The Makiav3llian Enchantment…

My friend and I were actually chatting when we suddenly got talking about salaries. She actually is complaining how bad she felt that her husband is on the receiving end of the short side of the stick, managing around 20 people with outrageous working hours. I was actually assuming a small four digit salary but when she told me how much her husband got, I was a little surprised. I mean my friend and her husband were both earning in the five digit range. So what did this mean to me? At first I was envious about this whole thing, who wouldn’t be? I am earning just enough dough for my family. My wife and daughter’s disposition is understandable and I know my wife tried to get extra income. She’s lost so much sleep trying to help me, I am so proud of my wife and how she manages things for me, though she doesn’t know, I just want to keep bringing in bacon and she enjoy her motherhood or go to work when she chooses. Of course reality kicks in and at the end you suddenly feel that bitterness that comes with other’s success. Now let me tell you what you can do about it… Well, absolutely nothing because the only thing you should have feeling for is happiness for your fellow man. Bitterness is an ingredient of envy, the best friend of crab mentality… Why would you want to bring this person down? Just because he has tasted success doesn’t mean you have the right to bring down the efforts of their work. Yes I feel jealous but at the same time I feel proud of my own success and the others as well. Instead of being a crab, I think it is just better to be happy for them. Besides the numbers you make is just mere status symbol, would you like to be known only because of the money you make? Be happy because there are other people that could be in worse position than you. Besides it is not about how much money you make, it is how you use it to be of benefit to the people you love. Thanks to Rona of reminding me about it’s not the amount you get but you want to spend it on.

My best friend Dervin finally came back to Dubai after years of torment back home. A guy with three kids and loving wife finally decides to come to Dubai, although I believe he is still in his prime, he lacked major competition and drive back home. The thing about Dervin and I is that I consider him one of my biggest rivals and mentor in the game of IT. Without him I basically didn’t get that drive in my system to actually be better. As much as I would be a best friend, I always kept my positive outlook with Dee, although coming to Dubai with only job experience at hand (he hasn’t finished working with his diploma yet) and a heavy heart, it looked kind off grim since the "gulf experience" he carries was only staying and studying in Dubai from 1988 to 1995.
So after two months Dee was hopeful on his first interview which never materialized. It saddened because it was good deal with a very nice regularization pay but never came through after a lot of promises. Although I told Dervin to take it since he was starting without any "gulf experience." Alas, things didn’t really turn out the way it should. Even the visa change thing didn’t really workout for Dervin when he "exited" Oman, aside from giving me the flu, Dee was suppose exit Oman within a span 8 hours, unfortunately, the total experience cost him 48 hours that will never be given back to him.
Things didn’t really start right with Dee and during his return he told how he got an interview from some company in Dubai Airport Free Zone. He actually started complaining how bad his interview went with the opening comment from the interviewer saying in an nice sarcastic Indian tone… "Tell me more about Dervin?" Dee was totally down for the count with the way he narrated the entire sequence, a three hour wait and less than 10 minute interview, I honestly thought he wasn’t going to last this long. With Dee going out with out an dough and hope, I really felt bad myself since I really couldn’t do a lot now that I am in Al Ain. Now as Harvey Dent said, "The night is darkest just before the dawn." and for Dervin’s case, the darkest hour of his stay may have been that. Then one Monday morning Dee called me and told me he was going start at the same company. As enthusiastic as he was, I was actually relieved, I was sincerely happy for my best friend. As bitter rivals, we constantly challenged each other and there are tendencies that I underestimated Dee, but this time, he delivered! No one lost this round, we both won. Dee gets to work now, support his family and is now officially called an OFW, in which he says the letter "O" with such distinction as if here were in an orgasm. As for me, I got a permanent best friend who I can stick with day in, day out, one that can challenge me and make me more efficient. I’m happy for Dee, and I am happy for myself, I am not alone anymore.

Isa, my Imate 8502, named after my daughter has been with me for around 2 months. She actually replaced my 3 month old Sony Ericsson T650i. I actually loved that unit and I was really hesitant to sell it. Right now, it’ in the hands of my beloved wife and she actually likes it, replacing the year old W880i I gave her. The reason why I decided to dispatch my T650i is plain and simple, loyalty to Microsoft and overall ease working with Windows Mobile. Unfortunately, my I-Mate ran into a little problem around 2 weeks ago, the keyboard backlight wasn’t working, I may have dropped the unit but I thought I could let it pass, actually, I couldn’t… I couldn’t type in the dark and yesterday, 18th of July, 2008, I sent it back to Jacky’s Electronics. The good thing about it is that they accepted it without question and took the unit, guaranteeing me 10 days that it will be brought back. I hope and pray that this will be the case but as of right now, I am relapsing and having withdrawal syndrome within the next the 3 hours after letting go of my unit.
I go with my unit everywhere, in the bathroom, during my road trips, in everything I do, my unit is there, she’s actually is my alarm clock in the morning. The fact that she actually organizes my life, I feel like I am lost or without directions. I just feel that I am half the man I use to be and it will take a lot of getting use to. Thanks to my bro Marlon for lending me his Nokia 6600 and I have something to call someone at least.

The thing I always hate about starting anew is the moving bit particularly the part where the thing is inter emirate. Having renewed my stay here, you may very well know that I have fully established myself here in the UAE. I’ve got sufficient clothing, gadgets, toys, kitchen utensils and worse of all, furniture. Having lived in my dad’s flat all this time, I’ve really become accustomed to just buying and keeping; the throwing away part doesn’t seem to be so relevant.
Today though was the day I actually began to think that collecting wasn’t really a cool idea. I’ve already anticipated that I will be up and about in Al Ain bouncing like a bright red ball. This was a reason why I sold Project Piece-© and got my laptop. Unfortunately, it was the only thing I cut to size, everything else remained the same. Today, I started the herculean task of moving out of Dubai and settling in Al Ain. I took all my stuff and I began reminiscing of the time in the past when we moved from Satwa to Karama, Karama to Deira, Deira to Antipolo, moving is always tough, not just on the pocket but also on the mind and body. It’s very stressful moving furniture and always being told what and what not to do. My cabinet is on furniture that puts the capital S on the word StreSS. The things weighs like a beached whale and as precious as a hand crafted narra art work. It would take two Pakistanis to bring it down and since I could only afford one laborer, I myself struggled with the eye catching damnation bringing it down a flight of stairs and onto an awaiting truck. However, as relieved as I was to get it into the truck unscratched, it isn’t the only thing I had. To my dismay, I spent the entire morning just hauling’ aside from having the after thought that this was only the first half. Once we get in Al Ain, it would be the same thing but more difficult because we had to move furniture up the 2nd floor. I really don’t know how flat designing was done previously but it is hilarious because the elevator was designed to accommodate two people only in the flat I am moving into. I just don’t get it at all! The old place I stayed did not allow the elevator to stop on the first floor but this was bad enough. It was tiring a day indeed and it did cost me an arm and leg. Tired and broken, the only thing I could scream out at back of mind with a sigh was… NEVER AGAIN…
Side note: I would like to thanks Ate Lydia, Luzel and Marlon for accompanying me and helping, I fed you guys well. To Dervin, you’ve just Picasso-ed me you mofo… Lol!

It has almost been 3 weeks since I moved to Al Ain and it isn’t as bad as many people make me believe it is. Yes, it isn’t a bustling city like Dubai or as grandeur as Dubai Marina but it’s a cross between a rural and urban town. Suburban would be a cliché because this place is like Dubai 20 years ago.
Anyways, as I make my transition to a completely new environment, it brings back the Melvin of 4 years ago. I mean I was alone and had to fend for myself. I did my own laundry up to this day but I stopped ironing my stuff. Now I am doing them again and I actually find it amusing to do. Believe me, we never really appreciate this thing but when you are alone and broke or just trying to kill time, this would be a good thing. It does tire me out but I don’t get bored at all. I watch movies while doing this chore so I guess it isn’t as monotonous as one could think of it. Unfortunately, one of the gripes I live with is that I can’t practice cooking given the condition that I still don’t own my place.
Other than that breakfasts are bland with laban, orange juice and Chip’s Ahoy. I’ve got a routine so unless I am willing to wake up earlier than 525AM then this has to be the daily drill. I’ve done this all before and I think it’s going to be a while before I get tired of it. Old dog, old tricks and still a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

When you just thought there wasn’t really a valid reason to prolong my stay in Dubai, something else should pop right out of the blue. No, it wasn’t a job offer nor was it a counter offer from my previous employer, though it would be only a price tag of 12K or higher that would be the only thing that could attract me back.
I was in for a shock and though I was warned ahead, I never expected it to be so soon. I announce to the entire UAE, after more then 15 years, my best friend in Dubai has finally decided to come back. I was taken in for a shock when some clown decided to call me and ask for directions. Little did I know that it actually was my best friend Dervin Correa. I mean my best friend whom after all this time, I finally have him all for myself. Ok, that sounds really lame but with the way our relationship soured in the Philippines, this was such a great opportunity for me to get things working again. You’d never guess how crappy it really was, I’d get home for Christmas and we’d never even try to meet up except for the Christmas party where we don’t even spend time talking and it’s a real shame. However since he’ back I thing we can get our groove back even though we are 15 years older it’s still the good ol’ Dee and Mak connection. And as for you Dee, welcome back old friend, welcome back…

After much deliberation and hiding, I finally get to tell the world that I have successfully moved to another part of the UAE. I really didn’t get into a free agent tussle but I finally decided to move forward and after six months going through Tawam Hospital’s rigorous screening process. My deepest thanks to Tito Jim for considering me for this position and fighting for me as the position was destined for a UAE national.
So just to make it official and something of a very late announcement, I have now transferred to Tawam Hospital and I am no longer a resident of Dubai as my work has now brought me to Al Ain. As for first impressions, everything that was told to me about this small but friendly town is true. Despite its small stature, Al Ain is pretty much alright, though it is not as booming as Dubai, it does have one of the better hospitals in the gulf and it definitely has one of the better pro-staff systems there could be. I personally believe I landed on a gold mine with Tawam and most likely I’ll be plying my trade here in Al Ain for a while. I may be far from Dubai but I definitely feel right at home.

I’ve been getting queries from a lot of people, Mak, how much does it take to survive in Dubai? How much can I send back home if my salary is so and so… Fortunately, I do have an answer to all these inquiries but unfortunately, much like breaking up, there isn’t a really a good way to say it particularly if you have a family to support back home. So the 6 Million Dollar question is… Can I save any money if I get 3000AED as salary? The answer is a BIG and resounding NO. Let me give you a break down on how this thing goes…

Accommodation:
Minimum: 500AED                        Optimal: 700AED

With this budget, you simply get a bed to sleep in and your very own version of Big Brother, Dubai Edition. Of course, you share a room with maybe 4 people and a cabinet to put your stuff in, other than that, that is the best this budget can buy. You may get lucky from time to time with the place having facilities like an automatic washing machine, television with TFC and wireless internet. Of course, it increases your bill by a little but having an automatic washing machine is next best thing to having a maid around. You can’t get it any cheaper unless you love in Sharjah or on the outskirts of Dubai. Majority of the time you will be living with people from the Philippines but there will be instance that there will be other nationalities staying with you, this makes for Pinoy BB with an international flavor! Expect times when you are trying to get along with everyone, factions, petty quarrels and all sorts of drunken misadventures to happen every now and then. This is the UAE experience, LIVE it, love it.

Food:
Minimum: 400AED                        Optimal: 600AED

Unless in the place you stay you have internal arrangement with your flat mates, expect to be shelling out this much on your budget. I am sorry to say but don’t expect the best of Mom’s good ol’ cooking unless you really listened to you mother way back and cooked. You get what you pay for, budget price = budget meal. Breakfast will consist of coffee and some bread or head to the office and order egg paratha (3AED) from your local cafeteria. Of course you will have a decent meal at least once every week and more often than not, you may find yourself eating out at your local shwarma (3.50AED) joint more often than you think. So, unless your budget consists of Chicken Tikka (9AED) meal at Karachi Darbar, you may not have healthy eating habits but you will get your fill.

Transport:
Minimum: 400AED                        Optimal: 600AED

Transport as you know is very expensive in the UAE. Why 400AED, this is unless you have company service, you spend 350AED minimum on Fancy or Avis. It’s not as cheap as it use to be but at the end of the day you tell yourself that you are so thankful that you didn’t take the Dubai "overcharge" Taxi or RTA "always full and late" Bus. If you do decide to go to work with the RTA bus, you can bring the costs down to 150Aside from this, you would need to allocate some dough on your gimmicks, regardless if it is bus or taki, you may end up spending more than 150AED per month on transportation expenses.

Miscellaneous:
Minimum: 800AED                        Optimal: 1200AED

You wouldn’t believe me if I actually told you guys that I live off a 500AED budget per month on miscellaneous which actually includes my transport budget. Miscellaneous is basically additional expenses which includes your gimmicks, trips to the movie, ice cream and Starbucks Coffee. You can also include the minimum amount you are paying to your credit card because of that new iPhone you just had to buy but have no idea how to use it. Believe me, there are many things you will spend so unnecessarily not because you need them but because it’s the only thing that gives you a feeling of fulfillment. It also gives you that feeling that you are a cut above the rest, unfortunately, as much as you think how your mobile phone gives you your status symbol, show my your bank account and the number of credit cards you have… Nuff Sed.

This is only the tip of the iceberg really; there are some many things you have to put into consideration when doing the budgeting. Besides, I’ve only given you the expenses, what about the money you are suppose to send back home. So taking into account the minimum expenses with a salary of 3000AED, the grand total you take home is 900AED. That roughly falls into 10115PhP, not including the deductions for sending it by money transfer and the deductions made by the banks. Now think, after a work schedule of six days a week, ten hours per day and a snobby SOB boss to boot, is 10K really worth all this trouble? Then again, at least you survive in a foreign land and you are the new generation of Pinoy heroes, the proverbial OFW.

I’m quite fortunate that I’ve been surrounded by beautiful company, whether it be inside or outside. I mean take for example, my wife is a former Ms. Roosevelt winner, my friends Beth and Rica were beauty contest participants, Ms. Pampanga and Ms. AMA respectively. My friend Madel is an Emirates Airline flight stewardess, Michelle was taken for a jewel advertisement, Ruth was Mr. Dick Gordon’s associate and there are so much more to mention. I’m not so picky with people, its just coincidence that they seem to be head-turners. Even luckier that I share the same breathing space and have shared some great stories or moments with them.
Anyways, we know how critical we are about the way we look; it’s always the first thing we see in a person, unless you are more into the online dating scene, how your online counterpart looks like plays a big role when you guys meet. Anyways, there is always the pressure to look good in front of these people; however this is not the burden I carry. The attitude, "always be yourself" and display self confidence is the thing that carries me when I am with them. There was a time however where I was so conscious about the way I look and I wasn’t always so confident and full of it. It was during the time from September until late January when I really took a beat down on my confidence level. Honestly speaking I was a facial mess and when I mean a mess, you would have thought that Pacquiao’s last opponent would look better after the beat down he’d take from him. It was horrible because I was very dependent on the way I look and unfortunately, the way I look was not what others would see now. I had large pimples which ached a lot when it was growing; it took forever to mature and was always lumpy. Aside from this, the scars it would leave on my previously unblemished face, was a constant reminder that I was not looking my best; the blemishes would simply not fade. Every moment I woke up, I always kept telling myself that things will always turn out right, looking in front of the mirror proved me otherwise. My self-esteem was low and everyone was asking what was happening to me. I believe that the sun and beach was good for me and since there was Vitamin E and salt water for drying up those nasty bumps. Wrong again, this whole beach activity actually dug my grave. Fine, I was in a state of depression and the beach always brought me back to a better (well sometimes better) state of mind but it was not the best thing for my skin.
So when I went home last December 23, my Mom saw me and was quite shocked to find out how bad my condition was. My Mom was looking great and my state was almost the same as Marlon, my younger brother. As of now, we are both recovering but it was sad to see that I was very conscious about the way I looked. My best friend Mike even made it worse by commenting what the "hell" happened to me. My Mom shouldered the tab for my treatment and it wasn’t the easy. It was painful and bloody, not to mention mind numbing of the amount of dirt you can actually get on your face. For the first time in my life, I had two soaps, whitening tablets and a routine to do for my face. Never in my life would I think of being vain but for me to get better, I actually had to do this. It wasn’t being vain actually, it was because the skin is more sensitive that we think, after all, the skin is the largest organ of the human body, it should be cared for most. After spending close to 900AED, I went through this facial procedure; it was only the beginning of a tedious road to recovery. I was under constant threat for the past 3 years being out on the field, I couldn’t easily reverse the damage, trying to have it repaired in 3 weeks, was an impossible task.
Since arriving early January, I had to go through the routine and with a little help of proper hygiene; things did get better for me. I’m already past the half way mark and I did buy new products to help me. Now, it’s just blemishes, hopefully, I’ll get that radiant glow back. During the time I got back, some friends did comment on the improvement, at the end of the day, I got my confidence back regardless of how I looked. My friends accepted me the way I was and nothing did change with the way I interacted with any of them. As for now, I accept the fact that it isn’t only women who go through great lengths to look good. Men now consider looking good as a key component in their lives, is it because they are all becoming metrosexuals? The cosmetic industry is now a billion dollar industry since the men started to get more involved with their appearance. To end it all, to look like a million dollars, all you have to do is think and feel like one, a million dollars can never make you.

As the grammar freak that I am, I purposely misspelled INVADERS to put emphasis on the word EVADE. I was walking out from the Police HQ back to the bus stop when I spot this message in one of the shops. I just had to take a picture of this since it was really interesting… So leaning on the glass means, you will be thrown embarrassment or embarrassing remarks, so you better alert. So, I think it is better to AVOID being embarressed than evading it…

Older is actually the album of George Michael released on April 15, 1996. It’s pretty old and this is what I would like to blog about today, about being older… about being mature. This is the blog about the people who have made me Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger. Actually, there are a lot of people who have had major influences aside from my parents and my wife. Some relationships I have had lasted for years, others for months and some weeks. Regardless of the time I have spent, they have molded my way of thinking and made me a better person. I’ll just highlight the four people who recently have had some ripple effect on me and people I’d like to personally thank for making me better.
JV, 38, has been my teacher during my fourth year in high school and mentor who has showed me how to bring out my introvert self through writing. His passion of teaching rubbed off and translated to creative writing skills. He also showed me another world, another point of view when we were in the Philippines. We’ve had great adventures and I believe he was trying to get me to mature in ways of thinking. My views have changed and I’ve developed gutsiness and a voice through his guidance. He really has been a teacher to me, which I begin to realize that he was a friend to begin with ever since I stepped into his class.
Rain, 35, is a happily married mother of three and a nurse. What she does at work, translates to the how she deals with people outside of work. A healer of sorts and very loving towards her friends and family. She actually taught me the word "platonic" and people can survive simply with love and compassion from friends. One of the other things I remembered was getting that “family” feeling and helping out with outreach programs to pre-occupy my mind. The first time I met Rain was one of the more meaningful ones I have had in Dubai, aside from earning a little from the part time . The word I would describe her the best is "There is no such thing as a "guilt-free" lunch!"
Lyndon, 42, is a single Dad in search for the woman of his dreams and the perfect mother for his son. I can’t help but admire him for trying hard. He’s been very active on the dating scene. One of the things he taught me was more of the man’s chauvinistic attitude which actually kind of opens my mind. It was particularly about relationships particularly when dealing with women and how to suppress any forms of affection towards them. He made me analyze and think about "Why are you looking for a commitment when you are already committed?" It could be misinterpreted but I actually understood it in the right way which basically means a lot if it is regarding infidelity issues. When dealing with women, the mindset should always be something friendly and nice, nothing more. Draw the line, set your limitation, have fun extending or flirting with the line but never ever cross it.
Finally, Ruth, 34, a mom of three kids, separated but committed to her boyfriend. Oozing with confidence, honest, intelligent and knows what she wants. Ruth is what I would call very liberated in ways of thinking but should not be mistaken as promiscuousity, actually taught me something from the "Book of Men." "Every man is polygamous there is nothing I can do about it. Screw around if you wish, it’s your nature but just make sure you never fall in love… kung hindi unfaithful ka." These words are things you would wish your partner would say because to some extent it’s a good excuse to fool around as long as "you don’t fall in love." It actually works with me because men always deny this fact. The thing that strikes me the most is how true this statement is and then the way you think and analyze a situation is different. The point is, these are the words I would like to hear but when you apply it, it becomes a subliminal warning and I think it just makes you more conscious about what you are doing.
Basically, I’m 30 now and I still see this whole adulthood thing with child like eyes. It might be just be me but being at this age, I still feel that I am dealing with over grown kids, or is it because I deal in a child-like way. I have friends who at 24 already have their own plot of land; I have friends starting up only at 28; I have friends who already have a setup system at 27. Am I in the right company? I mean when is it time to realize that you are an adult? Age, money, job security, materialistic things, achievement in work, being married, are these the basis of maturity? Regardless, I am what I make, I know my situation and I am thankful because with the older company I keep, I don’t have to go through aches and pains just to find out what my four friends have gone through, they’ve shared their stories and I’ve absorbed it and adjusted to suit my style. My word of thanks, NO, you haven’t created a monster, you just made the world a better place for one person.
Work It Harder, Make It Better, Do It Faster, Makes Us stronger. More Than Ever, Hour After, Our Work Is Never Over…

My taste in music is quiet queer. I have to admit I hate love songs and I always let people know that. It’s kind of silly to be listening to this type of music when it plays with your emotion, I basically stuff this song down the drain. The last song I heard that did play with my emotions was Lea Salonga, one of my wife’s favorite artist. I mean it’s not that I’m dissin’ them or something but it I just hate it when the heart gets dictated.
Apparently my other tastes range from pop music to the best of OPM bands. Alternative rock was always a choice, referring to my previous entries, Oasis always captured my heart but I did always find myself going back to E-Head, Parokya, True Faith and Rivermaya (of old). I just can’t seem to find the soul of the new OPM artists these days. Of course, I did make a jump to house and dance music. Bonnie Bailey screwed me bad, that’s for sure, she was like a hypnotic love song on 75BPMs. Loved the song, hated the emotion. Then came Benny Benassi and the thing is that I’ve found my home in this music genre. If you check my Friendster.com account - House, Hardstyle and Dance is my music preference. It contains no emotions just an infectious beat. - and by gosh, the rush it gives me.
On the next evolutionary chain, I moved forward and now I am hooked into Hardstyle. I am basically back in my comfort zone since I have been a lover of Techno and Trance music. Although one of my artists that have influenced my music was 2 Unlimited, the genre they were in was not Techno, I would refer to it as Pseudo-techno since it never was techno, it was dance music pretending to be techno, regardless, they have been a major contributor to my taste. Hardstyle music is quite weird for the majority, it actually is a form of club music with an underground roots, you wouldn’t like it unless you really are into sounds with high beat rates, so hip hoppers, casual dancers, beware.
Wikipedia defines it as - Hardstyle, sometimes referred to as hard bass, is a sub-genre of trance music that is closely related to nu style gabber and hard trance - In plain English, it’s type of music with hard bass beats and repeats itself over and over again. Lol! It’s pure high speed hard bass with electronic/synthetically manufactured music. It’s pretty difficult to explain but you can check out the samples from Youtube.com

Hardstyle Disco - Yoji Biomehanika
Scantraxx Rootz - Headhunterz
The Darkside - Alpha Twins

I am not a really good dancer but this style of music actually defines the type of movements I make. It’s doesn’t soothe or heal but big bass that passes through my body, it’s as if extra adrenaline is being injected up my spine. I just love it and as I embrace the Melbourne Shuffle one of my two left feet has become a right… unfortunately, it’s a right arm! Hahaha!

I just wanted to blog an entry today, thanking my lovely wife and congratulating my lovely daughter. Today is my daughter’s recognition day! As you may all know, my daughter has a little speech delay and she has made great strides in improving through the help of her teachers in SPED. Although her progress isn’t good enough yet to have Isa and Angie move back to the UAE, I am proud of what she has achieved this year. I can’t thank my wife enough for being so supportive of Isa. I love you Babe, thanks for making it happen! To my Mom, mother-in-law and the other people involved helping directly or indirectly, this day goes out to all of you as well.
I’d also like to congratulate my wife for her first salary and thank her for the treat out she “sent” us. We enjoyed it! I’d like to thank Mike for giving Angie the opportunity to work and earn as well.
Last of all, I’d like to give a big thanks to the MAN above. I know everything is done for a reason and I can’t be more thankful for the graces you have continued to bestow on me and my family. It hasn’t been easy but I’ve been able to make it this far, thanks to them!