10,748 kilometers/6679 miles/5804 nautical miles

Looking forward to seeing my boyfriend after four month of being away, I was so excited to fly myself to London. I submitted my requirements to the British agency in Makati the day after the storm 'Ondoy' wiped out most of Manila. And 3 days after, I have my student visa already. Valid from 19 Oct 2009- 30-Apr 2011.

Arriving at Heathrow Terminal 5, I was queueing up for the immigration officer for 45 minutes awaiting for Jerome's SMS to where particularly in the airport I should be meeting him up. I was not even paying attention to what question may pop in to me once I talk to the immigration officer. All smooth until I was able to reach for my luggage and pulled up a trolley for my 20kg red luggage bag.

Our First Starbucks bonding in England. Starbucks Knightsbridge.

Jerome left for London June of 2009. Four months after, I followed him there. Hoping to settle our life together in God's time.

Pushing my trolley to the exit lane, my eyes were looking for Jerome, a tall medium dark guy. There he stood with his mom, Mama Ging and Valerie, daughter of our housemate, Tita Annabelle. He gave me a kiss on the cheeks and squeezed my hand. :)

Jerome and I lived in a house where rooms are rented separately. We pay £60 per week for our room, common bathroom. Tita Annabelle is Mama Ging's friend. She manages the home rentals together with her husband Tito Ferdie, her sister Susan and two daughters namely Marjorie and Valerie.

Arriving at the house from a London black cab all the way from the airport, Mama Ging paid £42. I wasn't even bothered how to convert it to peso but I was thankful enough that Mama was very nice to me even when I was back home. Oct 25 09 was the first time I've met her in person though we usually talk over the phone. Entering the flat 18 of Flora Gardens in Hammersmith, the Quila family gave a warm welcome to me. There were foods like Kare-kare, Lumpiang Shanghai, Fried Chicken and as far as I can remember we had Buko Salad for dessert.

Mama Ging/Mom of Jerome

All was smooth sailing from the time I came there. I would always think of better things to help out in the house for which I know I wasn't really good at cooking nor cleaning the house. The came the day when Jerome and I will try to do the inventory of our house budget. We felt like the house fee, electricity and internet fees were not divided wisely among ourselves. We asked Tita Annabelle how things go and how money is being paid for these and that but we were given questionable answers.

Jerome and I finally landed to our first job in London, at Tesco Express. We were earning not big and money was a big struggle for us. I would pray all night to overcome these hardships at work and me being homesick. I cry to Jerome and he hugs me tight when I feel terribly sad. He gives me strength and assures me that we will surpass these struggles soon in time.


To cut the bad story short, Jerome and I left the flat for being given unfair justice of how much we pay for our living there. Bad memories and bad words we were told by his drug-addict husband Ferdie, I was badly hurt. Firstly because I myself was not used to be hearing bad words ranting all over the house, and secondly, I thought all the time, we were like family in that flat. How come things turn so bad after being so nice and polite to them? Jerome know how bad I was hurt and how much I wanted revenge to Ferdie. That asshole drug-addict man who we lived in the same flat for 3 months. And what is much hurtful? Tita Annabelle did not give us back our advance payment of £500.

We tried to report them to the flat agency to go after that £500, but they too can't find a way how. Or maybe they wouldn't be bothered at all afterall, it is out of their business anyway.

Jerome and I moved in to a new studio flat in Shepherd's Bush. We have our private toilet and like a home of our home. No nuisance of the noise and ranting of bad words but, we paid quite big--out of our budget. Good thing Mama helps us to pay out home rental because it's £420/month. Too high for us who earns about £500 since we were only starting with our job at St. Vincent's Care Home. Jerome and I decided to leave Tesco, a small grocery like '7-11' shop in Central London.

It was January of 2010 when Jerome and I challenged ourselves to the Most In-Demand job in the UK. The Nursing Home or a.k.a, the 'dirty job'.

Peggy aka Catherine Andrews, my most loved resident

one happy morning with Peggy

We were bank staffs at first. Bank staff= on-call staff. I tried to embrace the caring job. For it has been what I was taught about in my college years. I made friends and more ENEMIES in that work place.

When friendships seem so real.

Kristine having dinner at VQ

Kristine and I pretending to bring back our old happy days.

I met Kristine. One Filipina staff in Second floor. She was nice, she asked me if we wanted to share flats with her. I found her nice and wanted to befriend her as like how I befriended my highschool and college friends. And in March 2010, we moved in to our 3rd flat at Wandsworth. Locationwise, budgetwise, no second thoughts, we are moving in. I even bought a big cupboard and a nice mirror for me and Jerome. We would go out at night, invite friends in our flat and most of the time we would drink til we puke the next day. Life was just so good to enjoy with friends but for some odd reasons, Kristine and I would argue over nonsense things that ended up to fights and bad memories. Jerome knows I am badly hurt again for trusting and befriending someone and ended up having bad memories. Kristine would tell everyone in our workplace all simple faults that I regret to do in our flat. Gossips flourished all floors of St. Vincent's Care Home so anyone have no escape of the critics and fickle minded gossip suckers.

I would like to name few people who marked myself from being a friend to I-don't-want-to-say-unkind-words-in-my-blog people:

Barrio Fiesta with Clarissa

Irish, Clarissa, and Jerome sharing the 'Palabok'

• Clarissa- a friend who cooks Palabok, shares with everyone like the gossips she shares with everyone too. We joked around, pretending-were-good-friends now.
• Edman- a gay guy who-knows-everything and I-am-never-wrong-gayguy person. (did I say gayguy twice?)
• Irish- a friend I've met in London. No bad word to say because she's crazy and lazy like me. We love to eat.

That's Irish!

• Joanna- a friend, closed to Clarissa and Edman. They were all friends even before I came in London.
• Kerry- Kristine's friend, Edman's BFF, Joanna's friend. Nice smiling lady. She was nice to me too.
• Hyacinth- a Jamaican woman who I spent most of my night shifts. Who knows my flaws and whom I share my stories.
• Alea- a Bangladeshi woman who treats me nicely and tells Jerome that I'm her daughter.
• Rodyat- big fat African woman who hugs me most of the time. Calls us 'Romeo and Juliet'.
• Cherry- our Duty Manager who I trusted big time.
• Ade- my 3rd floor night pal who's as mighty as Thor. I hated her at first but it was good working with her.
• Patricia- we worked not so often but we go out much often.

Me, Irish, Clarissa and Patricia smiling for Barrio Fiesta 2010

• Ate Janet- was like my secret keeper mother. I love her.

Ate Janet and I foodtripping at Byron Westfield Shopping Center

This is my favorite combo! :)

• Ate Joy- a friend so true and dear to me. She helped me get through my cooking skills. 

I came all the way to Milton Keynes to celebrate with her. It's her 32nd!  woohoo!

Those were the people I've come up to who I get to mingle most of the time. They will forever be remembered in my heart and how much some of them gave me pains in my heart. Though I can say I am bitter as to what ruined friendship is about, I wasn't reminded that 'some good things are not meant to last'. Same with 'some friends are not meant to be true to you'.

I would like to name some other people whom God allowed to touch my life. They will be missed and be forever in my heart.

• Ate Mariss- I befriended her when she was smoking downstairs in our college. She recommended me to work for my most loved job-- A VKL AGENCY NURSE at the Priory Hospital.

That's me and Ate Mariss a days before I left England.

• Marge- she was like my little sister. Her mannerisms and kindness.
• The Priory Patients:

1. Josie 
2. Harini
3. Abby
4. Kirsten
5. Charlotte

• Peggy- my most loved resident at St. Vincent's Care Home

• and most especially JEROME, for he is the reason why I learned about all these challenges in life. For he inspires me and reminds me that I am still the best though other people sees only my faults.

I learned that even though I struggled up to the last days of my stay in London, God gave me a family who would still hug and embrace me with their love when everything falls out of hand. It's my smile that makes me strong, and this smile won't keep me wrong. Thats what matters to me now. I LEARNED.

I love MA forever.