Saudi Sexpat Stories: Tales from the Kingdom

I’m sure a lot of moms like me can relate at how we normally mark our kids’ milestones…

1st tooth at 6 months

First learned to walk at 1 year

First day at big school at 4 1/2…

…and so on, and so forth…

And so, at the ripe old age of 35 1/2, may I list down yet another first…

…my very first colonoscopy! (Quite anti-climactic, huh?)

Yes, folks, I’m ticking off yet another medical test tomorrow afternoon to hopefully put my mind at ease given all the aches and pains (imagined or otherwise) that have been bugging me for quite some time now.  And yes, I’m worried sick too! I know…I should do my best to think “happy fots” only especially during this time as this will definitely help me in battling my demons.

In the meantime, I again ask for your help in storming the heavens with prayers so that the results of this medical procedure come out favorable.  I also am grateful to all those who have reassured me and have rallied me on to keep the positive vibes going. You are all truly heaven-sent - thanks so very, very much!

Lastly, I’d like to share the very comforting words from my good friend, May, who sent me the following SMS yesterday:

“Dear Pinky, trust that God’s power is made perfect in your weakness. At this time of anxiety and pain, His grace is all you need.  I am praying for you.”  

A definite “Amen” to this!  Here’s to better days and even better news in the days to come!  God bless all of us. ;) 

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!

Yup, in exactly 2 days, the kids and I will be in the “beloved motherland” once more to spend their summer break from school - a GLORIOUS two months and a half of “abaya-free” existence - woohoo!!!

Sadly though, this also means that I would most probably lie low from my blogging presence during this time to let “real life” unfold more fully.

To all my pals in the blogosphere, I will definitely be back! And when I do, I promise to fill you in on all the “juicy” bits from our Pinas holiday…

Till then, please pray for a safe, uneventful and hassle-free flight tomorrow evening… and please do me a favor and keep my hubby, Leap of Faith,  ”entertained” by your “cyber-presence” during the time we are away.

Goodbye for now and here’s looking forward to my tons of “bloggables” when I return.

Yes, I am happy to confirm that all the “kinks” have been thankfully ironed out and we are definitely all set for “D”-Day! Yahoo!

“D”, as you may already have read from Keith’s earlier blog, stands for Dubai, the “fastest growing cosmopolitan city here in the Middle East”.  Aside from the glorious sights and experiences Dubai has to offer, we are also looking forward to our EB with our two equally “dazzling” UAE-based blogging pals - Grey and Chung. 

With the all too familiar song “…all my bags are packed…I’m ready to go” ringing more loudly in my head as our holiday draws nearer, I ask for your prayers (and all the “positive vibes” that you can conjure up) so that all will really be well for this family trip - you know, no sickness or hassles or whatever of this sort.  After all, this is also our way of celebrating Keith’s and Marga’s upcoming birthdays (which, incidentally, are only 10 days apart) so we really intend to make this one holiday we will remember for quite a while.

I promise to post pictures as soon as I can so you guys can also join in on the fun.

Till then, hasta la vista, babies!

PS At sa lahat ng aking mga pinagkakautangan (ng “tag” lang naman ), I ask for your patience and understanding.  With everything that’s been going on (and with our Manila home leave hanging above my head as well), there might be an expected “slow-down” in my “churn rate”, so to speak…

As most parents with toddlers will attest, a large part of the “Terrific Twos” is the seemingly insatiable curiosity about anything and everything.

Imagine my surprise one morning when our “resident kulit bulilit” was able to unwittingly compose this “artistically taken” (yup, it’s the mommy in me talking here - walang kokontra! ) shot while tinkering with my camera phone… 

Now, that’s one mean feet feat for someone just barely two, right?

PS Can anyone guess whose feet the purple starry shoes belong to?

While shopping for the boys’ science project materials last weekend in our favorite arts and crafts store, Al Zamil, I was pleasantly surprised to find these…

Whaddyaknow? After “desperately searching” in the nearly 2 years we have been living here, I finally was able to get hold of my first Saudi refrigerator magnets - yey! What’s more, I like them because they are distinctly Saudi - with the man in the traditional thobe and the woman garbed in the “controversial” burkah (head veil) and abaya (aka “black ninja outfit” ). 

You see, apart from the celadon elephants I fancy, Keith and I also collect refrigerator magnets as souvenirs from all the places we have been to.  So far, we have been successful in our “quest” (except for Japan - but that’s another story…). 

I am so pleased with my finds that I placed them right smack center with all the rest of their “friends”.

Hmmm… now if only any of you guys can tell me where to snag those “much-coveted” Japanese magnets (without actually having to go back to Japan), I’d be forever grateful - promise!

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.

“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!

Pardon that this post took long in coming as the past week has been some sort of rollercoaster ride for me.  As most of you know, Luigi has been sick and Keith and I have been beside ourselves with worry and panic (more me than him, really – hehehe) especially since he had a relapse of sorts yesterday.  The “nursing role” of my diva-ness seem to have taken a toll too on my health (i.e., getting up every four hours for the past week  to take Luigi’s temp and give him his medicines) as now it’s my turn to be under the weather…well, what goes around comes around – especially the “viral kind”, I guess… 

Good thing that Luigi has been fever (and paracetamol)-free for almost the whole day now – yay! God is good!  I’m sure with some more rest and a lot more TLC, he’s well on his way to complete recovery.  Thank you too to all of you who have prayed for him as I am positive this made a big difference in his getting well.   

Anyhoo, Munchkin Mommy’s “Metal” post a few days back gave me the inspiration for part of this entry.  I have been collecting elephants for a couple of years now (am actually partial to the celadon kinds) since aside from them being, for lack of a more descriptive word, “cute”, they are also supposed to bring luck.  Since Weng has also “educated” me on which type of luck elephants bring specifically (“descendant luck”, she says…), it made me appreciate my pachyderms all the more!

Without further ado, let me share with you the “pachyderm pals” we managed to bring in from my collection in Manila.  Here’s to more luck for all of us (I sure know I could use more of it!) in the coming days.  Enjoy!