Life abroad is not all roses

Sometime in the recent past may nakilala kaming isang Pinoy family, who recently migrated to NZ. May dalawa silang anak one girl and one boy, both in their teens. Yung lalaki about 13 years old if I’m not mistaken, and he was the most obnoxious person I’ve ever met. Talagang kaiinisan mo.

Ang bansag nga namin sa kanya "Bulok", kasi wala kang maririnig sa kanya kundi ang salitang "bulok". "Bulok naman dito sa New Zealand, malungkot. Sa amin marami kang mahihiraman ng VCD, DVD, video games. Dito walang Jollibee, walang MegaMall, etc. etc. ... bulok ang New Zealand." Ganyang klaseng pananalita ang maririnig mo sa batang ito. Sarap ngang batukan, e. At very impolite sa magulang. Kung makahingi ng tubig sa ina daig pa ang utusan ang sampung alipin.

After na ma-meet ko itong pamilyang ito, na-realize ko na meron din palang mga Pinoy migrants ang nahihirapang mag-adjust sa buhay dito. Hindi pala lahat katulad namin na nag-enjoy kaagad sa buhay dito. Inisip ko kung ano-anong mga katangian meron itong pamilyang ito at very negative ang reaksyon ng kanilang anak.

Una sa lahat napag-alaman ko na may-kaya sila sa Pilipinas. May malaking bahay. Magandang paaralan (La Salle) ang pinapasukan at katangi-tangi sa lahat ang pagkakaroon nila ng maraming yaya at mga maid sa Pilipinas.

Based on this family's profile, I've concluded that Pinoys coming from well-to-do to very rich families, are more likely to find it difficult to adjust to life in New Zealand, or any life abroad for that matter. If you are used to having servants do all your everyday house work, life abroad can be traumatizing and humiliating. Wala kang mauutusang maid o yaya dito. So you have to learn to cook, to do the laundry, clean the house, take care of your kids. I've not experienced it because I have a really good wife who takes care of us, but I know some, mostly women ang napapaiyak kapag kanilang ginagawa ang everyday housework. Imagine nga naman kung sa atin Senor o Senorita ka at lahat ng bagay pwede mo iutos sa maid, tapos dito naghuhugas ka ng pinag-kainan, naglilinis ng toilet, etc. Hay, naku, mapapa-iyak ka na nga lang di ba? Sabay buntong-hininga: "Eto ba ang pinangarap kong buhay...buhay ng isang domisticated?"

Coping up with the domestic chores can be a huge challenge to some new migrants.

The moral lesson -- life abroad may not be suited to everyone. Life abroad is not all roses. There are sacrifices and difficulties too. Nasa sa iyo na lang kung paano ka mag-aadjust sa bagong environment mo because you can't expect it to adjust for you. Pero gaano man kahirap ang maranasan mo, if you think positive, ma-o-overcome mo lahat yan.

Finding pleasure from everyday tasks

Nabasa ko ang recent post ni KiwiPinay at isa sa mga hinaing na nabanggit niya ay ang paglalaba. Particularly, ang pagsampay ng labada. Ang problema kasi dito sa Auckland, madalas very erratic ang weather. Minsan maganda ang sikat ng araw, after a few minutes bigla biglang umuulan. One time nga may bibilhin lang ako sa supermarket at dahil maiinit at maaraw iniwan kong quarter-open ang mga bintana ng sasakyan. Paglabas ko sa supermarket, wala pang 15 minutes, umulan pala at ayun, basa ang loob ng sasakyan.

Pero, mabalik ako sa pagsasampay ng labada. Kaya ko ito na bring up kasi naalala ko nung kami ay natira pa sa Glendale, California. Doon hindi uso ang magsampay ng labada. Karamihan doon gumagamit ng dryer. Pagkatapos i-washing machine ang damit, diretcho na sa dryer. Pagkatapos i-dryer sabay tupi na. Yun ang regular routine namin kada weekend. Minsan nagsampay ng basang damit si Jean sa harapan ng apartment namin, pinagbawalan ba naman siya ng landlord. Bawal daw at nakakade-value ng apartment!

Kaya nga nung bago kami dito sa NZ, coming from the States where we were spoiled using a dryer to dry clothes, at first, I found hanging clothes to dry in the open as a waste of time. But then after a few times doing it, something wonderful happened. Believe it or not, I really found the task therapeutic and relaxing! Imagine you’re outside in the sun, tapos medyo malamig ang simoy ng hangin, all around you is green grass with native flowers, orchids and ferns, and you here the sounds of birds singing and see butterflies floating around you, di ba nakaka-relax?

When I find some mundane chores to be trivial or hard-work, I turn it to something extra-ordinary. I guess that’s my secret in life in general. Kaya nga ngayon, kahit na may dryer na kami, ginagamit pa rin namin ang sampayan. Tipid pa sa kuryente.

This is just one example of a lifestyle change I’ve been talking about dito sa NZ. Kung minsan kasi nasasanay tayo sa madaling pamamaraan. Lahat gusto natin madali, walang pagod. However, if we learn to look at anything we do in a positive way, then, we’ll enjoy doing the job better. And when we enjoy life, di agad tatanda ang mukha natin, di ba?

Migrating to New Zealand, anyone?

Here is a bit of public service to people wanting to migrate to NZ, especially my kababayans.

If you want to migrate to NZ as a skilled migrant you have to meet the criteria set out by NZ Immigration, which uses a point system for assessment.

You gain points depending on your work experience, educational background, age and other factors.

Work Experience: 2 years gives 10 points, 4 is 15 points, 6 is 20 points, 8 is 25 points, 10 years is 30 points.

Education: Bachelor’s Degree gives 50 points, Masters/Doctorate Degree is 55 points.

Age: 20-29 years old gives 30 points, 30-39 is 25 points, 40-44 is 20 points, 45-49 is 10 points, 50-55 is 5 points.

In addition to the above points, you can also gain bonus points if you have a close relative living in NZ (10 points), have a job offer in NZ (50 points), from your spouse's qualifications (10 points), or the occupation you are in is in an area of absolute skills shortage in NZ (10 points).

The minimum points you have to get is 100 points before even being allowed to file an application. For most Filipinos who are college graduates below 40 years old, 100 points is easily obtained even without bonus points.

Say you have 8 years work experience (25 points), with a Bachelor’s degree (50 points), and between the age of 30 to 39 years old (25 points). This gives you a total of 100 points, enough to pass the threshold set by Immigration for your application to be considered. It doesn’t mean though that you automatically acquire residency if you acquire 100 points. It only means you have a chance, because if there are 10 thousand applicants all achieving 100 points and only 1 thousand can be granted residency then your chances is but 1 of 10 or 10%. The higher your points, the better your chances will be. Like if you have a job offer which is 50 points, you get 150 points easy. That is an almost 100% probability of success.

This is the NZ Immigration points system in a nutshell. If you want more information about migrating to NZ, the best site to go to is the NZ Immigration Website. You can download all the forms from the site or even lodge the application on-line. My advice is for you first download the "Self Assessment Guide for Residence in NZ" from the NZ Immigration website. And if everything goes well and all your documentations are in order, you can be in NZ in 3 to 6 months time. And you know what's great about that? You AND YOUR WHOLE FAMILY will be migrating and living together. Compare that with working as an OFW. You might be earning big bucks but the years you spend away from your family is precious time wasted. Let's enjoy life.

What I Dislike about Auckland

All of my previous posts have showed only the good side of Auckland, NZ. Baka isipin tuloy ng mga nakakabasa na perpekto ang lugar na ito. Sorry, Virginia, may mga kakulangan din ang New Zealand. For now, I’ll mention only one.

The thing I dislike the most here in Auckland is the high incidence of burglaries. About 90% of burglaries happen during the day. Mas madali kasi most people are working during the day kaya walang tao sa bahay. Stories of people coming home from work to find their homes empty or ransacked are common. I’ve known a lot of Filipino friends who have had their houses broken into. Their jewelries, cash, electronic appliances stolen. From personal experience, doon sa luma naming bahay, yung bike lang naman ni Fidez ang nakuha about 5 years ago. Walang mga rehas, gates or fences ang karamihan ng mga bahay kaya madaling pasukan.

Then NZ have stupid laws on tresspassing. Sa States pwede mong barilin and sino mang pumasok sa bahay mo. Sa Pilipinas, bugbog ang aabutin ng sino mang mahuling nagnanakaw. Dito, napakabait (to a fault) nila kahit sa mga home intruders. Kapag may nahuli ka nga sa aktong nagnanakaw sa loob ng bahay mo, hindi mo pwedeng saktan kung hindi ka naman niya ina-attack. Kapag hinabol mo at sinaktan mo, baka ikaw pa ang kasuhan ng physical damage. Ang pwede mo na lang gawin ay ang tumawag ng pulis. Parang illogical ano? Lalo na sa ating mga Pinoy na mahilig sa mga action movies. But the reasoning behind it is the belief that the burglar is basically only after material things and has no intention of harming anyone. To avoid any harm to the intruder or to yourself, the general rule is to avoid any confrontation at all cost. Para sa kanila, di baleng materyal lang na bagay ang mawala.

But it’s not all bad. Most burglars are just youth offenders, amateurs looking for kicks and are generally unarmed. There are very few cases of burglars harming occupants of a house. Then, like anywhere else, not all suburbs are the same. We’re quite lucky because the suburb we now live in is one of the safest areas in Auckland.

Happy 10th Anniversary

It was a decade ago while I was working as an IT consultant in California when I received a letter from New Zealand Immigration stating that my family’s application for residency in NZ has been approved.

Mag-iisang taon pa lang ako sa LA noon. Sinuwerte din ako sa LA at may nag-sponsor sa akin ng work permit kaya ako nakapag-trabaho doon ng legal. We (my family and I) were happy to get our NZ residency, but we had to make a difficult decision -- whether to stay in the US where I already have a good paying job, or move to Auckland, NZ where I still have to find a job and a place to stay. Tapos wala pa kaming kamag-anak o kakilala sa Auckland.

To help us make an informed decision, nag decide kami na mag-pasyal muna sa Auckland for a few days, just to see the place first hand. Nagpunta nga kami sa Auckland noong 1995 at 10 days lang kami nag-stay.

First glimpse of Auckland, we already fell in love with the place. The place is clean and green with lots of beautiful parks and beaches. The summer weather was perfect. Not hot and humid, but refreshingly cool. But I guess what appealed to us most and made us really decide to move here was the people.

Yung taxi-driver na naghatid sa amin sa hotel, very friendly at matulungin sa pagbigay sa amin ng advice kung saan okay mag-stay. At hindi rin siya tumatanggap ng tip, unlike taxis in Manila or LA.

One time we were walking along Albert Park, looking lost (which you may say is my normal appearance), I was trying to figure out our location on a map, a student approached us and asked "Can I help you?". Sabi ko: "No, thank you, we’re fine". Sa isip ko, natuwa ako at meron pa palang mga taong may kusang mag-offer ng tulong.

In another incident, nasa playground kami ng park, at may dalawang bata, ages 5 and 7 years old and dumating at nakipag-laro sa anak ko. Jean asked where their parents are kasi medyo nagtataka lang kami at nandoon sila na walang kasamang adults. We found out that their parents were in one of the nearby houses. It dawned on us that in Auckland pala, it was safe to let kids play by themselves! Kasi sa LA, kahit sa harap ng apartment namin kailangan pang bantayan si Fidez sa paglalaro. Later we got to meet the parents of the 2 kids, Richard and Sharon Jones (no joke!). The Jones's even invited us for dinner the following day and to this day we’ve remained friends.

Then there was this time I bumped into Jeff, isang Pinoy IT professional din. Nakapila ako sa Immigration at nakapila din siya. Lumapit siya sa akin at tinanong kung Pinoy ako. That broke the ice at nagkwentuhan kami kasi pareho kaming sa IT. The next day sinundo kami ni Jeff sa hotel at pinasyal kami sa Auckland at later nag-dinner sa bahay nila. Sabi ko sa sarili ko, "very accomomdating pala ang mga Pinoy dito".

The impressions on New Zealand we got during those 10 days in Auckland have made us decide to permantly settle in Auckland 12 months later in 1996. To this day we’ve never regretted that decision. Yung ibang nakikilala namin nagugulat kapag nalalaman nila na galing na kami ng States at lumipat pa sa NZ. Tanong nila kaagad bakit? Di ba mas mataas ang sweldo sa US? Totoo yon, pero isa lang ang sagot ko diyan. LIFESTYLE. Some things in life cannot be measured by how much money you earn. A stroll on the beach, Sunday at the park, the sense of security, being stress-free. All these make up the lifestyle we choose.

Para sa amin, New Zealand is definitely the perfect place to raise a family. Where you can let your kids play and run around like kids. Not afraid of child molesters or kidnappers. Where people around you are friendly and more trusting and not paranoid of one another. Where fellow kababayans are more than willing to approach and assist other kababayans. At importante sa lahat, kapag kinausap mo ang isang Pinoy ng Tagalog, sa Tagalog din siya sasagot. Ewan ko ba, bakit kung minsan may mga kababayan tayo na ilang taon palang sa abroad, nalilimutan na ang mag-tagalog?

Of Angels and Demons and the Da Vinci Code

Reader:
A book called Angels and Demons and the Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown made me think about our religion..but dont get me wrong..though more of it are facts..I still have faith but just a question kept bothering me..why is it that immaculate conception is Dec 8 and then Christmas is Dec 25? I dont have the answer since this makes it that Mother Mary carried our Lord Jesus in her womb for more than a year? so this complicates things..making the authors claims as probable facts..pls help me up..

Ka Uro:
Normally, I would not answer these type of questions as I am no autority in theology. But I could see in your words how confused and bothered you are so I'll try my best to appease your troubled mind.

First, you'll never see Dec 8 and Dec 25 in the Bible. These dates are just arbitrary dates chosen by Church authorities. So don't put too much meaning to the dates. Christmas could have been any date of the year. It just happened Dec 25 was chosen. So is Dec 8. Just because the people who've chosen those dates didn't know how to count the months for conceiving a child, doesn't mean that that you stop believing in Jesus being the child of the Virgin Mary. Do you? So what if the dates are wrong.

The books that you've mentioned make for fascinating reading because they make you think and question your beliefs. Nothing wrong with that. Books like them present facts (whether verified or not) and half-truths as absolute, irrefutable truths. They'll try to confuse you with contradictions. It's like a defense lawyer who although convinced of his client's guilt still presents even the slightest evidences that contradict the prosecution's case. At the same time the defense will also refrain and block any incriminating evidences from being presented. Through selective presentation of data, the defense can cast doubt in the jurors' minds. And when there is doubt, you know what could happen.

You have to learn to read some books just for their entertainment value. Nothing more. When it comes to your faith, do not over-analyze. You simply BELIEVE. I guess that's what FAITH is all about.

"Ang tagalog mo naman!"

I've recently joined an eGroup of kabalens (kababayans from Pampanga). One of the members noted that in elementary and high schools in Pampanga, most students choose to speak in Tagalog instead of Kapampangan. He asked a couple of students if they understand kapampangan. Oo daw sabi nila. So he blurted: "taksyapo yo, biasa ko palang kapampangan, taga-tagalog ko pa!". And the students just smiled back.

Pansin niya ang malaking pagbabago sa loob ng 30 taon nung kami ay mga istudyante pa. Nung time namin, kailangan pa kaming pilitin ng mga maestro/maestra namin para mag Tagalog o Inglis. Usually, may multa kapag narinig kang nagka-Kapampangan.

Panahon ngayon, iba na. Tagalog or Taglish ang in sa mga kabataan. Bibihira na ang nagka-Kapampangan. Bakit nga ba? May nagsabi na dahil marami nang mga dayo (Tagalogs, Bisayans, Ilocanos, etc.) ang nag-settle sa Pampanga. Isa pang dahilan ang mga maid at yaya ay hindi marunong mag-kapampangan. Maaari ding dahil sa mass media. Puro Tagalog kasi ang mga news at TV shows. Siguro dahil din sa likas na mas madali ang Tagalog matutunan kaysa sa Kapampangan.

Ano't ano pa man, sana hindi natin makalimutan ang ating tunay na first language. Ito man ay Kapampangan, Bicol, Bisaya, etc. I’m not against Tagalog being taught in schools. We still need a common language for all Pinoys. But I do hope the same initiatives be taken to teach and encourage the regional language, culture, arts and literature in schools. We Filipinos are lucky to have very rich diversified regional cultures. Each one enriches and complements the other. Let us celebrate our Crisostomo Sottos, just as we do our Francisco Baltazars and Lope K.Santoses.

Sa wakas nanalo ako sa lotto...in your dreams!

Nung minsan nanaginip ako, nanalo daw ako ng lotto. At tandang-tanda ko pa ang mga numbers - 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. Next morning, sabi ko kay Jean, let’s buy a lotto ticket this week. Mananalo daw ako at binanggit ko sa kanya ang mga numbers sa panaginip ko. Not surprisingly, tinawanan lang niya at sabi niya: "meron na bang tumama ng lotto na sunod-sunod ang mga numero?". Because I’m not a person who believes in luck and games of chance, I let it pass and did not bother to buy a lotto ticket that week.

Surprise, surprise, Saturday evening, the winning lotto numbers were: 6, 7, 8, 9, 25, 30. Not quite exactly all the numbers in my dream, but at least 4 out of 6. Who knows if I mixed the four numbers in my dream with other random numbers, I might have gotten 5 or even 6 out of 6, di ba? Just 4 numbers would have won me $55.

What is it about dreams? Maybe a dream is a window to another dimension, the past and the future. Or maybe an escape to another world. O baka naman nanalo na nga ako sa lotto, at ngayon I’m just having a nightmare na hindi ako tumama. Tulad nga ng sinabi ng isang Chinese Philospher in 300 BC after he dreamt of being a butterfly then waking up confused if he is now a butterfly dreaming he is man. Ako naman:

I do not know whether I was a loser dreaming I won the lotto, or whether I am now a lotto winner dreaming I am a loser.

To everyone who reads this, may balato kayo. You may collect it... in your dreams.

Still on the subject of dreams. Masarap ang mag-wet dreams, di ba? When was the last time you had one? I'll talk about mine, next time.

Dream house by the sea

Last weekend we visited a friend who moved north of Auckland to a place called Tutukaka Coast. About 2.5 hours drive through rolling hills, winding roads and refreshingly green sceneries. Naka-refresh talaga ang mag-long drive dito. Maganda kasi ang mga tanawin. Sabi ko nga "the journey, not the destination". But in this case, the destination was equally magnificent.

Our friend bought a boat yard in Tutukaka Coast, kaya talagang tabi ng dagat. Para bang limang hakbang lang, tubig na. Tapos nanguha kami ng mga shellfish and oysters sa isang beach nearby. Hindi lang namin nagawa ang mag-fishing. Wala na kasing time. "This is the closest you can get to paradise", sabi nga nung friend namin.

Sarap talaga ang malapit sa dagat, no? (Wala lang sanang tsunami). Kaya nga ngayon, ang dream namin ni Jean ang bumili ng property na tabi ng dagat or lake. Kahit na creek okay na rin. A hide-away to spend weekends, to rejuvenate and enjoy the wonders of nature.

Why wait for one’s retirement age before really enjoying life? Why not enjoy retirement at least two days a week, now? Life is too short. Got to enjoy it.

AH, IS THIS NOT HAPPINESS!

Chin Shengt'an was a 17th century playwright who once found himself stranded with a friend in a temple for ten days because of a rainstorm. While thus secluded, the pair compiled a list of the truly happy moments in life.

I’ve decided to write some of my happiest moments. Here are a few:

1. Hinatid ko si Jean sa istasyon ng bus papuntang Bataan. Dapat sa istasyon lang pero ang nangyari sumama na rin ako papuntang Bataan. On the way, nakatulog siya at sinandal niya sa aking balikat ang kanyang ulo. Inilapat ko ang aking kamay sa kanyang pisngi para makatulog siya nang maayos. Heaven talaga kapag mag-syota pa lang kayo. Ah is this not happiness!

2. Palakad ako papunta sa abangan ng mga UP Campus jeep sa Philcoa. Sinusundan ko itong napaka-seksing chicks. Ganda niya talaga. Once in a while, lumilingon siya sa akin. Nung nasa hintayan na kami, huminto ako sa paglalakad. Huminto din siya, about 5 meters apart ang layo namin. Tumingin siya sa akin. Napa-ngiti siya, napa-ngiti din ako. Gusto ko siyang lapitan, pero di ko alam sasabihin ko. After awhile, nagulat ako nung siya ang lumapit at magpakilala. Hiningi ko phone niya, pero wala siyang phone kaya phone ko ang binigay ko. Sumakay siya ng Fairview jeep, ako UP Campus. Yun ang una’t huli naming pag-kita. Yun din ang first time na may lumapit sa aking chicks na total strangers. Very exciting pala. Ah is this not happiness!

3. I remember walking along this old railroad bridge in the middle of a sugar cane field near Basa Air Base, Pampanga with some friends. We helped ourselves to some of the sugar cane. Then we sat on the bridge to chew on the canes. It was a clear, sunny and the breeze was cool. Ah is this not happiness!

4. Benj and I decided to go for a swim to Palakol, a favorite dipping spot in FloridaBlanca. Nag-bike lang kami. Rough road, ma-alikabok ang papunta doon, at mainit ang araw. But once, we reached the spot and plunged into the water. Ah, very refreshing. Ah is this not happiness!

5. First time I saw Disneyland - "happiest place in the world" was in Tokyo. I was with Andy and Danny. Todo-todo and saya maski na hindi namin naintindihan ang mga commentary kasi Hapon and salita. Tuwang-tuwa kami parang mga bata. I was in my mid-30s then. Ah is this not happiness!

6. After our daughter was born and I heard her cry for the first time, was the time I really realized I was indeed a Dad. It was a joyous occassion; I was teary eyed of happiness. Ah is this not happiness!