I have been out of job, out of cash and out of luck for quite a while. I spent close to 25 years holding down corporate jobs, mostly in the middle and back office of financial institutions, followed by several years trying to build a small business in Singapore. Well the business folded recently, so with ego broken and tail between my legs, I limped away to lick my wounds.
It was a period of trepidation, self-reflection, regrets, denials...whatever, sock it to me. I don't wish that on anybody but I think it's good for the soul. In our darkest moments, one learns again to appreciate a lot of simple things in life, and many fair weather friends show their true colours. It was an extremely difficult situation particularly when you are on the wrong side of 50, not well-connected and with few academic credentials. Fortunately, I'm a hopeless optimist who believes that for me the sun will always shine tomorrow. That helps me to keep my wits and mind in good shape.
Salvation at last. Someone thinks I'm worthy of having a second shot at the corporate world. So now I'm making preparation to fly out to Manila to take up a job at a hospitality establishment.
This is a double blessing for me. The last few years I have been toying with the idea of Philippines as a destination for my retirement. The great push factor is the high cost of living in Singapore. Even a nest egg of a million S$ in Singapore is not going to provide a carefree retirement for my final 20 years. That's my assessment of the economics of reality. The pull factor of the Philippines is firstly, the low cost of living and secondly, I have always loved wide countryside living. Philippines, the paradise of 7,000 islands, has lots to offer to retirees who can stretch their dollars immensely and yet live in a beautiful country amongst a warm and charming people. For me I like the allure of being close to nature, and the sense of possibilities that exist on the Filipino landscape as compared to the suffocating, and sanitised rigidity in Singapore.
So just like the fire-bird, this phoenix is going to have a second chance in life, a rejuvenation of sorts for me. I will use this blog to display the tastes and sights and sounds of Philippines unplugged, to log my stay in the country.
I'm going to be a SINGNOY --- that's a new tagalog word for A Singaporean In Philippines.
O sige paalam muna sa susunod ulit, that means so long for now, next time again. Hope my tagalog is Ok.
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