Major Blooper

Have you had your major blooper for the year? I just had mine last April 17th. I know I run the risk of losing the respect of my readers. But hey, you are my friends, and I’m sure you’d love me again despite this haha!

*************
Given that I am very much into traveling, you’d imagine the amount of preparation I did when I learned that I am part of the team who’d fly to Morocco on April 18 to study a project-in- progress.

It's now April 17, 8pm, and i'm doing the final rundown of my checklist:

Desk research on Casablanca and tangier. Check
List of entertainment destinations. Check.
Appointment with market research agencies in Casablanca. Check
Clearbook containing all correspondences about the project. Check
Documents to save in my flashdisk. Check
Moroccan dirhams. Check.
Finish all documents for signing. Check
Group orientation meeting. Check.

Weather inquiry. Check.
Clothes to wear for the 6-day visit. Check.
Personal supplies to bring (cam, charger, etc). Check
Call nanay. Check
Bring bible. Check
Bring ‘Tuesdays with Morrie’. Check.

My Skywards card. ok, that card is inside my passport pouch... Passport? Passport! PASSPORT!#$%* PPPPAAAASSSSPPPOORRT?!#$%!!!!

The black passport pouch has my skywards card, but not my passport!!! Shouting above my lungs did not make it appear. I searched for it in all my drawers…to no avail!

It is 10pm (flight at 735am the next day), I started bothering people, really bothering people. Our HR said that it is with our mother company who keeps our passports for security purposes, though she said, all along, she also thought it was with me. Yeah, I thought so too, seeing the black pouch there in my drawer……… but never really inspected! unfortunately, the office is closed already! (Who wouldn't be at 10pm?!!!) Tried to push more buttons…until I gave up at 11pm.

I can’t believe how stupid I can get! One hour, few phone calls, and two friends who stayed amused at the whole scenario, helped me get over it for a while. Good thing, I was able to secure a flight the next day.

Laughters interspersed with regret and embarrassment filled our drive back to our villa. I don’t think I’d be able to get over this fast… how could I ever forget the most basic!?!@ They kept consoling me that there must be a reason why this happened............ oh yeah, it happened because i was so stupid! haha!

A Tourist & a Resident

i'm sure that when my folks went back home, they had a lot of nice things to say about dubai...

yeah, they've marvelled at all the goodness of living here starting from the fresh air, to the no-cent-to-spare architectural designs of malls and different property developments, to the discipline in driving, to the safety of mobile phones and bag, etc...

they've unceasingly compared whatever can be compared between here and manila, and as always, manila is taken on a bad light. sometimes it becomes irritating, that i told them in jest, "hey, be careful...in a few days time, you'd be back to the place you're degrading..."

my dad even said it is somewhat the dream place he imagined... and even asked me why i don't choose a guy for a husband here? i know it was more of a balloon thought which unintentionaly became a thinking-out-loud...


but i think that is the difference of a tourist and a resident. it takes a number of close encounters before you'll see the real picture, the bigger picture. as a tourist, i've just showcased to them the best among the bests. but as a resident, you breathe and live the good, and the bad side of this place, the latter of course i spared from telling them, or else, they'd just worry about me here...

i guess in life, it's like that.... there are times when you need to be just a 'tourist', a passerby, and there are needful times when you have to be a 'resident'.

whether you are talking about a place, a topic, a new friend, a problem, or even a political candidate, you must be a 'resident' who knows a great deal of unbiased facts before you can really see the big picture which gives prudence when decision is needed...

and yet, there are times when it is better to be just a 'tourist'... more of the optimism and beauty, less involvement, less energy zapped out, less headache...

Young Hands' Writings

my brother gave me letters and drawings from my pamangkins cyrus and shaira- his kids. they've grown so close to me, i even consider them as my own kids! (pseudo mom!!!) ...

so these letters are special to me. hand written notes will always be timeless, and more genuine, specially if it comes from your loved ones... 'how are you', 'missing you' and 'take care of your health' ........

the drawings were that of a girl meeting a guy (hmm....), and a dragon coming out of a castle, and then there is another one with images of ducks, train, rabbit, etc... well, whatever these means to them that they relate to me, well, at least they are thinking of me! ;) it also shows the rich flow of imagination, as my kuya said they did not copy it from something. i just hope this interest in arts will not be suppressed, in the misconception that art will not give you a bright future. my dad says most artist become rich when they pass away... when they are posthumously honored by escalating the price of their works to 10-15 times while they are alive!

little hands... sweet words... greats artworks... BIG heart......i'd keep these in my office drawer so that each time i need to rekindle my thoughts on youthfulness, carefree spirit and genuine care, the reminder would just be inches away....

Departure & Arrival

i had a weird day yesterday. at 130am, i sent off my folks at the airport... 11 hours later, i was back for the arrival of my brother who was on vacation in the phils for 45 days. he is working also in Adventureland.

weird not because of the sleeplessness, nor the numbing thigh and leg muscles for standing up for a long time, nor anything crazy. weird because, within 11 hours, i felt all the gamut of emotions one can have in a lifetime! ... it's like 'One Fine Day', or my fave 'Before Sunrise' and "Before Sunset'.

on the departure episode, first there was riot in last-minute preparations... confusion on things to be packed or not, notes to be written and reminders to be said... and do not forget the irritations on things not done!... then, there is physical exhaustion after weeks of late night sleeps, whole day driving and squeezing quality time with folks while working... and then, sadness on saying goodbye after 26 memorable days. taking them to the airport was a drag, and as i've seen, i guess all departures are-- tight- and-unwilling-to-release-hugs, some tears falling, endless goodbyes... and finally, worrying about their safe travel back home. i am not the worrying type. i've always had a strong trust in my God who knows all things that are happening. but this time, maybe because it's my dear ones, i am really knocked off. so i was totally relieved when i finally spoke with them on the phone upon landing at NAIA airport 9 hours later. and then later still, called home and felt happy and very thankful to God, hearing the voices of the whole family (especially my nephews and niece) gathered back again.


so 11 hours later, i was back to fetch my brother at the arrivals area. with barely 4 hours sleep, i mustered all my strenght to be back there. the wait was quite long, but i have been amused by the happiness and excitement that rules that part of the airport. i've even observed surprised faces for those who may have not seen each other for a long time. i like so much the adorable facial expression of babies and kids at these meetings, ranging from excitement to questining stare to totally NVR (no visible reaction). the loved up expression are my fave scenes between dear ones reunited at that moment which are usually coupled with bouquet of flowers, kisses and hugs. there are the sleepy tots, exhausted from the whole flying thing. i've seen quite a number of anxious ones who are waiting for their relatives, and that including me. and add the angry moment for me, when i learned after 2 hours of waiting that the flight no. i was waiting for has been changed and needed to wait for another hour!!! oh, Gulf Air! so, when i saw my brother, i was pacified.

a day after, guess what... loneliness struck me like crazy! i cannot believe it! it's strange but so real, so engulfing... well, it must be the monthly hormonal changes...

International Property Show

i just came from the Dubai International Property Show at the Wordl Trade Center. we were trying to get a good inventory of the future supply of property developments which we can use for our business development planning.



and wow, am i so overwhelmed! covering across 4 halls just means that there are a lot going on in this field in the region. some even call it madness! crazy! well, i couldn't agree more. the fight for the 'est' has always been the name of the game... the biggest, the tallest, the gradest, the finest, etc... i even read in some chatroom how they find the dubai developments very fake. well, matter-of-factly, it is indeed fake. coz they do not have what the other countries are blessed with. but they did not take this sitting down, instead achieved it to the most extreme. knowing that in the near future, their main source of living will be depleted, oil that is, they have long prepared by opening other souces of living-- tourism.



they have the Palm, not only one but three. also, The World, reclaiming lands and shaped it into world continents. Burj Dubai, the tallest building in the world. Ski Dubai, the biggest indoor skiing facility... in the middle of a desert! there are concepts of doing Eiffel Tower, Taj Mahal, and all the other wonders of the world. the underwater hotel is rumored to be underway. weird architectural buldings were displayed in the show. and the list just goes on with completion of projects happening every year...




but on the other hand, if you've been here for a long time, and have heard of the other projects being launched but never reached groundbreaking event after many years, you kinda become uninterested and worse, sarcastic about all these grandeous concepts. after all, it's never a done deal, until you see the development built.




one thing positive i know though... in all stages, whether project is completed or not, thousands of jobs are always created.... and so the exodus of the pinoys may not yet end in the near future, sadly leaving behind many families hoping for a better present and future.

Emiratisation

a local of UAE is called an emirati. UAE has only about 20% locals, so you can imagine what the workforce here is comprised of. most locals work in the government where they get paid double or triple the normal the asians get (europeans are well compensated here!) and work less than 8 hours per day! plus, the government gives them a huge sum of dirhams (monetary unit) as a gift when they get married, and monthly allowance for their kids' schooling, and they have free medical services for all ages! oh, a charmed life!

last 2005, the Labor Ministry has released the 'emiratisation' law which states that for every 50 employees in a private company, there must be 2% (or 1 pax) local. i view this as a forced taxation for companies. kinda smart huh? oh well...

so, why the change? i assume that the population of the locals are booming, and the government cannot anymore cope up both in creating job positions and the provision of regular allowances. so this has to be borne by another sector-- you guessed it right, the private sector! although, personally, i think it is also to prepare the emiratis in what is going to happen in the future-- that their life isn't that charmed after all! globalization is here, and oil reserve will deplete in time... so they have to start learning how to work and live like the rest of us mortals.

this law has posed 2 conflicts in our company. (1) their salaries will create a gap in our scheme, and (2) we cannot find an emirati who can do what our staff does. remember that they are not used to our 'multi-tasking' and 'hard-working' culture, specially the ladies who are usually a stay-home moms or non-working young girls....


.... well, two years after, one of the emiratis we hired last march 2005 is still with us. she may not be what we expect her to be, but we know that she is the best among her league who has adapted well to our culture. a colleague once told me how she defended our company to her co-emiratis when asked why she was working in an all-filipino company when she can find one which is multi-cultural and will give higher salary. she says she enjoys her time with us, and i guess the pinoy charm has endeared her to us, and she says our happiness is so contagious. so it's not surprising that she knows more tagalog words than we know arabic words. she's been so immersed with the filipino culture, and says she loves it!

reversely, we are learning so much about the 'real' arabic culture which we cannot usually get from the books. family life, young girls' lives, arabic men, traditions, work life, weddings, arranged marriages, divorces, raising kids, and the list goes on and on... local women are very much 'revered' here i.e. you cannot stare at them, you cannot take photo of them, you cannot just talk to them, so looking at her, having photo opp with her and talking to her somehow bridges the cultural gap between us. (not to forget that she makes our pinoy trademark request for 'souvenir picture with a local' always possible!). she gives us a good peek of what their life is.... to which i must say, i will not trade places with!

simply put, talking to her makes me appreciate my race, and my life more...

Dubai World Cup

"The richest day’s racing in the world takes place at Nad Al Sheba on Saturday March 31st, 2007. The evening features the US$6 million Dubai World Cup, the world's richest horse race, supported by the US$5 million Dubai Duty Free and US$5 million Dubai Sheema Classic, the two most valuable turf races in the world. The other Group 1 race is the US$2 million Dubai Golden Shaheen, which carries the same value as the Group 2 UAE Derby. The Group 2 Godolphin Mile is worth US$1 million, while the meeting begins with the US$250,00 Dubai Kahayla Classic, a Group 1 race for Purebred Arabians. "


i do not understand much about horse races. what i just remembered was being in one preliminary races in the dubai world cup when we became one of the sponsors of the event. i sat on the airconditioned bleachers, and waited painstakingly (well for me) for the start of the race. up there were europeans and locals, and down there on the ground floor ring were the asians, mostly indians and pakistanis, and none of the pinoys.


later still, the race started. thru my digicam zoom, i can see how shiny the hair of those horces are!!!! must be the reason why kris aquino used the Mane & Tail shampoo... a few seconds has passed and the people started getting so pumped up that many can't stay on ther seats. and i ask, does yelling has to be necessary? well, i don't share their passion, so maybe that's why i'm so pathetic. in a few more seconds, the race was finished! wow, my wait was longer than the actual event! after that, we had a very upscale dinner which they say is suited to the ambiance.

now, the closest i can get to a finale of the Dubai World Cup was last 2006 when we waited for our boss who attended the event, at the carpark. the people who went out of the event were all in matching suits. and finally, i got to see those weird-looking yet overstated hats which only comes out once a year! (thank goodness!) and the ladies are all dressed to impress! i asked him how his experience went. he said, 'well it's very opulent event. those horses are treated like kings. it's all basically a social gathering'...

well, that's once facet of dubai for you guys...