the whole world is busy.

no cheesy caption for this one, picture says it all, i am missing halo-halo!

Hi all,

This is resurrection. And this is the new year too.

Updates, yep, I am now a six month old immigrant on the fourth coldest place here on earth. Outside, the wind is blowing and wow, snow is falling! I light up when I see snow, you couldn’t blame me, I am a six month old giddy baby. However, i still havent done my first snow angel, nor tasted the snowflakes. That’s another story which I will share once things are confirmed and well.

So what have i been doing for the past six months. Let’s enumerate! I read a survey that people like to read things in bullets or in tabulated manner.

1. Cooking is like second nature to me now. Not! Hehe. But at least, I am more comfortable in the kitchen and in the supermarkets now than the first month I was here. I don’t think I will ever be a good cook; as long as my husband gets satisfied every meal, then I don’t think I should worry right? 🙂 I still cannot cook paella, or bake muffins, cakes, what have yous. But, basic Filipino recipes, I can. Lechon Kawali seems like a scary meal to prepare- imagine the hot, boiling, splashing canola oil – but, yeah, i can do it now. Fried Chicken ala Max’s Restaurant, home-made, crispy, golden brown, no breadings, yep, i serve it here in our cozy apartment. My Sinigang na Baboy is my in-laws favorite. They say they like how the broth gets really sour and refreshing at the same time. 😉

2. I got a job and lost that job! Well, it was only a seasonal job, just for the holidays. But during those months, I learned a lot, enjoyed every moment of it, and it was very nice to meet new people too, especially when you’re in a foreign country. I used to be really shy around them, I felt different, powerless, etc. Husband said, I should not see myself like that. So, I tried looking for a job ,to overcome that – and after some weeks, I got a call and they hired me. The greatest thing was, I got to do what i’ve been planning to do here – to be a photographer! Wish I could stay longer there, but, oh well, things happen for a reason.

3. I still havent taken my road test here. I was supposed to do that last december 4th, but i cancelled. It was snowing hard that day, and I am not, at all, experienced driving in snow. So, this spring, I am going to take my road test. Hopefully.

4. My birthday, christmas, and new year. They were all filled with love, fun, and gifts. But, the heart aches and misses familiar people. I remember, Christmas back in my island, it is always the busiest and the happiest. People from other towns go visit the city, riding their jeepneys; going to the market and doing some christmas shopping. Kids dressed in their Sunday dresses, wearing their new rubber shoes too! Traffic is not very common back there, so when there’s traffic, it’s probably the christmas season. Sidewalks are filled with vendors, from fruits to dresses to toys to firecrackers! (my favorite!). Some people might not like the hassle of long travel because of the traffic, but me and my family, oh we love to see the commotion! we love traffic! It sort of gives us a natural high. 😀

By the way, I still was able to complete the 9 Misa De Gallo (Christmas Night Masses). Online! 🙂

5. The picture above, yep, that’s a Filipino merienda or snack. Halo-Halo, that’s how we call it. I’d like to have some soon, and all the other Filipino foods I cannot seem to find here.

I miss you Pilipinas.

So far, that’s all i can think of. I am gonna write better soon.

Take care everyone.

has gone to DFA etcetera

Pilipinas Kong Mahal

(i never knew i could upload bigger pictures here! they look 100% better!)

Hello,

My passport is due to expire early next year. Since it’s required by the C. Embassy to have a passport valid for 24 months, I have no other choice but to renew my passport a little earlier; and at the same time change my family name and my status. Hubby and I are currently preparing all the needed documents for the petition, and one major requirement is a passport valid for 2 years.

According to my sister, who’s recently applied her son a passport, everything at DFA is online now. Go to DFA here. Renewal requirements are there.

However there was a confusing requirement listed there. It went something like, “If married to a foreigner, you are required to attend a guidance and counseling seminar at the Commission on Filipinos Overseas; they would issue you a certificate and once you have your visa, they will give you a sticker which is required when you leave the country. you cannot board the plane without it”. That is the confusing requirement. Hehe. So i called the hotline. Boy! It took me 3 days to be able to talk to a customer service representative! And he said i would need to attend the seminar so i can renew my passport. hmm.

Before leaving for DFA, I did the following — everything required must be complete, DFA people are very very strict. Read along and comply.

Step 1. Go to DFA site.

Step 2. Click the link Set An Appointment. (if you wish to renew or apply for a new passport, you’ve got to set an appointment with DFA. gone are the days when you can drop by DFA anytime. No appointment means no transaction, so set an appointment)

Step 3. It will link you to the part where you must fill out a form completely and accurately. Make sure all details are correct, especially the spelling. If you are renewing your passport and would want to use the family name of your husband’s, please do not put it yet as your family name in your form. Please use first your maiden name.

Step 4. After filling out the form, you will be asked to choose your most convenient date of appearance at the DFA. Set the appointment. Make sure you’ll make it. 🙂

Step 5. Once you’ve set an appointment, it will ask you to check your email inbox so you can click on the confirmation link. Please click the link in order to confirm your appointment. One man went to DFA the same day as I did; showed the receptionist the confirmation email. However, he forgot to click on the confirmation link. Therefore, he wasnt able to secure an appointment with DFA at the time he thought he did.

Step 6. Be at the DFA on your appointment date. This is not the DFA located at Roxas Blvd. The new DFA is located near SM Mall of Asia, Macapagal Blvd.

Step 7. Bring all your requirements, original and one set of photocopy.

Note: if your NSO authenticated birth certificate cannot be read, please secure a new copy from the local civil registrar. Blurred birth certificates, though they’ve been issued by NSO, will not be considered.

###

But before I went to DFA, I first went to St. Mary Euphrasia Foundation- Center for Overseas Workers to attend the required Guidance and Counseling Seminar. When you marry a foreign national, you are required to attend the seminar and at the same time register at Commission on Filipinos Overseas.

So I did. The guidance and counseling seminar started with a film viewing. It was an old documentary from Magandang Gabi Bayan about Filipino women who married foreign nationals and decided to leave the country to live with their husbands. These women who had dreams to achieve, who had beautiful lives planned out in their minds, unfortunately experienced the ugliest and the most hurtful.

They became victims of pornography, prostitution, and all forms of abuse.

I was very hesitant on attending the seminar; for me, I would just go there to comply with the DFA requirements. I never expected I would be highly interested and deeply moved.

The women who were sitting with me were a lot younger than me. The counselor said, most women who attend the seminar usually havent been with their foreigner husbands for a long time. Most of those women, according to her, have only known the foreign national for a month; and they they would go with their husbands to the foreign country after they get married — without any complete knowledge about who he is, where he lives, what he does for a living. All they have in mind is the idea they see on movies and read on papers — that living abroad is great! is fun! and will definitely make you rich!

The counselor said, those women would go abroad to help out the families they leave behind. She said this is the main reason of those women for marrying the foreigners. Now that is a very sad thought. They do not go to a different country because they want to have a family with the man of their dreams; for those girls, the foreigners are just their stepping stone in reaching their dream and well, making their lives comfortable. They do not know that their husbands have different lives from the lives these girls have seen. They’re not kind, they’re not generous, they’re not good-looking. Their worlds would now turn, their rights violated, their hearts and dreams crushed.

It’s very alarming that even until now, there are still so many victims. One theory I guess is our country is a poor country — it hurts me to say this, but this country is striving; this country cannot support the needs of its citizens — and this theory tends to push away those Filipinas to search for better lives. Another theory is we have insufficient awareness campaign, it lacks the support it desperately needs from our government. Organizations should stop talking about oil price hikes, and that perennial traffic problem in EDSA. Organizations should maybe concentrate on issues that really concern the welfare of Pinoys. Hay.

Anyway, during the seminar, the lady asked the youngest attendee. She’s only 18, and she’s married to a Korean. The lady counselor gave her a scenario that she was hit by her husband because she did something wrong; she was asked if she would stay or not. The young girl said she would stay. It was her fault anyway she said.

I was shaking at the back row. I felt my heart palpitating. I am not an expert, but all i know is when a guy hits you once, he will hit you again. I dont know who this girl is, or her reason why she chose to stay except for the fact that it was her mistake. I am in no position to judge, but i couldnt help but think what influenced her to think the way she does. She is very young; there’s so much ahead of her.

From the college I came from, we had a subject that focused on empowering the women; on making them aware of their rights, their opportunities and the many roles they can perform. It raised awareness on issues such as this.

That’s the only thing we need — awareness. Awareness prevents bad things from happening. Awareness educates the people, especially the women. Awareness gives voice and directions to the naive.

###

Back to DFA.

So I went there. And i had the ff docs with me:

1. Appointment Date

2. Application Form

3. NSO Authenticated Marriage Contract – original

4. Certificate from CFO (being married to a foreigner)

5. Valid IDs

6. NSO Birth Cert

7. other docs like land title, baptismal cert..

So i went there.

DFA was already busy at 7am. I guess there are so many Filipinos who want to travel and live abroad.

But DFA Consular Affairs has improved a lot, ever since the first time I went to the old DFA. It was chaotic then, lines under the heat of the sun, no orderliness whatsoever. DFA now is very modern, it is housed in a very comfortable building, air conditioned, clean and with ample seating. DFA is also very convenient, they deliver your passports wherever you are in the country. No matter how plenty the applicants are, they can all be served because of its very organized system. I liked it. 🙂 I hope SSS can be that efficient too 🙂 (it takes a year before you can get your SSS ID).

After two hours, I got to leave DFA and now patiently waiting for my new passport.

Love,

J.