O on JF

http://omg.yahoo.com/news/oprah-apologizes-for-slamming-author-james-frey/22495?nc

O Filipino W

Looking for a shade while waiting for the next bus, I ended up finding a woman who asked me, "What time is it?"

As if driven by instinct [or insinuated by her?], I looked at her wrists and found out she had a watch. Not only that, she has marks of wounds on her hands that I find hard to describe. I answered with a lump in my throat, trying to find more of what I could aside from what I already did. "It's 9.05... why? Are you running late?"

She said "No" and asked me another question right away. "Would it be okay to flash my name out?" Or at least, that was how I understood the question. I ruminated on it quickly, as she pulled out this cardboard from her bag showing her name. I said, "No," right away.

She said she's waiting for someone who is picking her up and they don't know each other. I told her not to flash her name because paranoia struck me that some bad guys might play a prank [at the least] on her and tell her they are the ones and might end up doing things. Yeah, I just find this act okay when you are at the airport, but not when you are in a bus station. There's also the chance that the police might spot-check her and all; I am not sure yet - and still had to ask - what kind of visa was she holding.

So, she told her story. She's been here for about three weeks now, working in Sharjah as a housemaid. No stories of maltreatment but the fact that she's working for a family of seven kids plus the husband and wife. The job is too much for her to handle. Washing all the clothes and dishes manually. Her visa expires in one week and doesn't want to continue. But her employers are trying to be nice to her the past few days when she announced that she's not interested. It turned out she's currently on visit/tourist visa and she escaped from her employer. When I asked for her passport, she said and motioned that it's under her bra. I said, "Ok, let it be."

It turned out her niece's friend is picking her up and they haven't met yet. I was supposed to be back to the office after this appointment but instinct told me to stay with her until she's with the person who's picking her up. It turned out she doesn't have a mobile so I said, give me the contact person and I'll call her to ask for their location. She ended up texting me for the number of the person. I waited and finally called the number. The lady said that she's still about 15-20 minutes away from us. She asked me if I can wait, adding please at the end of the sentence. I told her I'll wait. Until finally, 30 minutes after, she came and took her away.

My heart bleeds for this... even if it was already two days ago. It's hard to just make it go away. We've heard of these stories time and time again. But I never thought it would feel different when you've actually encountered one. Closed to tears, hands still bearing all the wounds, eyes expressing too much disappointment. Instead of assuring her that I'd stay until she meets with these people, I ended up convincing her that she can trust me. It wasn't hard though, because in her situation at that moment, that's the only thing she needed. I didn't leave her because of fear that she just might end up with some vultures of our own skin... which would have been the saddest part.

The photo above was taken while I was on my way to that appointment before this incident. Little did I know that I will have this encounter. The irony of it is, a lot of us feel proud to be OFWs. And the reason why I took this picture [while on a bus] is that I find a certain dignity seeing this on cars.

But how can one be dignified if she's being humiliated, deprived and overworked.

How can she be proud of what her life came about?

Scents and Sanity

Magrudy's will have a new set of scheme that meant we had to change our existing cards for a new one. I got an e-mail instructing us to request where the card will be delivered. I called the POC to let her know where I will be picking up my card. Told here repeatedly [I think about three or four times] that I'll be picking up on Saturday, which was the last.

All this transcended in our own native tongue.

When I got there last Saturday to pick up the card, the person there told me it wasn't there yet. And I was told that there should be another e-mail after the confirmation as to when I can pick up the card.

I guess the weekend rest did good to me and was just too refreshing for me to be pissed off and be irate at the store. But I wrote this on my planner:

Miscommunication sucks! To think we both speak the same language, our native one. Now I wonder why people do not ALWAYS understand one another.

Conclusion:

It's not the race nor the language, it's the LEVEL of understanding. Language SUCKS! errrr.... Or is it PEOPLE?

===============

My morning trip to Spinney's to get my breakfast of pancakes consists of walking a little bit further from my office and back.

On Sunday morning, I walked pass by this guy and couldn't help but smell his perfume. Deng! He's wearing too much! As he walked further, I said to myself [of course in my native language, but I'll translate it for other people], "He smells really good! It's familiar... what scent is that, btw?" I tried to think for about 2 minutes, or maybe 3, quickly submitting to the fact that I am no novice on perfumes. Then, suddenly, I thought, "Oh yeah, he smells like the perfume section of department stores."

I was laughing silently all by myself until it faded out of my mind.

I just love being outrageous sometimes. Well, I'm sure this is one thing to keep my sanity. LOL!

Some Swine Flu & Some More

Philippines. The DOH people is requesting funding of Php 90million for anti-swine flu plans. I was really surprised to read this article today at the Philippine Daily Inquirer online. My eyes almost fell out of its sockets as I read the header. I don't know if this is big or small for a fund. But I just couldn't believe that they are already seeking. But of course, we know it would take time for to be approved, that either the virus already has become a pandemic or it has simply gone away, before it finds its way to approval or disapproval. But that again, is an entirely, rediculously different story.

I have read it somewhere [forgive me but I forgot to bookmark or subscribe to give proper credit to the writer] that the Philippines has some hundred cases of Pulmonary Tuberculosis the past year and no one seemed to have paid attention. Nobody ever bothered to "seek a Php 90million fund" to help them who already suffer. PTB has been a big problem in our country and I was a witnessed to that during my Caregiving years; and it has been since I can remember. People whom you assume to be of good health might be suffering and you wouldn't even know. The funny thing is we don't even have to 'put some additional men' in our airports [as part of their action plan for Swine Flu, that is] because for all you know, all along, PTB sufferers might just be the person you come across just as you are getting out of your house. Back in 2005, I remember my instructor in caregiving told us that statistics show 4 out of every 10 people we meet in the streets has PTB. Believe me, this got me thinking everyday for the next few days after that lecture, keenly observing people I cross paths on my way to school if they have the symptoms. Isn't that interesting that these DOH people are asking for Php 90 million for this virus that hasn't even gotten in our country?

I know that they have good intentions. But I also cannot help but think about their UNDERLYING motives. It is actually easier to grasp their para-sa-akin [for myself] gains than thinking about their para-sa-bayan [for the country] initiative; in which the ratio of PROFIT versus SERVICE is seemingly outrageous.

Call this a follow-up for that blog I read about swine flu and PTB. But I couldn't help but write about it [again… you could say] because I can't get my thoughts off that Php 90 million.

So much of Swine Flu today. Because tomorrow, I will call it H1N1 or Influenza A as per WHO terms here.

Anyway.

I missed my Jeff-Dunham-Friday. I had my haircut and this hot-oil-from-home experiment earlier which did some good to my hair [that's on both counts]… I got to oil my hair for this summer since today, I think it got to 50 degrees, and it's not even summer yet.

Who doesn't love shrimp? You might say no one, not even those who have allergies. But I just get bored eating it. You have to eat with your hands [yeah, you can eat it with spoon and fork but it takes another 50 years to finish] and the whole process of de-scaling [is it really what it's called? Enlighten me, please] just annoys me. Yeah, that’s what I had for lunch today. YUMMY! But I didn't have it for dinner again.

Oh yeah, I just got hooked up with Chain Rxn [Jeesh, I hate the way it's spelled] at facebook. Truly a nice game there. I just loved watching those circles expand and explode. I also like the concept of the game. It is not the usual avoid-this-avoid-that-or-you'll-get-ditched. This one, you have to figure out when these circles get as close to each other as possible and bump into each other, because the faster they bump into each other, the more points you earn. Oh well, it has been a while since I played a game. I got bored with PSP's Need For Speed Pro Street… truly a waste of money for me. Not too much time since I stopped playing after day 1. The fact is, I am still wondering why it was called Pro Street when you are just circling different race tracks and not on the streets. And oh, the graphics suck! Due to this, I got scared of getting NFS Undercover for fear of being duped by the game series the second time around.

Ok. I can continue to be outrageous. But I'll save it for another day.

No Answer

Some of you may already know that I AM NOT a fan of those voice mailboxes, answering machines or leave-your-freakin'-messages things. Especially when you're calling international.

A few days ago, I was trying to reach an acquaintance about her motor insurance inquiry, but couldn't reach her after several attempts. Her mobile just kept on ringing… unanswered. Good though… no voice mailbox whatever…

When I finally caught her, she jokingly said that she thought the call might be coming from one of her banks since it's a landline number. You know why banks call, right?

So, I came to think and came up with a good idea for please-leave-your-message-after-the-beep spiel:

Hi! Sorry I can't answer the phone right now. If you want to leave a message, PRESS 1; [long pause here]… But if you've been trying to reach me for days and I don't pick up or return your calls, please DON'T PRESS CHARGES, I'll get back to you A-S-A-P!