To introduce some colleagues

It’s been a few days since I posted a new entry. Been quite busy with both work and furnishing my apartment on the side. I’m going home this Thursday to attend Anette’s wedding and that’s another thing occupying my mind.

Anyway, getting on to introducing some of my colleagues at work (didn’t get the chance to take much pictures), from left to right… Yulia – she’s our secretary. She’s been really helpful. Helping me see to my furniture deliveries, liaising with my house agent, opening an account in XXX Bank (one of the biggest here in Indonesia), getting my company car to enrolling myself in Bahasa lessons. Then to my left is Sharmila. She’s Sri Lankan and a very vivacious girl. She dragged me (or I’d like to pretend she dragged me –he-he) to this bar the other night, just to check it out. Of course with two girls on their own, what can you expect but for strange men to try and hit on us. We left the place as quickly as we got there. Anyway…I’ve introduced Belinda in my previous post. I think she’s very pretty and has a kind soul too. From this picture, you won’t think that one is Buddhist, two are Muslim and of course there’s me who is a Catholic. Friendship really looks beyond race or religion.

Anyway, we’re in the office in this picture. Xth Floor in Graha along XXX Road, right smack in the middle of the Business District here in Jakarta. People here lapse into Bahasa in conversations though so really need to learn the language as quickly as I could. Still haven’t exchanged much talk with Pak Rookib (my driver) except for “Terima Kasi” (thank you), Pagi (morning’) and 8am (or whatever time I say he should come pick me up). This morning though on the way to the office, he started teaching me a few more Bahasa words.

Anyway, this is also to say hi to everyone =) I miss everyone but also enjoying myself meeting new people and seeing some new sights. Just learned last weekend that two former friends from an ad agency I worked with in the Philippines before is also here in Jakarta for 2 years or so. Such a pleasant surprise. More people to get to know better and spend weekends with!

Meeting Friends

Pictures of My Condo Apartment

The Sadness and Frenzy of Packing-up

(Guys, forgive me, I must indulge myself with piteous self-outpouring…)
Took this picture of my old closet in the room I share with my sisters and it reminded me of those Tagalog drama movies in the 80’s and 90’s where the heroine is seen crying uncontrollably while packing up her things or worse!! -- her things being thrown at her while she’s being forcibly pushed out of the house! I must admit, I felt a few tears roll down my cheeks while I emptied my closet into my luggage bags. It wasn’t until I was doing this that reality sank in --- I really am leaving (and this time, I’m leaving nothing inside my closet back home!) Of course, things didn’t really cheer up for me when my younger sister, Dane told me laughingly about my mom crying while I wasn’t looking or observing my father being more attentive towards me than usual. Oh well, life can be such a happy pain sometimes. Here I am, being given the opportunity of a lifetime by getting expatriated but feeling the lowest of lows emotionally to-date!

Okay-okay, I’m exaggerating. =) But really, it didn’t feel good seeing my things disappear into bags and travel boxes the day I packed ---Weird but compeletely understandable.