My Saudi Arabia sojourn (Part II)

It was the onset of the summer season of 2009 when I got to Saudi Arabia to work for a year. I immediately felt the suffocating heat whenever I went outdoors.

Thankfully, I did most of my work from my computer in a moderately large office cubicle I share with a few other Filipinos. The first few weeks allowed me to adjust to the working conditions and office culture.

The company employs many Filipinos, as well as Saudi Arabs, Palestines, a Venezuelan, a Nigerian, and quite a number of Indians, Bangladeshi, and Pakistani, among others.
To my relief, the company is a bit lax when it comes to office formalities. There is no bundy clock, but office workers do follow a more or less 7am to 5pm schedule. Employees, especially when not busy on a project, are free to mill around.

I soon found out that the “work cycle” involves a lot of free time, but when work does come in, everyone would be busy. It is also good to note that the company is output oriented.

I am not good at ranting about work, but I found it fascinating how some office employees, particularly those in the lower rung, tend to emphasize their perceived importance in the company, which I think is only natural.

The weekend starts on a Wednesday, when work is only half-day, until Thursday and Friday where there is no work at all. Interestingly, the work week starts on a Saturday.

Most foreign workers have to make this adjustment because as a Muslim country, Saudi Arabia observes Thursday and Friday as its rest days.

My work week was mostly uneventful, and for a good half of 2009, my routine is mostly ordinary and regular.

Travelling to a second home in Sta. Rosa, Nueva Ecija

About five years ago, we left our hometown in San Miguel, Tarlac City, to live in Sta. Rosa in Nueva Ecija.

My fondest memories of childhood will always be in San Miguel in that small compound where I grew up with my uncles and aunts, and cousins.

But I slowly learned to love Sta. Rosa with its wide rice fields, open roads, and rural beauty. I consider myself lucky because the modest lot my parents were able to buy is literally standing in the middle of rice paddies with a backdrop of mountains and hills.

The house my parents now live in is still a work in progress, but visiting Sta. Rosa will always be like getting a breath of fresh air for someone like me who works in Manila.

In my parents’ small lawn are a few mango trees, some guava trees, and a rather colorful fruiting macopa tree, among others. My mother has a small area for her gumamela, euphorbia, and orchids, all flowering at the same time. My parents also have a few chickens and ducks, all with chicks and ducklings.

A small pond with tilapia and the uninvited mudfish and catfish welcomes the few neighbors that often come to chat. My mother would often invite them for breakfast or coffee as the early morning sun begins to shine.

My father loves to trim the grass along the small lawn so that his grandkids can run around and play, while Blacky, our dog, ever loyal to his masters, stands guard.

The rice fields are a sight to behold, at least for me. I often stay under the shade of a mango tree, stretched upon a hammock just enjoying the calm, soothing breeze, as I watch the chickens and ducks run around searching for food.

In the afternoon, nothing beats having coffee and some light snacks with my old folks as the sun begins to set.

It said that happiness and contentment are always subjective. I could not agree more.

My Saudi Arabia sojourn

I decided to work in Saudi Arabia thinking it would be a quite a learning experience for me. I have been in many countries, but never have I stayed more than a few days away from family and friends.

To me, the chance to work abroad is an opportunity that does not come too often. I also see the opportunity to test my resolve and go through what millions of Filipinos all over the world have gone through.

So one clear day in July, toting my trolley bag and a backpack, I was heading toward the airport off to a foreign land to live and earn a living for a year.

My younger brother and my parents accompanied me to the airport. It was an uneasy feeling as I bid farewell to my family.

The flight was quite long and sleep was too difficult.

After eight hours, I finally arrived in Saudi Arabia, trying very hard to remember all the things I needed to do and preparing in haste all of the documents I needed to show.

A Saudi immigration officer passively browsed through my papers, and in a few minutes, I was off to the airport terminal.

Waiting for me was a jolly Indian fellow, who quickly grabbed my trolley and tossed it at the back of the car.

I was brought to my hotel, where I will be billeted for the rest of my one-year stay.

I was tired and spent, but it took a while for sleep to come to me. My mind was too occupied thinking what tomorrow might bring, my first day of work.