Well nearly, 9 working days to go today! I finally booked my flight to Manila and booked a hotel to do my quarantine when I get there. Thanks to Chester in Manila for getting the details of COV 19 protocol for people like me, arriving from The Middle East to retire in the Philippines. Thanks also to Chester for designing my final countdown poster- I sent him 4 photos and asked him to choose his favourite and this is it:
"Time to recharge"
My Quarantine in Manila will give me time to recharge after a very busy few months in Bahrain. I have been finishing my work, handing over, packing up my house contents and selling all the things I do not need.
Chester chose this picture of me soaking up the sun at El Nido Cove. Sadly the hotel I stayed in for many years has now closed. However I am looking forward to walking on the white sandy beaches and topping up my tan once I finally get to Palawan.
The day I posted my 20 days to go blog everything started to happen at once! HR informed everyone I was leaving (one month before my departure date as we only have to give a months’ notice- I gave three!). Corporate Services told me I had two weeks to get out of my house after my leaving date (someone already told me they are charging 1,500 bd a month rent if you do not vacate). The set of instructions reminded me to pay and terminate my telephone and internet . I also have to pay and give a transfer letter for my electricity ( so the bills go back to Bapco and the supply is not cut off so they can redecorate the house before the next person moves in) . I also must get rid of any pets, sell any belongings and plants and return all my exterior keys. They then asked when I was leaving the country!
So, I booked my flight for 14 Feb, just to Manila and then initially I booked 2 weeks at my favourite hotel in Manila, The Heritage in Pasay. It had been my home in Manila for the last 10 years since Ate Hazel recommend it for my first trip there in 2011.
I held my first plant sale on 15 Jan ( thanks Deb for the correction) and sold 200 Bd ( 387 GBP/ 26,000 peso) of plants. The week before, after telling my delegates about the sale I was deluged with messages asking if I had a car, TV, Furniture etc for sale! Several people living in Awali came around and took away indoor and outdoor plants over the following week. I have about another 300 Bd worth left and these will be sold off today and next Friday. Shji, my gardener , explained what each plant was, Jake kept a record of sales and carried everything to peoples cars. I arranged pick up trucks for the larger items and Corleen took photos- it was a real team effort!
In the kitchen I made the last couple of dishes from my Jamie Oliver recipe book, Nasi Goreng and Moussaka – read my blog Jamie Oliver, Comfort Foods) . Also when I was going through some old files at work I found a recipe for all my Pinoy friends favourite dish, Manok and Baboy Adobo, so I made that as a farewell dish on 22 Jan and we are having another batch today, 29 Jan, which is also Mardeen’s 22 Birthday. I also found some other recipes on my laptop which I made this week and Corleen has placed his orders for the last two weeks food ( all his favourite dishes like Steak, Nasi Goreng and Kulfi- so I will cook them as well.
At work I delivered my final ILM online workshops, marked way too many assignments and presentations that should have been submitted in November 2020 ( and in some cases 2019!!) . I also handed over all the ILM materials, books, stress balls and the final 3250 plastic frogs ( maybe 5000 was a lot to order back in 2010) to my colleague Evan on 19 and 28 January. I ran a half day training session for Evan, John, Joe and Hazel on 21 January. They will be taking over my work in February . Yes, you got it, 4 people will be doing the work I once did! It was a huge weight off my shoulders.
Now there are just 9 working days to go
(regular readers will know I worked on Friday 8th Dec so now I don’t
have to work 11th February! I got paid on 25 January and so Corleen and I are planning a shopping spree for new stronger glasses and sunglasses and a new Laptop so I can get
my old one repaired for Jhoanna. Corleen and I are also going to buy a new video camera and equipment for my new Vlog which
will start in March now, when I aim to arrive in Palawan.Thanks again to Chester who provided our shopping list complete with specifications of all the equipment we need. You can see that by clicking the link below, do not forget to like and subscribe!
On the health front I seem to have spent more time in the hospital than in the office the last two weeks! I had 3 sessions ( 6 hrs) in the dental surgery having my last infected root canal repaired ( and try to recover the bit of a metal dental file that broke off inside the root canal) . The dentist explained that the canal went around a corner, so it was very difficult to see what he was doing down there.
I said I knew how he felt as it was like that every time I went to the toilet!
I had 2 sets of blood tests , urine tests and stool samples to check on my type two Diabetes, Cholesterol, Cortisone and thyroid- to see if there was a medical reason for putting on 15kg since my hip operation.
I had my final meeting with my Hip Specialist, Dr Ahsan Butt (yes really), He ordered another set of x rays ( i think that makes 10 sets) and he was so delighted with my fast progress to normality that he recorded a message with me to promote his services on his Instagram account!
Mr Doctor, Brett Garrett, as well as certifying a variety of documents to prove I was not money laundering to my UK investment house, produced a comprehensive report to take to the Philippines for my new Doctor and to gain my medical insurance there.
Finally, I had another eye test to get my new prescription glasses (bifocals) and sunglasses and said goodbye to my Dietician and also to my Physiotherapist, the lovely Aravelle.
At this point, although I have thanked them all individually, I just want to thank all the medical team here in Awali ( and before at the Bapco Medical Centre at the refinery, the Heath Promotion Unit and former Well-being team ) for looking after me so well, and at Bapco’s expense , for the last 11 years.
Once the work was out of the way it was time to say goodbye to all my friends. As I said in an earlier Blog I do not mix much with my Bapco colleagues outside work so it was mainly my Thai and Asian Friends.
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| Mar |
Mar and I went to Hotpot for Saturday lunch. It is one of Bahrain’s few Pinoy restaurants and has been the scene of many of my Pinoy gatherings over the years. ( see below from 2017 when Coco, Vin, Corleen, Patrick and I had lunch there) . In the evening we went for a walk around Awali as my blood tests showed there is nothing wrong with my cortisone or thyroid levels . That means I have to eat less and exercise more!
It was all going so well until 20 Jan! The Heritage Hotel wrote to say I could not stay there after all , as I was not a Filipino ( due to COV 19) and then Jhoanna messaged to say she could not move to Puerto until 10 Feb, when all my belongings ( 53 boxes) are due to arrive on 1st Feb and I am stuck in Bahrain working!
I had spent hours going through the packing list with her, which I sent her on Facebook and then found out she lost the list when Facebook deleted my account.
My new house is definitely jinxed- 3 people have said they cannot work there when it was all agreed they would. Luckily Chester found me another hotel to stay at and created a new Facebook account in Manila, and Jhoanna changed her mind and decided to unpack my boxes instead of go to her friends wedding.
On the positive my friend Debbie , from the UK, got back in touch after a long silence and we exchanged several emails. She now has a 15 year old daughter. We have been doing a lot of catching up over the last week. I last saw her 31 years ago!
I rarely go out in the week but as time was running out I took Naven to Dome at Riffa Palms on Weds and on Thursday I went to say farewell to another favourite Restaurant, Cheesecake factory at the Avenues with Ian. However due to COV 19, and with the outside patio closed due to high winds, they could only seat 30 people instead of the usual 300 and so there was an hour long wait for a table. We went to Lumee instead and got the last table outside ( inside the mall not outside in the gale force winds and sandstorm!). The food and service was great. I had hoped to say goodbye to Isa at Cheesecake in person but found out the next day he was on early shift. We also went to City Centre Mall to say farewell to Ariel at Shake Shack. Ian stayed for Lunch ( Manok and Baboy Adobo)
On Saturday I met up with a florist friend and that just leaves my farewell lunch with Jake ,Corleen and Ian later today ( More Manok and Baboy Adobo! )
On 5th Feb Miss Andrea is kindly taking me out to Dinner at Fusions at the Gulf Hotel. Its one of the first restaurant’s I went to In Bahrain in 2010 and an obvious choice to say goodbye to a great friend. Finally on Fri 12th Feb I am taking the guys who have looked after me so well for the last 11 years out for Lunch at the Sofitel. Corleen, Jake, Coco and Joshua have, over the years, cooked , ironed, cleaned, done my manicure and pedicure, looked after the compost, ,made Chef’s uniforms and masks and done running repairs on all my clothes. I will miss them so much!
I am sure more invites will appear in the final 9 days and I will let you know about them once I get to Manila. I need something to do during my Quarantine!
I have left my diary free for February so I can sort out my utility bills, get my good conduct certificate from the police and take the last few things to the charity shop. My air freight has arrived in Palawan and the sea freight is approaching Manila . Grecil and Jhoanna are ready to move into my house in Palawan on 1st Feb and I have arranged their first food delivery from Gracie at Poochie's Kitchen.
At home I will host my final Houseboy lunch and farewell on 12 Feb. Corleen will pack my bags on 13th (hope everything fits) and will take me to the airport at 5 pm on 14th Feb for my overnight flight to Manila with Gulf Air. Let us hope this one is on time!
Once I clear Quarantine in Manila I will be meeting up with Chester and Arvin to buy my new Drone and finally sort out my Retiree Visa, and Medical Insurance.
For all of you who wondered what Chester looked like!
11 years ago, I arrived in Bahrain on 14th February and the Kingdom of Bahrain has celebrated my arrival every year since 2011 on 14 Feb with Pyrotechnics. Now I am leaving, and they have opened the brand new Multi Million Dinar state of the art Airport Terminal for my departure. They must have read my Dubai blog where I criticised the old airport. ( Farewell to Dubai) . I am deeply honored!
I prepared a lot of Blogs earlier in the year about my previous visits to the Philippines and will upload one a week until I arrive at my new home. Once there I will update you on my final days in Bahrain and my Quarantine in Manila
Until then , as usual, dear readers this is the British Kabayan saying :
- Kita kits ( see you soon)
- Mahal Kita ( I love you)
- Ingat Palagi ( Take care always)
Hello, I am The British Kabayan! Feel free to read my stories.
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