Letter of Petr

Well at the beginning I would like to tell u one info which might be for u of most value. During next three months I intend to come back to Philippines for permanent residence, so you might deduce how much I love Philippines :))Actually we might c each other in Headway, since I will work there as well :)))

So from this beginning u might see that my opinions r quite in favor for Phils so u should take them with respect to my conditions. I might see it with pink spectacles :)))

Quezon City is only a part of Metro Manila (MM consists of 8 cities - Manila, Makati, Quezon City, Paranque, etc.), actually the northest part. The place (city quarter Ortigas) where I lived is very close to my work, it was only an apartment room - me and Joao (brazilian trainee) each of us had only one room - toilet, shower (one room -like 2m x 1m) and small room like 2m x 1,5 m (half of it bed :)). For me it was cool and enough, actually nothing special but if u r used to student dorms this might be ok. Anyway if u will not like it, u can move (as majority trainees did) to city Makati. Joao did it and had very cool apartment, me not since I like to be close to my work and to calm environment - Makati is close (only 20 minutes by Metro MRT or bus or taxi). Everything is matter of preferences. Altogather, in our rooms we paid from 5000-6000 pesos, in Makati since u pay only for name u can have flat starting from 10-12000.

Life conditions and night time etc. :))) Sorry this is ridiculous question :))) LIFETIME IS GREAT, BARS, DISCOS, etc.. And to BARS there are hundred places where u can go, they have bars like 20-30 together so you can just go to one place and barhopping :))Cool NYTLIFE, even BRAZILIANS LOVE IT.

People well just perfect - nice, friendly, etc. but u might have problem that they will see you as something higher then you are. They might stare at you, try to cheat, so on, but otherwise people are amazing in Philippines.

Free time :))) - if you are advantureous like me, no problem. Every Friday I just take my Lonely Planet and travel to some different place alone :))I was one of the trainees who have travelled most. If u look in Lonely Planet there are not many places where I have not been :)) and it was amazing - some place u feel like being there the first white guy ever. be responsible for urself. If u get in troubles, firstly u should always take care of
u alone !!!!!!



Internet - in company there is internet I guess 200 mB :))) and if u r out of city there r always internet cafes everywhere, no problem to find faster internet than in Europe. BTW do not get the idea that Phils r developing country, yeap they r according to economic indicators like GDP, poority, etc. but as technology they r far ahead of EUROPE :)))) just imagine CHina, JAPAN, India, Malaysia close !!! Man this (SE Asia) is a technical hub of this planet :))) Europe in technology is developing country :)))

To Headway people and work there - Headway people r cool, owner of the company has a long experience with AIESEC (he was trainee and second owner is the TN taker :))Place is not that good (don't expect luxury office). Work is very difficult and u need to be ready that u always work alone. What I mean there r not many people who can help u in the way they will work hand in hand with u. Work is really on u being independent and creative. If u have idea just tell it and we can realize it. But if u prefer that someone will tell u how to do ur work then u myt have problem. I tell u example - I work on some project where i need to find out cost savings for company. No one told me how should I do it. I just need to read books, browse internet, carefully think, etc. and then I consult the result with owner and my boss. BTW u have a lot responsibility as well if u want - I made many mistakes but they r tolerant they know we r learning. SO that's how it works u learn on ur own - I love this style and I can tell u that in one year in Phils I learnt more than one year in Accenture :))

With salary - actually salary is not that high as maybe for other trainees in DHL, CB Richards, but since u have food in work (lunch, merienda) and accommodation now at the end is not that bad and u can live good life there in Manila including partying, etc. But if u wanna travel afterwards u need to use ur own money. So what I am trying to say is that money will be enough for month but u will not have any savings from it. Actually that's how it was before, now I am not sure, but I guess still the same. Honestly the things (negotiation, presentations, consulting to clients) which I was doing in HPL where more then people in DHL (just internal presentations, documentation).

WIth surfing - do not expect to surf in Manila Bay :))very dirty sea, but if u take like 5 hours ride u can be on different place with most beautiful beaches - man u have never seen such beaches (Thailand, Europe, that's crap comparing to it - look in attachment sending u Boracay, beach number one :))Wind/surfing honestly do not know precise places but I guess there r not good places close to Manila. I know there is island Siargao and north part of Mindanao for surfers, but in Luzon, don't know honestly. But if u prefer diving :))) no problem everywhere :))))) I am planning to take diving school now, will have enough time :)))))))

BUt do not get the idea that life in Phils is just simply amazing, nope it's not like this. There r many things which Europeans could not get over hence they lived only in Makati (wealthiest city in MM – looking like Frankfurt :)). MManila is really dirty - very !!! huge air pollution, dust, etc. garbage on streets, homeless people sleeping on the streets, waste in river, bad smell, etc. I guess u can imagine it all - that's why majority of trainess never travelled alone outside Manila since they r fearing (I don't know of what :))) and always being in Makati partying. U know I did not like them (foreign trainees) that much - but we r Central Europeans and we r more adaptable and adventurous :))Anyway foreign trainees were also confused, scared from rush in a city (many people everywhere, too many cars, etc.) they also never used domestic mean of transport, always use taxi. I love using jeepneys, buses, etc. it's pretty easy but yeap for foreigners (especially Westerners) it's like a horror.

If I should finish my diploma thesis :))) just small summary – living in Phils is full of very sharp differences, but if u r VERY OPENMINDED and TOLERANT and not judging life with european eyes then life is amazing :)))