it's been a week

july 19. i got on a plane at 9am to tokyo, japan; narita airport. it was a 4hr flyt via JAL (Japan Airlines) Yep. there were a lot of Japenese going to Japan. haha! the plane fud was kinda ok. i can say that it was really catered to satisfy the way of the samurai.. hehe. so we got there (me and 3 other) and saw more Japanese.. hehe! i saw one and his eyes was unbelievable merely like a line.
(i should've took a picture!) whoa! tlga! i can say that the Japanese knows how to dress and represent themselves.. especially the guys.. they are clean, formal and are classic business man types and they pack light unlike other nationality i know.. like me.. haha! nweiz, so we were there trying to get our next leg of the flyt race... to chicago. we were scheduled to be leaving by 4pm but... a very fortunate event happened. me and another colleague was called through the terminal... and we met this japanese girl...

she said: "you came from the philippines right? and you are on you're way to chicago?"
we said: "yes"
she said: "we are currently overbooked with our flyts today.. so would you be interested in taking the next flight and we will upgrade you to business class?"
we said: "sure"
she said: "ok, thanks for your cooperation"

wohoo! a free ride to business lounge came with it. unlimited drinks and snacks with the business class people... hahaha! since we are filipino, we shared our tickets to our 2 other friends so they could enjoy the same priveledge.. hey! we got it for free.. so it's just right to share and like i said... we are filipinos.. hahaha! we snatch a lot of snacks as we can.. so we dnt go hungry, money saved right? we were doing that for about 4hrs til we get on our flyts.. hehe.

and then the wait ended and we had to leave... we walked in a red carpet. cool d b? we didn't get the chance to buy any souvenir coz we didn't really wanted to spend... only souvenir i took was these pictures. yep. you're seeing a weird sign. i dnt wna give the detailed pictures on what it means.. better see it first-hand!



july 20. we were flying and enjoying the business class ride to chicago. i should say wow! ganun pla pag business class.. upgrade lht. fud was coming right after another... di ko na tlga sya makain nung huli except of course for the dessert. hehe. cheesecake! woo! sarap! uber bloated and busog! there was wine, nuts, salads, chicken, juice, coffee, fruits, bread, veggies, etc. like there's no tomorrow.. and some of the drinks come with refill... san ka pa? they give the usual stuff but upgraded... thicker kumot, mas ok sa sounds na headset, mas kumpleto na groom kit (which i took home), slippers, ala lazy-boy seats (with massage function and TV/Radio) so the 13hrs was great!

we arrived in chicago about pass 5pm july 19. tooked awhile to get everything done.. immigration, buggage and the call for taxi. haha! di nmin alam pano e. we were calling at the wrong phone. nweiz, we got home... our taxi driver was an Albanian of the American Taxi Dispatch Service. took about 30mins.. as we were looking around i can say it was a nyc lookin neighborhood...

and i said.. this is it. as we opened the door to our new house.. "this is it!" and "whoa!" "waaaaaaaaah" "ang ganda nman d2" "oh wow!" "grabe!" haha! in short i enjoyed what i saw... i never imagined something like it. it was a complete house and a very nyc house in fact ---- fully furnished with balcony, kitchen stuff like all cooking materials, microwave, dishwasher, oven.. flat TV and DVD plus the room.. wow!!!!!! (i jump on it! haha!)

since we just got here then... we had dinner at our other colleagues house.. with inuman til midnight... hehe.

then the next day(the chicago july 20) they took us for grocery... im not a cook, il cook what i can... so that pretty much inspired the grocery... which meant canned goods, for fried stuff, for pasta stuff and other home stuff... we amount to $214 / 2 = $107 each. a month's worth grocery. :D bought fones too.. had them loaded and activated... visited some other colleagues.. inuman! (try mike's hard time!) sabi nila beer 2x daw un pro di nman ako msyado tinamaan... hehe. (malakas tolerance ko.. tsk tsk)


july 21. (chicago time) our first day at work. needed time-in was 9am. we left house almost 830.. haha. pa-VIP. we didn't have our car for the carpool yet so the rent-a-car service took us to their place first to pick it up and then go to the office.. woo! crunch time.. haha! we were given a Chrysller. not the coolest ride we wanted but this saves gas and it's still a Chrysller. no other available mazda 6. huhuhuhuhu... our other service car is a mazda 6 and mazda 3. astig!

so we got the car and drove to office. we got lost for a while but we got back.. hehehe... arrived almost 930. met with Mr. Marshall and Mr. Wiener and the others.. meet up with the Department and other counterparts on the client-side... short overview meeting... got settled on our workstation... (we got a office phone each and its not an ordinary phone) took us for a tour.. got our IDs taken so we get our access badges. took lunch at the canteen for $5-$6 max. received our laptops then configured (wahaha.. so may 2 ako ngaun..) and started on some reading....


july 22 - 25. every work day was pretty much the same day. checking-in mail.. conversing with the client team. doing the task.. statusing back n forth.. taking pictures(haha!) after work, we got a habbit of going to TARGET (kita ko si Megatron n Star Scream; nglaro din ako PS3 coming soon na game kso nakalimutan ko... astig! prang street race.. ok ung pag-crash astig sa graphics). it was WALMART/FRESH FARM for the first days.. haha! i dunno why.. there seem to be always a reason to go. it's our new 5 o'clock habit. yep we were checkin in at 9 then checkin out at 5. we have a 30mins lunch time and a 15min break for mornin and afternoon. lufet! internet is available but not encouraged. laptop is for you and for work, install is available but also not encouraged. :D

at 5pm the sun will be like it was 1/2pm in Manila. really hot. at 8-9pm, the sun is still up. and then you are expected to take dinner at 6-7pm. and slyp.. whoa d b? pano mo ggwin un? eh may araw pa? hehehe..... im home at an average of 6-7pm.. 7-73opm, we prepare dinner. my housemate cooks the rice and i cook the ulam... walang rice cooker e... so di ako marunong sa kaldero... i fry. i do any breakfast. i make pasta. i know the simplest dish: adobo, nilaga. ano pa ba? wala na.. hehe. at 730-9, we eat dinner... and start the dishwasher.. clean the kitchen. 9 onwards.. i watched the TV, log on the net(8am nun sa Pilipinas), call home or be called here or have a house party... haha! we do come around and visit each other... (kht mgkakasama na kmi buong araw) they liked our place the best bcoz of the balcony.

last thursday was movie night for RCG Chicago. The Dark Knight din. daming pictures sa entrance.. hehehe... watched the 730 slot. finished at 10. mahal ng fud.. no one wanted to buy except ung mga sobrang gutom. shared the popcorn and giant drinks.

then last friday (being it our first friday) we had a house party.. i volunteered the house and the sounds(may dala ko speaker) and chips, sila sa the rest (fud, beer, etc) til 12 rin ata kmi.. cut short kc we'll be having the team building the next day..


july 26. team building. yep. it's my first team building with RCG and luckily d2 ko pa sa chicago sya na-experience. i met other RCG folks este saw lng pla.. hehe.. they have their names and all pro i didn't really get the chance to talk kc late kmi.. we are suppose to be there by 9 pro almost 10 na kmi dumating.. dahil sa isang ka-bad3pan na morning na ginawa ng mga boys... haay.. napikon tlga ko.. hmpf! boys will be boys and there's 7 of them, wala pa ung ibang kakilala pa nmin...

so we got to the venue. ate McDo sponsored breakfast with matching Dunkin coffee and the games started.

1st stop, was the "get to know other RCG questionairre game". hehe.. i was suppose to go mingle and ask others for the answers but then i ask around our group and do it. haha! bad3p kc ko e.. wala ko sa mood mk-mingle. nweiz, i saw other ex-antico seniors... can't help but talked to them with Sir.. nagagalit sila.. hehhe.

2nd stop, "form a group thru Taco Making game". we were taco incredients that needed to combine and form a group, in the end we were called the green team (soz!)

3rd stop, the "ala Amazing Race form Cars Puzzle game". there were clues for each puzzle piece group that we have to search around Century Park (di nman sya malaki, masyadong malaki lng!) the park was very nyc and very relaxing, very picture opt place.... there was a lake where you can fish and has a dock. when we arrive a fat man was there fishing as we are running along the docks that shakes the floor which got him to yell at us. "what are you up to?" (duh?!!) we finished 2nd place.

4th stop, the "very complex, very hard and full of rules group obstacle game". there had to be 5 members that needed to be put through a small size hulahoop without touching being it above the ground (so bubuhatin), other 5 members would need to ski using wood planks tied on weak strings on the grass and back(so iipitin mo na lng sa toes), then all 10 members needs to be blindfolded in returning to the start line where they will pass zigzags... and a paper window like structure that need not be stepped-on or moved (so nandaya kmi sa blindfold) eh pucha! ang hirap e! we finished 3rd.

attempted 5th stop, "4-way tag of war that never worked game". it never worked... the ropes are too thin and too weak.

5th stop, "water transfer on bottle relay game" members just needs to be fast in transferring water to a bottle then run to and back. we finished 2nd in speed and 2nd in water content.

over-all champion, kmi.... tied with blue team! damn! (luto!) we were the newbies team and we did great! mga bibo e! we made a name. :D

after awarding, picture taking and we're off to Best Buy. soz... ang daming ok bilin.. DSLR, PS, Laptop(again), Cordless.. hehe tsaka na cguro... iisipin ko muna.. bka ung DSLR na muna. :D and the 2nd bad3p momment. nakow.

july 27. looks like we are not going anywhere today. we were suppose to go to church but our driver had OTY. puyat! 9am na natulog.. church is at 11. the car is registered to him so anyone else is not allowed to drive. im not confident na walang mangyayari sa amin.. yoko mahuli with a car not registered to my name... hehe... dapat kc ngpa-authorize kc kmi nung ni-rent sya.. (kso di nmin un ginawa.. after a month na un ma-eedit)

nweiz.. so we woke up late. mga 9am. hehe! had breakfast, then started preparing lunch (weekend so dish kmi dapat.. adobo this weekend) while watching Parent Trap. haha! then do laundry... lunch. iron clothes. fold. vacuum house. then sit around and chillax. hehe sabi ko mkksabay ako mg-jog kung sino man.. or mg-gym(pra mg-jog) kung sino man at least an hr. kso minutes lng nila trip.. wahahha.. labo. at minutes nga lng sila ngstay.... there were 2 of the boys... for 15minutes ata.. haha... then they drop by here.. wala lng.. (nanggulo at nanginain...) took off with my mem card (digicam) then bbalik daw mmya for CS (meron kmi at mga adik tong mga boys) at mkk-laba sila... (may nglalaba daw sa knila)

oooops... pass 8 na pla.. hehe... maliwanag pa kc e.. better have dinner. :D so there...
i'm here in chicago and it's been a week.