Filipina Girl goes to Saudi Arabia
The story of life passes by us daily, everyone has a unique story, I listed to Bing and Christie tell me theirs today in the Mini Mart at 7:30 am.
Bing is on the left, Christie is on the right, I spied them walking around near Robinsons Mall at 7:00 am in the morning. They looked out of place, for sure, Christie is, and maybe Bing has been around the block a few times.
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Malate Ermita Mabini Philippines
Southeast Asia
Tuesday, September 22, 2009 Buy the Same Gear as Andy uses… Sold at three times the price, sorry. Malate Philippines Hotels
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Bing the aunt of Christie came from the province of Pagansinan to help Christie leave to work in Saudi Arabia as a house cleaner or domestic help. The husband for some reason could not make it…
Christie has a husband and one child; she will be gone for two years. I asked,
“Aren’t you afraid your husband will find a new wife?”
She said,
“No.”
I whispered very quietly, below the conscious level of shame and truth, just quiet enough for her to gracefully ignore, she is look at me, she is reading my lips.
“Bola Bola.”
I took these two photos with my Cell Phone camera, the reflection off the glass, the surreal nature of the moment; the sweetness of Christie was painful. I spied her because she did not fit in, like a precious stone. This neighborhood around Robinsons Mall in Ermita, Mabini, Malate area of Manila is broken, it is full of damaged good, what was she doing here?
“She was NOT wearing high heels, she had on flats, with a face full of innocence, she was getting read for the slaughter.”
I walked a way, suddenly the words of a song came to my head, I am not sure what the mean and why they came to be associate in my brain at the moment I walked away from two people I will never see again in this life.
“I've been walkin' these streets so long
Singin' the same old song
I know every crack in these dirty sidewalks of Broadway
Where hustle's the name of the game
And nice guys get washed away like the snow and the rain There's been a load of compromising‘
On the road to my horizon
But I'm gonna be where the lights are shinin' on me.
That is it, I know I could feel the words, There's been a load of compromising
Well, I wish fairy tells came true, and I am sure for 1 in 1000 people, they do find the fairy tale. Maybe this is the bargain we make, we all agree to stand in line, wait our turn, and then God throws the dice, and up pops the lucky seven. Unfortunate for the majority, we throw the dice too many times until we lose it all.
(I doubt my Mother knows how the came of Craps is won or lost, and for this I am grateful.)
I personally would have love to discouraged her, I said,
“Be very careful, Singapore, Hong Kong, Korea, Japan, Dubai and Saudi Arabia will hire you pretty young Filipina girls and suddenly you need to please the boss. You are between a rock and hard spot, and all you wanted was to make money.
I do not believe this, I believe there is a There's been a load of compromising‘ and they know the game.
Nevertheless, we must allow the shell game to be played don’t we, we must allow the stories to be told and we should all agree to nod our heads and pretend it is going to lead this person to where the lights are “shining on them.”
No Bola Bola Zone, I have lost my Indiana innocence, I am not sure I am able to return, it is highly possible I am damaged goods.
I was walking around the corner trying to avoid having water drip on my head; I did not want to be slimed here in Manila too early in the morning the day is starting. I am singing in my head,
“Like a Rhinestone Cowboy.”
What is this, I cannot understand, but I do understand.
Maybe a fake cowboy, Elvis in his old age, like this man, broken and damaged working his way toward nowhere.
There's been a load of compromising‘
On the road to my horizon
Christie is off to get her Moral Cherry Popped.
The words to the song are from Glen Campbell in a song called Rhinestone Cowboy, truly I thought I hated the song and had done my best to ignore it, I guess if found a spot in my brain to reside.
Getting cards and letters (comments) from people I do not even know.
Hobo Lunch Lady said on Monday September 21st, 2009 08:01:22 PM
Andy,
If your ever in Florida please stop by for a free lunch. (Ask for Beth) I like your travel stories. I hope to travel in a few years myself. Our mascot is a HOBO believe it or not ! That is how I found you a few years ago googling the school and your web page came up often and I got hooked. I like the idea of the voters sending you on a trip. I think I would vote for Egypt because I want to see what it is like now and if it is really safe for a 50 something year old lady to visit alone. Thanks again for all you do.
Chuck W0W said on Monday September 21st, 2009 09:13:32 PM
It should be against Philippines Constitution to let there people work in most middle eastern countries. The workers are most certainly in for a bad humiliating time. They are lucky if they receive there minimum wage of approximately $ 400 USA a month. about 95 a week and then charged for anything the family or business deems not in the contract. Soap ! Food,Water ! and many are coerced into sex and or converting the the religion of peace (Muslim) in order to get paid. Many Saudi are sick POS. Why is everyone afraid of them ? Yes even President Bush. Both of them give in to the Saudis and we get stabbed in the back time after time....OIL is always is the answer period. Soon as we invent a decent 300 mile per day 75 MPH electric car the Saudis will be begging to work in the Philippines and I hope the Filipinos will treat them with the respect they where shown.
I would love to hire a Filipino for double $ the salary to help do my mom's work around the house and yard.cook.clean,pick up grandchildren,shop etc But that would be exploitation to pay DOUBLE what they get to be abused by Saudi men.
Crazy world. Wish I could hire you Christie. My mom lives near the ocean loves chicken adobo and could pay you double $$ and give you a couple days off and the use off a car BUT that would be BAD Bad Bad. Better to be raped in Saudi Arabia and payed half if that. You are not aloud to make double your pay in USA we have standards ya know.
Josh NY said on Monday September 21st, 2009 10:03:23 PM
Chuck is losing it. We have plenty of underpaid domestic help. They are call Mexicans. No need to fly in more. Although I think I would rather have a Filipino working for me. The Filipinos seem a lot more pleasant/mild mannered even though both are usually Catholic. I think the paperwork to get a Filipino worker would end up costing you the equivalent of 25 dollars a hour after all the lawyers and layer of government officials that would have to approve it.
Youngie said on Monday September 21st, 2009 10:42:24 PM
Aren't you generous Chuck WOW. Double and still less than American wages ? Plus you would get a chauffeur when you want to piss up. Brilliant. I got to put one or two in me luggage you wanker ! However it would be nice to have a slapper around for the friends. "Spend a penny" tosser.
I got a kick out of reading the DELETED COMMENTS..actually they are funny as hell. You have a degree in Philosophy Andy ? Now it all makes sense !!!!!!
I can now read you and realize you not just a common corn husker gone wild. ++
PS. Detroit for 2 weeks double or nothing ?
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Mobile Mac said on Saturday September 12th, 2009 10:08:10 AM
Dear Dyslexic Andy,
What a surprise to learn you majored in philosophy at college!
Almost fell off my chair upon reading that.
Libni tzebeth said on Saturday September 26th, 2009 07:10:01 AM
I also came though one tragic story on in Indian website www.indiavision.com , these is ridiculous, Saudis should not be trusted, they will even kill you to destroy evidence.
