Goodbye Retirement, Hello Salary!

As many of you know, I have been working as a consultant for the World Bank for over a year and a half now. Lately, I have been working long hours that it's almost like full-time work. Well, they have now offered me a full-time job for four years as Senior Compensation and Benefits Officer which I have accepted. I start on May 9.

I'm sure you're all wondering why. I have a comfortable pension with no mortgage. The answer is simple and compelling - Joaquin. My Facebook friends know he is now the sunshine of my life. I love taking care of him and teaching him. Already, he knows how to use my iPad where he watches his favorite YouTube videos of the alphabet, numbers, nursery rhymes, Sesame Street, etc. He chats with Anna on Yahoo Messenger though he types purely gibberish but he knows it's his Mom. He "reads" Toy Story 1 and 2, and even does the jigsaw puzzles. He even goes to the calculator or Sudoku to punch his favorite numbers. Heck, he even taps into my ipod to listen to my music, especially Kara Klein's spiritual songs. He knows how to control the volume and the screen size, how to rewind or move forward. The hours spent on the ipad have paid off. Joaquin can say two, fff, iks, eight, ten, thirteen when you say the numbers in between to prod him. One time I said Oh! and he said "P". :) So props to Apple for developing such a user-friendly tablet that even a not-quite-18-month old baby can navigate it. So how can I leave him when it is such a wonder to see him develop and grow?



This job assures us of four more years in the US with no need to go home every 6 months if we were on a tourist visa. I guess I could have gone on working as a consultant but then there is no security that the assignments will always be there. Besides, since I am working almost full-time, I might as well draw the higher salary and the full benefits. Also, my office is just a block away from Anna's IMF office, and James's office is a 5-minute ride away. So we will be driving to and from work together in Anna's Cooper along tree-lined 16th street with the beautiful Embassy houses and churches.

The job is also something I enjoy - designing/redesigning and costing benefits, writing and interpreting policy, and developing compensation packages for our offices in East Asia and the Pacific, including the Philippines, which will require a few missions to that part of the world. At my age, this is a job, not a career. So I am not going back to the rat race and working with an eye towards the next promotion. A job done well is its own reward. I will have every other Friday off and eventually I hope to work alternate Fridays from home. The World Bank also provides 26 days vacation leave a year so I will still be able to travel a lot. In fact, I had already negotiated my one week leave in September for my Alaska cruise and three weeks leave in October-November to go home with Manny, Anna, James and Joaquin for his second birthday celebration.

So now our priority is to get Daday, our hardworking and faithful maid, whom we also brought to the US when I was seconded to the World Bank in 2002-2004. And to this end, Manny is flying home on May 2 to help with her papers. Fortunately, James's younger brother, Nikko, who is also Joaquin's ninong, a jock, and a self-trained cook, arrived last Tuesday and will be staying until June, when Manny comes back hopefully with Daday.

Second priority is to buy a new house. Since we will be staying here for quite a while, we want to be more comfortable. I want a room with our own walk-in closet and T&B. Fortunately, there is a new development just past where we are staying now which is building new homes and townhouses. It is a former golf course so the terrain is lovely with lots of trees. We have selected a home style which has 4 bedrooms and 3 T&Bs on the second floor. One bedroom is as big as the masters' suite with a spacious walk-in closet, but without a sitting room. Perfect for Manny and me. The third bedroom will be for Joaquin and the fourth will be a nursery for the next baby (next year? hopefully!). The basement is large enough for a rec room, a gym, a guest rom, a maid's room, and a 4th T&B. And the best part is the large kitchen with two ovens (for cooking and baking) and a cooktop in the center island facing the family room. So I can watch TV or Joaquin while cooking! (Yes, I plan to continue cooking and baking even with Daday around. I have learned to enjoy it. One good fruit of retirement!) Anna, James and I are co-buying the house since it will be theirs when we leave. We are just waiting for the bank approval of our loan and we hope to move in before Christmas. Please pray that Anna and James will find good tenants for their townhouse.

Manny and I have prayed about this and believe it is right for our family. All is as God wills. Thanks be to God!

May the Easter joy remain with you and your families throughout the year.

(Since I am no longer retired, I have to retire this blog. Until I retire again. Thanks for reading my posts.)