Bagong Buwan

parang kailan lang nang huli kong masilayan ang pagsibol ng bagong buwan...

ang pagtatapos ng Ramadan...

Panibagong buhay at pag-asa ang hatid nito, hindi lamang sa mga Muslim... kundi sa lahat ng taong naka-saksi ng bagong liwanag...

at kasama kami dun.

si ernan... ako... si ericson...

hindi namin alam ang malalim na dahilan at paniniwala ng mga Muslim sa Eid, tanda ito ng pagtatapos ng kanilang isang buwang pag-aalay ng sakripisyo upang maging kaayaya sa kay Allah...

hindi ko alam kung tama ba ito.

pero isang bagay ang tiyak na alam ko...

kung paanong kahit magkakaiba ng paniniwala at pananampalataya ang mga tao ay may iisang pananalig pa rin sa nasa Itaas...

at ang pananalig na ito ang nagbibigay lakas at pag-asa sa bawat isa.

dumating ako dito sa dubai, unang araw ng Ramadan...

malas daw ako, dahil marami ng bawal dito sa ganung panahon.

malungkot daw. mahigpit.

mahirap makanahap ng trabaho.

pero para sa akin...

mas magandang nakita kong una ang malungkot na bahagi ng lugar na pinuntahan ko...

mas magandang maranasan ko kung gaano kahigpit ang batas ng bansang ito...

mas mainam na magkaroon ako ng takot at disiplina sa unang pagtungtong ko pa lamang sa kanilang teritoryo...

at maranasan ko ang hirap na walang tumatawag sa lahat ng pinadalhan ko ng application dahil sa wala ang mga boss dito...

sa panahong ito...

nakaramdam ako ng lungkot. takot. pagka inip.

minsang ring sumagi sa akin ang kawalan ng pag asa...

pero un ang aral ng Ramadan...

ang pag sasakripisyo.

ang pag titiis.

at ang pagkakaroon ng pag-asa...

dahil pagtapos ng lahat ng ito...

lalabas din ang bagong buwan.

The Good Samaritan

(previous title: First First Time = UNA)

im not used in doing this... shouting my heart out. sharing my thoughts to people whom i know are also busy with their own stuff... but i love reading my friends' blog... and i hope they'll feel the same.

thoughts are running through my mind... mixing up... i am not confused. i am not pressured. i am not sad, besides, i am very happy! can i call this boredom?

after a cup of coffee... 2 sticks of cigar... i am now sitting inside our office... chilling! and found myself just looking at the monitor... thinking of something else to do... and found myself writing this...
well, that's just my intro...

this is my UNA. let me share it with you...

i had several UNA this year. too many to mention...
you might be stucked and forced to read...
i'll just tell you my UNANG encounter with the Good Samaritan.

this happened 3 months ago. i accompanied tikang to an interview... in Jebel Ali.
It is about 25mins drive from our place. no traffic, in the speed of 120kph.
a friend gave us a lift.
it was the first time that i realized that we are really in middle east!
the office is inside a compound of like 6 buildings...
in the middle of desert!!! and i mean in the middle of desert.
we arrived at around 10AM.
i dont know what happened inside...
i was just waiting at the fire exit...
the interview ended after lunch, around 1PM.
time to go home.

when we went out from the building...
it was soooooo hot!!! noon time. around 40 degrees...
and there were no covered walk going to the gate.
fine!
and when we reached the exit gate, we noticed that there were no public vehicles passing by...
no taxi... no bus.
only private cars, those who are working in the complex....

we need to walk. there was no other way.
no umbrellas...
erika on skirt.
mine was fine.
but the heat was terrible... there were some men who offered a ride.
but they seemed scary.

we were walking, when another car stopped from the opposite lane.
it was a fortuner... and suddenly, we just found ourselves sitting inside the car...
relieved.

the guy (and i dont even know his name) asked us where are we going.
i said, in the nearest bus stop...
he said, "there is a mall near the area, would you like to check it out?"
i said NO. because at that time, all i am thinking was to go home and have a shower.

we dont talk much...
he just asked where we came from, and we asked him where he is going.
never even asked his and our name...
when i saw that we were near the mall, i asked him if he can just drop us there...
coz i am going to buy water.
then he asked if we are going to eat lunch there...
i said no, maybe, i dont know...

at that time, we dont have much money.
no budget for a lunch out. we can just go home and cook, though we were really hungry coz we never ate anything since morning. but we just need water...
then we reached the mall entrance. when we thank him for the ride and said goodbye...
he took his wallet, and gave us 50 dhs.
i refused. i said NO.
he insisted... he said, "take this. have your lunch. its my treat!"

again, i said NO.
you already helped us... that is more than enough.

and then i was surprised when he said...
"take this. JUST PRAY FOR ME. you dont know me, and yet, you trusted me. just please pray for me..."

i took it... :) (he insist!!!)

while erika and i were walking towards the mall entrance...
we were both really shocked...

but, we went straight to food court... and had lunch at LEMON GRASS...

it was erika's FIRST time in that mall...
we had our FIRST meal of the day...
. . . it was God's FIRST lunch date treat to us.