Dream At Stake

High school graduation was drawing near when I realized I want to be a flight attendant. During the enrolment day at the university, I was still not sure which major to take; Tourism Management or Mass Communication. But I have this great passion for public speaking, so I eventually opted for Mass Communication. Also, I considered the fact that many FAs nowadays are not even tourism graduate. That was the first simple decision-making I had that is connected to my dream of becoming a FA.

On my previous blog, I mentioned that I totally enjoyed my post-graduation job in Saudi Arabia, as an admission officer and as a part-time host. In 2013, my interest in flying harked back. I thought of leaving my job and go to Philippines. I was hoping that an airline would organize a recruitment and selection process for new cabin crew thru IPAMS by the time I am already in there. Due to the burning desire, I still submitted  my resignation letter in October 2013 and went to the Philippines in December, even though I was uncertain about the consequence. Yes, I know it was a risky and pricey decision. But all for my dream, I would. I managed to establish my parents' small business while waiting for IPAMS announcement. I had to visit their Facebook page every single day.

The next month, January 2014, mom told me she has myoma/fibroids. The bleeding was terrible as she was also in her menopausal stage. She needed assistance 24/7. My father works. My big sister does too and takes care of her 2 kids. My little sister goes to school. I did not think twice. I booked a flight straight off. A very sad thing happened. I arrived at Saudi Arabia on the 24th of January. On February 1, IPAMS announced a recruitment would take place on February 14 for Saudi Arabian Airlines new FAs. It was heartbreaking! My purpose of going to the Philippines was to attend a recruitment. I spent my whole savings for this. If it was just posted earlier, I could have stayed for a few days so as to go to the said event. I got depressed! However, I realized that perhaps it was not meant for me and mom needed me.

After that heartbreak, I did not stop chasing my dream. There were times I felt like it's impossible or maybe it's not really for me. But I kept pushing ahead with it.

While I was waiting for the opportunity from an airline, I worked at another educational agency. I began working in August 2014. The next month, I blessedly got an offer from an IT company for Quality Assurance position. They would double the salary I was earning at that time. However, it's a 2-year contract. It meant I have to stay with the company for 2 years and cannot resign any time I want to. It was another tough decision-making for me. Who would turn down such position with big salary? But what if after signing the contract, a door to my dream suddenly opens? I was lured to that big wage. My mind was laden with "what ifs". I sought advice from my family and friends. In the end, I declined the offer. I had a thought that God might want to know how bad I want this dream to be a reality. Moreover, I have no husband and/or kids, thus, it is too early for me to be profit-oriented.

I went on with my daily grind- working while waiting and actualizing my burning desire.

Before, I was too shy to get information from my acquaintances who work as FA at different airlines. But my eagerness and depression urged me to ask out loud. But be careful! You will encounter a few selfish FAs (friends or even bloggers) who give wrong information. I had a friend (Saudia FA, not a close friend tho) who told me that Saudia office in Jeddah does not entertain applicants. They hire employees thru an agency ONLY. She suggested that I should go to Philippines again and wait for another announcement. Little did I know, everyone can go to the office as a walk-in applicant. This information was given to me by an active member from www.pprune.org

On October 2, I submitted my CV to Saudia via e-mail. The next day, I received the invitation to be interviewed. I booked a flight, Riyadh to Jeddah, right away. My loving father accompanied me to Jeddah and patiently waited several hours for me. I came to Flight Operations Building and saw bunch of applicants. I was very blessed to be prioritized by the instructress as she knew I came all the way from Riyadh. The assessment process ended at 3pm. Our departure time was 8pm, so we stayed at Mall of Arabia. We were very, very exhausted. I decided to sleep at the prayer room. The lady cleaner allowed me to for she knew the whole scenario. I don't know how my father managed to stay awake inside the mall.

After 2 weeks, I was called by the HR telling me about the final interview with the General Manager. So, another flight was booked. On the same day of the final interview, the decision was given to me. And yes, I got accepted. The HR wanted me to take the medical exam straightaway,  but I had to refuse because we were bound to go back to Riyadh in the evening. I just promised to come back.

On the first week of November, I took the medical examination. This time, my father and I had to stay in a hotel as it would take 2 days as per HR.

Did my hardship end there? No. I terminated my dependent visa, as required by Saudia, and surrendered my iqama to my father's company (Ministry of Defense). On December 7, flight to MNL, I was stopped by the immigration officer. They were looking for my iqama. They told me that iqamas should be surrendered at the airport. My father is working in the government, how come they have different regulations? No iqama, no fly. But I insisted on getting in, because if not, I should shell out AGAIN for the rebooking. My father talked to their general manager. Gladly, he gave consideration. You think, it ended there? No! When I got back to the immigration, I dealt with the pervert personnel who indecently proposed to me. That's another story. So eventually, I embarked the aircraft.

I always find fulfilling a dream parallel to gambling. I always say that. See what happened to me? I am not rich, but spent a lot of money, especially for those plane tickets. No one knows if it would pay off or not. I sacrificed many things. No one knows if it would turn out well or not.

If you really want that dream, go and work for it! Nothing comes easy in life. You will surely fall down several times, but learn to stand up. If you need to become a gambler of life, gamble all your chips, but be wise. You do not want any regrets when you get old, do you?

FA Aspirant Seeking Place in the Aviation World

It has always been my goal to at least compose one blog for my page every month. However, due to busy days I've had since December, I was not able to do an entry for the month of February. Nonetheless, here I am, catching up.

If you are a frequent reader of my blog (if there's any, lol!), you are cognizant of the BIG BLESSING I've been wanting to divulge. I decided not to spill unless I already am living in it. And now, I am.

To all ladies who have the same ambition as mine, you know what the whole body picture is for.

Presently, I am Jeddah-based, going through a training before I become a flight attendant of Saudia (Saudi Arabian Airlines). Yup! This has been my dream since "college". For a pessimistic person like me, I felt it was not easy to achieve. Well, honestly, compared to other stories, I achieved it in a not so-hard way. It only appeared to be tough because of the patience I NEVER HAD.

I grew up in Saudi Arabia but took college in  the Philippines. After graduation, I returned to Saudi and was lucky to be employed immediately by an educational agency. I am thankful that this country has always job vacancies to offer Filipinos. Plus, I became part of media, serving the Filipino community. I fell in love with these jobs I lost sight of my dream of becoming FA. When I turned 22, I then recalled and this was the beginning of my quarter-life crisis. Seriously, this dream gave me hulking depression, pressure, and frustration. My family and friends were being consistently harangued about my silly dream.

I badly wanted this I could not wait. I was always making hasty decisions without thinking. My life temporarily became a world of gamble. I lost hope many times. But I was hungry for this I kept on trying and trying.

I was shortlisted for Oman Air through STB-DJL Philippine agency, but I was not able to attend the recruitment day with the employers because I was already back in Saudi Arabia. A few months later, I got accepted by Safi Airways, but my parents did not allow me to. Safi has a center in Jeddah but its destinations were my parents' concern. You may google it to know why.

I would love to be part of the other 2 prestige airlines, Qatar Airways & Emirates Airline, but I never had a chance to attend an Open Day/Recruitment Day. In October 2014, I was set to go to Abu Dhabi for the Open Day. When I called someone from the embassy, I was advised that I could not enter the hood without my sponsor (my father.) This made me really, really sad. But God is just so good. After that call, I checked on my e-mail and found a message from Saudia asking me to go to their In-Flight Operations Bldg. in Jeddah for an interview. I immediately booked a flight for me and Papa.

How I applied and got accepted? I will give the details on my next blog.

Life Lately

This is my first post for the year 2015. Oh yes! The last time I checked, I was still in Jeddah, sitting in front of the panel. Now, I am in the Philippines, enjoying and getting tanned. How's that? Haha!

I've been very busy the past weeks. Some tasks I do are very strenuous. I always wend my way to Angeles and Manila all the way from Macabebe, Pampanga. For instance, yesterday, I traveled to Cubao, then headed to Commonwealth, then rushed back to Cubao. Afterwards, I drove myself to Alabang. How strong I could be! Haha! But, hey! I am not complaning. I am taking joy in this. I could actually cross all things off my bucket list, only if my parents and uncle would allow me to. Hihi! I have to set time interval between two events/leisure activities. This is to show them that I am not "lakwatsera".

I flew to Philippines due to hush-hush reason, which I cannot wait to tell everyone about. Everything has been settled. I am just waiting for... Soon imma post it! Hihi!

We welcomed 2015 with a street party,

My purpose in going back home was not to have a vacation. I only considered it as such, for I am taking advantage of my extended stay. So, I got to visit a few places and see my friends. Rhian came home from Canada, whereas Jeric had to cancel his flight JP to MNL. I was really happy to see my beautifully-transformed friend, Rhian.

Also, I met some of my high school batchmates. I was pleased to know that everyone continues to thrive in our chosen path. And by the way, after almost one year, I was able to see Daryl. (You know him, if you're a friend of mine.) I was relieved to know that no more wrath lingered in each other's heart. And, not even an iota of awkwardness budded when Daryl, Riyah, and I saw each other.

On the 11th of December, I luckily had a chance to stand beside Ms. Dimples Romana on-cam for TFC Connect. Plus, Kabayan Tambayan mini-reunion on the 18th. I was happy to see the crew and the Cardio Boys again.

I have been receiving a lot of big blessings. God works in the most mysterious ways. He frequently does it in the most unexpected and astonishing ways.

What a way to end year 2014! What a way to start year 2015!

Hello, December!

The last chapter of the book of 2014 has just arrived. As the cliché saying goes, "Time flies so fast". And it really does! A while back, I was so frustrated with my career yet sweetly smitten with a man. But then, the coin flipped. I am no longer in a relationship but I am now swapping over to my dream path.

Writing is a form of therapy for me. I have a lot of things in mind which I want to indite through my alcove in this huge virtual world. Some are blue but most of them are colorful. But I opted to talk about the good ones only. Remember, positive attracts positive.

I have been inhaling positive vibes lately. Thus, I am very grateful to Almighty Allah. I have no more reasons to be grouchy. My questions are being answered one by one.

I read this somewhere and let me share it with you:

"You have one month to finish the book of 2014. Make the last chapter a perfect one".

You know what to do! God bless you!

Bahraini Love

Life of an expat in Saudi Arabia can be stressful. He spends the whole day working his tail off and goes home after. There is not much spots in the kingdom where he can fill his leisure time, especially during long holidays. Most of the expats opt to spend a short vacay at the neighboring countries.

This year, Eid Al-Udha holidays lasted for 10 days. Having wanted to unwind, we thought of breathing some fresh air from a never-seen environment. We had 3 choices; Dubai, Qatar, or Bahrain. We've been to Dubai when I was still in high school. Qatar is closer to KSA than Bahrain. But we ended up voyaging to the Kingdom of Bahrain.

The moment I set my foot down to the island country, I took off my abaya. Oh how my skin missed the kiss of the sun! I kid you not. I felt like all burden and stress in me evanesced. I am certain my companions felt the same way.

We stayed at Al Manzil Suites. It was a prepossessing lodging.

First day was a mere city tour. We took a stroll around the city. The island is known to be small but it appears to be very ample due to the number of unoccupied lots. We had lunch at City Center Bahrain and watched "Into the Storm" in the movie theatre. We had a grocery at the Danube as well.

Tito Sonny would like to satisfy his long-drawn-out craving for pork, so we looked for "Bahay Kubo" the next day. It is a Filipino restaurant recommended by fellows who have been to and who live in there. They serve delish dishes! Afterwards, we headed to Souq Market which is super crowded. We transferred hurriedly to the nearest park. It is an amusement park nearby bay port. We stayed by the bay. The wind eased the high temperature letting us enjoy the beautiful view of the floating yatchs and the next city from afar. Our last stop for the day was the Bahrain National Museum, where you could have a view of their history. The part of the place that I enjoyed the most was, of course, the shore. But wait! We went bar hopping when the clock struck 12.

We were supposed to return to Riyadh on the third day. However, my parents and Tito Sonny found a great pleasure in Bahrain. Hence, the 1-day extension. We transferred to another hotel which is in the midst of the city, Windsor Hotel. The day was not perfectly spent. We spent the whole morning til afternoon at the immigration office to clarify if we could extend. Last destitation should've been a zoo. But we lost track that caused exhaustion, so we went back to the hotel.

The next day, which was our last day as well, we just ate lunch at Chili's with gusto. We could not go to another tourist spot for we had to return to Riyadh.

Bahraini allayed the stress in us!

You will be missed, Bapang Ding!

This is a place for my egocentrism. Dramas can be seen, but I never thought I would be posting a eulogy kind. I don't expect anyone to read this. A special person deserves a space on my blogspot.

An uncle of mine died on November 6, 2014 at the age of 64 due to cardiac arrest. We called him "Bapang Ding". He was the husband of my mom's sister, Nanang Ising (Auntie Ising), the eldest among the siblings. When our grandparents had to spread their wings above, Bapang Ding and Nanang Ising assumed the duties.

Bapang Ding was a caring husband and a good provider. During a family get-together, the elders looked back to the time when Bapang Ding was in 20's and could trek back and forth between Pampanga and Manila with a bicycle for work every day. Just to earn a living! Don't worry! I had the same thought as yours. But according to them, it's true. Well, I could still remember him and my cousin who went to Manila using a motor bicycle one time. Unfortunately, that was the reason a tremendous arthritis afflicted him.

Lately, we've been calling our relatives back in the Philippines a lot to be updated. My cousin said there are many people who offer condolences and sympathy. It goes to show that my uncle did touch many lives.

His loss left us feeling sick at heart. Seeing the bright side in this is our last option. Our family needs to have in mind that Bapang Ding is now happier with his creator up above. Our solitary worry now is my aunt. You know, this couple was really in love with each other. No one could separate them. When all their children got married, they were always next to each other. They had been going to the market and church together. They had been doing the laundry and been cooking together. So when he breathed his last, the words she voiced were "Paano na kaya ako nito?” It made my heart melt.

"Bapang Ding, thank you for all the memories. Thank you for having taken care of us. We will miss your funny dance moves, your jokes, and everything about you. Do not worry for we will take care of Nanang Ising and love her even more. We will see you soon. We love you."

Riyadh Idol - Kids 2014

Riyadh City gave the limelight to those kids with magnificent talent on October 31, 2014.

FMJ Productions organized and Healing Hands FOundations endorsed the event, Riyadh Idol Kids 2014. And again, I was lucky to have been the master of ceremony

There were 7 kids who competed under junior category and 5 kids for the senior category. I tell you, all of them were like adults as they sang their piece. "Small but terrible" phrase perfectly fits them. They were little kids but with big powerful voices. Each contestant had his/her own way of projecting and rendering his/her song.

The champion for Junior category is a little girl named Sarah. Her winning piece is Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On". Whereas, a little man named Kenneth bagged the 1st prize. His winning piece is "All of Me" by John Legend. For those who deeply know me, yes! It moved me to tears. Haha!

What I found amazing about this event was the support of people for each other. Notice the event itself. It has been supported by many sponsors like Cebu Pacific, Jarir Bookstore, Jollibee, Outback, and several organizations. Goosebumps is what I got when friends/families/fans cheered for the contestants as they waved their banners. And of course, the never-ending support of my parents and sister. :)

By the way, the gown that I wore during the event is a creation of Jonas Presas. What a glamorous gown! However, I had to wear a white undergarment to conceal the cleavage. Hihi! Exposing too much skin will give my parents a heart attack. Lol!