People Talk

Not many people know that I work overseas. Some who barely in touch with me, have no idea where I work. They assumed that I work in Jakarta like everybody else. Until they found out, and questions coming after that. Those questions are usually like these:

"Why is it so far?"

"In what position?"

"How did you get in?"

The last question would be the most frequently asked, and I shall put the answer in my pocket if ever someone asks again. But then I got really bored with answering the same question over and over again. Until this happened.

Translation:

Her: "How did you get in?"

Me: "That's a secret hahaha."

Her: "Ah, you must be using a 'back door',"

I know she meant it as a joke, but I do take it seriously. It hurts when you've been busting your ass off to do all of those hard works, and someone simply said that you were cheating just because you didn't tell them how you got the job. And I know even some who are close to me probably thinking just the same. 

But what do they know about the truth? About how could I even get the job overseas?

Here is how.

My cousin introduced me to this country since I was in my third year of college. And ever since, I set my eyes here. After graduation, I didn't take much time to packed. I was jobless when my feet touched the Philippines, I didn't have much money other than my savings, which were just a little compared to the cost of living here. I couldn't depend on my Mother's money for too long.

So I lived in my cousin's house for a few months, until I got a job and I have enough savings to rent my own place. My cousin helped to gave my CV to a few headhunters. Lucky for me, just the second day after I arrived, one headhunter called to interview me by phone. My English was not as fluent as it is now, so I thought that I failed the interview. But then, at night, I received a text that I need to go to a second interview held by the company.

And so I went.

But do they know that I had six interviews in that company before they finally accepted me? Do they know that I had to be interviewed by two different departments in that company because they couldn't decide where to put me? Do they know how long did it take until they sent a contract proposal? I was left hanging by that company for two months. Two months.

Imagine, two months you don't have any income, you don't have a job, you don't have anything to do. And the worst of it all, you aren't anywhere near your family and friends because they are in thousand miles away from you. Imagine how hopeless I was back then. I started thinking that it was a terrible idea to came here in the first place. I even started thinking to go back home. I was so ready to give up.

Until I received an email saying that I got in.

But no, they don't know any of it. They don't know the struggle that I had to go through. They just simply assuming that it was all piece of cake. Or rather, a back door. That's even worse. They think that I'm a cheater, they don't even think that I got it fair and square.

Or maybe they are just jealous that instead of them, it is me who gets to enjoy this rare experience. Isn't it something that people do when they are jealous? But again, people will always talk no matter how honest you are about doing things. So better to just give them the taste of their own medicine. And what would be the best way to shove it in their mouth other than being successful?

:)