Christmas wish

Before Christmas maam is bringing Christmas tree. She tell me Sally when we are moving to Dubai they are not letting me bring Christmas tree in my luggage. they say it is not allow. She say she have very big Christmas tree with lights and she is giving it away to her friend. Now in Dubai she is having smaller Christmas tree so she is not happy. She say Sally how I wish I have my big tree. But even her small Christmas tree is bigger than me. Her big Christmas tree at home must be like the tree I am seeing in the mall. 

So many days before Christmas when we are going to mall we are seeing the big Christmas tree. And listening to music about santa and snow. It is like Christmas is starting in November. But for me Christmas is starting on December 16 when simbang gabi is starting. In my home country we are going to church for nine days before Christmas. That is simbang gabi. We go in the morning very early and make wish for all nine days. If you do this then your wish come true. Over here in Dubai there is no chance for simbang gabi. But every day I am praying and making my wish.

Maam is making Sara and Rayan make their Christmas list for Santa. She call it Santas wish list. Rayan is still believe that Santa is coming. Sara is knowing that Santa is really maam and sir. Maam tell Sara that if she tell Rayan there is no Santa then Sara not getting any gifts. So Sara is also doing pretend for Rayan that Santa is coming.

On Christmas day one of the gift that Sara is getting this really big headphone for her ipod. Beat headphone she is calling it. She is so happy full day she is wearing the headphone and singing so loud my head is paining. And Rayan is getting speaker for his ipod. Now you imagine this situation. Rayan is playing music on ipod speaker and singing loud. Full day opa gangman style. Then Sara is singing loudly I'm going to scream and shout and let it all out. Both singing different song. My head is paining so much. Maam is laughing and saying oh no Sally what I have done. both these children are going mad. I want to tell maam even I am going mad.

Maam is giving me cash this year. She say Sally you buy what you want I do not know what to give you. I want to tell maam to buy ear plug for my ear. And panadol for my headache. But I am quietly putting the money away. 

I know I will not buy anything. I will keep it. Save it. Maybe then my simbang gabi wish of living with my son in my own house in my home country can come true. Maybe one day.

rain and sun

Last week it is raining here in Dubai. Not little rain. Lot of rain. Rain like I am seeing in my home country. Everyone is getting so excited. Children are running outside. Rayan is singing song about rain. Its raining its pouring the old man is snoring. Rain rain go away come again another day. Everyone is so happy. Then I am going to my room. There is water everywhere.

I am leaving my room window open. All the water is coming inside my room. My full bed is wet. The floor is wet. The wall is wet. I dont know what to do. Maam will be so angry with me. I quickly start doing mopping. I put the fan on for my bed to be dry. It is so cold but I am scared to go outside the room. If I go outside and maam maam is finding out I am dead. 

Then maam is shouting Sally Sally come quick I need you. I am running out of my room and going upstairs. Maam is having fit. Her ceiling is leaking. There is water everywhere. Maam is saying this stupid new house so many problem. in our old house there was no problem like this.

I am doing mopping. Maam is putting bucket under the water. Then she see water falling somewhere else. She is moving bucket there. Then the old spot is leaking again. She is moving bucket. Then she say Sally I give up. thank god it does not rain often in Dubai.

I tell her maam even in my room the water is coming in because I leave window open. She say dont worry Sally we will dry everything. I tell her my bed is wet. She tell me tomorrow it will be so sunny again and you can put your mattress in sun to dry and everything will be ok. I am surprise maam is not more angry that I am not closing the window in my room. 

Next day in paper there are so many picture of rain. Everywhere there is water. Like flood. Because Dubai not getting much rain if it rain little bit more everything get flooded. I am thinking instead of building the taj mahal in dubai they have to put better gutter and drain. So it does not flood. But who will listen to my idea? It is only raining one time in a year in Dubai. taj mahal will make lot of people come to Dubai every day to see it. taj mahal idea will win. I think it is stupid idea.

The rain is now gone. Maam is calling man to fix leak in her room. He say everything have to be full dry before he can do any work. Maam laugh. She say to him there is lot of time to fix it. It will not rain like this again for so many years.

My lucky rain is coming and giving problem for maam and me. But I still feel my rain is still lucky for me. Because maam is not angry with me when I am leaving window open. Because after the rain the sun always shine. and everything will be ok again.