Been here for two weeks now and yet , i still haven't fully adjusted to my surroundings - worse I'm more restless than ever knowing that my deployment back at sea would be much sooner than i actually expect. I was thinking in mind that my vacation would be at least 4 months minimum here and i could easily rebuild and pick up some agenda's that i left behind before going back again. Seriously I find it strange that CSM is giving less priorities to people who are very anxious in going back to work at sea than sailors who are unwilling and plan to stay longer on land. I cant really enjoy my vacation if CSM keeps pressuring me to back to work when in fact i should be staying home for a vacation.
In the meantime i went early in the morning to Career Ship management to get the pay check for my leave pay since I'm going to use the money on a lot of things, well mostly for the remaining supplies that I'd be needing and to cover the cost of the remaining seminar lectures that I'd be needing for the latter.
For some reason i find it doubtful why i even have to take this seminars at all in the first place. However who am i to question such a policy and for all i know - all Filipino sailors will be expecting this kind of make over on 2017 , and their training certificates that dated 2013 and below will be nothing more than just toilet paper to wipe off asses.
I woke up very early to prepare but i left the house late given that i was stalled by my mom's mental health condition for a few hours. I just simple wouldn't leave the house without assuring that mom will be ok and wont go "Beserk" while I'm gone. When i reached Career I quickly went to the accounting booth and pulled out my the check list "Teri" gave me along with my seaman's book I'd. The counter said there's no need to pull it out , she only need's the serial number of my passport document.
While i was searching if i do have at least a passport photocopy left on my bag, I was approached by an O.S. Who happens to previously worked on "Dale" ship. He saw my application form and was surprise to see it that i came from Cape Tallin, He introduced himself that he said was supposedly be assigned on that ship but on the last minute was put up on "Dale" , replied and said that I'm also assigned on "dale" but was later changed to cape tallin on the last minutes. I had a few small talk with him, not the friendly conversation but simple professional kind.
Few minutes later , the accountant handed me a cheque and it was written that my leave pay amounts to 70 thousand pesos . The cash out of the cheques is in a bank in ermita manila called PhilTrust bank. Figuring out that cheques cannot be encashed without proper identification documents , i decided to go to the reporting to borrow my seaman's book from the company before proceeding to the bank.
At first i plan to go back to my house and call it a day , but i figured its still about 10am and i got a whole lot of time to finish en cashing those cheque. However I saw that the only money left on my wallet at that time is just 20 PHP, if i plan to en cash this cheque and failed m it would be a very very long walk from home (walking from Ermita manila to marikina ain't no joke). In the end i decided it as worth the risk, and this isnt the first time that i had walked on long distance before. To save money i walked southward until i reached LRT taft station then boarded a jeep and dropped off at NBI building in ermita.
Had a difficult time locating Philtrust Bank and the only thing i was sure of is that this bank is located somewhere in maria orosa street, and had to check google maps o where exactly it was located (good thing i had my android tablet with me and my pocket wifi device) . When i browsed the Google map i found it was near Kalaw street and quite a walk from my location,
The Google maps was very useful and that it gave me at least a hint on where the hell it was located.
Never had a serious trouble encashing the 70 thousand pesos on my leave pay though the bank teller did scolded me for only bringing only a single valid ID document. I hurriedly went to go back home given that carrying 70 thousand pesos in my backpack and walking the streets of quiapo recto is a very bad idea (the place is crawling with pick picketers' , thugs and robbers).
The next few days , i spent some of the money buying equipment needed such as toiletries and "specialized" equipment. It took me some time to locate all the items i needed but it was worth it. Oh yeah i bought along a "Phablet" as well , since its already scheduled that my corby phone will be retiring.
For the moment most of the money i got will be spent on my retraining and have already enrolled the BTU / BTR seminar at PNTI,. ( A seminar in which has only a life span of only to years) aside from that if i still have enough money , I'm going to pursue taking in an exam on this vacation. Cant miss that opportunity.
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| Enrollment and registration lobby of PNTI |
