Fervent Prayers and our life in KSA

I have always been a firm believer of the power of prayer. But I was not expecting mine to be answered too soon! Not that I am complaining :). Indeed God works in mysterious ways. His plans never fail and they always come as a wonderful surprise.

You know my kids and I would pray the Holy Rosary and part of our prayer is for my husband to be able to land a good job that would give him so much better opportunities in terms of career growth, better benefits, a package that will ensure that our family will be well provided for. And a job that will bring us to a country where we are able to attend mass. Never did I expect that He would bring us back to the Philippines, I was thinking more of Canada or Singapore. But the Lord can also be a good comedian I laughed when I realized later on that I was not specific about the country of my choice hahaha!

But still my husband and I are humbled by the continuous blessings He sends our way. First, the Lord's plan. A decision. And then acceptance.

It's really funny that I should be missing Saudi Arabia, when the first time my husband told me that he'd bring us there, I was adamant. For me it meant giving up my Señorita days. I had to give up our loyal nanny for a life where I would be her predecessor. Lol!

But life in KSA turned out well, oh forget those times we had to wait long for payday. Overall, our life was simply lived, our kids became more tolerant of each other's shortcomings, we were far from problems though not our own, we carried as if we were part of it. Best of all we learned how to deal with the locals, the Indians, Syrians, Egyptians, Jordanians, Nepalese, Bangladesh, Sri Lankans, South Africans, and the other OFWs.

Despite what the word "abroad" connotes let me tell you that our life abroad was not all a bed of roses. But we all learned. My eldest, though reluctantly at first, learned to wash the dishes. While her two other siblings developed skills of their own... Cooking rice, keeping the room clean, folding fresh dry clothes, extra pair of hands in the kitchen ;) My husband and I, on the other hand, learned to be self-sufficient. We both learned how to bake bread! Our own pandesal. And I became a hands-on mom to my children. I realized that my role at home is not bad at all. Saudi definitely changed us and it was a good change.

For now this is all I've got to share...more

later...so keep posted ;)

My all around abaya

You were my security blanket for almost 3 years. The only fashionable piece of clothing that I owned. The same one I used when hanging our laundry, greeting visitors, buying groceries, malling, eating out, attending pta's, and other activities that required me to step out of our abode. You symbolized a tradition as old as time. Helped embrace a culture I was not really prepared for. It did not matter whether the temperature outside was almost 50 degrees C. The weather is not an excuse to even open the top button. But I wore you for a long time... For me, you were my second skin, my protection from the weather, the mutawa, and the roving eyes of the male populace.

It's ironic how I used to hate wearing you and now that I won't, I feel a bit of sadness.

But then I have to store you. You will be a part of my KSA memories. I can't really say if and when I will wear you again or if there would ever be another chance or another time. Let me say for now that (to the tune of Loving you) "wearing you was such an easy thing to do..." ;)