Saudi Sexpat Stories: Tales from the Kingdom

Di man ako taga-hanga ng larong boksing dahil masyadong “brutal” ang dating nito sa akin, di ko mapigilan ang aking paghanga sa nag-iisang “Pambansang Kamao” na si Manny Pacquiao.  Pinatunayan niya na kaya ng mga Pilipino makipagsabayan at manaig sa mga pambato mula sa iba’t ibang bansa.  Siya ngayon ang tinaguriang ”greatest pound for pound fighter of all time” dahil sa pagkakapanalo niya sa apat na iba’t ibang dibisyon ng boksing.  Ipinakita niya na kailangan lamang ang sipag, disiplina, determinasyon at ang malalim na pananalig sa lumikha para makamit ang mga pangarap at minimithi sa buhay.   

Marahil, ang naisulat ni Recah Trinidad sa Philippine Daily Inquirer kamakailan kung paano tinulungan ni Pacquiao ang kanyang katunggali matapos niya itong mapatumba - sa halip na pabayaan lamang ito at agad na yakapin ang kanyang matamis na tagumpay - ay isa na sa pinakamagandang deskripsyon kung ano ang sinasagisag ng isang Manny Pacquiao sa ating mga Pilipino:

“…Pacquiao may have not realized it but, after making his countrymen very proud with his conquest of a fourth world crown, he next handed the Pinoy a rare gift. The native nobility Pacquiao displayed in that moment of moments helped immeasurably in telling the world that the Filipino, cheated, cursed, corrupted, is brave, strong, and, last but not the least, worthy of applause and respect.

Thank God for the greatest Filipino fighter ever.”

Mabuhay ka, Pacman! Saludo kami sa iyo - tunay na ipinamalas mo ang “Tatak Pinoy” sa buong mundo!

I guess it’s that special time of the year again… when we celebrate our little girl and her joyous coming into our lives. Yes, Marga, our “mini-diva” has finally crossed the “Terrific Twos” threshold last 03 June!

Try as I might not to repeat my first birthday wishes to her, I find myself having the same sentiments… and much, much more.  So as not to bore you too much with all the details, I’ll just give you a quick “run-through” of how we celebrated our little princess’ special day.

First off, to “siomai” love for her (and inspired by an earlier siomai post by Reflexes), I tried my hand at making chicken siomai (steamed chicken dumplings) for lunch…

… and paired this off with tuna-mushroom pasta in olive oil… Though I had to make do with several substitutes for some of the original siomai ingredients (ground chicken instead of ground pork and filo pastry instead of siomai wrapper), I was pleased that my first crack at making this dish proved “passable”. ;) 

Come dinner time, we were off to Casper and Gambini’s.  Unlike our previous trip, though, we were a bit disappointed with our eating experience this time around.  Aside from the delay in getting our orders and in serving the food (no thanks to the “prayer time” observed kingdom-wide where all “outward” activity stops) - which meant that we were practically “past-famished” by the time our food arrived - the airconditioning in the restaurant also was being repaired! “Hot and hungry” certainly do not make for happy party people!

Good thing our desserts in Haagen Dasz considerably cooled down our “hot heads” and made us enjoy the evening once more! Hurray for ice cream!

In fact, the “sugar-high” was more than enough for Papa and the birthday girl to have the “energy” to ham it up for the camera! (*cute!*)

Our dear Marga, you are truly one of the most precious gifts we have received.  Your coming into our family is definitely an answered prayer. Thank you for the joy and happiness you have brought into our lives. Here’s to more blessed and healthy years ahead. Happy birthday, our sweet, silly girl! We love you! 

Still woozy from the heady and exhilirating experience that was Dubai. Planed in three days ago yet I still feel that the time we spent there has been oh-too-short - waahh! God willing, there would be a next time so we could hopefully have the chance to explore this marvelous city in a more in-depth manner.

Dubai is what I can describe as a “superlative” city.  Almost everything in it seems to adopt the theme “big, bigger, better and best” - from the tallest “unofficial” (since it is still a work in progress) skyscraper in the world, the Burj Dubai, to the only indoor ski park in the world, Ski Dubai, to the only 7-star hotel in the world, the Burj Al Arab, as well as its more than 50 grandiose shopping malls - the place just seems to scream “Notice Me!” to everyone who visits it.  Seeing the seemingly endless development in the area (our tour book says that 15% of the world’s cranes are situated in Dubai owing to its infrastructure boom), I really found it amazing that this was a mere sleepy fishing and diving village 30+ years ago.  In fact, as a country, the UAE (of which Dubai is one of the seven emirates) is fairly young - having been formed only in 1971. While I am in awe at the progress it has made since its “birth”, I also feel a tinge of sadness that our very own country, the Philippines, despite its very talented workforce and abundant natural resources, still remains in ”perpetual development” and has yet to make its mark as one of the world’s stronger economies.

It was a good thing that we decided to book the “Hop-On, Hop-Off” bus tour (similar to the one they have in London) so we at least got to see some of the highlights of the city such as these:

 The world-famous Burj Al Arab. Some trivia - did you know that people are not permitted to take the right side (in this picture) of the building? Why? Because it appears that in the middle of this great monument to Arabic culture, which is predominantly Moslem, is a cross!  Yes, a cross right smack in the middle of the Burj Al Arab! If that’s not the height of irony, I don’t know what is…

 A reconstructed Arabian village with its distinct wind towers - a primitive form of air conditioning

 The Egyptian-inspired Wafi Mall which boasts of nearly 350 stores, restaurants, bars, a spa and leisure club

The awe-inspiring pyramid-shaped, stained glass roof of the Wafi Mall 

 The Grand Dome of the Mall of the Emirates - the largest mall outside of North America with an area equivalent to 73 football stadiums!

At the viewing gallery of Ski Dubai - we didn’t want to brave the sub-zero temperature inside since Keith and I were afraid of the children getting sick due to the drastic change in temperature 

 Since we weren’t able to avail of our free Dhow (traditional Arabic sailing vessel) cruise, we settled for the “mini-dhow cruise” above at the Dubai Festival City

 One of the many mosques in Dubai

The magnificent traditional Arabic architecture of the Souq Madinat Jumeirah

The kids also had a special treat since we were able to catch Disney’s Mickey’s Magic Show during its last remaining runs in Dubai.  Apparently, this was the first time Disney launched these types of shows worldwide so we were really lucky to have experienced one of its debut performances.

Lastly, on our final night in the city, we also got the chance to have dinner and exchange pleasantries with fellow ME bloggers Grey, Chung and their partners, at Japengo, the outdoor Japanese resto at the fab Madinat Jumeirah.  Thanks a lot, guys! We really enjoyed your company!

Blogging pals unite! With Grey, Chung and Papa Harvey Not in photo: “Papa Oscar”, Grey’s better half

As a whole, we were absolutely “dazzled and delighted” by Dubai.  It was indeed a blessing to be able to take this trip with the whole family since, as mentioned in my earlier blog, it was also a joint birthday celebration of sorts for Keith and Marga. What’s even cooler is that, as Keith realized, this was the first time ever that he got to celebrate his birthday in three kingdoms - Dubai (the UAE), Bahrain (where we landed en route to “our” kingdom), and Saudi Arabia! If only for this, I bet this is definitely one birthday that will stay with him for a very long time.

So long, Dubai, we shall surely look forward to the next “Marhaba”…

PS For more photos, click here.

They say motherhood is oftentimes a thankless job.  Truth be told, I find myself agreeing with this many times…  

Yet, in the face of mounting chores and a seemingly endless “to do” list, it does feel great to be “recognized” for all my “mommy efforts” even for just one day in a year.  For this year, though, I pleasantly discovered that the surprises in store for me were not limited to just Mom’s Day itself but to the days before and after it as well - whaddyaknow! Talk about going “all out”, huh?

Of course, I have my loving hubby and three adorable “gremlins” to thank (as well as the loads of dear, thoughtful well-wishers who didn’t forget me) for celebrating MY DAY(s) with all the pomp and circumstance it is due.  Guys, it was simply marvelous! I loved it and I LOVE YOU!

Without further ado, I give you ”THE JUICE” … My apologies as this is admittedly a “picture-heavy” post…

MOM’S DAY EVE: As I was about to resume folding the newly-laundered clothes, this box made a welcome appearance

What can I say? Definitely a “maka-BAG-BAG damdaming” moment!

Plus a handmade card from the kiddos…

With a heartfelt “invitation-style” text (feeling “royalty” - hahaha!)

MOM’s DAY: Rafa made me yet another card…

With his own sweet message 

Another highlight: I didn’t have to cook - hurray! Checked out the new French resto in nearby Al-Khobar - La Boucherie

The ambience was cool and so was the service (courtesy of an “all kabayan” service staff!)… but, alas, the food left much to be desired. We all enjoyed the evening, nonetheless… Bon appetit!

Only Rafa seemed all too happy with his orders - he was the only one to “hit the jackpot” from entree to dessert

This was yummy - three scoops of Haagen Dasz ice cream with a dollop of cream and chocolate syrup.  Before you react, Keith and I shared this, okay? Hahaha!

Our “three reasons” for the season

Of course, as many girls will say, what’s a bag without shoes, right? Snagged two comfy ballet flats from Scholl’s - me happy indeed!

POST-MOM’s DAY: Such a wonderful treat - my first-ever blog award! Yipee! Thanks so much, Tin!

Incidentally, since my post-mom’s treat is also a tag, I pass this “Five-Star Blog Award” on to my long-time blogging buddy, Nell, as well as to my NFFs (that’s new-found (blogging) friends) Mommy Ba and Brother Utoy.  All you have to do is answer the simple question: “Who or what influenced you to start blogging?”  Easy-peesy, right? Find the link to my answer here.

That’s about it! If you’ve reached this point - thanks very much for your patience. 

Let’s all spread some sunshine, everyone!

Being a mother myself, I find it quite difficult to write something about mothers that wouldn’t sound so “self-serving”. 

On the other hand, I find yet another voice telling me that it would be a “disservice” to all the wonderful mothers who have touched my life if I relegate this post to a gross generalization of what mothers are.  For truly, there have been so many women who have “mothered” me throughout my life apart from my own dear Mama Petite.  From them, I learned wisdom and derived strength.  Through them, I saw compassion and self-sacrifice.  With them, I am grateful to a loving Father for letting me experience motherhood and thus join in such a  ”precious league”.

Three generations of “diva-ness”

Having been blessed with a daughter fairly recently, I pray that I may be able to get the best out of how Mama raised me and pass this on to Marga.  I am grateful to Mama for instilling in me a deep faith in God and a genuine sense of fair play.  On the practical side, I am now trying (very hard!) to follow in Mama’s footsteps at being a “wiz” in the kitchen for she has always stressed how important it is to “feed your family well”.  I hope to go the extra step, however, and get into the habit of not only feeding them well but also ensuring that I serve them healthful, nutritious and delicious food.

The Scintillating Sys - Loree, Pinky, Dollie and Ayn

It has been said that when one marries, one marries into a family as well.  I have been blessed to have been “married” to a family as giving and loving as the Sys.  Being a single parent, I admire Mommy Dollie for raising her three boys into decent and responsible husbands and fathers.  Her strength of character and genuine compassion has rubbed off well on her sons - thank God! I am also especially thankful to her for treating me like her own - with her, there seems to be no “in-laws” (or ”outlaws” - hahaha! ) but only ”daughters” coming into the family’s fold. 

Millie, Mama and Me!

Lastly, I am thankful to my sisters-in-law, Loree, Millie and Ayn (who, in her third month of pregnancy, recently joined the “motherly ranks”), for treating our children like their own and for making the journey of motherhood much more enjoyable and fun!  I certainly look forward to more years of sharing and swapping ”mommy moments” with you.

And to all the mommies, mamas, nanays out there whom I choose not to name but who will always remain special and dear to my heart, Herbert Farnham must’ve thought of you when he wrote this:

God took the fragrance of a flower…
The majesty of a tree…
The gentleness of morning dew…
The calm of a quiet sea…
The beauty of the twilight hour…
The soul of a starry night…
The laughter of a rippling brook…
The grace of a bird in flight…
Then God fashioned from these things
A creation like no other,
And when his masterpiece was through
He called it simply - MOTHER.

A very happy, meaningful and blessed Mother’s Day to us!

Last weekend was particularly eventful for us.  We decided to check out the new water theme park in our neighboring kingdom, Bahrain - The Lost Paradise of Dilmun.

Impressive bovine structures greet us at the entrance of the park

Dilmun is actually one of the earliest civilizations in Bahrain.  They were believed to have been descended from the Greeks. We were fortunate to have visited the original site of the Dilmun ruins - a UNESCO-listed World Heritage Site - during an earlier visit to Bahrain in October last year.

The attention to detail of the outer walls was a good sign - we weren‘t disappointed when we finally got inside!

What a welcome sight! A replica of an ancient Dilmun aqueduct

Highlights of our visit were the wave pool (apparently the largest in the Gulf region) , the Kids’ Rain Fortress (where the kids spent most of their time) and of course, the exciting water slides!  Too bad, though, that we weren’t able to take pictures of all the attractions we tried since it was quite difficult to bring our non-waterproof camera along while we were having so much fun in the water.

The Kids’ Rain Fortress aka The Water Temple - where we shared a lot of fun, BIG splashes!

Keith and I were so happy to have done something different and fun (for the kids, most especially) for a change.  Our weekend adventure was definitely one of our finer family bonding moments.

Our three blessings

Click here for more pictures.

Lest I be accused of playing favorites, let me just “declare” at the onset that I truly regret not being able to post this on the actual birthday of my dear brother, Monty, two days ago…

Anyway, though a wee bit delayed, rest assured that my heartfelt sentiments for my first “little big brother” remains the same.

Monts, knowing how much you hate drama of all sorts, I’ll keep this short and sweet. 

On your birthday, do remember that you have a very special place in our family . We could never imagine life without your corny jokes, harmless pranks and generally “jolly” nature :lol:. Thank you too for being the “feeling one” among the four of us - you genuinely have a good and generous heart. 

I pray that the Lord grants you all your heart’s desires and that you always remember that no matter what, we will always be here for you, Millie and Alyssa. 

I think our exchange of SMS during your birthday pretty much sums it up:

Me (after getting text message that Monty has already completed an “errand” I requested): Thanks very much! You’re the best.*

Monty: I know . But just keep it a secret

Oops, I guess after this post, the “secret” is now out! Hahaha!

Happy, happy birthday to our numero uno alaskador, comedian and all-time prankster! Love you forever - mwah!

*PS: The remark, “You’re the best”, has some history in our family because of Monty.  He originally said it to our mom when she did a favor for him.  Being the sensitive one, however, he noticed that our Papa was within hearing distance when he told Mama this endearing “pambobola”.  Perhaps, not wanting to offend, he immediately did a quick follow-up by turning to Papa and saying, “And Pa, you’re the greatest!”.  That was smooth, di ba? No wonder his wife, Millie, and “unica hija”, Alyssa, are so taken (?) with him, too!

“Walang matimtimang birhen sa matiyagang manalangin.” (or something like that!)

At last, after countless sleepless nights, Mahjong Medley Classic, Aztec tile layout - I have overcome! Woohoo! Clincher turned out to be game number 159 (yes, I lost 158 games previously).  What’s even sweeter is that I even ended up in the high score list with this one!

Other things to toast about:

• Had an April Fool’s nightcap (translation: mocha latte and strawberry cream pie) last night with NFF (new-found friend) Brenda (visiting wife of co-”bagong bayani” Raymund from Manila) and the whole gang at Starbucks - it was good to get out of the house for a change after our “forced confinement” due to illness
• Speaking of…  Looks like fate has finally smiled on us as sickness has now officially gone out our door (and I don’t mind slamming the door after it and throwing away the key! Hahaha! ).  Luigi has fully recovered while I had my first decongestant spray-free sleep last night! (*breathing in a sigh of relief - literally*)
• Hubby has also confirmed that our return flight to Manila for the duration of the boys’ summer break has been booked.  More horn-tooting is definitely in order!

If I may just tweak a familiar saying to suit our purposes: March showers indeed brings April flowers! Here’s to more good things coming our way this month and for the rest of the year (and coming years, too)!

Guess this only means, paraphrasing the famous Austin Powers  (sans the sexual innuendoes, of course - oh, behave! ) - Mojo’s back. Yeah, baby, yeah!!!

Life is sweet. God is good. I am happy (again).

It’s been quite some time since my last “me time” so you must understand how I’m all giddy with excitement at being left here alone in the house with only me, myself and I! Absolutely G-L-O-R-I-O-U-S!!!

I know I should be resting with this darn sore throat, body pain and ear ache but I find that four hours all by my lonesome is such a treat that I’m actually at a loss as to what first to do…

Hubby has left me with some “errands” while he’s away with the gremlins but I’m sure those can wait… Hmmm… in the meantime, vegging in front of the tv (watching the shows I actually like - move over Disney Channels!) sounds extremely good to me.

Discovery Travel & Living, here I come!

I just love this photo of my parents.  The heartfelt laughter and fun captured in this moment truly paints a vivid picture of how I always hope to remember them.   

They say a picture paints a thousand words.  I have to agree.  More than words, though, I believe a picture tells a story.  When I look at this picture, it tells me that despite the hardships and problems that come our way, there is always something in life that can make us roar in hearty laughter and which incidentally makes us forget the “misery” caused by our hardships and problems earlier. :razz:  It tells a beautiful story of more than forty-plus years of togetherness (7 years as a couple and 36 years as husband and wife – can you believe that?) – something which most of us can only hope to achieve in this age of quickie marriages and even quicker divorces! 

When I look at this picture, it reassures me.  It tells me that after raising four children, welcoming four equally beautiful grandchildren into the world, countless travels to different places near and far and the unavoidable LQs (lovers’ quarrels) in between, these two people have chosen to remain together and still seem happy that they did.  Yes, after 36 wonderful years, they remain true to the promises they made to each other before God and man – to love and be faithful to each other in sickness and in health, in poverty and in plenty, for better or worse.  That, hopefully, only death can temporarily break the precious bond they share. 

I honor you, Papa and Mama, for the love and commitment you have for one another and for building a family based on love, respect, understanding and of course, lots and lots of laughter! I thank you for teaching us by your example how to be responsible, compassionate, generous and for acknowledging God as the be-all and end-all of everything. 

I pray that in all the years you are yet to spend together, there will be more laughter and less sorrows, more good health and less of the aches and pains that come with age, more patience and less LQs , more adventures and less regrets of not taking “the road less traveled”.  That when memory fails and the body can only hope to cling to the precious vestiges of youth, the memories of the life you have shared and the love you have for one another will continue to see you through.

I love you very much! Happy 36^th wedding anniversary!

ps You might be wondering about the “bone china” bit… actually did a little research and found out that the 36th wedding anniversary is called - you guessed it - bone china.  So there.