” We all have our own life to pursue, our own kind of dream to be weaving. And we all have some power to make wishes come true, as long as we keep believing.”
-Louisa May Alcott
It’s funny to note after 32 years, here I am writing another chapter of my life. I considered Jeddah as my second home, in fact, it was my HOME, this is where I grew up professionally , I have learned my craft and skills with much passion and as my term ends, I realized the love and respect my patients gave me was tremendous and I will be forever grateful for the experienced.
back home
So after a month, I was still wondering whether my decision to come home finally was indeed the right one. Well, mostly on financial aspect, I wonder if my savings will be enough to pull it off, at least untill my practice picks up.
Yes! I am pursuing my childhood dream to put up my own dental clinic. At age 59, I will go down to history 🙂 I will be doing what my friends and colleague have done 32 years ago !
I wish my father was still alive to witness this new chapter in my life.
So be it..
Beautybeyondfifty have changed her domain to “The Dental Aesthetic Clinic”
After the easy hiked in Makapu’u Lighthouse trail we decided to do another hike 🙂 yep! We’re hyper that day because that was my last day in Hawaii. This hike was in my opinion the real one!
It was already raining a bit when we arrived at the place, I took my backpack camera knowing, if it rains.. It pours …:-) got a rain cover for it! Yeah that was the plan but I did not have time to cover it when the rain came real, I hid my camera under my shirt and focused on the muddy trail. It was slippery, in my mind if I slipped, either I break my leg or my camera. The choice was clear, got to take care of myself first. I can buy another camera..if ever.. thanks God ! nothing happened 🙂 My friend? Oh she was the monkey, running from one tree to another hahaha joke! Well, she was younger and more healthy than I am (I guess).
If I am not mistaken, this is where the original “Jurassic Park” and TV show “Lost” filmed some of their scenes.
The Manoa Falls trail is a 1.6 mile trail and leads to a 150 foot waterfall that empties into a small pool of water. Swimming is highly discourage due to the threat of Leptospirosis a condition that may lead to kidney failure.
On our way back, more rainfall which made it even more challenging to me but I enjoyed every minute of it.
It was a wonderful day to hike in a rain forest like Manoa. Thank you my dear friend Adora for taking the time to be with me. I hope you had a wonderful day too!
A love story of two people who were in love but doesn’t know how deep it was until they got separated and now that they met again..mixed emotion runs deep..confused on how to end their love affair.. tragic and ironic but hopelessly romantic!
The face is the mirror of the mind, and eyes without speaking confess the secrets of the heart. Saint Jerome
I often think why I like you. I could not single out just one reason. you have so many good qualities as a person and I think it’s the combination of all of these qualities that elevates you from an average woman. your good looks is the least of all these. I’m not going to spend anymore time thinking what is it that makes you look so attractive. It’s enough that I like myself when I was with you.
jun
I thought it will be heaven.. perfect for my dreams, I begun a journey with a partner with a different destination so when we finally “ arrived,” we don’t know where we are..
The third episode of “The Vin and Noira Show” is here
Are you a OFW? Expatriates? born in KSA? back in Philippines? you should listen to vin oh! and noira too, she is from Indonesia but studied in Australia.
Where are you from?
I usually say, from Philippines to make the story short, because I was born in Davao and was raised in Bicol, my father is from Cabanatuan City and my mother is from Taytay ,Rizal and you can find these places in the Philippines.
but..
What about if you are born in another country like Saudi Arabia with Filipino parents and was raised in Saudi Arabia and never had the chance to actually live in Philippines?
What about.. if you are born in Saudi Arabia and never had the opportunity to really live in Philippines but your parents are both Filipino and you immigrated to United Kingdom or Canada?
What about..if your mother is Filipina and your father is American and you are born and raised in Saudi Arabia?
Where are you from?
photo grabs from “the vin and noira show” Ep3
As my youngest always say ” WE ARE NOMAD” 🙂
GLOBAL nomad – one who grows up in a country other than their passport country.
EXpatriate – one who lives outside of his/her own home culture.
I got interested with the topic of “Third Culture Kids” since the first episode of the show and it’s relatable to all expatriates alike, not only for the kids but for the adult and parents as well.
What is TCK? Third Culture Kids is a term they used for kids who were raised in a culture other than their parents country and a combination of both. A good example is my son , who has both Filipino parents (first culture) but was born and raised in Saudi Arabia(second culture) and being exposed on both cultures (third culture). He studied in a multicultural environment and later on went to Europe and USA to finish his Bachelors degree.
It gives me a goose bump, remembering the day I organized a club named KFC (Kids Fun Club) and TFCK ( Teens Fun Club with Kids). My main goal is for him to be exposed in a Filipino culture while in Saudi Arabia at the same time teaching children to enhance their creativity in arts,reading and our culture.
So whats the big deal?
Is there more advantages than disadvantages?
Well, it’s a matter of perspective, I can’t speak for himself so listen to his show here hahahaha, kidding aside, but what I observed TCK has more adaptability and capability than those who has mono cultural exposure. Mostly of the studies done for TCK are American children living abroad, so let’s narrowed down the topic to Filipino kids who were raised in Saudi Arabia because of their parents employment.
They speak fluent english and have difficulty in Tagalog (Filipino language), unless all their friends speaks Tagalog or they are studying in Philippine School, then there’s no tagalog difficulties but definitely they don’t speak their parent’s dialect. Yes! one of the advantage of being TCK is the fluency in the English Language, they learned different languages too, but sad to say they are not well versed in Tagalog. Is this the fault of a parent? Well, in my case, I choose to speak one language to them, so they will not be confused in their accent and pronunciation. I was raised in Bicol, speaks taglish (tagalog-English) with a Philippine accent, I was afraid they gonna pick up my accent and other students will make fun of them. You see, living in Saudi Arabia is not easy, unfortunately,bullying is rampant at school and at work as well. And being in American School, Filipino subject is not included in the curriculum, it’s either French or Spanish, and of course the Arabic language of host country. I just wish, I insisted on learning them Tagalog and Arabic more fluently.
Even for us, as OFW, we tend to speak comfortably in English than in Tagalog, As for me, I still speak taglish (tagalog-English) but can speak English well if needed and can conversed in Arabic with my patients 🙂
One of the privilege of being TCK is traveling. It gives them a broader view of the world, a better understanding of different culture but at the same time, they tend to wonder, the need to see other places and at times lost their interest to go back home.Even in food, they acquired the taste of arabic cuisine. Who doesn’t? Oh ! I love it too! kabsa, shawerma,sambusak and broast 🙂 hmmm I’m getting hungry 🙂
Another advantage of being TCK is education, not only having the chance to study abroad but the ability to adjust, experience and learn to live in a multicultural environment. This is a real education to see how people live, interact, socialize in different places. This give you a broader perspective and independence.
What about emotionally?
I remembered my son, on one of his low point of being a Nomad, he uttered in a depressed tone of “just give me a home” to which I answered, your home is ME! Home is where your family! But at that time we were all in a different continent. It was a realization for me, yeah, home is everywhere and nowhere!
Saudi Arabia is my comfort zone, we live in a big house with free car, air ticket , free education and this is where my career started and bloom. But we al knew, this is temporary, and time will come we are all going home…where?
No one was prepared to go back home to Philippines, we were all fascinated and taken away by the comfort of living abroad, having friends all over the world,going to places.. though at times we feel we don’t belong anywhere, still living abroad has its own aura. Like what is expensive in Philippines, its just a normal affordable thing abroad. Communication is easier too, though we don’t speak arabic fluently, a lot of people here tried to speak English or even tagalog to us.(this is just me, ok?) I know, I am working in a private clinic with a good position so what I meet everyday are professionals, VIPs, but I think mostly of expatriate would have the same opinion. Am I wrong or right?
Sad to say, back home, speaking English with american accent and an Asian look, sometimes doesn’t create a good start without being perceived to be showing off.
the feeling of..
you don’t fit in… reverse culture shock… out of place
Vin and noira will surely tackle these feelings of being a tourist on your own home country. As for me, I am not yet there, but I am anticipating my retirement soon and I knew, I would feel the same way but hey! life is what we make it, if we were able to survived in the Middle East, we will surely survive in Asia!
Did I say ? TCK includes adult and parents?
Accept reality, face our own fear and sooner than we think, we can say, it’s not bad as we expected it too be 🙂
Ladies, I think Vin and Noira did express their take on TCK better than I did here 🙂
Red sand dunes of Tabuk region, an awesome experience of seeing the beauty of nature.
I came home from a four days road trip ,exhausted but happy and can’t stop looking at the photos I took. Hmmm can’t really decide upfront which one to upload first. I am fascinated by the red color of the sand dunes in Tabuk region. It’s a small area of the vast desert where you can see a red sand dunes.This place in An Nafud al kabir is a sight to behold and no photos can literally translate my feelings to see this beautiful nature. We didn’t mind the hot weather, I can feel the hotness, redness of my face but I didn’t back off taking photos.
What is more fascinating, the green grass has two shades of green!
I am giggling inside seeing this awesome scenery, I thank God for the creation.
Ladies, have time to enjoy the nature, look at beyond the beauty of nature.
Remember: as the sun goes down at sunset, it will take a part of your life with it
Why sunset? why not sunrise? It’s been a craze to have a sunset wedding, I wonder why? They said, it’s more romantic, as the sun goes down at sunset, you are with your new partner and as the sun rises up the following day, a new chapter of your life unfolds with your new husband/wife.
Life..it is a little shadow which runs across the grass and loses itself in the sunset.
If your marriage did not sustain, romance failed, you remember that you went down with the sun and a part of your life was taken.Oh, well..life goes on, sun will rise up again and again.
clouds come floating in to my life, no longer to carry rain or storm but to add color to my sunset sky
Orange is a bright provocative color of sunset. It gives you challenge to face the realm of life with a man/woman who will be yours forever.
What about its hue of provocation, the temptation, the lust and eventually the betrayal at the end…would “love” be enough to see the sun rises up again?
Remember: when the sun goes down at sunset, it will take a part of your life with it…so every time it comes you also watch how it glow and blow you away, every moment counts because life is too short to enjoy .
do things with passion or not at all...the beauty of sunset will always be there
Does life gets better after you reach fifty and beyond? well, it depends, on how far you’ve been.ahhh, you can say that again!
I was filling up the form for our yearly medical insurance, as usual,name, date of birth, gender etc. the bracket of payment was at the end of the form. I always thought that I am fifty ( sorry ladies, i stop counting at age fifty).
35-40 yrs. old (SR 1,149) 41-50 yrs. old (SR 1,349) 51-59 (Sr 2,649) 60-69(Sr 15,000)
Whoa! SR 2,649 for 51 yrs old and above! I thought when I reached fifty and beyond, I will have a discount but NO! your body will eventually be less resistant to sickness,not to mention the menopausal syndrome … thus need more medical attention and so your medical insurance increases in anticipation of this predicament.
I thought , I don’t care if my face has wrinkles, anyway, I am fifty and beyond but NO! looking at the mirror everyday makes you wonder, do I need a Botox? a filler? or a face lift? who cares!
I travel a lot and my suit case is full of clothes I need on every occasion, every weather, every conferences..so no need to buy stuff, but NO! It doesn’t fit anymore, I grew three sizes bigger..oh my! good thing my shoe size doesn’t change but NO! the style change, the fashion change..who cares!
My little handy bag used to have my lipstick,foundation,eyebrow pencil,mascara and lotion.Guess what’s the additional item? concealer! yes! to hide those dark circles around my eyes, sides of my nose and my dark pimples (which sometimes, let me feel I am still young! at least in my dreams! ha ha ha ha). What else? medicines! I have to add more medicines in my bag (headache,cramps,allergy,eye drop etc)
Eyeglasses! I have sunglasses, medical eye wear (i got two, one is spare just in case ..you know what I mean, beautybeyondfifty is getting old and forgetful)and not to mention, I have my loop too! Contact lens? no , I don’t wear one.
Gadgets! whoa, I used to have desk top computers only, but I needed a lap top so i can do my work at home and at the office, clang! there goes another net book, easy to handle but got to have an extra hard disk..no no no still too heavy, i got an iPad so i can just put it in my everyday bag still not contented? here we go..iphone4, it goes to my purse easily ,ahhh do you think ,I wont carry my camera and MacBook air when I travel the next week? Think again! 🙂
My hair is turning grey…got to color it and made some high lights and low lights ahhhh additional expenses too! what else?
Oh well, got to park my pen, I won’t do anything at all if I find living expensive after all when you die, I guess its more expensive to buy a coffin and a place to bury the dead.
And so I therefore conclude, Life and living is still the best!
October 28, 2018
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