Arrival, April 2011

After we passed all the requirements at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport in Taipei, we went directly to Toufen hospital for medical exam by Van hired by the dormitory. It was a relief when I took my 1st breath of the fresh cold air in this foreign land. Amazing! I felt…I breathed…I saw Taiwan myself. I smiled…

While on the road, I enjoyed my eyes on pretty views along our way. Despite of exhaustion, I didn’t take even a nap for I didn’t want to miss all the things around. It was green and flowery. No traffic, no chariots, no multicabs instead there were two floors buses, vans, autos and of course scooters…The roads were broad. There were overpass wide and long. It surrounded with silence, I never saw even a single person who cared to walk his way…No beggars or street children... No CITOM or Police on standby. Instead, there were cameras on streets and establishments.

We arrived in Toufen after an hour. I was amazed; the medical exam took only 15 minutes with all those tests. Taiwanese nurses moved fast and organized. Along with their fast phased moves they communicate us in sign language…It was odd, I felt strange about the atmosphere, it was too quiet to be true despite of Pinoy crowd.  Nurses here worked in silence…no words, time is gold. So after the exam, we went to Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) to acquire for an Alien Resident Certificate (ARC).

After an hour they brought us to zhunan dormitory. The Taiwanese driver tried to help us in taking our luggage out from his van. When he tried to lift the luggage of my friend, the handle departs from its body and said…”ohhh! Made in China…” And that was the time we all laughed out loud…

Finally, I got my home here and took a deep sleep.

Departure, April 2011

On the 8^th day of April 2011 at MCIA, Mama and Yaya together with Ylaya sisters (melca, te vity, manang bibie and of course my little boy ezheckiel) were with me at the lobby two hours before my scheduled flight for manila. We talked and laughed a lot. Mama talked a lot. But when the time came that I need to step-in and leave, I saw tears welled in my mother’s eyes. I hugged her and whispered that “Ma, this is going to be my first step. Take good care of yourself. I love you. I’ll be back.” Then I turned my back and left. I couldn’t help to hold back my tears as I walked away but I need to be hard enough to move forward.

We were seven who arrived in NAIA as expected. A private vehicle picked us up to a recommended dormitory by the agency in Sta.Ana. We left our things and went to Intramuros for post medical and to the agency for pedos.

After I got all the things I needed, I went to my cousin’s place in San Juan and spent a night there with a guy I called kuya who courted me for three years. He happened to be in manila that time for he was just arrived from Dubai. He worked there for two years. Kuya was my very good friend. He’s not that good looking but he is undeniably good person. On the next day, we went to Ate Zyleth place (melca’s sister) in cavite and spent a day and a night bonding. Ate wanted me to have an eye on her land she just bought where she could rise her own house and requested me to be part of it. On the day after, it was Sunday; we went to Kawit church and heard mass before leaving for Sta.Ana.

That Sunday was my last day in manila, so kuya grabbed a chance to talk to me

and clear things out between us. We ate lunch out together and talked a lot. He asked me

again for the third and last time about his status. The first time he asked me, it was year

2009 before he went abroad, I turned him down but he was determined back then to

pursue his intention for me. He took a vacation leave and went home after a year. He

asked me out and tried to fixed things between us for the second time. Again, I turned

him down. And last year 2011 before I left was the third and last time he asked. Then it

was the time that I have to do what should have been done. I put an end to his sufferings.

That time my words were harsh for him to move. I bade goodbye to whatever we had for

good. I even ended our friendship for him to realize what I want… that it’s not him. It

was not easy for me but I had to.

At 1am of April 11, with all our luggage with us, we went to the assembly area at the agency’s office in Intramuros. It took us three hours to wait for the bus that would bring us to Pampanga Clark Air Base Airport and fly with the Asian Spirit Plane. The bus arrived at exactly 4am and made us walked for approximately 1km with our heavy loads because of that truck ban. What a heck!...Our agony not just ended there, as we about to enter Clark Air Base, we found out that we had lost our way to the airport instead we reached through a camp site. We turned our back and asked every person we met along the way where the airport was…Stupid! Was it?...All of us were already in panic since we were all late on our scheduled flight for Taiwan. We were all upset as we went down for inspection and stepped in the main entrance of the airport. 

It was not that bad after all, our flight was declared delay due to some circumstances.

Thank God!...

It was rough though but we got here safe and sound.

                                                           

                               ...sleepless night, a year ago...