Updates please

I seriously need to update this blog, i have been on hiatus for quite some time now. May pinagdaanan kasi ako but it is all sorted out na since august pa but I was too lazy to update my blog. Will really try posting again soon, maybe tomorrow.....

Busy as a Bee

I had no time to blog as I have been really busy this past couple of week as I am back in working online again. I got work visa Odesk which I have blogged about before, Super okay nitong client ko na bago kasi mataas din ang rate per hour. I am juggling 2 online clients aside from my 8-5 day job.

Nakakaloka pa naman ang mga kasama ko dito sa work. Hirap talaga magwork sa ibang bansa kasi you have to deal with people from all nationalities, iba ang mga Pilipino mag work at iba din talaga mga ugali ng d natin kalahi. So many times I have thought about quitting. Yung tipong maiiyak ka na sa frustration sa mga kasama sa trabaho pero naiisip ko ang loan, sayang ang sweldo, ang nakasanayan na lifestyle etc. Pero next year wala na magbabantay sa mga bata so we need to rethink about our priorities again. Ayoko na muna mastress at isipin kung kakayanin namin na walang kasama sa bahay at maexcite na lang sa though tna tatabi na sa amin pag tulog si Lara at hands on na kami sa pagiging parents. Lara is already registered for KG1 so dalawa na estudyante namin, mas lumalaki ang gastos habang lumalaki ang mga bata. Yung tuition dito ay para ka na nag papaaral ng College sa mahal. Kaya naman talagang kung anong raket pwede gawin eh papasukin para sa magandang kinabukasan at para naman hindi kami for life dito sa abroad.

Anyway enough on my ranting and on to happy thought. Araw ko pala to, araw nating mga nanaya kaya  I would like to greet all mothers out there a Happy Mother’s Day.

Walk In Closet

I told my husband that if we build our dream home my only requirement is that I get to have a walk in closet. My closet is a mess. I can't seem to organize my clothes. It must be the limited space. I checked online on how I wanted it to look like and voila, I found my dream walk in closet.

Not too big and it looks very organize for  various clothing items and accessories, just perfect!

I miss blogging

I haven't been blogging as often as I would want to, busy busyhan kasi ako. 

What's the latest with me, well me and hubby are going home to the Philippines from March 1 -10 to attend a wedding at may aayusin na mahahalagang bagay para sa aming kinabukasan ^_^ Maiiwan ang kids dito however when we come back kasama ko na ang mommy at sister ko mag vacation sila dito ng 1 month, bongga d ba mag tour of UAE sila at dahil dyan kami ng asawa ko eh naka leave din ng 1 month para mapasyal sila ng bonggang bongga. 

Ngayon naman ang aming 1st church wedding anniversary. We plan to spend it with dinner later tonight. 

Yesterday, I am one proud mommy as my son who is super shy actively participated in their science exhibition as a junior scientist. As in mega experiment sila. Lumabas syempre ang aking pagka stage mother.

In fairness feeling ko payat ako sa outfit ko na to hehe... top from Zara, skirt from Gap and wedge from H and M

Buhay OFW

We have been living abroad for more or less 10 years. OFW kami for many years now. Nasanay na rin kami sa lifestyle at way of life dito. We have worked and lived in Saudi for 5 years and now we are in the UAE. Saudi is more strict while here in UAE it’s an open country, you can wear whatever you want although there are still a couple of restrictions as it is still a Muslim country. Honestly, I’m having a hard time imagining myself living in the Philippines, we would most likely go home for vacation and  might decide  to settle down for good back home but not really that soon.  We want that by the time we do decide to go home, we have a stable business, a home, car, enough funds and savings for the kids education and have done a European tour (wishful thinking). It’s not cheap here however we have gotten used to it. It is so easy to buy stuff, take loan etc. The salary earned is 10x as what I was earning when I was in the Philippines. We could buy whatever we want and spend on luxuries as we know we have enough to pay for it. It’s very important to budget, kami kasi sa “paglaki ng sahod, paglaki din ng gastos”. Coz you know you have money to pay for it you spend more than you should, you tend to spend on your wants aside from your needs. My mantra on this is that I would buy whatever I want kasi pinaghirapan ko to, pinagtrabahuan ko to. I am spending my own money and not anyone else’s.  My children have gotten used to having everything they want and not taking public transportation as here, me and hubby have our own car each. This is something quite difficult in the Philippines, bukod sa mahal ang gas ang mahal rin ng sasakyan. 

Me wearing an abaya in Saudi

 Dito dahil sa takot nila makulong, maputulan ng kamay etc. kahit maiwan mo bag, wallet, cellphone for sure andun pa rin yun pagbalik mo mapa mall, CR, restaurant etc. Kami nga naiwan namin sasakyan d nakalock overnight, andun pa rin naman kinabukasan d nacar nap. There is low crime rate here unlike back home. Sa Pinas, napaparanoid ako na baka masnatch, madukutan o mahold up. Pag nagbanggaan tatawag lang ng pulis at sasagutin na ng insurance ang pagpapaayos ng sasakyan minsan magtatanguan na lang pero sa Pinas, mag aaway, worse magbabarilan pa. Even health insurance is mandatory here so if you get ill, d ganon kamahal babayaran mo.

There are also downsides to working and living abroad. Language Barrier is one kasi pag nag Arabic na yan patay na d mo na alam ano sinasabi dito pa naman most Government institutions, banks, Arabic ang mga staff. Another thing would be the mix culture and nationality. In our workplace there are about 30+ nationalities, imagine having to deal  and relate with all of them. People have different personalities and way of working. This is frustrating and irritating at the same time.   

I would really want to go home to be with my family but it may be in 5-10 years from now, maybe by then the economy in the Phils. would be good and stable and not so many Filipino’s would opt to go work and live abroad.

Life in abroad is difficult. D madali ang trabaho dito, kaya minsan nakakainis din yung iniisip ng mga tao na pag galing ka abroad mayaman ka na at naglalakad ka na dollar, we work for every cent that we earn, d napupulot ang pera. These are sacrifices that needs to be made for a better and brighter future. Homesickness talaga ang kalaban at I am just lucky that I am not alone in this journey. My husband and kids are here and we are all in this together.

So cold!

Super lamig naman, parang naka centralized A/C lang ang budong paligid brrrrrrrr......

Tired

We have shorter working hours now because of Ramadan. We only work from 9-3 instead of the usual 8-5. However given this work schedule, the work doesn't seem to get finished.  Just like today since we had an advert that came out in the newspaper, so many CV's came in the email. I have to review more than 300 CVs which I started this morning however it will all pile up again tomorrow. I would not have time to review the CV's again tomorrow as I have interviews lined up the whole day. I'm having a headache looking at all the CV's and my eyes are strained. Aside from all this, I still have to ensure that my staff gets work done. I feel so tired and the heat does not help as well as it is really hot in here, that's why when I go home after having "meryenda", I would easily doze off. I'm really looking forward to next week as there is a 2 day holiday for Eid. I just hope I finish all my work before the holidays.

I'd probably sleep like a baby tonight zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.....

Motif

I am changing the motif of my kitchen items to fuschia pink. I started with the spoons and forks then the plates and bowls. Will look for table cloth as well. This is a short and quick post as I only used my Iphone for it ^_^

I need a break

Have you ever felt so down and feeling that things are just not working and it’s time to say “ooppss, teka lang break muna”. 

I am having this feeling lately with my job. It is really sad when something you used to love and enjoy is just not right for you anymore. I really feel that I need a break from it to contemplate on what I really want to do. Honestly, I am in a position which I never thought I would reach at this stage but I was given the opportunity to do so and I am getting the hang of it and working my best to keep my staff happy and satisfied and I am also being paid a salary which is more than I could ask for. However the satisfaction is not there, don’t get me wrong, I love my job, I love working in HR, it’s just that I am not happy with how things are happening. I don’t want to elaborate it any further baka kasi may makabasa but my friends who keep me sane in the office knows what I am talking about. The sad part is even if I want to resign, we just could not afford it. Looking for another job is another thing, I could not find a job that would pay me as much as I am being paid right now. Having the feeling of just waking up to go to work to pay the bills is really not good, when all you do is just look forward to payday. I love my family and that is why I hope this is just a passing phase in my life as I would do anything to have a better future for the kids. That is the main reason why we are sacrificing working abroad to earn more than what we can in our home country.  

Kung pwede lang sana mag break, more than just a 15 minute coffee break na ginagawa ko ngayon while sipping my cup of coffee and writing this, ginawa ko na siguro. Hay, nag loloka lokahan na naman ako, kelangan ko siguro ng KitKat.

My cup of moccacino while having my break. Coffee break pa rin ba ang tawag kung d coffee ang ininom mo ^_^

Something Fishy

Something happen to me last night that made me hate fish at dahil dyan ako ay sick leave today. While we were having dinner, I accidentally swallowed a fishbone. I thought I could just drink lots of water or a banana and it will be gone however I really felt uneasy that something is indeed stuck in my throat, yung parang may tumutusok. I let it be hoping that in the morning it will be gone. However when I woke up, I really did not feel well and the "tumutusok" feeling is still there. I tried getting it out to the point of vomiting all that I ate but still it is stuck. I had no choice but to go to the hospital. I was referred to an ENT who checked my through and had xray done. At first, the doctor could not see anything and then he tried again and thought he saw something. Grabe ang torture nakakangalay ngumanga at yung  foreign object na nilalagay sa bibig mo para makuha ang tinik ay nakakatakot talaga, yung parang gunting o tweezer na tipong takot ako na biglang may mahiwa. Nung may time na d mahanap yung tinik may pinasok na scope sa nose ko yun ang pinakatorture as in super iyak ako. Matapos ang pagkahaba habang proseso ay d pa rin nag appear ang tinik although wala na yung tumutusok na feeling siguro nalunok ko na o nadurog na sa dami ng kinalikot ng doctor sa bibig ko. Nangyari na sa akin to nung bata ako natinik na din ako at nadala sa ospital d ko lang matandaan paano nakuha. Hay, after all these I will really think twice before eating fish maliban na lang pag fish fillet.

Splash of Color

It was sale in Homes R Us so we decided to drop by and have a look around.

Colorful Pans

Floral is really "in" pati sa lutuan

Like this colorful chandelier

Despite all the cute and colorful items available, we only bought these items.

cute hanger for my accessories

Potpourri oil

It's really fun to look around even if you are not buying anything. Looking at all the items makes me really want to have a house of our own that we can decorate.

Ramblings....

Have not been blogging lately my OTD. The thing is hubby was off last week so he was able to take my photos in the morning but this week he returned back to work. His duty starts early so by the time he leaves, I am still in bed . When I get ready and leave for work the kids and my niece are still asleep. They are waking up late now since it is vacation for Nichos. His classes will start in September.  So no one is available to take my pics, tried doing it in front of the mirror pero nasasagwaan ako yung mirror kasi namin na whole body eh pinagdugtong dugtong lang so kita yung hati ng bawat mirror. Will see if hubby can take my photo when I get home pero haggard na ko by that time kaya wala na ko sa mood mag picture.

I feel so sleepy lately, as in super antok,  feeling ko kulang na kulang ako sa tulog pero d naman. Looking forward to the weekend to catch up on sleep. Can’t gala na kasi out of budget, tution time kasi. And of course going out means spending. Can’t help it, I am bound to pick up something when I go out. If not, we would be surely eating out, which is still spending and I tend to splurge on food.

With nothing to do , I am looking at my mom’s and sis pictures in FB from their Vietnam - Cambodia trip. They have been traveling a lot, for me the only place outside of Middle East and Pinas that I have been to is Hongkong and Macau. If I really have the time and the money, we will travel soon. 

Excited

Today marks the first day of February, what's so special about this month? Well, not only it is the love month, we are also going on vacation on the 11th for a very special day, our wedding day on the 26th.

I feel excited coz by next week, we'll be in the Philippines with family and friends and I will walk down the aisle as I had always dreamed of since I was a little girl. As I was driving to work this morning, I thought about how lucky I am to have a promising career, great family, loving husband and wonderful children, I really could not ask for more. I feel so blessed and loved.

Updates

We just got home from the hospital as Nichos was confined since yesterday due to rotavirus. He got dehydrated from diarrhea and vomiting. Now he's better than ever. Very hyper and active more than usual.

I also had my check up today at 29 weeks. Everything is well with me and the baby. I have been feeling the kicks and bumps here and there. She is becoming so active. I am scheduled to have an elective CS at 38 weeks which will probably be 1st week or 2nd week of May.

My temp job is now a permanent job effective yesterday although I have yet to sign my contract but I know all will go well. I will ask again tomorrow about my contract.

We are busy finding a 2 bedroom apartment as we only have 1 bedroom now. We would need another room when the baby comes as we will be getting my husband's niece to take care of my kids. It's hard finding a flat within our budget and location is very important as we do not have a car yet. Hubby still did not pass the road test which he has to re-take in April and I'm planning to get a license of my own too probably after I give birth. Buying a car is not a problem getting a license is.

I thank the Lord for so many answered prayers and I had a good start with 2009.

Back to the workforce....

After being unemployed for almost a year, I am now back to being a career woman. I started working again last January 21. I am doing what I love in a career that I want which is HR and recruitment and the pay is really good too. I am only on a temporary basis now in the company but eventually once I give birth in May, they'll hire me permanently after. The office is just very near our place so it's no pressure for me. I have waited to have a job here in Al Ain for months now and this is one of my answered prayers. Good thing they hired me even if I'm already 5 month pregnant.

I enjoyed being a stay at home mom and being able to spend time with Nichos but as we all know it has not kept me from being busy as while I am at home I still work on online jobs. Some women are really born to be home makers while others want a career. I want to have the best of both worlds and I know I can manage to be a mom, wife and a career woman, all rolled into one.

My new collection

I am fond now of collecting stuff toys but I don't buy them I just get them from amusement centers where it takes luck and patience to be able to get one. I only have 1 stuff toy to start with given by my hubby to me as an anniversary gift and now I have more still given by my hubby. These stuff toys will be decorations in our upcoming baby's crib for sure.

Medical Transcription Course

I'm starting my online medical transcription course already. It is something new to me as I'm not familiar with medical terms but the materials I got was really worth it and complete. It has everything from the audio files, software needed even the medical dictionary. I even get help online with a tutor. I still have a long way to go but hopefully I can finish it in 4 months.

Work or study update

When I wrote a few days back about being undecided on whether to work or study, until now I still did not make up my mind but the great news is I already have work. It's not your ordinary work wherein you go to the office. I have a home based job. I will be working from home starting tomorrow. It is a great option for me as I can take care of my son while working and attend to hubby as well. I have read opinions from those who already started in this kind of job. They all have the same feedback that it is a wise decision especially for stay at home mom's and wives who want to earn money for themselves and still have time for their family. Just think about it, you can work while watching TV, looking after your son, doing the laundry, no traffic, no need for office clothes, you can work wearing whatever you want. You can find jobs in Craigslist or www.odesk.com. That's where I found my 2 jobs. I now need to be able to manage my time at home between my work and my family and maybe also find the time to study as well.

Need to Lose Weight

I need to lose weight. When I gave birth, I never did go back to my old figure. Though some people say I'm not fat, if they saw me when I was still single, they'd surely say that I've gained some weight. When old friends see me, they'd usually say "tumaba ka". I miss my flat tummy and my 24-25 waistline. When I was in College, I was really thin and I could wear anything I want. My friend Irene, even commented on friendster that "siya lang nakakapagsuot ng tube sa
kahabaan ng antonio na carry niya talaga!"I could eat anything and not gain a pound. I miss those days.

But now my tummy is a problem. My waistline is still in the 20's but much higher. I need to moderate what I eat and lessen chocolates which is very hard as I really have a sweet tooth. During our last grocery shopping, I did not buy Baskin Ice Cream as a start. And now, we bought a new exercise machine, a stationary bike. I can exercise while watching TV. It's gonna be a start so I can lose some weight.

Trademark No More

Ever since I was born, my mole has become my trademark. The doctor even thought it was dirt. As years go by, it became bigger but it never really bothered me as I was okay with it. My husband was even convincing me to have it removed and even 1 doctor in Saudi offered to do the procedure for free but I still was not convinced. Coz I believe "swerte" ko yung mole ko. But since yesterday I felt that my mole was changing it was not as smooth as before and nagbleed kasi natamaan ko so I was alarmed. I went to the Doctor today to have to checked although at the back of my mind there was fear on what the doctor has to say but I said to myself prevention is better than cure. The Doctor said I still need to observe it or to have peace of mind, have it removed. I was having second thoughts but I felt I really had to do it than be burden with a long term consequence like Cancer perhaps. And so after 27 years of having a mole, which my grandmother told me was my beauty mark, I had it excised. My chin has a bandage now and the doctor even gave me the removed mole for souvenir. So Trademark no more for me but still happy.