PEBA entry

Salamat, Danke, Merci, Thank you PEBA, and Happy Holidays too

December 28, 2010

This month has rather been busy with all the events related to Christmas, I have to beg off from blogging. 

It's been two weeks since the Pinoy Expats/ OFW Blog Awards night where my entry (here) landed a great and un-expected second place. Please allow me to copy my facebook note on it:
Mama got excited for the awards night, and went to Narda's for her PhP 4k Igorot dress. Incidentally, there were two Igorot awardees in the top 10 (#2 and #3). Thank you Perts for the fotos.

Looking now at these photos, I realized the easiest part was for me to write the entry, the fulfillment is mama saying she's proud and happy to be part of the awards night, and the real winners are the people behind PEBA for putting the event through. These winners are working from all corners of the globe and all corners of the Philippines -- unpaid, and just strongly driven by their passion to make a difference for the OFW bloggers.

Going back to my entry, I sat to write it six hours prior to the closing of submission,and I'm just thankful it still made it as entry # 28th. I wasn't really expecting anything since 25% of scoring was from popularity. When I submitted, my stats was only about 3000-ish page views for a 15 months old blog. Before the awarding, it reached 7000-ish. I was hiding my blog from people who know me, and due to work and family commitments, I cannot as much blog hop to earn traffic and votes. Eventually I have to ask help here at facebook, and somehow was blessed to generate support.

Thank you all!
Many thanks for the support, especially to those who believed in my entry.

Thanks a lot PEBA, my Mama was proud and glad!

I am on the other end of the line =)
And to all my fellow nominees and all fellow OFW bloggers, congratulations too!

~~~~~
Merry, merry Christmas =)

I guess I'm getting used to the sandpit Christmas celebration, but of course I miss the Filipino tradition. Much unlike the Philippines, Christmas is more of a commercialized event here where malls are adorned with greens and reds of Christmas trees, Santa Claus and his rein-deers, BUT nothing of the Nativity, since of course it is a Muslim country. The essence then is a challenge for every Christian believer to find it in his/ her heart.

The trimmings at Mirdiff Mall, Dubai Mall and Mercato Mall. I would've loved to drive to Emirates Palace to see the controversial $11M Christmas tree.
We attended the Christmas mass at St Mary's, and this nativity scene much made up for our longing to see one. Above is Fr. Tomasito during the parish announcement, saying "To those of you who attend mass only during Easter and Christmas, whatever your reasons are, the Church is always here to welcome you back". This was aptly meant for us. Can I hope we could be better in 2011?

~~~~~

From us and the Gremlin, we wish everyone a blessed 2011. And may the Christmas spirit reign in us everyday =)

PEBA entry

Redefining the OFW

October 31, 2010


However Gremlin he is, 
he's our daily de-stresser
“Lupang Hinirang” dominated the Gremlin’s Youtube sessions yesterday. He’s been humming the anthem but couldn’t get the lyrics right. You see, the four-year-old li’l boy attends Kindergarten 2 in a Filipino school here in Dubai. He skipped Kindgergarten 1, hence no preparatory Filipino class and Philippine anthem singing for him before now.

The Gremlin is our son, and he’s our home boss. Quite unknown to him, he drives our actions and decisions.And pushes us to achieve beyond those we first thought we cant.

The Gremlin - the deceiving look 
when he wants some chips

Five years back when my tummy was big with my Gremlin, pregnant Filipinas walking Dubai malls and streets are rare. Filipino kids running around Dubai are rare. But look today. We join thousands of Filipino families surviving the sandpit life. It’s not financially easy though, but it’s our choice.
The view from the world's tallest tower. 
The OFW whose core purpose is his/ her family 
soars above his/her dreams like the buildings here
The drawback is after six years as OFWs, we have yet to put up our physical home back in Baguio, we have yet to say we have hefty monetary investments.  Having our son stay with us costs us at least around AED 7500/ PhP 86,000 a month on top of our normal expenses. His school charges AED 9000 a year, among the cheap ones we could get. Of course he can’t study and play well at home if we remain sharing our room or apartment with others (like most Kabayans here, like how we were six years ago, sharing cramped rooms). That meant bearing AED 3500 additional rent and un-shared utilities. His dad and I leave for work five days a week, spending AED 1500 for somebody to look after him when we’re away. Oh, do you know that seeing our Gremlin devoid of playmates is costly too, driving him around especially on weekends calls at least AED 1500 a month.
 
Our above budget allows us minimum comfort in line with what we earn as 8am-5pm corporate employees. But do you know that there are fellow Filipinos having around half or less of what we earn yet manage to raise their families here? It’s a case of where there’s a will there’s a way. See our tailor friend. To raise their son here with their low family income, they sub-lease their apartment rooms to save on and earn from rent, and they also receive out-of-work sewing jobs from fellow Filipinos.

I believe OFW-ism is now taking a new definition. It's becoming more of a family act of working and living together abroad, whenever applicable.

I look to the time when the term OFW gets disassociated to disintegration of families. The world is now starting to become local; and soon continental distance is like travelling Baguio- Manila.  For one, there’s the ever evolving communication technology to thank for. Who doesn’t know Facebook and Chikka? Or Yahoo Messenger and Skype?


The majestic Burj Al Arab although standing detached,
keeps a bridge open and connected, so is the OFW

Telecommunication is getting affordable too. Here in the UAE, I'm usually up at 3 a.m. (or 7a.m. Philippine time) on weekends talking with my mom, my dad or my siblings for at least an hour as I take advantage of  Etisalat’s super offpeak plan charging phone calls at AED 0.55 or around PhP 6.30 per minute.  

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

It used to be that degree holders if not a nurse or engineer, end up as domestic helpers. In this age however, the global job market has opened up for Filipinos. (I currently work as a Financial Analyst while my husband is a Software Programmer.) Even yet, Filipinos are now faring higher in the corporate ladder. More income means affording to live with the family in the host country, and even more.

I’d always gladly look back into my humble beginnings six years ago. In that partition (a small room inside a room) the size of our master’s bathroom now, I slept with three other Ate-s. It was so small, that our three pairs of feet inter-lap every night we hit the two beds set perpendicularly (a double deck and a folding bed passing underneath the double deck). In the other flat, Kuya G also experienced the same. In the kitchen, we cued to prepare our food. In the toilet, we held our toiletries and towels as we take our turns standing by the bathroom door. All of us came on visit visas and looked for work when we landed.

But things are different for everyone of us now. Kuya G, five years after bringing his family over, just uprooted them out of Dubai to Doha yesterday to take on as country head of the Swiss multinational company he works for.  Just recently, his family of six toured Europe for some three weeks. Kuya G continues to inspire me and others. He always says "You can do it!".


I guess one trick to getting the most of being an OFW is to be among people in a better standing and be inspired by and learn from them. But there is quite greater fulfillment when we look back at those struggling behind us and help them get better.


Above slides you down 33 meters at 80 kph. 
The OFW with the family in his/ her heart, 
says "I can do it" to later "I did it!" to dares 
not everyone is willing to take.
 Other friends, while they may not inspire, do have their experiences/ struggles/ challenges to share – getting jailed for inability to pay loans and credit cards; getting jailed for drunk driving;  getting bankrupt in the personal business;  getting fined AED 50,000 for subleasing a rented villa; getting duped by illegal recruiters; getting an employment ban; surviving without work and hunting for one after being made redundant during the recession. More than anything, it’s not how they failed, but how they picked their selves up, earned wisdom from the experience, and share their lessons to others so they will avoid going through the same hardships.

These do drive the OFW down, but I've seen that the fastest way back on track is keep the family in focus.

My husband and I do have our own struggles and challenges, and we would start getting over it with a cup of Dunkin Donuts coffee and a Baskin Robbins ice cream =) And when coffee and ice cream cannot seem to solve it, a glance to our Gremlin is already enough to tell us there's more than deciding to give up. And most often, we emerge thanking the wisdom, knowledge and experience earned for conquering the challenge.

The OFW ride has twists and turns but 
when journey-ed as a family, it gives more fun 
and meaning to celebrate for

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

There's something good in being an OFW that's why we opt to be. 

The line I heard six years ago applying to every OFW could be a cliche' but it will never become outdated -- "Just always keep in mind what you left the country for, and everything will be fine"

Most OFWs would say "I'm here for my family", which is an unconscious answer that the OFW contributes to a better Philippines when he/ she works for the best interest of his/ her family.


Mabuhay ang OFW!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Oh, I've got to go, my Gremlin is to say his bed time prayer:
“Dear Jesus, please bless and guide my Lolo Pogi, my Lola Cute, my Lola Mommy, my Lolo Daddy, my uncles, my aunties, my cousins, Mama, Papa and me Kalel so that we are always safe and healthy, I love you Jesus, goodnight. Amen.”
And I pray : Dear Jesus, please bless every overseas Filipino worker's family. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~




P.S. - I thank PEBA for accepting me as Nominee # 28 in its blog awards with the theme "Strengthening the OFW Families: Stronger Homes for a Stronger Nation"

If you have liked my entry, I'd be happy if you please vote for it by clicking HERE or clicking the badge below that links to PEBA's site. Gremliness is # 28 under OFW Blog Finalist. 


Maraming salamat po =)




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