Thursday, June 19, 2008

Beware

Each day wasn’t complete without spending approximately 4 hours in the internet. I didn’t care to apply through agencies because in the first place I didn’t have the money and second ESL teacher hiring is rare in agencies.

I was in the middle of the road riding on a tricycle when my mobile rang. “Hello, Could I possibly speak to Ms. Estrellita Mayonila?” the voice with a British accent asked. “Yes this is Estrellita.” I answered kinda shouting to overpower the noises from the tricycle and the other vehicles around. “Wow! Are you outside? The noise’s a bit hurting my ears.” She said she will call me back after 5 minutes. The driver got mad at me because I told him to stop right away while we were still in the middle of the road. Before he realized I was already out from his tricycle and ran myself to the nearby pavement. (Thanks that I paid him ahead.) Five minutes after the lady called back. In a hurried voice she asked me how soon I can get a visa for Japan because they wanted to hire me as a teacher. She added that she will call back again after 2 days. I was bowled over; it was mind-boggling that I was hired without any interview or exams. Of course, I didn’t believe what she said.

I told Rodnie and my brother in Japan about the call both of them have the same answered it was fraud. Two days had passed the lady didn’t call back. However, I received another call but it wasn’t from Japan but from China saying they’re also interested to hire me but at least this time there was a kind of interview. She advised me to apply for a tourist visa first to make everything fast and easy and we’ll process the working visa later. She sounded convincing to me yet I told her that I might need their school profile during my visa application. She said she will email me but she never did.
Those guys were rather unlucky to choose me as a prey.

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

The force was with me

My dream that I was flying happened at least 3 times a week and I was already so exasperated. I wanted to disregard everything: the mental, physical and emotional weariness that I incurred and of course I wanted to forget my dream, my desire to work abroad.

For a week of not asking anything from God, this time I yielded. “God could you pls. give me peace of mind?” I humbly asked. Well, God didn’t answer me because there was I again up above flying in my dreams. Then I finally realize that no one can ever solve my predicament except me. So I recalled again the 2 likely reasons why I had this dream: first because of my strong yearning to really work abroad and second this is another sign that God is giving me. I can’t deny myself that the first reason was utterly right and what if the second reason is also right? Suddenly my Aquarian personality hit me and these words were seemingly glowing what was once a dark road “Every Cloud has a Silver Lining” I went back to the church and there I walked again with my knees from the entrance to the altar, teary-eyed I said my prayers again and again.

Guided by optimism and faith I started sending resumes and applications in the internet for ESL teacher to all non-english speaking countries. (maximum of 12 applications a day) I did this for a year. 50% did not reply and 50% acknowledged my applications with 2 common reasons: they don’t have vacancy or they need a native-english speaking teacher.

But this time,there was no room for giving up. I felt like I was a Jedi in Starwars ( lol) “the force was with me”