Being an OFW... living and working overseas

another shot

2008-08-19T02:07:00.004+08:00

since i almost missed the eclipse i decided to take just another go for it

the eclipse

2008-08-19T01:51:00.004+08:00

after waiting for half an hour i got a bit tired of waiting so i decided to come back to my room for a while and decided to watch some television show, unfortunately i somehow lost track of time and realized that i stayed down a bit to long and have to hurry up again with my gear and all ..

a much closer look

2008-08-19T01:38:00.004+08:00

having set up my gear, i decided to play around with some setting in the menu and managed to see the digital zoom option, i gave it a go and check how it looks and this is what i ended up with...

closer look

2008-08-19T01:15:00.004+08:00

the full moon seems to have a different effect on me that night as it entices me to really put mt Olympus digital camera to full test.... using my TCON 17 conversion lens with CLA 10, i managed to get a closer look of the moon surface.. i recon with a few more manipulation of the camera i will be able to take better shots in the future....

full moon indeed

2008-08-19T01:00:00.005+08:00

it was really a nice time to give my digital camera a try having purchased my SP-550 UZ some 4 months back, i haven't had the chance to take good subjects with my camera, so the schedule lunar eclipse has afforded me the chance to get some good shot of the full moon

photo trial

2008-08-18T23:44:00.006+08:00

the other night i was watching the local news and was surprised to hear that there was a lunar eclipse that will take place, this regular phenomenon has always fascinates me so i thought that i might as well try my few months old digital camera... so i went on our accommodation's roof top and have a shot at the full moon see the attached picture which serve as a photo trial for me

summer peak is almost here

2008-07-21T00:41:00.003+08:00

everybody is starting to feel it, after 6 months of lovely weather we are now approaching the summer;s peak. with the date tree starting to bear fruits, temperature reaching over 45 degrees Celsius and with humidity starting to be felt as well...

high temperature is easily bearable based on personal experience if it is dry and hot weather but when humidity starts to set it it is totally different story.. you feel the difficulty breathing, sweating profusely and the craving for liquids preferably cold water.

i must admit staying here for almost 12 years now, i still haven't fully conditioned myself to bear the hot summer weather.... time for me to make sure my air conditioner can sustain the weather...

summer time again

2008-07-16T05:34:00.003+08:00

yesterday when i walk out of the house to get to work the weather was really lovely, i believe it was 26 degrees Celsius at around 6:00 a.m. and the sun was already up. by lunch time when i looked out the window i noticed that it was a bit dusty again outside and told myself that it will be tough going home.

by 4:00 p.m. when i walked out the office on my way home it hit me hard, it wasn't dusty, a bit windy but what caught me is the sticky feeling that bites my skin. and all of a sudden it dawn on me.... humid season is here again to stay.... summer is starting peak, and seems that its going to be a long one..

stormy weather...

2008-06-25T03:52:00.002+08:00

it will never be easy for people like us working overseas, especially during the storm season. just recently a devastating storm hit our country and make a lot of people miserable. during the storm my wife sent my text messages via SMS telling me that they were unable to leave the house to attend the church services due to strong wind. storm signal number 3, being the highest alert level has just been declared, but unfortunately not too many people managed to get the news; with the power supply cut due to damaged power lines they have to rely on text messages until the battery of their cellphones are drained.

i was really concern and followed the news via online news coverage and sms with my wife, luckily my family is one of those that are luckier than others and has not really suffered from any of the devastating effects of the strong storm. a few of my colleagues here was advised their family that all their belongings are under neck high water and it is flooded everywhere, some houses lost their roofs and many has lost their crops...

it really is difficult being away worrying but life my goes on....

on retirement

2008-06-25T03:37:00.003+08:00

after 27 years of work in the middle east, my former supervisor, a very good mentor finally retires... they say it was inevitable, having been extended for two more years, he finally has to say goodbye to the many friends that he met during this years, he has to leave all the happy memories that he had, and many other things that will be left behind

recently had a send-off luncheon for him.. it was a very emotional moment not only for him but for all of us, me personally has felt the lost of a very good friend, advisor, former supervisor and a very good mentor.... i would say that the last 6 years of my overseas work would never been easy if not for the support he has extended me...

we all know that we are bound to retire and be repatriated sooner or later, but working in a foreign land, making new friends and knowing their culture, will definite leave a hollow feeling when the day come for us to leave everything behind....

bad weathers....

2008-06-25T03:07:00.003+08:00

it has been dusty all over the last few weeks, a lot of people including me have been snugging in their rooms due to the heavy sand storms we have been experiencing. a lot of locals that i have talked to claims that in the last 100 years it is the first time that this happened and they have not experienced this in their lifetime..

everybody is saying that this year not too many rains was experienced therefore making the sand very dry, and easily carried by the wind when it blows. making the weather unfriendly especially to people like me who suffers from sinusitis. but on the upside of things, the thick sand in the air somehow creates a shield that prevents the heat from the sun making the overall temperature a bit lower than hat it is supposed to be.

well, this is life, and we just hope that the weather will clear soon enough so that everybody can return to their normal lives.

weather change

2008-05-30T19:59:00.001+08:00

despite working in the middle east for more than ten years, i still haven't got the hang of the weather ... spring is officially over, summer has arrived three day ago.... with winter that are nearly freezing and summer that is excruciatingly hot and humid at times, climate that changes at least 3 times a day... this is what we are to contend with right now...

after a few days of dusty weather, a few sand storm and a few trickle of rain summer has set in... with temperature way above 40 degrees Celsius with the onset of summer, people will definitely be confined within the comfort of the air conditioned offices and houses...

with the humid weather most likely to start in another 2-3 weeks time, a lot of people will definitely have a hard time coping, especially the new comers and those that are not too accustomed to such climate...

but come to think of it, it is healthy for every body, people do pay good sum of money just to use the steam bath or spa just to relive themselves of cholesterol.... an here we are with free steam bath....

computer courses

2008-05-10T01:00:00.008+08:00

my friend and i was chatting the other day, he told me that he would like to learn new things that will help him out in his work and at the same time he can use in his future endeavor... he was inquiring where he could possibly enroll in some computer courses...

i told him that i know some local organization and association sanctioned by the embassy that provides such courses, unfortunately he said that he can't attend a similar class due to time constraint as he works 6 days a week and has long work schedule due to overtime works...

i inquire if he has computer and ADSL connection at home and was advised that they do have both... i suggested to him that his best recourse then is to look for an online computer course, there are plenty of sites that do offer these kind of courses and it gives him more flexibility and will be based on his own schedule and learning speed...

on learning...

2008-05-10T01:00:00.005+08:00

i was out with my friends over the weekend and one of my fishing buddy advised me that he wouldn't be able to come with us... he told me he found one of the local association that aims to equip fellow contract workers like us new skills... i told him that it is a good start, at least if it is something that will eventually make him more competent and competitive it is something that is worth indulging into...

he said that he wants to learn new skills, something that he can pass on to his children, something that he can start with eventually when he stops working overseas... i told him i am all for it... and bid him good luck on his new endeavor...

well worth it

2008-05-04T02:35:00.005+08:00

for a long time i always dreamed of photography as a pastime.... but due to the fact that a decent professional camera cost a fortune, not to mention the films, developing cost and other equipment you need to develop your pictures..... that was before the advent of the digital era... now a days there are plenty of digital camera that is flooding the market... of various brand, models and the features was astonishing...

for quite some time i was surfing the Internet , looking for a digital camera that is inexpensive, yet powerful enough when it comes to optical zoom without the need to buy additional lenses and filters... after some years of looking around, waiting, finally i found a digital camera that really suites my requirement... I'd say that it was worth the wait....

over the weekend i was with my friends, and we have tested the camera without even reading the manual, typical of us.... hahhaha

now i am in the process of in depth reading of the manual to be able to tale full advantage of ts wonderful features.... i hope to be able to post some of the pictures i will be taking in the days to come...

reliving a dream

2008-04-29T23:22:00.005+08:00

I was surfing the Internet the other day and happen to check one of my favorite site, it is a local bookstore that carries computers, digital cameras, handy cam and other expensive electronic gift items... as i was browsing their website i came upon a digital camera that i saw a few moths back in the Internet and i loved the features...

with 7.1 mega pixel and an 18x zoom capabilities makes my mouth watery so to speak... i have always been a frustrated photographer... it is one of what i hoped to have as a hobby when i was still in college... but during those days film camera are not only expensive but everything that you need to pursue the dream cost a fortune....

yesterday i called the bookstore and inquired if it is still available but was told that they already sold their last piece as it was selling like hot cake... considering that they are selling it half the price of the original price when it was initially introduced in the market, no wonder it would sell that fast..... my dream was starting to die down again....

it now prompted me to search for the local distributor through the web... and found one that i frequently visits when i go around window shopping... yesterday, right after office hour i went down directly to the store and inquire about the digital camera and i was really lucky to find their last piece of stock and being sold at the same price....

so now i am reliving my dream of photography... and hopefully in a few days time i can really practice and put in good use the camera i bought...

on weaker dollar....

2008-04-24T19:00:00.007+08:00

over the last few months it is in the news: weakening dollars...... unfortunately it affect everybody.... worst of all i think are us who works overseas.... OFW like me are now faced with a so called double edged blade.... weakening dollar and stronger peso.... the effect was tremendous...

the global effect of the weakening dollar is very apparent with increasing prices of commodities... even here in the middle east where the prices of commodities has been fairly stable in the last 10 years, the direct impact can be felt.. locals and expatriate alike are tightening their belts to make sure they can avail of the very basic of their needs...

for me, i am just thankful that we are still able to sustain the effect of the price increase and the decreasing foreign exchange rate of the peso compounded by the weakening dollars...

let's just all hope for the best....

other opportunities

2008-04-24T03:18:00.009+08:00

working overseas and being away from your loved ones has it's ups and down.... one of them is the long hours you have to deal with after working for eight hours during the day, the rest of the evening can be lonesome if you don't know how to handle it properly.... these days it is much easier with the proliferation of the Internet and satellite television, the nights has somehow shorter than they used to be...

one good thing when you work overseas is that you get to meet new friends and find other opportunities if in case you need additional source of income.... for the last few years i have been sharing Internet connectivity with my neighbor on the same building where we live, and one time i was asked if i am familiar with blogging. i said i have read a few and started something similar on a a forum where i moderates a few years back, but i am no longer active for sometimes.... then my friend asked me if i am familiar with PPP. it was the first time i heard about it and wast advised it stand for PayPerPost. A website that gives opportunity to earn money through blogging... i was told by the same friend that she already signed up for PPP a few months back and has been busy ever since and getting good returns....

i didn't believe my friend immediately but started a blog just the same.... now here i am, i found out one day that i can no longer resist and eventually i signed up for PPP .... i was really surprised that my log was approved on the same day that i signed up.... now i look forward to good opportunities... although my friend is yet to be aware that i=my blog has already been approved.get paid to blog

My wife and I made our plans last month to do a bit of travelling, my son would like to see Hong Kong Disneyland, and i believe that by signing up for PPP is a good move for me, and hope to use my earnings here to finance our travel on December....

i can't believe that there are such opportunities like this.... now i can foresee that even when i eventually decide to stop being and OFW, there will still be great potential for me through PPP and blogging... all i will need is my laptop and and an Internet connection....

Now instead of getting glued to the TV, my nights will be spent in the Internet updating my blogs and scouting for new opportunities

almost weekend

2008-04-15T23:41:00.002+08:00

its almost weekend a few more days to go and i have to start the weekend activities again... i usually refer to it as LIPS day.... it stand for Laundry, Ironing, Playing and Sleeping.... so i look forward to the day when i can do all this things...

then again working with maintenance company and being on the call list, i need to be aware of the possibility of being called in anytime....

i wish i wouldn't be this weekend...

weekend is over

2008-04-13T10:53:00.002+08:00

weekend has just slip by like that.... time really flies so fats these days...

well not really, it is a common expression we use whenever we feel like time isn't enough to do what we were hoping to accomplish... for us working overseas we try to busy ourselves as much as we can.... by doing so it eases the loneliness and the yearning to be with the love ones...

another week end spent doing the household chores such as the laundry, ironing and tidying the room... the usual regimen during weekend... luckily i managed to sneak in a fer hours with my friends and we we out fishing...

so it's another working week ahead of me...

stronger peso....

2008-04-12T20:11:00.002+08:00

for the last year or so, contract workers has been feeling the effect of the so called stronger peso.... compounded by the weakening of the dollar, and the increasing oil price contract workers really has to tighten their belts, including their dependents back home...

i still remember the time when we used to get 55 pesos to a $ barely a year ago... now the Forex is now down to 41.50 to a $.... imagine that is almost 25% reduction on the value of what we are sending home....

so for us here overseas, we have to try and find ways to keep the remittance enough for the family's needs... the odd thing is the prices of the commodities are not going down.... worst is the prices of commodities here is increasing as well...

at least we are still able to send remittance home...

it was quiet at the work place....

2008-04-12T10:14:00.003+08:00

it was supposed to be a company holiday were i worked at, well not really my company but i was assigned to work there as a manpower support... all the regular employees are out on a long three day week end, while my colleague and i have to report to work... t is part of our contractual responsibilities so i have no option but to report to work...

it was really quiet... just imagine on the floor i work at there was just three of us, and the rest of the building most likely have about twenty people working that they... during regular these there are at least a thousand people in the building...

so that day it was really quiet...

weekend is over....

2008-04-12T10:06:00.002+08:00

it's a fact.... it's back to work once again..... luckily i managed to finish my laundry early... that leaves me ample time to look after other things that i need to do at home, like tidying up the room, some ironing and sorting out my clothes as well...

i also managed to go out with my friends and spend some times together as well as go out fishing... this time around we were luckier than the previous week, we had some good catch...

so i look forward now to the next weekend hoping it will be better than last week...

reminiscing.....

2008-04-10T17:02:00.000+08:00

i still vividly remember some 9 years ago... on this very day, it was barely a few weeks when i arrived in KSA, and my sponsor is yet process my local papers due to the holidays.... my brother who happens to be working in the same company that i used to work with, was invited to a community affair and we needed to get some documents in the office so we decided to pass by the office before going to the affair...

while he was busy in his office taking the documents he needed, i pass by the room that has the company fax machine, copier, etc... it was locked then and saw that there were a few pages in the machine so i advised him that it might be important otherwise it wouldn't be sent during weekend... that time mobile phone line are still very expensive and not advisable to have, so communications are either through expensive long distance call, snail mail or fax messages.

the fax message contained the message that my brother and I have been afraid to read all along.... it says that my father who when i left manila, has been already hospitalized for over 3 months for cancer treatment... we are being advised that my father has passed away on the 9th of April 1999..... i was devastated then...

many things has entered my mind then.... one reason i decided to work overseas again is to help sustain my father's treatment cost... and have better life for my family.... have i known that he will only last a few more weeks i could have delayed my deployment by a month or two.... another thing that immediately come to mid is i have no legal documentation yet and there is no way for me to be able to leave for Manila in a week at least...

but thank God next day, holiday was over, our sponsor instructed our liaison officer to expedite my papers and make sure i can go home within the next 36 hours... with God's grace they managed to pull through.... in less than 36 hours i was back in manila to bury my father... and back in KSA in 10 days time....

i still recall this hectic process that i have to go through and it will remain in my mind until the day that i die....

week 15

2008-04-10T02:46:00.001+08:00

a new week been completed once again.... working days are over and time to take the much needed rest... working from 7:00 a.m to 4:00 p.m. on a five day week is better than the other working schedule... i know a friend who has a so called broken schedule, he works from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 n.n. and then takes a 4 hour break and come back at 4:00 p.m. up to 10:00 p.m.

i prefer a regular straight time rather tan shifting schedule as well, with my current schedule it allows me to go out and do a bit of window shopping every now and then and affords a relaxing weekend with my friends....

week 15 is finished and another 35 weeks to go.... before my annual vacation that is....

the week is over again.....

2008-04-09T10:56:00.000+08:00

time really flies when you are enjoying it, sort of.... it is not really enjoyable when you area way from all your loved ones, but then again you have to make the best of everything... that is what we are trying to do here overseas....

five days of another tedious working schedule has past by..... thank God that i managed to survived another hectic and strenuous week... with so much to do and so little time... not to mention the many challenges that needed to be hurdled...

working as a facility maintenance crew on a critical facility that operates on a 7 days a week 24 hours a day is quite challenging, especially when it houses very delicate and sensitive equipments.... performing routine preventive maintenance is difficult enough, what more if you have to undergo major renovations or replacement of the utilities...

but as the saying goes, someone has to do all the dirty job....

MARRIAGE

2008-04-08T07:48:00.001+08:00

i got this from one of my e-mails and i believe it s something worth remembering, especially for us OFWs, who are away from our family most of the times....

This is a nice piece for those who are married, about to get married and for the singles as well who wish to be married. Please take the time to read.

When I got home that night as my wife served dinner, I held her hand and said, I've got something to tell you. She sat down and ate quietly. Again I observed the hurt in her eyes. Suddenly I didn't know how to open my mouth. But I had to let her know what I was thinking. I want a divorce. I raised the topic calmly. She didn't seem to be annoyed by my words, instead she asked me softly, why? I avoided her question. This made her angry. She threw away the chopsticks and shouted at me, you are not a man! That night, we didn't talk to each other. She was weeping. I knew she wanted to find out what had happened to our marriage. But I could hardly give her a satisfactory answer; she had lost my heart to Dew. I didn't love her anymore. I just pitied her! With a deep sense of guilt, I drafted a divorce agreement which stated that she could own our house, our car, and 30% stake of my company. She glanced at it and then tore it into pieces. The woman who had spent ten years of her life with me had become a stranger. I felt sorry for her wasted time, resources and energy but I could not take back what I had said for I loved Dew so dearly. Finally she cried loudly actually a kind of release. The idea of divorce which had obsessed me for several weeks seemed to be firmer and clearer now.

The next day, I came back home very late and found her writing something at the table. I didn't have supper but went straight to sleep and fell asleep very fast because I was tired after an eventful day with Dew. When I woke up, she was still there at the table writing. I just did not care so I turned over and was asleep again. In the morning she presented her divorce conditions: she didn't want anything from me, but needed a month's notice before the divorce. She requested that in that one month we both struggle to live as normal a life as possible. Her reasons were simple: our son had his exams in a month's time and she didn't want to disrupt him with our broken marriage. This was agreeable to me. But she had something more, she asked me to recall how I had carried her into out bridal room on our wedding day. She requested that everyday for the month's duration I carry her out of our bedroom to the front door ever morning. I thought she was going crazy. Just to make our last days together bearable I accepted her odd request. I told Dew about my wife's divorce conditions. She laughed loudly and thought it was absurd. No matter what tricks she applies, she has to face the divorce, she said scornfully.

My wife and I hadn't had any body contact since my divorce intention was explicitly expressed. So when I carried her out on the first day, we both appeared clumsy. Our son clapped behind us, daddy is holding mummy in his arms. His words brought me a sense of pain. From the bedroom to the sitting room, then to the door, I walked over ten meters with her in my arms. She closed her eyes and said softly; don't tell our son about the divorce. I nodded, feeling somewhat upset. I put her down outside the door. She went to wait for the bus to work. I drove alone to the office. On the second day, both of us acted much more easily. She leaned on my chest. I could smell the fragrance of her blouse. I realized that I hadn't looked at this woman carefully for a long time. I realized she was not young any more. There were fine wrinkles on her face, her hair was graying! Our marriage had taken its toll on her. For a minute I wondered what I had done to her.

On the fourth day, when I lifted her up, I felt a sense of life to me. On the fifth and sixth day, I realized that our sense of intimacy was growing again. I didn't tell Dew about this. It became easier to carry her as the month slipped by. Perhaps the everyday workout made me stronger. She was choosing what to wear one morning. She tried on quite a few dresses but could not find a suitable one. Then she sighed, all my dresses have grown bigger. I suddenly realized that she had grown so thin, that was the reason why I could carry her more easily. Suddenly it hit me... she had buried so much pain and bitterness in her heart. Subconsciously I reached out and touched her head. Our son came in at the moment and said, Dad, it's time to carry mum out. To him, seeing his father carrying his mother out had become an essential part of his life. My wife gestured to our son to come closer and hugged him tightly. I turned my face away because I was afraid I might change my mind at this last minute. I then held her in my arms, walking from the bedroom, through the sitting room, to the hallway. Her hand surrounded my neck softly and naturally. I held her body tightly; it was just like our wedding day. But her much lighter weight made me sad. On the last day, when I held her in my arms I could hardly move a step. Our son had gone to school. I held her tightly and said, I hadn't noticed that our life lacked intimacy.

I drove to office... jumped out of the car swiftly without locking the door. I was afraid any delay would make me change my mind... I walked upstairs. Dew opened the door and I said to her,Sorry, Dew, I do not want the divorce anymore. She looked at me, astonished, and then touched my forehead. Do you have a fever? She said. I moved her hand off my head. Sorry, Dew, I said, I won't divorce. My marriage life was boring probably because she and I didn't value the details of our lives, not because we didn't love each other any more. Now I realize that since I carried her into my home on our wedding day I am supposed to hold her until death do us apart. Dew seemed to suddenly wake up. She gave me a loud slap and then slammed the door and burst into tears. I walked downstairs and drove away.

At the floral shop on the way, I ordered a bouquet of flowers for my wife. The salesgirl asked me what to write on the card. I smiled and wrote, I'll carry you out every morning until death do us apart. The small details of your lives are what really matter in a relationship. It is not the mansion,the car, property, the money in the bank, blah..blah.. blah. These create an environment conducive for happiness but cannot give happiness in themselves. So find time to be your spouse's friend and do those little things for each other that build intimacy. Do have a real happy marriage! If you don't share this, nothing will happen to you. If you do, you just might save a marriage.

anything that is of value in life only multiplies when it is given

technology glitch....

2008-04-07T10:36:00.000+08:00

it's been almost a week now, since the isp provider back home encountered some problems that prevents my family to access the Internet... despite the continuous follow of my wife, no progress in the horizon is seen...

apparently the main line was accidentally cut when a truck somehow got entangled on the cable, God knows when the service will be back

times like these somehow diminishes the lines of communications, luckily sms and mobile phones are still available... it somehow eases the distance... and the homesickness...

a new week...

2008-04-07T10:22:00.000+08:00

weekend was over... it's another working week and expecting some new challenges.... working as a facility maintenance crew of a critical facility always offers me great challenges... it always keeps me on my toes so to speak... at times it entices you to reach the limit of your creativity and ingenuity, especially when there are some problems that arises in the utilities that we look after....

and working on a multi cultural environment simply add spice to it.... generally speaking, i would say that where i work at the moment is the most gratifying and the most fulfilling work i have had so far.... and enjoy every single minute of it....

week end once again....

2008-04-03T11:47:00.000+08:00

it's weekend once again here in the middle east.... time for me to take care of the household chores.... when you live alone, you have to take care of your housekeeping, laundry, ironing and cooking.... this is all part of the week end activity that most of us working overseas are busy with on weekends...

but of course as they say all work and no play makes john a dull boy, so there are always time for leisure.... for me... its either online computer games, time with my friends or our favorite past time.... fishing....

hopefully we get a good catch this weekend...

times really flies.....

2008-04-03T11:24:00.001+08:00

it's april once again.... time really flies when you are busy.... it's seems like yesterday when i was just planning to work overseas.....it's been 9 long years again... ever since i decided to seek a greener pasture, it was after staying for 2 years working on a local company back home.... and here am tinkering again....it just like yesterday when i came back from my vacation... and looking back its been 5 months since.... it was just like yesterday when people are scampering trying to secure their bank accounts and other valuables yo they will not be a victim of the so called Y2K bug...... time really flies.... 3 months of 2008 is gone.... what lies tomorrow???? we'll see....

on being away from your loved ones....

2008-03-24T03:44:00.000+08:00

we all say that we work for our family... to give them a better life, to be able to send our children to a better school.... and give them a bit of comfort in life....

sometimes we have to make sacrifices to be able to attain our goals, at times we have to be separated from our loved ones especially if we have out of town assignments or work overseas...

living alone, and away from my family has taught me many things in life... many of them are very valuable, knowledge that you wouldn't learn in any university.....

moreover, living away from my loved ones has shown me the value of every little things that i failed to appreciate back then.....

looking back....

2008-03-08T02:26:00.000+08:00

it's March once again... i can't imagine it's been nine (9) long years since i decided to go on my second deployment overseas....time relly flies so fast.... i still remember that it was barely a week following the 1st birthday celebration of my only son when they send me off in the airport.....

looking back i am very thankful that i managed to convince my employer and the agency to delay my flight for a week, otherwise i wouldn't be able to celebrate the occasion with them and to compound it i would have to fly on the exact date of the celebration....

counting back the years that i have stayed away from my family i can't help but think the many other occasions that we have to celebrate separately.... the only consolation we have right now is that communication is much easier right now....

language barrier....

2008-03-08T02:03:00.000+08:00

one of the major problem that is usually encountered when you work overseas is the language barrier.... especially when you work in in a multi disciplined environment, where not everybody finishes college let alone went to school....

sometimes it gets frustrating when you give specific instructions to your subordinate and later in the day when you check what they have accomplished, find out that they have done nothing relevant to what you have expected....

through the years we have come to realize that straight forward English doesn't work well with some nationalities (not that i am trying to discriminate or being racist) is to speak in combination of "broken English" local dialect and some of their own dialect that you picked up along the way.....

but one thing that never fails to work.... find one of his compatriot who understand and speak good English .....

communicating with love one.....

2008-03-07T15:49:00.000+08:00

i remember when i first started working overseas.... back in 1994, overseas call cost a fortune and there are not to many phone lines available in my province, there was no mobile phone yet that time and land line phone is not easy to acquire. so most of the time we have to rely on snail mail. mails that time usually takes 5-14 days to arrive.

sometimes there are friends who goes on annual vacation that happens to live within the town, so you have a chance to send mail and voice tapes... and when he comes back you expect to receive the same gesture from your family...

now a days communications is much easier; with the advent of mobile phone, Internet and SMS... your love one is just a phone call away, or an SMS away... and better still with the video and voice chat, you can talk and see them, short of touching them....

on meeting new friends

2008-03-06T16:43:00.000+08:00

working overseas has afforded me a lot of opportunity..... one of them is meeting new friends and learn a lot of things from them.... their customs, traditions, beliefs and even their day to day way of life....

having gathered a few friends from, India, Pakistan, Turkey, Jordan, Syria, Australia Yemen, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, England, Canada, united States of America, Nepal, Bangladesh and Egypt is really wonderful....

working in a multi cultural environment is really astonishing and worthwhile.... the key/recipe to harmony is simple...."respect" regardless of their race, religion and position in the work environment....

this is what makes life overseas challenging.... and a lot worthwhile....

of needs and wants....

2008-03-06T14:53:00.000+08:00

working overseas gives you a lot of opportunity to see a lot of electronics and household electronics at cheaper price... some of these items are not readily available back home.... looking at them makes you envious and wanting to have them....

here is where good thinking matter most, for me i always categorize things before jumping to a decision to buy or not to buy any item that fancy my eyes... the question that i always ask myself is, "Do i need it or i just want it?"

it makes a big difference especially when you are on a tight budget... and you know that our family are looking up to you.....

why work overseas????

2008-03-03T04:30:00.000+08:00

I have been asked this question too many times to remember how many.... but i seem to have the same answer.... for various reasons.... answer that other seems to find it difficult to comprehend... especially if you don't have your family with you....

i have been working overseas for quite some times.... and i would say that it has not been easy being away from all your loved ones.... but then again it is just a matter of prioritizing..... economy dictates most of our decision making.... i for one has to admit that....

OFW.....

2008-03-03T04:09:00.000+08:00

OFW..... Overseas Filipino Worker.... that is what we are called now... not a long time ago we were called OCW, Overseas Contract workers..... they say we are the modern day heroes.... that's what the government say so......

working overseas is very challenging... with the change in environment, cultural diversity and not to mention the language barrier.... it has it's ups and down... but overall it is a matter of weighing the benefits over all other factors.....

Working overseas.....

2008-03-03T03:35:00.000+08:00

Working overseas is a very challenging feat.... with the cultural diversity and the overall environment indifference from where you grew up with is really quite a challenge.... not to mention the language barrier...

but having work in different provinces in the Philippines and having to learn and understand a different dialect makes life a lot easier....