Abah bah bah....

Return Migration in Asia: Experiences, Ideologies and Politics

Asia Research Institute

National University of Singapore

31 July 2008

Medyo succesful ang break in. (medyo=ayoko maging mayabang)

Ang lola nyo, Academic na.
Prospecting Return: Filipino Professionals in Singapore

Abstract: This paper argues a case different from the traditional migration-and-return route which apparently is still the case for most Filipinos on ‘permanent’ migration to North America and Europe. While Philippine migration to Singapore is categorised as temporary labour migration, with such changes taking place in the host country’s immigration policy, there seem to be an emerging lifestyle for Filipinos working in a foreign country not far from their own, very much different from the traditional ‘Balikbayan’ and temporary work migrant ’imagination’. An online survey was conducted among a sample population of Filipino professionals working and residing in Singapore as preliminary data for this study.

angbwakanangpanic

tulirong tuliro ako today.
matatapos ko na ang paper ko, na feeling ko hinao shao ko lang.
nakadepende tuloy ang kapalaran ko kay uglyworm,
at baka sya din, mahalatang hao shao lang ako.
nagtatatalon ako ngayon sa opits ko, primarily because I got new shoes (heh).
But the new shoes are not doing their job--they're not making me any bit confident for Thursday.
Im trying to take a break from writing, although Im not yet done,
kasi men--lusaw na lusaw na ang utak ko.
as in.
i bet you can find me lurking around the corridors looking 'more lost' than ever.
Delayed ang reponse mechanism ko, at nagsasalita na naman akong mag isa (well, ganon din naman ako on a normal day).
I'd like to believe that I'll be fine,
Thursday is extra curricular, shitting on it wont even cost me my job.
But then again, I might be doing this for my entire freakin' life, so I have to calm my nerves.
tapos, bibigyan moko ng bad news.
ako, na din mawaring malaman ang kasagutan tungkol sa mga bagay na express.
alam mo namang ayaw kong binibigla eh.
nde ko pa nga natatanggap ang katotohanan tungkol sa 'express, rebound love'
nde ko pa nga alam ang ire react ko sa kada may kakaibang pag babago sa paligid ko,
tapos..
aalis ka.
na naman.
sino na pwede kong maka tsismisan?
sino na pwedeng umawat sa aking pending anxiety attack?
gusto ko munang matulog ng matagal.
hanggang sa umuwi ka.
saka nalang ako mumulat.

:(

You gotta be kidding me..

I can’t believe the Manilenyo mentality.
After undergoing a certain bank’s security check over the phone...
Caller: Are you Filipina?
Ako: yes.
Caller: Ma’m, Filipino po ako. Kamusta po? (as of the accent is not obvious!)
Ako: No, hindi ko kelangan ng card nyo,
Caller: Ma’m, taga saan po kayo sa atin?
Ako: (entertaining mood) sa Laguna
Caller. Waw, ang layo.
Ako: ah, okay.
Caller: Ma’m, yung bosses nyo po kasi hindi parang taga probinsya.
Ako: (papatulan ko na to) eh taga city ako eh. May city naman sa Laguna.
Caller: Oh. Hindi ko alam yun ah—para kasing yung accent nyo po, pang-Manila. Parang hindi taga---
(BLAG!)

Ibig sabihin ba non, eh pag taga probinsya ka, ‘iba’ ang English mo? Maganda ba yon, o hinde? (Im casting my naiveté here) Ibig sabihin ba nun, eh basta taga Manila ka, magaling kang mag-ingles, at kung taga probinsya ka, nasa ‘sub standard’ ka lang? Sa totoo lang, kung pwede lang sabihin dito, everytime they ask me ‘Where are you from?’ instead of saying ‘Manila’ (kasi, haller, dalawa lang ang lugar sa Pinas na kilala nila—Manila o Davao), I’d say ‘Laguna’. As if being proudly from the ‘cuidad’ is even a good thing. Sige nga, give me something you Manilenyo’s are so freaking proud about? Intramuros? SM Malls (na meron din kami)? Glorietta? (Again, in the norm that Manila means Manila, Makati and Quezon City) English nila? Bleh. Pwidi bah.

I was born in Manila. I lived in Manila. I even studied there. But Laguna raised me. I grew in Laguna. And darn proud of it!
And yes—I get that ‘anung ginagawa nyo pag weekend? Nangingisda?’ question all the time.
So no insensitive, geography ignoramus can’t comment on my English.
Pakers.

Sabi ng isang henyong anthropologo

“Cheap” at “paka”(pakawala) ang tingin sa babaeng sumasama sa motel. “Macho” at balahura (hindi sinsero) ang lalakeng nagdadala naman sa motel. Kung ganito na nga ang tingin, at sa mas mumurahing kwarto sa Quiapo, Avenida at Pasay pa tutungo ang mga kliyente, nagiging dobleng kacheapan ang karanasan.
- isang komentaryo ni Roland Tolentino sa kanyang sanaysay tungkol sa katayuan ng mga 'motel' sa Pilipinas : Sogo at Lehitimasyon ng Komersyal na Bawal na Pagnanasa'

Kaya naman sa mga kalalakihan--alam nyo na kung bakit hindi kahit kelan magiging magandang karanasan ang pagmo 'motel' nyo ni Bhaby sa Recto. Huwag na kayong magalit sa natural na reaskyong nagpapakita ng di lubusang katuwaan, dahil sa totoo lang--hindi ba talaga namang 'cheap'?

At ang pag-ibig ay 'di cheap. Evah. :)

maong talelong

it didn't occur to me what S actually meant when she said she'd like to 'pah-teeh'. I thought it meant that living thing function related to digestion (which I believe is due to her watching waayyy to many 'living person' shows). Until I saw this. ah. party pala. support the cancer foundation party? Ben Tambling, ish that you??
So, yes--at the expense of a doll, I just want you to know that I actually made THAT maong dress (if you call that one). Its my frist time, okay? I'll try to make more rags--este, dresses, until I become a (doll) dress master, A-line category (then there's three thousand MORE categories. yey!) Im trying to make some skimpy shorts as well. And a shirt. And no--Im not trying to pimp my girl.

Commercial Break

While transcribing (and swearing that Im doing anything of such sort again--well, soon), I realised that:

1. I like Vanessa Carlton. And KT Tunstall. And...other musicians with similar facial shapes. Hehe.
2. Vanessa’s ‘White House’ is about virginity, while her ‘Paint it Black’ is actually from the Rolling Stones.
3. I like dark songs. And movies. Geesh.
4. I’ve been playing Muse’s ‘starlight’ tad too many times a day in my laptop speakers, my next door neighbour, a Nobel Laureate can whistle it all the way down the corridor.
5. That’s right after he learned whistling KT Tunstall’s ‘Suddenly I See’.

Matayataya

From the Menggay:

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Copy and paste everything to a new post and Add your name next to your profession (or profession-to-be for undergrads) in the list. Make sure your name is linked to your blog/webbie.
Tip: For easier capture of links, paste into your blog using the “Visual” (for WP) and Compose (for Blogger) modes (not Edit HMTL or HTML).

2. If your profession is not in the list then simply add it to the correct alphabetical place. For example, if you want to add PLUMBER then it should be placed in between ONCOLOGIST and QUEEN.

3. Tag as many people as you can and witness how your technorati will explode!

4. Don’t forget to link back. In your case, link back to http://dyowsa-v02.blogspot.com.

THE WORLD CLASS PROFESSIONS

Accountant - Eds

Blogger - Mary, Michelle

Doctor - Joey

Operations Analyst - Meng

Nurse - Mckhoii, Aggietha

Researcher (Social Sciences)- Rica

Stay-at-Home-Mom - Mai, Aggie, Alpha

Technology Consultant - Thea

Kayo naman, you're IT! (although technically speaking you cant tag more than one person in a game, unless its called dawn of the dead. heh)

You big time hotshots: Tinay, Gorgette, Patty, Kat

Probinsyana

I remember those days when my Pa used to give us a tour of the 'other' Laguna (and Quezon, in some parts). We drove around the towns of Liliw, Nagcarlan, Majayjay, Paete, Luisiana, Lucban, Dolores--they were very much different from our Santa Rosa (which is now a city, by the way). They are not what people would usually conjure of as 'backward', or, as a stupid, arrogant classmate of mine would deduce upon learning that Im from the 'probinsya' (a term I used to rid myself of when I was younger, having been moving around the metropolis before getting relocated 'permanently' to Laguna. now I must say 'so what?' I love my being from the provinces.): 'May kuryente ba sa inyo?' (Do you have electricity?) Duh. As if Enchanted Kingdom glows by candlelight.

Anyway--these quaint towns are different from my other 'side' of Laguna, simply becuase they are more 'probinsya'. More Probinsya=More carabaos crossing the main road, very much agri based, lots of raw and agri land, gentler pace...you get the drift (before someone bites my head off thinking Im stating a put down). And for some time, I was thinking that I want to live there--buy hectares of land, cultivate rice and my ambitious herb and berries garden (ah yeah), and just live simply (as haciendera. hehe.). Im thinking of getting my kids to help out in the famr during summer vacation, or maybe build a commercial building in it (its hectares of property, anyway, right? :)) But no kidding. Funny thing about it? It's actually a recurring dream, that sometimes I find myself hoping for an opportunity--(a bargain deal, perhaps? ) to be able to experience establishing a family, and living in one of my favourite towns--either Luisiana ('Laguna's little Bagiuo'), or Lucban (yeah, its the longganiza). I dream of their churces, their unique town planning (I mean, hello--Paete has mountain ridges as backdrop, and the town is sloping up and down--hay, I like it). It was like a vivid dream.

Kaya dont ever wonder if in the near future you'd be hearing about the 'othersideproject'. I might be blogging from Sierra Madre from then on. :)

(One more) Natasha Moore

Gee-- funky hair colour? purple-ness? espionage? the mole? What else?

Stella's college buddy

Natasha Moore, I christen thee AJ.

I'd like to think of my Bythe dolls as my aherm-- alter ego's.

Well, Natasha Moore is a spy--and how dya know it, it was, and still is, my dream career! (hanef)

And Stella--well, (as Jay would ask: at anu naman 'sya? (translates as: 'and what does she do?'))

Rica: ahh...researcher (wadapak look)

Jay: at pano naman sya naging researcher? (and what made her so?)

Rica: eh, pumapasok sya na naka shorts sa opits. :) (well, she can go to the office wearing shorts)

and here are some pictures:

Yes, S--like you, she came in from a box (a fact Stella can't really face at this point)

Pa smart epek

not hers. the glasses came with Natasha Moore.

'a mole?? a freakin' mole?? wtfff??'

Lets call her AJ from now on ( i know, NT is so much better. but that would be me and the rest of the world you see...)