Reblogging: THE SACRIFICE MY FILIPINO MAID MAKES

I came across of this blog in my FB timeline that brought so much pails of tears. As an OFW myself, I spiritually salute this big guy who happens to be the co-founder of Nuffnang from Malaysia.

I have no words to say but...THANK YOU SO MUCH FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART. With or without your permission, I'd surely spread the word by reblogging it..down here is the story of a big hearted man.

Mr. Timothy Tiah - the co-founder of Nuffnang..

For the past 2 years I’ve had the honour and luxury of having a wonderful Filipino maid. I won’t say her name her but lets call her Geraldine.
Geraldine first started working with my wife and I two years ago. I remember her first few days with us. She was very shy and quiet. Sometimes I couldn’t help but feel that she might even be afraid of us but I guess having to live for the first time under a stranger’s roof far far away from home can make anyone scared.
In the first few weeks I often found her in her room looking out the window. When she looked at me I could see the tears in her eyes that would immediately prompt me to ask her what’s wrong. But she always just brushed it off and said nothing.
We thought that perhaps to add to the anxiety of being away from home alone, she probably missed her family too. So my wife and I arranged for her to call home as often as we could. She would give me a phone number with a +63 prefix on it written on a small torn piece of paper with pen.
When I dialed the number I could see her eagerly waiting….. sometimes nobody would pick up the phone on the other side. Then I would see her turn away disappointed.
At the times when someone did pick-up though, I left her with the privacy of my room to talk and I could always hear her excitedly talking to her family in Tagalog. I never knew what she said but I could sense nothing but happiness in her tone. It was like the only thing she looked forward to each day.
Two years passed and things changed.
- We got to know more about Geraldine. How she had 5 kids back in Philippines. The eldest being 17 and the youngest being 4. years old.
- She had gotten a lot more comfortable with us so she talked and joked more with us. She smiled a lot more too and I never saw her again with teary eyes.
- She had discovered other things to look forward to. After dinner she would watch American Idol or The Voice on Astro. Or sometimes she would watch some Filipino drama on TV.
- She had become family… so much that I almost don’t like referring to her as our maid. I prefer the word “babysitter” since she now helps take care of my newborn son.
Then as the two years came to an end, she had a decision to make. She could either go home for good with whatever money she earned, or she could extend her stay with us. She decided to extend her stay… but to go back to the Philippines for a month before she returned to continue work for another two years.
Geraldine returned from her month off yesterday with a new hairstyle and looking happy. I don’t know if it was happy to see my son FIghter or happy to see us again but she was happy nevertheless. I asked her loads of questions. Like what she did at home during her month off (she said she spent most of it doing housework, washing clothes and doing laundry for her family… we joked that even at home she had to work).
One of the stories she told me got me a little teary. When she left the Philippines to work in Malaysia, her youngest daughter was 2 years old. By the time she returned, her daughter was 4.
Geraldine’s daughter didn’t recognize her as her mom but spent a month to get to know her. She would bring her daughter around and her daughter would often call out to her “Hoi hoi… buy me candy”.
Finally the month came to an end and it was time for Geraldine to head back to Malaysia. As she said bye, her 4-year old daughter asked her not to go.
Geraldine said to her 4-year old “I need to go so I can earn money and buy you more candy”.
Her daughter disappeared for a few minutes and then came back with something in her fist. She announced “I have money. Don’t go…”.
Then she opened her fist to reveal a few coins.
Geraldine smiled.
This story made me remember the sacrifice that Overseas Filipino Workers (or workers from any country for that matter) make day in and day out. The cost isn’t just being away from their country. It’s being away and not being able to see their kids grow up. Geraldine would never know what her 4 year old daughter was like when she was 3…. and there are many many more overseas workers just like her.
We often talk about how hard we work. The long hours, the stress we face. But compare it to the sacrifice Geraldine and workers like her make and it’s really nothing. Suddenly the fact that I could see my son every day after work was a luxury beyond anything else I could ever ask for.
Society has us admire people who work hard and become successful businessmen or artists or actors or any of these things. But what can be harder than having to leave your kids for two years at a time and miss watching them grow up?
The worst part is that we sometimes forget. Heck we sometimes even forget that our maids or helpers are mothers to some kids some thousands of miles away. So my hope of this article is that whoever reads this is reminded of the people our maids are and the monumental sacrifice they make. And that they are mothers to kids back home who really really miss them.

Story taken from : http://www.timothytiah.com/ 

Travel Postcards

I love travelling, and pictures would always serve as tangible memories to prove especially when travel memories are slowly erased and oblivion by time. When I get bored, I browse my albums where I saved all my pictures and tries to rekindle the happiness I got from travelling.

This awestruck me for the first time, seeing Thai people worshiping an elephant. My stay in Thailand opened a good door for me travelling the nearby countries.

These are the first photos that I took when I first set foot in Thailand. Eventually, Thailand was the first country abroad I had been to. Truly the pictures aren't that clear because I was using HP digital compact cam, nonetheless, it remains vivid and memorable.

Of course, my travel in Thailand wasn't only for pleasure but to work as well, herewith were my High School students on their traditional costumes.

Was on the rooftop of the tower while taking a pic of this beautiful garden connected to the main street in Vientianne - Laos

The second country that I went to, was Laos. It's not as economically rich comparing to Thailand but the country is beautiful. Behind me is 

I took this picture early morning while I was wandering around the city of Singapore. Just wishing that Philippines could be as disciplinary as the Singaporeans.

The famous landmark of Singapore, the Merlion with a floating Styrofoam in the front. A day backpacking trip wasn't enough but then, it was worth the visit.

Of course, my trip to Poland was a immeasurable because it gave me the chance to peep out the other side of Europe. When I say Europe, they are rich in history, the buildings would always astound me and its romanticism.

Traditional dance from Romania was so exotic as it was my first to see European displayed of different countries presentation around Europe.

Dancers from Turkey. It was in Poland did I learn that western part of Turkey is Europe and the east is Asia. I met a lot of Turkish in Poland & even encountered a Jesus look alike guy, that encountered led us into friends.

Batu Cave Malaysia. That giant image at my back reminds of the image being mentioned in the Bible..

Of course, I didn't let the moment to pass without taking a shot with the tallest twin tower in the world - Petronas Tower.

This is called the "Little India" in Kuala Lumpur. Lots of Indian stores, resto and other. The place was cleaned and partly attractive.

Little Boy

This is my version taken from the original script that I saw online. As an experienced traveler, I have seen some parts of the world which we thought it's bigger than we can imagine, but smaller than we think.

Dear Little Boy,

Someday, you will experience heartbreak.

You’ll go through a messy break up.

You’re dream job won’t work out. Someone you care about will pass away.

When this happens, little boy, you TRAVEL.

See the world. It’s bigger than you can imagine but smaller than you think.

You’ll come home a new person. Everytime. That’s a promise.

-Eric-

Strangest Place I Slept

One of the best things about travelling is not knowing where you gonna lay yourself to sleep, especially if you don't plan it. I find it so interesting and adventurous one when you try yourself to be led astray intentionally for once in your life. 

I found myself in Singapore in the middle of New Year's eve celebration mixing with the Indians sleeping outside of the train station without minding the cold floor and smelly drunk Indian men around. That was the strangest place I slept so far without any sleeping bag on or mattress.

To be exact, I didn't have a good sleep then...I woke up so tired and sleepy but it was a good experience, really. However, since it was an unplanned trip I wandered around the city walking without any breakfast, lunch nor shower till my feet brought me in a secluded park surrounded with tall trees taking a catnap with other Singaporean men sleeping on a different separated benches.

Inside of the train station in Singapore.

in the city, without any breakfast nor lunch.




Felt myself so comfortable and safe while sleeping.

Why Travel?

I was (a little) blog absent for a while, it's not that I didn't have much time to blog at all but the unneeded busyness held me to pause and stopped chronicling my stories for a while. School has been so draining these days that prevented me to update my blog.
Just entitling my blog Why Travel? Yeah, why travel? what's in travelling? Some may have strongly disagreed on someone to travel especially these days that money is so tight and economically hard. My family had been travelling the Philippines since back then, even before I was born. When I was a kid my family frequently travels from central part of the country going to the north down to the south. That's when the passion of travelling started to come out. After that, curiosity have bothered me of questioning what its like to be in the other side of the world, and the wanting of seeing the famous landmarks of the world that I'd only see in the pictures and in television.
My first travel abroad was in Thailand when a certain opportunity of teaching came. I saw a lot of travelers mostly backpackers in Thailand, that keeps me motivated to travel to the nearby places and see the world.
I just realized from my travel experiences that we are all the same despite of our differences in culture, language and belief, that there are still good souls around who are nice within though we are far differ from each other. The world is just a small planet when you start a single step & waited to be discovered. Traveling is incredibly exciting on different ways, so as gratifying more. There's nothing more satisfying materially by learning the world & discovering its beauty. What makes it more so adventurous is it helping me to rediscover of myself and expand the horizon of my minds by understanding other people & becoming less judgmental.
The thirsty of learning other cultures and knowing their history has made me motivated also that life defines on what we see literally & making it more real clearly through our travels.

A good travel advice from a world reknown Novelist and lyricist Paulo Coelho: as a traveller, I profoundly agreed everything what he said except on number 1, yet, he had good points there but visiting museums is one of the great connections of knowing the past.

Travelling differently

by PAULO COELHO on FEBRUARY 7, 2008

By Paulo Coelho

I realised very early on that, for me, travelling was the best way of learning. I still have a pilgrim soul, and I thought that I would use this column to pass on some of the lessons I have learned, in the hope that they might prove useful to other pilgrims like me.

1. Avoid museums. This might seem to be absurd advice, but let’s just think about it a little: if you are in a foreign city, isn’t it far more interesting to go in search of the present than of the past? It’s just that people feel obliged to go to museums because they learned as children that travelling was about seeking out that kind of culture. Obviously museums are important, but they require time and objectivity – you need to know what you want to see there, otherwise you will leave with a sense of having seen a few really fundamental things, except that you can’t remember what they were.

2. Hang out in bars. Bars are the places where life in the city reveals itself, not in museums. By bars I don’t mean nightclubs, but the places where ordinary people go, have a drink, ponder the weather, and are always ready for a chat. Buy a newspaper and enjoy the ebb and flow of people. If someone strikes up a conversation, however silly, join in: you cannot judge the beauty of a particular path just by looking at the gate.

3. Be open. The best tour guide is someone who lives in the place, knows everything about it, is proud of his or her city, but does not work for any agency. Go out into the street, choose the person you want to talk to, and ask them something (Where is the cathedral? Where is the post office?). If nothing comes of it, try someone else – I guarantee that at the end of the day you will have found yourself an excellent companion.

4. Try to travel alone or – if you are married – with your spouse. It will be harder work, no one will be there taking care of you, but only in this way can you truly leave your own country behind. Traveling with a group is a way of being in a foreign country while speaking your mother tongue, doing whatever the leader of the flock tells you to do, and taking more interest in group gossip than in the place you are visiting.

5. Don’t compare. Don’t compare anything – prices, standards of hygiene, quality of life, means of transport, nothing! You are not traveling in order to prove that you have a better life than other people – your aim is to find out how other people live, what they can teach you, how they deal with reality and with the extraordinary.

6. Understand that everyone understands you. Even if you don’t speak the language, don’t be afraid: I’ve been in lots of places where I could not communicate with words at all, and I always found support, guidance, useful advice, and even girlfriends. Some people think that if they travel alone, they will set off down the street and be lost for ever. Just make sure you have the hotel card in your pocket and – if the worst comes to the worst – flag down a taxi and show the card to the driver.

7. Don’t buy too much. Spend your money on things you won’t need to carry: tickets to a good play, restaurants, trips. Nowadays, with the global economy and the Internet, you can buy anything you want without having to pay excess baggage.

8. Don’t try to see the world in a month. It is far better to stay in a city for four or five days than to visit five cities in a week. A city is like a capricious woman: she takes time to be seduced and to reveal herself completely.

9. A journey is an adventure. Henry Miller used to say that it is far more important to discover a church that no one else has ever heard of than to go to Rome and feel obliged to visit the Sistine Chapel with two hundred thousand other tourists bellowing in your ear. By all means go to the Sistine Chapel, but wander the streets too, explore alleyways, experience the freedom of looking for something – quite what you don’t know – but which, if you find it, will – you can be sure – change your life.