Unexpected Emotion

I cried... just before I left... I cried.

I couldn't help it, and now it's finally done. And I finally left for good... no more SL, no more CCA, no more PAM, RAC, RRL, CTA... no more Sun Life...

It didn't sink in until the very last minute. Until I was saying goodbye to Tine. She's been my partner at work for so long... and when I said goodbye to her it was only then that I realized what I was saying goodbye to... what I was leaving behind.

I miss it already. It's as if I want to take it back. But I know it's just the emotion talking. I know I'll be fine.

I just didn't think it would be this difficult. I really, really didn't.

All I know is it was time to say goodbye.

My new job requires me to have an NBI clearance for travel abroad (which is a good sign that I will travel abroad) hehe. So, I made a trip to Carriedo to renew my existing NBI clearance and update the purpose of the clearance.

Anyway, I spent only an hour and a half in the place (which is a pretty good time I think, considering the number of people there), and let me share some tips that can help you if you do decide to get/renew your NBI clearance.

1. Prepare P20, this is for your "entrance" stub.
2. Follow the steps (1-7).
3. Step 1 - Payment : You can prepare 1 P100 bill and 3 P5 coins so that you can use the unmanned payment automated tellers. Advantage? No lines. But even if you do go to the manned counters, lines move fast so it's okay.
4. Steps 2-4 - Since all of these are in 1 floor, and there are a lot of people here, make sure you're lining up for the right step. Check out lines and pick the shortest one, it will save you a lot of time, rather than sticking yourself in the very first line you see.
5. Don't be afraid to ask people. Go and make friends with the person in front of you to make sure you're in the right line and in the right step.
6. Steps 5-7 - For renewals, you can skip Step 5 (fingerprinting). I saw a lot of renewals lining up here but I heard some people say you can skip this step, so I just asked the nearest "watcher" and verified that I can go straight to step 6. BTW, steps 6-7 took about 5 minutes total, while step 5 (judging on the lines here) would take you about another hour, so take note what steps you can skip.
7. Be alert. Listen and observe the people around you. Sometimes, new counters are opened so be on the lookout so you can change queues quickly.
8. Bring a fan... it's hot, and it only gets hotter when there are tons of people around, so it's really usefeul to have a fan to keep you cool.
9. Smile. People are more gracious when you're gracious.
10. Stay in line. And politely inform people where the end of the line is.
11. Stay away from fixers.
12. Bring a black pen.

:-)

I can't believe I overspent again... Tsk tsk... I really should watch my credit more. *sigh*

But I am happy with my purchases. :) I got two new shoes, 1 from M&S and 1 from Rockport, new slacks, 2 jeans, a blouse and several toiletries from VMV.

I'm officially swearing off charge purchases from now on. I already put my cards away until July (or maybe even August if I can make it). I can't continue with this spending, or else I'm going to drive myself bankrupt.

You see, shopping is my only vice. :)

Only 3 more days...

Unofficially, today is my last day in Sun Life.

I'm done with all my turnovers, posted all my documents, finished the PAM batch runs for IO and HK, completed my clearance save for IS and HR, and even did some production support to resolve some access issues for CCA, CAS Core and RRL.

Whew! What a day...

I still plan to give Eloie, Eric and Carla a guide on the PAM MTP for HK. And if I find time, I'm still going to post whatever documents I can to help them out. Why? Because there's no reason for me not to. Sun Life has been good to me, and I'll do all that I can to maintain the same level of support I provided while I was still there. And I'm sure they're all up to the task. Tine, my SL partner, along with our relatively new hires Eloie and Eric, and our youngest and newest hire, Rhea. And of course, Carla, who will be taking on CAS and FXA by her lonesome (for the time being), and she even finds time to be interim support for the PAM project.

And Manny... who's been my boss for 2 1/2 years. We've had a lot of disagreements over the years, but I will miss him. I have my complaints (who doesn't?), but he's been a good boss, and for me, an effective one. Maybe he's just misunderstood. :)

It still hasn't sunk in...I still can't believe I'm leaving. But I guess it's just time for new challenges and new experiences. New friends will be made, new skills will be learned, new programs will be developed, and I really can't wait to get started.