My 1st Week So Far

My first week so far had been great. First of all, my apartment's cool. It may not be in the middle of the hustle and bustle of the Cincinnati Business District, but I believe it's better to come home to a quieter set up where cars are passing by at a minimum. My neighbor is a row of red bricked houses that speak coziness and character. As far as I'm concerned me and my colleagues are the loudest people in the street. Speaking of the apartment, this made us easily adjust in a week because we have everything that we need down from cleaning, laundry, cooking stuff, electronics, communication and other apartment facilities like the gym, which unfortunately I care less about. The overall apartment space including the closet space is fantastic. My bathroom is more than sufficient and the bed...oh the bed...I could sleep in it forever. Going home from a busy day at work just thinking of the bed is more than enough to keep my spirits up.




Really spacious and cozy.


Love this kitchen. Everything's here and it's updated.

Bathroom is very sufficient too.




This bed is so fantastic.



Waiting at the spacious Covington Transit Center. Our gateway to possibilities.


First Sunday at Cincy. Syempre Walmart.

My apartment's location is also cool. Though my apartment is in Covington Kentucky, we're only 5 minutes away from Cincinnati Ohio. We just have to cross the bridge to get to our offices. Our apartment is just a couple of blocks from the Covington Transit Center where the very helpful and convenient TANK buses are there to take us to all possible routes in Kentucky and Ohio on schedule. Thanks to the ever reliable TANK buses and their helpful website, we have been to various shopping malls, outlet stores, groceries and work without the hassle. Without TANK buses, life for us here would've been different.

TANK Bus to Walmart


Roebling Row, just outside my apartment building.

As expected for the young, empowered Pinoy professionals, we didn't waste time on our first weekend and we went to our nearest WALMART store to stack up our fridge and cupboards. It's especially fun for first timers to see a grand showcase of retail and food items on a relatively good WALMART prices. We got our two weeks' worth of groceries there for less than 100 dollars. After WALMART we felt we could conquer the rest. In between work we go to WALGREENS to pick up stuff and as early as the 4th of July long weekend, we already went and shopped at Macy's, Florence Mall in Kentucky, Bath and Body, Kohl's, Target, Old Navy Outlet and the ever famous, Best Buy. In one week, in our second weekend here, most of us spent hundreds to thousands of dollars buying laptops, cameras and gaming consoles in Best Buy, Make-up and vitamins at Walgreens and cool retail stuff from outlet stores and malls. We start our day early and end it late with sore backs from carrying too many shopping bags. We have been doing the same thing for three consecutive days now. We plan to do it again tomorrow and we still have 9 more weeks here.

I admit that shopping isn't my thing and I hardly had any panic attack at the products of Best Buy, but I did shop more than I usually do. I practically shopped for my family and Mitch and I only bought a couple of Bath and Body products for myself with a couple of sale shirts and sandals. Shopping here is great because technically the company money paid for all of the retail therapy. It wasn't an impulsive buy either. It was the 4th of July sale and a good one. To sample, I bought 3 2010 tennis rackets for 30 dollars each with 10 dollars duffel bags for me and my brother. I bought 30 bottles of Bath and Body products, half those bottles were practically free. Old Navy, Macys and NYCo. fill the gaps.


600 dollars in 3 days...not too bad at all.


Going home at 8 or 9 pm with shopping bags in tow is a very empowering feeling. At first we feared at the inevitable accounting activity at the end of the day, but the items we all bought are in good condition, good faith and bought with good intentions. It all somehow eases the guilt. I'm not a shopper, but I burned my wallet this early in this trip. This place is the center of retail therapy. No matter which busy or laid back state you're in, the retail staples are consistent. Anyone who has ever been here should know; and anyone's first time is an experience.

Most important in the mix is that my colleagues are also a blast. Each and everyone has character. I can say that we all get along for now which is important in enjoying our new environment. My colleagues have their own strengths to contribute to our stay. We have seasoned chefs, navigators, comics and intellectuals on board. We are beginning to learn more about one another and the setting seldom makes it funner. One thing we have in common though, which I have proven, is the Bath and Body sale.


My first week has been good if not a complete blast. I was able to maximize my apartment's facilities, maximize my TANK BUS, went to various stores in two States, enjoyed July 4th celebration, ate at fabulous restaurants and constantly share laughter with my colleagues. We sometimes forget we're here for training. I never expected it to be this cool. We have 9 more weeks to figure things out though, but since the first week has been good, then the 2 more months here would be a piece of cake.