Missing my family for the nth time...

I took a couple of blottles of beer last night just to make me sleep. Like most of my scheduled departure for Malaysia, I had a hard time sleeping the night before. So I took my usual medication for sleep deprivation, San Mig Light! hahaha!!!

The alarm went on at around 4:45am and I had this feeling of not going to stand up from bed. I just hugged my son while feeding him. I look at my 9-month old daugther while she was sound asleep. She seem very peaceful sleeping and that seem to start a very good day for me.

My wife, Ella, was still either half awake or half sleeping. I made a little embrace to before setting off for a bath...

Well, I guess that started my day today. Early morning wake-up call for the usual travel to Malaysia... feeling saddened by the fact that I'll be leaving again my family and be alone again for the next week or two. But on the other hand, I feel good knowing that I am doing this for them, for my family's future.

I am missing Josh's songs, cries, and his wits. I am missing Lela's kisses. I am missing Ella's company and her mumbles and her laughter. I am missing their love. I am missing the joy of being with them..

As I take the ride going to Clark, then goes the feeling of emptiness setting in. Maybe, I was enjoying more and more the company of my kids each day or I am missing the milestones that my kids have while I am away, or I will be missing the company of my wife for the next few days... these thoughts make me feel depressed and tired...

I just arrived here in Malacca. Tomorrow will be a new day and the next days and I look forward for coming back home again in a week of two...

Oh God I missed them...

This time I worth the cent

"Pre, narining mo na ba ang kantang 'Tatsulok' ni Bamboo?" tanong ko dun sa isang matalik kong kaibigan sa skype...

"Hindi pa, ano yun?" pabalik nyang tanong sa akin...

So pinadala ko na lang yung link ng website ni Bamboo para nya marinig...

"Hindi ko makita..." balik nya sa king pagkaraan ng ilang minuto... "ano ba nilalaman nun?"

"Makabayan dre yung kanta, narinig ko lang sa magic 89.9 at nakarelate ako agad..." balik ko sa kanya. Natutuwa lang siguro ako dahil magaling ang marketing ni Bamboo sa isang makabayang kanta...

"Naks! makabayan!" kumento nya na may halong pang-aasar. "Makabayan na sa ibang bayan nagtratrabaho... nyahahahahahaha!!!"

Ganyan lang naman kami paminsan-minsan. Asaran sa text or sa skype lalo pag nababato sa harap ng PC. At medjo nakakalamang ko palagi sa pang-aasar... hehehe!

Nagbibiro lang ang pare ko. Pero napaisip din ako dun sa biruan na yun...

Nung isang araw, nabasa ko naman ang isang post ni Bean na ang pamagat ay "OFW:Bayaning Taksil." Maiksi lang ang post na yun pero yun ay isang mapait na katotohanan sa aming mga OFW...

So ano nga ba? May halaga ba talaga kaming mga OFW sa bayan...

Nung isang buwan, nalaman ko na kailangan ko naman magbayad ng buwis sa Malaysia. Katakot-takot ang buwis.

"Mr. Jay, if you stay here less than 90 days last year, you will have to pay at least RM11,000.00 but if you stayed more you will only pay less than RM2000.00. Deadline of payments will be on 30April2007." Our company's accountant told me such terrible news...

So nadagdagan na naman ang kataksilan ko sa mahal kong bayan. Wala naman akong naalalang nagbayad ako ng ganyan kalaking halaga nung nagtratrabaho pa ako sa pinas. Yung huling dalawang kumpanyang pinagtratrabahuan ko ay medjo dinaya pa ang sweldo namin para lang makaiwas kami sa malaking buwisan. Nagpapasalamat pa kami sa management namin nun dahil malaking kaluwagan nga naman sa aming mga empleyado ang sistemang yun.

May choice pa ba ako? Wala. Sumunod sa sistema. Ipagpatuloy ang buhay OFW...

Kanina, nabasa ko na naitala ang pinakamalaking padala mga OFW sa mga kapamilya. Hanggang sa labin-apat na bilyong dolyar ang naipadala ng may siyam na milyong OFW sa taong 2006. Halos katumbas sa kalahati ng taunang budget ng bansa. Ang halagang yun ay katumbas ng pagod, pawis, at pangungulila. Halos linggu-linggo may naririning tayo na may nagagahasang pinay sa ibang bayan. Nagpakamatay dahil hindi nakayanan ang pang-aapi ng mga amo. Nabuwang sa pang-aabuso ng mga amo. Napatay. Pumatay. Nakidnap... para lang maitaguyod ang naiwang pamilya sa pinas...

Nakakalungkot pero ito ay katotohanan...

Tama si Bean at may tama din ang biro ng pare ko. Kataksilang nga siguro yan. Sana man lang nagamit namin ang kakayahang tumulong magpaunlad ng ibang bayan sa sariling bayan...

Ngayon, pagkatapos ng kontrata namin sa ibang bayan... may kasiguruhan ba ang trabaho para sa amin pagbalik sa Pinas?

"Nagtratrabaho sa ibang bayan, dre, para sa bayan. Bagong bayani nga tawag sa amin, di ba? At least this time, I worth the cent..."

Tol, ang sakit ng almuranas ko!

Reminds me when I had a horrible experience after sitting on the kingly throne. Damn, it hurts! I can't forget what happened next. My colleague was washing his hands and he saw me through the mirror as I was coming out from the toilet...

"Pare, mukhang ang asim ng mukha mo a..." said my colleague who was neither grinning nor smiling. He's like trying to emulate the look of my face... Like he just saw blood gushing out from my behind and going to faint...

"Pare, sakit ng almuranas ko!" I uttered back trying to hide the pain from my behind...

He laughed out loud, his laughter echoed down the hallway. Me, I can't even talk and standing straight was so painful!

I went to the clinic to have my bottom checked. She asked me few questions and all that I can remember the most was this...

"Jay, let's try this. I Will do a digital check on you." She said...

"Digital check? You mean may ipapasok po kayong high-tech na instrumento sa pwet ko dok?" I told her back thinking about all the high tech gadgets of the modern world and of course I was working with all those high tech machines in the shop floor...

"Hindi Jay, ipapasok ko lang tong daliri ko sa pwet mo..." she answered back like she's going to have a major operation on me...

Shit! I will be fingered!!! It will be my first! Damn!

"Wag na doc, bigyan mo na lang ako ng gamot na ako na lang ang magpasok..." Answered her back and I stood up to tell her that I am done with her.

Well, I can still feel my hemoroid once in a while and I am getting used to it...

Anyway, I just can't help but remember this experience whenever I see Mike Defensor's Ad on TV. I can't even laugh at because it's not funny! The ad really sucks! Whoever directed that ad may have all the hemoroids in the world surrounding him during the shoot.

"Tol! Mike Defensor! Iboboto kita pagka-senador!" Shouts the PacMan look-alike (I don't know his name) and some other personas like Keanna Reaves...

Mike Defensor looks back with the barbed-wire teeth coming out and with face trying to cover up the pain in his ass. He didn't utter a single word but maybe trying to say this silently...

"Tol, ang sakit ang almuranas ko!"

Damn Ad!