The year that was

We were on five spoonful of yogurt per meal, the ginamos/bagoong (salted fish) and rice with a dab a lemon once fashionable poison in Saigon was good enough for me in mid-December. We skidded on the financial lows for many unexpected reasons.

The year ends with Gov. Eloy Inos finally calling out 10-4.  He deserves a full column. Meanwhile, here’s how my year ran. Returned to Saipan in March from China to slide into minimum SS benefits, write a book, and in five years, retreat into a decade of the sounds of silence. That timeline followed a different path.

Expectations wilted at the altar of the dollar. I thought I was current on taxes; visited SS to apply for benefits, only to be told that I was three quarters short. I retrieved my SAU copy of consultancy fees and amended my tax returns. That resulted in a big OUCH!—$3K of additional charges. It took me ’til the end of October to finally make the payments but SS did not record the amendment ’til December so benefits won’t be accessible ’til the end of January, the earliest.

I dealt with immigration. I came to Saipan a year before and Immigration promised to get all my scattered petition papers to Saipan. Hawaii surprised me with a scheduled interview so I wrote them back saying that I was headed for Saipan to visit the local office where I expected my papers gathered. Not.

An acquaintance says, “The postal service stinks.” No quarrel here. The letter I sent from China to Honolulu took four weeks to be delivered so my non-appearance in Hawaii at the scheduled interview cost me. I showed up at the USCIS office on Saipan and was informed that my application was deemed “abandoned.” After three months of bantering with Honolulu, the Hawaii office advised that I apply again “without prejudice.” I was, of course, expected to dole out the application fees again. That’s another $3K ouch.

The petition for non-quota relatives that normally takes three months took six. The Immigration officer advised I file simultaneously for the immigration petition and change of status while my spouse and son were with me on Saipan but I did not have sufficient funds and the blunder of filing separately cost me mucho as well.

Meanwhile, on income-generation, I got back to PSS. I left with a diagnosed cervical bone disorder while teaching at SVES, and two MDs counseled surgery on nerve cells but I demurred, withdrew retirement funds, sought medical relief elsewhere. Though diagnosed with a disability, I could not claim disability benefits because I successfully managed it. Bummer!

This year, I applied to teach social studies and history at SSHS; looked forward to jostle academically with students again. PSS central qualified me to teach. I interviewed and waited for the call. It never came. Hiring is by request of the school and my name was on the available teachers’ list, but no one asked for my services. Talk about a real downer!

I interviewed elsewhere.  Three out of five thought I was “over qualified,” a great mental massage but not helpful in procuring groceries. At an education institution as adjunct faculty, my credentials needed to be assessed by a third party since the degree that qualified me for a position was earned outside the U.S., never mind that my subsequent masters’ level work was in a prestigious American university.  The requirement is a rule. I do not quibble with official regulations.

A friend in volunteer disaster assistance after Soudelor thought volunteers from China could spruce up on their English so I expected groups of 10 folks to trek to my office to take two-hour daily lessons. The remuneration was on the low side but the numbers still brought funds that I desperately needed to keep roof over my head and food on the table. The first session turned out to be a total disaster. The organizer kept translating my English into Chinese and when I asked him to stop, he abruptly canceled the class before the hour was over, saying that they needed a Caucasian who spoke real English! Stupefied, I was back to counting pennies for roof and groceries.

I picked the above narratives because they were manageable. Want to hear the less than friendly breaks? My early morning flight to China was transferred to daylight due to busted lights. I was told to check in two and a half hours before departure, an exercise in relativity and chaos. The airport was jammed.

Immigration finally responded to the change of status application for my wife and son. My son’s first papers were submitted before he turned 21 but got caught in P.O. delays. Now he is over 21, and will be treated as such.  He has to fall in line for a number.

The year saw expenses grow faster than income. I was broke and deep in debt. A Mickey D’s cup that said “half full or half empty” provided class lesson. The cup made a lesson on the difference a choice on outlook makes. Perspective determines behavior. 

In my book, Eloy Inos was half-full.  T’was a very good year.