If you've seen Aga and Claudine's Dubai movie (I haven't, lol :)), you must have an idea how expensive it is to rent a flat in Dubai. I was told that the movie even shows a situation where several people live in one small studio type flat that's been divided either by curtains or cupboards to make separate rooms. And I think that is not an exaggeration.
I've just checked the net if we can afford to get a one-bedroom flat at least and I was stunned at the rental rates. It starts at around 65k a month, converted--and that is a very modest flat, and goes up to 150k if you prefer something more fancy! Imagine spending that much money for something that wouldn't ever be yours. Of course, I really cannot compare it with the Philippine market but I just can't help but think that in the Philippines, if we can afford to allocate the same amount of money monthly, we can get a house and lot in no time and in a nice location with the help of mortgage lenders. And then I realized that if our jobs here can afford us a house and lot, we wouldn't be going to Dubai, would we? :)
enjoying dirty ice cream with oyo and kuya pei
It's official. We're leaving on the 17th. We'll be visiting my nephews in Singapore for two days before we head off to Dubai. I'm having mixed emotions. At times I feel eager and looking forward, and then I'd feel anxious. I'm happy that finally we'll be independent and at the same time sad at the thought of the family that we'll leave behind.
Hay, buhay. I'm having guilty feelings about Miguel missing everyone here at home. The only good thing is that he still cannot verbalize his feelings. Torture sakin yun to hear that he misses them and wants to go back home. Oh well, we've thought and prayed about this a hundred times. I guess no matter what I tell myself, I still won't be comforted by anything until we're settled and adjusted. I hope it will be soon.
You know I'm in love with Ikea. And who wouldn't be? Their furniture and home furnishings are chic, functional and reasonably-priced--from the bed down to teacups and saucers. In fact when we moved back to the Philippines (and for a while thought we'd settle here), I even bought a few items and had them shipped here, including a heavy but flatly-packed toy organizer!
As early as now I'm already planning to get most, if not all, of our stuff from Ikea when we finally move. I hope we'll have the funds to get these items at once. And of course, we know there are challenges to setting up a new home. Firstly, we have to find just the right place, big enough for Miguel to have space to move about, but should be within our budget. Secondly, we need to baby-proof the entire house so I wouldn't have to worry about Miguel getting hurt.
Here are some of our inspiration...
bedroom2
bathroom
living room
Oh, if only we can afford to set-up a bedroom and a bathroom that's exactly like that! Oh, what a lovely home it would be! :)
I seemed to have missed out on a rather important item when I prepared my task list the other day. I have forgotten to include going to the bank to open a checking account! Since accepting the Dubai job opportunity, Nico and I have agreed that we should open a checking account for easier handling of selected transactions. Afterall, it would be unwise to always be carrying cash these days, so we need to find ways to make it safe and convenient.
To tell you honestly, I have had my share of troubles in managing our monthly budget in the past. Perhaps because I really didn't have to "handle the budgeting" since we're staying at my parents' house and almost everything is managed by my mom. But since we will soon be on our own once we move to Dubai, I need to brush up on my financial management skills. I will need to review the strategies I employed in budgeting when we used to live on our own, though I will need to alter them a bit to fit the single-income situation that we are in right now.
We're excited about the impending move to Dubai. Among many things, I'm looking forward to having my own house. It seems in the past weeks that we keep accumulating stuff and I don't know where to put them now. Our bedroom is so cramped. We need space!
If there is one thing Nico and I agree upon, that is, we both want cozy and functional home, where everything has its own place. And I am particular about having a spacious bathroom. I'd like those vanity items well-organized. Perhaps, it would be good to find one that has pedestal sinks as these types allow for bigger floor space.
We're given a month to find a house. Big challenge, I know. But I hope we'll be able to find the ideal one on time, as I wouldn't want to settle for something that wouldn't be comfortable. We're talking long term stay, afterall.
My inlaws arrived last Monday from their 3-week US trip. We were all so looking forward to welcoming them for two reasons--we're excited to showcase Miguel's new antics and we have bought several goodies online which were sent to their destination. Mine were a nappy bag (and a really cool one to boot!) and a mineral make up starter kit.
So you can imagine our thrill when we met them on Wednesday. They showed us their photos while recounting the stories behind each one of them. Apparently, we just learned that during one of their domestic flights, my mother-in-law fainted and collapsed while waiting at the airport. The next thing she knew she was already in a wheelchair. I wonder now if they ever thought of securing travel insurance for this trip.
They are well-travelled people and they've been to the US and Europe several times in the past, but they were young then and were surely fit for long haul travel. And although they're in their early 60's now and are evidently healthy, they're still not immune to fatigue. It is then worthy to take every precaution needed to ensure they travel safely next time.
Only three weeks ago our house was filled with gloom. My father suffered with a bad case of osteooarthritis which he's had since who-knows-when. He's been going to the doctor every now and then and has been taking medicines regularly. His doctor clearly advised him to refrain from drinking alcohol, beer in particular. But whether it's because he'd spent thirty years of his life working for SMC and he still feels some "loyalty" to this day, or simply because he's too weak to resist the temptation, he just wouldn't heed the doctor's advice and would still sneak out to have a bottle or two. We were already thinking if he needs to undergo alcohol rehab .
It was the scenario until recently when he couldn't bear to walk on his own for almost a week because of the pain in his knee. And it seemed the medicines he's taking had no effect at all. Seeing the agony on his face, I thought he must have realized now that he really needed to stop drinking, else he would have to endure endless suffering. Last weekend, he went back to the doctor with the results of his xray. New medicines were given along with strong advice against alcohol. To our great relief, he followed the doctor's advice and has been well ever since.
Nico reminded me about teaching Miguel to pray, so a few days ago we started taking turns in praying with Miguel as part of our bedtime routine. He learns really fast that after the first night he already knows how to put his hands together in a prayer gesture when he hears us say "it's time to pray."
Tonight when we were almost set to go to bed, he took out a book from the stack and so I volunteered to read a story to him. The story's entitled "Young Jesus." After reading a few lines, I was amazed to see that he put his hands together in prayer! Apparently, he understands the association between "prayer" and "Jesus." So I confirmed that he's right in associating the prayer gesture to Jesus and we went on to say our bedtime prayer. :)
The month's almost over and we have just accomplished a few things for Project Relocation. Nico's passport has just been released yesterday, took them almost 10 days to process the renewal. We've submitted the required documents for visa processing and they came back with a few other requirements. But the biggest bummer so far is that Nico's resignation was declined. The boss tried to negotiate but finally realized that we're set and all he could do was to bargain for an extended stay. So instead of the initial May 23 effectivity, he'll be staying with the company until June 15. This means we won't be travelling until mid June.
***
I've sorted out most of our stuff, at least on paper. I've categorized them and soon I'll be posting here a few items for sale. There are some good stuff I wouldn't want to let go if I have my way, but it would just be too impractical to have them shipped. I'm thinking of getting an ebay account to help me dispose of these items. Anybody who's had experience selling on ebay? Tips, please.
The drama starts now. Here goes...
I look forward to...
-having our own flat (by own I mean it'll just be the three of us, not necessarily own it, haha :))
-choosing every piece of furniture that goes in the flat (though I don't think we can afford much kaartehan this time; we need to baby-proof the house)
-being the chef in my own kitchen (goodluck to us!)
-visiting Ikea for some home improvement shopping
-shopping at Rituals, love their shower gel and whipped body cream :)
-bringing Miguel to the park (though this is not until October, after the summer heat)
-going on a desert safari (wasn't able to do this last time)
-visiting Wild Wadi (kelan kaya 'to)
-and attending VCF service every friday
I'm sure gonna miss...
-our early morning walk round the neighborhood-Miguel's warm morning greetings to the neighbors (oh, he'll be missed for sure)
-Nanay, Miguel's source of comfort when Mommy fails him
-Kuya Pei and other playmates
-the comfort of our home
Haaay, life.
Last night, after reading ODB's article for April 15, I leafed through the pages and was led to January 9. It says:
"A man's heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps."--Proverbs 16:9
It's good to plan and dream and think ahead. But we must always be open to God-appointed changes in direction. God will never mislead us.
When we trust him with all our heart, He will direct our paths.--Proverbs 3:5-6.
This is my faith.
The reality has just set in. We're relocating in a month's time! Do I sound surprised? Oh well, I am a bit. But it's not that we haven't really prepared for it. In fact, we've been praying for this for months now and we've discussed and thought about it a hundred times. Perhaps the realization of the many things we need to accomplish before we leave is what I am fussing about.
Project Relocation has started. Job offer has been accepted. Contract has been signed. Now we need to submit the required documents in order to secure a visa. We're targetting the first week of June to be in Dubai, but that's all dependent on how soon we can get a visa.
While Nico's handling the documentation part, I need to focus on the smaller yet equally important part of this move. That is, sorting and categorizing our stuff--those that will be shipped, sold, and disposed of.
And I need to talk to Miguel's pedia as well for some advice; ensure all his medical records are with me. And Nico and I will have to go for a medical and dental check up...and we need to do some shopping...need to do some research...and we need to say goodbye.
The job offer's in. It isn't exactly what we asked for but it's good. Even better in the long term, I think. We haven't really digested the offer, and we have yet to discuss it tonight.
We haven't informed anybody yet, even our parents. We still need to think of a gentle way to break the news to them, just in case we decide to accept it.
Oh yes, this is the change I was talking about. We're moving. Somewhere far. (**fingers crossed, head bowed down in prayer**)
...and I am excited. A bit anxious. But looking forward.
I think life is gonna change big time. And my routine too!
We've been praying for this. If this pushes through, then it's His will.
Will post more details as soon things are definite. :)
that’s how I am feeling today. Miguel has not been feeding well lately and I think he hasn’t gained much weight over the past month. I’ve actually noticed his poor appetite about two months ago. I mentioned this to his pedia on our last visit and was advised to cut down on stimulating activities (no more peek-a-boo and tickle me games for now) as these and all the other skills he’s gradually learning–”talking/socializing”, crawling– seem to be more interesting to him than nursing. I even had a bad case of mastitis once when he did not feed overnight. However, I content myself with the fact that he gained 500g at that time since for exclusiely breastfed babies, weight gain is an indication of good milk intake.
It’s been almost 5 weeks since our last pedia visit and it seems to me he even lost weight, his cheeks aren’t as chubby as before and the fact that he never feeds more than 5mins per session is worrying me too much. What could be causing his loss of appetite? I read that a baby under 12 months isn’t likely to self-wean. I noticed, though, that he’s drooling and biting a lot, could he be teething? I can only hope his disinterest in nursing is temporary. Can’t wait for our next check up on saturday as I will surely raise this issue again to his doctor.
my cutie baby…isn’t he adorable?
***
Our own place–this is yet another thing that saddens me. Even before we came back to the Philippines there is already the issue of how we will manage to live independently, and obviously we haven’t done much to address the issue as we are still staying at my parents’. There are a few things we need to reconcile before we even consider moving out. Based on quick estimates (as I haven’t done serious calculation), we couldn’t afford to rent our own place with only one of us earning, but Miguel won’t feed from a bottle till now and I’m not comfortable leaving him with a yaya plus I know of the many benefits of taking care of him myself so how (or perhaps why) will I work again soon?
Hay, life sometimes is sad…
We never had second thoughts when we decided I would give birth and raise the baby in the Philippines. There were quite a number of considerations before coming to this decision, though, and we felt it was best for all of us if I come home and for Nico to eventually follow. After spending a good amount of time here, we felt like this isn’t the place to start a family—at least not for us. As I ponder further how our time, our days are spent, I realized this is really just a place for work. I couldn’t seem to make a ‘life’ out of the daily routine we follow—wake up, go to work, come home and sleep, same thing the next day…and on weekends—do the housework, probably pass the time in the mall, and before you know it, time to go to work again. We tend to miss the happenings where families and relatives are concerned. With this environment, I couldn’t imagine how we will be able to raise our baby if we choose to stay. Or is it just me?
The other side of the story is that I happen to know some people who seem to have made Dubai their home-those who opted to bring their families here. And when I realize there are these people who are happy they settled here, I wonder if I am making the right choice–especially recently when new work opportunities are presenting themselves again. Just a few weeks ago I received interview invitation from two headhunters which I both turned down since I am already working for IBM. I just promised to send an updated resume which I failed to do.
Yesterday, one of them phoned in again asking whether I am still working and if I want to consider another company. I thought to myself, this must be a better offer as I have already previously indicated my current and expected salary. This made me think once again whether there is any possibility that the right choice is to extend our stay here. But this single question leads to thousand others. Who will take care of Miguel when we’re both working? How will we manage working and spending quality time with him? Should we get a better place? A car? If we are to live here with Miguel we need to have a comfortable place.
Should I even be rethinking our decision or am I just enticed by the single factor which seems at times to have more weight than all others—job opportunity?
It finally dawned on me as I passed by the mall one afternoon on my way home from the office. In less than 3 month’s time, I’ll be leaving this place and if things go as planned, I will never again set foot in Dubai. Perhaps to say that time flies too fast is an understatement in my case. I fairly remember only a few months ago how I struggled to adjust to a totally new life—without a job, with a husband, in an utterly strange place. The excitement that filled me as I looked forward to coming here was eventually traded with boredom and anxiety brought about by a mix of things such as difficulty of finding a new job (in the beginning, at least), the presence of irritating, stinky beings (pardon me but when you really can’t flee from their stinky smell everywhere you go, you will be pissed and count it as one of the top things you hate about the place), not to mention homesickness. This place probably boasts of luxurious hotels and restaurants, state of the art buildings, roads and facilities, but truly nothing compares with the warmth and comfort of my precious home. Oh how easy it was to find good food even in the cheapest restos in the malls of Manila! If you only knew of all my complaining about the not-so-good stuff here in Dubai, you would probably think I would be jumping with joy by now as my time to come home draws near.
And yes I almost jumped for joy until I realized that in the 9months that I have stayed here, somehow, Nico & I have made a routine of our own and when I do come home not long from now, it’s routine no more. You see, only now do I realize that we have survived the first year of our marriage living away from families—they who offer all the support when you seem not to know how to do things. In a way it’s good that we started our marriage with only the two of us helping each other. We share housework—cooking, laundry & press, cleaning and grocery shopping—we take turns at doing tasks. We may not know the best way to do certain things but we get by somehow. Weekends are spent attending fellowship, wandering about, lunch and dinner out, malling or simply staying home to sleep especially during summer months. But now that we have finally agreed it would be impossible for us to manage living alone when the baby comes, the decision for me to go back home immediately follows. It saddens me to think that Nico will again be left by himself here in Dubai, struggling to pass each day without my company. And it surely pains me to think how he will miss the joys of being a soon-to-be-dad. And I will surely miss coming home from work with a simple dinner prepared by him and spending the rest of the night everyday snuggled up on our red sofa just talking about the highlights of our day. We intend to continue our routine when we are both in Manila, that’s why we are earnestly praying for God’s provision.
We pray for an opportunity to settle back home.
