The kindness of friends and strangers

This post is supposed to be about a turning-point in my life, or in my family's life for that matter. My wife and I both have resigned from work, and last Saturday was our last day on the job. It's kind of sad, really, to be leaving friends and the place where I have spent most of my waking hours for the past 8 years. But it is to be so, because we are leaving the country and starting anew in New Zealand (we are moving mid-September).

We have been given Work to Residence Visas, which means that I, as the principal applicant, need to find a skilled job particularly in the IT Industry and stick with one job for three months. I will consequently be evaluated and hopefully our family will then be given Permanent Residence Visas.

I only have nine months to make this work actually, so if you know anybody in the Wellington, New Zealand area who can help me land a job, do inform me. I will deeply appreciate it.

But in the transition phase of moving, I was really touched by people who gave their time and effort to make my last few days in Manila memorable. There's Team Marketing who festooned my office space with balloons and they had a scrapbook circulated to friends who wrote messages for me; Pauline gave me a camera because she knew I wanted even just a small one and I haven't bought one because I have other priorities now;

Some office friends treated me out to lunch at Teriyaki Boy because I have been wanting to try their menu for the longest time;

Ms. Alyssa Raval of TwinTrade Enterprises, our supplier of giveaways for the longest time, treated me out to lunch at GreenBelt 5 and she even took the time to look extra gorgeous for this moment;

My good friends Yoyo and Roger took time out and drove the rented van from Manila to Baguio so I can transport my things in safety, and they left for Manila the very next day;

I found my pair of eyeglasses but the nosepad was missing a screw. I dropped by Ideal Vision at the ground floor of Walter Mart Makati to have it fixed. The lady at the counter fixed it for me at no charge;

Ms. Dessa of our HR Department made me feel real important as she listened to my stories in my exit interview.

It is a happy, sad, exciting, scary time for us right now. I know that everything is ultimately up to me to make it work, but with friends and even kind strangers trying to make a difference, I know that I can, too.