one more day

There are so many days when I feel like I have so much work. like my work is not get over. I feel like if I have maybe 1 or 2 more hours I can do so many more things. Even if I finish my work maybe I can do my blog. Or I can go to park. Sometimes I wish I have extra hours in my day.

Today I am getting a full day of extra hours. Because today is Feb 29. It is like this extra day. One more day between feb and march. 

When I am getting up in the morning it is so foggy outside. Sir is telling maam drive carefully in fog. He say there are mad men on the road in Dubai. who drive fast even when there is fog. Maam say to sir why you not drop children to school today? She say I feeling nervous to drive in this weather. Maam no liking to drive. She take any excuse to make sir drive. Sir also feel worry when maam drive. So today he take children to school.

When they leave the house maam is going driving. in fog. to gym. She say Sally when children are in car I feel nervous. But if I go by myself then it ok. I have little bit extra time today. If I go early maybe the machine in gym is not so busy. 

Every one like extra time. Maam like extra time at gym. I like extra day like today. My one extra day is nearly over. I still have not finish all the thing I want to do. Now I have to wait four more years for this extra day.

Or I can thank God that I am having an extra day. Every day.

tree in the storm

Two days back there is a big storm in Dubai. So much sand. So much wind. I think that the trees outside our house is going to fall down. The trees are moving with the wind. Bending so much. I hope it not fall down on top of the house. The storm is going away. But this bending tree is make me remember a story my grandmother tell me when I am small. I tell you.

There is a very big mango tree. It is very strong. And there is a lampakanai. It is like a very long grass that grow near the water. In my home country we make basket from this grass. And sometimes even we make chair from this grass.

In the story the mango tree is boasting too much. It is so proud. It say I am so strong. I am so tall. Everyone is loving my tasty fruit. Nothing is able to break me. The lampakanai say I am also strong. I am also useful. People use me to make baskets.  The mango tree is laughing at the lampakanai. One day there is a big storm. Lot of wind is coming. The mango tree is falling down. The lampakanai is bending with the wind. The wind is blowing more hard. The lampakanai is bending more. But it is not breaking. After the storm the strong mango tree is dead. the weak lampakanai is alive. 

When she tell me this story I am thinking why she tell me this story? I am so young. not mature like today. I am not understanding the story. I tell my grandmother I want to be the mango tree. I want to be strong and proud. not weak and bending. I want to be the mango. not the empty lampakanai basket. Because the mango is so tasty. and the basket has nothing inside it.  My grandmother say Sally the empty basket is better than the tasty mango. Because it can carry the weight of many mango. But I still do not understand.

Now I remember what she say. And I understand. that she want me to bend in the storm. That there are so many different storms that will come in my life. That it is easy to be strong and proud like the mango tree with so tasty fruit. But no fruit will grow if the mango tree is dead.

It is better to be the lampakanai. Because I will not break with the wind. Because I can fill the empty basket with so many things. with stories. of my life. But I cannot do that if I cannot stand in a storm. I have to bend with the wind.

love bird

Today is valentines day. I am alone. again. But it is ok. I know there is someone for me. like my friend  Alma. She and her boyfriend are like two love bird. Full time they are texting on phone. Sometime on my Friday holiday I meet them. Full time they are having so much love. They will get marry when they go back to Philippines.

I am thinking today of all the love bird like Alma and her boyfriend. And I wish them all happy valentines day. Rayan is come and tell me Sally you be my valentine today. He give me a chocolate. He is surprise me. I tell him sure Rayan I be your valentine. I try to give him hug but he run away. He is shy.

When Rayan come to me I am thinking of Alma and love and love bird. Then suddenly my mind is get distract. Sometimes my mind is like that. I think of one thing and then I think of something completely different. My mind goes to that game Rayan plays. Angry bird. Opposite of love bird. So funny the game is. And so funny Rayan is. He get so involved in this game. If he is not able to win the game he gets so angry. It is like Rayan has become the angry bird.

Few days back in paper I am reading that now in ski dubai they have got penguins. Really. Imagine in ski dubai there is all fake snow. machine snow. not snow that fall from sky. not natural snow. and this penguin has to live here. I feel sorry for the penguins. They are so far away from their home in this fake snow place. I know how that feeling is. I hope these penguins do not feel homesick like me. I hope we do not become angry birds.

Because I only want to be a love bird. Happy Valentines day

water

Few week back I am reading in paper that water is less in uae. I am not knowing this before. I think that because of the sea there is lot of water. But paper is saying that one day water get over. or more costly. I get very worry. Full time I am thinking of this. If there no water what we will drink? How we will do washing? How I will clean car? How we will give water to garden? I show maam the paper. I tell her maam now I not wash car every day. I only do it one time in week. So I can save water. Maam say by the time this happens Sally you and I both will have left Dubai. She say Sally you do your work I will worry about the water.

But I know she not worry about water. Maam is buying water to drink. If water get over she will just buy more bottle. If it cost more she will just pay more. Every week the water man is coming with big bottles of water. He take old bottles and give new one. In this house everyone is drinking water from this big bottle. Even me. When it is hot in Dubai I fill big jug with this water and put in fridge. I use this water for making ice also.

You remember my friend Roslie? She is the one who work next door for part time work. She tell me that her one maam not let her drink this bottle water. Her maam tell her Roslie you no drink this water you drink from tap. One time Roslie tell me she take water from fridge because it so hot outside she want cold water. Her maam get angry. She say Roslie you not ask me? how you take my water from my fridge?

Roslie so angry. I tell her Roslie I have solution for you. Next time you fill your own tap water and put in fridge. Then your maam not able to say anything. Then your maam no get angry with you for drinking her water. Roslie so upset with her maam she say next time I fill water for her I spit in it.

When Roslie say this she is angry like a snake. Ulupong. cobra snake. Very dangerous snake in Philippines. It has so much poison in its spit. Roslie is like this snake who want to put her poison spit in her maams water. Her mind is having poison thought for her maam. I understand why she angry. But I tell her Roslie it no use you think like this. It bad for your mind only. Nothing will change for your maam but your mind will go mad. Better you clean your mind of this poison thinking. Roslie laugh and say Sally should I clean my mind with tap water or maams bottle water?

My maam not worry that water get over or cost more. Because she will buy more water or pay more money. And anyway like maam say when the water get over we will all be back in our home country. So I am thinking no more worry for me for water. I will wash the car every day. And wash this worry from my mind. I hope Roslie also wash her mind of her poison thinking.

overtime

Few days back I am reading in paper that one man is falling from building construction. He fall down and die. So sad I feel for this man. He is not getting his overtime pay for two month but still he working overtime. So he can send money to his family. Poor man. Now the only overtime he is doing is in heaven. I feel very sad when I read story like this.

Maid is not get overtime pay. Because we not have any fix time to work. Like some day I work till 8. Some days my work get over at 7. Some days 9 or even 12 midnight if maam is having party. Like that  there no fix time. so how we can get overtime? But so many time I wish I get overtime pay.

Like one time I am suppose to go for my holiday on Friday. Maam say Sally you have to work this Friday because I am having big dinner in house. So full Friday instead of going out I have to stay home and cook. This is overtime work but I not get any extra money. Sometime when maam is having guest in house I have to do double work for so many day. Like double laundry. Double cooking. Double washing. But no double pay. Overtime work but no overtime pay.

I tell my friend Maria that it would be so good if all maid get overtime pay. Maria is always think how to make more money. She say Sally if you want overtime pay why you not do part time work somewhere? Like ironing or cooking in afternoon. When your maam is not at home. Maria always have some solution like this. But if I get caught doing part time work then I can be deport. Forever ban from Dubai work. Bye bye Dubai. So for me that is not good solution.

It better I not think of this overtime. It better I not do part time work for overtime pay. Because then it will not be overtime but time over for me in Dubai. Like the poor man who fall from building. Time over. Forever.