Tuesday, May 30, 2006

Singapore Life

I am quite amuse really last time when i was travelling on a bus, i notice i already consumed my 10 SingDollars in my Ezlink card. I only found out now that you have to swipe your card the moment you enter and leave the bus. I spent 1.55 SingDollars for every travel, when in fact I need to pay only 0.75cents. Ohh my gosh, it has been a week and I was only swiping my card whenever I enter only. That is one lesson for us who comes from a country where swiping cards were not really that popular. Here, in Singapore everything seems to be cashless, except for the food i think. On the Bus and MRT, you have to buy an EZlink card where you deposit a minimum of 10 SingDollars on it. Then you use this card whenever you travel by MRT or by bus. Actually, here you talk always about travel time, not travel distance. Really, it is so convenient in terms of transporation here. Now for a Filipino like me, it is really amazing to notice that this is one country with too many lanes, highways and roads and yet not a single soul of traffic police in the road. They do not need traffic police, because everybody was following traffic rules. Really i can say that this is one small island country which must be emulated by all other Asian countries. I wonder if Philippines can also do this?.....imagine such a small country yet very well known globally.

Right now, i am really trying to adjust on the food. Chinese food are quite good, but sometimes our taste buds is still adjusting. Indian food are quite spicy and I am not really a fan of spicy foods. Today, i spent my whole morning walking around the city and looking up in the map, to locate my office and the Ministry of Manpower. I just got my Employment Pass, and again I noticed their government employess were quite courteous and accomodating. You will just get Q ticket on the Q ticket machine. Wait for your number to be displayed on the LCD and then after minutes you will be served and voila finish. Also, in the Medical checkup, it took me almost 2 days when i was applying for Philcom, and here it only took me 20 minutes and everything finished from blood to physical check up. Hmmmm, mind you, even taking the blood pressure was automated.

Thursday, May 25, 2006

Suntec City



Our office is located at Suntec Tower One. The place they called as the Suntec City, consist of 5 towers constructed in a circle way around a very huge fountain (Fountain of Wealth) which according to Guinness World Record is the biggest fountain in the world. So that night, same ordinary boring night, I decided to sit down near that fountain and just wait until 10pm. It was a sight, when the fountain starts its Lights Show. There were 5 spotlights (I think…) pointed towards the very huge fountain, which creates amazing patterns on the flowing water. It was beautiful really but it only made my homesickness worst…well at least I can still control it. There were quite few Filipinos around this area or maybe I have not seen them yet. Lovers were sitting, cuddling and hugging around the fountain. Then I noticed that after the Lights show, the water stopped and people began encircling the center fountain 3 times. The center was like a Jacuzzi where it continuously gush water from its pipe. The announcer said, it was for good luck, and the people are touching the water from it. Hmmmmm, someday I will come down there, to do the same…..perhaps it will bring good luck and wealth to me also.

Tuesday, May 23, 2006

Singapore Here I come

I arrived here in Singapore just last May 17, 2006 at exactly 6pm. Changi International Airport was one amazing clean airport here. Singapore from the airplane looks like a woven carpet. Trees and bushes were planted in an unbelievable straight line. This was my first day here, so I was a little bit nervous at the same time. Singaporeans are generally nice and smiling. Just like a typical Chinese. Also there are so many Indians living in Singapore. Then I was told to go to Waterloo Hostel 55 for my accommodation and there I was met with a huge room and the scenic view of the Singapore Arts and Museum and Bayview Hotel. It was a good sight, but really I was very lonely thinking of my family in the Philippines. The hotel was located on the Waterloo street crossing the Middle Road and Bencoleen Street. It was really quite a peaceful and silent evening for me, so is started strolling around the corner, to ease out my loneliness. I noticed a fashion show in Nanyang School of Arts Academy, so I stop and watch for a while. These Singaporeans were quite good on those dress designs. They were having foreigners as their ramp models. Then I gone into a Hindu temple near the Bencoleen street, where I sit for a while watching every people passes by. It was festive on that area but really I was still lonely, perhaps just trying to adjust on my environment.

Hopefully I can buy a digicam in the future so I can post some pictures here. As for now, I have so much to tell you, but I will take it up on next post.

Sunday, May 07, 2006

Being wacky in IT

Spending too much time in server room and watching these blinking lights, lcd monitors and green/red icons, makes you feel little bored sometimes. So its time to be wacky.



IT Room is hunted.....I see people..ugly people.



Spending quality time with servers...smile people for once!!



Muse of IT room..hehehhe not exactly from our department but a good friend of the group



Hmmm..let us relax dude, time for a snack.



Work all of you!!! or I will eat you!! har! har! Is that the manager?...



The original group...IT SYSOPS...

Saturday, May 06, 2006

A journey to a new path (Singa)

I just received a message from Delta Networks yesterday that my employment pass for Singapore has been approved in principle. It was good news and a mixture of happiness and sadness swirls in my heart that moment. Happy, because I will have the opportunity to work in a country which is known for its world class IT services and sad at the same time because i have to leave again. It was written in the Bold Letters "to work as a WIRELESS SOLUTIONS SPECIALIST". Well, well i do not know yet what faith prepares for me on this new journey. I heard i will be crossing Asian countries every now and then. Hmmm nice to hear, but as they said, gotta read and study the contract very well. When in doubt ask and negotiate. Salary is not really that high compared to a system administrator working there in Singapore, but i was hoping other benefits would come in aside from the basic salary. Well, hope that if crossing countries will be part of this job, then expect that i will be blogging it every now and then. Bye for now.