My entry today is still dedicated to pobreng_obrero and to the rest of Pinoys who look at OFW’s in a very negative way. Ako, is one of the so many Overseas Pinoy’s na gusto nang umuwi sa Pinas. Kaya nga ako buy nang bahay kubo there to get started. Kaso, di pa panahon. Kelangan ko pang mag-imbak nang konti pang salapi para sa mga kaartehan ko. Nagdusa ako kaya tigilan nyo ako kung maarte ako. Pero, para sa mga naiwan sa Pinas, wag po kayong magalet samen. Makinig sa lola sa sasabihin ko.
The formula of success is inside you. It’s how you make of it. It’s kung pano ka dumiskarte. Let me tell you something about my very close friends from college, 100 years later, we are still so ridiculously attached to each other, it’s disgusting. You know what we talk about? It’s the same shit that we talked about last year, over and over and over for the last 100 years. Tawanan pa rin kaming parang mga timang. I mean, yeah, nag-aawayan pa rin sila, pero never na nagbalikan nang mga kandila. Some of them are in this picture:
As I begin a new life in Chicago, there’s always the hypothetical question hovering again over my head. I always wanted to be successful in whatever I do. Will I be successful in Chicago? I don’t know. What I know is that, this is not the first time I took some risk. Nadapa na ako many times. Kaya flat na nguso ko. Dahil uragon, eto bangon pa rin. Lumaki akong butangera sa mga kalechehan nang buhay.
What is success? Ahhh! This is one of those “what is life” question na ang hirap sagutin. But what I know is that, you don’t have to go abroad, nor fly anywhere to be successful. Lumayas lang ako nang Barrio Siete dahil pagod na ako nang kakatulak nang lecheng jeep pag nasasadlak sa moon when it rains! Leche talaga! Grrr!
The ladies in P.E. uniforms (picture above), that was taken at the grounds of Aquinas University in L.A. Los Angeles (Legazpi, Albay), 18th century ago. From left: Alex, a very successful bank executive in Saudi Arabia; next is Ching, Vice-President of the Philippine National Bank; next is Sohn, the Business Manager of PNB’s crown jewel, the Ortigas Branch; next is Niknak, a former banker and is now a successful businesswoman; next is Didith, also a successful businesswoman; next is Rita (lost contact where she’s connected now); next is Edna, another very successful businesswoman who’s been criss-crossing Greece, the Philippines and the United States; next is Henry who is with Region V’s Environment; last; Chrome who’s father used to be the Mayor of Bagamanoc is now based in Winnepeg, Canada.
Now, Edna graduated Magna Cum Laude and Ching, Sohn, Niknak and Didith, graduated Cum Laude. Arven (not in the picture), Chrome and Henry, blasted the Civil Engineering and Geodetic Board by landing in the Top Ten to the Top Twenty. Arven? He’s busy building all those skyscrapers dotting the Makati and Global City skyline. Several years ago, he gave me a tour of the RCBC Towers, one of his projects. Yeap. These best friends of mine stayed in Manila and got very successful. They have even visited me here in Philadelphia, with their family, where I drove them on a tour in Atlantic City, Baltimore, Washington DC and New York.
Over the course of my blogging years, I’ve received dozens of emails from my readers asking for my help on how to find a job in the United States. Hindi po ako branch nang POEA. Mas ma-alimuyak lang ang amoy nang gamit kong dinikdik na gumamela. There were a few who even suggested and offered marriage. Ugh! Kahit na me manual pa, I won’t know what to do with you! Leche! Super largo na naman na tshirt ko! But what I’m saying is this: I don’t want you to be discouraged, lose hope, jump on the Quiapo Bridge (shit! polluted dun! mamili ka nang malinis!), or maghanap nang isa pang gagong Illombra.
I realized, that as I continue to blog my personal dysfunctional life, medyo kainggit yung ibang story. Don’t be. Timang ang taong nagsusulat behind this blog. I’m far from being successful. But at least, compared to my Barrio Siete life, I am a Princess. Hehehe! I don’t gapas talahib no more, may I have na ako nang lawnmower. Sana maka-hire na ako nang hot and hunky gardener.
I told you already, kopra ang merienda ko sa Barrio. I don’t know the equivalent term in Tagalog. Basta sa english ang tawag dyan is called “dessert“. What I have was never spoon fed at and/or to me. Nag-dusa ako ‘day. Scam nga ang sex ko, pero wala akong iniscam, si Tita Ellen lang dahil Filipina daw ako! Hahaha! What I will have in the future is really all about how I rampa through life ang how I manage la kalechehan de mi vida.
What I could tell you is that, the formula of success is inside you. You create it for yourself, not someone else handing it to you. Wag kang iiyak na walang opportunity kahit ano, dahil hahambalusin kita nang kamote ko. At pag nakailag ka? me kamoteng kahoy pa ako! At bago ko makalimutan, did I tell you na meron pa akong nyog?! Hmpt!!!
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{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
“There were a few who even suggested and offered marriage”
hahahahaaaayuf. hinde ko matandaan kung kasama ako sa FEW na yan hahahhaha
dadagdagan ko un sabi ni manny…sa sipag at tyaga at diskarte jan tayo aasenso
lenski’s last blog post..Spaghetti a la Chuva
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What I could tell you is that, the formula of success is inside you. You create it for yourself, not someone else handing it to you.
Tama na ito to get to your point!
Galing talag… Words of Wisdom from Reyna!
adz’s last blog post..100 hour Finishing Call Center Course for free
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“What I could tell you is that, the formula of success is inside you. You create it for yourself, not someone else handing it to you.”
that’s so true, i just finished chatting with my sis-in-law and she was telling me about her husband’s teen-aged nieces who just migrated to Hawaii and who are depressed and want to come home because they are financially challenged and have not cultivated any friendship yet. my sis-in-law sounded like she wanted them to come home but i advised her to encourage them instead. if at the first setback the immigrants would give up, then they already are on the way to failure. nothing in life is easy, you have to work for it. others would kill for a chance to be there in the so called land of milk and honey, thus, they should at the very least make an effort to make it work.
sue’s last blog post..canary in a coal mine
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hehehe! wag na wag kang mag-offer nang marriage kundi ipapahuli kita sa pangkin kong tiga crame hehehe!
reynz’s last blog post..The formula of success is inside you
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hehehe otsenta anyos na kasi ang lola, marami nang dinaanan hehehe
reynz’s last blog post..The formula of success is inside you
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same here sue, i met some pinoys in the us who come from some well to do families here in pinas, kaso almost always, ba’t parang hirap na hirap to get started? it’s always “tulungan mo akong ipasok nang trabaho”, i mean, sometimes this works but most of the time it doesnt dahil alam mo naman sa amerika, generally indi ganyan, meron sigurong iba but not on a scale na parehas saten na isusubo na lang.
same with the ones in pinas – isali mo na mga lintek na pangkin ko – who believes na kaya sila nagdurusa dahil pinabayaan daw namen, as in halllerrr!!! kulang na lang na pati mga pokpok bayaran namen para sa mga kagaguhan nila! grrr!
reynz’s last blog post..The formula of success is inside you
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hi reyna elena, speaking of pamangkins, my mother tried to save all of her kins, as in lahat sila, only two made it, the rest are still expecting us to continue my mom’s “charitable” work… grrrr…..
i saw you akyat bahay gucci gang and i can relate to your frustrations, what’s more hurtful is the sense of betrayal
i really enjoy your blog!!!! keep it up please
sue’s last blog post..canary in a coal mine
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thank you sue! one of the reason y umuwi ako dahil ipapadlak ko nga tong condo ko na ginawang motel nang gagong pangkin ko! leche talaga! tinapon ko mga cover sheets hahaha
reynz’s last blog post..Kung gusto mong magsaya, umuwi ka nang Manila.
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OT to Reynz, inin-large ko lang naman yung picture to see the “virgin” you. Ala ka pala dun. Curious ako how you look 18 centuries ago hehehe… Btw, galing naman ng batch mo!
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wala ako dyan ateng kasi ako ang kumuha nang pic hahaha yeah yung batch ko uber talino but me lukaret na pinsan nung tiga davao na me clinic sa berlin hahaha
reynz’s last blog post..Piolo Paskal
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merienda = snack
dessert = panghimagas
love your blog!
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