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.

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

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