The Makiav3llian Enchantment…

A lot of people flock to the UAE looking for opportunities to have their lives move forward; little do they know the good and bad things that wait for them. Majority of us here complain that we are not given equal treatment. It’s partly true and there is really not much we can do about it, the only thing I can say is that you can live in the solace that even in our homeland; we also get screwed about equal treatment. Let us wake up and smell the morning brew, equality is utopist ideal that will only exist at a certain moment in time and within a certain circle.
Anyways, I didn’t put up a blog entry to lament on equality but more on the trend that is happening back home. As mentioned, a lot of us back home want to come to Dubai, taking a chance, risking life, limb and cash to have something better, but most of the time it is a 50/50 thing. You may get a job that isn’t your field, you may get a salary which is twice than what you currently earn in the Pines, you may get stuck in Kish for visa change, these are things that could happen, but one thing is for certain you WILL be abused and your patience tried. Yes, this is the Dubai I am talking about but the positive thing that I am seeing or what I have heard is about Singapore. For our skilled workers back home, Singapore is actually a very viable choice to move into, I am not too familiar with the type of jobs that are available there but there seems to be a lot of openings for Information Technology. As per this column from Yahoo and Channel News Asia, everything looks bright there and everyone is moving there for better opportunity. If given the choice, it looks like a nice place, small, modern, clean and well run. There are taxes and some things cost more but it definitely is no different from Dubai.

Here are some things that I would like to share:

1. Singapore is geographically located in South East Asia; climate is very similar from what we have here in the Philippines.

2. Singapore and the Philippines is so near to each other, it takes less than half a day to travel back to Manila in case of an emergency. You always have the option to go back home easily.
   

3. Singapore is a melting pot of mostly Cantonese, Singaporeans and Tamilhan (India, Madras). Ethnicity is very Asian so it is not difficult to mix in and that class abuse isn’t as bad as the ones here, where Arabs and Arab-posers feel they own the place.
   

4. I did hear that you can travel to Malaysia and actually tour around. Malaysia and Singapore are actually tourist spots in S.E. Asia, its ironic really because the Philippines has so much to offer yet if you are talking about revenues in tourism, I believe we are far behind. Even Thailand’s red light industry is faring better than ours.

5. Filipino skilled workers are highly sought out, it creates good competition between the locals and our own Filipinos as well which brings the best talents in our region.
   

6. The government is very well run and is well known for its strict rules. You also get to see the taxes that you pay given back to you one way or the other.
   

7. Salaries are just as competitive as the ones offered in the Middle East.

So looking at just a couple of things, Singapore is actually a nice option. Of course, it is a problem for unskilled labor as that part of the market has been taken. Still, I prefer going to Singapore than in the Middle East. At least we have an option which is more feasible.

I’d like to hear from our OFWs in Singapore, please have your say.

As an Aquarian, I find my strength when I am at the beach. No, I will not ooze of sex appeal or go “babe” hunting. What I simply mean is that I can clear my mind and get a little focus and humanity back in me. I love beaches and if I had a chance to visit everyday, I would. It would be even better if I could get my home on a beach laiden shore, that would be the best.
Due to scorching temperatures, majority of my peers don’t want to go and meet out. It’s pretty understandable. It’s a scorching 43C out there, but on  the contrary, it’s less that what you would think if you were just laying on the white sands of Jumeirah Beach Park. Today was simply about MY day, it isn’t just about the sights but the ambiance as a whole. I feel free when I am here and this is why I always have my EBs here. It gives you a reason why you should stay in Dubai and for a while see that it isn’t as artificial as you thought it be.

I’m proud to be a "Son of Jumeirah."

P.S. Giving out a shoutout of thanks to Nforce2 for tagging along. Soul searching is easier when you have company.

I’ve actually had the chance to ride RTA’s new bus that is actually part of the C1 route to the airport, it’s the smaller version of the longer C1 route buses. I have to give RTA a hand hand for selecting a very nice set of "luxury" buses to ride on, I hope this is a start for a major change in their service. My first better experience was in my AUH trip. Although this is the first and only bus I’ve seen going to the Jumeirah route, I cannot help but be impressed. It reminds me of the buses I rode in London. Spacious, baggage space and comfortable seats, it’s all that I look for in a bus ride. It’s as if I were actually on a tour bus than just your regular bus transport. Although the smell of the guy next to me has not changed to a flowery aroma, having a new bus to ride on is definitely a welcome change. I wish they could just increase the numbers and frequency.

Getting your mind preoccupied from work and personal matters is quite a task. People will actually wonder how can a guy like me be stressed with the work I do? I don’t even bring my work home. Maybe its personal issues clouding me and as much as I wish to just "format" my brain, my heart and soul, it never is easy. It’s a good thing I got friends who watch my back and a wife in the Philippines who try to keep me in check. I even feel luckier that my brother is there during troubled times.
There is only so much Misato can do for me. She sings and keeps me preoccupied and till now I’m paying my creditors, but she’s worth every fil I spent. As I go about soul searching, I’ve actually decided to go back to my roots. I’ve always been a sports fan and I would really love to go back to my love of "balls." Now for that green minded dweeb grinning sinisterly, I am referring to activities I love to do like play basketball, soccer, volleyball, tennis, table tennis, cross training, darts, mountain-biking, so on and so forth. When I was a kid, I believed I was destined for greatness in the sports world; unfortunately fate laid its cruel hand over me in basketball because my folks were away from the Philippines. I was going to have something positive going in soccer with the Blue Eagles and hopefully the national team but I had neglected my studies and got kicked out of Loyola.
But past is past. God gave me a physique that is adaptive; hence I’m actually a sports buff. A couple of weeks ago, I managed to play off my rust in billiards and hopefully this week I can start playing off table tennis. Time for me to buy myself a Stiga racket, I can’t wait to have my hands to get a grip on it. If only a badminton club existed here, I would most likely be there as well. I love sports, I wish it were my profession but alas, I play them regardless. Hopefully, I can carry on with this passion and keep this competitive nature in me alive. Let the games begin!

By the way, do you smell that?

Its the smell of competition…

After my AUH trip I suddenly had a compelling urge to sell my guitar. I have to admit it but I have failed miserably in putting time and effort to this wonderful stringed instrument. I just didn’t put any soul into it; I must have bought it for the wrong reason or I wasn’t inspired at all. An impulse buy to put it mildly, I feel sorry for the guitar because I felt there was a worthy owner, but definitely not me.Of course then out of the blue my thoughts was on something electronic. We, Aquarius, people are weird; I speak for myself, and are attracted to gizmos or technology to say the least. Out of the corner of my mind I was seeing something. Something black and shiny, something saying Sony and starts with the letter P. Of course its part of the Playstation family but which one? Anyways, to cut the story short I decided to get a PSP.
Actually I don’t have the unit yet, I’m busy budgeting but I have already started work on it by purchasing Lumines which actually helps in downgrading PSPs. It’s been an uphill battle for me not to purchase it and I just aim for a little "business" actually. I actually want to earn my PSP and not just let my credit card do the talking. This is actually the most difficult part because I am trying to hold the urge. Money is so easy these days and we actually forget the value of hard earned money. I want to feel that sense of achievement, if lose this battle, we’ll see. I am still adamant on purchasing the unit itself but it will be a matter of time. I just hope I get to sell the guitar before it loses its value.
As for now, the game I will use to start off is on its way coming from the US so I look forward to my guinea pigs namely Harvey and Jaizee. We’ll see this Thursday with the help of Eric or Christian.

So like respect, getting the PSP must be earned, not given.