DOCUMENTATION

Paraphrased responses

1. What are the pressing circumstances or struggles in your life?

− There are a lot. My life challenge is that I have PCOS. And that means
that unless we treat it, I can't have a child, so that's hard for me and my
husband to overcome. I think it's just a matter of acceptance. Having kids
or not is not a foundation for a successful marriage. So it depends on how
we treat each other and how we seek guidance at the moment. We've
been searching for medical assistance before. Am I going to say I gave
up? Perhaps, indeed, I gave up. And it'll come at the right time, If it doesn't
then we are fine, and right now we are happy. And one more situation and
hardship in life is that I've been away from my family for almost thirteen
years.
2. How did you overcome those?
− I think I've already given you my answer on how to resolve the challenge
of life. We've just got to accept it. If we can't push it, I mean, just accept
that, right? So for me, I just embraced it. It's the same as what I've got for
the PCOS. And we've just acknowledged that. He's been fine with it. Well
he wasn't okay with it at first, but in the long run, he was okay. And then
I've been away from my family for 13 years. Yeah, we've got a lot of ways
right now to really talk to them and see them. Unlike then, we're not even
able to see them.
3. What do you consider as your greatest success in life?
− Right now, what I would consider the greatest success that I have right
now is that I might have followed the footsteps of my father. He was a
banker and still hoped that one of his children would follow in his
footsteps. It clearly wasn't the first choice, but I took it when I had the
chance. And then one more thing that might be the most successful thing
in life is that I can say that I was able to buy my own home. I've been
working hard, my husband's been working hard, and we're still in the
process I am so proud that I've been able to buy a house of my own, and
 not just in the Philippines. I mean, I don't have a house in the Philippines,
but I have been able to buy my own house here where I resigned.
4. If there is any chance to change your situation or profession right now, how or
what should it be?
− I think I've already done that. I've finished Hotel and Restaurant
Management and I love to cook. For me to work, the first option is to be in
the kitchen. I'm always fond of working in the kitchen. I've been a chef for
11 years. Then mid-life crisis came to a point. Did I have the right choice?
Do I want this kind of work for real? Am I on the right path? Did I decide
wisely? Is this a work or is this life for me really? Anything of the kind. To
make a long story short, 2 years ago, I stopped doing what I did. I stopped
for a few months well, not even 2 years ago; 4 years ago I did try to do an
application for a bank that I'm working in right now here. Unfortunately, I
couldn't be working, but, umm, back in those days, 2 years ago, I stopped
doing what I did. I stopped work. I've left my full-time job. I said that I no
longer wanted to cook. At home, I want to cook, but I don't want to cook
for a living. So there was an opportunity, which was like a couple of
months after that. I snatched the chance. What's happening right now is
that I've been working there for almost 2 years and they have a full-time
opening position. So I made a form for my application and I'm just waiting
for my boss to call me.