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http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/news/story/0,4136,194599,00.html?
He gives up life in US for S'pore girl but...
With no job, he has to leave by end April
March 04, 2009
FOUR years ago, he was retrenched. He had lost his job as a mortgage loan coordinator.
With little savings, Mr Thomas Throg, 38, an American, decided to head east.
He had done some research and decided on Singapore, after reading news reports of its booming economy.
But he had another reason: He had befriended a Singaporean girl over the social networking site MySpace.
They had moved on to e-mails and messaging programs, and finally exchanged phone numbers, within two months.
From that point onward, they had regular phone conversations for six months.
'I liked her, and when we talked there were obviously sparks flying, so when I decided to leave America, I told her, 'Maybe I could come over to Singapore to see you',' said Mr Throg.
So he sold his house, said his goodbyes, packed his bags and headed here.
But a year after he arrived, Mr Throg is finding things hard over here as well.
He can't find a job, and is racing against time to land one before 30 Apr.
That's when his study visa expires, and without an employer applying for an S-Pass on his behalf, he'll have to leave Singapore and return to America and start all over again in his parents' basement, in an economy that's losing thousands of jobs every day.
Said Mr Throg: 'I'll pray for the best, that I'll be able to get on my feet quickly in America.
'But really, I'm praying that God will open a door here, that somebody's going to say, 'Hey, I think we'll take a chance on him and sponsor him for an S-Pass.'
'Anyone who does that is going to get a very motivated and hard-working guy who's definitely going to try to be a success wherever he's going to be placed.'
Girlfriend
As for his relationship with his girlfriend, Miss Natalie Sastrowardjoyo, 23, an administrations assistant, Mr Throg said:
'I don't know what'll happen if I have to leave. I know we'll stay in touch and we'll try to make our relationship work again, now that we've been together for over a year.'
The irony of his predicament is not lost on him.
Said Mr Throg: 'The recession I was running from caught up with me over here and now it's starting to seem as if it was all for nothing.
'I was hoping that this would be the new land of opportunity, and that I'd find work and live happily ever after.'
He recalled how, when he first arrived in Singapore, he attempted to get into mortgaging.
Back in the US, he had worked for CitiGroup and Nextstar Financial, and had 12 years of experience in the field, he said.
But the recruiter here refused him because he had not been to college.
'To me, that was just crazy. I thought, 'Wow, 12 years of experience versus a piece of paper?' '
So he enrolled in the Boston School of Business Management for a diploma in hospitality management.
He is currently working at the Republic of Singapore Yacht Club as part of the syllabus.
Though he admits that his finances are strained, what's foremost in his mind right now is to get a job before the dreaded 30 Apr deadline.
For her part, Miss Sastrowardjoyo has been calling up contacts and taking him to job fairs, including one organised by the North West Community Development Council at Sembawang last week, which attracted as many as 4,800 job seekers.
'He's really genuine and big-hearted,' she said. 'He deserves better than this.'
Julian Lee, newsroom intern
He gives up life in US for S'pore girl but...
With no job, he has to leave by end April
March 04, 2009
FOUR years ago, he was retrenched. He had lost his job as a mortgage loan coordinator.
With little savings, Mr Thomas Throg, 38, an American, decided to head east.
He had done some research and decided on Singapore, after reading news reports of its booming economy.
But he had another reason: He had befriended a Singaporean girl over the social networking site MySpace.
They had moved on to e-mails and messaging programs, and finally exchanged phone numbers, within two months.
From that point onward, they had regular phone conversations for six months.
'I liked her, and when we talked there were obviously sparks flying, so when I decided to leave America, I told her, 'Maybe I could come over to Singapore to see you',' said Mr Throg.
So he sold his house, said his goodbyes, packed his bags and headed here.
But a year after he arrived, Mr Throg is finding things hard over here as well.
He can't find a job, and is racing against time to land one before 30 Apr.
That's when his study visa expires, and without an employer applying for an S-Pass on his behalf, he'll have to leave Singapore and return to America and start all over again in his parents' basement, in an economy that's losing thousands of jobs every day.
Said Mr Throg: 'I'll pray for the best, that I'll be able to get on my feet quickly in America.
'But really, I'm praying that God will open a door here, that somebody's going to say, 'Hey, I think we'll take a chance on him and sponsor him for an S-Pass.'
'Anyone who does that is going to get a very motivated and hard-working guy who's definitely going to try to be a success wherever he's going to be placed.'
Girlfriend
As for his relationship with his girlfriend, Miss Natalie Sastrowardjoyo, 23, an administrations assistant, Mr Throg said:
'I don't know what'll happen if I have to leave. I know we'll stay in touch and we'll try to make our relationship work again, now that we've been together for over a year.'
The irony of his predicament is not lost on him.
Said Mr Throg: 'The recession I was running from caught up with me over here and now it's starting to seem as if it was all for nothing.
'I was hoping that this would be the new land of opportunity, and that I'd find work and live happily ever after.'
He recalled how, when he first arrived in Singapore, he attempted to get into mortgaging.
Back in the US, he had worked for CitiGroup and Nextstar Financial, and had 12 years of experience in the field, he said.
But the recruiter here refused him because he had not been to college.
'To me, that was just crazy. I thought, 'Wow, 12 years of experience versus a piece of paper?' '
So he enrolled in the Boston School of Business Management for a diploma in hospitality management.
He is currently working at the Republic of Singapore Yacht Club as part of the syllabus.
Though he admits that his finances are strained, what's foremost in his mind right now is to get a job before the dreaded 30 Apr deadline.
For her part, Miss Sastrowardjoyo has been calling up contacts and taking him to job fairs, including one organised by the North West Community Development Council at Sembawang last week, which attracted as many as 4,800 job seekers.
'He's really genuine and big-hearted,' she said. 'He deserves better than this.'
Julian Lee, newsroom intern
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