Mixed emotions were felt by her and it was mainly because of the unknown outcome as well as her jittery forethoughts. Who would not be? Especially when she waited for almost a year before she finally received a red letter day!
She unsealed the 4th rough brown envelope handed over by the postman and it contained a letter from the Home Office's Nationality team. This was it, she said anxiously and contemplatively to herself! The familiar nervousness started especially when she fully opened the tri-folded letter and read carefully the inscribed writings. Actually, she didn’t read it carefully as she was only looking for a particular word to end her great anticipation. In a leap, her eyes opened widely with a heart-warming angelic smile and its because of the one word, successful; which was written directly and clearly stated in the letter.
It was almost a year of waiting for her in which she received a total of 4 corresponding letters within that period. That is why, in July 2014 she finally met Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. She stood beside The Queen Elizabeth II like the rest who swore and pledged their loyalty as new citizens of the United Kingdom.
Her journey was topsy turvy...
It wasn't totally a smooth journey; she had also experienced it before coming over to the United Kingdom. That time she was very prepared to embarked on another life journey she encountered major problems with Philippine passport application requirements. She was bombarded with document problems and specifically, the typographical errors in her birth certificate. They hugely contradicted the other supporting documents and affected badly her passport application when she was in the Republic of the Philippines.
She almost gave-up with the process of correcting her birth certificate whilst she was also working in Metro Manila, Philippines. Yes, she almost did as it was affecting slightly her work routine and health condition. There were days in which she would travel after work to the track down the different offices of National Statistics Office (N.S.O.) and only to be treated like a ghost. Sadly, some of the employees were very uncooperative and up to a point were using their positions to harass people. She could still vividly remember how she almost passed-out because of lack of sleep and had not eaten on time. However, the forgivable attitudes of 'some' employees she encountered toughened her more to keep pursuing the messy and chaotic system of correcting typographical errors.
It was also almost a year of downside-up before she finally received the correction of her birth certificate. Her eldest sister, Sarah, was of great help especially in resolving and rectifying her records in their home town, General Santos City. Thank you and she is very proud to have her despite of their differences!
The day of the citizenship ceremony occurred...
She couldn’t wait to get inside the majestic 19th century County Hall in Kingston Upon Thames. A well-preserved luxurious man-made infrastructure with designed spacious main entrance and elongated shiny floors going through each wing of the building. Almost at the very end, an open-well stairs with quarter-turn landing was heading on to the first floor with narratively decorated stained glass windows. She paused for a while to feel the luminescent historical beauty of the entire architecture. She was delightfully tickled pink as she continued walking on the stairs in her red heels.
She handed over her citizenship invitation and was given back significant ceremonial papers to read while waiting for the rest to come...
All invitees had arrived and they were all called to get inside the Ashcombe suite. They met in person the Vice Lord-Lieutenant of Surrey who gave a welcome address and a few words about Surrey itself. He looked formal in his valour uniform and most handsome, too. It was a humid day outside and that is why she said to herself, 'thank you that this suite has an air-conditioned unit or else we will all be melting throughout the ceremony'. Apart from that she also asked herself regarding the Civic Dignitary's uniform, 'he might be feeling the humidity outside given how thick his uniform is?'.
Names were called one by one until her turn came. She stood elegantly in her aztec design wrapped dress and then, swore/affirmed an Oath of Allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. No more butterflies in her tummy and her face was left with immeasurable smile. After that, the pledge of loyalty took place as well as the presentation of Certificates for Naturalisation to the new citizens . Her certificate was handed over and a picture was taken beside the kind-hearted Lord Lieutenant who was very chatty and friendly. She returned to her seat blissfully. After that, they all finally sang the first verse of the National Anthem.
'God save our Gracious Queen!
Long live our noble Queen!
God save the Queen!
Send her victorious,
Happy and glorious,
Long to reign over us,
God save the Queen!'
Everybody was on cloud nine and jubilant. Who would not be? That is why, her intoxicating cheerfulness continued by taking pictures of herself especially beside the portrait of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II!
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