Curiosity about my ethnicity!

October 3, 2013 by feyma

Curiosity about my ethnicity!

You probably wonder why I am writing about this subject. Some of you readers here are friends of mine on Facebook. Maybe some of you hardly open your Facebook too. Well if you are a frequent FB user, you’ve probably noticed my recent profile photo.

I changed my picture, to one with me wearing a hijab. It was really my first time to wear it. A hijab is a cloth that covers your head (entire hair) and just your face suppose to be seen. That photo, that was taken a few years ago when we visited Tugaya, near Marawi City, in Lanao del Sur Province, which is probably at least 80% Muslim.

Posing with kids in Tugaya

For a Muslim woman it’s a natural thing to wear one. So being I had one on in that picture I was asked by someone on Facebook if I am a Muslim. I was shocked by the inquiry but I answered her back nicely. I told her that I am not a Muslim (nothing wrong if I were). For the record my dad is from Tagbilaran, Bohol, my mom was born from San Fernando,Cebu. But she was raise in Lala, Lanao. My parents met in Lala, Lanao. After few years of marriage, my parents moved to South Cotabato then, Sarangani Province. I was born in a small town in Malapatan, Sarangani Province. Grew up there until I went to high school (Notre Dame of Lagao For Girls then) in GenSan. Then college in Cebu City. Then 2 months shy of my college graduation I married Bob. Three months after graduation I went to the States and lived there for 10 years.

That photo was taken on one of my unforgettable visit to the places that many Filipinos dared not to go to. It was really an honor for me to be visiting there with the invitation of our special friends who live there. You can already tell that, that’s not the place for the tourist to go to. They fear of being kidnapped, in which case I can’t blame them of thinking that. Really the place was nice, but not also the place to visit if you don’t know anyone from there. We were just so lucky to have some friends that we knew that the family was from there. I am not going to mention who they are, but it was really a pleasure going there. Words can’t even explain how I felt on that day when we were there.

But to be totally honest I had mixed feelings after going there. I was happy to be there visiting the place. The people were nice and accommodating to us. The purpose of going there too was to see the stuff that they make there. They make big native drums, gongs, kulintang, brass vase, nice furniture with mother of pearl in-lay, swords and others. They had all those stuff but not many people go there to see and purchase because of fear. They had dealers that go there but just buy few stuff. The big plus of going there was seeing the beautiful Mosque that was built by the father of a friend of ours. It was really awesome. Our friend’s dad, he was just a grade school graduate, but he designed and built the Mosque. The upstairs was not totally done yet though. I think he used part of his own money for that mosque. I’ve heard women were not allowed to go inside the mosque. I was allowed because our friend told the caretaker to let me inside. I was humbled and honored by that and I really treasured that memory. The view upstairs was stunning and overlooking at Lake Lanao.

I was also sad being there, just seeing the way below poverty line people who live there. Just looking at the houses and the lifestyle they have there, really makes my heart ache for the people there. That’s one of the places that I’ve been that I cried while passing by. It’s really hard to explain what I saw there. But people still had smile on their faces seeing us. For the first time I saw the disposable diaper being washed and hung dry to re-use over again. It was really an eye opener for me. And I told my kids we are so lucky to have the life that we have now. We don’t live in fear. Those kids there, they might be on alert most of the time in case there is a war going in the area. That part of Mindanao really is on the “Hot Zone” (war zone as the press say). But I saw big and fancy houses on top of the hill side. I didn’t really know that rich people live there on top of the hill side.

But in short… no, I am not Muslim.

Help us pray for peace in Mindanao!

September 19, 2013 by feyma

Wheelchair access in the Philippines

I was just watching TV at our bedroom and in the show they had someone on a wheelchair. So that really got me thinking of how the people here on a wheelchair go from their day to day lives. I mean not a lot of establishments here that were so accessible by them. I’ve seen lots of places that don’t have wheelchair access. Even trying to ride the public transportation would be so challenging for them. We don’t have public van that had easy entry for them. I guess unless the family will spend money to have custom made car. Going somewhere without help, it must be so difficult though. I mean going in and out of the jeepney with no help must be really hard. I know of course some passengers will help out. We as human being do our instinct to help. I guess that’s the best we can do.

Ramp – You won’t see many of these in the Philippines

When my mom was confined on her wheelchair whenever we brought her somewhere, we had to bring one of our nephew or brother-in-law with us to carry her in and out of the taxi. Sometimes Bob would carry her in and out of our car. My mom likes to travel with us. She enjoys Bob’s driving. Ha ha ha. It was not easy for her being confined in the wheelchair, I’m sure it was not comfortable for her too. We brought her places for her not to be depressed on being inside the wheelchair. Sometimes when she stayed at my sister’s house and they’re bringing her to the mall, some taxi drivers were so nice and helpful in carrying her.

I’ve known friends here in the Philippines that use wheelchairs too. But one in particular. I’ve seen him going around the places with his wheelchair. He is not whining about being in it. Instead he is so active in helping out other less fortunate people here in the city. I’m so happy to know him. He is so busy with his speaking engagements here and other places in the country. People really get inspired by him for not dwelling on being in the wheelchair. I really applaud him for that.

Luckily now malls, hotels and condos are easily accessible by wheelchair already. I think the schools too. Not sure if all hotel bathrooms are accessible to wheelchair user. I guess if booking hotels try to ask them ahead of time and get the rooms that are wheelchair friendly. The good thing here if the person has money, he/she can just hire a private male nurse to carry her/him in and out of the car. The going in and out of bed. Must hire 2 nurses for the 24 hour shift. But if the person has no money, I guess just ask the family for help. I’m pretty sure the family will help out.

Honestly I never thought the hardship of the handicap people endured before. But after seeing how the US cares and changed a lot of the building code for the handicapped people to have easy access, it really made me think a lot. I’m wishing and hoping that our government here have the funds to change a lot of the buildings to have ramps for the easy access of the handicapped. I mean I’m not saying for an instant or immediate change but slowly. I’ve seen there too when I went to the doctors office and all the names outside the rooms had braille writing for the blind people. They really show there how they care so much of the handicapped people. Just like the parking area of the handicapped there, they really made sure that its handicapped person that parks. Here we have handicapped parking but some people just don’t follow the rules and park illegally. They had also there that park illegally but the building owner immediately alert the car owner about it. If they don’t listen the building owner will call up the police.

Just a thought, I don’t mean to start a fire here.

Cheers Everyone!

September 12, 2013 by feyma

Flip flops: It’s more fun in the Philippines!

I think we really know what we have to be thankful in life until we see everyday the poverty that just shows on our very eyes. Really to be honest seeing lots of less fortunate people here really has changed the way I live daily. I know sometimes that we want more than what we have which is a normal thing. But most of the times living here again really opened up my eyes on what really I prioritize in life. Seeing the poor people here I know they prioritize “the need” over the want in their daily living. Of course the needs were pretty imminent to a lot of poor people here.

Flip Flops

I was browsing through my pictures that I had on my desktop, I came across the pictures that I save for awhile now. A picture of the foot of an old guy wearing a flip flop made of bottles and rope. It really shocked to know at first that some people wears those kind of stuff. My heart ache for the old man (seeing at the foot of the guy, I just think its an old man). Can you imagine wearing those over the hot sunny days. It would be so uncomfortable. It might feel your foot is on fire, because of the plastic. It really amazed me how the ingenuity of the people due to poverty. But I guess just to make out of it, they have to endure the uneasiness with it. I guess the empty bottle slipper might be a bit better than without something on their foot then.

Our helper made slippers out from the cardboard box. She put ribbons as the strap. It was meant to use for indoors. She was just showing our youngest (Nicole) here in the house that it’s easy to make something of what we have inside the house. It was a smart move for her to show Nicole the life she’s living in the province. I’m glad she did. It was kind of an eye opener for the little one.

I remember during my grade school days. I studied in public school. Some of my schoolmates were from the mountains. They’re the natives in our area. Sometimes some of them don’t have any flip flops at all. They go to school barefoot. Can you imagine walking on the mountain without anything on your foot? The roads might have small cut trees or maybe the small roots of the tree on the pathway. That could give slivers to their foot. But even without slippers they still went to school on time. With the determination in their minds few of them became teachers and were teaching on the school I graduated from. It really makes me happy that even with the hardship in life they became somebody later.

One of my nieces is a teacher in one of the remote areas in GenSan. Most of her students were the natives and had no slippers in going to school. She told me what the kids told her ” Ma’am would we really buy slippers first over the food? Of course our parents chose to buy the food ahead of the slippers.” My niece then continued on saying that most of her students don’t have nutritious food to eat during lunch time. All they have were rice and soy sauce. Sometimes my niece gave them some food. She said she can’t afford to be feeding those students all the time. She really is trying on helping those kids. Some kids can’t go to school everyday because of lucking of food. It sad but it’s the reality of some schools here, especially those in the remote areas of the country. Feeling sad and hurt for them. I’m hoping that the government will have more programs for those indigenous people in the province.

To all of you in the West: Enjoy the last days of summer in your part of the world. Get ready for the cold days again.

Mabuhay!

September 5, 2013 by feyma

Next project in mind here at our house!

Since building the house for our turtles, we cleared out the other part of the front yard. Before the clearing, I had lots of plants there in front, it is just across from our front porch. After building the turtleville and seeing the empty space next to the turtle kingdom, Bob and I decided we will be putting up a small nipa hut soon. We want that it will go together with our native products theme. So we decided that we will be going to put up nipa hut or nipa hut gazebo. I am a big fan of any nice gazebo looking structure. Ha ha ha… I want our gazebo to be easily taken out too whenever it is time for us to move.

Nipa Hut

You probably wonder why on earth we want a nipa hut near the turtle kingdom? Really we just like to see what the turtles are up to. Every morning Chris likes to hang out there at the turtleville with our dogs, while watching people passing by. It might be a fun project for Jhun Jhun to make. We will see if it would be cheaper for Jhun Jhun to build or just buy the already built one and just assemble it in our yard. Me and my niece Glenda went to see the price of the already made ones. I’m surprised, it’s not too bad. It’s around P14k for the 6 feet base structure. I told them if I need to change something would that make the price higher? They said no because the changes is just for the sitting part anyway. Also I want them to add a door that will open/close to the entry of the hut because I don’t want the dogs to stay there and maybe ruin the inside of the hut. They told me they will do it at the same price. So that makes me happy.

I think it will be a good project for us. It’s really a good place for us to lounge around during the day. When we told the kids of our plan, man they’re all excited over it. They’re even asking me when is that project going to happen? I have to think it over and talk with Jhun Jhun. My only thing if we have him over to build, Bob and I will might have so much changes that at the end it might cost more than buying the already built one. It’s already our track records when Jhun Jhun comes here we have so much project for him to do. So much too for us to consider. 🙂

I know for sure the kids will hang out there a lot. I’m also sure that my teenage kids will have their friends over and just lounge around there. Which is okay for us as long as they maintain the cleanliness. Aaron might have his band mates play their drums and other instrument in our yard. Hmmm, it will end up with a small party on our front when the teenagers come over. Will it’s okay, Bob and I like the friends of our kids that come here anyway. So that should not be a problem. We will see what happens. Will give you update later folks!

CHEERS!

August 29, 2013 by feyma

Something to think about!

I was asked by someone why is LiP not helping out during beginning of school here. That’s going to be June here in the Philippines. That really made me think a lot at first. But after thinking hard, I think its better not for now. We did help out before, a few years ago using our own money. I guess its not really ideal for us to be helping at the beginning of the school. Can’t really afford to do it. We just don’t want to ask here for that too. I think Christmas is good to be asking since its giving time.

Ham and Cheese

I think you probably remember that one of our readers here and of our other blogs sponsored a kid who just started her 7th grade last year. So I thought that he might just be sponsoring her for the whole year last year. I’m so thankful that the person did sponsor the girl again this year. So happy that the person continued on helping the girl. That student that the person were helping thriving to be number one in her class. She’s really a good student. She comes to our house during Sundays to get her allowance, which is sent to us monthly by this reader. Most of the time Bob and I talk with her and her mom. Just to keep up with whats going on with her.

Last Sunday while they were here. We let them try some stuff that we bought at S & R. She’s so funny when she saw the ham and the crackers and cheese and we told her to try the ham. She immediately said: You sure it’s okay to try that meat it looks raw to me. Bob and I just smiled to her and told her it’s okay to eat it right away it’s already cooked. Bob and I each got a piece of ham and ate it. So she followed what we did. She said she likes it a lot too.

While talking to some other people here that organize some charities same questions were asked why not help during the beginning of school year? I told them to be perfectly honest I am not comfortable asking people twice in a year. We are helping out some people during classes starts but not a lot since we are also preparing for our students here in the house. Some of our extra school supplies I gave them to some students that I know and in need.

But in the near future I’m going to give something to the school I graduated during grade school days. Just wanting to thank my Alma Mater for the job well done of our school there. I mean its still in need of a lot of stuff. I know even if few of us helps there at least it will improve slowly. I will try to start, hopefully others will follow too. Some of our neighbors before their kids or grand-kids also successful being working abroad they can also afford giving something there in our school. So I might have my other classmate that teaches in the neighboring town contact most of the graduates there to help out. Hopefully it will be successful though.

For you guys that support the LiP Christmas drive thank you always for being there to help out. So highly appreciated!

Mabuhay!!!