all about elizabeth

I just finished watching Elizabeth the Golden Age, Cate Blanchett’s second take on the role she did back in 1998. This is also the second time director Shekhar Kapur, a brilliant Indian film maker tackled the story of what is obviously her favorite subject - Elizabeth I.

And despite the fact that this is the second time for both, I was still very much entertained. I had to hold my bladder until the end of the film, ayaw kong tumayo at umalis sa harap ng screen which is my gauge kung na-capture ako ng film o hindi.

And I think, come awards season, a few Oscar wins are possible, or at least nominations siguro.

Hindi na natin ku-kwestyunin yong story line coz everybody (well at least people like me who finds the story of Elizabeth fascinating) already knows this is one hell of a story of a strong woman who lead England to it’s golden era.

And since alam na nga natin ang story, yong presentation na lang ang nagkaka-iba. Talo-talo pagdating sa paraan ng pagku-kwento. Fortunately, this film managed to give it a different take. Kaya kahit predictable na yong story dahil alam mo na ang susunod na mangyayari based on history and other countless films done before, I still found it very engaging.

One big factor was the very grand production design. Talagang kita mo ang production cost sa mga damit pa lang na ginamit ni Cate.

Though kung napanood na ninyo yong version ni Helen Mirren of the same queen na pinalabas sa HBO, I have to warn you, don’t compare like I did. Dahil magka-iba yong HBO version at itong film ni Shekhar.

The HBO version attacked the story in a historical/biographical approach. Because the intention was to give you the story of Elizabeth’s life as a queen. Kaya kung magco-compare ka, mas comprehensive and I guess more factual yong HBO version.

Itong kay Shekhar Kapur, like his first in 1998 was more fictionalized. And, if the HBO version told the story of how the queen was charmed by the Lord of Essex, dito sa movie version ni Cate, nag-focus more on her attraction towards Walter Raleigh (who was convincingly played by the ruggedly handsome Clive Owen) and the ensuing love triangle kung saan ang kaagaw niya kay Raleigh was her favorite lady in waiting Dess. So it was more of a love story told against the backdrop of treason and a bloody war.

Kaya sabi ko nga, I had to warn you not to compare like I did. Coz I realized I had to appreciate this film in it’s own merits. HBO/Helen Mirren’s version was excellent. But I can’t take away the fact that this Shekhar/Cate Blanchett’s version is also a very well-crafted film. It was worth all the 110 minutes I spent watching this film.

Now, talking about Cate’s performance.

Hindi na rin natin ku-kwestyunin ang galing ni Cate Blanchett. In fact, kung member ako ng AMPAS, I would give her my vote for this year’s Oscar Best Actress. Yon nga lang, medyo awkward siguro para sa Hollywood na two years in a row nilang ibigay ang trophy to an actress portraying the Queen. Di ba last year Helen Mirren won for her role as the present-day Elizabeth II in the movie The Queen. Tapos she won Golden Globe and SAG trophies pa for her role as Elizabeth I on her HBO series, the same role here by Cate Blanchett. Kung ibibigay kay Cate ang Best Actress award this year for this role, does it mean you have to play the Queen para ka lang manalo? Yon ang sinasabi kong medyo awkward. But hey, who would ever say Oscars was predictable. So let’s just wait and see how the voting goes.

In the meantime, I would recommend that you grab a copy of this film and enjoy it like I did.

usapang katas

Catchy ba yong title? Well if you’re expecting this is something green eh sori po kasi rated GP itong ating site! Hehehe! When I said usapang katas, I’m referring to that ubiquitous phrase that you see in every conceivable piece of property money can buy – jeepney, house, car, even pedicab na nilalagyan ng Katas Ng – wherever the money came from.

Pinauso ito ng mga pamilya ng Saudi OFW’s noon pang 80’s yata when you can see Katas ng Saudi sa karamihan ng mga pampasadang jeepney. Telling you that that moving piece of multi-decorated stainless steel eh nabili galing sa pagsasakripisyo ng isang miyembro ng kanilang pamilya sa Saudi.

Fast forward to 2007 and still, buhay na buhay pa rin ang phrase na yan. And it has evolved to so many other forms like the kaiyak-iyak na Katas ng Sibuyas in a jeepney whose owner is an obvious negosyante ng Sibuyas. Or the very metaphoric Katas ng Bakal na nakita ko sa van ng isang nagba-buy and sell ng junk materials. But nothing beats the original Katas ng Saudi. Nandyan pa rin sya at nakikita kong nakatatak, naka-dikit o nakapintura in many things na nahahagip ng aking singkit pero matalas na mga mata.

Bakit nga ba hindi nawala at nalaos ang phrase na yan, bakit hindi napalitan ng Katas ng Japan when thousands of our entertainers trooped to the land of cherry blossoms and Mt Fuji? O kaya ng Katas ng Tate when in truth eh napakarami na nating migrant workers, aside from the permanent immigrants, na nasa USA? O kaya Katas ng Italy ngayon na marami na sa ating mga kababayan are working legally or not sa bayan ng mga gondolas?

I think I can offer just one answer to that question.

Success tastes the sweetest when you’ve gone through the worst to achieve it.

Eh ano namang koneksyon non?

Eto. A piece of material possession is one’s trophy for his surviving the worst possible working conditions. Ang kotse, jeep o bahay nya ang kanyang award for having lived and worked his way through the worst. And to many of our kababayans, working in Saudi Arabia still ranks as the ultimate sacrifice one OFW can make.

Bakit na naman kamo? For a couple of reasons. Yong sobrang init at yong mahigpit na social/cultural laws ng bansa. Two things na sa tingin ng mga kababayan natin eh hindi appealing lalo na ngayon at kahit lalaki eh ayaw mabilad sa init ng araw dahil masisira ang balat nilang alaga ng Belo whitening soap. O yong mga mahihilig sa ABS. Hindi po yong channel ng Tv. I mean alak babae at sugal. Impyerno para sa kanila na mapunta ng Saudi.

Pero sa totoo lang, that is not entirely true. Hindi po Saudi ang worst destination for an OFW and working here is not the ultimate sacrifice you thought it would be. Which means, masyadong OA ang dramang ikinakabit sa linyang Katas ng Saudi. In fact, I think it is the most over-rated one-liner of the century.

Oo nga at topographically, Saudi has probably one of the worst summer heat in the world. Pero hanggang ngayon, nagugulat ako na marami pa rin sa ating mga kababayan na hindi alam na umuulan din sa Saudi ng todo – the kind of downpour that can easily submerge the whole Metro Manila in floodwaters in just a few minutes.

At marami pa rin sa ating mga kababayan ang nagugulat pag nakukwento kong naka-experience na ako – not once but twice – na umulan ng yelo (hail to be more precise) sa lugar ko sa Jubail.

Kaya kung sa mga kababayan natin, ang picture nila ng Saudi eh yong extreme heat lang, sa mga nakaka-alam, mas grabe dahil may kasama pang extreme cold yon. That makes it worse.

But then again, yong mga nasa Jeddah, Abha and other mountainous areas, siguradong hindi mag-aagree. Dahil ang climate sa kanila eh parang Manila lang. Better yet, Baguio. And it doesn’t agree with the presumption na sobrang init sa Saudi Arabia.

Besides, hindi ba nila alam na mula bahay, hanggang sasakyan at hanggang office, naka-aircon karamihan ng tao dito? Kahit yong mga manual laborers na ang trabaho eh nasa labas, naka-bilad man sila sa init ng araw maghapon, pag-uwi naman ng mga yan, naka-aircon yan sa kanilang mga bahay.

So to generalize Saudi Arabia as hell on earth (in reference to the summer heat) is totally unfair.
Now let’s talk about the bigger issue. Yong culture.

Inaayawan ng mga mapiling job-seekers sa Pinas ang Saudi dahil sa culture. Because of the strict, male-dominated social and cultural situation, marami ang umiiwas dito at para bang yong mga tulad kong pumunta dito eh napaka-desperate na at wala nang ibang choice sa buhay.

Kaya pag may nakilala kang sosyalera, tataasan ka ng kilay sabay lilinyahan ka ng "so you’re working in Saudi huh".

Yes I am. And by the way, let me untog your ulo to the pader! Dahil sa true lang, Saudi is not as bad as you morons think.

Oo nga at mahigpit ang batas dito kaya hindi mo pwedeng dalhin ang mga bisyo mo. But come to think of it. Nag-abroad ka para kumita ng malaki, mai-ahon mo ang pamilya mo sa hirap or maka-ipon para sa future ng iyong family. Kung allowed pa rin dito (at least, legally) ang alak, babae at sugal, sa tingin mo ba may maiipon/mai-uuwi kang libo-libong dolyares tulad ng mga kaibigan kong sina Cesar, Homer, Longlong, Caloi, Raoul, Edgar Vayren, Irwin, Matt, Bienvenido Junior et al?

Look at Dubai or Bahrain kung saan may bars at pwede kang uminom, mag-disco at mag-date. Marami sa mga kakilala ko ang malalaki nga ang sweldo sa lugar na ito and yet, hirap na hirap pa ring makaipon. Paano, malaki rin ang nagagastos nila sa mga bisyo nila kaya halos walang maiuwi sa Pinas.

Balik tayo ng Saudi. Yong mga makukulit na pilit sinisingit ang mga kalokohan nila sa buhay, ano’ng nangyayari? Umuuwi na walang bitbit dahil nahuli at nakulong dahil sa ilegal na sabong o kaya eh gumagawa ng sadiki (a local concoction worse than gin bulag). At yong mga mahihilig sa chicks na nambibiktima ng mga kababayan nating nurse or dh, either nasira ang pamilya or umuuwing puro utang din ang bitbit dahil inubos na sa kareregalo ng cellphone sa kanyang mga chicks.

So, mahigpit man ang kultura ng Saudi, bakit hindi mo subukang tingnan ang side na nakita ko. I saw it as one opportunity to earn more and at the same time instill some discipline in myself. Nawala ang mga hindi ko magagandang ugali. Natuto akong makisama hindi lang sa mga kapwa Pinoy, international pa (and in the process acquired some good traits ng mga foreigners na ito – isn’t that more sosyal huh? Hehehe).

Nawala ang pagiging lakwatsador ko buhat ng mag-Saudi ako. Kung dati, inuumaga ako sa mga disco (ooppss, anong era pa ba yon), ngayon, matino na ako at tahimik sa bahay. Something you should start learning and achieving habang nagma-mature ka at tumatanda (aheem… umamin ba). Then you become more responsible not only to your family but most importantly, to yourself.

Magtitino ka rin kung may hindi ka magagandang ugali because you work, live and mingle with a crowd na puro lalake. Kung maangas ka, subukan mong mag-Saudi. Kung hindi ka man tumino, mababawasan ang kaangasan mo.

At yong notion ng karamihan na nakaka-homesick sa Saudi, siguro totoo yon nong unang panahon na puro disyerto at camel lang ang makikita mo. Pero ngayon, ibang-iba na ang sitwasyon. Because of technology, hindi ka na mag-aantay ng isang buwan para sa sulat galing sa pamilya mo. They’re just a text or phone call away. At pwede mo pa silang i-chat kung maturuan mo silang mag-online. Mag-C2C kayo. Aba, marami akong nakikita sa internet shops na enjoy na enjoy dyan, inuutusan pa ang misis nilang palabasin si junior sa bedroom! Hehehehe.
Better yet, dalhin mo sila dito dahil marami nang mga kumpanya ang nag-bibigay ng family visa sa kanilang mga empleyado.

Meron ding nagsasabing wala silang career sa Saudi. I myself can prove you wrong. Nag-prosper ang career ko dito from various on the job promotions sa dati kong kumpanya. Mapunta ka lang sa isang matinong kumpanya who can recognize your talent, you will earn the reward you deserve. Katulad ng countless kababayans natin who are respected in their own fields. Di tulad sa ibang bansa na aani ka ng discrimination and second-class citizen treatment. Sa Saudi hindi, dahil alam nila kung gaano kagaling, katalino at ka-abilidad ang Pinoy.

So what’s the fuss about the culture ng Saudi? Culture nila yon eh. Sumunod ka na lang. But learn to appreciate the things this culture does to you.

Hindi lang sya financially rewarding. You will also benefit emotionally dahil magiging matatag ka from the occasional hits of homesickness. Aside from the fact na pwede ka ring maging matatag spiritually dahil dito mo mate-test kung gaano ka katatag in your faith. Pag inalok ka na na mag-convert to their faith, kahit papano mag-uumpisa kang magtanong at mag-analyze ng kung ano ba talaga ang pinaniniwalaan mo.

So who said working in Saudi is pathetic at ang mga Saudi OFW eh kawawa? Sorry na lang kayo. Hindi po lahat. It’s better for some lalo na to those who stick to their original plan, remembers their reason kung bakit sila nag-Saudi, and in the end achieving their goals. A house and lot and a four-car garage of the latest Fortuner and Armada. Ewan ko lang kung may tatak na Katas ng Saudi under the hoods! Hehehe!

At yong mga sosyalerang nakilala ko na nilinyahan ako ng "so you’re working in Saudi" sinasagot ko na lang ng "Oh yeah. And you’re not." Coz they were obviously ignorant of the fact that I was glad to be an OFW in Saudi. Nagkapera na ako (hindi pa naman po yumaman huh), naging better person pa ako.

Eh bakit ko naman naisipang isulat ito? Kasi nga ang dami ko pang nakikitang stickers na Katas ng Saudi. Tapos ginawa pang pelikula ni Jinggoy at Lorna para sa MMFF. Eh sa tingin ko nga, masyadong over-rated yong Katas ng Saudi. Gawin na lang nating Katas ng Kaligayahan. Maganda pa! Hahahahah!!! Bliiiiippppppppp!!!!

byaheng pang-himpapawid

My flight back to pinas last Thursday made me wonder what would I write in this blog related to flying.

And then I realized, marami pala akong mga naiipon na mga observations sa utak ko that I have to share with you. Siguro alam na rin ninyo ang karamihan dito. Nevertheless, let me share with you ten tips that I thought every flyer should remember.

• While packing, never ever go beyond allowed weight limits saka ka magdadasal na sana mabulag yong check-in officer at hindi makitang 48kg ang bagahe mo. Huwag ding i-exceed ang carry-on bags. Pag sinabing isang piraso lang ang cabin bag, huwag gawing dalawa at saka magmamaktol pag pinagalitan ng airline crew. Cause of delay, embarrassment and unnecessary stress ang mga ganyan. Kaya nga ako nagpapa-freight kung marami akong iuuwi eh. Para hindi ako ma-mroblema sa excess baggage. So don’t you ever approach me dahil nakita mong isang maleta lang ang luggage ko at ipapa-bitbit mo sa akin ang isang kahon or plastic bag mo. Don’t you know it’s one of the mortal sins of flying? Kailangan ko pa bang i-esplika yon?
• This December ng magbakasyon ako (my first December break after a long time, dati kasi off season ako lagi umuuwi), nakipag-chikahan pa ako sa mga naghatid sa akin sa airport after I checked-in my luggage. Forgetting that it was peak season at marami ang umuuwi. Kaya inabot ako ng indulto sa immigration checks pa lang. Halos boarding time na ng matapos ako sa final checks. Lesson learned: never ever procrastinate. Allow ample time for all the pre-departure formalities lalo na kung peak season.
• During check-in, don’t forget to request for your preferred seat. Chances are, you’ll get it. Kung hindi naman, at least nasabi mo. Better say it than get stuck on an 8 or 9-hour flight in a seat na hindi ka kumportable. Kung ayaw maistorbo, ask for a seat by the window. Kung tulad ko namang madalas mag-cr, by the aisle. Request for forward seat also kung gusto mong madaling maka-labas ng plane. Kakainis pag nasa dulong-dulo ka ng aircraft lalo na kung economy ticket ka. Lagi kang last sa serving ng food. Last ka pa to leave the plane. Hindi ako makikipag-unahan sa boarding pero sa deplaning, nakikipag-karera ako pababa ng Manila. And here’s one thing na palagay ko hindi alam ng lahat: if you request for Exit seats (yong seats right beside the exit door where you have more legroom) may kasamang responsibility yan. You have to act as emergency officer if something happened on the plane.
• Keep proper documents ready para hindi ma-abala. Marami ang hindi nakaka-realize nito pero in each step of the pre-departure formalities, iba-iba ang documents na kailangang i-present mo. Most of us bundle our passport, ticket and other documents doon sa flap na binibigay ng travel agent. And most of us just hand it over to the officer on duty who tosses back to you with matching simangot yong mga hindi nya kailangang papel. So just give them what they need. Baggage check-in: passport and ticket. Immigration: Passport, immigration card and boarding pass. During boarding: boarding pass na lang. Some airline/airport also check the passport before entering the aircraft. Upon arrival naman, passport lang and immigration card sa immigration officer, passport and customs declaration sa customs officer and keep the ticket handy para doon sa final check ng baggage as you leave the arrival area. Itabi na lang ang mga documents na hindi kailangan to avoid losing them. Basta ilagay mo lang sa isang bulsa na madaling dukutin in case hingin sa iyo.
• Your attire in flying: cowboy boots with steel toes and spikes, horse shoe steel buckles, blings including huge Damascus necklace, monstrous gold bracelets and gigantic gold rings, not to mention the stainless steel wristwatch ke branded man o ja-fake. What’s wrong with this picture? It’ll take you forever before you strip down and get yourself past the metal detector. So please, minimize metals sa katawan mo para di ka maging cause of delay. Malayo pa lang sa x-ray machine, tanggalin na ang mga keys, pens, cel phones and anything in your pockets. Ilagay sa carry-on baggage na dadaan sa x-ray. Hindi yong kung kelan nasa harap ka ng metal detector saka doon ka magtatanggal nito. Kung ako ang nasa likod mo, you’d see how my eyes would roll. Hmmmppp!
• There’s something I really don’t get pag boarding time na. Why hurry? Bakit nag-sisiksikan during boarding time? Haller, hindi naman jeep yan o bus na pag nahuli ka, tatayo ka na lang or sasabit sa pakpak noh. And besides, hindi ka nyan iiwan at magte-take off na hindi ka sakay. So, what’s the rush for?
• Nag-announce na ang captain: no cel phones and electronic devices please. Pero ang mga hindurupot na feeling VIP, naka-cel phone pa rin, tawagan ng tawagan. Eh sinabi na ngang nagi-interfere yon sa communication system ng aircraft. Ano bang gusto ng mga ito, makipag-chikahan na lang sa cel o maka-lipad safely? Ako mismo naiirita sa mga taong ganito who compromises my own safety just because of their stubbornness or plain stupidity. Kaya ang irap ko sa mga ganitong tao, ay naku, if looks could kill talaga!
• Be considerate sa mga katabi. Go to the lavatory kung kailangang umutot. Sa liit ng confined space ninyo, you cannot go finger pointing. Sobrang obvious kung sino ang salarin. Wag ding makulit sa seatmate. Try to strike a conversation pero kung tantiya mo, ayaw makipag-usap, lubayan mo. Baka he/she’s not feeling well or may iniisip. I-minimize din ang pagbubukas ng overhead light kung natutulog ang katabi. If you need to recline your seat, do it slowly. Baka mauntog mo yong nasa likod, away pa ang kauuwian non.
• Madalas when I travel, knapsack lang ang hand-carry ko. Lately, laptop bag. And I store it underneath my seat. Pag ganon kasi kaliit ang bag mo, more often than not, hindi ka pipilitin na ilagay sa overhead compartment. Kaya kung may kailangan ako sa bag, mas madali kong madukot like - passport, pen, pocketbook, etc. Mas madali rin akong maka-exit ng aircraft kesa kukunin ko pa ang carry-on baggage ko habang sinisiksik na ako ng mga pasaherong nag-uunahan pagbaba ng plane.
• Speaking of deplaning, ito ang isa ko pang ikinaka-irita. Sabi na ngang remain seated until the aircraft has come to a stop, bakit ang daming matitigas ang ulo na akala mo eh mananakaw ang bags nila. Tatayo at bubuksan ang overhead compartment kahit aalog-alog pa ang eroplano. Hindi ba alam ng mga hunghang na ito na safety issue din yon. A bag could fall and injure someone. Ewan ko talaga sa mga taong ganito. Naku, grrr.
  

And, one final thing na hindi naman mandatory pero siguro maganda ring gawing practice. As you exit the aircraft, return the farewell curtsy of the cabin crew. Lalo na kung maayos naman ang service nila. The least you can do is to say thanks and smile back at them. Hindi yong parang wala kang narinig o nakita. Sige ka, baka matandaan ang mukha mo, next time you fly with them, duraan ang tubig na hiningi mo!

a break

well i'm leaving for my vacation in a few hours. pahinga muna from kayod. but definitely it will not be bakasyon kasi may project akong tinatapos which means i will be very busy in the next four weeks.

but i'll surely be here all the time to receive guests like you, syempre hindi pwedeng mag-sara ang flower shop! LoL!

i just don't know kung anong forex ang aabutan ko sa atin, luging-lugi na naman tayo lalo ngayon na dahil pasko eh bumabaha ng dollars sa pinas. kaya nga nag-ngingitngit ako sa posting ko the other day. which, by the way, ay mukhang umiikot na sa mga kasamahan nating ofw base sa mga natatanggap kong e-mails expressing their support to my sentiments. maraming salamat po for understanding what's goin on in my mind and heart.

meanwhile, have a great christmas everyone. saan man kayo magsi-celebrate ng pasko, let's make it more meaningful. and don't forget, spend wisely sabi ni owwa deputy director! hehehe...

the wounded ofw

(note: i already sent this to feedback@gmanews.tv today. however, feel free to forward this to any of your contacts - friends and families, fellow ofws and most importantly, media people you might know)

There’s nothing more painful than rubbing rock salt to a gaping wound. And topping it off with a few drops of lemon? Ouch!

That’s what I felt when I read the article ‘OWWA exec rules out special $ rate for OFWs’ by Marie Neri today at http://www.gmanews.tv/. The culprit? A supposedly high ranking official of the government arm that is supposedly tasked to look after the welfare of OFWs, ironically.

OWWA Deputy Administrator Noreil Devanadera reportedly said that “the families should instead be educated in having a change in their lifestyles. The OFW families should learn how to be wise in their expenditures and practice better management of their earnings," That was the rock salt.

This is the second time I’ve heard of this idea. The first time it was tossed around by the present government, an angry housewife penned an open letter that got circulated via e-mails and landed in, as far as I know, at least two tabloids. And now here it is again. Being an OFW all my life, I was just about to say ENOUGH ALREADY.

What the heck is wrong with Mr. Devanadera and all the other government officials who share the same line of thinking? Have their intelligence and doctoral degrees deserted them already? Have their fingers of no better use than pointing it somewhere else but themselves? Why keep on passing the buck to our families instead of coming up with better, more logical solution?

For your information people, not all OFW families are lounging in luxury. A lot of them, including my own family, are still struggling to make ends meet in your ill-fated Philippine economy. A lot of them are still renting shabby apartments or shanty-like houses in the murky parts of Metro Manila. A lot of them are still trying to survive the day’s expenses on three simple meals, paying enormous electric bills, taking on the ridiculous tuition fees, tricycle or jeepney fares, not to mention the exorbitant cost of medication. Why? Do I have to tell you how much a kilo of galunggong is? Do I have to tell you how much a sack of rice is? Do I have to tell you how expensive the medication of my already frail mom is?

And here you are telling them to spend their money wisely? How do you want them to do that? Enroll in UP College of Economics just to achieve your idea of wise spending?

Change their lifestyle? To what? Surely not to upgrade coz that would mean more ‘unwise’ spending. So downgrade? Yes? Well you are not just a bunch of morons but a bunch of ruthless technocrats as well.

How can you downgrade something that is already at the minimum? If a family is living simply, barely above the line of what you can call a ‘decent living’, how can you ask them to downgrade? No more three square meals? Two will do, is that what you want? Wow!

And now, the lemon drops.

“The foreign exchange will not affect the entire OFWs. There are only certain groups that are affected. These are the domestic helpers and laborers, who are in the $200 (monthly salary) bracket. But those who are earning euros are not affected by the strengthening of the peso," Devanadera said.

Mr. Devanadera sir, I’m sure you’ve heard it many times before: Less talk, less mistake. More talk, well, more enemies. And in this statement, you’ve just earned the ire of thousands of domestic helpers and laborers who feel insulted by your indifference. What they need right now is help from you and the government. Not a callous statement like that.

And you’re talking of Euro earners. Now where are your statistics? Do you mean OFWs outside the EU earning dollars are less in number and are, therefore, insignificant? Well, you also earned the wrath of OFWs like me in the Middle East and our brothers and sisters in the other 5 non-euro earning continents.

And oh, before I forget, let me mention Mrs. Corazon Atuel who, after being awarded the Model OFW Family of the Year award, was the dirty gauze to dress the wound. This lady beamingly announced “Hindi ako pabor diyan dahil dapat walang special treatment [ang OFWs]”. Newsflash Mrs. Atuel, what your fellow OFW’s are asking for is not a special treatment. What we are asking for are:

a: help to alleviate the current problem we have

b: a concrete manifestation of the many lip service by this government trumpeting OFWs as the new heroes, and

c: a miniscule return of the billions of dollars we are funneling, day-in and day-out to keep the heart of the Philippine economy beating.

So don’t you ever refer to it again as a special treatment. Because it is not. That goes as well to you Mr. Devanadera and the rest of your tribe.

(a whole lot) more on BMW Part 3

and finally, here's the conclusion of my very long article (article daw, oh!) about bmw...

so what are the things na pwede mong gawin kung may bmw ka and, as i said, hindi mo dapat inuuwi ang galit sa bahay mo?

in this aspect, marami kang pwedeng gawin. if you cannot face the person or a situation head on, try doing the following:

walk away from the person/situation – ito ang unang-una mong dapat gawin. let it pass. hayaan mong lumamig ang temper mo. palipas ka na lang ng galit. uminom ka ng isang basong tubig like what my friend raoul always says. saka ka mag-isip ng maayos. dahil totoo yong sinasabi nila na baluktot ang takbo ng utak mo pag galit ka. coz you ignore reason. ang energy mo, focused doon sa galit mo and you don’t think clearly. you say and do things na hindi mo dapat ginawa or sinabi. and remember, pag nasa isang laban ka, never say or do anything that you will say sorry for later. look at it as a war na pag ikaw ang nag-sorry, talo ka. kaya ingat ka not to be the one to apologize later.

analyze the situation. kung tama ka, pat yourself on the back dahil hindi ikaw ang asshole sa sitwasyon. kung ikaw naman ang mali, then work hard para hindi na maulit yon. otherwise, bubonic plague (read: bobo) ka na if you repeat the same mistake twice. at kung hati lang kayo ng kaaway mo – meaning partly tama ka pero mali din, then work harder. dahil ibig sabihin non may mali ka pa rin. and getting it half right is just as bad as getting it all wrong.

magpaka-philosophical. tulad nga ng sabi ko sa isang kaibigan, rise above the situation. put yourself above it. because if you put these people and these situations beneath you, then you have just elevated yourself to a higher form of existence. sobrang lalim ba? to make it simple, tingnan mo ang mga presidente ng bansa at mga ceo ng malalaking companies, they are so cool and composed. hindi mo sila pwedeng galitin basta-basta. kasi hindi na sila pumapatol sa mga trivial na bagay. they deal with bigger, grander things. which means, kung magpapa-apekto ka sa mga maliliit na bagay sa trabaho mo, hindi ka president o ceo material. you’re doomed to remain a sorry, lowly worker forever. so strive to be someone greater. kahit hindi ka maging president or ceo, at least you’ve become a bigger person inside yourself.

find a group. kung hindi mo talaga matiis na hindi ka dadakdak to somebody else, wag mong gawin sa friends or family outside your work. find someone within your work at sya/sila ang gawin mong shock absorber. at least madali syang maka-relate sa mga bmw mo. pero wag ka namang maglagay ng banner na “wanted, kakampi sa crusade against my jerk na amo”. be subtle. makiramdam ka lang. pag sa tingin mo nakakita ka ng kakampi, cultivate him as your confidante. at pag pareho na kayo ng wavelength, dito mo i-vent ang galit mo. magpalitan kayo ng pag-katay sa taong kinamumuhian nyo pareho. pero ingat ka lang kasi baka bumaligtad yang kakampi mo, pwedeng-pwede ka nyang ilaglag anytime.

the bash! hindi yong program ni boy abunda at cristy fermina huh. kung iba-bash mo ang taong kagalit mo, stay away from personal attacks. tandaan mo na kahit anong galit mo sa isang tao, you do not have the right to bash him/her on personal level. stay within bounds of work related issues. sabi nga, trabaho lang, walang personalan. if you stick on it, kahit saang korte kayo makarating, malaki ang laban mo.

ngayon, after you’ve tried all of the above and nothing worked, kung hindi mo talaga mapigil ang inis/galit mo, maghanap ka na ng karton. yes, carton boxes. kasi kailangan mo yan para lagyan ng mga gamit mo. coz you’ll definitely get your ass kicked dahil hinulog mo sa bintana yong office mate mo or binuhusan mo ng mainit na kape ang boss mo! pack your things and run! hehehe!

so bmw? ok lang yan. nasa iyo na kung paano mo sasakyan. huwag lang na ikaw ang masakyan. don’t let your bitching, moaning and whining get the better of you. talo ka pag ganon.