I Am Distraction

Before it has morphed into what it is today, these humble pieces and pages of my life has been through a lot. Like an ambitious young man trying to find his niche in the society and a little bird searching for a place to call home, after numerous change in lay-outs, color backgrounds and even the contents, finally, I have landed safely to where I could be more open shared and less ridiculed. This is my blog, this is my life.

Initially, I named my blog "A Rabbit's Hole". I thought the rabbit is the one that most closely resembled my personality as they naturally are ground dwellers and are relatively solitary, silent and nocturnal. Hence, the domain, kunejo.blogspot.com. A rabbit's hole, on the other hand, represents a portal to a bizarre world, to a significantly strange happening or an extremely surreal situation. It is small spot visible only to those who look closer. An amazing tale of a man's journey through joys, adversities, heartaches, triumphs and tragedy await whosever is unlucky enough to fall in its pit.

End of 2007, I changed my blog's name to "Man of Moods", thinking it was more personal less metaphorical. A lot of people actually seconded that nothing could be more appropriate and fitting. That time onwards, all my related posts were tainted mostly with sadness and anchored on the overwhelming responsibilities that I felt was so heavy to bear. It was full of frustrations and when you are frustrated, you feel bad about yourself and everything else. My mind was so unstable and I myself couldn’t agree more, to be called a Man of Moods would actually be an understatement.

September 2008, the storm brewed from the previous year has passed. I was back to circulation. Less worries, was on top of everyone else. When you get what you want, you feel happy and your moods swings less often. I changed my blog's name yet again to "Dude of Distraction". I know it's a little stubborn, proud and pretentious but I just felt I owe myself some self serving compliments. If I don’t believe, who else would?

Distraction, by definition, means an obstacle to attention, something that creates mental confusion and perplexity; a diversion. I may not be that good looking but boy! Many times I have proven that I could actually shake someone else's world. The mystique is unforgiving and oftentimes there would be victims. Not necessarily of love, but of lust, of false hope, of broken promises, of inequity, of pride, of being me. Some distractions come from good packages, pretty faces, beautiful talents, nice cars and sexy bodies, but that which give the greatest agitation and interest are those coming from the unwanted, underrated, unanticipated and unappreciated, the chaka, the queer, the weird, the mysterious, the taong grasa, the santo santito, the uniquely talented, the jologs, the baduys and the extraordinary. Choose how you had been.

I was the Man of Moods that had waited so long in the Rabbit's Hole. Has risen up to take a piece of your time, the Dude of Distraction. What's next?

Ligalig

Biling-baligtad. Balisa. Napagod ang buwan sa haba ng gabi. Hindi man lang dumalaw at nagpaunlak ang antok. Sa muling pagmulat ng talukap ng aking mga mata, maliwanag na ang paligid, umaga na...

Hindi ako pinagpahinga ng aking isip. Tuliro. Bilanggo. Bago kasi magdilim, tumawag ang kompanyang aking dating pinagtratrabahuhan upang ipabatid sa akin na nakansel na raw ang aking residence visa. Ibig sabihin, wala na akong karapatan na manatili sa Dubai pagkatapos ng 30 days na grace period. Liban na lang kung ako eh makakahanap ng panibagong trabaho na mag-iisponsor ng aking panibagong residence visa.

Mahirap ang pakiramdam nang ganun. Para kang may taning. Parang pelikula, bilang na ang araw mo. Nakakapressure. Nakakatense. Nakakaligalig. Ano mang pilit kong iwaksi ang naturang usapin sa ang aking isipan ay hindi ko magawa. Paano na ako? Ano ang aking gagawin? Malambot at malamig ang aking hinihigan, pero ramdam ko ang balisa, lungkot, paghihinayang, kawalan ng pag-asa. Hindi ko makuhang pumikit. Hindi ko mahawakan ang puso ko. Hindi ko madiktahan ang isip kong magpahinga na muna at saka na mamroblema.

Hindi ko alam kung saan ako uulo, kung saan ko ilalagak ang aking mga pasmadong kamay. Patagilid, patihaya, padapa. Wala akong maaninag sa madilim kong paraiso. Habang ang lahat ay mahimbing na nananaginip ng masayang mga pangyayari, ako'y dilat sa sariling diwa punong puno ng bagabag at sana naman. Nag-iisip ako ng maaari kong gawin, mga hakbangin dapat kong umpisahan para hindi ako matalo sa laban na ito. Ayokong sumuko. Ayakong patalo. Ayokong pagtawanan. Ayokong kaawaan. Hindi ako loser.

Nagbalot ako ng kumot baka sakaling maikubli ko rin ang aking nasasakal at pagod sa paglalakbay na isipan. Hindi ko mawari. Kakadating ko lang mula sa isang napakahabang paglalakad pero walang akong nararamdamang pisikal na pagod. Namamayani ang aking pagninilay nilay sa masamang balita na kung tutuusin ay ako rin naman ang may-gawa.

Malikot ang aking pagkakahiga. Balisa higit pa sa aking dinadalang kapalaran. Ayaw magpatulog ng gabi at ng kanyang mga alipores. Dumadamay ba o sadyang namimwisit? Masakit, nakakairita, ramdam ko ang paggapang nila sa aking mga binti. Mabilis kumilos pero mahirap tukuyin kung nasaan. Sadyang mailap ang kapayapaan ng gabi para sa akin. Idagdag mo pa ang mga pesteng surot na animoy nagproprotesta kung bakit ako'y gising pa. Salamat na lang sa aking masaklap na kapalaran na hindi nagpatulog sa akin. Hindi ko nahayaang sipsipin ng mga surot na yun ang aking dugo at baltikan ang aking bugbog na kawatan.

This Proud, Annoying Yet Admirable Race

They represent the world's second most populous country, the world's biggest movie industry and the world's second fastest growing economy. Who would have thought that I am actually talking of India? Yes, believe it! It's India, the nation whose people have not known to us aside from being opportunist lenders of whatever and whose smell stinks like a spicy curry.

Indian peeople stinks because of all the spices

they eat like onions and curry.

in fact they're really clean people.

Just bear with it and the smell will go away.

TRIVIA OF DOMINION

Of UAE's 3.6 millions expatriates in 2007, which comprises 81% of its total population, Indians account for nearly 42% of the total foreign labor force, proudly outnumbering the presence of our Kababayans. If Pinoys are said to be found everywhere in Dubai like Date Palms standing elegantly along its tree-lined boulevards, the Indians are found anywhere like sweeping desert sands to which Dubai's mighty structures are built.

TALES OF SLAVERY
But here's where the difference is coming, 65% of Indians in the UAE are blue collar wokers. They mostly serve as household helpers, construction workers, street cleaners and all other unimaginable jobs that a Pinoy will not be willing to do. They are the foot soldies of Dubai's globalization who toil in the hope their labor will benefit their family from the money they send back home. Theirs are stories of faceless men and women who receive minimal wage, who are forced to work round the clock and who live in labor camps and seedy apartments. The remittances which the government uses to build homes and schools across the country while helping to reduce poverty in villages, fall into their slaved hands and come at a high price.

THEIR LUCK MY MISFORTUNE
Here's the good news. A third of them are now engaged in the growing service sectors and knowledged based industry. Educated Indian professionals in Dubai are now filling up positions in the office from entry level staffs up to middle management. That is when they become so annoying. Indians are quite different from us Filipinos. They are hostile not hospitable. They exude too much confidence. When they know about something, though very little of it, they pretend and act as if they know everything. They are opportunist, big deal insecured and selfish.

I am not trying to be racist here, but two of the most unwanted and unfavorable decisions that I had to make in my entire life were courtesy of these people. I'm talking about the two jobs that I have lost here in Dubai. Never mind the foul odor that serves their perfume, there are just something in them that is difficult to deal with. They are hard to please. They think they are the best and they view us not as allies but as competitors who would steal their positions. It's their attitude that seems to contradict mine. They might just as well feel the same way for me but nonetheless their reputations would speak for my reasons.

THE OTHER SIDE
But one thing that I admire of Indian people is how they value their culture and traditions. They bring it with them where ever their feet takes them. In Dubai where most of our female Kababayans almost bare their flesh in their skimpy shorts and tight sandos, rarely you can see an Indian women dress in such kind of way. They feel no shame wearing their traditional dresses in the office, in church, in malls and when they are eating outside with the rest of the family. That is truly something commendable of them. Well, it's not really that I am asking our female Kabayans to sport their baro at saya or kimonas, just some decency in as far as dress code is concerned. Convinience and comfortability is good, in your home yes, but not in someone else.

AMBIVALENCE

For the final stretch of this post, I will not be rude and unfair enough to suggest that Indians should go to hell. India, like all other nations in the world including our beloved Philipines are full of contradictions. Here you can meet the most polite and the most rude of them. Here you can witness how big is the gap between the standard of living of the educated ones and the people who only have their hearts and hand to depend on. Short to say, every country has its ups and downs, strengths and flaws. Diversity makes us unique. And that uniqueness is something for us to appreciate and learn from.

Ramadan: Fasting & Feasting

It’s the holy month of Ramadan for our Muslim brothers. Ramadan Kareem! Time for fasting and feasting…

Ramadan, in case you’ve missed your history classes, is a Muslim religious observance that takes place during the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, believed to be the month in which the Koran was revealed to Angel Gabriel, to deliver it to Prophet Muhammad. It is the Islamic month of fasting (sawm) , in which participating Muslims do not eat or drink anything from dawn until dusk. Fasting is meant to teach the person patience, sacrifice and humility. The fast is intended to be an exacting act of deep personal worship in which Muslims seek a raised level of closeness to God Almighty.

The act of fasting is said to redirect the heart away from worldly activities, its purpose being to cleanse the inner soul and free it from harm. Properly observing the fast is supposed to induce a comfortable feeling of peace and calm. It also allows Muslims to practice self-discipline, sacrifice, and sympathy for those who are less fortunate. It is also intended to make Muslims more generous and charitable. Just the same, Muslims are expected to put more effort into following the teachings of Islam and to avoid obscene and irreligious sights and sounds. Sexual thoughts and activities during fasting hours are also forbidden. Purity of both thought and action is important.

Tough call, isn’t it? Well, maybe that’s the retaliation for having the legal right to marry more than a handful of wives! A month long of sacrifice and abstinence, but just so you know it’s really a sacrifice, paradoxically studies have shown that some populations actually gain weight during Ramadan and it was due to compensatory increased calorie intake overnight. And why not, after they refrain from eating and drinking for half the day, they feast on their Iftar meal (meal to break the fast) and consume it until the brink of dawn so who wouldn’t get bloated with that! But maybe the sacrifice we are talking here is something beyond the worldly affairs, but rather taking a moment to slow down, even for a month, to focus on self reformation, spiritual cleansing and enlightenment, establishing a link between God Almighty and themselves by prayer, supplication, charity, good deeds, kindness and helping others.

In the Philippines where majority of the people are Catholics, appreciation and public awareness of Islamic culture is hardly earned. I remember, when President GMA declared Eid ul Fitr as a legal holiday, we have never taken interest what the hell was it about. All we care was that it’s just another weekend extension and more time to sleep and to eat courtesy of the holiday economics. Besides, I myself have found fasting a preposterous idea, it’s just simply deferring your eating schedule. Not taking anything for hours, then after that, a feast of special foods until the next morning. I thought it would make more sense it they will have to renounce eating and drinking not just for hours but for days. That would be the true test of patience, sacrifice and humility. That way, they wouldn’t just feel how it is to be starving but really get through it the way many people in the world suffers, especially those from poor countries.

But here in Dubai, a genuinely Islamic country clad in modern outfit, the observance of Ramadan by its people is as sacred as it can be. So for Non-Muslims expatriates like me, it’s always best to just conform to the way things are going. Reserve your opinions and eat plenty when you get home. Our office hours have been reduced by one third, only there’s no lunch break so we are one with them fasting through our empty stomach. Mall shops and restaurants are usually closed during the day and drinking/merry making in bars are prohibited. There’s stampede for bus/taxi as everyone wants to get home to enjoy their meal.

But aside from reduced working hours and finding reasons not to eat that smelly pork adobo, Ramadan is always one of the best time for shopping. Since it is time for giving and sharing, best buys abound in most marketplaces. Muslims can be seen shopping, eating, spending time with their friends and family during the evening hours but it is the Filipino community here in Dubai who appears to enjoy more and take advantage of the discounted products being sold everywhere. Exhaust that credit limit! This seems to be the battle cry appropriately resounding this season.

The Islamic holiday of Eid ul Fitr marks the end of the fasting period of Ramadan and the first day of the following month, after another new moon has been sighted. It means the Festival of Breaking the Fast and as such a special celebration is made. Food is donated to the poor, everyone puts on their best, preferably new, clothes, and communal prayers are held in the early morning, followed by feasting and visiting relatives and friends. Usually it beckons another long weekend where people travel out of Dubai after month of veneration. Of course, Filipinos surely won’t be left behind when it comes to this.

Having Dubai as my second home, has not just helped me provide for my family’s financial needs, but also allowed me to get closer to things which I have taken for granted back home. Being just an expat here, I have gladly obliged respecting their traditions and everything peculiar to their culture. Then all along I was thinking, if we can do it here, then we might do it as well to our beloved country, that is, respecting and appreciating the culture of our brothers in the South despite its disparity from the ones we know.

Goodbye Dubai?

Could it be the end for Pinoy’s good luck in Dubai? The advent of a New Tourism and Labor Law in Dubai is seen to adversely affect thousand Filipinos already here and those back home who are just planning to leave. Effective July 29, 2009, the government of Dubai has raised its visa rates, revised the duration of stay and worst of all, cancelled the transferability of visit visa to other visa forms. In short, if you visit Dubai and you wish to apply for work, well sorry, under the new law, it’s no longer allowed.

THE YEARS BEFORE
It wasn’t like that before. Dubai was as open as any other emerging city in the world like Hongkong, Macau or Manila. Many Filipinos have been lured to go to Dubai because of its easy, flaccid and open policy on travel, tourism and labor codes, and as what Samsung says, “everyone is invited”. Not only that the requirements were undemanding, once you were there, you can readily looked for jobs as if you have never left home. Take my case for example, for only P30,000 pesos, I was able to fly back to Dubai with the help of some of my friends. In less than a month, I got a job and after another two weeks I was issued a residence visa. I could not do that same thing in Canada or Australia or US. In these countries, getting a tourist visa is as tough as hell especially to people whose intention is not really to visit but to find work. In Dubai, they welcome everyone as long as you got a visit visa either from your friend’s sponsorship or through a travel agency, regardless of their financial status, educational/professional background or the intention of their visit itself.

PINOY COUNTRY
I must say that the development of Dubai is a phenomenon and part of this phenomenon is the exodus of thousand kababayans who sees Dubai as the newest and fastest way to a greener pasture. There wasn’t that much Filipino here in Dubai years ago as compared to Saudi Arabia or other Middle East countries. But when government’s initiatives fueled Dubai’s economy to an overwhelming success, Filipinos quickly seized the opportunity and the good news spread all across the archipelago. Not just mid-aged family men were enticed to go there but young generations as well. Now, Dubai has become a Pinoy country, there are Filipinos at every corner of the city. We accounts for a large percentage of all expatriates here in Dubai where you can find a kabayan working in restaurants, boutique shops, hotels, offices, salons and almost all other imaginable jobs where they count on our creativity, hard work and language proficiency.

OVERPOPULATED
One reason why Dubai has opened up its doors to visitors years ago was because they needed people to fill up the city. How can businesses survive without customers and patrons. How can mammoth development projects be implemented without labor force? How can a city be called a city without people and tourists in the street, without families in the park and without friends strolling the malls. So the seemingly endless possibilities has been offered to many nations including the Philippines and we gladly took the challenge. The success stories of many kababayans here in Dubai have attracted more Filipinos to take a taste of dates (UAE’s national fruit). And the rest, so they say, is history. Filipinos from all walks of life have arrived here as visitors and have tried their luck looking for jobs. Some would proved successful, others have to wait for sometime before a sufficient job is received from heaven. Today, Dubai is crowded with people, with Filipinos always taking the front lines. An officemate of mine just recently arrived from his vacation and when he came to the office, he asked why were there so many Filipino women here in Dubai? And to that I said it’s because Filipino women are capable of self-reproduction!

VISIT VISA
Majority of Filipinos here in Dubai has come on visit visa. I myself has come here on visit. Before the new law, any holder of residence visa here in Dubai can sponsor someone and buy him a visa, buy a ticket and your passport and you are ready to fly to Dubai. Everyone was free to enter Dubai, such a breezy thing to do back then. The visa is valid for two months, after that, it expires and you need to get another one. Before expiry, Filipinos usually exits to Iran or Oman, and there they wait for the their new visa to come out. The number of exit and visa renewal was endless so you can stay as long as you want as “visitors” and as long as you have the money to finance your stay. While on visit, you can apply for work, be it part time or full time. When you get a regular job, your company will process your papers and your status. Your visit visa will be replaced with an employment visa and then a residence visa will be stamped into your passport. Sometimes, you don’t have to leave Dubai while they process your employment and residence. Take me for example, it took me only less than two months to get a job and a residence visa that’s why I had not exited anymore. The entire processing took place even before my original visit visa expired.

EVERYBODY
Because of the simple and relaxed requirements on visit visa, almost everybody has decided to come to Dubai. Filipinos of all ages are arriving in batches. Women of all sorts, professional, jobless, wannabes, widows, single & looking and married ones have continually filling up Dubai streets in mini skirts, tight sandos and plunging necklines. Filipino men are flexing their way up the coveted white collared market. Some of course will be successful, others will have to wait for the right chance. While so many people, not only Filipinos are arriving here in Dubai everyday, not so many jobs are being offered in the same rate as the people coming in. So the competition is becoming more imminent. It would not be a problem if you had at least finished some college and had some working experience back home, so many jobs are available. But there are those who merely relies on luck and some technical skills to find a job, in this case the chance to be employed is slim considering the fact that other nationalities can afford to do the same job at a much lower salary. So, inevitably some of our kababayans have ended up unemployed for long period of time till they decide to go back home.

SIDELINES
I will an anti-hero to say this, but this is true. Some of our female kababayans are coming to Dubai or have stayed here in Dubai because they are looking or they have found their companions, either permanently or temporarily. Dubai is slowly becoming a melting pot for our kakabayans and everywhere you will see them with an Arab, an Indian, a British, a fellow Pinoy or some other nationalities. It might be unfair to say that they are doing this for financial reasons to vindicate the notion that all foreigners are rich. It might also be unjust to say that maybe, they just want to have a better looking son or daughter once they are married to a foreigner. Still, it might be judgmental to assume that they are just humans, of flesh and blood who feels some cold and loneliness in the night. Just the same, this kind of affairs by some of our kakabayans are sending some wrong signals and are taken negatively against our image. But who are we to judge?

The Coffee Chronicles

My Cup
I don’t drink coffee ever since, not as a morning habit or as a traditional Pinoy afternoon or evening pastime. The addicting pleasure of coffee, together with cigarettes, has never charmed my penchant for a modest lifestyle. Its many variety and form: blended, brewed, chilled, lathed, etc, has not been an object of my affection, such that if all the coffee plants in the world would perish to natural or man-made catastrophe, I am probably the least likely to get perturbed and deficient.

No thanks, just a bottle of water..

Coffee Ko

Coffee is a widely-consumed stimulant beverage prepared from roasted seeds, commonly called coffee beans, of the coffee plant. Once ripe, coffee berries are picked, processed, and dried. The seeds are then roasted, undergoing several physical and chemical changes. They are roasted to varying degrees, depending on the desired flavor. They are then ground and brewed to create coffee. Coffee is an important export commodity, it was the world's seventh largest legal agricultural export by value.

The coffee plant

The First Brew
The history of coffee is as rich as the brew itself , dating back more than a thousand years. The first coffee plants are said to have come from the Horn of Africa on the shores of the Red Sea. Originally, coffee beans were taken as a food and not as a beverage. East African tribes would grind the coffee cherries together, mixing the results into a paste with animal fat. Rolled into little balls, the mixture was said to give warriors much-needed energy for battle.

Later, around the year 1000 AD, Ethiopians concocted a type of wine from coffee berries, fermenting the dried beans in water. Coffee also grew naturally on the Arabian Peninsula, and it was there, during the 11th century that coffee was first developed into a hot drink.

The so-called stimulating properties of coffee were thought by many during these ancient times to give a sort of religious ecstasy, and the drink earned a very mystical sort of reputation, shrouded in secrecy and associated with priests and doctors. So, it is not surprising that two prominent legends emerged to explain the discovery of this magic bean.

The word "coffee" entered English in 1598 via Italian caffè. This word was created via Turkish kahve, which in turn came into being via Arabic qahwa. Traditional Islam prohibits the use of alcohol as a beverage, and coffee provided a suitable alternative to wine.

Arab women making coffee the old fashioned way

Coffee Combats
Want a drug that could lower your risk of diabetes, Parkinson's disease, and colon cancer? That could lift your mood and treat headaches? That could lower your risk of cavities? If it sounds too good to be true, think again, it’s coffee, the much maligned but undoubtedly beloved beverage, just made headlines for possibly cutting the risk of the latest disease epidemic, type 2 diabetes. And the real news seems to be that the more you drink, the better.

Coffee? The new health drink?

The Most Expensive Coffee
The Philippines is a coffee country, not only as a fanatic consumer but also a struggling producer of coffee beans. But did you know that the Philippines has recently discovered it produces one of the world's most expensive and coveted kinds of coffee. Yes that’s true and it comes from a very unusual source - the droppings of a nocturnal, cat-like animal called the palm civet. Known locally as alamid, civets are carnivorous but they also have a taste for the sweet, red coffee cherries that contain the beans. The beans pass through the civet whole after fermenting in the stomach and that's what gives the coffee its unique taste and aroma.

This cat’s droppings make for the world’s most expensive coffee variety. Dare?

Rise of the Cafes
Before, the enjoyment of coffee is limited to the confines of our homes, except of course in other countries where coffee is a way of life and coffee-ing outside in a café or an outdoor resto is a status symbol. Take the streets of Paris or Los Angeles for example. In this cities, sites like these are a familiar landscapes.

The expensive streets of Paris are lined up with sunny coffee shops

Inside a Los Angeles coffee shop

Then came the advent of a more upbeat coffee stores. Sprouting like mushrooms, the popularity of these businesses has flourished and the traditional perception about coffee has taken a much desired level compared to soft drinks or alcoholic beverages. I suppose, everyone of us had gone at least one time to Starbucks, Seattle’s Best or Gloria Jeans or to any other cafes where coffee is served brewed, chilled, flavored or concocted into something which when you see and taste, you’d probably say it’s not coffee anymore.

The big two..

Hmmm, pretending! As if naman umorder, if I know extra cup and extra milk lang yan.

Let’s Sit and Talk Awhile
Why coffee? Can we not talk over a bottle of wine or say a can of beer? Well, that’s not a bad idea after all, but taking into consideration the people who needs to talk and the place where they will be talking, sometimes a bottle of beer or some other stuff isn’t advisable or permissible. A mother and daughter conversation about leaving her boyfriend behind shouldn’t do well if they’ll do that over a bottle of wine. How would they understand each other If they’re already drunk? A couple who’s going through a some sort of grave misunderstanding would probably get worst if they confront each other in high spirits. Coffee has a calming effect, it lets you loose and relaxed so that whatever you and someone else need to settle and explain to each other, it is always advisable to do it over a cup of coffee.

Tuloy ang kwento..

Coffee in the Office
In the Philippines where I have worked for the longest time, coffee comes in handy, that is, in three-in-one sachet complete with creamer and sugar. Pour it into a cup of hot water and enjoy sipping to take the drowse away.

When I was with San Miguel, coffee goes by the name of SanMig Coffee, but of course,
it’s our product, with no less than Piolo Pascual & Angel Locsin as endorsers.

When I went to Dubai for the first time to work with a big company, coffee was served as per your preference. There’s a tea/coffee boy who prepared the cups according to your taste and delivered right to your table, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, whether your there and on leave for some reasons. In my second company, the old coffee maker was replaced by a huge red machine that is capable of filling your cups with different hot beverages and coffee blends, there’s black, pot and espresso. There’s cappuccino, café de lait, coffee with milk and café choco. But the blockbuster of them all, of course, is the creamy hot chocolate where I myself go crazy about.

Our new coffee machine, it’s red and is currently the apple of our tastebuds.
.

Tales of the New Coffee Machine
When the new machine came in, every one was excited and thrilled. It takes only a cup and a light press on the button of what you want to take, no spill, no under or over taste, no mess, in no time. But only a few weeks later, the sophistication of the machine is challenged by some living issues, there’s the consumption issue, hot chocolate always get emptied first and it is more expensive than coffee. So it’s really getting less cost efficient than they’d thought it be. There’s also the issue of who to clean the machine and when and even who would replace the coffee and chocolate powders inside once it get emptied, the office messenger is on vacation by the way. Just this morning, I have heard them planning to shut down the machine and use the old coffee maker or manually prepare your coffee yourself. Oh well, I am just looking, as I have said before, coffee is something I can happily live without.

When machine loses their screws, they caused too much trouble.

Bagong Bayani

I am setting aside my self nepotism to devote a piece of my time and blog space to honor the Filipino OFW’s in Dubai who have lost their lives while working and serving other people just to be able to send money back home to their loved ones in the Philippines. I am feeling sorry for their ill fated journey and tragic loss yet I am raising a hundred and one reasons why they deserved to be called ang mga “Bagong Bayani”.

Pinoy care, handog natin sa mundo..

FROM THE VERY BEGINNING….
Leaving loved ones behind is a painful thing to do – but they did.
Abandoning their jobs back home is a silly idea – but they did.
Facing a new culture is a wall difficult to infiltrate – but they did.
Searching for a job without assurance is a costly gamble – but they did.
Heading for a future so vague and blurry – But they did.

ALL FOR THE LOVE OF FAMILY – THEY DID, SO THAT ….
New house can be built ….
Bills can be paid…..
School can be pursued…..
Occasions can be celebrated…..
Illness can be cured…..
Life can be saved…..
Dreams can be achieved…
Economy can be revived….
Progress can be fueled….


BUT SOMETIMES LIFE CAN BE SO CRUEL…..
He who works is bothered…..
He who cares is ignored….
He who sees is overlooked…..
He who sacrifices is redeemed….
He who loves is taken away…..

AND BRUTALLY UNKIND….
He who only hope for the welfare of his loved ones….
He who only wish for the best for his kids…..
He who only think about the safety of his parents….
He who doesn’t think only about himself…..
Is murdered, terminated, evicted and gone…..
Without warning, without sign, without goodbye.

Last Saturday, a road mishap in Dubai has claimed the lives of three Filipinas. All of them working for a coffee shop in Jumerira, Dubai posh spot. The freak accident, whose cause is still being investigated by the Police , ranks among the most tragic in recent memory. The victims just came from their houses on their way to their work when the accident occurred.

what is left of the mini-van after the tragic accident that claimed five lives

the chronology of events that summarizes the road mishap

collateral damage of what police believed to be a case of reckless driving

It has made a photo headline in the local papers the following day, but still the news is yet to reach their families in the Philippines. It was horrible and for the first time in my life, I have understood the concept of sacrifice and how it is to be so unlucky. What has happened must have been so devastating to the families of the victims. What if she’ the only one supporting her family? What if she has a son who’s just waiting for her to come home after years of working abroad? What if she’s engaged to be married with someone who loves her so dearly? What’s gonna happen to these dreams? How are they gonna move on?


When someone left home to work abroad, that’s already a huge sacrifice, not being able to see your loved ones for some time. When you accept a job which is quite different from what you professionally can do, your sacrificing your pride and honor. When you try to fight the homesickness and boredom every time you lay yourself in bed, that’s a sacrifice. When you get our salary, you try to limit your personal spending so that you can send more to your loved ones back home., that’s sacrifice. All for the sake of our families and our nations.

When accidents like this happen, the sacrifices have ended. The remains will hopefully carried back home in a couple of weeks. There would be some media coverage and some financial assistance from the government. After that, the sacrifices of the people who once left their homeland to be of help to their love ones in the most noble way they can will be forgotten. The modern heroism of the people who left their country alive and with high hopes will be forsaken just as their lifeless body is buried six feet below the ground, silently and forever.

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That’s the tale of our present day heroes. Never accorded the respect, honor and benefits they deserve. Currently, there are over 12? million Overseas Filipino Workers around the globe, sending billions in annual remittance and making their respective families proud, happy and financially sustained.

I Remember the Boil

OMG! Not again! That’s all I can say about the latest anomaly that I have gotten myself into. One year after I first contracted boil in the same place (Dubai), in almost the same time (Summer) and exactly on the same spot, well here I go again battling yet another painful and excruciating ordeal to which I feel so completely helpless and surrendered. Just like how I have reacted before, I am puzzled why this has to happen to me. So I have searched the internet about boil and here’s what Wikipedia has to say about it:

Boil or furuncle is actually a skin disease caused by the inflammation of hair follicles by Staphylococcus aureus bacteria (staph). These staph infections form pockets in the skin that are filled with accumulated pus, a fluid that includes bacteria, dead skin cells and infection-fighting white blood cells. Individual boils can cluster together and form an interconnected network of boils called carbuncles.

The symptoms of boils are red, pus-filled lumps that are tender, warm, and painful. A yellow or white point at the center of the lump can be seen when the boil is ready to drain or discharge pus. In a severe infection, multiple boils may develop and the patient may experience fever and swollen lymph nodes.

In some people, itching may develop before the lumps begin to develop. Boils are most often found on the back, stomach, underarms, shoulders, face, lip, eyes, nose, thighs and buttocks, but may be found elsewhere. Boils on the ear tend to be more painful, and can create shooting pain in the entire area when touched.

Boils are generally caused by an infection of the hair follicles by Staphylococcus aureus, a strain of bacterium that normally lives on the skin surface. It is thought that a tiny cut of the skin allows this bacterium to enter the follicles and cause an infection. This can happen during bathing or while using a razor.

People with immune system disorders, diabetes, poor hygiene or malnutrition (Vitamin A or E deficiency) are particularly susceptible to getting boils; however, they also occur in healthy, hygienic individuals, due to over scratching a particular area of the skin. Boils in the armpits can sometimes be caused by anti-perspirant deodorants. The development of boils throughout the body is also a symptom of smallpox.

Most boils run their course within 4 to 10 days. For most people, self-care by applying a warm compress or soaking the boil in warm water can help alleviate the pain and hasten draining of the pus (colloquially referred to as "bringing the boil to a head"). Once the boil drains, the area should be washed with antibacterial soap and bandaged well.

Fire! Fire!

Its summer, needless to say, its time for beach, vacation, halo halo, Baguio and other cool things to get busy with. Summer brings in an overflowing joy to celebrate the heat and appreciate coolness that we forget to take precaution and ectra care against summer most unwanted company. Summer registers the most number of fire accidents than any other time in a year. This should bring us to realize that summer is not just about having fun in the sun but also being more careful and cautious of the dangers that could happen - fire in particular.

Fire is probably the worst tragedy that could happen to anyone. Fire destroys everything that comes its path. It brings down to ashes everything that we have workd hard for - our homes, appliances, important documents and worst - the lives of out loved ones. They say it is better to have thieves robbed off our house, at least they could take the house itself. But with fire, not only that it wont spare a single post, its flames could spread and destroys more houses if not put ous and contrl in time. Watching fire accidents reported on television, it must have been a terrible feeling to have lost everything to fire. What we have founded in years would simply be taken away in a matter of hours. Its completely unfire.

Most fire accidents happen due to negligence, the improper use of lighting candles and leaving unplugged and overheated electrical home devises. Not to be taken for granted is parental irresponsibilities for letting children play with matches and lighters. Though fire sometimes is made intentionally for recovering insurance claims or simply to drive away settlers squatting in somebody else's land, bottomline is, fire is never wanted and has the potential not only to damage properties but also to claim lives of innocent people. Fire prevention is an easy task. Few simple precautions could mean prevention of huge probable fire losses. All we need is to be aware and take extra care especially now its summer where the scorching heat is ironically catalystic to ignite and spread fire accidents.

So next time you go out and head to the beach, leave your house safe ans sound by unplugging all unused electrical appliances. By turning electricity off when not needed, you are not only cutting off fire chances but also conserving a much needed energy. To those using candles or kerosene fuels for lighting, make sure that the candles are placed atop a glass and away from curtains and places where it could easily be toppled by wind. To all parents, please exercise responsible parenting by orienting younger generations about the danger of playing with fire and that they shouldnt play with it. Remember, taking and applying these simple steps isnt just saving our own, but more importantly, the welfare of the community where we belong.

Selling Dubai

This blog entry may seem a little different from what i usually write about cause this is some kind of light and positive material. I guess i have overdone this job of telling evryone i knew how wonderful Dubai is that i have thought of writing the same in this blog so that people that i dont know but reads this blog wll also have the opportunity to know more about Dubai based on my own personal experience.

Honestly, prior to 2007, i have been thinking of going abroad but never did i dream of going to a Middle East city like Dubai. i thought the Middle East is only for people who wants to dig up oil and drive through scorching deserts. After i retired from San Miguel, i was actually planning to go to Canada or Australia. But it seemed its gonna be along process and i couldnt afford to wait. Then somebody told me about Dubai and easily i could go there and find a work. I was all too convinced that in a matter of weeks i was ready to fly and gamble at an uncertain future. Six months after, i got back, its not Dubai, its me.

Everyone was surprised with abrupt return. Six months of stay could something so bad has happened. Trading a high paying job for minimal wage could mean something so serious has occurred. Well. its not totally pointless, but its just wasnt the case. As i have always told, i had a little difficulty making myself comfortable with the weather and with the people to whom i have shared a little indifference towards each other. i wasnt so persistent and i have acted as if i was on my own land.

I have dwelled on my personal feelings and i have so much hasty words. Nonetheless, nothings against Dubai. Given the chance, well resources maybe, i still want to go back there. Why not? Its the fastest emerging city in the world and its where the jobs are. Let me tell you, went i went there, i was on a visit visa, everything was arranged for me by a travel agency.

When i arrived there, i was on my own, at least on the job hunting side. Its pretty much the same as Manila, there are still Filipinos everywhere. Only dubai is hotter, claener and lonelier. There's the job section in the daily braodsheet where you can find hundred of available jobs. Online, there's also a handful of listed vacancies to choose from. Nothing beats of course having someone, says a relative or a friend who could help you be endorsed to their friends and thats an easier way to find a job. As for me, i relied more on emails and sending through fax.

To find a job, its not necessary that you have abackground of what you are applying for. You can easily adapt and "doctor" your CV to fit the qualification of the position that you are targetting. People there are trustful, you just have to stick to what you have declared, be consistent.Presto! you can get a job as an office clerk, a hotel boy or a boutique saleman. Except for high profile jobs such as engineers, architects, medical practitioners and chartered accountantsm they usually require some document authentication and sometimes character investigation.

Processing takes little time. One to two ineterviews, if they like you they will hire you. Usually, they will process your papers to make your stay legal. That means that you will be issued a permit and a residence visa. Once they did, you should abide by the provisions of your contract. Dont do what i did, i resigned for no reasons, hence, i was put a ban of six months and was required to reimburse them the cost of my residence visa. If you want to go to Dubai, your heart should be into it, cause once you are there, there is no turning back.

Dubai is place like no other. It is thriving in jobs and business. No wonder thousand of Filipinos arrieve there everythere. With economy just starting to roll over, there is still plenty of shoes to fill in and opportunities to grab. Skilled and professional alike are beginning to discover the gold mine in Dubai. take me for example, i left my 6 years career at San Miguel Corporatiom in hope of a bigger earnings. I have realized actually, only i have gotten some loose screws inside my head.

Lifestyle in Dubai isnt that expensive contrary to popular belief, except accomodation where prices of land and residential spaces are keep on soaring. Food, transport, chocolatesare not anything to worry about, especially if you opt to share with fellow Filipinos in your place. Gimmicks, especially night-outs in a bar isnt strongly recommended because a beer pitcher would cost you around a thousand pesos! As you may know, drinking is not allowed in this Muslim country except in bars, discos and some restaurants. Going to the beach is the brightest yet

the cheapest in cost. Boracay beaches comes free in Dubai. Whatelse, the majestic view of the Burj al Arab, the world's first seven star hotel looms in a distance and is a nice background for a photo op. Malling in weekendsis also something that is not to be missed.

Just when you thought that's all there is to see in Dubai, well you are wrong. We are just getting started. Once you get a job and started earning, its tme to explore the great sights Dubai has to offer. What am i talking about? Drop your jaws and pack your things:

Burj Al Arab. The world tallest and most expensive hotel and the only 7 star hotel in the world.

The Dubai Mall. The world largest shopping mall.

The Burj Dubai. The world's tallest building.

The Dubai Atlantis Resort.

The proposed Al Burj, a building that will surpass the height of Burj Dubai.

The Bawadi,will have the largest cluster of hotels in the world. In addition, BAWADI™ will become one of the world’s most exciting entertainment and leisure destinations, offering amusement centres, shopping malls, theatres, restaurants and convention centres. It will cater tothe needs of a wide variety of tourists visiting Dubai, as well as residents of the UAE

The Dubai Marina. It will be the largest man-made marina of the world. More than 120,000 people will live in this city within a city.

The Dubai SnowDome.It is biggest free standing dome in the world. It will provide a real and complete winter experience that touches all senses, providing a wide range of activities for people of all ages.

Hydropolis is one of Dubai’s most extravagant projects. It’s the first underwater hotel of the world!

Vibrant and luxurious, Jumeirah Beach Hotel is Dubai's premier lifestyle destination, and has given itself completely to the pleasures of the life, and the senses of every guest who stays in the resort.

Madinat Jumeirah - The Arabian Resort of Dubai, is a magnificent tribute to Dubai's heritage and is styled to resemble an ancient Arabian citadel.

Mall of Arabia will be a huge shopping mall to be built as part of the City of Arabia in the DubaiLand theme park premises in Dubai. Once completed, it is expected to become the largest shopping mall in the world .

A vibrant market square, meandering alleyways and inner courtyards, this low-rise lifestyle choice reveals the vibrant facets of Arabic design at every turn. It’s a village within the city, brought alive by its people and its promise of a special way of life.

Dubai Sports City, the world's first purpose-built sports city, will incorporate state-of-the-art sporting venues and academies along with residential and commercial developments.

The 8th wonder of the world! Man-made islands in the Persian Gulf in the shape of date palms. The islands have a trunk, fronds and a surrounding crescent. The islands will be home for villas, appartments, luxury hotels, shopping malls, restaurants, sport and entertainment facilities.

The World is another man-made island project in Dubai. 300 islands are shaped into the continents of the Earth.