Half A Year in 'Pinas: How's My Life So Far...

Exactly six months ago (January 13),I boarded Silk Air Asia from Singapore Changi Airport and arrived in Mactan International Airport around 1PM ( so around 1PM is officially my six months here after almost five years of being an OFW. Gosh, I have been reading all my January posts and it brings back so many memories! Like how nervous I was and all that mixed emotions I was feeling six months ago.)


It seems like lifetime ago, I'm telling you but gosh... six months lang pa la!


So many things happen in my personal life ( death of Ganni, family drama, house construction, Stark and Pepper... I'm sure I posted everything in this site) that's why six months feels like forever to me.


How's life treating me so far?


FrugalExpat's e-mail came in just in the right time. She has "Balikbayan Questions". Here it is:



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Hello Maria, 

Kamusta na?

I have been following your blog since you are back in Philippines. How is it? How are you settling down?

Sensya na if I am 'usyusera' ha. I am asking because I finally decided to go back home in 2019. Still few years away, but I have quite a long list of financial goals to achieve. :-)

I have been away from pinas since 2002 and I guess the average vacation I have is 2-3 weeks. 

I am a bit afraid to settle down because I know it will be a big adjustment for me.  I noticed that when I went home last June. 

When I came back here from Pinas, I felt that I was back at home. This has been my home for more than a decade. 

So I would like to know how is it settling down in Pinas after being an OFW? I want to prepare myself. ( Emphasis added)

I have another question. I am buying also a town house in GenSan. I have never lived in a townhouse ever. 

How is it? Dli ba kapoy na you have a very close neighbor? Just asking and want to know your opinion. ( Emphasis added)

I am still in the reservation fee sa townhosue so I can still let it go if it is not really so pleasant to stay. 

Cheers

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Life here is great but challenging. 

The traffic is horrendous, especially in the old brige (UC's fault!), that's why staying home is ideal, and you can get anything within Mactan area so no need to cross the bridge. I'm glad the proposed third bridge is already approved,though it will be completed in 2018 pa, and my place would greatly benefit from the third bridge construction. So yah.

Life here is great but sometimes boring.

From working like a carabao abroad to being just at home taking it easy and getting lazy, it is so hard sometimes. My blood is craving for going out and getting busy, but I'm stuck at home managing the house construction and minding Stark and Pepper, after all they are just puppies.

Spending wise, I am being careful not to overspend. My house construction budget isn't depleted yet, so that's good. Daily expenses is under control, so that's good as well. If I keep my expenses this low, I could survive three to four years without touching any of my paper investments. But, for the sake of my sanity, I need to get busy with business or I could get work, ideally after house construction, para whatever I could get with my future salary/profit, it would go to my expenses so I won't get to touch my three to four years living expenses/emergency fund. Hey, my monthly budget is only Php 6,500- 7,000 ( yep, that low) so if I could get a job that I like within Mactan area and with salary range within my expenses, I'm good.


First few months here were really kind of hard for me. Summer heat and humidty was brutal but I'm glad it cool down nowadays with the rain and all.


Up until now, I get pissy with saleslady who doesn't give me exact change. Sometimes, I forget about it and wont go back to that certain store. That's why I love shopping at La Nueva Mactan coz they give exact change even few cents more. ( I know, I am promoting La Nueva but I am in love with that store. They carry mostly local stuffs, give exact change, much cheaper than other stores to name a few things I love about that store.)

What it's like to be living in a townhouse?

Safe-wise, I love living in a townhouse. Because of the close proximity with neighbors, it's easy to just shout if ever something happens to you and the neighbors could hear it ( especially with our recent family drama, safety is the top of my priority.) I love our neighborhood coz we have SWAT officers here, lawyers, Airforce, Navy, etc. living among us. Plus, where I live, the homeowner's association officers are super active (they actually just launch a coop, but that's another blogpost) and they are really big on keeping the neighborhood clean and safe.

What I also love about my place is I live right across the basketball court and the playground and soon to rise clubhouse, so I get to see the crowd and, for someone who is mostly alone in the house, that is a plus.


Pray that you won't have a next door neighbor who is insecure and who complains a lot, like the neighbor I have. She is known to complain, from the sound of the dribbling ball ( and the homeowner officer point it to her:  "why did you choose a unit that is across the basketball court in the first place?) I learned how to deal with her by not being overly friendly with her- just hi and hello and that's it. She has some kind of reputation around here so if she complains about anything that involves me and my unit, I just dust it off coz that is just the way she is.

Townhouse is fine starter home if you ask me. If I were to choose another unit, I'd choose this place all over again. I kind of love this place and the neighborhood, plus... the view from my rooftop... BEST.. PLACE.. EVER..