I lived in a boarding house. A boarding house is like a transient house. The only difference is the time. A transient house is an overnight stay. While boarding house is a month or more than a month of stay. From Makati, I transferred to the suburbs of Libertad, Pasay City. It is an ordinary boarding house, far from the luxury that I had in Makati. I had no choice. I have to move and take it if I want to cut my expenses. Below is the monthly rent as a bedspacer.
- Makati - P 2,500.00 a month
- Pasay - P 1,200.00 a month
Aside from that, Pasay is accessible to my workplace going North. I have to ride the LRT + jeepney then I'm in the office. Aside from it, going to Mall of Asia is one jeepney away. While going to Manila Zoo, Luneta is one LRT ride + a short distance walk. Isn't that great?
Oh, I forgot to mention that the boarding house in Pasay has a room for three bedspacer on the first floor. On the second floor, it has two rooms. The first room is consists of 6 persons.The second room is consist of 10 persons in it. Imagine, we only have one bathroom, so, it was challenging. You have to wake up early to use the bathroom first or end up late for your work.
Then, a lifetime challenge came! My mother diagnosed with cervical cancer. The result is terminal. I have to return home. I resign from my job and leave my things behind in the boarding house. I was hoping to come back and find another job.I left my things in the boarding house and paid my monthly dues.
To make the story short, I came back to Manila with no job and an insufficient amount in my pocket. For three months, I scoured Makati for a job. I realized that looking for a job was tough. It's a vast jungle of young job seekers and old ones. I am referring to office jobs. So, I am forced to apply in a call center because they accept applicants who are in there 40 to 50 years of age.
In one application, I was (almost) accepted but drop it. The last interview was a phone simulation test. Firstly, I'm not fond of phone calls. I find it difficult not until I am trained to do it. Now, the phone simulation was about a client who wants to buy a product. The product is a headset. It has no technical specifications or information. I have to recreate it and be spontaneous. As expected, I didn't make it.
Now, living in a boarding house with no job makes me helpless. I have to survive by washing the clothes of my housemates in exchange for food. Until I decide to leave the boarding house. I'm financially drained. It's difficult to stay there without a job. Giving a pay for your stay in the boarding house is one of the bills. I leave with a formal conversation and permission with the landlord. I had dues and promised to pay it. And I keep my word!
