Life of the working class

Last Monday we received a very disappointing news. Eric's contract with a Malaysian company had been put on hold. And our world came crashing down. Well, this is in exaggeration of course. But we were really disappointed. With only one call our plan of moving to Malaysia vanished. They said they were just putting Eric's contract on hold but we felt differently. We felt they were just trying to slowly tell us the contract is off.

At first, I was so mad. Eric was just plain speechless. I told Eric to let them know what they have just done to us. It wasn't just a simple contract. It was our life they were messing around with. You see, Eric resigned from a comfortable job in Maldives after signing a contract with them. And I was also supposed to work in Maldives right after our planned vacation in Manila on February. So what they did was leave us pretty much unemployed. Modesty aside, we were not worried financially. We have something for the rainy season. But what they did was really unethical and it really irked me (especially me..hehe).

Anyway, Eric have several offers both local and abroad. But the offers abroad are not really favorable because EJ and I couldn't come. So after discussing our options, we decided it is better to stay put in Manila. We decided it is better to really start putting our roots now than later. While Eric chooses which company to go to, I was busy looking for a job myself. I have decided to go back to the job market to help financially.

Then I received a text message inviting me for an interview last Monday. I was a bit excited but honestly I was hesitant. I explained this to Eric. It's not that I don't want to work anymore. It's just that before coming here to Manila we have already planned our entire year. And working wasn't in the plan yet. I know it makes me sound like I am too lazy to work again, but really it is not that. But anyway, I still went to my interview at the Robinson's Galleria.

I didn't know that I was applying for a call center position. I thought I applied for an Airline Reservations Officer. I thought I was there only for an interview. Little did I know that the whole hiring process will be done in one sitting. After I passed the initial interview I was asked to do a typing exam. I guess I passed because they gave me another set of exam (general info, math, grammar, reading comprehension and english). Ang hirap ng general info!!! I guess I passed the exam again because those who did not were told that they will be called again. But I went to another form of test. I had telephone/listening skills test. And by then it was already 1:30pm. My poor husband and baby (we don't have a yaya so we bring EJ with us wherever we go) had been waiting for me since 10am that morning. And I was also starving. Before I could ask them if I can have lunch, one sweet person told me to go to lunch after my telephone skills test and come back after an hour.

When I went to meet Eric and EJ for lunch, I sensed something. I felt good news was coming. I asked Eric if he talked to people from Malaysia. He said no. But I guess he couldn't contain it anymore and told me that we will be moving to Malaysia after all. I told him "langhiya ka, pinahirapan mo pa ako sa exam!" I didn't go back for my final exam.

We're happy that we're going to Malaysia but I couldn't deny there's a little bit holding me back. I realized that we are not really living at the moment. We move from one place to another. We don't have a permanent place even here in Manila (we haven't furnished our condo yet so everytime we're here in Manila we rent one). At the moment we're fine. But what happens after 5 years? Or even two years? What happens if we decide to settle down for good here in Manila? Will we be able to find jobs again? Maybe for Eric because his is a specialized job but what about me? What if we decide to go into business by then? But what happens if that business will not succeed? What then? We will not be as young as we are right now. We might not have the same optimism to go with.

Eric said I worry too much. I couldn't help it. The life of the working class is never easy.