Friends in Singapore
First things first. I have been blogging for the past few months, I did not mind if my thoughts are read or not. I have conspicuously mentioned that I own one and I placed its link in one e-mail signature. It's boring since no photo is shown and I don't know how to do it yet. Honest. (Hey there's Edit HTML above and I am a web developer too!) One thing I knew is that someone in Canada entered "Elmer Cagape blog" in Google.
Last Sunday we hosted lunch for our friend Benjie Asidillo who used to work here in Hong Kong, went out to parties with us, heard Mass with us and played squash with us. December 2002, pfft goes his supposed extension (did I mean it for Girlie and Narnie?) and he had to leave Hong Kong with Dah Sing buddy and housemate Tintin. Now he is in Singapore, a place I first wanted to work for.
It was the happy stories of Ana May who pioneered a mushrooming community of Batch97 friends there. Amay went for a vacation in Davao City and told us a glimpse of what to expect in that place once he/she works there. I was carried away and with my geographically-rich mind ready to churn out a scenario, it was something I want. I started poring over JobsDB and Jobstreet while working for Comcen, trying to see how the Internet works for jobhunters. Eventually I left Comcen but I did not go abroad either. The dream has just began and I am constantly in a lookout for opportunity. I befriended Singaporeans Elaine and Sue, with the former becoming a close friend even if we only met thru ICQ. I had some extensive research on Singapore way of life, watched a handful of Singapore movies (I Not Stupid and Living with Lydia).
I was there last September in my so called whirlwind tour dubbed "Amazing Race" (Bangkok, KL and Singapore in 5 days, make it 4 1/2). And I am impressed with what I see. As if my eyes were fully opened to reality, my experience in Singapore revealed Hong Kong's weaknesses that I did not take too seriously though I was aware of them. There, I had dinner with Ana May and husband Francis, Jenny, Rendell, Jose, Butch after a hard day's tour with Karen's best friend Mayi at Jurong Birdpark.
I felt sorry I did not get to meet Toto Celestial nor Elaine Ong whom I used to promise I would be there to fulfill a promise made shortly before leaving Manila to Hong Kong. I did not meet Girlie. But I met most of my friends including Jun Rey my former colleague at PCCW.
What I liked there is the friendlier people (I define friendly as one who can understand what you say, in this context). You can talk to everybody, shopkeeper, restaurant waiter, street sweeper, even a kid. Unlike here where even buses with FirstVision or RoadShow talks in Cantonese and does not mind non-Chinese passengers who cannot read the Chinese subtitles.
Also Singapore is cleaner, cheaper housing provision, shorter period for permanent residency and multicultural. This is a glaring fact Hong Kong has to agree. While I am saying this, I don't mean Singapore is better than Hong Kong. I still love the place where I am now and thankful for everything it offer and its people who surround me.
In 1995, Filipina maid Flor Contemplacion was executed for murder despite appeals from all of us. Our Mayor Duterte even burned Singapore flag then, and I supported his claim.
But since then, I can only rave for Singapore as a small republic with lots of influence in terms of business, good governance and quality of life. Always aiming to be on top, if not first, Singapore Airline is going to be the first airline to use Airbus A380, the biggest airplane that can carry 150 tons of load and 555 passengers.
Just recently Raymond Ona and Weng Micua, former HK expats, settled there. While friends are leaving (see www.sfc-hongkong.org) Hong Kong, Singapore communities flourished with my former ka tropa here. It's like being uprooted from a place and planted again elsewhere. Karen joked "Shall we go there?" in a tone that could be serious to others' ears.
Last Sunday we hosted lunch for our friend Benjie Asidillo who used to work here in Hong Kong, went out to parties with us, heard Mass with us and played squash with us. December 2002, pfft goes his supposed extension (did I mean it for Girlie and Narnie?) and he had to leave Hong Kong with Dah Sing buddy and housemate Tintin. Now he is in Singapore, a place I first wanted to work for.
It was the happy stories of Ana May who pioneered a mushrooming community of Batch97 friends there. Amay went for a vacation in Davao City and told us a glimpse of what to expect in that place once he/she works there. I was carried away and with my geographically-rich mind ready to churn out a scenario, it was something I want. I started poring over JobsDB and Jobstreet while working for Comcen, trying to see how the Internet works for jobhunters. Eventually I left Comcen but I did not go abroad either. The dream has just began and I am constantly in a lookout for opportunity. I befriended Singaporeans Elaine and Sue, with the former becoming a close friend even if we only met thru ICQ. I had some extensive research on Singapore way of life, watched a handful of Singapore movies (I Not Stupid and Living with Lydia).
I was there last September in my so called whirlwind tour dubbed "Amazing Race" (Bangkok, KL and Singapore in 5 days, make it 4 1/2). And I am impressed with what I see. As if my eyes were fully opened to reality, my experience in Singapore revealed Hong Kong's weaknesses that I did not take too seriously though I was aware of them. There, I had dinner with Ana May and husband Francis, Jenny, Rendell, Jose, Butch after a hard day's tour with Karen's best friend Mayi at Jurong Birdpark.
I felt sorry I did not get to meet Toto Celestial nor Elaine Ong whom I used to promise I would be there to fulfill a promise made shortly before leaving Manila to Hong Kong. I did not meet Girlie. But I met most of my friends including Jun Rey my former colleague at PCCW.
What I liked there is the friendlier people (I define friendly as one who can understand what you say, in this context). You can talk to everybody, shopkeeper, restaurant waiter, street sweeper, even a kid. Unlike here where even buses with FirstVision or RoadShow talks in Cantonese and does not mind non-Chinese passengers who cannot read the Chinese subtitles.
Also Singapore is cleaner, cheaper housing provision, shorter period for permanent residency and multicultural. This is a glaring fact Hong Kong has to agree. While I am saying this, I don't mean Singapore is better than Hong Kong. I still love the place where I am now and thankful for everything it offer and its people who surround me.
In 1995, Filipina maid Flor Contemplacion was executed for murder despite appeals from all of us. Our Mayor Duterte even burned Singapore flag then, and I supported his claim.
But since then, I can only rave for Singapore as a small republic with lots of influence in terms of business, good governance and quality of life. Always aiming to be on top, if not first, Singapore Airline is going to be the first airline to use Airbus A380, the biggest airplane that can carry 150 tons of load and 555 passengers.
Just recently Raymond Ona and Weng Micua, former HK expats, settled there. While friends are leaving (see www.sfc-hongkong.org) Hong Kong, Singapore communities flourished with my former ka tropa here. It's like being uprooted from a place and planted again elsewhere. Karen joked "Shall we go there?" in a tone that could be serious to others' ears.
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