Ang una kong inisip ng sinabi sa akin ito

ay kung paano ako magtatrabaho.

Ang hirap maging mahirap.

Buti na lang at maganda ang serbisyo ng NHS

at they truly saved me.

My partner also saved me.

A lesser man would have left.

I am blessed.

The hunt for the homiest flat: An OFW's search for a home away from home Part 1

 10/06/2019

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So I moved from the North East down to Southwest
to be nearer my mom who is already in her late 60s.
I resigned from my job as there was no point in me suffering
when I could do something about it and move.

I was so uncomfortable and felt constant unease in my former workplace
that it affected me mentally and I suffered from bouts of anxiety.
I even suffered an episode of depersonalization.
I found myself one day totally disconnected from myself,
it was as if I was observing this other person, this other me.

I could hear her thoughts and my thoughts and they were not congruent.
That is when I realized, that I had to move or else
I would bog down and die in that hellhole of a place.
I was so stressed I looked like I was 100, it was not healthy.

Anyway, I moved in temporarily with my mom,
most of my stuff went into storage some of my stuff
I had to leave behind, some were donated to charity.

I opted to have my stuff stored, all 8 boxes plus a luggage.
I used sevenseasworlwide
They might not be the cheapest but they are straightforward
and easy to contact.
Instructions are clear in the website; boxes and packing materials
are technically free (included in the price).
I asked them to extend the storage service several times as I was still searching for a flat.
It was done promptly with additional charges of course.

Anyway, I scoured the internet for a new flat by using the postcode.
My new workplace is more accessible by car as it is situated near a
national road or motorway; I do not drive so my recourse is to find
a flat near the bus station or a bus stop at least.

I used the following sites:

1. Zoopla
2. Rightmove
3. Spareroom

The sites are the main ones I have used in my search, I found my flat through Rightmove.
I wanted a property wherein I had my own toilet (en suite) and the bills preferably included,
near the town center if not my workplace in a quiet environment.
I wanted a flat for non-smokers as well.
Yes, I am picky but I had to, to preserve my sanity.

I will post about the nitty-gritty details in my next post.

Mortality

 14/08/2017

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Had the worst scare of my life last night.
Went home late as usual, dead tired.
My routine is to check my phone
for my Mama's messages.

I waited till around 1100 pm
and there was nothing,
not even a seen mode.

I began to cry for my mom,
I was so frightened that something
grave has happened to her and I
just cried my eyes out.

I felt so helpless.

I called all her numbers,
messaged her on our usual
social apps and then I contemplated on
calling her work place.

I managed to get hold of her
after several tries.
She went home late from work
as it was so busy.

I cried again and she told me that
she was just fine and to stop bawling.
God, mothers!
They brush everything off
like its nothing.

I love you Mama!

Tolerated not accepted

 10/08/2017

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Here's Jollibee Foods Corporation's official statement regarding Bunny Cadag's post. pic.twitter.com/OlfoJNbKSQ

— Jollibee (@Jollibee) August 10, 2017

Woke up to an important issue
floating amidst the crap in my news feed today.

Bunny Cadag is an artist who identifies as gender queer.
From my understanding the LGBT Rainbow
covers all members of the gender spectrum.

Bunny was applying for a transcriber position
in Jollibee Food Corporation (JFC), which is of course,
one of the mega corporations in the Philippines.
You can read Bunny's post here.

Jollibee issued an apology for damage control's sake.
But as a mega corporation, I understand that they
have rules too.

It is a lose-lose situation.

Pinoy culture tolerates the gender fluid
but is not yet ready to accept them.

How to buy a cinema ticket

 8/8/2017

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A post shared by Meow meow meow (@kikaschlup) on Aug 8, 2017 at 3:15am PDT

I do not usually queue at the till
since that will tempt me to spend
more on snacks as the line snakes
through different shelves of chocolate,
candies, crisps/chips and the like.
I just go directly to the touch screen
computer terminals.

1. Access the terminal, have your debit/credit card ready. You should have preferably done your assignment and checked for the schedule of your chosen film online.

2. Select purchase ticket, choose your film.

3. Select how many tickets you are purchasing (Adults, kids, seniors)

4. Select your seat, there are premium seats as well.

5. Review your selection and pay for it.

6. Wait for your ticket and receipt to be printed.

7. Present your ticket to the usher, they will tear the ticket halfway and return it to you. Take note of seat number. Keep ticket till you have watched the film. Conflicts may arise from seating arrangements as some people just sit anywhere.

8. The alphabet seat number will be the row, so as you go up the stairs, look for the small blue lighted letters.

9. The number represents your seat number, you will see them shown on the handles of the seat.

10. Etiquette dictates that you turn your mobile phones off and nobody ever talks aloud during the film. Some cinemas play film scores while waiting so you could probably make a game out of it by guessing which film the musical score belongs too.

11. Unlike in Philippine cinemas, they do not play the national anthem
before the first film showing. The trailers prior to the film can be as long as 20 minutes though.

12. There are built in drink holders on the handles of the seats.

13. Bring your trash out with you. Trash bins are conveniently located just outside the doors.

14. Use the toilet before and after the film. It is free. Do not waste your time going to the loo in the middle of the film when you could have gone before.