TRAPPED

If all you guys are ready to give up on the Philippines, I am just about ready to give up on Australia. So many of you keep telling me how lucky I am to be here, well you guys don't know the half of it. No matter how bulok the Philippines can get, it's still a pretty good place to live!
I am doubly mad now at all politicians (the whole political spectrum) for messing up the country so much that I had to leave it to find "a better life for my kids". I had a terrific life in Manila. True, I had no future, no chance of buying my own house (a dream house at that!), owning a brand new car and travelling the world, but I had a lot of good things going for me!

1. I had a really good job that I loved, plus the fact that it fulfilled me. It's very rare that you get to have a job like that. I found meaning in my job, and I really felt that I was doing what God wanted me to do. My work fulfilled me mentally, spiritually, socially and psychologically. I got the recognition that I deserve, and I got to channel my creative energies in the service of the school. I was always learning new things and I had my fill of spiritual input.
2. I found a really good group of friends in school. I had been in Xavier for 10 years but it was only in my 9th year that I found a group of people whom I really enjoyed being with. They were sincere and turned out to be true friends. I loved hanging out with them at Starbucks (the tightwads that we were, only one of us would actually order Starbucks, the rest of us would order squid balls from Sotong!), eating at Angelo's and Pizza Hut, and watching movies at Galleria. We attended recollections together, and I could count on them to stay with me until Edge was finished with his training.
3. I had freedom. I could go anywhere I wanted, whenever I wanted. I could drive, I could leave the kids with the yaya, or sometimes with my Mom, Edge and I could even go off for a weekend together. No such thing here. We can't even watch a movie together (not only is it so expensive ($15 on a regular day, $7.50 on Tuesdays) but we can't leave the kids with anyone!). In Manila, if I felt like going to the mall, I could easily drive there and back. Here, because I failed that %@#*&$%%!!!! driving test (whoever said driving on the left side of the road was more efficient?) I can't go anywhere far!

But, Edge and I were discussing this last night, we can't go back home, even if we seriously wanted to.

1. we don't have any job
   
2. we wouldn't have a house
   
3. we wouldn't have a car
   
4. we wouldn't have a school to put Diego in
   
5. we still have to pay for some loans that we made over here
   
6. we don't have pamasahe!

So we're stuck here for now. Trapped in this crazy land that values the "Footy Show" over CSI Las Vegas. Imagine!