There are more than 10 ITB alumnus that are accepted in this company for this year, but the departing is different. Me and 2 guys from electrical and physical engineering, Heldi and Gun Gun (sounds like a dog song, “Heldi, gun gun gun! Kemari, gun gun gun” *me run away :D*) were flight on 1st Dec 2008. We arrived in Changi Airport around 1 pm, and went to service apartment that is provided by company for 2 weeks while we’re searching by our own later. Luckily other guys got an apartment in Dover which is very near to office in Ayer Rajah (walking distance). Whereas me, is put in Geylang (takes 15 MRT stations and 3 bus stops to get office). I think I have written about the first week here.
My second week is full of stressed looking for room. I had contacted an agent (got the number from my friend who moved to Singapore 2 weeks earlier than me) in the middle of 1st week, but she didn’t contact me back until mid of 2nd week. Shit, I should not lean only on 1 agent. Then I searched it by myself in roomsdb and easyroommate. I needed to move on sunday, but I just started viewing on wednesday (D-4). At that night (after work), I was viewing 4 rooms with 3 agents (my company will pay for agent fee so I don’t matter looking a room with agent) in Queenstown, Bukit Gombak and 2 rooms in Clementi. But I was so disappointed with all of them, not as convenient as I imagined. I was tired and panicky, the time was clicking, I still got nothing.
The next night I was viewing 2 rooms in Queenstown, their blocks are just side by side. This time I was still unlucky. Not because I didn’t like all of them, in fact I hardly choose between 2 of them: I like both. And because the matter of time, I thought I needed to decide right away, although still have somethings that I don’t like from those 2 rooms, but not too urgent. So now I’m renting a room in a flat of an Indonesian family with another tenant from Thailand also. The minimum contract is 6 months, maybe I will look for other room after that, maybe this time without agent, please (no longer paid by company)! 😛
And I had a bad experience concerning my Employment Pass (EP). Before going to Singapore, I had already got work-permit which is formed as In-principle Approval Letter. With that document, I was passing the immigration Singapore. Right after arriving, I was asked to go to medical checkup by HR girl, doing some blood test and chest xrays. The result would come out 3 days later and directly sent to my company then company would take care the rest of processing my EP. But I was very unlucky at that time, my medical result was failed. My lungs were diagnosed infected, so I needed to drink antibiotics first for 1 week then do chest x-rays again (while blood test was passed). That means I couldn’t get my EP before 10th of Dec. That means I couldn’t get my December payment/salary on 20th Dec. That means I would get that on the next month together with next month’s salary (those are company’s rules -_-). I was having so hard time, had to be living so economically. But hopefully, because of end of year, the company needs to do closing-book (tutup buku?), so my payday should be faster, it’s on 2nd Jan, not 20th, yippie! It’s quite relieved (although my friends had already enjoyed their salary on 20th *sigh*). Ohh I have passed my x-rays yay o/ haha no pneumonia! Well my friend said that I should be grateful because my lungs were founded out having problem when I was having x-rays. If I wasn’t moving to Singapore, for a long time maybe I didn’t figure out that my lungs were sick. Hmm he is a positive person haha *I only thought about money :D*
Hmm what else?! OK, the food. It’s hard to find halal foods. In hawker or foodcourt, there are always only 2-3 halal stalls, which 1 of them is always Indian food which is I don’t too like (except mee goreng :D), so I have no many choices. Also the fast food restaurants are not always labeled as halal. And those halal foods are even more expensive than the foods containing pork T.T Maybe I’ll write another posting discussing about foods in Singapore #wisatakuliner. For praying (sholat), there is no room provided for praying in my office. So, moslems in my company do praying in the server or lab room (when it isn’t occupied), or in changing room (where the manufacturing workers change their wearings to enter the production site). Very tragic huh, but it’s fun and challenging 😀
About my company, hemm what can I say… Ohh, we’re having Dinner and Dance as a whole Gemalto Singapore in Suntec Convention Hall in my 2nd week. I still didn’t know many people, and didn’t prepare any dress before, so I just attended for food (with no much style) hahaha! Then suddenly the MC called new comers to go upstage. In my mind only: “cool, we can get some stuffs by doing simple games”. So, there were 6 people upstage, ready to hear the MC’s instructions. We would hear some music and should dance according to that music. We’re down to the dance floor, our eyes were closed (so we couldn’t see others’ style). The music played: rock, Dangdut (yes, Kopi Dangdut song :P), R&B, Indian, jazz, Arabic, salsa… I just danced! Suddenly the music stopped. My hand was pulled into the stage again. I thought it’s finished, but then the music started again. I was frozen for a while, didn’t know what to do, until I heard the MC’s shouting, “Yeaah, Benka is dancing very good, yesss David you are awesome…” so I thought others were dancing again, so I moved my body into the swing. After 2 songs, MC asked me us to open eyes. Guess what, I was standing on the stage alone! Well with the MC of course, I mean my dance-mates were all gone (maybe since a couple song)! They’re bullying me! But they gave me very big applause so I just could bow honestly and embarrassingly *suddenly feeling famous*. Hhh what a night! But yeah, how could I resist to dancing??! I am a dancing queen 🙂
So many things happened. Next time, I should not be procrastinated to write them down.