Thursday, July 1, 2010

Nightmare Of An Expat

Desert view in Saudi Arabia. The reddish color...

Image via Wikipedia (Thanks for this photo)

In Saudi Arabia, the migrants should avoid the following: never smile and stare at people you are not familiar with, make low profile spending your free times walking inside malls and in the parks and other public places with unloose shirts, short pants, gold bracelets and necklaces (especially for men) the Muttawas or religious police might send you deep in hot water.

I still remember my co-worker who received his first and last Ramadan gift 7 years + (ago). The gift was unusual and it was a real nightmare for Dong and also for all of us working in the same company.

On November 11, 2002, a Filipino expat (we called him Dong – his real name is withheld) was scheduled to leave the Kingdom. But his departure was rescheduled on November 16, 2002. The reason was that, the person to approve for his release was not around.

Dong arrived in the Kingdom on December 03, 2001, to work as clerk/typist with the company where I am also working. He was friendly and a hardworking employee. Sometimes he had some arguments with his co-officemates but those were only jokes of the day with laughter and shouting.

Dong’s nightmare started on September 23, 2002 (Saudi National Day) also for that year the month of Ramadan was approaching. At 7pm Dong left our flat to buy bread at Al Othaim supermarket – a walking distance from our flat, but Dong was unable to return home. We got worried and surmised that Dong may have been abducted by some idiots and was desecrated and murdered. Usually when Dong goes out for shopping, in an hour or two he’s at home already. At around 12midnight we decided to report the missing Dong to the police and the police assured us they would look for him.

The next day at the office, we received a call from the police informing us that Dong was already in their custody handed by the religious muttawas, who caught Dong at Al Othaim supermarket. The police reports stated, that the Muttawas charged Dong with keeping earring, a small pendant cross and a small pamphlet of Christian bible kept in his wallet. Also he was suspected of being a woman/gay with his mushroom haircut, fair complexion and his smiles and preaching Christianity in the Kingdom.

Of course everybody in the office was surprised and believed that Dong was innocent of those charges. That same day Dong was released. We asked him if those charges were true but he told us those were only allegations.

kulay asul ang kalangitan_riyadhNow we thought the case was over but on November 6, 2002, the police called us again and instructed our company to prepare Dong for deportation. They said that the religious muttawas brought the case to court and their request was approved by the high court deporting Dong out of the Kingdom immediately. It was so sad to learn about the news, as Dong will be deported soon.

On November 16, 2002, Dong went to the immigration department escorted by a police officer and our company secretary to get his deportation clearance but he was not cleared on that day. The reason was that the officer was in Makkah. The police officer insisted that Dong should be detained in their custody until such the time his clearance to depart out of the kingdom is materialized. And there, Dong was temporarily detained for days at Al–Batha Police Station, Riyadh City and later was transferred to the immigration office in Riyadh City . Finally on November 18, 2002, Dong received his early Ramadan gift; he left the Kingdom at 8:30 PM for Philippines .

There was fear and tensions in me at that time and thought what if it happened to me as well? What would I do? Whom I would ask for help, especially now our government is not responding quickly to help the many maltreated Filipinos in the Kingdom?

In Saudi Arabia alone there are approximately a million Filipino registered workers serving as doctors, nurses, skilled technicians, janitors, laborers, hotel staff, accountants, engineers, housemaids, drivers, teachers and trainers, barbers, and in every other imaginable field. Despite the homesickness, which is our constant companion, we adjust to different races, cultures and standards of living. A few among us have been able to save money, build a house or make some investments, but the majority are overworked, abused, maltreated and under paid or even unpaid.

Our government officials and political leaders call us, the Filipinos working abroad, modern-day heroes. That is an honor. But that is not what we are looking for from them.

Thank you for your time. Visit also my other blogsite Tutubing Mahilig Lumipad

Enhanced by Zemanta

No comments:

Post a Comment

WellCome (Welcome) Note

First of all, thank you for your visit my would-be friends and the nice, thoughtful and inspiring comments that you would impart here, I will appreciate them very much. Welcome to WellCome. This is my new blog in webblog today.

About the word WellCome – I checked it out from Wikipedia and it’s a “name” of a Hong Kong’s longest-established supermarket chain founded in 1945 with an overall 5,000 staff.

The word Wellcome which I used as my blog title has another meaning and it’s too different from what Wikipedia has recorded.

Take time to read the description of my blog title - the meaning is blinking for your attention.

I will be happy to read your short messages before leaving my blogsite...Thank you, guys. See you around.

Labels

: adult (1) 1970 (1) 2010 Pinoy Expats OFW Blog Awards (1) 2010 vacation (1) 5Ws (1) Abaya (1) Activism (1) actor (2) adsense (1) Advertising (1) affiliate (1) affordable capital (1) Albay (1) Alphabets (1) Alternative Medicine (1) Amazing Voice (1) americans (3) Andy Williams (1) aol (1) Arabia (1) Article Marketing (1) Artificial respiration (1) arts and culture (1) Asian Artist (1) Asian Workers (1) Asians (1) author (2) Awareness (1) Baby Boom Generation (1) Baby Boomers (1) bahay kubo (1) balimbing (1) Bangladesh (1) Bible (1) Bill Clinton (1) bing (2) Birthdate (1) birthday (1) Blog (1) Blogger (3) bloggers (1) blogging (3) Blogging For Money (1) Blogging For Pay (1) Blogging Guide (1) Blogging Tips (1) Blogging Website (1) Bloggings Tips (1) Blogs (1) blogs and blogging (1) Blogs And Tips (1) blogsites (1) Body Mass Index (2) bodyguard (1) Bodyguards (1) Book Of Mormons (1) breathing (1) British (1) Business (9) Business Opportunities (3) business opportunity (5) caffeine (1) cancer (1) candle (1) carambola (1) Carols (1) cat style (1) Celebrities (2) charice (2) Charice Pempengco (3) cheating (1) Child (1) child abuse (1) children (3) choke (1) Christianity (1) Christmas Day (1) christmas gift (3) Christmas Gifts (1) Christmas Season (2) Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saint (1) Circumcision (1) Cocoanut (1) Coconut (1) Coconut Virgen Oil (1) columns and opinions (1) Computersight (1) Confession (1) Content Creator (1) contest (1) copyright (1) copyright infringement (1) cuaresma (1) Culawamsa (1) Culture (2) customers (1) Daxen (2) Deadly Disease (1) Deaths (1) desert (1) Dictionary of subject (1) Direct Selling (1) diseases and conditions (1) Dr Bruce Fife (1) drown (1) dxn (7) DXN business (6) Dxn Business Opportunity (1) Dxn Codyceps (1) DXN Distributor (1) DXN healthy products (4) dxn membership (2) Dxn Myco Veggie (1) dxn news (1) DXN Spirulina (2) DXN Sponsoring (1) dxn wellness products (3) earn (1) Ecosystems (1) education (2) egg yolk (1) Egyptians (1) Election (1) Electric shock (1) Emergency procedures (1) employment (1) England (1) English Grammar (1) English Language (2) English Speaking (1) Entertainment (1) Essay (1) exercise and fitness (1) expat (1) expatriate (1) expatriates (2) Expats (2) exposure (1) extra income (5) Extra Ordinary (1) facebook (6) Facebook Page (1) Faith (1) family (2) family togetherness (1) Fan (1) FBI (1) Felmar Castrodes Fiel (1) Fiction Writing (2) Fictional Story (1) Fil-Get-Together (1) Filipino (3) Filipino Culture (1) Filipino Diaspora (1) Filipino Language (2) filipino poets (1) Filipino Pride (1) Filipino Unity (1) Filipino Voice (1) Filipinos (4) First aid (1) Foreign Workers (1) Francis Lai (1) Free Online Registration (1) Friendships (1) Frugality (1) Galing (1) Ganoderma (1) gary v (1) general healt (1) General Health (2) General Interest (4) Genital Mutilation (1) Geraldo Tadios (1) Ghutra (1) gift income (1) Global Warming (1) gold (1) Golden Apple Of The Sun (1) Gomestic (1) google (7) Google Buzz (1) Google News (1) Google Online Translation (1) Google Translate (1) Google Translation Department (1) Goth (1) government (1) Guides (8) gulay (1) Habitat (1) Haiku (1) Hard Work (1) Harlot (1) Heal (1) health (5) Health Benefit (1) Healthiest Oil (1) HealthMad (1) healthy body (1) Healthy Life (1) Healthy Living (1) healthy mind (1) healthy tips (1) Healthy Weight (1) Hearts (1) Hero (1) hidden valley (1) History (5) holidays (2) holidays and celebrations (1) Home (2) honey (1) how to article (1) Human Rights Violation (1) humor (1) Humorous (1) Husay (1) hypocrites (1) ideas (1) Igoogle (2) impotency (1) Impotency problem (1) India (1) Indians (1) Individual (1) Indonesia (1) Indonesians (1) Industry (1) infertility (1) Infolinks (1) International Relations (1) Internet fraud (1) Investors (1) issue (1) issues (3) janus (1) jed madela (1) Jesus Christ (1) Job (1) Job vs DXN (1) Jon J Kabara (1) Joseph Smith (1) journalist (1) Kabute (1) kalikasan (1) Karapatan (1) Karel Capek (1) Kera (1) Khulna (1) Kilograms (1) koreans (1) KSA (1) Labor (1) lactic acid (1) lambing ni inang kalikasan (1) law (1) learning (1) lent season (1) Letter (1) letters (1) life (3) lifetime royalties (1) Lingzhi Coffee (2) Listening (1) Love (3) Love Story (1) lover (1) Magtipid (1) maikling kuwento (1) maikling kuwentong pambata (1) makata (1) makatang pinoy (1) Make money online (1) Making Money Online (2) Malaysia (1) man (1) Managing Health Care (1) Marketing (2) mathematics (1) Mayon Volcano (1) Media Law (1) Men's Health (1) Meter (1) Mexico (1) Middle East (1) Migrante Middle East (1) Millionaires Salad (1) mlm (3) Monetize Blogs (1) money making sites (1) Money saving tips (1) Morbidly Obese (1) Most Talented Girl in the World (1) Mother Nature (1) Mozilla Corporation (1) mp3 (1) Multi-level Marketing (2) music (2) my way (2) MycoVeggie (1) Nation (1) Nature (2) needs (1) negosyong walang lugi (1) Nepalese (1) net income (1) Network Marketing (1) Networking (2) new year (1) News (3) nightmare (1) No-One can Beat Osama Bin Laden as a Writer (1) Noynoy (1) numbers (1) numerology (1) Obesity (2) Obesity. (1) observer'sview point (1) Off Beat (1) offspring (1) OFW (8) OFW Supporter Nominee (1) OFWs (1) oil (1) old diriyah (1) online income (2) Online Prospecting (1) online protest (1) Online Writing (2) opinion (7) Opinion Vision (1) Opinions (1) Opportunities (2) osama bin laden (3) overseas absentee voters (OAVs) (1) Overseas Filipino (1) overseas Filipino workers (1) Overweight (1) pagbubunyag (1) pagninilay (1) Paid To Write (7) Pakistanis (1) Paragraph (1) Paranormal (1) parenting (2) parents (1) pasasalamat (1) Patricia Kaas (1) Paul Pruel (1) Paul Zane Pilzer (2) Peace (1) People (3) perfect business (2) personal experiences (1) Personal Profile (1) Philhealth (1) Philhealth Circular No 022 (1) Philippine (1) Philippine Embassy (1) Philippines (2) Philosophy (2) piano (1) Pinoy (1) pinoy blogger (1) PIPA (1) places to hangon (1) plagiarism (1) Plants (1) Poem (1) Poems (2) Poems About Life (1) Poems About Nature (1) Poems On Emotions (1) Poems On Freedom (1) Poems On Love (1) poetry (7) poetry contest (3) Poetry With Meaning (1) Poetry Works (1) Polluted (1) Pollution (1) Pope Adrian 1 (1) Portrait of Prince William and Catherine Middleton (1) Ppruel (1) prayers (4) premarital sex (1) President Noynoy (2) presidente ng Pilipinas (1) Press Release (1) Priest (1) promise of new year (1) Prostitute (1) prostitution (2) pruelpo (29) prutas (1) puna (1) ramadan (1) Reader (1) Readers Needs (1) Reading (1) Reishi Mushroom (1) Relationships (1) Religion (1) Reporters Without Borders (1) Reviews (2) Riyadh (4) robert kiyosaki (1) robust (1) Romance (1) Rose (1) Rose Garden (1) saranggola blog award 2 (2) saudi arabia (11) Saudi Citizens (1) Saudi Customs (1) Saudi Nationals (2) saudization (2) Saving (1) scams (1) school (1) Science (1) Scrap PhilHealth Circular No. 022 (1) Search Engine (1) Search Engines (3) secret of rich people (1) Sentence (1) SEO (1) sex education (2) Sexual Organ Stimulation (1) sexually transmitted disease (1) share (1) Shirley Bassey (1) shoppers (1) Short Story (1) silently making love (1) silver coin (1) Singer (1) Sir Isaac Newton (1) Social Issues (1) Social Networks (2) Social Trends (1) Society (7) Socyberty (1) Sona (1) sopa (1) spams (1) starfruit (1) sterile. (1) sterility (1) Swine Flu (1) Systran (1) Talent (1) teachers (1) Technology (2) teenagers (1) the prayer (2) the right vehicle (1) The Royal Forums (1) Thobe (1) Thoughts (1) Thoughts Of Love (1) Thrift (1) tips (3) Tradition (1) traffic (1) Traffic Generation (1) Traffics (1) Traffics Generators (1) Translation (1) travel (2) Trifter (1) triond (6) triond writers (1) trivia (5) tula (1) tulang pinoy (3) turncoats (1) Tututbi (1) twitter (1) undas (1) Unity (1) unwanted pregnancy (1) USA (1) Values (1) videos (1) Viewers (1) villain (1) Virtue (2) Visitors (1) W (1) Wanted: DXN Partners (6) wants (1) ways how to become rich (1) wealth (1) wealthy (1) Web (2) web marketing (3) Website (1) website tester (1) Website Traffic (1) Websites (1) websites owners (2) websites reviews (1) Webupon (1) Wedding Gift (1) weekends (2) Weight Loss (2) Weight Loss Tips (1) Weight Management (1) Wellness Industry (1) Wes (1) Westerners (1) What Are (5) What If (1) What Is (5) whay (1) when (1) where (1) where do I begin (1) who (1) Whore (1) why (1) why DXN (1) wikinut (8) Wikinut Community (1) Wikinut Experiences (1) Wikinut Writers (1) Wikinuts (1) Will (1) wisdom (1) wise consumer (2) wise consumerism (2) woman (1) wordpress (3) World Connection (1) World Friendship (2) World Status (1) Wri (1) write (2) writer (1) Writers (1) writing (8) writing article (1) Writing Articles (1) writing business (1) writing sites (1) Writing Tips (2) writinghood (2) yahoo (3) You (1) You tube Singing Sensation (1) Young Diva (1) Youtube (2)