Expats Arabia

ExpatsArabia.com where the sun is smiling. This should be your ultimate site where you can advertise your stuff for free! And when I say everything, I mean everything under the glare of the sun! I am using it now to advertise my baked goodies and in the near future perhaps my food delivery service. Back in the Philippines I used to deliver sandwiches, pasta and other packed meals in the office. I also used to cater food to some schools and small establishments and for friends. Websites where you can advertise for free are very useful for entrepreneurs like me. ExpatsArabia.com is practically a new site but with a lot of promise. Not only does it work well, but it too is user friendly and is arranged in a very organized way that it would be easier for future customers to find your stuff! Not only is it an e-place where people can engage in business but it is where you can advertise job openings, services, rental service, flats and apartments you would like to rent out, etcetera... the future is limitless! 

Everyone is invited! Be one of the firsts to sign up and have a unique email address that you can use for correspondences as well, without compromising your private email address. Go and visit ExpatsArabia.com!

The Eight of the Eight

Photo borrowed

"We fought all day about whether the pyramids were majestic or 'magnificent. It was magic. Twenty-eight years. I woke up every day smiling." this was Richard Dreyfuss' dialogue as he played Irv in the movie "My Life in Ruins". I am quoting this because it reminded me of my own marriage. My husband and I would debate most times about a lot of stuff but it has always been done in jest. And everyday since the day I married him, I have always woke up smiling. (<= Click here for a review of my previous Anniversary blog)

Today we celebrate our Wedding anniversary and as we celebrate we recall the first time we became friends, fell in love, and eventually got married. As husband and wife, we celebrate everything, our triumph and failures, our imperfections, our dreams... while we continue to build our family as partners, friends, lovers, and parents. We celebrate this day and look forward to more years of togetherness. 

We had dinner at Applebee's Restaurant (similar to TGIF which my husband says jokingly, is the big brother of Jollibee) by the Corniche in Al Khobar. Had the weather been cooler and the place conducive to strolling, I would have insisted that we walk around Corniche ala HHWW (Holding Hands While Walking). But the weather is so humid that after dinner we just went home with a bag of donuts for our children. 

Unlike back home it's difficult to find a good Anniversary card here that I had to improvise and make one and send my husband an e-card as well for good measure :) We received interactive homemade cards from our children too!

Happy Anniversary to us my dearest husband! You were the only one who taught me about courage, about unconditional love,...while I sold myself short you saw my imperfections as trivial. Thank you! May God in His infinite kindness bless this day and our marriage as He has done this very same day so many years ago and always....

Doting Dad!

I was going through some pictures stored in my phone and I happen to come across these ones. I realised how "kenkoy" (absurdly funny) my husband can be with our kids. My kids are the only ones who can make their dad pose this way for them. Am just glad that my husband is not stoic, not the kind of father who can't even take time to joke with his children. He's got his own set of funny bones hahaha

Midnight musing

It's almost 2am and I am nowhere around being sleepy. I recall falling asleep around past 9pm last night while massaging my son's aching arms and suddenly woke up worried about the baked macaroni i left on the table to cool. There is just so much to share again but I could not even begin thinking where to start. I have been without internet connection for more than a month since my free connection suddenly got lost. It has been such a gruelling month for me and to think that in the past there was no such thing as an internet connection, or a blog, or facebook even. Now just the thought of going through the normal humdrum of waking up, preparing my family's packed lunch, breakfast, domestic chore, dinner etc etc without these wonderful internet stuff is kind of freaking me out hahaha. I am too attached to technology :) 

It's really warm here in my mini office even with the aircon running then I realised that it must be searing outside as I hear a couple of hammer pounding at the construction site across the road. I remember my husband telling me that since the start of Ramadan all construction projects has been stopped and are being done after their last prayer for the day. Actually this is true for all business and commercial institutions. Office time is shorter and all shops are closed during the day. Remember they pray 5 times a day and this is normal however, during Ramadan they practice fasting until around 6:30 pm. It is only from this time onwards that the Muslims are allowed to eat as they celebrate their holy month. Anyways, back to my musing...it must be really tough to work as a construction worker in this country, under the angry heat of their mideastern sun. Already it is hard to go outdoors what more if you have to be physically involved in  construction "work", right? It's just too hard to think about how they could stand the heat of the sun and be paid too little for it. Although am pretty sure that what these people are currently receiving are more than what they earn in their own country; still I would not want to be them in a country with just too much heat. Just to give an example to those who have not gone here, the heat is just too much that we have to store water in the pail and have them cool down overnight. If we fail to do that we would have to endure very very hot water for bathing which is bad for the scalp and the skin. Really!

It's getting stuffy in here so I do have to park this for now...

Digital "karma"-ra

In the age of modern technology, you'd think only gadgets evolve, progress, and improve to make data processing faster. Even karma good or bad has become digitalized as well :) ... perhaps to keep up with the times? 

One thing I've noticed here in Saudi Arabia is the way some Filipinos treat each other. (I said SOME not ALL.) It has always been my guiding principle to strive to  be a good person wherever my fate brings me - which could be another job, or another country... My husband and I shares this belief and it is the same principle that we teach our children because we both want them to learn how to respect other people and other people's rights. Being away from the Philippines, we learned to stand on our own, we learned to adjust and be flexible around co-workers, other nationalities, and flatmates, and to distance ourselves from others who will only bring us strife. 

While here, you learn that crab mentality also exists; that some Filipinos will try to outdo you especially when it comes to MONEY MATTERS. Referring to my friend, Iza's blog, there are different types of Toxic people and I realised that most of the description I've read from her article fits someone I know categorically. So borrowing from her article "Toxic!!!", let me share with you the following:

MANIPULATIVE  MANNYS

There are those who are very sly and will manipulate you without You even knowing what they are doing until it's too late. They know what buttons of yours to push when they want something from you. They can make you turn away from your beliefs or make you do things you really don't want to do. One day you will find yourself thinking more of their needs than your own. And to add, that they will always assume they can do anything they please and it will be okay with you. They will demand that you talk to them about money matters but you can never demand the same from them.

NARCISSISTIC NENAS

These people are those who put great importance in themselves and think the world revolves around them. They think their needs are more important than yours and at the end of the day, you are left feeling disappointed and unfulfilled.

JUDGMENTAL JACKS

People who are judgmental see things differently. Something that is pretty to you, most probably will be strange to them. Whatever positive comment you make, they will always find something negative to say. 

DISRESPECTFUL DANIELS

These are the people who does things inappropriately and at inappropriate times.  They know no boundaries and won't care if they hurt your feelings. They can make you lose respect for yourself.

DONNA DOWNERS

There are the people who cannot appreciate the positive things in life. They would always find something negative to say. They tend to bring out the joy in everything. If you continue to be with these kind of people, you will lose your ability to look forward to tomorrow.

DREAM KILLING KARLS

Each time you come up with an idea, these people will think of something to shoot your idea down. If you believe in the saying "Anything is possible" they believe in the opposite. If you are on your way to success, you would not want these people to be around you for they will think of ways to make you fail.

INSINCERE INNAS

Ever felt that people just tend to say things because that's what you want to hear? What you have with them is not honest, but more superficial. When you need real support, they would rather see you fail. Find friends who will tell you like it really is.

Now back to karma being digital... Let me tell you that - SHOULD You choose NOT to be responsible enough to do what you ought to do then let's leave everything to fate.  You may be the master of yours but if you induce pain in any form to anyone, then remember there is a saying "what goes around, comes around" and it will kick you so hard...so fast!  

First day high

"Supervisor in the making" as described by his teacher

Am trying to catch up with events that I meant to include in my blog ages ago, like my children's first day of school; giving much attention to my youngest son, who will finally be attending school for real. We didn't enroll him last year at the same school my 2 other children attended to, since we were in the process of following my husband abroad. So we enrolled him at the nearby public school where he learned a lot. I've noticed how excited he is even going to the extent of preparing the clothes that he will wear for his "big day." Actually, all of them are very much excited! And this is due to the fact that this has been one of the most uneventful and boring summer vacation for them. They were not yet required to wear their uniforms as it was a week long of getting to know each other, orientation, preparation and less strenuous school activity. 

I went with them on their first day of school so that I can meet their teachers and know where each of their classrooms are. Surprisingly, my youngest asked me not to follow him he wanted to go to the classroom alone! Brave boy! After classes I went back to fetch my youngest from his classroom and was met by his teacher who told me that my son is a "supervisor in the making", which actually meant that he kept standing up and going around hehehe. 

happy to be in school

Welcome to our new home!

We transferred to the company accomodation on June 30th and believe me this was no easy task! As I mentioned previously, back home I had an extra pair of hands. Now I only have to rely on myself while my husband is at work and my kids are in school. Packing them stuff is already an energy zapper and unpacking them was next to impossible with most of my energy already drained. We were sooo tired that after the last plastic bag we decided to just take a bath and sleep even with our living room looking more like a battleground than anything else. 

Now our living room cum dining area looks better... I made sure that I have a space for my "mini-office"...

getting better...getting there... i just so love my office space!

Normally, there would have been a sofa provided by the company but probably due to wear and tear the sofa has been brought upstairs. My husband is planning to buy one at a harraj or junk souq (second hand shop) where we can buy some neat sofa and just have them reupholstered.

I would have loved a larger kitchen because the one that we have now is really small but who's complaining? nuh-uh

It's actually a good thing that my husband was accorded this family housing because of this we would not have to worry about rent and utility expense. This is such a big help to us especially since all our kids are now in school. And to add that we can enjoy our privacy - we would not have to be bothered about our kids being rowdy while our other flatmates are still asleep.

We are surrounded by malls (yipee!!!!) and with Ramadan fast approaching, everything is on sale right now only thing is we don't have much left for shopping...so there goes my "mall hopping dream"...down...further down the drain....boo-hoo!

The flat is fully furnished...well supposed to be fully furnished but as I said earlier the other furnitures may have been brought upstairs due to wear and tear. So the only stuff that we are enjoying right now are the big ref, TV, airconditioning units, and electric stove.

This will be our "home sweet home" for the rest of my husband's contract and we are just so happy to see that our kids have more space to skip on hahaha....