Philippine Travel Logs - Day 4 though "I don't know what day it is anymore..."

I have gotten used to working at night, though I have to admit it was not that hard. Beings that I didn’t have to change my schedule from the States it has been easy. After work on Friday Kath, Ron S., Mylene and I went shopping at Greenhills. Wow. It is a shopping mall that is like one big craft sale. Tons on knockoff purses and wallets, scarves, shoes, jewelry and everything in-between. It was strange because everyone yells at you “Buy a purse Ma’am” and hands you things. I told them it was difficult for me because where I am from when someone talks to you, you acknowledge them, but that was impossible there. I had to learn to ignore people, though I am pretty sure I said “no thank you” about 800,000 times that day. I managed to get most of my shopping taken care of there, though I have a few more to buy. I kept asking everyone if they were tired but they all said no, however Ron did mention on the way back to the hotel that I was not kidding when I said I could shop for long hours. When I finally looked at my watch I had been up for 22 hours straight. It was around them my decision making skills took a dive. Who knew Brandi was so hard to buy for. I am hoping to make it back there, there are some things I wish I would have bought. Since I don’t fly out till Sunday I should be able to do that. We ate and once I got back to the hotel it was 6 PM, which is when I usually would be getting up for work. I laid down and was out and did not even open my eyes for 12 hours on the dot. I woke up at 6 AM. I ate, facebooked and watched TV for a few hours and went back to bed. Slept for another 10 hours and work up at like 1 am. Perfect. Stayed up watching TV and playing on the internet. At one point I did have to call the front desk to ask what day it was, because I was getting a little confused! On Sunday I got to talk to Xavie and Casey on webcam. At first only mine was working so they could see me, but I could only hear them. I heard Xavie saying “Mama! Mama!” and I wanted to see him so bad. He is just so precious I could hardly stand it. I wanted to hug him so bad. Times like that make me so excited for when I get off the plane back home. My wish is that he will always run into my arms and hug me, though last time when I got home from Panama all he did was look at me and yell, “Clock!” Maybe that was his way of asking me why I was gone so long or something. This week I need to focus on pictures. I don’t want to forget the people I have met here, and leaving will be hard knowing I will never see them again. In Panama there was a chance I was coming back, so I think that made it easier to say goodbye. Monday starts my last week at Dell. I cannot explain how that makes me feel. Part of it doesn’t feel real at all. Dell has been a constant in my life, and since I am not in my normal environment I am having issues separating leaving the Philippines for leaving Dell overall. I have to admit though things have not seemed normal since the call center closed. That place was my second home. Anywhere I can sit on the toilet seat without hovering is somewhere I consider home. Only a handful of places fit this requirement…My house, Mom and Dad’s house, Grandma and Grandpa’s house, Brandi and Mitch’s house, Tiff and Tyler’s house, my Father-in-Laws house, and the call center. Anywhere else and you can bet your butt that mine is not touching a toilet seat. Working from home instead of there never really felt real. Felt more like the whole thing was temporary, and now I know why I guess. Because it was. That site closing stated a countdown; a countdown to a change. I just didn’t know what that change was going to be. It could have been going to Texas, it could have been leaving Dell all together….only time would tell. And now it has. J So while my job here is not yet done I do find myself thinking about what I will do when I get home. Casey has told me to take a few weeks and just be home with Xavie and pretend to be a stay at home Mommy like I have always dreamed of being, but I am not sure I can do that. Not when I know the money is slowing running out and nothing is refilling it. I will be a mad woman looking for a job. I will be sad to leave here too….the Philippine call center is awesome. I could see myself sitting on their toilet seats in a few months time. The cubes are my size, the cubes are Dell blue, they have free good coffee that is all you can drink, the building lights up rainbow colors on the outside (I freaking love LED lights!), there is a mall across the street, and there is Chinese and Japanese food is everywhere….it’s like this place is made for me or something. So off to bed to start a new adventure in the morning!