Confessions of an Expat's Wife

from one country to another,thousands of miles earned, different languages to get by with, cultures and expectations to live with plus millons of photos taken to tell the adventures of my life

For my flight to Istanbul, I will have a 10-hour stop over in Dubai. I will take this opportunity to meet and have lunch with Filipino friends over there. Dubai is one of the top destinations of Filipino Overseas workers and true enough I know a number of people from my past work who are now working in this Open City. I was even tempted by an offer to work over there but family was my priority so I opted to stay with hubby in HK.

Last April, a good friend and ex colleague of mine who is now part of the OFW statistics in Dubai went back to Manila. She was on a one-month vacation from work. Over lunch, we exchanged stories about her life in Dubai and my life in France. She found a love life in Dubai after long years of having a so-so love life in the Philippines. She is now going out with a Moroccan who is also working at the same hotel where she is. She was also raving about the different kinds of food she has encountered which are not readily available in Manila. My friend, unlike me, is always game to try new things especially when it comes to food and Dubai was a feast for her. Where else in Manila can you eat Camel meat anyway? Her work was good. She has a normal 8 hour job, does not need to pay rent for her flat, free food c/o the hotel and even a free shuttle ride going to and from work and to the beach during her off days. Sounds like a dream job for a lot of us.

In spite of all these, we both missed working in the Philippines. It is still different to go to work and ride the MRT try to outrun everyone to get inside the train first. Even rendering OT which was always Oh Thank you and not Over Time work. Who can match the endless Midnite Sales in Makati every payday which creates a traffic monster all over the area to our dismay. These are some of the weird things we miss in working in Manila. There’s a certain “umph” when you work in the Philippines. It is difficult to explain what it is but it makes us Filipinos either stay and endure working in Manila or opting to go to an Open City like Dubai.

Well, as for my friend and I, the Philippines will not be our immediate home for now but it is still where our heart is.

About Me

Name: duke

Location: Istanbul, Türkiye

A first time mom to baby A living as an expat in Istanbul, Turkey.

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