Modus Operandi: Be Careful during Ramadan

Few years ago Gulf News gave a warning about thefts under disguise who beg for money particularly during this season, taking advantage of the people's vulnerability during the holy month of Ramadan.

I Love you Friend (unconditionally)

I was alone.
I could hear only the sound of my heavy breathing and of my running footsteps.
The air was still humid but I could feel a slight breeze this evening in Corniche.
It is dark at 8pm but there were many street lights around.
I saw a few people also walking or jogging.

Why You Should Respect a Guitar

The Origin of Guitar

The guitar was born more than 4000 years ago <1900-1800 B.C.>

"Mood Swings" Day

All girls experience 'mood swings' days so relax its normal, my friend.

When I'm having a bad day, I eat and sleep. Hide inside myself.... in my own world.

How to Tell if you are a True Filipino (in heart and in mind)

You are 100% Filipino (genuine and true) if:

1. You have close family ties, you are hospitable, respectful and industrious.
2. You send giant cargo boxes “Balikbayan Box” to the Philippines at least once a year.

Looking for Room in Abu Dhabi

<warning notice, ouch!>

Upon arriving home last Wednesday, there was an arabic note posted on our door. It is a warning to the tenants to vacant the flat immediately. So I have to leave my room and search for another accommodation asap. Oh life. 
Most of us struggle to find a decent place to stay in the city because of the high rental cost. I searched and checked more than 10 buildings hoping to find a good but economical place to stay but all are not satisfactory.
Some Filipinos do business by renting a flat then subletting the rooms to other Filipinos, making it very expensive. For example now I pay to my Egyptian landlord Dh2000 ($550) per month for my 9m2 room, but for the same room size, my fellow Filipinos will sublet it for Dhs3000 ($825) to gain additional 50% profit. If you want a cheaper option, there are bed spaces or partitioned spaces, these are double deck beds, very small area just enough for sleeping, it costs Dhs500-2000. They hang curtains to divide the room into small portions, but anyone can move the curtain to see the other side hehe, so there is no absolute privacy. Also the toilets will be shared by 10 or more boarders so it is very busy and crowded. You can see the photo below to have an idea.

My Hamsters went to Heaven

The blanket covering my body was uncomfortably hot it woke me up. It is dark, checked the time past 1 o'clock AM, maybe the a.c. is not working. I stood up switched on the light and searched for food, yesterday left Al Maqta bridge, got down from bus, lay in bed and sleep without eating dinner. I felt pain. My stomach is hungry and my heart missed my hamsters.

Silly Worries

Today is very hot.
We came out of the church after the Friday worship service and the sun burned on us. Summer here in the UAE could reach a temperature up to 50 deg.C or more. We start sweating from head to toe when we go outside even at night. The date fruit trees start to change color from green to brown. Our Muslim brothers start preparing for Ramadan. And my colleagues start applying for their annual leave. Most expats spend their vacation during this period, including me. But my passport is soon to expire, so last Tuesday I visited our embassy to renew it. It was a disaster. The embassy said that they only accept new applications after 3 weeks. After that it would take another 6 weeks for processing. Oh life. I felt that everyone except me is going away to enjoy their summer vacation. I worried, complained and got upset.

And then I realized that this thing is beyond my control. Sometimes we run our minds with worries and become angry about things which are not even worth thinking.

At work we get stressed when we feel that there is so much we have to finish.

But if we plan we can easily organize our time schedule based on what are most important according to our employers requirement and priorities.

We complain that we have unpleasant work environments.

But if we lose our job we get a bigger worry on how to support ourselves.

So we just have to work hard and compromise until we can move on and find another suitable company.

Financially, we get burdened when our funds are insufficient for our monthly expenses.

But if we can just budget our cash, we can control our expenses, sacrifice some extra entertainments. Spend only for basic needs, cut off loans and credit cards. Do not make 1 dozen children if you can only afford 1. Do not buy a Mercedez if your salary is not enough.

We also worry about other people's business, we think about why people do bad things, why  a person said that or why that person behave like he did, why this happened...etc.

Heck, these things are not our concern. Silly things should be treated the same way. Laugh at it. Because they are just wasting our precious time and reduces our energy. Wipe them out from your system.

Some worries are more serious, these we should not neglect.

Like our health, physical worries needs immediate action,
seeking for medical advise should not be delayed.

If we need to rest then rest. If we need to take medication then take medicine.
There is no choice.

Sometimes we hurt our loved ones.

When our families and friends do not meet our expectations we become disappointed with them. Relationships are important. Take some time to cool down and think how you can satisfy each other's need, most often relationship problems can be solved by mere discussion.

So finally, you yourself can help yourself to everything that worries you.

Life equipped us with many available resources but you already have the best formula to your own problems. So be disciplined and take responsibility.

Birth and Death is final, no one can change it. Then why worry?

Nothing is permanent the world is continuously moving and
every second is one step towards our end.

So do not worry, be happy and just enjoy life.

Why Goals are Important

A man was traveling and stopped at an intersection. He asked an elderly man, "Where does this road take me?" The elderly person asked, "Where do you want to go?" The man replied, "I don't know." The elderly person said, "Then take any road. What difference does it make?"

Suppose you have all the football eleven players, enthusiastically ready to play the game, all charged up, and then someone took the goal post away. What would happen to the game? There is nothing left. How do you keep score? How do you know you have arrived?

Would you sit in a train or a plane without knowing where it was going? The obvious answer is no. Then why do people go through life without having any goals? Enthusiasm without direction is like wildfire and leads to frustration. Goals give a sense of direction.

(article from google)

Xerox Copy

(Manong and his son).... before 30 years.....(Manong and our Lolo)

>_+_< >_+_< >_+_< >_+_< >_+_< >_+_< 

"The family is one of nature's masterpieces."

~George Santayana, The Life of Reason

>_+_< >_+_< >_+_< >_+_< >_+_< >_+_< 

Farewell Mr. Vice President...

(another goodbye...)

Someone once told me, 

"Life is like a game of chess...

We have to move the pieces one by one to place them in the right spot;
Every move is important and sometimes there are some pieces that we have to sacrifice,
Just to be more stronger and to be able to finally win the fight...."

Today at work all the staffs ate lunch together.
Our PM invited us to a nice Thai Restaurant near our project site.
It is a secret farewell party. For the VP.
We had happy talks, about the place and food, about life,
about families here and home, about many things, except about our situation at work.
After 2 hours we all headed back to our offices and worked again as if nothing happened.
This is my construction company. Full of drama.

(the Pinoy group)

(the Hindi mixed)

(the Arab mixed)

(the Pinoys mixed)

(the international group hehe)

(27.06.2013_the Noodle House, Souq Qaryat Al Beri)

A day without laughter is a day wasted

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"A day without laughter is a day wasted."

-by Charlie Chaplin 

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Making Memories in my Heart

I love June! 

(big lunch box....hehe)

This is a free lunch box from Al Jaber Catering, our new company.

Some of us are not priviledged to receive it, but thanks I got free boxes last week.

Inside, it has 2 types of rice, a vegetable dish, a meat dish, fruit for desert and juice.

Three of my friends shared it with me.

I learned that free food especially when shared is always delicious.

One Saturday evening, my colleagues and me got down the eastern mangroves to have picnic.

It is very hot in the UAE now because it is summer. But still there are lots of fun and food and photo shoots for 2 hours, as the sun sets peacefully in the background.

  

(eastern mangroves)

(potluck: pansit, lumpia, carbonara, salad,adobo, etc)

(the weather is humid and hot, we are all sweating hard but still happy) 

<chuchi, gayni, beautiful rona, rommel, ate christy>

<joan, neil, kuya ben, jonel, ermie>

(28.06.2013_beijing restaurant)

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“In all of living, have much fun and laughter.

Life is to be enjoyed, not just endured.” 

- by Gordon B. Hinckley

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Two Masters

One morning while focusing to work normally in the office,

one manager gave me a video documentary about the Himalayas in Nepal.

He heard that I wanted to go there previously but I was not able to.

I almost cried.

Not because of Nepal but because I felt someone still cares.

Since last month, getting by in my workplace everyday have been very very hard.

Serving 'two masters' really is impossible.

It makes you crazy.

Now I have '2 masters'.
One on the right and one on the left.

I feel torn when both sides calls me at the same time.
Where shall i run first?

I feel desperate when I ask for solutions to problems but both sides ignore me.
Will the problem solve itself?

I recently feel guilty to bite a piece of bread (i think given to me out of pity) while my other friends get hungry.

I feel angry when I  received 'sorry' instead of simple guidance and direction.

Oh life! I am starting to hate the word 'sorry'...

What is 2dhs? what is a 5 minute clarification? what is a small respect?

What happened to people whom I have admired and looked up to before?

Toys do not get hurt. But we are all human beings.

This is not about professionalism.
This is about policy and its stupidity.

/>-*-</>-*-</>-*-</>-*-</>-*-</>-*-</>-*-</>-*-<

I never had a policy;

I have just tried to do my very best each and every day.

~ by Abraham Lincoln

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Body for Sale

[photo credit: google images]

It is about 10 PM on a Thursday.

My mother and me were walking towards my accommodation.

We noticed there were many people standing in one corner of the street.

Thinking there was an accident, we walked on to see what is happening.

In the middle of the crowd I saw them, the girls wearing tight short skirts.

I said, "Mama, let's get out of here."

It was a pick-up area.

A car stopped in front of us, "Ronalyn! What are you doing here!?"

Oh shocks. Sitting inside the car was one of our CM at work.

I quickly waved and said "Hi, sir!" and dragged my mother out of that dark place.

Prostitution obviously exist around the city.

But why is it being ignored and not addressed by the government?

One of my friends said:

"If I am the ruler, I will allow it, I will make prostitution legal.

This country needs it.
Here, there are many laborers, and more men than women.
It will help them meet their basic physical need.
Otherwise they may become violent.
This outlet will help reduce the crime rate of the country."

He may have a valid point.
But looking back to my own home country, it is worst.
Our capital, the city of Manila had been
recently named as "the gates of hell" by famous author Dan Brown.
One of the reason is because of its 'horrifying sex trade'.

I don't know about you,
but for me I feel it is somehow very, very sad.
Even scary.

Legal or not legal,
Our bodies are still the home of our souls.
It deserves to be taken cared of and treated with respect.

~.*.~.*.~.*.~.*.~.*.~.*.~.*.~.*.~.*.~.*.~.*.~.*.~.*.~.*.

If any thing is sacred, the human body is sacred.

-by Walt Whitman

~.*.~.*.~.*.~.*.~.*.~.*.~.*.~.*.~.*.~.*.~.*.~.*.~.*.~.*.

A Simple Birthday Wish...

Can I make 33 wishes?
Here we go:
1. Ten (10) or more cheerful greetings from people I love. > Oh. I am still getting countless of greetings :)

2. Three (3) or more warm hugs from people who loves me.> got 1 on 21st & 4 hugs on 26th ^^
3. A blessing from my nanang.
4. To hear the laughter of my nieces and cousins all at the same time.

5. To hear "iloveyou" from my mother and brother.

6. To hear "Bravo! You did a great job" from my new boss.>He said "thanks for your efforts today!"
7. Forgiveness from people who do not like me.
8. Praise from people who likes me.> got more than 10 praises from friends.
9. A day off spent reading and relaxation in Emirates Palace.
10. My annual work leave application approved.
11. Renewed visa stamp on my passport.> got it on 24th thanks!

12. A happy dinner together with our department team.> we had a happy lunch with all our staff on 27th

13. Star cinema with colleagues.
14. Tour the UAE with friends.

15. Buffet Lunch at Al Fanar.
16. Picnic in the park.> on 22/06 at mangroves with friends

17. To enter in the Burj Al Arab.
18. To ride a camel.

19. Be able to drink a cold beer on the rooftop.
20. To enjoy a 'shisha' party with friends.

21. A bike ride along cornice.

22. Own domain name for my blog site.
23. Autographed book from bro. Bo Sanchez.
24. A gift given secretly. Any gift.> got several already!

(small precious gifts I found randomly on my desks hehe)

 25. A handmade birthday card.> from my crazy friends see picture below! hahaha!

(unique birthday card from crazy friends!)

26. Ice cream cake. > thanks got it on 26th

(ice cream cake)

<with extra eggpie also!>

27.  Bouquet of roses.

28. Someone to cook Pakbet especially for me, Ilokano style.> Saluyot is ok. Ate for lunch on 23rd.
29. To received at least 10 photo greetings in facebook or email.>1 only but more than 10msgs (lazy friends)
30. My article to be published in Abu Dhabi week or Tempo.
31. A chance to watch a baby sleep in my arms.
32. To see and touch an angel.> done 22/06
33. Love. Lots and lots of love.>My heart is already overflowing...Thank you Lord!

My prayers to receive it all before the 28th of this month. Thanks hehe.

Touch Me Not!

I feel dizzy. I stood up and nearly fell down.
This is not hangover hehe.
Last night I experienced my first ever full body massage.
May I share my experience to you, dear friends....
Yes, I have never allowed anyone to touch my body without my permission.
But for the sake of curiosity I surrendered myself to 'ate' (the lady massage therapist) for 80 minutes.

When I entered the hotel I am so nervous.
But my mother was there waiting and very happy to see me, so I smiled and pretended to be cool.
My mother took off with an elderly lady and another 'ate' welcomed me and said, 'follow me'.

I entered the room, it is dark and I feel scared when I saw the bed, I thought 'that is the torture chamber'.
She handed me a small packet and said 'remove your clothes and put this on' (don't ask me what it is).
She said she will come back after 1 minute and left me alone in the room.
I silently undress thinking I still have 1 minute to run away and escape.

But I obediently followed the instructions, laid on my stomach and covered myself with the towel.
I could hear a soft music playing in the back ground.
Ate came back and asked how I feel.
I said this is my first time and I don't know what to do.
She laughed and said all I need to do is relax and enjoy.
Ok.
And then the heavenly process started.
She started massaging my upper shoulder, going down the waist and then my legs and feet.
She massaged and knead my arms, and then back to my shoulders and finally my head.
Ohhh I love it!
After 1 hour I fell asleep. It is over.
She said I have to slowly stand up and drink water before coming out to the reception.
But I just like to sleep :)

Conclusion: Massage relaxes the muscles of the body as well as the mind, it feels very good.

<photo credit: Eden Spa, Le Meridien Hotel>

 Everyone should definitely surrender their body for a relaxing massage!

Love or Responsibility

<'nanang' and 'manong' 05.06.13>

"Wishing our Islamic nation a blessed Is'raa Wal Miraj...."

This welcome sms wakes me up this morning.

Our Muslim brothers shares this holiday with us today, 06-June-13.

We have free time for 2 days and I wanted to go out of the UAE and visit Qatar since it is near and only 30 minutes flight, but the embassy says that you should have an existing valid visa at least 6 months.

My visa is expired and my passport is also expiring after 6 months. Oh life!

I have a heated debate yesterday with a friend.

Our topic is about the responsibility of children over their parents.

He said that children are responsible for their parents when they grow older.

I said that children are not responsible but parents are responsible for their children.

Now maybe you think I am a bad daughter. Let me explain please.

When parents decided to have a child, at the start, they are responsible.

Children depends on their parents for everything. 

The parents take care of their babies, they feed them, they guide them and then provide for schooling.

It is the parents responsibility.

Children are entitled for home and for protection and development.

But for children, it is their own choice, not their obligation to care for their parents when they grow old.

I believe that if a child is cared for and loved by the parents, when the child grow up as adult, undoubtedly  he or she will  return their love and respect without conditions.

Children should take care of the parents because of love and not because of duty. 

I suddenly missed my mother. I realized that although we are both working here in the UAE, we still do not spend time with each other. So last night I called her and asked her out for a date. I figure that she love to have a spa so I checked online for special promotions and found that most are fully booked for the holiday. I reserved 2 special body treatment in the evening and then planned to take her for dinner afterwards. I hope it all goes well. I have never been to a full body massage before. I feel weird just imagining to remove my shirt and/or my bra so that a stranger can touch my skin 'oh shocks!' But my mother will be happy to spend this time with me together. So bring it on!

Singapore

November 17, 2009 at 5pm I arrived in Singapore and checked in Park Royal Hotel.

Singapore is a very small country, only around 647,000 sq.Km

The country is well known for shopping so I visited the popular Orchard road, this street is lined up with many big department stores with reasonable prices. (I bought 3 shirts)

<The Raffles Hotel, SG>

This is the Raffles hotel they said it’s the most expensive in the whole country and one of the most expensive in the world,  all the rooms are deluxe and costs $6000+ per day. The tour guide said it is 1886 architecture.

<18.11.2009, SG>

Singapore harbor is the world's busiest harbor port because in every 3minutes one ship goes in and one ship goes out.

<the singapore flyer>

This giant ferry's wheel gives you 30-40 minutes ride and it is a great way to view the city.

Sentosa island. It means peace and tranquility. Before it is the country’s military fortress.

Millions of people visit the island every year because there are many nice attractions: the underwater world, watch the famous sea angels very rare nowadays they said, and the wax museum where it is showing the history of Singapore, and then the Malayan tower, watch the 4D show it is very exciting, and in the night the very famous 'song of the sea show' where they used the combination of laser, water and fire in the musical show in water.

<song of the sea.sentosa, SG>

There are also beautiful gardens. Initially Singapore zoo garden don’t have wildlife so they started to breed animals, today they are one of the most successful breeders in the world. You can try and ride the tram in the night safari if you love animals like me. The animals appear happy and comfortable in their forest environment. It is dark in the tram, the track road is rough, while we are driving I could feel the cold wind on my face and I could hear the soft rustling of the leaves and the noises of the birds and animals. I really missed this experience. If only this place is just near my house I would go there every evening.

<clark quay,SG>

I have noticed that the Singaporeans love to read the newspapers. Inside the plane, everybody is silently holding their local newspapers and magazines and deeply immersed in reading. I think I'm the only one with empty hand and just staring at everyone.

<The 'malion' a fish body and a lion's head derived the country's name 'Singapura'>

I also learned that Singaporeans are very hardworking so this caused a big problem to the government because their population stopped growing. So the government tried to solve this by passing a law that declares two non-working days per week (one for rest day and one for production day hahaha).

After 3 days, I left Singapore. What a great city!