As a Filipino, I am very much aware of the employment scenario of my country, the Philippines. There might be lots of job in my country but salary is too low that could not even support the basic needs of every family. This is the main reason why many Filipinos go out of the Philippines and apply for jobs abroad.
Yes, working abroad has its financial benefits but there are also challenges that are to be faced. I have experienced working in a foreign country and I would like to share these challenges:
Number 1: HOMESICKNESS
Homesickness is the most difficult thing to face when you are working in a foreign country. You are away from your family, from your friends, from the usual things you do everyday and from your usual surroundings.
I salute those people who survived working in a foreign country. These are the people who are made with the sterner stuff. But I believe those who survived have made God their strength. When one is working in a foreign country , we must cling to our faith and to our belief that there is a God who will never leave us.
How to fight homesickness: Get involve with your church. Join church activities. Join sports activities. Interact with your fellow Filipinos. Be a positive influence because they too are fighting homesickness. Be a moral support for each other.
Number 2: ADAPTING TO A NEW CULTURE
We always have to remember that we will be working with people whose culture and values are far too different from ours. Before leaving our country we must have the initiative of doing some research of the do's and dont's in the country where we are headed to.
Adapting to a new culture is also a big challenge. People from other countries have different values from ours. There are countries whose people are lazy. Too lazy that they will depend on you doing all the challenging assignments. Another thing, some cultures do not want pressure from their work. If they are given pressure, they resign. They just want to have a Managerial Position, receiving the salary of a manager but doing nothing. this is just one example. If you value excellent performance in work, there are locals in a foreign country that only values mediocrity in everything.
Punctuality is sometimes a value of a foreign country that don't value this. As a foreign employee one must really be flexible and adaptable.
Number 3: ADAPTING TO FOOD
From ones home country, the usual food that we eat are what we will crave for. Although we are very eager to try new food, but eating these food everyday will always make us miss home. We crave for the food cooked at home and eating with the family and loved ones.
To address the issue of this craving for the usual food we eat back home is to sometimes cook for yourself if you have the time.
THESE are just few of the challenges we face as an OFW. I will come out with part 2.
Sunday, January 31, 2016
Thursday, August 1, 2013
JULY IN HONGKONG (1st Installment)
It was on a month of July that my daughter and me went to Hongkong. Since we are traveling on a budget, we got a Tiger Airways flight from Singapore to Hongkong. We also booked on a budget hotel.
We arrived in Hongkong with a very fair weather. From the time we disembarked our plane it took us 20 minutes to reach the exit point where we looked for a Money Changer to change Singapore Dollar to Hongkong Dollar. Arriving at 12 noon is timely for lunch. We scanned around for a nice place to eat and we were brought to Ajisen Ramen. Though food was quite expensive because the place is inside the airport premises, taste was so good, a real authentic Chinese food. After filling our stomachs, we went out of the terminal building and went to purchase the MRT Airport Express Card worth HK$150. Like Singapore's EZ Link MRT Card, we can also use this in all the train lines.
We arrived at Printemp Hotel, a budget hotel which exceeded my expectations of a budget hotel. Everything was so clean and pristine and it is accessible to all restaurants. We were billeted to a room in the 10th floor of which the view was so great and the 42" TV set gives a very clear picture. Air conditioning unit was excellent and the temperature was just enough to quench the heat outside.
On the first 3 days, we were able to go to Ngong Pin, The Peak and had Dolphin Watching on board a motorized banca. We were also able to try the local food offered by the restaurants nearby our hotel. Fruit was aplenty right in front our hotel. Though our accommodation does not include food, it was not difficult for us since it is available 24 hours around the vicinity.Transport also was so accessible. We tried the tram, the MRT, the bus and the taxi. Every night we go home tired from all the walks we did during the day.
On the 4th day, we did our shopping. I was not so impressed in comparison to Bangkok. Hongkong pale in comparison to Bangkok when it comes to goods to be bought. Dresses, Shoes, Bags, Make-up, and etc.
On the 5th day, we decided not to go out because it was raining and besides, we wanted to rest because we were leaving for our flight back to Singapore the following early morning. However, the night before we left, the TV anchor announced that Hongkong is on Signal Number 8. Still, the following morning we checked out of our hotel at 5AM to catch up our plane that is suppose to leave at 10AM. We braved the heavy rains and the strong winds thinking that it is just nothing and we will reach Singapore safe and sound. Nobody advised us from the hotel that flights were already cancelled and could not leave Hongkong Airport. Right, we arrived the airport on time, but on our way we could see trees that fell down . We could not feel the strong winds while inside the Airport Express Train. We waited for 28 hours for our flight to take off. There were lots of people inside the terminal and you could not sleep because you may not know your flight will be ready to take off. There were long queues in the food stalls and people were lying on the cement floor. I was so tired and swore not to visit Hongkong again on July.
To sum it all, though the experience on the last day was not good, we were able to have great memories on the first 3 days. BUT, an advice, NEVER VISIT HONGKONG IN JULY.
It was on a month of July that my daughter and me went to Hongkong. Since we are traveling on a budget, we got a Tiger Airways flight from Singapore to Hongkong. We also booked on a budget hotel.
We arrived in Hongkong with a very fair weather. From the time we disembarked our plane it took us 20 minutes to reach the exit point where we looked for a Money Changer to change Singapore Dollar to Hongkong Dollar. Arriving at 12 noon is timely for lunch. We scanned around for a nice place to eat and we were brought to Ajisen Ramen. Though food was quite expensive because the place is inside the airport premises, taste was so good, a real authentic Chinese food. After filling our stomachs, we went out of the terminal building and went to purchase the MRT Airport Express Card worth HK$150. Like Singapore's EZ Link MRT Card, we can also use this in all the train lines.
We arrived at Printemp Hotel, a budget hotel which exceeded my expectations of a budget hotel. Everything was so clean and pristine and it is accessible to all restaurants. We were billeted to a room in the 10th floor of which the view was so great and the 42" TV set gives a very clear picture. Air conditioning unit was excellent and the temperature was just enough to quench the heat outside.
On the first 3 days, we were able to go to Ngong Pin, The Peak and had Dolphin Watching on board a motorized banca. We were also able to try the local food offered by the restaurants nearby our hotel. Fruit was aplenty right in front our hotel. Though our accommodation does not include food, it was not difficult for us since it is available 24 hours around the vicinity.Transport also was so accessible. We tried the tram, the MRT, the bus and the taxi. Every night we go home tired from all the walks we did during the day.
On the 4th day, we did our shopping. I was not so impressed in comparison to Bangkok. Hongkong pale in comparison to Bangkok when it comes to goods to be bought. Dresses, Shoes, Bags, Make-up, and etc.
On the 5th day, we decided not to go out because it was raining and besides, we wanted to rest because we were leaving for our flight back to Singapore the following early morning. However, the night before we left, the TV anchor announced that Hongkong is on Signal Number 8. Still, the following morning we checked out of our hotel at 5AM to catch up our plane that is suppose to leave at 10AM. We braved the heavy rains and the strong winds thinking that it is just nothing and we will reach Singapore safe and sound. Nobody advised us from the hotel that flights were already cancelled and could not leave Hongkong Airport. Right, we arrived the airport on time, but on our way we could see trees that fell down . We could not feel the strong winds while inside the Airport Express Train. We waited for 28 hours for our flight to take off. There were lots of people inside the terminal and you could not sleep because you may not know your flight will be ready to take off. There were long queues in the food stalls and people were lying on the cement floor. I was so tired and swore not to visit Hongkong again on July.
To sum it all, though the experience on the last day was not good, we were able to have great memories on the first 3 days. BUT, an advice, NEVER VISIT HONGKONG IN JULY.
Sunday, November 18, 2012
My Bali Experience
I am a person who loves the mountains and nature in general. When my daughter invited me to go with her to Bali, Indonesia I never hesitated, I never has second thoughts. Besides, it was my birthday, so here I go.
She booked a hotel for two at GrandmasHotels.com @ Seminyak in Bali. Seminyak is located Southwest tip of Bali. The location of the hotel is great. Since breakfast is not included in our accommodation, we go out every morning for breakfast. WOW, it is not so difficult to look for restos which cook native Bali Food. Adding to the very sumptuous Bali meal, the price is so cheap and the taste is delicious.
From our hotel, it takes only 2 minutes to walk to the beach. Very convenient. You could smell the sea breeze which is very pristine though the waves are what every surfer loves. NO SWIMMING in these beaches. You can walk along the seashore wetting only half of your body. You can walk on the very fine sand with the very fresh air caressing your cheeks. After your 2 or 3 hour walk, you can walk back to your hotel, have a change and stroll along the rows and rows of restos where you can choose freshly cooked Bali delicacies. You could each much because your appetite was already activated by the sea breeze.
Shopping also is great. Owners of shops give you very steep prices if they see you are a foreigner. But an Indonesian friend of mine gave me the secret. If they give a price of IR150,000, offer to buy the item at IR75,000. If the owner won't agree, leave immediately. The owner then will call you and give the item at your price. This is the secret that we did and we were able to buy swimsuits which were priced at IR300,000 but we were able to get them at IR100,000. Quality of the items is very good.
My advice, go on vacation to Bali. Whether you are a sea lover or a mountain lover, you will definitely enjoy there and you will never regret it.
I am a person who loves the mountains and nature in general. When my daughter invited me to go with her to Bali, Indonesia I never hesitated, I never has second thoughts. Besides, it was my birthday, so here I go.
She booked a hotel for two at GrandmasHotels.com @ Seminyak in Bali. Seminyak is located Southwest tip of Bali. The location of the hotel is great. Since breakfast is not included in our accommodation, we go out every morning for breakfast. WOW, it is not so difficult to look for restos which cook native Bali Food. Adding to the very sumptuous Bali meal, the price is so cheap and the taste is delicious.
From our hotel, it takes only 2 minutes to walk to the beach. Very convenient. You could smell the sea breeze which is very pristine though the waves are what every surfer loves. NO SWIMMING in these beaches. You can walk along the seashore wetting only half of your body. You can walk on the very fine sand with the very fresh air caressing your cheeks. After your 2 or 3 hour walk, you can walk back to your hotel, have a change and stroll along the rows and rows of restos where you can choose freshly cooked Bali delicacies. You could each much because your appetite was already activated by the sea breeze.
Shopping also is great. Owners of shops give you very steep prices if they see you are a foreigner. But an Indonesian friend of mine gave me the secret. If they give a price of IR150,000, offer to buy the item at IR75,000. If the owner won't agree, leave immediately. The owner then will call you and give the item at your price. This is the secret that we did and we were able to buy swimsuits which were priced at IR300,000 but we were able to get them at IR100,000. Quality of the items is very good.
My advice, go on vacation to Bali. Whether you are a sea lover or a mountain lover, you will definitely enjoy there and you will never regret it.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
My Bangkok Experience
My Bangkok Experience
Hijos y Hijas , Buenos dias a todos.
Just a week ago I visited Bangkok for the first time. I stayed there
for one whole week.
Well, having set up residence in Singapore for the past 3 years, I am
used to all Singaporeans
who can speak English, though others may not be very good, but at least
they can speak.
Upon arrival at Suvarnabhumi
International Airport in Thailand, I was amazed at the very huge
structure. Not only the building is huge, but also the giant image of their
king is also displayed in the entrance of their airport.
Before I booked my plane ticket
to Bangkok, I read some travellers account of their experiences while
they were in Thailand. I had known that taxi drivers do not know how to speak
English. An advice was given that if a visitor wants to go somewhere else, we
should ask a Thai who can speak English to write the address of your
destination in Thai, and that upon boarding the taxi, you have to give the
address written in Thai.
When I went out of the airport, I asked a counter girl to write for me
the address of my hotel, which she gladly did. And, I did as I was advised,
then I reached the hotel in good shape. Then I had my lunch at the hotel and my first experience of Thai
food with peppercorn on it and some
chili. Of course I was hungry, so I ate it. The after taste of the chili was
enormous, so I had to buy some fresh coconut juice on its shell and some ice cream. Whew! The
chili taste still remains until the evening.
My purpose of going to Thailand is to experience eating Thai food for
the entire week. So, After I had my rest at the hotel, I went out with the plan
to have dinner which is purely Thai menu. To my disappointment, when I talked
to the sales counter girl, she cannot talk in English, so I went instead to the
mall and had dinner at McDonalds. So
frustrating. I thought I would have the same food until I will leave Thailand.
The Riverboat Ride was very amazing as well as refreshing. With a whole
package worth 150 Baht, you can have the ride for the whole day and you can get
on and off in any chosen landing that you want to. With more than 30
landings available, the 150 Baht is
worth it for the whole day. In every landing you can roam around and visit the beautiful places
that Thailand has to offer. When you get tired of looking around, just go back
to the Boat Landing and wait for any boat that comes, and presto….on board the
boat again.
My best experience was having the Thai Herbal Massage at Dhara in Silom. The massage was heavenly
and very relaxing. After the massage, lots of Thai food (with English
translations) can be found along the streets of Silom. This is where I tasted
the very best Thai food ever. In the menu, you can choose whether you like to
put chili or not by just pointing at the drawing. The drawing
shows = 1 chili; 2 chili; 3 chili
up to the nth chili as long as you can take it. Also, the first time in my life I tasted the
Thai Chicken Curry with a little chili in it. As they said, it is delicious and
worth trying again.
Sawadee kap and Sawadee ka!
Thursday, March 22, 2012
THE INTERVIEW
Once there was an Arab who was interviewed in the US Embassy by a Consultant.
CONSULTANT: "What is your name?"
ARAB: "Abdul Aziz, Sir".
CONSULTANT: "Sex?"
ARAB: "Six to ten times a week".
CONSULTANT: "No, no, I mean Male or Female".
ARAB: "Both, Male & Female and sometimes even Camels"
CONSULTANT: "Holy Cow"
ARAB: "Yes, Cows and Dogs, too"
CONSULTANT: "Man, Isn't it Hostile?"
ARAB: "Horse Style, Dog Style, Any Style".
CONSULTANT: "Ohhh Dear"
ARAB: "Deer? Nope, they run too fast"
CONSULTANT: "What is your name?"
ARAB: "Abdul Aziz, Sir".
CONSULTANT: "Sex?"
ARAB: "Six to ten times a week".
CONSULTANT: "No, no, I mean Male or Female".
ARAB: "Both, Male & Female and sometimes even Camels"
CONSULTANT: "Holy Cow"
ARAB: "Yes, Cows and Dogs, too"
CONSULTANT: "Man, Isn't it Hostile?"
ARAB: "Horse Style, Dog Style, Any Style".
CONSULTANT: "Ohhh Dear"
ARAB: "Deer? Nope, they run too fast"
Managers in this very small country though they are very progressive and highly developed don't know how to treat their subordinates well. They thought they are PERFECT and never commit mistakes. They shout and raise their voices at their subordinates even with a very small mistake. This work I dedicate to all of you.
RIGHT.....YOU ARE THE BOSS
by: Ophelle
Your subordinates are happy to serve you,
but you need to respect them.
TREAT them with DIGNITY. They are also
HUMAN BEINGS, like you.
Would you like somebody to be SHOUTING at
you when you commit a very minute mistake?
SHOUTING or RAISING YOUR VOICE won't let
you get what you wanted done.
Yes, you are the BOSS and you need to be
RESPECTED. But, RESPECT is earned, not forcibly
asked.
Ask yourself...... AM I A GOOD BOSS? If you are,
then SHOW RESPECT to your subordinates and
YOU WILL EARN THEIR RESPECT even if they quit
to be your colleagues.
RIGHT.....YOU ARE THE BOSS
by: Ophelle
Your subordinates are happy to serve you,
but you need to respect them.
TREAT them with DIGNITY. They are also
HUMAN BEINGS, like you.
Would you like somebody to be SHOUTING at
you when you commit a very minute mistake?
SHOUTING or RAISING YOUR VOICE won't let
you get what you wanted done.
Yes, you are the BOSS and you need to be
RESPECTED. But, RESPECT is earned, not forcibly
asked.
Ask yourself...... AM I A GOOD BOSS? If you are,
then SHOW RESPECT to your subordinates and
YOU WILL EARN THEIR RESPECT even if they quit
to be your colleagues.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
For The Love of Spaghetti
Everytime we have a celebration spaghetti is never absent. Although this is not an original Filipino food yet, we seem to adapt to its taste and our pallet love it. For me, I love spaghetti especially when lots of parmesan cheese are sprinkled on top then mixed to the all al dente cooked spaghetti.
Yesterday, I tasted the best spaghetti in my whole life. My daughter and me were on our way to Singapore Zoo. When in Singapore the best way to experience the life here is to take the public transport and that was what we did. Since we live around Boon Lay, we took the MRT from Boon Lay Station and changed trains at Raffles to Ang Mo Kio. Upon arriving Ang Mo Kio you have to take Bus 138 going to Singapore Zoo.
It was nice to note that going to the berth of Bus 138 is inside the Ang Mo Kio Mall.
Before boarding the bus, we saw this MY DESERT HOUSE in Basement 1 just very near the escalator. Since it was already 11 AM we decided to have brunch. We tried their Spaghetti Black Pepper Chicken and Spaghetti Juicy Tomato. Wow, it was served very hot and steaming. On my first bite.....mmmmmm....delicioso and the price is affordable plus the serving is just enough for one person to finish. This is the best tasting spaghetti I have eaten. I will surely go back there.
So, when you too would by-chance pass by Ang Mo Kio Mall where the Bus Interchange is located , try visiting MY DESERT HOUSE.
Yesterday, I tasted the best spaghetti in my whole life. My daughter and me were on our way to Singapore Zoo. When in Singapore the best way to experience the life here is to take the public transport and that was what we did. Since we live around Boon Lay, we took the MRT from Boon Lay Station and changed trains at Raffles to Ang Mo Kio. Upon arriving Ang Mo Kio you have to take Bus 138 going to Singapore Zoo.
It was nice to note that going to the berth of Bus 138 is inside the Ang Mo Kio Mall.
Before boarding the bus, we saw this MY DESERT HOUSE in Basement 1 just very near the escalator. Since it was already 11 AM we decided to have brunch. We tried their Spaghetti Black Pepper Chicken and Spaghetti Juicy Tomato. Wow, it was served very hot and steaming. On my first bite.....mmmmmm....delicioso and the price is affordable plus the serving is just enough for one person to finish. This is the best tasting spaghetti I have eaten. I will surely go back there.
So, when you too would by-chance pass by Ang Mo Kio Mall where the Bus Interchange is located , try visiting MY DESERT HOUSE.
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