How will you embrace the Christmas spirit in a place where you'll have a thirst for something water cannot quench?
How will you be Merry if the pain from the scorching heat of the sun is nothing compared to the pain of being away from your family?
Friends, welcome to our first series of Christmas Away from Home called Christmas in the Desert. You will be reading stories from 3 forumers who celebrate their unique Christmas in the desert places: Dubai, Saudi and Qatar.
We urge you to speak up and make their Christmases merrier-- not just to them but for our loved ones and friends in the desert areas.
-thisbe.ara-
Editor-in-Chief, iSTORYA.NET
photo source: www.wallpaperstock.net
iSTORYA.NET Nick: Angler
Full Name: Kit Belen
City/Country outside the Phils: Dubai/ United Arab Emirates
December 9, 6 years ago I left Cebu for Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
The mere mention of the city/state's name and people start to imagine big hotels, ski slopes in the mall, luxury cars, gold and easy money. Nothing could be father from the truth.
Filipinos in general are very family-centric. No matter how tough you think you are, as soon as you leave the comforts of your home country's sanctuary, you are nothing but a second-class citizen.
After arriving, I made an inventory of what I had with me. A. Some corporate experience and B. Bag full of guts. Armed with what I thought I needed, I never had a shred of doubt that I would succeed...somewhat.
The first few days, I was wandering around and not really caring much about anything. Before I knew it, it was Christmas. Then it got me. Every one of my then girlfriend's friends were out of the country on flights and I was left alone in the flat with no one to hang out with or call. Calling the Philippines was useless in Christmas day since all the lines were busy. I realized that this was my first Christmas outside of the country and I was all alone.
If you are a very proud person, a heavy dose of loneliness is your cure back to reality.
Suddenly, you realize that the things you take for granted are the very things that you miss. EVERY little tiny thing.
It's not funny when everything that you ever wanted to buy as a kid, is in front of you, you have the capacity to buy it, but you can't have the barbecue from the kanto that you always had for merienda.
Amidst everything that you could eat, Larsian at 2am sounds like the perfect thing to do every time you get hungry.
You are left with nothing but the wish to go home...and you are not even THAT homesick yet.
Typically, when you are outside of the country, the things you miss aren't just your family and friends, it’s also the times you are out and about in your very own comfort zone. It's cliche', but there really is no place like home.
I call my family every chance I get and we Skype in the weekends, it's not only because my daughter is in Cebu, but you always feel the need to connect with your idea of what home should be.
I was never a big fan of Christmas and have always thought that it was abnormal for a country to be happy for a whole season. However, even in a Muslim country such as this, they celebrate it. My name is Kit and although admittedly, I am a tough case, I am still human. If you see people celebrating Christmas when it's not even in their religion, you start to feel things that you never thought was possible. Would I be feeling the same if I was back home? Probably not...it’s because I wouldn't know the difference.
The easiest solution for me was to make my girlfriend my ex-girlfriend. These days, she's Mrs. Belen. Nowadays, I get to go home as often as I can because of the airline discount I get as a benefit for marrying a fight stewardess. After feeling what I felt that first year, I swore to myself that I would never allow that to happen to myself, my wife and my daughter...EVER.
People, I am going home for Christmas.
Click for more for Stories 2 and 3.
Let's talk (iSTORYA TA): Do you have friends and families in the desert countries? What do you want to say to them? Post your thoughts below.
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