Just when you thought everything is okay...

Shit happens.

I've not been able to write articles for a very long time since I got too busy with my transition to living abroad. The last article I shared was 7 months ago, telling you about how I'm waiting for my departure to Japan where I am currently living. It was mostly about my journey - the successes, struggles, and the in-betweens... before this very life came into existence.

Now, I am here. I came here last year, literally 5 days before the Japanese government closed its borders again. I was actually one of the few lucky ones who were able to enter at the height of the pandemic. With that I am thankful, however, coming here was a struggle because I was to pay for my quarantine expenses (14 days) and transportation expenses from Narita to Nara where I'm currently living. These expenses totaled around 220,000yen. It was no joke, I had to save up for it while juggling different types of part-time jobs as an online English tutor, content and language editor of textbooks, part-time Science teacher, and writing articles here. While doing all of these, I also had to support my daily expenses while I wait for my departure date.

And then came my time to leave the Philippines and finally be able to come to Japan. At first, I had to squeeze in the money that I brought until the end of December when we were supposed to receive our monthly scholarship money.

I was thinking of saving up while I am here so I can have something when I return home next year coz it's part of the contract. I was sending money little by little until I was able to save up for a bit.

Then March came, I invested this money in someone who I trust so much. I don't take risks a lot, but I took my chance on this one because someone I know is really gaining monthly income from his investment. So, I invested all that I've saved so far, thinking of the monthly gain that I'll be getting which I can use to pay for my monthly dues - life insurance, SSS contribution, Pag-ibig, etc.

I was able to receive my 1st month's income, though a bit late. It was okay for me coz I trust the person and I know that the income is sure to come coz there was a fund where it will be gotten from.

Then, the end of May came...

Suddenly, there was an excuse and more excuses for the delay. I was not sounding too demanding from the person, coz I was thinking maybe, this person is just busy with work and is juggling a lot of things and there's just a delay in the release of the gains... until the other investor whom I know told me what's been happening.

From that moment on, I tried so hard to understand what was going on. But it also came to my senses that... shit, I'll be losing my investment.

The worse is my investment's not so much as compared to the other person who's invested a lot and had even added recently due to the demands of the person to whom we were investing.

It hurts me coz we are family. We are supposed to help each other and lift each other up. I keep on trying to reflect and think about why we're in this mess and it seems like there's no way out but to pay the other investors who are not family, but outside of the inner circle.

I am sad that eventually, we are all suffering. Are we too reckless? Are we greedy for money? We just wanted to get out of poverty and build a good future that we HAVE TO BUILD FOR OURSELVES. We work hard to become good individuals who can provide for our families, and for my future family.

Money has always been a struggle in my family... Is it so bad to dream to get out of this cycle of poverty?

Just when I thought everything was falling into its place, life will tell you otherwise, hey...

Sh*t happens.