A Summer to Remember (International style)

Whew! Summer is officially here! Time to relax, have fun and sweat it out under the sun. I was doubtful if summer would really come this year coz over the weekend it was raining cats and dogs here in the South (especially in Tagaytay/Silang area) but my doubt was soon replaced by a astounding S-U-M-M-E-R-I-S-H-E-R-E when the temperature began to soar the followign day! Im sure most of you have your own cherish memories of summer. Well for me let me share with you some of my most unforgettable summer experience ever....

Summer adventure #1: The visitation to Persepolis (Islamic Republic of Iran)

I've blog about our visit to Shiraz and Persepolis here, here, here , here and here. It was summer of 2006, i think it was mid-September, when we visited the place. Lots of good memories when we're there, plus the fact that the food in Shiraz is soooooo good!!! it's like the gourmet capital of Iran! Would love to go bakc there given a chance.

 

Summer adventure #2: Road Trip to Hofuf and Judas Cave (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia)

It was a change of season (from winter to summer/spring) when we decided to visit Hofuf last 2010. There was a sandstorm over the area hence the dramatic shots i've taken. It was memorable because I forgot my Iqama (foreigner's ID) when we went there, and if ever the police would make a random checkpoint on us surely i've be detained on that day! Scary noh? Well, that's Saudi life!

Summer adventure #3: The Dubai experience (United Arab Emirates)

It's still connected to my 2-year stint in Iran, we need to process our working visa for Iran hence we apply (or rather the company applied) for our working visa in Dubai. Got a 3 day 2 night stay there while waiting for the visa. It was memorable for me coz it was my first time to be out of the country on my own and got a chance to roam the city alone! Scary but fun. It happened also during summertime in the middle east which explains he short hair and sweaty shirt! LoL!

Summer adventure #4: Al-Baher resort (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia)

Technically it was summer already when we headed to the resort of Baher but maybe the God of weather was against us that's why when we went to the place it was bitterly cold! Anyhow, the place is actually like a treasure found in dirt, knowing our place there's not too much locations where we can be totally "free" and have a good time, but in baher you can!=). Our trips to baher (together with my officemates) prove that friendships do become strong once your in a foreign land. Trips like this are like bonding moment with my officemates, whom until now are i still considered as good friends. Naks!

So there you have it, some of my favorite out-of-the-country-because-work-related-kaya-napadala-sa-abroad exerience. Now let's start doing memorable trips naman...the Philippines way...Abangan!!

Things that I would miss about Al-Khobar saudi Arabia (part 2)

3). The Iftar celebration

During the holy month of Ramadan it’s a tradition to hold a Iftar party (or Breaking of the Fast) after the sun sets. Here in our office it is usually held on the second Wednesday of Ramadan. It’s a great time to bond with other employees and to meet and greet our President and CEO of our office. Besides the usual award giving ceremonies the most sought after activity during Iftar is the food being serve. In the two Iftar party that I’ve attend I must admit I’m impressed and never went home disappointed. The food was great and the place was awesome (thanks to SEEF center).

When is this happening: Every second Wednesday of Ramadan, after office hours.
What to expect: Great food, Tons of fruits, overflowing desserts

Daming pagkain!!!

Party!Party! Arabian style

4). IKEA! IKEA!

When I was a kid my father, who was still working in Jeddah then, always bring home an IKEA catalog and Im always mesmerize by the design of the furniture and how it look so “chica” even on paper.

Fast forward twenty years now, I was surprised to learn that IKEA has a store here in Dammam and from then on every time I have a chance to go there I don’t go home empty handed. The last two visit was the highest point of my IKEA trip, I didn’t mind bringing home 2 heavy wall frame for picture frame and a 6 feet carpet made in Egypt (which was on SALE!) Or the 3 pieces big glass jar that I had trouble in packing in my balikabayan box. I mean if SM got it all for you IKEA got it all for me (make sense?) Anyhow, bottomline is the place is just freaking awesome!!

IKEA and Me

I wonder when they would open a store in the Philippines??! =(

When is the best time to go: Morning time during weekend (Get a breakfast first at their restaurant before shopping)

What to expect and what to buy: Sophisticated home decor, fluffy pillows and duvet, kitchen utensils that won't rust, Posh drinking glasses, scented candles that soothes the body. Also looking and getting the stuff from the rack is also quite challenging, the store clerks would only tell you how to find the item and it's up to you to retrieve it from their metal racks/warehosue (and that is why their price is low because they dont have to pay for extra money to the clerks to do your work).

Testingin nga natin ang mga upuan.LoL!

5). Auto Terrain Vehicle trip on the Arabian Sands

I must admit at first I was hesitant to ride the ATV because I find it unreliable (re: not safe) but once you get the hang of it the adrenaline rush will just rush out of your body! Yes the safety issues are still there but as a grown man I think you can handle the ATV as per your required action. The vast dessert is the best place to roar this engine and be wild and be like a kid, seriously! It was fun to circle around the sand or jump from the small hill and land in the sand again with a big bang (or splash of sands). It feels like you’re an action star when you’re riding this bike. The price to rent the bike is cheap but the experience you’ll get from it is priceless.

The best time to go is: Before sunrise during summer, the whole day for winter season.
What to expect: Sands, sands, sands! Breathtaking view and slopes of sands and sometimes a shock of your life learning that you’re on the edge of a sand mountain without any warning.

More to follow on this great adventure...

Things that I would miss about Al-Khobar saudi Arabia

Hwoh! Exactly one week from now and I will bid adieu, sayonara, khodafes and goodbye to my beloved Saudi Arabia. I've only lived here for one and a half year but suprisingly I already adapt to the way of life here in KSA. So, now that I'm leaving for good (though I hope I would be assigned here again, like in construction site in Rabigh or Manifa jejeje) I will be listing up starting today some of the places and things that I would be missing about this place:

1). Swimming at Al-Baher beach Resort

We're blessed that we are working here in Al-Khobar, which is 20 minutes away from the Persian Gulf. And during summer our group always go to this resort to relax and have some bonding time. The place is perfect because it has swimming pools and you hvae access in the beach> With entrance fee of 50SR (roughly 700 Php) this is a bargain. The place offers jetski, boating, videoke and catering for large group of visitors. They have rooms to rent but it's quite pricey.

I had lots of fond memories of this place and Im sure the other guys can say the same thing.

Best time to go there : Summer months of July-September, 6:00 PM- 5:00 AM

What to do there: Swim (of course!), jetski, fishing @ Jetty area, rent a boat

Baher Resort in the morning

Shot from the Jetty side of the resort
Good Morning Saudi Arabia!

Illuminated pool for night swimming

2). Easy access to Kingdom of Bahrain

Al-Khobar is located on the Easter region of Saudi Arabia and it's only an hour drive to Bahrain. Saudi Arabia and Bahrain are connected by a King Fahd Causeway bridge which makes the travel to this tiny Kingdom (but utterly beautiful and fun) a breeze. During Eid holidays most of Pinoys who have disposable income go to this country and have their vacation and access those things that are not available in Saudi Arabia. We we're supposed to go back ther last Eid-Al-Adha holidays but due to time constraint and some miscommunication we did not push throught he trip (same thing happened to the egypt, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan trip...so frustrating!!). Anyhow the trip last year was a blast! Had so much time i forgot that we're living in a Middle east country.

Best time to go there: Pratically every month of the year, specially if there's a sale season! But most of the parties happens during Eid holidays.

What to do there: Visit Arad fort, party at bars in downtown Manama, Visit the futuristic and artistic buildings in Manama, Buy at Manama Souk, and many more.

Thank you Bahrain for the wonderful time I've been there.

One of the largest mosque in the world: The Al-Fateh Mosque
Paying homage to the earlier inhabitants of the country, the majestic Arad Fort

Prayer carpets in front of Arad Fort

More to follow on this tribute to my host country.....

(links are all provided by wikipedia)

All Packed Up!

Less than 45 days nalang ang araw na i'll be staying here in KSA. As a kinaugalian na ng mga kababayang natin sa ibang bansa kapag pauwi ang isang pinoy hindi mawawala ang Balikbayan box!

Since October I was collecting this pasalubongs para sa family and friends and last week i sent all of them via air and sea cargo. Sa sobrang dami nia umabot ng apat na kahon na 60" x 60" ang kinailangan para maipadala lahat ng gamit ko =(. It translates also na mahal ang babayaran ko sa padala pero di bale, para naman sa family yun eh kaya sulit nari =D.

Shempre inunan ko sa listahan n g pasalubong eh yung para sa nagiisang cute na cute na baby namin sa bahay, at para sa kanya eh itong cute na cute na elepante na stuff toy from IKEA..

Mother and daugther Elephant (ang kyut diba?LoL!)

Nagpanick buying din ako ng mga duvet from Ikea, Unan at towels from SMAA. Advice ko sa mga friends ko dito sa Saudi, shop at SMAA, super mura ng mga gamit nila dun!

All vaccum-ed up!

I need to buy vaccum kasi hindi ko malalagay sa plastic yung mga unan na binili ko! Waaaa!

Hello BEAC & ALDO!

I higly recommend for those who are in Saudi also to visit IKEA, super sulit ang pamimili dun coz high standards na ang mga gamit pero affordable naman ang mga presyo.

A room carpet and some cheap glass

The ilawan at candelabras (wish ko lang hindi sha mabasag during transport!)

The decor balls (na pang christmas!!!)!

Another thing that i always bear in mind kapag magpapadala ng pasalubong is the sandamakmak na lotion, shampoo, sabon, and other groceries na wala sa Pinas! Tiyak masaya na naman si ama't ina nito! LoL!

Ang mga groceries kasama si starbucks Oman, Kuwait at Saudi Arabia!

Also bought this silver palted, heavy duty na lalagyan ng mga prutas..Im planning to give it as a Christmas gift.Pero kanino naman??

And here's another set of baso ulet...Ewan ko ba but i have this fascination with Baso...I really wish walang mababasag sa kanila pag napadala na sila sa Pina!!!

Another headache for me was this Vuvuzela which was a pasalubong by my close friend who happened to watch the World cup in South Africa last July. Sa sobrang haba nia I had a trouble on how to fit them in the box. Sana pala t-shirt nalang ang pasalubong ko para at least nasusuot pa vs. this vuvuzela! Hahahaha!

The Red one is mine, the black one is for Jasper

All in all, masaya naman pala ang pagiimpake, lalo na ngayon at papauwi na ako sa Pinas for good. I alaso miss blogging, so now quietly I'll open up again this blog para mai-dokumento ko naman ang mga nangyayari sa buhay buhay ko dito sa Saudi via this blog.

Para sa mga nakakabasa ng blog ko, thanks for dropping by and I promise mas magiging madalas na ang pagsusulat ko dito, ngayon pa na pauwi nako..hehehehe..

Peace yah all!

Ang blue na polo..bow..

Nitong mga nakaraang araw, tinamaan ako ng homesick.

Huwatt? Ako maho-homesick?! Parang isang himala na nangyari ito! Kasi ba naman kung kelan ang tagal ko na sa overseas ngayon pako tinamaan ng homesickness.

Inisip ko nitong mga nakaraang araw na baka puede magpa early demobilized ako dito sa saudi. Parang gusto kong umuwi sa darating na September sana.
Masaya siguro yun, baka masakasama pako sa RLTC ng Lingkod sa September, baka makakajoin ulit ako sa trcik or treat sa office sa darating na October, makakapunta ulit ako sa sementeryo/fiestahan sa November, at higit sa lahat maeexperience ko ulit ang christmas rush pagdating ng kapaskuhan!

But wait there's more! Miss ko narin ang mga kaibigan at pamilya ko sa Pinas. Miss ko na ang mga debate namin ng kapatid ko, miss ko narin makipaglaro sa mga pamangkin ko, miss ko na rin ang mga prayer meeting at fellowship sa Lingkod, miss ko narin magturo sa mga bata sa Tuloy, miss ko narin ang kulitan namin ni bestfriend. Hanubhayan, dami naman namiss!!

Kung kelan naman nagdesisyon nako na umuwi sa September saka ko naman nakita yung color blue ko na polo, and it all coming back to me now (insert memory lane song here)....

You see almost 8 years ago, right after college, nung panahong nag-aapply pako ng work, dalawa lang ang suot kong polo lagi. SM Menswear ang tatak nila pareho, yung isa is color blue, the other one is old rose.
Sa lahat ng mga interview at submission ng resume na pinuntahan ko parating ito lang ang suot ko kasi wala naman akong ibang formal wear. This polo symbolizes my struggles in finding work that time, never give up kahit na inabot nako ng bagyo sa isang examination ko sa cavite, o di kaya sobrang init naman habang nagiintay sa isang lumang factory sa liblib na lugar ng laguna. Kung noon na mahirap ang buhay dahil walang pera at sobrang hirap pa ang trabaho ay hindi ako bumigay ngayon pa kaya na im living the good life at ngayon pako bibitiw.

Then it struck me..shit..what the hell am i thinking!!!!

The reason im here is because my boss believes that I can do this job. The reason why im extended for anther 6 months is because my japanese boss trust me alone in this job. The reason im here is because i want to give the good life that my parents didn't experience before. The reason im here is because i can help further my community and my charitable institutions financially wise. The reason im here is that I prayed to God to be here.

Ang kapal pala ng mukha ko to just give up simply because I miss my life in Pinas.

Parang nasa kama na ako lilipat pa sa sahig.

Kung dati hirap na hirap akong maghanap ng work eh i never give up, ngayon pang ang dali-dali lang ng work eh ngayon pa ako susuko!! Di na oy!!!

Looking back at my polo again I made up my mind. Ok i'll finish my contract till December, and i'll make sure that ill give all my best in the remaining months of my stay here. Salamat sa mga alala na binigay ng simple at kupas kong polo, naliwanagan na ako na ang mga biyaya na ating nakakamit ngayon ay bunga ng pagsusumikap natin at higit sa lahat sa tulong ng maykapal.


postcript:
sa anim na taon kong pagtratrabaho, naka mahigit kumulang 75 formal clothes (polo at longsleeve) na ako. may mga pinaglumaan na akong pinamigay dahil hindi na kasya o di kaya ay kupas na. pero ang dalawang polo ko na ito ay kasama parin sa sinusuot ko. it is a reminder of where i came from at kung papanong struggles ang aking nagawa para lamang marating ang position ko ngayon.

What keeps me busy..

Aside from my hectic 7am-7pm work @ the office, I did give myself some much rewarded R & R every weekend. Besides swimming @ the beach (which will be done again this coming weekend) one way to relax is to raid the malls here in Al-Khobar and Dharan. Actually just doing some window shopping is kinda relaxing. Though sometimes it can be very tempting to buy especially when its on sale, just like this slender lamp from IKEA..

IKEA slender lamp

I keep on baggering my friend Charlie and Richard to go to SACO mall so i can buy those huge clothes hangeran, and after many cancelled trip we finally made it and i was very happy when we set foot on that store.

Before

After

You've probably think im a domesticated-kind-of-guy, nah, wish i could. I'm not good at designing homes nor pick the right duvet or punda for my pillows. And that's why i thank god i have friends who has a keen eye on this kind of things. Hahaha. User friendly!!

Another stash from IKEA

Another thing that keeps me busy this past few weeks is my collection of padala to Pinas. I've planned to send this things wayback January but unfortunately, due to unforseen events and gastos, only now I did manage to almost complete my balikbayan box to Pinas. Another trip this weekend and im done.

Tefal for Mom, her favorite brand

Almost full

All boxed up!

Oh, i did manage to buy myself a new phone coz the old one will be shipped together with the padala sa Pinas. Was very happy to buy this phone and special thanks to Chris for joining me in my phone-hunting @ King Khalid street.

Let's do the BBM!!

And finally, what keeps me insane this past few weeks was the pestering cockroaches inmy room. Gah, there's cockroach everywhere! Form kitchen sink to bathroom to my bed and even under the refrigerator. I did one very stupid thing last week though, i sprayed my room with baygon (i consumed 3 cans in one night) but it was nightime already, shempre i was tired so after 30 minutes i slept. Come morning time i felt horrible.

In short nasinghot ko ata lahat ng baygon sa kwarto.

Not a good idea noh?

And guess what, not all of them are killed.I didn't annihilate the entire cockroache population yet. Di bale, there's a second batch (but will definitely not on a weekday night).

My frenemy..baygon

Oh well, that's how i spend my days here in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, slightly boring pero im fine with it. Aba, till Decemeber pako dito so I should enjoy life here in the Kingdom. Diba?