I am taking a trip to the United States once again (in May) to carve out a new life for myself (and for my fiancee).  I'd like to get some business done, check out how the properties are doing, maybe even continue my education, or at least pick up a new skillset or two.

And while I do have family there, the ultimate goal really is to be as independent as possible.  All these years of living on my own has actually done its job to give me that needed boost of confidence and a strong belief that I can handle this without breaking a sweat.

So everything now is geared towards preparing for that trip in May.  I've taken a more active effort in stepping up my activity online- because online assets can be managed anywhere in the world- so long as you have a trusty laptop and a decent internet connection.

For me, that means taking in more writing jobs, managing more blogs (clients' and my own) , dabbling even more with internet marketing, and dipping my fingers into e-commerce as well.

I have to admit: for a while there, I was really iffy about relocating somewhere else, mainly because I saw my personal network of contacts, suppliers and business partners as a key strength, and something that couldn't come into play if I move to, say, Los Angeles.  Now I realize that, that network of mine can still very much work out for me- if I look at it through entrepreneurs' eyes.  Especially with the internet and the ease of travel and communication- you just have to look at it differently now.

With that, I start organizing my stuff, deciding which ones I take with me, ship out, store elsewhere, stash away for safekeeping, or just give away.  I've been converting all my songs, TV shows, games and movies into digital media- so I could take a couple of hard disks with me instead of a whole slew of CDs and DVDs.

So much needs to be done, but I'm happy I'm doing this.

Cheers, everyone!

I was seriously considering moving there for a while- at least until things started happening for me here. Still, the prospect of moving to SG isn't unlikely.

In fact, I have a number of friends there who are doing quite nicely. And good for them, I say. Singapore is a land full of opportunities, especially if you're relatively young, skilled, have better-than-average English, and wouldn't mind being away from family for a rather extended while.

One of the first things to consider when planning a move to Singapore is getting a place to stay. The HDB, or Housing Development Board of Singapore- is largely responsible for maintaining the country's public residential real estate- which are mostly high-rise buildings housing a lot of flats or apartments.

There's an online property search tool found in the Singapore Property site, which you can use to find great deals (or even investments, if you're into it) on a comprehensive listing of available Singaporean property.

Just to give you an idea- some former radio colleagues of mine told me that it would be cool if you landed a job that paid you at least SGD2500/month. That amount of cash is more than enough to get you a decent place to stay, take care of your day-to-day expenses, allow you to buy some stuff and go out once in a while, maybe even have some left over for savings.

At least you have a general idea how much cash you'd be playing around with.

Let me know how your plans moving to Singapore are working out for you.

Cheers!

Just flew in from Manila (via Narita, Japan) this morning. We touched down at LAX just nicely a little past 7AM. So here I am now, for the very first time, in Los Angeles.

In reality, it's still pretty much late evening for me; while I may have left home (in Manila) at about 4am, my unadjusted timepiece says it's 11pm-ish. Which suggests that, my trans-Pacific trip- including actual flight time, lining up at various queues in Manila, Narita and Los Angeles- has taken just about the whole day for me.

Had to adjust my watch one hour ahead at Narita, and another seven hours ahead at Los Angeles. I decided to keep the time on my mobile phone and laptop as is so I can pretty much keep track of time back in the Philippines.

My trip to LA this time (the very first time, in fact), however short, hopes to accomplish several things:

1. Probably most importantly, I'm here to spend time with Dad. He's been diagnosed with stage 4 liver cancer, which has unfortunately metastasised into his kidney, lower spine and other internal organs. Realistically he's not going to last long, so we're here to take care of him the best way we can. Pretty much keep him as pain-free as possible, spend time, hang out, stuff like that.
2. I haven't seen my parents and my sister in 15 years. Naturally this is a great time to do some bonding, get to know them some more, basically renew family ties.
3. Consider the opportunities should we decide to move here. Gotta admit, by a long stretch, this place has got a lot over the Philippines. I'm here to consider options for settling down here, as well as options for business and employment.
4. Given number 3, my goal is to prepare myself for an eventual move to the US. Specifically, in my case, it means losing weight, picking up handy skills, and building my online empire.
5. On a lighter note, I'd like to get my hands on whatever Justice League Unlimited/ The Batman action figures we have available here, which is not available back at home.
6. Another quirky side-quest: try out local LA fare, but also have the chance to try out fast food chains like McDonalds and KFC, only to compare em with the stuff back home.

So pretty much it seems I got it all mapped out. Mom has set me up in a nice room at home, and Resa has hooked me up with some cold-weather clothes. I just finished handing out their care packages and little gifts from home. More coming up in the morning, after I catch up on some sleep.

This is part One of ten in the continuing coverage of my trip to the United States.  More to follow.  Part Two up ahead.  Cheers!