God is already there!

Living in the US is not easy. At least, not for me. My husband is also an immigrant like me so both of us are working very hard for the future of our family. Right now, we are both in school. He is studying to become a licensed tax preparer and working on becoming a CPA while I am studying at UCLA to supplement my degree and learn new things and have fun.=)

Good things happen while Alex and I are working on our respective businesses. He topped his tax class and is now advancing to advance tax classes. Tax season is almost here and licensed preparers are in demand. I am proud of him for working so hard to be best in whatever he does. On my end, my class just ended and thankfully I got an A. I also applied for a grant for winter quarter. Hope my application gets approved. If not, I will find a way to enroll again next quarter. It is just freaking expensive to study in this country. So annoying, but something tells me it is worth it.

I am really hoping and praying that I will get into a teaching credential program next year. I have been in the US for 1.5 years now and after all that happened and I went through, it is about time to enroll in a teacher prep program. It takes a year to become credentialed and I want to start as soon as possible. I can no longer waste time.

Thank God for my greencard which helped me get around and plan these things. The day I got my greencard was one of the happiest day in my life. Alex was sooo happy too, after all the money and effort we've spent.Whew. But God is good, He answers prayers. He knows what He is doing.

God has been the author of everything that had happened, is happening, and will happen. No worries, God is already there, wherever we go and whatever we do!

Anniversary special

So two weeks ago, Alex and I went to San Diego and celebrated our anniversary there. Felicia, his cousin, was so nice to accommodate us over the weekend. Overall, it was a very nice experience. I praise God more for blessing Alex and me with a very happy marriage.

So we left in the morning of Saturday, took Amtrak train to San Diego. I thought it would be a 2-hr boring ride but when I started seeing beaches along the way, I got excited. It was my first time to see so beautiful beaches and resorts in California. I have been to San Francisco, I live in LA, but the beaches here and up north have not appealed me. San Diego beaches did!! We arrived at our destination at around lunchtime. After Felicia picked us up at the Amtrak Station, we went for a walk along the harbor in downtown. She showed us San Diego skyline which looks like a toolbox. I was awed by the waters again. The beaches are just soooo beautiful. I cannot stop admiring it. Alex always warned me, "No swimming please," and I would teased him back,"But yes to jumping, right?" The water was just tempting but I did not give in. I did not bring my swim wear. Too bad. We then headed to a school where a football game was going on. Felicia's fiance served as the coach of the team. It was fun seeing middle schoolers playing tough football. I was munching on chips on cheese jalapeno and finishing my orange juice I bought on the train while watching the game. I clapped and cheered, and admired the young cheerleaders. After Felicia's fiance Aaron's team won, they both drove Alex and me to Coronado, an island that is part of San Diego. They showed us Hotel de Coronado and we bought ice cream afterwards. We also drove to Chula Vista, the city just at the border of Mexico and California. There was a huge Mexican flag on the hills indicating that that part we are seeing is already Mexico. I saw Mexico from a distance! It was my first time to see a different country from another country a few meters away from me! We then headed to the couple's place getting ready for dinner which Alex has been longing for months.

At 8pm, wearing my shorts and black shirt with a Philippine peso printed on it, I went with Alex to Old Cafe, where the best Mexican restaurant (according to him) is located. Wearing his 'Mahal Kita' shirt, he was so happy that night to see tortilla-making being shown in public just in front of the restaurant. We had the freshest tortilla for dinner along with our respective meal.

On Sunday, we decided to go on a ferry ride to Coronado. It was just a 30-minute ride on the ocean but I really enjoyed every minute of it. We had breakfast in the island and headed back to San Diego through the ferry again. We then went hiking up in one of the short mountains. I thought it would be a nonsense hike but lo and behold, the exercise was worth it. The sight when we got on top was amazing! Blue waters are all I can see! Big and beautiful waves are a sight to behold! I could sit down there and stare at them for the rest of my life.

We went down the mountain and killed time walking on the seashore. The cold water on my feet was a tingle. The people on the sand were enjoyable to watch. San Diego is beautiful.

We went to catch the train at 4pm. It was a trip to remember. It is always nice to get away from our regular lives in LA. I proposed to Alex we should always try a different place on every anniversary we have. To visit a new state is better. I think that would be fun, especially when you're with someone you really love.

Thank you, Lord. Thank you, San Diego! Thank you, cielito! Happy Anniversary! We made it!

California 101

Well, things have been pretty crazy since the middle of this year. There were drastic changes in my life and the changes are good. For the better, as a matter of fact.

My life revolves around work, house, swimming, library, choir practice, church, and of course my husband.

Even if I already passed the California Subject Exam for Teachers (CSET) and I am already qualified to teach, I did not find a full-time teaching job that is really for me. I was in the waiting list at Oakland Unified School District, I was at the eligibility list at Pasadena Unified. I was accepted as a Substitute Instructional Aide at Burbank Unified, and I was hired by LA Unified as a teacher assistant. But I did not pursue any of them. I think I deserve more and that I might as well go back to school and take courses to help me become more qualified to teach.

So my work right now is at a company based in downtown LA. I work as an office assistant handling research and orders from Amazon.com and Overstock.com. Honestly, I enjoy what I do. The job is super busy that I cannot even notice the time passing by. The next thing I knew, it's already 5pm. I enjoy working with Paolo and Heidi, the other office personnel. There's challenge in the job. I am ok with what I am doing as long as I have something on the side. I easily get bored after work and my mind yearns to analyze and digest new things. Well, there is an instant answer to that. UCLA accepted me last week for its Certificate in Childhood Education program under its Extended Education Dept. What an opportunity to be able to study in the most prestigious university in California!I am so excited!This week, I will be able to enroll hopefully. I decided to take one course for now. I cannot afford to take more than that.

Well, as for our place, our poolhouse is still a mess. I mean, everything is in its right place but I just think Alex and I need a bigger place so we can be more organized. One very good thing about this place though is that we have a pool, just literally 5 steps from our doorstep. Since its summer, I always enjoy swimming there to have my own share of exercise. I love swimming very much that I even bought a Speedo goggles to keep my head safe from hitting the side of the pool which always happened when I close my eyes while swimming. Now with the goggles, I can freely swim around the pool without hurting myself.

Of course, I cannot forget Burbank Library where I frequent on Saturdays. Burbank residents are entitled to borrow 25 books and given 3 weeks before returning them. Libraries are always good to go to. There are always good books to read and new things to know. I am more interested in biographies of known and popular people. Ask me why. Because I am chismosa. Hahahaha.

My choir, Sole Voce of LA, has taken my time too. We have practices every Saturday and Sunday, 3-hr practices on each day. We are all Filipinos from different churches and we go to different churches to sing for the Lord and use our talents. My choirmates are really good singers. There are 20+ of them. Some of them are professional singers. We are eyeing on singing in Georgia next year. This December, we will go to San Francisco to, of course, sing. Sole Voce has become my social circle.

As for my church, I found a family at Burbank SDA Church. We are a small church and everybody feels at home. There is always love in the air and nobody is judged so Alex and I like going there. We are also active in the praise team which has practices every Thursday. We both feel very welcomed and loved under Pastor Jan's sheepfold. Thank you, Jesus.

Alex and I will be celebrating our 1st year anniversary on Sept12! Time flies really fast. Personally, I want to go to San Diego for a weekend getaway but Alex seems like to have some other plans for us. We had a long discussion over this but I think I will just trust him in this. He knows what he's doing. He has a new job now. He is already in the medical field with a team of doctors hiring him. I am so happy for him because he is happy with his job, he is not as stressed as he was in his previous job, thus we can spend more time together. He is also very well-trusted by his employers which is really cool. Plus, there is a very big room for growth.

Many, especially my parents, have been asking me if I am already pregnant. The answer is a big NO. Alex and I do not want to have children yet. We want both of us to be more prepared. We still want to enjoy each other's company. We still want to establish our career. We are young anyway. No reason to rush to have children. In time, we will have Kai and Cinzia.=)


Alex and I during our church's centennial anniversary 2 weeks ago

I miss dreaming

I have always been a dreamer. I always dream of things I want to achieve in my lifetime but lately, I have not done a lot of dreaming. And I miss it.

It always starts with looking at pictures or hearing stories about this and that. Listening to myself helps too. What do I want to do? How do I myself with years from now?

I have always wanted to travel and here I am, thousands of miles away from my home country. I still want to visit Hawaii, China, Japan, Europe, Canada, Panama, and many more!

I have always liked studying and I wanted to go to the premiere university of the Philippines after high school. Gotcha, I graduated in 2005! Now that I am in California, I want to take further studies in UCLA or CSU or CSULA. I want continuous world-class education!

I have always wanted to marry a nice, decent, conservative, tall, and handsome guy, and I have him now. Alex is one Godsend. Even if he grew up here in the US, he is more conservative than me. He is a strong foundation of our family. We're a great team.=) And everyday, we try our best to make our relationship stronger. I cannot ask for more.

I have always wanted to have a nice house and simple car. Nothing fancy. I am a simple woman. Those are still work in progress.

I want to have a baby for Alex. I cannot imagine myself yet carrying one or breastfeeding him/her. I am not even sure if I will be a good mom. Alex will be a good dad, for sure. Because of the love that we share, I think it's not a bad idea to have a 'souvenir' of the strong bond that we share. As a matter of fact, I am excited to see how our future children would look like. Tall with black hair? Short with black hair? Hairless? Brown skin? dark brown skin? Curly or straight hair? We plan on having two - Kai and Cinzia. While I am concerned on how our children would look like, Alex is more concerned on how are they going to behave. Sigh* So serious..

Let me continue.. I dream of working at a tall and classy corporate building wearing corporate attire with pumps, light makeup, and my laptop. That is the perfect picture for my dream career. I will be well-educated (with a PhD wishfully) with a stable job at a stable and prestigious company.

Dreaming...It feels soo good. It's nice to dream because it makes you focus on what you want to achieve in your life. Dreams all start in the mind, don't they?

hey!

It's been a long time huh. Well, been going around LA for job interviews. I finally got a job in downtown. It's with an online business company. I am one of the secretaries/clerks who work closely with the owner. I like the job because it is busy and there is no idle time. There are just so many things to do.

Good news!I already passed the California Subject Exam for Teachers (CSET) and I can already teach anywhere in the state. I am actually hoping for a full-time teaching job this coming September but if I cannot, it is still okay. It is still a win-win situation for me. I already have a job. I went to a teaching job interview last Wednesday and I had a 45-minute teaching demo. Well, the experience was really good. Let us wait and see and pray.

So working in the US is not easy. I need to leave the house at 6:30am so I can make it to work at 8am. Every night, I arrive around 7am at home. By that time, I am already tired. But it's still fun to cook and press my housewife mode button whenever I get home. Alex does not arrive until around 7:30pm so I usually make sure food is ready before he arrives.

What else can I say? Well, I need a car soon. I will save up for that.

work permit and SSN aftermath

Ok, so I got my work permit in April and my social security number 2 weeks ago. Meaning, I can finally look for a job that I want! No. My work permit just simply means I need to work on my desired career and not just any other job. Since I got my work permit, I've always had at least one interview every week. Praise God for that! With the recession and rising unemployment rate in California, my pace is not bad. I give God all the glory for that.

So what is my job now? Well, I am working on becoming a certified teacher. I need to take exams and education units to reach that goal. While I am doing that, people who know me very well know that I cannot just sit down and wait. I need to do SOMETHING. I need to WORK!! So I applied and applied, resulting to interviews scheduled week after week after week.

Week 1 - I was in Oakland with my husband for a job teaching interview. The Oakland Teaching Fellows invited me for a 6-hr interview. After two weeks, they told me I am on the waiting list because the Oakland School District made some budget cuts, but they encouraged me to continue keeping in touch with them because once a slot is opened, they will offer me a teaching position.

Week 2 - I was interviewed for a Receptionist/Marketing Assistant position for a skin care clinic in Glendale. A Filipino aesthetician owned the clinic. They hired me right on the spot. It's part-time and I get to write press releases, assist in marketing, invite more clients to come and avail of our services, etc.

Week 3 - I was interviewed by a staffing company for a Receptionist position at a medical office. The doctor really wants a Filipino receptionist. The interviewer really liked me and he already oriented me how the job should be, the pay, and the employer but...I changed my mind. After all the orientation, he told me I will be working on a Saturday and it is required. I politely told him I am not able to do it for religious reasons. We called it a day. Until now, the position has not been filled up yet.

Week 3 - I went to a building near my husband's workplace. A Marketing firm called me the day before for a Receptionist position but the guy said, my personality fits more for a Marketing position. Two days later, he called me and said I got the job and I will do marketing FULL-TIME. Waaah. I do not think I still want a marketing job. Enough is enough.

Week 4 - I had an interview yesterday for a Teacher Assistant position at a school in North Hills. It's high-performing, especially in Math and Science. Out of almost 20 Teacher Assistant job applications I did last week, only this school replied. This is how hard it is to find a job right now. Anyway, the interview went well. The Principal and the School Coordinator were basically asking me about my teaching experience in Palau. They said I am qualified. They will let me know next week what are the next steps to do. The school district has requirements I need to comply. School starts in September and so I still have time to do all the tests and they still have time to do background checking.

Week 5 - Interview on Monday next week for a Hotel Clerk position. Instructional Aide Test with Burbank Unified School District on Friday.

There you go. I really do not know where will I be in the next days/weeks. Let God lead me. I enjoy doing interviews and jobhunting. How I wish there's a job that entails jobhunting and be paid for doing it forever. I would love to have that job. I love jobhunting so much, but I just hope and pray I will not get stuck doing this for a long time, unpaid and unemployed. Of course, I want to have a stable job with benefits and retirement plan.

Let us wait and see. All I can do is do my best and let God do the rest.

Ok, here are updates.

Got sick. Whew. I thought it was swine flu but thank God, it's not. I am better now except for the cough.

I have been busy studying for the CSET on May17. I hope and pray I will make it.

The trip to the north was awesome!!

I got my work permit, finally. The jobhunting is on! Well, not until after I finish the test on May17 and I hear from Oakland.

Goals/Prayers: to find a stable job and to normalize my life with Alex.