six years na akong OFW this week. six years nang wala sa pilipinas. naalala kong bigla yung huling linggo ko bago umalis, nagpunta kami sa simbahan ng antipolo para humingi ng kaunting swerte sa magiging byahe ko papuntang singapore. nakasabay pa namin si president arroyo sa simbahan. nagdarasal dahil papunta ata siya sa malaysia during the same week. muntik ko pa ngang natapakan dahil hindi ko agad nakita. malayo kasi ang agwat ng age at height namin.
ang laking pagkakaiba ng buhay namin ngayon kaysa nung nasa manila kami. lalo na para kay jet – mas independent na siya ngayon at mas malakas ang loob. kailangan kasi dahil mas mahirap ang buhay, lalo na rito sa amerika kung saan ikaw lahat ang gagawa.
pero kahit mahirap, mas naging maganda ang relationship namin dahil kami lang dalawa parati ang humaharap sa mga pagsubok (wow, lalim nito). samakatwid, kahit ano pang mga siglo, unos at kung ano-ano pang mga cliche na salita sa tagalog na nagpapahiwatig ng paghihirap ang dumating sa amin ay ok lang.
may kanta si springsteen na pinakikinggan ko lately na nagpapa alala sa akin ng OFW experience naming mag-asawa.
It’s rainin’ but there ain’t a cloud in the sky
Musta been a tear from your eye
Everything’ll be okay
Funny thought I felt a sweet summer breeze
Musta been you sighin’ so deep
Don’t worry we’re gonna find a way
it’s a hard life but it’s a fucking great life.
it’s only a fucking great life if you freakin’ treat it right. And you both do, hence, the good life.
Woohoo! amen.
inspiring.. 😀
I just could imagine how difficult it indeed is. It’s fucking difficult enough to live on your own as a separate family with only you and your wife or husband…all the more insanely difficult doin’ it in a place where you are the alien. Kudos to you batjay! you’ve got the balls to follow your dreams!
Is life really good pag nsa ibang bansa na? Ako plan C ko ang mag migrate eh…i cant imaging life outside Phil…I envy you Bat you’re living full of life there!
Cheers!
Sam
is it really good? you make it good, i guess, by making the most of what life gives you. sa madaling salita, ok lang either way.
mas exciting ang nakabukod. mas maraming magagawa at mas mayroon kang elbow room para makadiskarte sa buhay. mas mahirap pero mas maraming possibilities.
inspired.
OO nga eh…gusto ko rin sana umalis (either to Singapore or NZ)..pero attached si wife sa parents nya na medyo my edad na..(they are in their 70’s). Immoral nman yata kung yayain ko sya paalis and leave her parents alone here….I hope our country will prosper…para la na aalis..its hard to give up kse people you left behind your mother land..
in a way, i feel the same way too.me and my wife have just moved into Dubai, and boy oh boy are the adjustments really a major thing. simple things which you used to take for granted are missed and …i guess you know what i mean. but hey, you look like you are having fun..so enjoy the life.
bigla akong naka-relate pareng jay….mahirap nga ang mangibang bayan at magtrabaho…..ang bottom line….wala ka sa Comfort Zone mo….maraming sakripisyo….mahiwalay ka sa mga mahal mo sa buhay,malalapit na kaibigan……pero kailangan gawin at makipagsapalaran para sa pamilya…haay buhay OFW….mahirap pero rewarding naman…..
oo nga pre. mas mahirap nga sa iyo dahil kakasimula mo pa lang at hindi mo kasama ang pamilya mo. medyo malungkot pero kailangang gawin para kumita
hey anton. it is enjoyable when you make it enjoyable.
tama ka dyan….mahirap mag-raise ng family in diaspora…
ang hirap nga talagang maging OFW… lahat na yata ng paghihirap e mararanasan mo pero after that, it’s so fulfilling! may mga bagay na inaakala mong hindi mo kaya pero nagagawa mo… o db? exciting pa rin ang buhay kahit paano!!
ako nga, andito na kaming lahat sa US pero magkakahiwalay pa rin! parang doble-dobleng hirap… pero naku, life goes on! hindi naman ako pwedeng hintayin ng pag-ikot ng mundo… kya kailangang maging matatag!!
cheeerrss para sa inyong mag-asawa!! ingatz lagi kuya en God bless po!
correct bossing pepe….kaya kailangan talaga ng dasal….kasi nga pag OFW eh wala ka physically para tingan o protektahan ang mga mahal mo sa buhay, pag may b-day o mga importanteng okasyon wala ka rin….
ambilis ng panahon…sa susunod, lahat tayo retirado na sa Pinas…mag bo blog ka pa kaya?
kung may wireless siguro, baka. pero sa tingin ko pag nag retire ako ay may naimbento na computer na direct connection sa utak mo kaya pasok agad yung iniisip mo sa blog entry.
hi rho and pepe. mga OFW rin kayo and you know the life.
patok ka mr batjay! haha… cool entries! you seem to have pol medina’s local humor, bob ong’s bites of reality, and conan o’brien’s wits and sarcasms.. ayos! i’m contemplating on starting a blog myself and am thinking of ‘patterning’ it to yours. what advice can you give me? (by asking im hoping you could do a rundown of “10 tips for starting a blog” =)) thanks mr batjay! in the undying words of Kuya Germs: ‘More power!’
you (and jet) have accomplished so much, it’s truly worth all the blood and sweat, woudn’t you say?
cheers all around from eder and i!!
LEAH! kamusta na kayo ni eder? miss na namin kayo ni jet. sana makapunta kayo rito soon. ingat!
salamat sa pagbasa. goodluck with your blogging plans and take care.
Parang yung sinabi nung isang guy sa NatGeo:
“If you don’t enjoy your life, it’s kinda your own fault.”
Nga pala Ser, taga-Antipolo din ako. Natikman mo na ba yung Bato-Bato, Butchi, chaka un Balun-Balunan dun sa ihawan na malapit sa 7-11 (near antipolo church)??
hindi ko na try yung sa malapit sa simbahan pero mahilig ako sa balun-balunan.
Tama ka talaga KB (o ex-KB na ba? 😦 )…kapag dalawa lang kayo, away from everyone else, it’s sink or swim. But if you can keep afloat, you really learn to rely on each other. Sabi nga sa akin ng isang mutual friend naming mag-asawa, obvious daw that my husband really depends on me. Sagot ko: That’s good, ganoon rin ako sa kanya.
Independent kami pero dependent on each other (I guess the word is “interdependent, ‘no?) — I suppose it’s the best way for married couples to be.
kapitbahay pa rin – BWAHAHAHA!
oo nga, if there’s a couple who understands what i’ve been talking about, it’s you and arnel. idol nga namin kayo ni jet dahil you’ve made it really good over here.
halu batjay. dumaan lang ulit after a long time.
as usual, nakakapangiti ang mga post mo. at nakakatuwa.
i know you and jet are well. ingat. 🙂
Tinaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! kamusta ka na? kala ko, pupunta ka rito.
Ah okay. If ever nakapunta ka dun, wag mo na tanungin kung san gawa un bato-bato chaka butchi, mystery meat daw talaga yun eh. Haha.
mystery meat – parang yung sa siopao.
I guess. Pero eto makikita mo pa naman un lamang-loob. Tinanong ko dun sa boy na nagluluto kung anong parte ng hayop gawa yung bato2x eh ang sabi niya basta hindi raw gawa sa bato yun. Ewan ko ba, sa lahat ng napuntahan ko na mga probinsya dito sa Pinas e mejo mepagka weird talaga streetfoods ng antipolo.
Weird nga, pero masarap naman. May isang beses, sinabi sakin nung tindera na “Masarap naman diba? Wag ka nang magtanong, basta ang mabuti ay nasasarapan ka.” Haha.
baka galing sa mga double dead na baboy
This is for you mr. batjay and to all the OFWs out there 🙂
Old Photograhphs
Artist: Jim Capaldi
Yesterday I felt the wind blowin’
’round my shoulder
I feel like I’m getting older
Still I can’t forget your face
Separated by a million miles of ocean
My heart still feels the motion
Even in this lonely place
Refrain
Old photographs and places I remember
Just like a dying amber
That’s burned into my soul
Even though we walk the diamond-studded
highways
It’s the country lanes and biways
That makes us long for home
Lately I just find
My mind has turned to dreamin’
Makin’ plans and schemin’
How I’m gonna get back home
Looking down inside
I’m always really hopeless
This road I’m on is endless
We climb our mountains all alone
thank you.
Pag nakakabasa ako ng mga ganitong sinusulat mo Pa, parang nai-inlab ako sayo all over again. 😀
I’ve always known, as long as we’re together, everything will be just fine. Mahirap nga lang iwasan ang A personality ko kaya I get worried about the littlest things but as you can see, I am striving and I am thriving… and a big part of that is because I am with you. Thank you for being with me.
Labyu! 😀
laki na nga ng improvement mo mylab and i’m so proud.
labU
wowwwww ok naman 2 nkakainpyrd hehehe