PEBA Night: This Time, I Won!

It was late and I was about to sleep that night when I decided to check my email and found a few but one interesting email I found was from Yanah and it was entitled PEBA Night. It was a few days before the awards night so I thought that I am just being informed that I am once again a finalist and that I have to book seats for me or my representatives. I decided to read it anyway.

The first paragraph totally surprised me (yes, it's the only word I can think of right now). I have to read it four more times just to be sure I am reading it right. And confirmed it, okay not really - I called my wife and let her read the letter - just to be sure. And she said "Wow!" almost waking-up Ize who is sleeping soundly that time. What a way to confirm it.

Those times, I was so busy with our church's events and my studies so imagine how I was feeling not being able to concentrate on both. "The award wasn't even mentioned" I told myself. I read my article one more time and try to get a feeling and pretended to be a PEBA judge just to seek or guess how worthy my entry is of such honor - what ever it is they'll be awarding me.

I have to admit that I am not that self-confident most of the times. I may have shared a few pointers here on how you can get confidence but it was like a reminder to myself. I even find my blog boring most of the time and having a religious or Bible inspired blog doesn't really attract most blogger or readers. Most people would rather read funny blogs, rumors, entertainment or sports.

I remembered that I've sent my sister last year to be my representative but not at PEBA's but of Philippine Blog Awards - I didn't win anything but I became a finalist, o yes I was also a finalist at PEBA's last year. I can almost guess how my sister will react when I tell her to go to the awards night- she'll probably tease me and tell me that she'll be going there again and not receive anything so before she could say anything I told her - This Time, I Won! 

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PEBA: Strengthening the OFW Families | A Call For Awareness

This year's PEBA theme is definitely something that will have a great impact not just to OFWs but also to the family they have left behind. And the fact that it was opened not just to the OFW Bloggers but  also to Philippine based bloggers, made the theme more timely and more appropriate to our country's growing number of broken families. With high hopes and the support and efforts of other Filipino bloggers around the world, let the awareness begin.

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PEBA has witnessed the real life suffering and loneliness of the OFWs and their families and believes that strengthening the OFW families, strengthens the homes and the nation! Thus, this season’s theme of “Strengthening the OFW Families: Stronger Homes for a Stronger Nation” does not just momentarily fit the issue of hour but is a timeless subject that cannot be bound by shackles so long as there are OFWs out there.

Scores of blogs and articles have been written about the subject in the past but it seems that the government authorities remain clueless of solutions and action plans to abate the increasing number of broken families.

We cannot wait and just rely on our government to come to rescue of the OFWs families in crisis. As Pinoy Expats and OFW bloggers, we have the moral obligation to help and encourage one another in our own little ways. What we blog and write about may encourage a fellow OFW or a fellow blogger to save his marriage from falling apart… it may help one to keep the family intact.

What can we do as bloggers? The PEBA 2010 Season opens with not just the OFWs and Pinoy expatriates writing about the OFW families but will be joining forces with local bloggers who, in one way or the other, have been influenced by OFWs in their lifetime. The support of the local bloggers who are sympathetic to the OFWs cause will have that exponential effect of reaching and educating up to the grassroots level.

PEBA calls on the bloggers to write and post about topics on strengthening the OFW families, and their being miles away from each other. Topics may include family communication, family gatherings, parent-child coaching and counseling, assistance and support in children’s homework and projects, conference meetings with family members, online contact with families, pointers on cheap communication, etc. PEBA calls on the bloggers to write about what they are doing to strengthen their families despite the distance and their absence from home. PEBA calls on the bloggers to share insights, ideas, pointers and how to express love for their spouses and children.

PEBA will not just be an organization that will give annual awards for exemplary blogs but it will proactively act on issues that will make difference in people's lives, especially the young children, and the OFW's and their families. 

Read the complete article here.

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The PEBA Jeddah Chapter EB

July 8, PEBA Jeddah Chapter had a mini-EB and at last I was able to join this mini-event which I don't usually do. It was a first time for me so I felt a bit nervous if I'll be able to fit in the crowd. I am also quite shy because I don't know who I am going to meet. I know Sir NJ and Kenji will be there but I don't know who else are coming. So here is what happened:

I went to the meeting place which is at the Indonesian Cafe. It is quite hard to memorize the cafe's name so I decided to also call it Indonesian Cafe like Sir NJ did. When I went to the cafe, it read a different name so I decided to stroll around to look for the "Indonesian Cafe". Back home, I was quite sure it is the only Indonesian Cafe in Balad area but when I read it's name I said to myself "I thought I knew Balad area so well". I have been working in the area for almost 11 years now so I thought even if I walk there with blind-folds I could tell where the shops are - perhaps I was wrong.

Since I was still quite sure it is the place, I decided to try their sweet drink called "Indonesian Cold Drink". At first sip of the cold drink I almost cough - it is really sweet!. I checked the cold drink and noticed the concentrated syrup under it - "silly me!". Lesson learned: I am not drinking Pinoy's "samalamig" so when drinking foreign drinks, mix it well first hehe!. "So that's the purpose of the spoon they gave me hahaha!" (I laughed quitely in my mind of my own stupidity). I took some pictures around the place so I could post some pictures here at my Baul and after enjoying the cup and saw the time (almost 3pm in my watch), I said to myself - "I should have bought water - it's still so sweet hehe!". Okay, I was actually worried when I saw the time. Indonesian Cafe at 2:30 was the appointed time and place. I am already thinking that they are probably drinking coffe somethere in Balad called Indonesian Cafe - perhaps I was really wrong.

I decided to stroll around and look for "Indonesian Cafe" (btw, I didn't tell this to the guys when I met them coz I don't want them to feel guilty about such a small detail hehehe!) and every person I try asking points me in the same direction. Yes, the place which is NOT called Indonesian Cafe. So after asking 3 more people that pinpoints me to the same location, I went back to the place and found Indonesians there enjoying a chat and having a few drinks. I also found a group of 3 pinoys but none of them I recognize. Now, my only option is to ask Sir NJ himself. Thinking that he'll be driving (since he said, he'll probably meet us later), instead of calling him I decided to just send him a text message. He'll probably read it when he reaches Balad area or atleast inform me the right place if they are already there. My phone rang and saw Sir NJ calling me, it's a good thing my shyness and nervousness didn't occur to me that time or else ... I don't know hehehe! Yes, that is how shy I am. So I responded almost immediately and he assured me that it is precisely the place that he is talking about. He asked me if I already met Kenjie - I said no. "Where are you Kenji!" (I shouted in my mind hehe!). If I remember it right, he told me that he is halfway. I still have some spare time so I let him know it's okay even though I don't have any idea how long or how far is halfway hehe! Anyways, Kenjie's house is just a few blocks away from where I am - I could throw a bottle and he'll probably hear the sound of it breaking (No, I'm just kidding but I can see his place from where I am sitting).

So after, contemplating on the paragraph above, I realize this is crazy. It is already four paragraphs and I still have no story about the meeting. So okay, to shorten things. Sir Nj  (Desert Aquaforce) came with his Malaysian friend, Anuar and side-kick Zakkir, followed by Pepe (Camera ni Cabrera and X-Spot) and Nelson (Soy Negrense) and then Kenji (Thoughtskoto). One thing, I've realized that time - I don't have to be shy about this wonderful people. Although we don't share the same ideas about things, nor share the same faith, nor the same professions, but we all shared the same fate as all other OFWs  - the sadness of being away from your family when we all first came here. Another great thing is, we can all express it through our blogs. Oh! another thing I've learned from this mini-EB, now I can tell who Nelson and Pepe is, hahaha!

Kenji and Sir NJ laid us ideas about the PEBA's upcoming new theme and the story behind it (I won't reveal it in my blog, so we'll just leave that to PEBA's website). And while Kenji explained the things and the progress of PEBA's programs and the people who benefit to it (Charitable foundations), I became excited. Just to clear out things, not one from PEBA official benefit from the collected donations. It is a dream for me to someday help people through organizations that I am affiliated with. Now upon learning PEBA's charitable mission, I am more honored to be part of PEBA.

I thought PEBA's concern was just for the OFWs living abroad, but after hearing their views and most specially when I learned what the upcoming theme is, I realized PEBA is also concerned about the families left by OFWs back in our country. I hope and pray, by launching the new PEBA theme which will be opened not just for the OFWs around the world but for the locals in our country who has an OFW family member - that people will listen and realize the values which will be learned from the new theme.

Okay, back to the mini-EB topic. We had an exchange of stories and I found new interesting things to contemplate with. Of course, the employer topic was always a mainstay. I felt sad knowing more OFWs experience delayed salaries from their employers and like many other OFWs nowadays, internet and TV is the only way to defeat sadness while working in a foreign country. It was a very productive EB. I hope I get to know more PEBA Jeddah Chapter members soon, of course I am also open to other countries and PEBA Philippines as well. I am already thinking of my vacation this December in Manila and Doha Qatar. God willing, I'll meet George (Pope) there and hopefully some other PEBA Doha Chapter members.

It was a nice experience. Thank God, I found new friends.

Here are a few pictures taken from our EB. I'll grab the others from Facebook later from Pepe's photos.

I wish to thank Sir NJ and Kenji for arranging this mini-EB, it was a great experience. Thanks Nelson and Pepe for being there, it was nice meeting you guys. I still can't believe that I've already met the people behind the blogs I follow. It won't be the last, if ever there is another EB and if I have time - I'll be there to meet you guys. Thank Sir NJ for the freebie shrimps, it was very tasty. My wife cooked a few while it's fresh - "Ang sarap papakin!". Nice meeting Anuar and Zakkir too.

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You can also read some of the stories at Nelson's Soy Negrense.

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