So far...

For the first time in my entire life I missed Holy Week in the Philippines. When I was still a teenager in Mindoro, I remember hating Holy Week; I would envy my classmates who were going to the beaches with their cousins. I wished then that I could also go somewhere else. Atmosphere was quiet, always so little foods on the table, bakery was closed until Saturday and there was nothing much to do. When I got married and had very young children, Holy Week served as a respite, a much needed rest at home. When they became a bit older, we became mobile and Holy Week was (happily) spent more often in Mindoro. Now I miss spending Holy Week in Mindoro. See, life is just a cycle.

Anyway, to ease our homesickness, we called my family who were spending Black Saturday and also Easter Morning in Puerto Galera. Happy and Sad at the same time. But you know, just go where life takes you :).

We have yet to be settled because we are still staying in an apartment hotel. Probably until mid of May. My world revolves around our laundry, internet and basic cooking in this kitchen.We hardly go out due to MERS and also it's not cheap to be outside :)

We already had four visitors (from Cabuyao, Calapan, Ilijan and Abu Dhabi) in this flat and certainly the visits made us feel at home. To be strangers in another country is HARD, regardless if you are with your family or friends and regardless if you are living comfortably or miserably. It's just so different. Now I have high respect to our OFWs who have to endure lonely nights and very long days in another country.
Good thing about Dubai is I could cook Filipino foods. Pork, Knorr cubes, magic sarap, sardines etc are available in certain supermakets and grocery stores.

One of their favorites, Sinampalukang Manok but without Sampaloc leaves :) but sitaw and spinach.

My kids never felt we are away from home because of our home cooked meals, except when we are eating out, because there they would complain that it doesn't really taste KFC :)

But Dubai is an expensive place. Yes it is beautiful, with it's breathtaking skycrapers and admirable roads and skyways. It's also a safe place even at night unlike the streets back in Manila. Emiratis maybe intimidating but they wont harm you. For me they look regal and dignified. 

Dubai has almost everything and you can have everything in a snap. BUT you have to have the money. To be honest, I wouldn't live here with my family if I couldn't have the kind of life we had in the Philippines. I still want my kids to move in a normal house (it doesn't matter if its big or small) and not on a cramped space. I don't like my kids to be exposed in a very materialistic environment and knowing that we couldn't cope with it. I wouldn't come here if I couldn't send my kids to the school of my choice. I think for parents, education of our children is one thing we don't like to be compromised.

Sadly, for Filipino families, normalcy doesn't come too often here.  

Dubai is a place where materialism is at its highest and believe me, if you are the kind of person who wants to buy a lot of things for yourself and for your family, you better have the means or else you will feel miserable.Social hierarchy is very obvious here and I must admit, it hurts me. I am still not used feeling "second class citizens".  Even your address more or less will tell "what" you are. I wish I could elaborate but I don't like to offend anyone nor give a false impression of what I am trying to say.

But of course, I wouldn't discourage you to visit Dubai, it's a great place, a lot of things to learn. If you're single and you want to challenge your skills by all means come here. Dubai welcomes you with open arms.

Maybe one day, I can write more coherently. These are just my observations and my learnings. :)