Unwritten
The days that followed my blog holiday were filled with hope and misses, first time and reflective moments. More than a week before my residence visa expired, i was on a rush to find another job to save me from ejection. None has come to the rescue. I was deeply frustrated. Things didn't come easy when I needed them the most. More than upsetting, it was painful, solitary and made me think of what I have done in the past to get all these treatment.
The days that were never written:
Week 46, 2008
The best consolation that happened this time would probably be my reconciliation with an old friend who has not spoken to me for almost a month. Up until now I was wondering about the reasons behind our sudden anonymity. Nonetheless, now that we are okay, I could readily go back to where I am destined to be with one less worry. I really didn't want to leave some place having some misunderstanding and falling out with friends and acquaintances. We all deserved something better than that.
Week 47, 2008
Moment that I was afraid to come came. My Dubai visa was expiring without any job offer. I had three options, pay for overstaying, make an exit and goes back to Dubai and lastly, to go back home. I was already losing my sane self and making a decision almost took it all away. I was baffled with confusion. Weighing things up, I decided to make an exit to Kish, an island off the coast of Iran. There were risks involved, but the best we could hope was to get a visa as soon as possible and get back to Dubai.
Week 48, 2008
Filled with hopes, I made an exit to Kish for the very first time. It was a little funny because I would be doing this now that I am already a year old in Dubai. Usually, people make an exit to Kish if their original visa expires and they don't find a company to sponsor their residence. In my case, I used to have a job, quit, and now I am on my own. Before 2008, the Dubai OFW life would not be complete without the Kish experience. It was some sort of a holiday breakaway from months of unsuccessful job haunting in Dubai. Now, it's different. The Kish experience is something that people wants to avoid. It has become a curse, a dumping site of people who are still trying to find their fortune in the land of gold instead of going back home. I used to belittle people who made an exit to Kish. I thought it was incompetence and lack of skills that brought them there. Now that I was one of them. I have to swallow everything that I have opined. It is not incompetence or lack of skills that brings Filipinos to Kish, but the hope and faith and the belief that there is a reward to those who persevere.
Week 49, 2008
After I got back to Dubai, I made countless efforts to apply for jobs int he internet. But the global financial crisis has seemed to have reached the desert shores of Dubai. Consequently, real estate companies started cutting jobs and smaller companies followed. Obviously, it is tough times for many and my little hope was not spared. Then came the last leg of the holidays, one of the few occasions that it came so unwanted. Holiday means no work, thus, no chance of getting contacted or hired. So while everyone else took a time off from work to enjoy, I secluded myself to find peace in solace and self reflections.
Week 50, 2008
My worries and depression started to become evident. Days of sleepless nights, self imposed starvation, prolonged agony and self kept hurt has greatly trimmed my weight to anorexia. I was the last to worry about my appearance. I was all too absorbed with resolving my tall order. Until finally, my system gave up, Cold weather has aggravated my condition. It was sickness in hell. Unbearable. Traumatic. Suicidal. It was my life's darkest hour. I was physically, emotionally and morally down. But I have never given up on Him. Truly, it is in the darkest hour that you get to see the stars that will lead back you back to home.
The days that were never written:
Week 46, 2008
The best consolation that happened this time would probably be my reconciliation with an old friend who has not spoken to me for almost a month. Up until now I was wondering about the reasons behind our sudden anonymity. Nonetheless, now that we are okay, I could readily go back to where I am destined to be with one less worry. I really didn't want to leave some place having some misunderstanding and falling out with friends and acquaintances. We all deserved something better than that.
Week 47, 2008
Moment that I was afraid to come came. My Dubai visa was expiring without any job offer. I had three options, pay for overstaying, make an exit and goes back to Dubai and lastly, to go back home. I was already losing my sane self and making a decision almost took it all away. I was baffled with confusion. Weighing things up, I decided to make an exit to Kish, an island off the coast of Iran. There were risks involved, but the best we could hope was to get a visa as soon as possible and get back to Dubai.
Week 48, 2008
Filled with hopes, I made an exit to Kish for the very first time. It was a little funny because I would be doing this now that I am already a year old in Dubai. Usually, people make an exit to Kish if their original visa expires and they don't find a company to sponsor their residence. In my case, I used to have a job, quit, and now I am on my own. Before 2008, the Dubai OFW life would not be complete without the Kish experience. It was some sort of a holiday breakaway from months of unsuccessful job haunting in Dubai. Now, it's different. The Kish experience is something that people wants to avoid. It has become a curse, a dumping site of people who are still trying to find their fortune in the land of gold instead of going back home. I used to belittle people who made an exit to Kish. I thought it was incompetence and lack of skills that brought them there. Now that I was one of them. I have to swallow everything that I have opined. It is not incompetence or lack of skills that brings Filipinos to Kish, but the hope and faith and the belief that there is a reward to those who persevere.
Week 49, 2008
After I got back to Dubai, I made countless efforts to apply for jobs int he internet. But the global financial crisis has seemed to have reached the desert shores of Dubai. Consequently, real estate companies started cutting jobs and smaller companies followed. Obviously, it is tough times for many and my little hope was not spared. Then came the last leg of the holidays, one of the few occasions that it came so unwanted. Holiday means no work, thus, no chance of getting contacted or hired. So while everyone else took a time off from work to enjoy, I secluded myself to find peace in solace and self reflections.
Week 50, 2008
My worries and depression started to become evident. Days of sleepless nights, self imposed starvation, prolonged agony and self kept hurt has greatly trimmed my weight to anorexia. I was the last to worry about my appearance. I was all too absorbed with resolving my tall order. Until finally, my system gave up, Cold weather has aggravated my condition. It was sickness in hell. Unbearable. Traumatic. Suicidal. It was my life's darkest hour. I was physically, emotionally and morally down. But I have never given up on Him. Truly, it is in the darkest hour that you get to see the stars that will lead back you back to home.
2 comments:
Kish, masarap na pagkain ng Persian 'yon ah. Iranian kasi ang farm manager namin dito, ka-age ko lang kaya magkasundo naman kami, so far.
Hindi pa rin clear sa akin, bro, kung nasaang bansa ka na ngayon. Kasi parang di nabanggit sa week 49, 2008. Sige, sigurado nasa UAE ka pa rin, right?
Nataon talaga ang movie ni Daniel Craig sa situation mo: Quantum of Solace! Napanood mo ba?
sam, ano na naman ito?
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