Yes, that's right. I am still here in Manila, so is my band. Why? Read on.
PASSPORT AND PERMITS DELAYED
When we arrived here in Manila last August, we were told that there were lots of visa applications denied by the Chinese Embassy especially with musicians like us. Then the freak hostage incident happened towards the end of August which raised more concerns about applying for visa. Then we were told that we had to renew our passports and present a clean slate when applying for Chinese visa. Yes, renew our passports even though our passports are expiring in 2012. But that was the advise that we got from our agency, so we just followed.
What we didn't know about passport renewal and passport application is that we had to schedule for an appointment and the earliest schedule we could find was November 2010! Oh no! Luckily, with the help of a travel agency and an outrageous amount of money, we were able to secure an earlier schedule. Yes, money talks indeed. So after appearing at DFA in mid-September, we still had to wait for almost 3 weeks before we had our new
e-passports.
After getting our passports, that's the only time we could request for permits from China. Not the working permit, but the permit to apply visa. It would be applied to the local government office in Beijing by the Shangri-La Hotel Beijing where we'll be performing. All they need are our new passport numbers for the said permits. And that's what we've been waiting for for weeks now. And the waiting is causing me anxiety. Why? It's because I know that the date of our departure is getting nearer and that I'd have to leave my daughter back home again.
TVC DELAYED
I was internally approved for a hair TV commercial. It's going to be internationally released, at least in Asia. It was supposed to be done in the beginning of October but since the models would be coming from different countries and the schedules don't match, it was postponed to an unknown date. Since I'll be leaving soon, I don't know if I'll be able to do it. Boo.
PHOTOSHOOTS
The only thing that keeps me sane is having the creative side of my brain working. Yes, photoshoots do that to me since I am my own stylist and makeup artist. I have done lots of photoshoots in Bulacan, Baguio, Cavite, and Tagaytay which I'll be posting on my online portfolio soon. That's what's keeping me busy every week. :)
