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!

Another Heartbreak

<29.05.2013>

This went all inside my stomach this afternoon. It is like a fried rice with a grilled chicken on top  and is called 'biryani'.

These three old men (my kind kuyas at work) took me out for lunch today. They said they have discovered this delicious food in a small cheap restaurant hidden in Mussafah. You have to eat there using your hands only.

Today my boss called me in the meeting room. He said from now on wards I will work under another boss. It breaks my heart. I felt unwanted. I am very very sad but thanks to kuya Ben, kuya Bong and kuya Leo, they made me laugh nonstop during the afternoon.

Even if my beloved company gave me away, I need to carry on. I don't care who is now my boss or who pays my salary. I love my job. I love everyone of my colleagues although many have left us already and perhaps many more will leave. But I strongly believe in our project. I pray to be able to see it completed successfully.

So I will show up each day at work filled with passion in my heart with a goal to contribute my best and learn everything there is to learn.

<inspired with the sunrise every morning_overlooking sowwah island>

Retreat

It's Friday - the only day you are allowed to wake up after 6 am here in the gulf region.

But my nose is blocked and I can not breath properly so I have to open my mouth to take in oxygen.

I caught one of my colleagues colds virus because I allowed her to play on my i-phone every evening in the bus.

As a result, I now suffer from headache and my throat hurts and I woke up early on a Friday because I am sick.

Its good that my mind is still functioning properly so I can write and complain :)

Last Wednesday I thought I was capable to beat a man twice as big as me.

Only our HR manager kindly stopped me from fighting back that big cruel man.

So I just took a deep breath and marched around and around our office cabin, exhaling 'aaah' 'aaah' aaah' and finally went to the washroom and shout nonstop instead to the mirror.

After 10 minutes I resumed my work.

My 'enemy' the big man called me to his office and apologized.

I looked at him and I wanted to tell him that I do not need his apology!

But horror upon horrors, my crazy eyes started to release tears.

You see, I never wanted to show my weakness.

So I was more angry with myself and so I could not speak.

Maybe he thought I was really upset with him.

Night time came and  I recalled what had happened.

What is the lesson I learned from this experience?

1. Never fight with anyone bigger than you unless you are sure to win or unless you are willing to lose.

2. All humans have a deep need to be recognized and respected even those who don't deserve respect.

3. Keep quiet the moment when you are very angry otherwise you might say words that you will regret later.

4. Life is an adventure, we wake up everyday and we do not know what is going to happen. Some days are silent, some days are disaster. But each day is brand new. It is a gift to enjoy and  a chance for us to perform yet again our best.

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"Random things happen

for no reason in our lives.

We choose a few

and form a line of thought.

Made by all these dots,

which we call reason."

-by Hong Sang-Soo

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Cross-roads of life

I came home early tonight.

Because I skipped my routine run.

Because I arrived late from work.

Because I had OT.

Because there are loads of work.

Because of deadlines.

Because of a crossroad.

And I feel sad.

So I just turned to my guitar for comfort....

;_;

The Real Meaning of PEACE (short story)

Be Calm in your Heart

There once was a king who offered a prize to the artist
who would paint the best picture of peace. Many artists
tried. The king looked at all the pictures. But there
were only two he really liked, and he had to choose
between them.

One picture was of a calm lake. The lake was a
perfect mirror for peaceful towering mountains all around
it. Overhead was a blue sky with fluffy white clouds.
All who saw this picture thought that it was a perfect
picture of peace.

The other picture had mountains, too. But these were rugged
and bare. Above was an angry sky, from which rain fell and in which lightning played. Down the side of the mountain tumbled a foaming waterfall. This did not look peaceful at all.

But when the king looked closely, he saw behind the waterfall a tiny bush growing in a crack in the rock. In the bush a mother bird had built her nest. There, in the midst of the rush of angry water, sat the mother bird on her nest – in perfect peace.

Which picture do you think won the prize? The king chose the second picture. Do you know why?

“Because,” explained the king, “peace does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. Peace means to be in the midst of all those things and still be calm in your heart. That is the real meaning of peace.”

(author unknown)

Live Freely

Sometimes in our life when all things are too much for us to handle, we need to escape from everyone and everything. We just feel the need to break free....

Try these wonderful suggestions:

-> Take a vacation!

<no matter what happens, have vacations often>

-> Sleep enough

<and wake up fresh>

-> Express yourself and laugh out loud... as loud as you can.

<share funny stories with a friend>

-> Do something that makes your heart beats very very fast.

<run as fast as you can>

-> journal your feelings and write everything....

<if you love to write like me>

-> Go and eat your favorite foods.

<yummy> 

-> Change your hairstyle/ dress style/ home style...etc.

<be daring, don't be afraid hehe>

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On a planet that

 increasingly resembles one huge

Maximum Security prison,

the only intelligent choice is

to plan a jail break.

-by Robert Anton Wilson 

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(some pictures borrowed from google)

What to do when you are afraid?

I am not in the mood to write. But it is now 2:00 AM and I can not sleep so I may as well use the time to blog. 

Yesterday I received a job offer from another company (Sssshh!:)) Honestly, I don't like to change, most of us don't like changes- change of things, change of address, change of work and so on, we are used to our familiar habits already.

When I first arrived in the UAE, I discovered, working in the middle east is very challenging because our culture is very different. But if you stay here for 7 years surrounded by arabs and be extremely exposed to the middle eastern culture, the result is that you will become aggressive, adamant and direct, and shrewd.

Then for the past 2 years I worked in a Korean company. Everything is the opposite. Now there is a merging going on between these two opposite cultures in our workplace. Its like oil and water being combined. There are many adjustments and changes to be made.

New things are not always guaranteed to be good things but we have to change in order to grow and if you are afraid like me, just have faith and just carry on. I am afraid of many things, yes but I also discovered that almost all people are afraid of the same things too. 

Things I am scared of:

1) ghosts.

2) the process of dying...

3) being stuck in an elevator with a scary stranger. 

4) falling in love with someone who do not love me back

5) dark places like a graveyard in the night.

6) terrorists.

7) natural calamities.

8) speaking in front of many people.

9) and so many more to mention here...

~>.+.<~>.+.<~>.+.<~>.+.<~>.+.<~>.+.<~>.+.<~>.+.<~>.+.<~>.+.<

"I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear."

-by Nelson Mandela

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Solitude

Novation?

SK or Al Jaber

It seems suspicious, so I'm still thinking why our bujangnim took our team out for lunch yesterday. It is unusual, based on our experience we have observed that Koreans only go to a restaurant for 3 reasons:

            1) Celebration for an important event or meeting.

            2) To make an important announcement to everyone.

            3) Someone is leaving or going away and not coming back.

Items 1) and 2) are not available. So we expected execution. Our hearts and minds are prepared for this already. Everyone is talking about 'novation' in the office for the past month. It is a legal matter and we don't know it. When I goooogled 'novation' it says 'replacement' and immediately my heart sank. I thought its the end of the world. Ok, when faced with a difficult situation it is sometimes wise to step back a little and think first before jumping to conclusion so I will note down some ideas from my mind to calm my anxious heart:

Reasons Why AJB should Novate:

1) ...

2) ...

3) ....

4) ....

5) .....

Ooops! sorry folks, it seems that my brain can not think of a single reason...it is saying "invalid entry.please try again later" hehe!

<02.05.2013_noodle house>

my dear colleagues: Unique Jaya; smart kuya- sir Bong; my handsome boss Jeon; the kindest kuya- sir Ben; sweet Gayani, & beautiful Rona :)

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"Work without love is slavery."

-Mother Theresa

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End of Duty

One of the best part of the day is this......

<30.04.2013_ever beautiful sunset over the horizon>

We go home after work tired but satisfied from one more day we have accomplished. And while we enjoy the 30 minutes bus-ride from our jobsite to where we lived, this magnificent view of the sunset in the sky often welcomes us. If you look at the sun going down slowly in the horizon, the sun's remaining rays will fill the wide sky with many colors....it calms the mind.

<02.05.2013_bus.going home on Thursday>

From Saturday to Wednesday, it will be a silent bus-ride...everybody will just sit and quietly rest. But Thursday is another story. Everyone will be noisy, and excited for the weekend.

<Hamdan St. AD>

Driver Baskar will drop most of his noisy passengers here in this place - Hamdan steet lies in center of this peaceful city. Sometimes during month-end, we will invite each other whoever is brave to spend a little from our salary. Last week, it was raining and a little cold, naturally we craved for hot soup so we enjoyed another xiabu-xiabu dinner.

<29.04.2013_hotpot as usual, together with food friends>

~>.<~:~>.<~:~>.<~:~>.<~:~>.<~:~>.<~ 

“Now ... if you trust in yourself ... 

and believe in your dreams ... 

and follow your star ... 

you'll still get beaten by people who

spent their time working hard and 

learning things and weren't so lazy....” 

― Terry Pratchett,

~>.<~:~>.<~:~>.<~:~>.<~:~>.<~:~>.<~ 

Delayed Gratification to Self-Control

The Marshmallow Test:

Hilarious but enlightening....enjoy watching!

Origins

Girls don't tell their age to public (its our top secret) because, we like to look younger than our age. My mother does not read my blogs so I am freely announcing that she turned 57 years old this April 23, 2013 (Praise God.). She left the Philippines and came here almost 30 years ago, so my grandmother took care of me. Now that I work also here in the UAE, my 'Nanang' (grandmother) is alone back home. She is old and weak already that is why many times we ask a distant relative to stay in our house to look out for her. But we would always have a problem after a week, the relative would leave and does not want to go back. Maybe because my Nanang shouts a lot :) like my mother, she talks like 'she's shouting', same like me. When people hear us talking, they think that we are fighting. Mama will eventually retire and go back home after few months and will take care of Nanang. They will have to endure each other's shouting.

Last night, while lying in bed I looked up and saw the moon lit in a perfect circle. Some clouds were slowly passing in front of it so it looked like a horror movie. While staring at the moon I realized that I am also getting older, after two months I will also turn __ years old. Life is getting shorter. I feel like the moon, my life is not moving....just the clouds are passing by, just like the experiences passing us by. 

Oh life. Teach me to number the days.

Review Your Goals

Do you agree that its more fun to live if you have a list of goals to guide you through your life? If you have it already, its important to review it as often as possible because its easy to neglect and forget it when we get caught up in our routine works.
I will share some of mine...hehe.

1. Improve traditional farming methods in our hometown

<we are proud hardworking farmers>

2. See and enjoy the wonderful places around the world

<victoria falls, zambia>

3. Condense all my thoughts and write a satisfying book

<dream book>

4. Build a humble home on top of the mountains overlooking the sea

<you are all welcome to have vacation here once its built hehe!>

5. Become a talented speaker

<i am afraid to speak in public, tsk. tsk. tsk.>

6.Continue changing, transforming to becoming a person of integrity

etc....etc...etc...

(pictures borrowed from google)

What makes you Happy?

On my way out the mall this Friday evening, I couldn't resist passing by the bookstore again. So voilà! 2more books added in queue...'just loved to read good books. Oh, it would be heaven if one will be isolated for a week in a quiet nipa hut in the mountains without another human being, together with these books and surrounded by the sight, smell and sound of nature, only.

Ok sometimes it gets expensive and will cost me up to 10 percent of my salary. But it simply makes me happy.  And you, what makes you happy? Here are some suggestions:

Simple things that makes a simple heart happy:

1. Hang out and share stories with your best friends.

2. Play a game with a young child (if there's no child, then to a young at heart).

3. Cook breakfast or lunch or dinner for your family.

4. Give a gift or a 'thank you note' or a simple message to a person you care about.

5. Watch & enjoy the sunset or the sunrise.

6. Remove your shoes and freely step on the grass.

7. Give a big hug to someone you love.

8. Go out, discover and visit a new place.

9. Play your favorite song and sing it out loud, give it your best shot.

10. Wear your rubber shoes and run around the nearest park....really sweat it.

11. Adopt a pet. Like a fish or a hamster.

12. Watch a good movie. Comedy is the best.

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“Do what makes you happy, be with who makes you smile, laugh as much as you breathe, and love as long as you live.”

―by Rachel Ann Nunes

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Déjà vu

Got a surprise call from an old friend today. Its a birthday invitation so I rushed to the nearest gift shop to buy her a gift. The celebration also turned out to be like a reunion.

***

Friend's Birthday Gift??? <stuff toys again>

It feels good to see old friends and familiar faces once again after a long time. Out of all the values we have learned from Hadeed Emirates, our old company, one of the most precious is friendship. We have all moved on to different companies here in the UAE and its cheerful to hear that everyone is doing well and in better position than before. One thing that did not change is the warmth and care we feel for each other.

Lanie, Ana, Ermie, Jrome, Maryann, Ate Christy, Ermie, Donna.....

"Kowloon_18.04.2013 

45minutes

She said its their new year so we celebrated with special dish prepared by our one and only colleague from the beautiful country of Sri Lanka. Great. We had 45 minutes of fun and stories in front of the strange but delicious snack of "square" shaped rice.

Happy New Year!!!
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Dreams Vs Home Country

All my kabayans are still anxious at work. It is normal because we are expats here in the middle east. We left our homes and families and came abroad hoping to have a better life for ourselves as well as for our loved ones. After some time our contracts will end and then have to go back home or find another employer. Maybe for some, to go back and stay in our own home country is more comfortable. But for others, they already get used to and enjoy the way of life here in the UAE.

It is like we are living two different lives- ofw life and home life. 

Living in the Middle East is good because-

1. Life is more active and upbeat and busy.
2. We grow and learn faster- mentally, socially & emotionally.
3. Here we have more chance to reach our dreams and become financially free.
4. We get to meet many different people from various countries.
5. We become independent and strong and able to support our families back home.
6. Our vision enlarges and we are open to more possibilities to set higher goals.

Living at Home is good because-

1. There is mental freedom compared to being an employee which feels like a slave.
2. You enjoy being with your family and happy to meet old friends and relatives.
3. You can have the luxury to enjoy laziness and be stress free.
4. Life is so relaxing just watching the sea or the mountains around you.
5. You can sleep anywhere you like -big space compared to a small rental room in UAE.
6. Local people, local language, local food, local transport is so familiar.
7. You can have a bath for one hour or more...no hurry.
8. Nobody mind what you do, how you spend your time is completely up to you.
9. Wake up to the sound of the many kinds of birds singing and dogs barking.

In both cases, it is good. So whatever happens, we can choose to remain happy or to unnecessarily worry.

Shout Back or Smile?

How to deal with - 
shouting (slash) swearing (slash) immature (slash) emotional (slash) angry people:

Heart's advice:
1. Listen patiently and understand their point of view and then acknowledge it.
2. Maybe they are under stress so empathize with them.
3. Try to get in their shoes in order to see their feelings.

Mind's advice:
1. Do not take it seriously, people sometimes become 'angry cows' and lose their self control.
2. No one has the right to shout at anyone so ignore whatever they say.
3. Just leave and keep away if they persist.

Psyche-life advise ^^,
1. If someone swear at you and say:  'Sh-t!'.... yell back at him asap: "Sh-t to you also!"
2. If someone shout and provoke you....take a video at him and say: "I will report this to police!"
3. If someone continue yelling at you....gather all your strength and punch at his nose!

<disclaimer> **This is just my blog post. Incidents are just products my imagination. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental ;))

Climb

Got inspired by this post today...

So true and meaningful.

The higher we reach, the wider becomes our perspective, the deeper will be our understanding, and yet in a way also the more humble our hearts will become. It is fulfilling. So we got to continue, lets keep climbing. Eventually we will reach the top. And then there are still so many more mountains to discover!

~'>.^.<'~'>~'>.^.<'~'>~'>.^.<'~'>~'>.^.<'~'>~

Success doesn’t come to you, you go to it.

-by Marva Collins

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