(Taken at Magic Planet with Edith)
(With Peter and Edith)
More than 40% of Dubai’s ex-pats population composes of Filipinos, mostly working in the hospitality industries, shops and offices. It’s no surprise that I have at least a dozen friends and a dozen more classmates/ex-colleagues and acquaintances working or living here in Dubai. Some of them I haven’t seen for 15 years. So it is really nice to meet these people while am here.
Before I left Finland, I found out that an ex-colleague from Chili’s is here. Edith and I might not have been close friends back in Manila, but seeing her this time and spending some bonding time with her was a really good experience. From her I learned some stories of how it is to be working here in Dubai. Stories of love, hate, deception, common and uncommon, brought about by the passion to make a living for the love ones back home or just merely by the will to live.
Others just sway to the rhythm of Dubai beat and learn its steps, while others succumb to the poisonous aroma of bureaucracy. And this just makes me sick to the pit of my stomach, learning how other people live in severe difficulties while I complain at how I was treated by a flight attendant. How disgustingly ungrateful of me!!!
But this is one great thing that makes me so proud to be a Filipino. Our passion and will to live make us the best employees wherever we go. We know the meaning of “pagtitiis” (sacrifice) that we could live in these very trying times in very harsh conditions.
To the Filipino men and women around the world who’s working so hard to make ends meet and dancing to the beat of the music called LIFE, I salute you! Cheers.
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