Last Tuesday, an ex-colleague and friend told me that I made it to my ex-world’s bulletin. When I got the text message, I actually panicked because i first thought there was an article about me and blogging and all I could think of was “patay buking na ako!”.

Anyway, it turned out that they apparently are tracking the blogosphere about what bloggers are saying about them and then they put a link to that post in their weekly bulletin.

Most readers of this blog know where I used to work but I never written at any post what the company/institute’s name was, until this post where I unconsciously let slip that 4-letter word.

Anyway, it’s not that I’ve committed a crime, it’s just that I feel a little queasy about the fact that I didn’t exactly tell them what I exchanged them for. (honestly, it all boils down to the $$$!!!, ha ha ha.)

I technically didn’t lie either because my reasons for quitting that job was purely personal (which was what I told them) even if problogging was the last nail to the coffin. It seemed silly at that time to tell them (especially my immediate bosses) that I was going to earn money by problogging. I mean…how do you exactly tell rice scientists about the blogging business at the time when I myself didn’t fully understand it? (not that i fully understand it all today, I don’t!)

My closest friends knew, however crazy they thought I was, they were supportive of my decision because I needed to be with my family, period. I told the ex-bosses that I had a teaching job waiting here - there actually was but I decided not to pursue that when I got home.

April 1st last year, I finally was out of there. It was liberating in more ways than one. Not that it was a prison or something, it’s just that I am done with all of those (LB, IRRI and living alone with Raine), I actually may have been for a long time and I was just waiting for a ticket out - problogging turned out to be that ticket.

Now I’m living an entirely different world. It is really ironic because I grew up here but I lived longest in LB than anywhere else. Everyday, rice fields between hills fill the scenery I pass by on my way to town (to get online). That picture and that particular smell in the air when you’re around rice fields, remind me only of one place: IRRI.

Like Ruth told me once: I miss the place, the people and the ambiance but not the work…I feel exactly the same. He he.

So, forgive me Sirs and Ma’ams and my heartfelt gratitute to you all…I am happier where I am now and would like you to know that I do not regret that difficult decision last year, not even for one bit.  ;-)