6 Weeks of No Active Income

Mid-January, I quit my job.

And then, I did these:
- Cleared up our wardrobe, thanks to MarieKondo Tidying Up series.
 - Bought a wardrobe (been delaying this for over a year).
- On rainy days, watched Netflix series.
- On sunny days, went for a walk by the beach side.
- Read 2-3 books.
- Signed up for a volunteer work to read for an hour with kids in school to enhance their literacy.
- Prune the garden.
- Caught up with ex-colleagues and friends for lunch.
- My husband and I are "low-maintenance" and it surprised me that we still got stuffs we haven't used for years. So I packed my corporate dresses I haven't used for awhile and gave them away. My husband gave away his 26-inch smart TV we haven't used since we moved to our home.
- Looked after my friend's kids.
- Baby-making (*blushed)
- Visited my family-in-laws. I called them up on Saturday morning and told them I got a week off before I start a new job, then plan to spend it with them. I booked my flights right after our call (after agreeing with my husband) and flew the following day. Talk about living for the moment. Be spontaneous.

I applied for jobs:
> for an internal non-client-facing role for a small office (I did not make it for the shortlist). The recruitment agent said that it's difficult to make the move from an operational to internal function. (Part of me did not believe her and wished I applied directly. I guess there's a reason why this application did not push through.)
> for a listed corporation. I made it for the shortlist, but it did not push through because their budget for this role was way lower than my asking salary. I thought to negotiate, but I sent a "thank-you" email instead. (This made me realised that I could not sell myself short and know my compensated value based on my years of experiences.)
- for a global corporation on a contractual basis. This was a project-based role and I expect this to be fulfilling. I am starting on this role by Monday.
- for another global corporation wherein the role was similar to my experiences. Within 5 days since I applied for this role, I was called for 2 interviews and offered the role, but I informed them I already accepted another offer. This made me realise that I have a market out there. Always.

The impact financially? I "borrowed" from "my" savings account for the big amounts like our monthly mortgage. I am thankful we are financial savvy and have allotted funds for "rainy" days. We are still on track with our plan to pay off a chunk of the principal amount of our mortgage this year.

This downtime for 6 weeks gave me so much time and I realised... I could never be a "full-time" housewife (though I keep on joking this to my husband!) 😂 I get bored. I love socialising, networking and talking to people. My husband joked me the other day by giving me a mathematical equation to solve - he said to test if my brain is still working. 😄

Other than actively seeking for a new job, my very core went back to my entrepreneurial spirit. The past 5 years became my comfortable "privacy" zone and I was content, with living life, privately. My downtime ignited the spark. I can see better days ahead.

Keep learning and keep on moving forward!

Always,
  

Grow Where You are Planted

Filipino Community Abroad:
My flatmate and I moved to a new apartment when we got back from our holiday from the Philippines last month. (The move was due to housing regulations here in Jersey). We got friends who visited and invited themselves at our new place during lunch since ours is convenient to most of our work places. Earlier today, we also volunteer to host our choir practice for this Sunday's mass. We also took this time for the "house warming". I am glad that our new place became a venue to provide shelter and bless our friends.

In the middle of singing and catching up with my "new family" here since I started working abroad, I am grateful that the Filipino choir members became instruments for me to stay rooted in service for the Great Guy above.

Reflection: Show what gifts the Great Guy above has showered upon you and used these gifts to bless others, anywhere you maybe in the world. Grow where you are planted.

Work/Career:
I am given a new project at work involving non-audit related stuffs. I have done this for 3 years in a row now during my slack/non-audit season months, just like during this time. I remembered that I used to complain about this kind of projects because I feel being deprived of technical learnings which I could have learned if the company has given me other projects. But I realised that this became blessing in disguise - because I was able to enhance my network, build client rapports and able to "diversify" my learnings on other field of expertise.

Earlier today, I manage to submit the reports using the client's new system, eventhough I was only on this project for a week. The superior was happy with the work - and I am glad too that I have no overload work to think of for the weekend. Fresh start on Monday!

Reflection: Instead of complaining about working so hard, why not be thankful for the blessing of having a work and earning an income? Work is an oppprtunity for us to show our expertise/God-given talents to our colleagues and subordinates. Grow where you are planted.

Relationships:
I had a two-year old relationship when I went abroad and the long-distance relationship tore me apart because it was difficult to manage given the time difference, change in priorities and different environments that  surround us. The LDR continued for another 2 years and eventually, we both decided to put an end to it.

I was heart-broken. All my dreams and hopes for our almost 4-year old relationship came crashing down. At that time, all I ever wanted was to go back home to the Philippines to start anew and find for the "right Filipino guy" for me. During that time, I never ever ever eveeeer consider having a relationship with a different race/culture other than a Filipino. I was firm on this decision, and ready to pack my bags and go home for good... until "the honey" came. And he showed me that love accepts different culture/race - it is the decision of a couple to make the relationship work out despite the differences.

And since Day 1 until as of this writing, he continues to pursue and court me. Every single day, I feel so special. He has never missed a day of showing his love (may it be through a call, text, flowers, or sending me a cartoon image). I love cartoons!:) Nad he cooks! (Yahoooo!) He knew that my love language is quality time and affirmation - and he makes sure he achieves them no matter how busy he is at work (on a side note: we are thankful for the answered prayer for his promotion!). For the more than 365 days we have been together, I have learned that he is happy and feels more loved whenever we spend time talking and laughing together (I never thought that speaking English can be this spontaneous.) We are blessed to celebrate our anniversary just last month.

Reflection: Finding the Mr. Right takes awhile - you have to work on to being the Miss Right first.

Grow wherever you are planted.

Love Lots,
Lyn-Lyn \(",)/
03 Oct 2014

PS: The photo was taken during our house warming.

White is Relaxing!

I recently read an article about "why hotels are the best places to offer relaxation and comfortable sleep". The answer? All their garments are colored white!

It's true indeed - all luxurious hotels have white bed sheets.

So, I made a test - I did some maneuver and changed my duvet cover and pillowcases to white. I also bought a white bath mat which I got @ 50% discount (I sound so proud with this purchase). :P

(This blog is now given the privilege to have the first public peak of my bed sheets and bath.)

I love it!!! Everytime I arrive home, all I wanted is to jump under the covers. And whenever I wake up, all I wanted to do is to stay under the covers. Hahaha!

I am loving the minimalistic style of white. Simple, yet elegant.

Love lots,
Lyn _(",)/
02 Oct '14

Simple Thoughtful Loving Words

It's the month of October - my birth month! I am bias to say that this is my favorite month of year. And this morning, I thought about an idea to jot down entries of gratitude for each single day of this joyful exciting month. (I am just more energetic and ecstatic during these days).

We had a company team building the other day - and I joined the go-karting where we had to race, just like F1 (Formula 1), but only a much simpler and easy race track. We then played mini-golf (where I learned more rules and strategies on playing golf) and then proceeded to a hotel in front of a beach for our lunch, drinks and merry session.

Due to the race I participated, I went home really tired and with sore muscles. I had a few exchanges of messages with the "honey" and promised to wait for his call after he finished dinner. However, just 5 minutes after I sent him that message, I dozed off to sleep! Zzzzzz....! So in the morning of the 1st of October, I woke up with a missed call and with his Viber message saying:

- - - - - - - - - - -
"You missed a call from your boyfriend at 9.45pm. To redial press 1, to call back press call and to kiss press x. End of messages."
- - - - - - - - - - -

Hahaha! His message made my day!

It was also my first day of lunch training sessions for digital business seminar which is ongoing for the next 3 weeks! It involved information technology through the use of web designing and html codes. The subject excites me and triggers my yearning for web code knowledge, which I had been interested in since I was in high school. I am looking forward to share this here at the end of our course. We are also required to submit an idea of a webpage using all the tools we learned from the course. (I still have not finalised my concept for the website that I plan to do.) Still, I am excited for this learning!

I am also given a new project at work (secondment), where I learn about real estate fund industry and met new people.

I am excited for the coming days ahead.

Love lots,
Lyn _(",)/
01 Oct '14

Weddings and Teenage Dream

It was still clear in my memory when I was 14, during my sophomore year in high school, when I dreamily declared that the early years of my 20s will be devoted to do what I am passionate about, to enjoy my single life, to give back the credits to my parents (monetarily speaking) and at the age of 28, to walk down the aisle and say hello to married life.
Adding on some maturity as compared to my 14-year old self, I have come to realise that those plans that involve other party in our lives, those that are outside of our own self-control do not just happen the way it should be. An approval/agreement from another person needs to happen.
I am savouring my remaining days of being 28. Next month, I will have to say hello to being 29 – my last year of being 20s! Yay! It sounds so old if I focus on the “age number” – but I still feel I am just 21 (ooohkaay, maybe this is self-denial).
I also visited My Bucket List page, and I have noted that marriage and family come first. I look forward to the day I will have to tick it off. I am ready and prepared for the next stage! =)