I know I have not been in this space since November of last year. So hello again. I hope you all have been well.
Funny that I am restarting my blogging (even if blogging is dead but I prefer to express myself in writing rather than going in front of a live camera) with an ending. In a different circumstance, I would be writing again to share a start of a new journey but now I am reblogging from an ending of a short-lived adventure that I have embarked.
Let me explain. Many things happened from 2023 to 2024. Many things were brewing - decisions made, plans decided- mid-year of 2023. My husband and I discussed early on 2023. We were well aware that we have been living in Oman for 4 years and it was difficult for my husband to find a decent good paying job in Oman, also considering the logistics of us needing a helper and a driver/ transportation service for our kids if he find a job. It was not at all practical for him to get a job in Oman and his salary will all go to the helper +/- driver. I know my hubby been wanting to back to work for quite sometime now. So even if it is not the most ideal, we decided that summer of 2024, he and kids will officially go home for good in the Philippines. He will start a restaurant business while the kids start school in Philippines just in time for school year of 2024 will open. My sister who owns restaurant business in the Philippines have decided for us to franchise on of their business - a Korean BBQ restaurant. We were excited and accepted the offer.
So early 2023 that was the plan - our kids will finish up the 2023 school year in Oman and summer 2024, we all go home to the Philippines (me on vacation while my hubby & kids will stay in Philippines for good). Original plan was - my family go home and I stay back in Oman for 2 more years. If the the business is going great in the Philippines, I will resign from my work in Oman and plan to go on training in a medical specialty that I have always wanted.
But life threw a surprise curveball and we decided to catch it. My friend who has been working a longtime in Singapore messaged me if I wanted to go back to work in Singapore. My immediate response was: "It's okay. I am fine here in Oman. My family will be going home to the Philippines next year and if all things goes well, I will follow them soon too." She mentioned there is a new hospital that is opening and they need new doctors. I told my friend that I will ask my other friends if they are interested to apply. I told my husband about my conversation with my friend and he said, "Why don't you try applying." He said Singapore is nearer to the Philippines and I can go home easily or they can come other anytime unlike if I am in Oman which is approximately 10 hours flight trip away from the Philippines. I realised that he does have a point and decided to send my CV to the new hospital. I sent in with the thought that if they accept my application to the job then the work is really for me and if I don't get the job, it's really no big deal because I am comfortable in my work in Oman & I am compensated well also.
I sent my CV the next day to the email my friend gave me. By Monday, I received an email reply from the hospital HR. They asked me what department I wanted to join in and the next few weeks of email correspondence, the hospital set a Zoom interview meeting. I was interviewed by the head of department and an HR representative. After two weeks, I got the news that I was accepted for the job! I guess I was meant to get the job. With this news, my husband and I adjusted our initial plans of moving to them moving back to the Philippines by summer 2024 but instead we decided to move up the moving date to July 2023 instead. The next few weeks and months were a stressful series of packing, trying to sell our car in Oman and processing of reinstating my Singapore medical license. Selling of our car was one big hurdle we had to face and it caused us to rebook my husband's & kids' flight trip back to mid- August. But all is well, when finally we managed to settle the selling of our car to car company and my family flew back to Iloilo City while I remain in Oman.
Those were tough few months when they left. It was the first time that we are like permanently apart from each other. I was so used to having them around and the household family routines we do daily. On top of that, my stress levels were through the roof while processing my Singapore medical license even if there is a Singapore agency who is assisting me. I had my experience during my previous doctor job in Singapore that processing the Singapore medical license takes some time and many documents are needed for the license to be approved. It is understandable that the Medical Council will do their due diligence to ensure that the applicant is really a practicing medical doctor. But it was just a stressful time for me and gathering all the requirements brought to tears many times that I vowed to myself this will be the last time I will be applying to a job abroad.
Finally by end of Nov 2023, my medical license was approved and I can tender my resignation to my current hospital. I filed my resignation and by December, I went home to the Philippines for my annual vacation. I was happy that I got to spend with my family before my work transition to Singapore.
I returned back to Oman by early January 2024 to finish my remaining weeks of notice and tidy up what is needed to be done in Oman before I leave. By 1st week of March, I was back in the lah lah land of chicken rice, kopi and the magnificent Merlion. When I arrived in Singapore airport immigration area, I felt like going back to another home, everything looked same but older like it aged like me. However when I went out of immigration area, I saw a glimpse of the new Singapore - The Jewel. I was not sure if I still belong to Singapore, nor do I think I belong in Oman nor even in Philippines. I was facing a residential crisis.
First day in Singapore was so hectic and exhausting. I don't have a hotel booking so I hauled my luggages to my agency office, meet up with my friend, returned to buy agency office and hauled my luggages to the temporary HR office of the hospital to meet with HR executives to review our original documents. I was super exhausted and I have to navigate my way in mall because I can't manage to make my Singapore phone number work and I have to find a bus to take me to the temporary lodging I have rented for a month, while dragging my luggages. I finally arrived in the apartment unit I have booked. The owner of the place was very nice. She chatted quite a bit but my body was screaming to rest. When I finally was able to excuse myself in my room, I called my family in the Philippines and I still have to tutor my eldest son for his school assignment. When I was done, I slept so deeply from the extreme exhaustion, I was probably snoring so loud.
The next few weeks was for processing some administrative stuff before my official work. Those were the time also that I looked for a permanent accommodation while reacquainting myself to Singapore. Of course, I indulged myself with all the foods I have missed here. Laksa, Kopi, Kaya Toast, soft boiled eggs, chicken rice, duck rice, and many more. During that time, I met up with my newly married niece and her husband who stayed in Singapore for a few days before heading to Australia. We visited the Gardens By The Bay and ate in Satay By The Bay.
I was informed that I will be starting work on 25 March. I will be temporarily stationed in a sister hospital before the official opening of the new hospital. I also managed to secure a common room in a condo unit near the new hospital for my permanent accommodation.
I was excited but apprehensive with my new work. It is my first time to work in a tertiary hospital. I have been exposed to outpatient work and my work in primary hospital in Oman was similar to my polyclinic work with added occasional medical emergencies and antenatal obstetrics job scope. Even if the last hospital I worked at in Oman was tertiary hospital and I was working under the Internal Medicine Department, it was a tertiary hospital for psychiatric patients. The medical specialty I will be working at is also very new to me and I haven't been expose to it during my Family Medicine training but I was excited to learn something new. I have always been confident of my resiliency and ability to adapt in new environment.
By May, the new hospital opened. It is such a beautiful new hospital and I was glad to be a part of it. It was up and running by the time it has opened. Patients kept coming and working piled in. My bosses and seniors were all so gracious in teaching me the ropes and guiding me. I like learning the new specialty and opened my eyes to a wonderful collaboration of working with multidisciplinary team & caring for patients with life-limiting illnesses.
As days dragged on, work increasing, patients multiplied, exhaustion manifesting so is my unbearable homesickness and guilt of being away from my family especially my kids. I used to remotely help out with our Korean BBQ restaurant business in Iloilo City but I couldn't anymore. I would often tutor my kids for their school work or have time to drop a video call with my usual sunny self but I couldn't anymore. I would often go home by 7PM and at one time 8PM, too exhausted to even do any of my usual evening routine, I would just climb in bed, pull the comforter covers over my head and doze off to sleep only to wake up at 5AM to prepare for work. My heart broke when during my kids' recognition program where the 3 of them got each a Honor (Scholastic) Award, they video called me and my middle son said, "Mommy, I am sad. Why are you not here?" My heart broke in million pieces. Also during my eldest son's birthday, they video called me so I can sing Happy Birthday with them while blowing the candle from the birthday cake, I have to turn off the video because rounds are starting. When I managed to call them back, they have left the resort where they at and they have finished the party already. I hold back my tears while I continued on to work until next day morning because I was on full call duty that day.
Just this July, my husband informed me that his business partner (his brother) will be leaving soon for a work abroad and he will be left managing the business himself which is quite tough for him to do own his own while taking care of our three kids. I realised that my main reason for taking this new job is my family, so I can be near them. But I realised the distance, no matter how comparable short the plane ride, is still far if I am not with them. I fear that my kids will get used to me being far from them and they will grow apart from me. I thought long and hard and after speaking to my husband, we decided that the best decision would be for me to just go home and be with them. We are always better together and this arrangement will not do for us. So I spoke to my boss and tendered my resignation the next working day.
I felt at peace with my decision. So there it is, my short stint back to work in Singapore. But I am leaving soon. By last day of work will be the 3rd week of this month and by 1st week of September, I will be flying back to the Philippines.
This is me, resigning from a life of moving to different countries, seeking new adventure. I will open a new chapter of life in my hometown, seeking new adventures there and importantly, with my family.
If you want to check in here from time to time, do drop by. I would love to hear from you. Just because I would be in any foreign land my life will get boring. Life can still surprise us in many ways.......
