So Long, Singapore!

 So I guess, this is finally it! My last couple of weeks in Singapore.

This blog post is dedicated to Singapore - my second home. I set foot in Singapore for the first time on 9th July 2014. Who would've thought that I will step onto the soil of Singapore to compete in a singing competition? It all started as a dream. Ever since I was young, I always dreamt of coming to the Lion City just to see the Merlion. My influencer? My godfather. He showed me a lot of photos and attractions with the then-not so established city and from there, the dream of coming here was on top of my bucket list. I really worked my arse off to be able to afford a plane ticket as some who went here said it was quite expensive to live and breathe here. A lot of hearsays did not discourage me from following my dream. The first oportunity knocked on my door when I was a part of a choral group in college - (shoutout!) University of Batangas Chorale. This group is the first choral group in my province to compete in the international stage. We vied a lot of competitions just to get ourselves ready for the standards of the international choral scene and we did not fail! We won the silver diplomas on the 3 categories we joined. Guess what?! It was my Godfather who sponsored everything for me - from the plane ticket to the ppocket money. It was all expenses paid! That was my first aeroplane ride and I couldn't hide both my excitement and nervousness. That was my first time to experience turbulence so it was really scary for me but hey, there's always a room for first timers right? After this experience, Singapore never went off my mind anymore. Fast forward to 2017, I was just a dreamer who told myself I would work hard to achieve the things that I want. God heard this prayer and my then-boyfriend's relatives helped me to stay in Singapore for a month to hunt for jobs. Yes! I came here using my STVP or short-term visit pass. This pass allows anyone to stay in Singapore legally for 30 days and just before it ended, I was able to find a job. Kowabunga! Global Pte. Ltd. accepted me here in Singapore and I worked for them for 3 years and 10 months. Not all happy beginnings will stay that happy because due to the strict MOM guidelines now, I was not able to meet the requirement and so I had to say bye bye to the company to my kids. I started as a Student Care Teacher until Nov 2020 and got promoted into an Assistant Supervisor. The growth that I have is coupled with hardships, endurance-test and a lot of breaking, but what doesn't kill you makes you stronger (by Kelly Clarkson). It was not easy to be in this position, it took me years to endure everything and thank God because my parents taught me to persistent and resilient come what may.

Singapore will always have a special place in my heart. I will always come back to this paradise. I would like to thank my housemates in 296D and in Regent Grove for allowing me to be who I am, for seeing the good in me despite of and in spite of. My rollercoster ride in Singapore will not be a smooth sail without these beautiful people. This is not good bye but rather, I'll see you soon.

Until then,

Jhara