Monday, September 24, 2007

Pinoys in Fleet

When I first came here and was looking around for a flat, I had absolutely no idea if there were any Filipino communities in the area and the neighboring towns. I tried to ask my relocation agent at that time but she told me she’d ask around and come back to me with the information (which she never did). After 7 properties in 3 different towns, I settled with the one in Fleet which is the closest to public transport as I did not have a car back then and it was only about 6 minute-drive away from my workplace in Southwood, Farnborough. It was only later that I learned from a Filipino colleague that there are considerable number of Filipino families in neighboring towns of Farnborough and Frimley (which has a big hospital with majority of its nurses coming from the Philippines).

Walking around in Fleet’s town center, I would get excited whenever I see Pinoy-looking people and realizing later that they were actually Thai or Napalese. Hehe! Until I finally met a Filipina from the church and it was there I learned that there weren’t much Filipinos in Fleet. Over the months, my circle of Filipino friends widens and all of them are living in Farnborough, Frimley and Camberley.

Not until a few months ago when my hubby bumped into a Pinay in one of his train rides. From then on, we have been frequenting their house for a barbecue and it was through those gathering that I got to meet the other kababayan living around the town. In a span of a month, two more guys arrived from Pinas and we all agreed that our community in Fleet has somehow grown not into a really big community but just enough that everyone knows everyone. It’s exciting that the “Ate’s” are actually talking about having a Pinoy Christmas Party!!


fraction of the whole Pinoy gang


3 comments:

Anonymous said...

That's nice Ming! Daw indi kamo ma home sick gid no? Bisan diutay lang kamo it's good enough for a reason to have fun.

BTW, naga glowing ikaw :)

Donna Mae said...

Hi Maping! Now that we have Filipino friends here, indi gid namon ma-miss ang lutong Pinoy. hehe! They are fond of cooking and invite na lang kami.

Anonymous said...

Ming, musta na? You're hibernating too? Just checking how are you and Zach.

Take care!