Chips for Lunch

Still on my first week at work, being in an all new location in what seemed to be like a completely different world, I decided to try to bring chips and just bought me a Mocha Freeze at the gelato place nearby and I was off with my lunch.

I had lunch under this beautiful shade...

Trees in America are just so adorable, they are all beautiful and so inviting to the eyes. First few weeks I was here I fell in love with cherry blossoms that I wanted to have one in the garden at home - but then, it was winter. Spring is currently kidding everybody as it still gets cold from time to time, but I bet I could make the cherry blossoms my project at last, if only not for the flowers popping out from everywhere in the garden.

Anyway, here is how my lunch looked like...

Lately, my tummy has been getting used to the idea of just eating chips or a slice of cake for lunch, and surprisingly it doesn't complain! This is a good sign, I could just pack me a sandwich and a little side dish everyday - no sweat - and I'm good to go for my lunch, I'm glad this is working for me because to be honest, bringing lunch to work is way too economical! I just have to make sure that I eat heavy breakfast, preferably with rice so I could avoid passing out!

Mr. Pickle's Sandwich for Lunch

So I was recently accepted in a part-time job in a cozy place, and thinking about lunch is the last thing that I would want to bother myself with. Across where I work, there is a Mr. Pickle's sandwich shop where people in Los Gatos are crazy about. Yesterday I had a slice of cake and a glass of mocha freeze and I paid $10 inclusive of sales tax for lunch, and for a Filipino what I had was not even lunch at all! So today I decided to try to have at least a decent lunch that is worth my every dollar. Sure enough I had it when I bought some unexpectedly huge American tuna sandwich at Mr. Pickle's for almost $7.

Working 24 hours a week and spending an average of $10 for lunch is not good based on my level of lifestyle in terms of what I could afford! Plus I couldn't help myself from converting my expense to Philippine Peso!

I could probably prepare a regular sandwich which I'll bring with me at work for lunch and just buy me a drink in that little cozy gelato place - PLAN. Mr. Pickle's is a good choice but it is way beyond what I should be spending, I have to be practical in here. Again, this is America, I mean, food is affordable at the rate I am earning but I couldn't just afford the luxury to spend that much for lunch!

I am still in the lookout though for a restaurant around Los Gatos that serves rice.

Driving in America

I was driving in the Philippines, and I was kind of confident to drive anywhere as they say: If you could drive in the Philippines, you could drive anywhere.

During my early days in America I was eager to get my driver license immediately so I could learn my way around the new place. Unfortunately, after three failed attempts and until now, I still don't have my driver license. The thing was, I wasn't allowed to get a driver license unless I have legal documents to show, like a green card or a work permit - whichever document comes first, so I waited for months and months until my work permit arrived two weeks ago. Now I am reviewing this California driver handbook and I have been practicing sample tests online. I want to get the permit on the first take, I really wanted to prove something, I WANT TO PROVE THAT I HAVE THE COMMON SENSE to answer a hundred situational driving questions haha!

This afternoon I was facing the handbook, with a flexible goal of finishing my review by 5 pm, but unfortunately I gave in to another book and dozed off. The plan is to take the test on Monday, cramming on play and I couldn't help it. This is how I usually do it to be honest. I don't know, I just feel I needed to take a nap, today is a lazy day for me. I should go on with my review...

There are just a few things that I need to get used to:

* Stop when there is a school bus with flashing red lights on your way. Failure to stop means a fine of $1,000.

* Speed limit of 65 mph (or not more than 70 mph) on freeway, 25 mph on residential areas.

* No parking in commercial areas.

* When changing lanes: check rear then side mirror, count to 5, glance back before changing lanes.

* Definitely no tailgaiting.

* Come to a full stop when there are signs (this is actually on almost every corner) to check for pedestrians.

* No honking unless needed.

In the Philippines, I was used to driving bumper to bumper - that is so far considered tailgaiting. I park in commercial areas, I actually park in NO PARKING areas. There is no speed limit, I can honk at any time I like, and I pass any vehicle not mindful of pavement signs. I did not practice the right of way religiously as it is believed to be the most common cause of collisions in the Philippines.

... and a lot more! I have to write it down on my next post.

Looking for a Job in America

It has been four months and I am still trying to figure out what would my career be like in America. Being a stay at home wife for this short period of time has already enabled me to do business in the side by selling online and exporting a little branded goodies to the Philippines, and by writing web content for advertisers in the internet.

I have submitted my professional resume to over fifty companies that posted a hire online. I've been thinking why after all these months only two of those companies have called me for an interview? Was there something wrong with my resume? Do I need to revise my resume?

Here is the thing though, I am not really used to writing a very impressive resume since I was used to using the basic resume I created after graduating college. I was able to get myself a job in the Philippines using that resume and I stayed there for five years. In America, there is no consideration for a "pleasing personality" at all that a photo in your resume is not even necessary, at first I was confused why the online application prompted me to remove my photo. Here, it is fair and all companies would claim they are "equal opportunity employers" without regard to race, disability, and furthermore to "pleasing personality". So I woke up to the realization that the upfront competition in getting the job is primarily based on a very impressive resume.

I wanted to get noticed by prestigious companies around San Jose that I decided to create a resume that captured all of my acquired skills from my five years professional experience. Being a Sales Executive for two years, and a Marketing Manager for over three years, I covered some administrative jobs from clerical to customer service, accounting jobs from invoicing and generating accounting reports and other data using the accounting software Peach Tree, retail to corporate selling, market research and analysis, creating and closing contracts, heavy marketing presentations, massive advertising, conducting trade launches and events, creating and implementing consumer and dealer-directed promotional activities, to even creating designs for corporate giveaways. Five years of staying in the same company has enabled me to become even almost an expert in logistics and operations. I am confident that I got it, but I am just crossing my fingers that employers here would count the good professional experience I gathered in the Philippines.

I then searched for some free resume templates online and put some of its impressive structure and wordings altogether to create the general professional resume that I wanted. It is so convenient that you could actually find a lot of resume examples over the web with a wide variety of resume formats. There is even an online resume builder that you could conveniently use. I took advantage of these online resources and submitted my revised resume to companies hiring online and thus at last, the very first job interview that I would be attending is only six days away.

Here is another step that I would take, to research on the company and practice some interview Q & A's. I really have to make sure I don't ask the interviewer to repeat the question for me all because I don't get his accent.

Home Favorite: Febreeze Fabric Refresher

Being surrounded by heavy comforters, mattresses, clothes on the rack and in the closet, shoes, carpet, and the what not, having some fabric refresher around the house makes life easy.

Nobody likes odor. Whoever invented the fabric refresher is just brilliant! We don't have this in the Philippines, and I so love it that they have this product in here to help home buddies maintain home freshness and decency. Just perfect!

First Time DST Experience

Daylight Saving Time or DST is the practice of temporarily advancing clocks during the summertime so that afternoons have more daylight and mornings have less. Typically clocks are adjusted forward one hour near the start of spring and are adjusted backward in autumn.

I saw the DST notice pre-marked in the calendar two days ago, but I have completely forgotten about it when I woke up this morning. I set an alarm for 8:30 am, but I noticed the wall clock was still 7:30. I rerun a flashback at the back of my mind to recall if I changed my timezone the night before, but I don't remember changing it so I borrowed my husband's phone and told me that phone clocks automatically adjusts the time during DST. So that was it, I thought I was crazy for a while miscalculating time. DST started 2 a.m. today, March 13 and as I read that means longer spring and summer days until November.

It feels weird to still have a bright clear sky at almost 7:30 pm. Well, we all have our first time! Spring is here!

1st Time Laundry Experience: The Washer and The Dryer

Scenario: Washers and dryers in America, no matter how old, are all heavy duty and they all work on their own, all you have to do is put detergent powder and fabric conditioner and wait until they finish the job. Not one Filipino dreads laundry day in America as it is, to be honest, so close to being convenient. Some washers may have pressing options too.

For a Filipino like me who's used to the regular washer and dryer in the Philippines, having these heavy duty laundry equipment to use is such a major level-up. The process of draining the water and replacing the water for pre-wash and rinsing, plus the on call necessity to combine hand-washing are already eliminated. Also, unlike our regular dryer that just squeezes off the water, the heavy duty dryers here dries the load all the way, like its really dry "DRY" and smoking hot!

I had to be oriented with a lot of household gadgets during my first few days here, because early on, I was seen the potential of breaking things, and that included the washer! I loaded two comforters and put it at extra large, as I saw and assessed it that time, the load was just enough, until approximately fifteen minutes later when my housemate saw water overflowing in the garage, and that was when we noticed the washer has stopped working and water was leaking from it. I had to unload those comforters and had to take it to the laundromat just so I could finish washing it all the way. There are spare washers around the house though but they are not quite as good as compared to the washer that I sabotaged. Fortunately though, after a day, my brother-in-law was able to figure out whats wrong with the washer and was able to restore it to its normal working condition. That washer has already served this family for a couple of years and just last month, the washer finally gave up. We then replaced it with a washer Honey stole from across our neighbor's sidewalk! Well, this is America, and what's good around here is that there are a lot of FREE functioning stuff almost everywhere, and you know its FREE and its yours when the item is sitting in the sidewalk. Technically, Honey did not steal that washer, of course not, because it was on the sidewalk, but he just had the feeling he stole it because it looks like its new and maybe our neighbor was just waiting for somebody to help them take the washer to the garage.

I notice good looking washers and dryers in department stores and I dream of getting us a brand new one when I get rich. I am forever in love with red because it is such a bright color, and thus, my wish is to get us a brand new Maytag Maxima Laundry Pair:


Maybe somebody out there could help me get rich overnight... I want this laundry pair sooo bad!