I have a friend beefy.
She lived with me for almost a year in my flat. I sort of adopted this very nice girl....sort of took her away from people I felt she didn't deserve to be with. I felt she was too good for them.
She was the head nurse in our clinic. Been with the clinic for the last 6 years without going home for a vacation. Imagine, staying away from your parents and family for that long and opting to stay in a clinic working and living in it without opting to even go out once a week???!!!! Some strange loyalty or just plain queer. Queer but nice - a good person within.
The first time I arrived at the clinic, she kindly offered me a good romance book to read and toured me throughout. I could see she had grown to love the clinic, like her own, making sure every thing was in place, every room spic and span, every equipment working at its best. She was an employers' dream come true. I don't know what she saw in me but she surprised me one day in front of our boss and told him, to take care of me because I was good for the clinic. I found it strange how by just knowing me a few days, she had mustered the guts to face the boss and tell him how he should fully trust me and my decisions because I had come from the best school in the Philippines there was, and I was different from the rest. I guess she was queer but nice, and may i add....a good judge of character....hehehe....humility aside now.
She took care of me and made my adjustment in the clinic very easy. She would entertain me with her stories...mainly from TV, old jokes of 5 years ago, home stories of her nursing craziness back then. We would laugh it out over pizza and softdrinks after work every night at 10 pm. Her stories started repeating in itself and so I felt we had to go out more often to create new memories together.
But there was one story beefy never forgot...her love affair with Sadik. Her first love she poured her life and heart into...a heartbreak she would never forget. He was the manager and she the head nurse, living and working in the same building. He noticed her, she only did when he started courting her. They fell in love, madly, crazily in love, but deep inside she knew....this would never last.
It did not. Along came boobies, the new receptionist. By her name alone, he fell. Boobies and Beefy were room mates. But Beefy was the simpler, modest one. The other, spelled excitement, they were of same nationality...Beefy was dropped. She was devastated, lost 20 pounds in 2 weeks. Cried herself to sleep every night, even pleaded to be taken back. But the lovers left to get married.
Beefy eventually got a little over him until he sarted coming back as a friend. She, being lonely but now a bit wiser, accepted him as a friend. 2 years into the marriage and they both cannot sire a child, Sadik is thinking of going back to Beefy...asshole to the max.
Well its a good thing that Beefy is finally back home after 6 long years. Thank God, You took her away again from a person who did not deserve her.
But I'm a bit sad to hear where beefy is now. She's hiding from his brother who has arranged for her to marry an american citizen. She knows this guy but is not in love with him, besides his divorced with a kid. Beefy will not accept that. As of now, she is still in hiding and still I keep her last email to me:
Dear Dra.,
Thank You po sa lahat at napagtiyagaan nyo ako sa loob ng 2 taon.Maraming,maraming salamat po talaga sa lahat ng payo,salamat din po na pinagagalitan nyo ako.You've been my inspiration and I look up to you with respect.you inspired and you let me open my eyes to know my weaknesses at nyong pagiging abnoy ko.I hope na kahit magkahiwalay tayo,hope you consider me as one of your good friends.MARAMING SALAMAT PO TALAGA SA LAHAT !!!!!!!!!At sana rin po maging maligaya kyo po kapiling si SIR GAle.
Cge po paalam na po at naiiyak na po ako.
BEEFY
I guess I am writing this because I want to tell her something as well.
Beefy,
Though you are in hiding, I am so proud of you! you have finally come to know your true worth and value. You have finally learned to Love yourself more than anything. Back when were still together, You took care of me, but in a way, I too could not let you live on your own. I always felt you would be overpowered by the evil forces and in your genuine goodness will never fight back. Sorry if I felt you were never brave enough. The inner force is finally with you my dear friend and hopefully will continually grow stronger. You deserve to be loved the best way there is, nothing less. Thank you for finally believing in yourself and what you deserve!
And that it is what my friend Beefy has become.
Saturday, April 26, 2008
My Boss' last note to me before I left KSA Nov 22, 2007
Dear Dr.Mary:
I am glad that you will be able to be with your family soon pursuing your plans for wedding on time,I have been so busy the last week with International experties in medical eduction who has been conducting a workshop in our college, the last of them will be travelling today, so I will try my best to passby this afternoon to say goodbuy.
Dear Mary, you should not thank me for anything, this is your right, you owned it by your good work ,dedication and excellent comittment; you are one of the best professionals that have worked with me,and I would always be proud that I had a dentist like you working in my clinic.
I will try my best to see you before i leave,but in case i couldnt make,I hope yu all the best wishes with your wedding, & I hope to see you again....
good luck
Dr.Bassam
I am glad that you will be able to be with your family soon pursuing your plans for wedding on time,I have been so busy the last week with International experties in medical eduction who has been conducting a workshop in our college, the last of them will be travelling today, so I will try my best to passby this afternoon to say goodbuy.
Dear Mary, you should not thank me for anything, this is your right, you owned it by your good work ,dedication and excellent comittment; you are one of the best professionals that have worked with me,and I would always be proud that I had a dentist like you working in my clinic.
I will try my best to see you before i leave,but in case i couldnt make,I hope yu all the best wishes with your wedding, & I hope to see you again....
good luck
Dr.Bassam
A Foreigner's perspective of Filipinos
I promised to give you my perspective of Filipinos. i.e, a perspective
from a non-Filipino. You want an outsiders' view on what we think
Filipinos are like, etc.
I also promised to give you my views today. I really wanted to give a
detailed perspective, thinking that my weekend (Friday) would be a
lazy one. It turned out to be a busy one. I had two business meetings,
and was also counselling some Indian expat professionals who wish to
consider career alternatives.
Notwithstanding the above, I will give you my brief views (and to keep
to my promise to give you my points of view, as always):
1. There is no doubt that Filipinos as a whole, from Tawi Tawi Islands
to Luzon, they are one of the most friendly people in the world (much
like Thais);
2. The friendliness of Filipinos are very genuine - in some countries,
they befriend you for a motive, mostly likely to be able to get some
economic benefits. This is my experience in many African countries;
3. Filipinos women are the backbone of Filipino society - be it
Christians or Muslims. The women take care of the family needs
unconditionally. I have seen them in the Philippines and overseas.
4. When Filipino families are together they do well, but once the
family (husband and wife) are apart, there seems to be a high
probability that the Filipino men would go astray. I have met many
hard working Filipino women working overseas as maids, nannies, and
even professionals (nurses in particular), and dutifully sending money
home to take care of the family needs, and if the husbands are in the
Philippines there is a high probability that their husbands have
girlfriends. This problem is more true and serious with urban Filipino
men.
5. Personally, I admire Filipino women for their mental strenghts and
care for the family - they are the ones keeping the pinoy culture and
love for family alive.
6. It is a good thing that most Filipinos are religious - this, I
believe, have allowed many Filipinos to remember their values and
responsibilities at home. The religious ones do well - at home or
overseas.
7. Comparatively, Filipinos are not as good as Indians, Pakistani, etc
with money. Filipinos seem to spend more money, preferring to enjoy
the good life more than others.This is more true in more liberal
countries, where there is freedom in drinking, gambling, women, etc. -
this could be seen in Dubai where there are many Filipino men in
undesirable bars. More Filipinos own cars, handphones, etc compared to
the other nationalities in overseas.
I hope the above will help in your writing an article. I would be
happy to discuss with you in detail. You can contact me through email,
chat or mobile.
Best wishes,
Paul
from a non-Filipino. You want an outsiders' view on what we think
Filipinos are like, etc.
I also promised to give you my views today. I really wanted to give a
detailed perspective, thinking that my weekend (Friday) would be a
lazy one. It turned out to be a busy one. I had two business meetings,
and was also counselling some Indian expat professionals who wish to
consider career alternatives.
Notwithstanding the above, I will give you my brief views (and to keep
to my promise to give you my points of view, as always):
1. There is no doubt that Filipinos as a whole, from Tawi Tawi Islands
to Luzon, they are one of the most friendly people in the world (much
like Thais);
2. The friendliness of Filipinos are very genuine - in some countries,
they befriend you for a motive, mostly likely to be able to get some
economic benefits. This is my experience in many African countries;
3. Filipinos women are the backbone of Filipino society - be it
Christians or Muslims. The women take care of the family needs
unconditionally. I have seen them in the Philippines and overseas.
4. When Filipino families are together they do well, but once the
family (husband and wife) are apart, there seems to be a high
probability that the Filipino men would go astray. I have met many
hard working Filipino women working overseas as maids, nannies, and
even professionals (nurses in particular), and dutifully sending money
home to take care of the family needs, and if the husbands are in the
Philippines there is a high probability that their husbands have
girlfriends. This problem is more true and serious with urban Filipino
men.
5. Personally, I admire Filipino women for their mental strenghts and
care for the family - they are the ones keeping the pinoy culture and
love for family alive.
6. It is a good thing that most Filipinos are religious - this, I
believe, have allowed many Filipinos to remember their values and
responsibilities at home. The religious ones do well - at home or
overseas.
7. Comparatively, Filipinos are not as good as Indians, Pakistani, etc
with money. Filipinos seem to spend more money, preferring to enjoy
the good life more than others.This is more true in more liberal
countries, where there is freedom in drinking, gambling, women, etc. -
this could be seen in Dubai where there are many Filipino men in
undesirable bars. More Filipinos own cars, handphones, etc compared to
the other nationalities in overseas.
I hope the above will help in your writing an article. I would be
happy to discuss with you in detail. You can contact me through email,
chat or mobile.
Best wishes,
Paul
Monday, March 24, 2008
My OFW Spotlight article in Inquirer
Date: Sun, 5 Mar 2006 15:02:30 -0800 (PST)
Subject: OFW spotlight
Nickname: The Queen
Age: 37
Gender: female
Civil Status: single
Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Occupation: Orthodontist
Years Spent Abroad: 5 months
I write to share the unique way of how I surprisingly left our country. Submitting resumes in the net for my fiance, I myself tried my luck by a LONE submission of my own to Yahoojobs. The opportunity came for me and I simply grabbed it.
Barely 5 months in the kingdom and I have happily embraced their ways and culture, so very different from our ways back home. This says much of Pinoys, we adapt very well wherever we are.
More than the promise of a higher paying job, the joy of growing among people so different from you in language, in attitude, in religion, is the greatest challenge we Pinoys have to deal with. In such a short time, I realize these differences are only skin deep. We both share serving the same God (Allah, the Lord Almighty, God the Father), living in the same world and working for it to be a better place to live in (saving the resources, learning to keep up with technology, running a profitable business where everyone gains), and most especially, we may speak differently but we all say the same thing....we all need each other in love and work.
I would like to feel that we left home to continue giving hope to our countrymen back home. We have not jumped ship. Rather, we fight for our country in a different way...in a different place.... In the global arena, proving the FILIPINOS ARE WORLD CLASS.Whatever is happening in our country, we will overcome because we are all survivors.
We who are out of the Philippines, wish we could only do more for our land. In time, I know we will by the skill & resources we have gained elsewhere.
Though uprooted, the philippine mango will only taste ever sweetest in its own soil...don't you think so? I miss this terribly, hinog man o hilaw with bagoong. Lechon with crispy balat. Sisig. CHICHARON! Puto bumbong, kutsinta, ube, macapuno, SAPIN SAPIN! Tiangge, the christmas rush, simbang gabi, paputok, torotot. Baguio, Tagaytay, Boracay, Palawan. MOVIEHOUSE!!!!
I am a Filipino orthodontist working in Riyadh and proud as I will ever be.
In the kingdom, the medal I wear is of patients saying ," Kuayes Filipinni tabib asnan" (The good filipino dentist).
P.S.
By the way, if you're wondering whatever happened to my fiance? Well, we're still together.... Hamdillah (Godwilling)...planning our wedding next year and hoping he will join me in making our country proud...once again.
Subject: OFW spotlight
Nickname: The Queen
Age: 37
Gender: female
Civil Status: single
Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Occupation: Orthodontist
Years Spent Abroad: 5 months
I write to share the unique way of how I surprisingly left our country. Submitting resumes in the net for my fiance, I myself tried my luck by a LONE submission of my own to Yahoojobs. The opportunity came for me and I simply grabbed it.
Barely 5 months in the kingdom and I have happily embraced their ways and culture, so very different from our ways back home. This says much of Pinoys, we adapt very well wherever we are.
More than the promise of a higher paying job, the joy of growing among people so different from you in language, in attitude, in religion, is the greatest challenge we Pinoys have to deal with. In such a short time, I realize these differences are only skin deep. We both share serving the same God (Allah, the Lord Almighty, God the Father), living in the same world and working for it to be a better place to live in (saving the resources, learning to keep up with technology, running a profitable business where everyone gains), and most especially, we may speak differently but we all say the same thing....we all need each other in love and work.
I would like to feel that we left home to continue giving hope to our countrymen back home. We have not jumped ship. Rather, we fight for our country in a different way...in a different place.... In the global arena, proving the FILIPINOS ARE WORLD CLASS.Whatever is happening in our country, we will overcome because we are all survivors.
We who are out of the Philippines, wish we could only do more for our land. In time, I know we will by the skill & resources we have gained elsewhere.
Though uprooted, the philippine mango will only taste ever sweetest in its own soil...don't you think so? I miss this terribly, hinog man o hilaw with bagoong. Lechon with crispy balat. Sisig. CHICHARON! Puto bumbong, kutsinta, ube, macapuno, SAPIN SAPIN! Tiangge, the christmas rush, simbang gabi, paputok, torotot. Baguio, Tagaytay, Boracay, Palawan. MOVIEHOUSE!!!!
I am a Filipino orthodontist working in Riyadh and proud as I will ever be.
In the kingdom, the medal I wear is of patients saying ," Kuayes Filipinni tabib asnan" (The good filipino dentist).
P.S.
By the way, if you're wondering whatever happened to my fiance? Well, we're still together.... Hamdillah (Godwilling)...planning our wedding next year and hoping he will join me in making our country proud...once again.
jan 31 - feb 8, 2006 thoughts
We are in this together (Jan 31, 2006)
Tutoo pala si Dan ng sabihin niyang alam mo pag nasa ibang bansa ka, parang laging out to prove ka that they are no better than you and you can/are even better than them. No harm in thinking and being this way because you always strive to be better than you are now. The sad part comes when they don’t believe nor trust you just because you are of a different color and race. My Syrian neighbor asked me why I was so angry at my patient, I told him because I have nothing but good workmanship and intentions for my patients since I came here and I don’t want to be shouted at w/ no valid reason, not paid because of the fault of others, and treated with no respect. Often times I feel if I were a local Saudi, would they even dare treat me this way?
Now that I have simmered down, I realize, I chose this path and this is one of the challenges I really have to live with coping and adapting to a race which I feel has never felt the hardship of life.; who I feel has been spoiled rotten by their country’s wealth. Sorry if I am generalizing on the race, but one thing I do also want them to realize is that we are all working here together needing each other. Without each other, nothing good will happen. Therefore each of us need to respect and trust the other that we are both working for the good.
Handling the Cold (Jan 31, 2006)
It’s now cold again. Back home, I never felt having your finger and toes almost numb from the cold. A day without a bath was dreadful. But because of the cold (wala pa tong snow ha….), you just don’t feel like moving at all. The best therapy though is to have other thoughts than the cold. My therapy is I cook. What better way than hitting 2 birds w/ one stone. You keep warm near the stove and you are able to prepare food you will eat for the next 3 days. My other therapy is to sleep the cold away. That’s the best.
I often wonder why buildings here and houses are so solid. Having small windows, little glass. Then I realize the extreme weather as the cause. One will never survive the cold without a good heater. Winter food of soup, soup and warm soup, hot tea and warm coffee. In the desert heat on the other hand, everything is so hot that if you want to take a bath, even the water is hot. What they do here is to have a tub of water and let it cool off overnight and use it to take a bath early morning while the sun isn’t shining much yet. Well, that’s desert life.
See my Garden Grow (Feb 8, 2006)
About 3 months ago seeing the kingdom with few plants and trees I was surprised that my lowly onion and garlic pieces started growing tiny buds out of them. I wondered if I put them in water, would they survive the extreme weathers of the Kingdom? Seeing that I did not have any pot or soil, I said I will try growing them in water.
Today Oh am so proud the gardener with no garden for I have harvested my very own spring onions in the Saudi winter. The garlic bulb has brought forth long sprigs of “spring garlic”. Both have been delicious garnishing to 2 dishes of pancit palabok and continue to do so when their long weeds start bending. Their bends is a call from my spring delights saying, “Go & cut my long hair’.
Today I have also taken them for a bath to change their water…I think so flies won’t bite them as well….hehehe.
And what’s amazing is they also have long “togue like” roots that smell of what they are. I have cut them also and put them in water to try in my next cooking session.
Oh you should see their cute pots…they’re made out of pepsi liter covers. That’s another discovery. You cut the half of the pepsi plastic container with its cover and invert it to look like a short sundae serving glass. What’s good about this is its easier to clean coz the cover can be removed at its end.
So even without much trying, my garlic and onion grows buds wherever & whenever they can just to be of use…to anybody. Lets learn from my spring delights.
Tutoo pala si Dan ng sabihin niyang alam mo pag nasa ibang bansa ka, parang laging out to prove ka that they are no better than you and you can/are even better than them. No harm in thinking and being this way because you always strive to be better than you are now. The sad part comes when they don’t believe nor trust you just because you are of a different color and race. My Syrian neighbor asked me why I was so angry at my patient, I told him because I have nothing but good workmanship and intentions for my patients since I came here and I don’t want to be shouted at w/ no valid reason, not paid because of the fault of others, and treated with no respect. Often times I feel if I were a local Saudi, would they even dare treat me this way?
Now that I have simmered down, I realize, I chose this path and this is one of the challenges I really have to live with coping and adapting to a race which I feel has never felt the hardship of life.; who I feel has been spoiled rotten by their country’s wealth. Sorry if I am generalizing on the race, but one thing I do also want them to realize is that we are all working here together needing each other. Without each other, nothing good will happen. Therefore each of us need to respect and trust the other that we are both working for the good.
Handling the Cold (Jan 31, 2006)
It’s now cold again. Back home, I never felt having your finger and toes almost numb from the cold. A day without a bath was dreadful. But because of the cold (wala pa tong snow ha….), you just don’t feel like moving at all. The best therapy though is to have other thoughts than the cold. My therapy is I cook. What better way than hitting 2 birds w/ one stone. You keep warm near the stove and you are able to prepare food you will eat for the next 3 days. My other therapy is to sleep the cold away. That’s the best.
I often wonder why buildings here and houses are so solid. Having small windows, little glass. Then I realize the extreme weather as the cause. One will never survive the cold without a good heater. Winter food of soup, soup and warm soup, hot tea and warm coffee. In the desert heat on the other hand, everything is so hot that if you want to take a bath, even the water is hot. What they do here is to have a tub of water and let it cool off overnight and use it to take a bath early morning while the sun isn’t shining much yet. Well, that’s desert life.
See my Garden Grow (Feb 8, 2006)
About 3 months ago seeing the kingdom with few plants and trees I was surprised that my lowly onion and garlic pieces started growing tiny buds out of them. I wondered if I put them in water, would they survive the extreme weathers of the Kingdom? Seeing that I did not have any pot or soil, I said I will try growing them in water.
Today Oh am so proud the gardener with no garden for I have harvested my very own spring onions in the Saudi winter. The garlic bulb has brought forth long sprigs of “spring garlic”. Both have been delicious garnishing to 2 dishes of pancit palabok and continue to do so when their long weeds start bending. Their bends is a call from my spring delights saying, “Go & cut my long hair’.
Today I have also taken them for a bath to change their water…I think so flies won’t bite them as well….hehehe.
And what’s amazing is they also have long “togue like” roots that smell of what they are. I have cut them also and put them in water to try in my next cooking session.
Oh you should see their cute pots…they’re made out of pepsi liter covers. That’s another discovery. You cut the half of the pepsi plastic container with its cover and invert it to look like a short sundae serving glass. What’s good about this is its easier to clean coz the cover can be removed at its end.
So even without much trying, my garlic and onion grows buds wherever & whenever they can just to be of use…to anybody. Lets learn from my spring delights.
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