In this second entry of the Wanderfil Interview Series, I am thrilled to share with you an incredibly inspiring story of one of the strongest women I know.
Becoming a breadwinner at the age of 18 only made Angel a life winner that she is today. In 2012, she graduated from the University of the Philippines Los Baños with a degree in Communication Arts. Not long after, she moved to the Middle East to further provide for her family. She was about to leave Qatar when destiny rushed in - introducing her to love. Little did she know this would pave the way for her to live in a brand new country - one she now calls home.
Get ready to laugh, cry, and be inspired as we get to know my beauty, brains, and grit of a friend - Angel 🌸
Where were you born and raised in the Philippines?
I was born in Hagonoy, Bulacan - a municipality na malapit na mawala sa mapa because of flooding. I lived there until I reached the age of 9 or 10. Pero dahil sa baha (like literally 2 men have to carry me from our house to the tricycle terminal para di ako need lumusong sa baha everyday) my parents decided na lumipat sa Calatagan, Batangas (yes, from North to South Luzon 😅) where my dad used to manage fishponds. I basically lived there until I finished HS, then I transferred to UPLB for college, though my mom still lives in Calatagan until now.
What urged you to move abroad?
My dad died unexpectedly when I was 18 y/o so I became the bread winner of the family right after. In 2012, I just had my baby and my sister just started going to UP Diliman. I was working in Manila with a 16K salary and it wasn’t just enough for a family of 6. So when my mom’s friend offered to help me get to Qatar, I grabbed the opportunity. With 100$ pocket money and loans for my ticket (lol) I started my life abroad.
And to Spain, well … Love?😅 I met my now husband while working in Qatar. We fell in love and here I am - living & working in Spain!
You were living in Qatar for 7 years with a good job and good friends when you met your husband. Was it hard for him to convince you to come to another continent to live with him?
Not really because my initial plan was to leave Qatar in 2019 and transfer to Australia with my sister. So when my now husband asked me to marry him and move with him, I didn’t need to think too much. His offer includes bringing my son to live with us in Spain, so there - Yes or Yes. Deal!
What was your first impression of Spain/Barcelona when you just first arrived?
Tbh, I don’t know. I didn’t plan nor dreamt to live in Europe so wala akong expectations. I arrived in Spain just 2 months before the COVID pandemic hit. I had 2 months to adjust, so it was different. Also, we live 25 km away from the city. We live near the beach so it’s very quiet just like my town in Batangas 🤭
Any culture shock you've had when you first move?
YES!! The culture here is way different! I had my “Qatar trauma” with me when I arrived so initially, it took me some time to adjust to the “dos besos” thing they do here, and the way to dress. But that’s basically it! The past 7 years before arriving to Spain was waaaaay different to now, kaya mejo culture shock.
Can you share with us your journey - how hard or easy it was for you to integrate to the life of your husband’s family & friends?
I am a social butterfly. I can make friends easily. I think that is one of my advantage - though it cost me a lot to maintain all the friends that I am getting. So I learned to separate my friends (amigis) and my acquaintances (conocidos). So now I have like 8 friends that I consider like my family and maybe a hundred of acquaintances lol.
My husband’s family lives in Poland, so we visit them twice a year. They’re just the best! They treat me and my son, like family. We love them so much, and the food my MIL always prepares for us is just 🤤!!
How was your experience in getting your first job in Spain? How long did it take you to find one after moving here?
I arrived in Barcelona in January 2020, just before the COVID pandemic hit so most government offices were closed and it took me 6 months to have my TIE (residence card) processed. I started looking for jobs after summer around early to mid-September.
The first week of sending CVs was hard. I received a LOT of rejection emails (ie: my profile does not fit with their requirements, etc) It was the first time I received such emails 🙃 but my husband always reminded me “poco a poco” - a well known Spanish term which means little by little.
I had my first interview 2 weeks after sending my CVs. It was via Adecco (Job Hunter), and t’was an online interview. Since my Spanish was not that good, I prepared an “idiot board” for the interview lol. Luckily, I passed the first interview as an “Administrativa de Obra.” The next one happened to be presential, so pano natin nairaos yun? The Covid restrictions worked in my favour. We were 4 in a conference room and were seated with a 1.5 m distance (and with masks on!) This gave me the opportunity to ask “puede repetir la pregunta?” (can you repeat the question?) I didn’t say it because didn’t hear the question. I said it because I was having trouble to understand. I memorized 20 possible questions and answers - thank God!
In the end, I think the job was really for me because the moment I arrived home, they called me to say that I got the job. Pero not because natanggap na ako, ‘dun na natatapos yun. Syempre we have to prove our worth. I have to prove to my company that they were not wrong in giving this Filipina - with a low Spanish language level - a chance. I continued studying Spanish on my own while working. Itaas natin bandera natin anywhere in the world, c’mon!
You’ve worked in both Qatar and Spain, can you share any similarity between the two countries and the main difference when it comes to their work culture?
Working in Qatar is easy. In one position, there are 3 personnel and you earn good - real good money! Plus there’s no tax! What you earn is what you get. There were A LOT of Filipinos in the office, so that makes you feel more like home and makes the 8-5 job easier to complete everyday. In Qatar, the only break time we had was the 1-hr lunch break and we usually eat our lunch on our table, because it is too hot to go outside to eat.
In Spain, 3 jobs is for 1 person🙃 I mean, the workload is just too much sometimes. Every penny you earn here in Spain, you have to work hard for it 😅 Plus the tax % you have to pay is high. There’s also no Filipinos in the office - or at least in the industry (construction) that I am working in. I work mostly with Spanish and South Americans so I just focus with work. You’re lucky if you find 2-3 people you can call friends sa office. Also here, people love taking short breaks - yosi break, coffee break and lunch break 🤪
Congratulations in getting your Spanish passport! Por fin, somos españolas! Can you describe your Spanish journey in one word?
Rollercoaster 🎢
The process was long but smooth - aside from that day that I had to go to Valencia to take my Spanish test and they informed me that I can’t take it because I didn’t have my passport with me. I cried A LOT! But then as a fighter, after crying, I went back inside to insist my right. Voila! They apologized and let me me take the test the day after. I had the exam almost perfect, btw! 🤪
Final words/advices to fellow Filipinos who want to chase their dream lives abroad?
You have to be 100% sure that you really want to live abroad. A dream of living abroad is not a “pinterest board” that the idea of is just so colourful and beautiful in the picture. Here you have to prepare yourself for the tearful nights because of work stress, homesickness and hardships of everyday.
You have to carry a strong heart with you when you choose to live abroad. But these hardships will make you stronger, and prepare you for the future. Sabi nga, there’s a rainbow after the rain. Also, living abroad can take you to a lot of beautiful places and let you experience the world.
Get to know Angel and her journey more @angelguanzon on IG
Hasta luego!
Always proud of you ans thankful for all the sacrifices you made for us. 💗