Maiba lang ^_^

Maiba lang ^_^

(My facebook news feeds inspired me to wrote this.)

Maiba lang, puro kasi daing ang nababasa ko s news feeds ko, puro hirap at sakit ng isang OFW na talaga namang totoo pero syempre kahit anung hirap, meron din naman tayong naranasang kakaiba na ngbigay saya sa atin kahit panandalian lamang...

Katulad ko, sabihin ng mababaw ako pero ang makakain ako ng mga prutas na nung nasa Pilipinas ay sa lata ko lang natitikman gaya ng peaches, apricots, raspberries ay isang maganda ng experience. Ang cherries na nun ay sa ibabaw ng ice cream ko lamang nakikita dito pwede ng pumapak. Ang pomegranate, hndi ko nga alam kung meron nyan sa atin, ang mga kiwis at iba pa.

Narating ko na din ang ibang lugar na masasabi ng historical gaya ng Dead Sea, Baptismal Site/Jordan River, Petra, Jerash, etc.

At wag kalimutan ang SNOW, pati na din ang mga kaibigan nakilala ko na dito.

Ikaw kabayan, ano ang masasabi mong kakaibang experience/nakain/napuntahan mo na naranasan sa ibayong dagat?

(Photos)

Dead Sea 

Baptismal Site/Jordan River

Jerash

Petra

The Treasury (Al-Khazneh)

St. George Church (Al-Khader Church)

This is the sacred footprint of St. George inside the church.

Tipikal na Pasko :)

Ano nga ba ang isang tipikal na Pasko sa tulad naming mga OFW?

Hindi lahat ng OFW ay malayang nakakapagdiwang ng Pasko. Kaming mga andito sa Jordan ay isa marahil sa mga pinalad.

Sa umaga, pagsisimba ang una sa aming listahan. Isa ang Pasko sa mga araw na talaga namang punong puno ang simbahan. Puno hindi lamang ng tao, naguumapaw din ng saya at lungkot.

Saya dahil kahit malayo sa pamilya ay may mga kababayang pwedeng makasama, saya dahil pinayagan ng among lumabas at magdiwang, marami din kasi ang hindi napapayagang magdiwang dahil karamihan ng amo ay iba ang relihiyon. Makikita sa bawat ngiti ang galak, sa bawat bati ang saya.

Lungkot dahil malayo sa mga minamahal sa buhay, pero sabi nga we have to make do of what we have. Malungkot na ginugunita ang mga nagdaang Pasko na nasa sariling bansa kapiling ang pamilya at lahat nangangarap na sana sa susunod na pasko ay kapiling na sila.

At kahit saan hindi pahuhuli ang mga Pinoy sa kantahan. At kapag sinimulan ng kantahin ang malulumbay na himig Pasko, makikita mo na isa isa na din nagpapahid ng luha ang karamihan. Pero balik ang ngiti kapag sinimulan ng kantahin ang mga pamaskong kantang nakalakihan na natin. Sabay sabay kumakanta, may napapaindak na, at pumapalakpak.

Pagkatapos ng misa, ang iba ay uuwi na, ay iba naman ay may konting salo-salo sa kanya kanyang "Sunday House".

Malungkot. Masaya. Yan ang Pasko namin.

Becoming an OFW

My Journey on becoming an OFW...

It was in 2005 (more or less ^_^), when I decided to try to apply for a job abroad. First, I tried applying for Hongkong, but then SARS exploded, hehehe not my luck. Then I submitted to various agencies my CV, applying for various positions, from private tutor to household help to receptionist. I don't really care if it was connected with what I have studied in school, what is important is that it will let me earn money, an income to provide the needs of my family and an "escape" as well ( will expand on that on my coming blogs ^_^).

After awhile I already lose hope that i'll be able to work abroad, for every time I need to pay something (fees, medical, etc), I am not able to provide. Until I day a friend asked if I want to try applying for Jordan. Here my journey as an OFW begins.

It was rather easy actually, submitted my CV, which was then the bio-data, my credentials, and I was off to have my medical. Roughly I spend around 8k (pesos), additional 4 months salary deduction once I am "officially" employed, a salary of $150 (net). I agreed, what I didn't know was, I was to leave the country as a tourist, meaning without any assurance of a legal work once I arrive there, no insurance, no proper documents, no PDOS( Pre Departure Orientation Seminar). Blindly, I took the risk and luckily I survived.

The difficulties of working overseas includes language barrier, culture differences, the work itself, and home sickness.

Arriving in Jordan, I once realized that not everybody speaks english. Sign language did help, ^_^.  Only those educated knows good english, luckily my employers are very well educated, a union of a Jordanian and an American, thus it became easier. I have learned my marhaba's, keef halak/halek, shukran, afwan, the basics.

Culture differences, oh my, very, very different on our (Filipino) culture. The way of greetings is usually handshake but if it is a casual, first time meeting, handshakes between a man and a woman is also a no-no. Kisses are given on cheeks ( beso-beso ) usually between relatives. Regarding time, 2 minutes is more like 20 minutes or more. The people here are on the conservative side ( so they claimed ). But I later found out that they just expect Filipinos to be conservative, just the Filipinos and not the Americans, not the French, not the British, just the Filipinos. Why do I say this? Think, why if an American wore a sleeveless shirt it is ok, but and I say BUT, when a Filipina wore an sleeveless shirt they will already think that, that Filipina is trying to get attention and flirt. Sadly, they think less of Filipinos.

Work depends on your work here. As a DH well, it is very different to what I am used to. And the house where I worked is mainly marbles ( marmol ), from floors to walls, with big windows. I clean, I cook, I answer phone calls, I open doors, I took care of four cats,  a maid, a secretary, a guard rolled into one.

Homesickness is the worst feeling ever. The first few months was really crying times especially at night, or when we get so tired, or not feeling well. But as with the other difficulties, it can also be overcome. Thanks to  modern times, communication is now easy.

Add weather as a difficulty too. It becomes very hot during summers, and freezing in winters.

I think I have covered the basics of my journey. I am still here in Jordan, still with same family I started with, properly documented. And thankful that I survived all the first times I encountered and experienced.

God bless!

OFWs Around The Globe

Statistically, more than 2.2 million Filipinos are working out of the country, "abroad" as we call it. Scattered among neighboring countries in Asia, has even reached the farthest probably, and most of them are working in some of the most unsettled countries in the Middle East. I am one of them.

Some foreign friends asked me the question why and how, over and over again. Why not work within the country? Why not engaged in business if there are no works available? How do I managed being far away from my family? so on and so forth.

1st, why not within the country? 
There are no jobs available for everybody. And if you are lucky to have an ordinary job, the net pay is not enough. Once all the monthly expenses is deducted, like fares, food allowance ( for lunch and snacks ), clothing expenses, and make-ups expenses for the girls, the take home pay is not enough.

2nd, why not engaged in business? 
No capital, period. It isn't easy to venture into business especially if you don't have the capital. Borrow from the bank? Again if you cannot prove to bank you are capable of paying or if you have other source to pay the loan, then it is a no no too. Must presents land titles, bank deposits, anything worthy to called "collateral".

3rd, how do I managed being away from my family?
Homesickness as we OFWs call it is the first and the hardest to overcome. But why we still do it? It is because we want our family, especially our children, to have a better future. By being able to provide their basic needs and their school needs, we know they will have more chance of a better life than the life we are having.

And to those who find my blog somewhat useful, or entertaining, or even educational, thank you, I hope to hear from you. And this is my first blog, so in case you find something wrong, please do excuse me.  

God bless!