Goodbye Sharjah, Hello Fujairah!

It seems only yesterday when I set my first step in Dubai International Airport. Akala ko nga dati bansa ang Dubai kasi ganun ang paniniwala ng marami sa atin. We went first to RD’s accommodation kasi sa hapon dun daw ako titira sa friend nya sa karama. But when we reached karama, sabi ng kasama ng friend nya sa room, I am not allowed to stay there without her permission. We were shock kasi saan ako titira? Dala-dala namin ang maleta ko while walking looking for a place where I can stay. I wanted to cry kasi first day ko sa Dubai and yet I had my first taste of some Pinoys cruelness. Dun ko na-realized na iba nga pala ang mga Pinoy sa abroad, they can be powerful even for little things without realizing na in the end, they will suffer for their own action. Luckily, we called Ate Elsa and she’s more than willing to accommodate me for some days until I can find my own place to stay. Aside from that, she helps me also find a job. So after three days of searching, I got a job (thanks to Ate Elsa again!) and they told me that I will be assigned in one of the branches of the company, in Sharjah. Tanong ko naman “Sa’n yun? Dubai pa rin ba yun?" Silly of me! ‘di kasi ako nagtatanong, until I learned from my RD that UAE has seven emirates and Sharjah is one of them. I got excited kasi akala ko na naman sasakay na naman ako ng plane going to Sharjah kasi one of the emirates ‘di ba? Akala ko malayo, yun pala, bus lang ang sasakyan and it only takes 20 minutes to travel. My first day in Sharjah is not my first day in my new job kasi pumunta muna kami dun to look for a flat or bedspace in particular. Kasi ‘pag sa Dubai pa ‘ko manggagaling sayang naman oras ng byahe tsaka kahiya kasi nakikitira lang ako kay Ate Elsa. We found a flat near to my workplace so in the evening, lumipat na ‘ko. My first landlady is ‘sosad’ kasi sad ang life nya. Kasi ayaw nya ng maingay sa flat. Pati yung pagsara and pagbukas ng pinto dapat dahan-dahan. Imagine my first night there, para akong nakatira sa sementeryo sa sobrang tahimik. So pinangalanan ko s’yang “sosad." My first day in work is not good. I have lots of problem. Isa na dun ang language. While tayong mga Pinoy very particular sa mga grammar natin, sila pala hindi. Should I have known this earlier, ‘di hindi sana laging dumudugo ang ilong ko ‘pag nagsasalita ako ng English. But after two weeks, I decided to resign from my job due to health reason. Imagine, sa harap ko mismo nag-i-smoke yung manager and almost all of the staff there kaya akala mo nasa grilling station ka. Aba! kung hindi ako aalis dun eh di ako naman ang magkaka asthma. I lived alone here so sino ang tutulong sa akin ‘pag nagkasakit ako? And umalis na rin ako kay “sosad’ kasi ‘di nga ako magkaka-asthma, baka mabingi naman ako sa katahimikan! I shifted to al Zahra, magkapatid naman yung landlady ko and after more than 1 month of searching, sa wakas nakakuha ako ng work sa freezone. I spent my 14 month there. Until my husband got a job offer in Fujairah, which means I have to go with him to live there. I resigned from my job. And tomorrow we will be shifting to Fujairah. I will be leaving Sharjah with a heavy heart. For almost two years that I stayed here, I experienced everything, from being shy to a tough one. I became I fighter especially to those who thinks that Filipinos are not worthy in any position, I proved them wrong. At this juncture, I just wanted to express my deepest gratitude to all the people, in one way or another, helped me become a better person during my stay in Sharjah…thanks. We may be far from each other but the memories you shared with us (me and RD) will be forever embedded in our hearts...And to Fujairah , here we come!!! ***viasagabaenpalara***