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!

As we have been wont to do since our temporary relocation to the Middle East two years ago, our annual home leave, apart from reconnecting with family and friends, is also the perfect time to have all our medical tests completed.  Although we certainly can have all these done in our desert home (and with hubby’s office shouldering the costs to boot!) , we still find it more comforting to have all these work-ups  done in good ol’ Pinas -where we feel the doctors are a lot more thorough and competent than anywhere else in the world.  How’s that for Pinoy pride?

Anyway, among the procedures I scheduled during this leave is the removal of my lone gall stone which has been causing me some discomfort (and much anxiety!) while still in the kingdom.  For a backgrounder on this, click here. 

However, not wanting to plunge into the surgery right away, my doctor mom-in-law saw it prudent to have a repeat abdominal ultrasound to assess matters more closely.  Of course, being the obedient daughter-in-law, I obliged.  Here’s what happened…

The ultrasonologist took some time working on my tummy and asked me, “Talaga ho bang sinabi nila na may stone kayo?” (Did they really tell you that you have a gall stone?).  Of course, being the ever-paranoid one, I asked back: “Oo. Bakit, ano bang nakikita mo? Dapat ba akong mag-worry?”. (Yes.  Why, what do you see? Should I be worried?). 

Perhaps, sensing the tone of fear and panic on my voice, the ultrasonologist even went the extra step of calling the head radiologist to confirm her reading. 

So what was I finally told? My gall stone has miraculously disappeared! Yes, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the nasty 5mm stone has somehow made a graceful exit from my system.  The radiologist even showed me my gall bladder on the screen and it was indeed empty!  This means that I am spared as well from going under the knife.  How’s that for a welcome home treat?

What have I realized from this whole experience? God is truly good and ever-faithful! And yes, with proper diet, a detox regimen from our good friend JP and exercise to help along the way, prayers can move mountains (and take away gall stones too!). 

I ask for your continued prayers that the remaining medical tests I have to undergo will have favorable results as well.

Have a good and blessed week ahead, everyone!

Sa ihip ng hangin matutong makibagay

Tulad ng pagsaliw sa awit ng buhay

Bawat unos ay may aral na hatid

Hagupit ng bagyo may nais ipabatid

Kapag hangi’y humupa at lahat ay nanahimik

Doon matatanto ang nasa puso’t isip

Sa pagsubok ba’y nalugmok at sumuko?

O tulad ng mga puno

Nanatiling matatag, nakatayo at buo?

Ito’y kuha sa Pangulasian Beach, El Nido, Palawan, Pilipinas, noong Disyembre 2007.  Ang Pangulasian ay isa sa mga isla sa Coron na dinalaw namin ng kami’y mag-”island hopping” mula sa Miniloc Resort, kung saan ipinagdiwang namin ng aking kabiyak ang sampung taong anibersaryo bilang mag-asawa.

Funny how a single date can turn the introspective switch ”on” in me …

Looking back. It was on this very date two years ago when I left the house as a bank executive and went home a “changed person”.  It was an “end of an era”, on a personal level, so to speak… After 12 years, I bid adieu to the crazy corporate life and officially embraced the even crazier life of a domestic diva.  Although my resignation did not take effect until 3+ months after my last day at work, being able to at last “live my dream” to be a full-time, hands-on wife and mom was definitely an answered prayer.  True, the road to “diva-ness” has not been without its unique challenges and there are admittedly still times when I find myself doubting if I made the right decision…Yet, in retrospect, all these seem such small inconveniences compared to the joy of actively being part of our kids’ growing-up years and the precious quality of life we now enjoy as a family.  Ironic as it may be, it seems that I was literally led to the desert so I could appreciate the beauty, wonder and simple joys of life even more.

Looking forward. Today also marks the graduation of my sister, Rina, from her MBA studies.  While I share my family’s pride and joy on this momentous occasion, I also cannot help but fervently hope and pray that my sister’s chances at a better life will indeed be boosted by this “laurel” she now has. Knowing how tough the rat race could be even with all the additional educational “trimmings” one has,  I pray that Rina really finds that which will make her truly fulfilled and happy.

The twelfth of April - one date, two lives.  One looking back, another looking forward. Seemingly opposite directions yet still very much intertwined.

Enough said. Introspective switch now turned off.

Owing to the nuances of life here in the kingdom far away, Catholics in this part of the world are celebrating Easter two days earlier than the rest of the Christian world. 

Sharing with you my Easter thoughts which were largely prompted by this amazing drawing of the suffering Christ done with one stroke of the pen!

We too shall join Him for He has paid our debt

A blessed Easter to you all!  

The weekend that passed was largely uneventful save for the killer clean-up of the boys’ room and toy boxes (yes, it’s that time of the year again!).  For those of you wanting a sneak peek of the first time I did this here in the Kingdom, click here. 

Given the considerably smaller living space we now have (compared to our Manila home), Keith and I have decided that we should actively manage the amount of stuff we keep in our house lest our living quarters turns totally chaotic (as it is wont to given our three active gremlins!).  

In a way, living sans a bodega and larger closets has been good for us.  It has allowed us to constantly take stock of the things we keep – deciding which stuff are truly important and needed vs those that we can really live without (i.e., what we don’t need anymore that can still be used by others as well as trash that needs to be disposed of).  I personally find cleaning-up totally therapeutic.  Nothing beats a clutter-free home, if you ask me!

Hopefully, these clean-up exercises will also rub off positively on our children despite the innate difficulty of actually getting started and “digging into the dump”, so to speak… I pray that this teaches them to live simply by prioritizing what is truly important and to experience satisfaction in sharing the stuff they still want but don’t really need anymore to those who actually need them more. 

Doing the clean-up also reminded me of the Chinese concept of qi  - the flow of energy in all living things – and how this flow can be ultimately blocked when we continue to hold on to stuff, experiences or past hurts too tightly. There’s just so much wisdom in this as far as I’m concerned.  It totally makes sense: after all, how can we enjoy new things and experiences if we don’t give them the chance to even get into our lives, right?    

Qi is flowing quite well in our little home right now.  We enjoy what we currently have and we remain open to new things and experiences - for each of us, individually, and for the family, as a whole.  Life is good.  I am happy.

…was the thought that popped into my head while I was – of all times and places – warming up on my second treadmill session for the week with the soothing music of Lauds 4 playing in the background. 

What gives, you say? Well, it was just that our good friend, JP, happened to send me a forward from Our Daily Bread earlier in the day about “The Wounds of a Friend”.  Coincidentally, I also just got my medical results which pointed to a lone gall stone and a “slightly” fatty liver as being the culprits for the dull pain on the upper right portion of my tummy that has been bothering me lately. 

I kinda put these two together to come up with this “epiphany” of sorts.  I realized that God has been trying to tell me something all along (which I had chosen to ignore for the longest time) that He had no choice but to “whack” me to my senses with these physical maladies.   

Truth be told, I hate illness and dread anything remotely associated with it.  It scares me out of my wits and causes me unbelievable anxiety.  The funny thing is, though, is that the Lord chose what I am scared of the most to heal me and to teach me a lesson. 

Without knowing about my stone and my fatty liver, I wouldn’t have treated my body any kindly.  I would’ve continued with my foodie binges without a care in the world and I would’ve procrastinated even more in finally committing myself to an exercise regimen.   

With the threat of a laparoscopy and more serious liver ailments hanging above my head, I am now more careful with what I eat (low-carb and low-fat are mostly my options – promise!) and am determined more than ever to lose weight and to stick to my exercise programme.   

The article says that “correction is kindness”.  If sickness is correction, then the Lord has definitely shown me great kindness in making me realize the “folly of my ways” and for also still allowing me to change for the better (I was thankfully told that my fatty liver is still “reversible” and that, God willing, I wouldn’t need a laparoscopy lest the stone gets lodged in any of my ducts).

With this, I wish all of you an advanced happy heart’s (and liver and gall bladder too – heeheehee!) day!  Spread the love, y’all!

The final blessing in the mass last weekend struck me: “May you remain steadfast in faith, joyful in hope and unwavering in love all the days of your life…”. Quite a tall order! 

It got me thinking as to how possibly I could do this or if this were at all possible. 

Looked up “steadfast” and it meant “unwavering, unfaltering, unswerving”…From past experiences, I know how very easily I get swayed by my own feelings and circumstances beyond my control that remaining firm in my faith, especially where we are right now, seems very difficult.  Indeed, being an OFW family in a place where freedom of religion is virtually non-existent and where our source of income can be terminated on a whim places us in a very precarious state.  How do I remain unfaltering in an environment that is uncertain and constantly evolving? 

The next item on the ticket, “joyful in hope”, also looks overwhelming.  For me, especially, this signifies staying happy and blissful as we wait for developments to unfold in our lives.  Being the perpetual worrywart that I am, especially in the area of health (i.e., lymph nodes = serious sickness), I tend to give in to pessimism and despair most of the time… I know, you’re thinking that two-thirds into the blessing and I am still not into the groove at all!   

Lastly, how do I remain “unwavering in love” when the “domestic” part of my “diva-ness” seem to get the better of me every time? How do I show my untiring love to my family in the face of messy beds, dirty laundry, a dusty house and yet more and more chores? How do I let my husband and children feel that I will forever love them despite my nagging “constant reminders” and short fuse incessant quirks? 

Hmmm…looks like I’m seriously stumped! Then it dawned on me what the very nature of a blessing is - that something is given to you (whether deserved or otherwise is beside the point) by a “higher power”, to enable you to meet the challenges of life head on - unflinching, resolute and steady - all the while exhibiting the three virtues of faith, hope and love. 

Holy guacamole! I think I’ve got it! I may be far from being perfect but I am comforted by the fact that I can claim this blessing as my own with Him leading the way.  After all, in this crazy, ever-changing world, how ever could I go wrong with the “big guy upstairs” - the only constant, never-changing factor in life – by my side?  

Have a great week ahead, everyone! And may this three-fold blessing be yours too!

Just wanted to share that we were finally confirmed for a booking in El Nido to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary in December - woohoo! God is good!

The past few weeks have presented lessons in patience and faith for me.  There were several instances which I thought were total disappointments and yet, somehow, I am always pleasantly surprised at how they manage to turn out well.  Seems like the “guy upstairs” wants me to roll with the punches, instead of being knocked down out by them, as He will certainly always be there to guide me through. He seems to be reminding me what I often forget: that He is faithful to His promises and that all things turn out for good for all who trust in Him.

Turns out my luck wasn’t so tough after all!

This post was originally sent to me as an email by our co-”bagong bayani” and my university batchmate, Noriel.  It is quite lengthy but I guarantee you that reading through it till the end is totally worth it.  I have typed the phrases that struck me most in boldface…

It is the commencement speech given by Pulitzer Prize winner Anna Quindlen at Villanova University. 

Here goes, read it and totally be inspired to get a life!

I’m a novelist. My work is human nature. Real life is all I know.

Don’t ever confuse the two, your life and your work. You will walk out of here this afternoon with only one thing that no one else has. There will be hundreds of people out there with your same degree; there will be thousands of people doing what you want to do for a living. But you will be the only person alive who has sole custody of your life. Your particular life. Your entire life. Not just your life at a desk, or your life on a bus, or in a car, or at the computer. Not just the life of your mind, but the life of your heart. Not just your bank account but your soul. People don’t talk about the soul very much anymore.

It’s so much easier to write a resume than to craft a spirit. But a resume is cold comfort on a winter night, or when you’re sad, or broke, or lonely, or when you’ve gotten back the test results and they’re not so good.

Here is my resume: I am a good mother to three children. I have tried never to let my profession stand in the way of being a good parent. I no longer consider myself the center of the universe. I show up. I listen. I try to laugh. I am a good friend to my husband. I have tried to make my marriage vows mean what they say. I am a good friend to my friends, and they to me. Without them, there would be nothing to say to you today, because I would be a cardboard cutout. But I call them on the phone, and I meet them for lunch. I would be rotten, or at best mediocre at my job, if those other things were not true. You cannot be really first rate at your work if your work is all you are. So here’s what I wanted to tell you today:

Get a life. A real life, not a manic pursuit of the next promotion, the bigger pay-check, the larger house. Do you think you’d care so very much about those things if you blew an aneurysm one afternoon, or found a lump in your breast? Get a life in which you notice the smell of salt water pushing itself on a breeze over Seaside Heights , a life in which you stop and watch how a red tailed hawk circles over the water or the way a baby scowls with concentration when she tries to pick up a Cheerio with her thumb and first finger. Get a life in which you are not alone. Find people you love, and who love you.

And remember that love is not leisure, it is work. Pick up the phone. Send an e-mail. Write a letter. Get a life in which you are generous. And realize that life is the best thing ever, and that you have no business taking it for granted. Care so deeply about its goodness that you want to spread it around. Take money you would have spent on beers and give it to charity. Work in a soup kitchen. Be a big brother or sister.

 All of you want to do well. But if you do not do good too, then doing well will never be enough. It is so easy to waste our lives, our days, our hours, our minutes. It is so easy to take for granted the color of our kids’ eyes, the way the melody in a symphony rises and falls and disappears and rises again. It is so easy to exist instead of to live. I learned to live many years ago. I learned to love the journey, not the destination. I learned that it is not a dress rehearsal, and that today is the only guarantee you get. I learned to look at all the good in the world and try to give some of it back because I believed in it, completely and utterly. And I tried to do that, in part, by telling others what I had learned. By telling them this: Consider the lilies of the field. Look at the fuzz on a baby’s ear. Read in the backyard with the sun on your face. Learn to be happy. And think of life as a terminal illness, because if you do, you will live it with joy and passion as it ought to be lived.