While taking snapshots of the side entrance of Minor Basilica of San Lorenzo Ruiz (Binondo Church), this boy approached me.

He: Ate, picture-an mo ako!
Me: Ha? O, sige.

He posed.

Me: Okay, napicture-an na kita.
He: Ate, pahingi ng pera. (I thought he was going to thank me. Though I’m used to it, I got surprised that moment since there are no beggars in Abu Dhabi. Primarily because street begging is punishable here.)
Me: Anong gagawin mo sa pera?
He: Bibili ako ng pagkain. Nagugutom na ako eh.
Me: Sinong kasama mo?
He: Ako lang
Me: Bibigyan kita ng hopia (Since I’ve just been to Eng Bee Tin)
He: Pera na lang
Me: Okay. (Handed him one peso. That’s the only money/coin I had in my (jeans) pocket. I didn’t want to open my bag for some obvious reasons. He should have agreed to take the hopia.)
He: Ayoko nito. Gusto ko 5 pesos.
Me: (Looked for and found a 5-peso coin in my bag and gave to him)

Then, he ran away.

Few days ago I surprised myself that I almost did not remember that I’m now past the 365th day of being an OFW. Living within the breeze of the Gulf didn’t hurt. What I thought of ‘okay-let’s-see-if-it’s-oh-kay-there’, is actually more than okay. It’s perfectly fine that soon at least five more colleagues from my previous office would be arriving here. The more, the happier.

It would be my turn to orient them
(a) why there are no security guards at the banks and other establishments, that it would eventually lead to getting irritated when you’re back home and there’s series of inspection whenever you chance to enter a building in the Philippines; it’s a sad fact that it’s relatively safer here;
(b) that a five-minute stop is heavy traffic;
(c) not to get horrified when some of their non-Filipino colleagues would ask, ‘hey, why do you bathe everyday?’ and/or ‘why do you always brush you teeth after lunch?’;
(d) where to get nilupak, halayang ube, crispy pata, goldilocks polvoron, etc. when craving/homesickness attacks;
(e) not to get so amused when the bags, wallet, mobile phones and other belongings you unintentionally left are returned to you/are still recoverable;
(f) why there are prayer rooms everywhere;
(g) that women are given so much respect, in general, while at work we are once in a blue moon told like, ‘this is the first time I’ve seen a female auditor’, or during a business meeting women need to prove (a lot more) when one says, ‘it’s a man’s world, you know’, and worse when a golden age fellow exclaims, ‘aren’t women supposed to stay home?’;
(h) and many others – these to include the sometimes awkward yet funny casual conversations with the other nationalities. My most recent encounter went like this:

Canadian Colleague: My long-time nanny is a Filipina.
Me: Was she good?
Him: Yes. And hmm… hey, I want to ask you something.
Me: What about?
Him: What does Put Ang Nay-Nay Mo mean?
Me: (Almost laughed at the accent). Who told you that?
Him: My nanny. She tells me that whenever I’m being nasty.
Me: You wouldn’t want to know.
Him: Tell me, please.
Me: (Translated Put Ang Nay-Nay Mo word per word)
Him: (Got it). Oh, that was cute!

So my tummy growled at 1030am. Too early for lunch. Nothing to worry. I proudly pulled a maltesers’ pack from my bag. Opened it.

Me: (flashing my warmest smile convinced that at least a piece will be grabbed). You want some?
LC: No, thanks. I’m fasting!
Me: (Shocked. I stopped munching).
Me: Ramadan is over. Get some, please. (It’s our first day together. Creating first impressions, huh. I want to announce this early that I love chocolates. So LC won’t be surprised next time).
LC: Yeah. But I’m still fasting for the whole week.
Me: But why?
LC: It is good to fast in the next 6 days after the end of Ramadan. That’s much sacrifice. So that 6 days will be equivalent to 1 year of fasting. Allah, the God, will like that.
Me: (Feels so ignorant). I didn’t know that (smiling; I didn’t know if my reaction was reasonable. I really didn’t know that ‘6 days’ thing. I wanted to say, “uhum, I’ve done research pre-Ramadan. Nothing like that was mentioned”. But I chickened. Better to say less if you are not sure).
LC: Well, it’s like that.
Me: Sorry if I have offended you. You see, I’m not a Muslim but I also did fast last time. And I am afraid that I have offended you by offering something to bite.
LC: No. Go ahead. There’s no problem.
Me: No. I’ll fast with you.
LC: Why?
Me: Uhum, because… I don’t think it’s a good idea that I’m enjoying my chocolate and you’re not. Sort of… respect, you know.
LC: (Smiled)
Me: (Noticed the water on my desk). So, you won’t drink as well?
LC: That’s right (and smiled).
Me: Okay.

(And the unfinished pack of maltesers is back to my bag).

So on.

There’s no problem to be fasting again. If I survived a month-long fast, this one would be more manageable. I just felt so stupid. Talking about first impressions, huh. LC would probably give me a code of “Ms. Maltesers” and wanted to tell me, “ignorance of the law excuses no one, even if you have tempting maltesers in your hand”. And I would respond, “You’ve got to show me first in which part of the codal that is written. Or else, I won’t offer you anything next time.” Lol.

Update (October 6):
I can’t stand being loopy and did some research. Some of the Muslims are doing compensatory fasting and/or late fasting for the following reasons:
(a) Eating and drinking: If someone eats or drinks by mistake, or forgetting that he is fasting, or if he is forced to do so, his fasting remains valid and he is not required to compensate for that in any way.
(b) Vomiting: Involuntary vomiting does not require any compensation or later fasting.
(c) Menstruation and postnatal discharge: These invalidate fasting even if they start one minute before sunset.
(d) Deliberate ejaculation, whether through kissing and cuddling of one’s wife, or through masturbation. If ejaculation happens as a result of merely looking at a woman or day-dreaming, it does not invalidate fasting. It is considered in these cases in the same light as ejaculation during sleep.
(e) Eating something that is not nourishing such as swallowing a large quantity of salt is generally agreed to invalidate fasting.
(f) If during a day of fasting one intends to finish his fast, his fasting is no longer valid, even though he may not have had anything to eat or drink. Intention is an essential requirement of fasting. Therefore, if it is revoked by a new intention of breaking one’s fast, the fast is no longer valid.

(Source)

So, that explains.

Conversation # 1

Sya: Kumusta ang weekend?
Ako: Okay naman, inabot ako nang 6am sa pagbabasa.
Sya: Anooo?
Ako: Di ko namalayan na umaga na pala. Nakita ko may sikat na nang araw kaya natulog na ko.
Sya: Ano ba yang binabasa mo?
Ako: Twilight series. 4 books sya. Try mo basahin book 1, maho-hooked ka. May film adaptation na , ipapalabas sa November!
Sya: (checked the site). Tiningnan ko yung trailer mukhang maganda nga. Baka panoorin ko ‘to.
Ako: Better if babasahin mo muna kahit book 1 lang.
Sya: Hindi na. Sa movie na lang. Dyaryo nga tinatamad akong basahin eh.
Ako: Hmmmp. Bahala ka!
Sya: Tungkol ba san yan?
Ako: Basta, may vampire. Haay, parang gusto kong maka-meet ng vampire. Pero dapat vegetarian.
Sya: Hahaha! Vegetarian? Ano yun? Baka indian na vampire.
Ako: Haha. Hindi ‘no? Basta basahin mo para maintindihan mo. Haaay!
Sya: Hehe.
Ako: Gusto ko tuloy pumunta ng Romania? Di ba andun si ____? Sana mag message sya sakin (nahiya ako eh) para tanungin ko kung may nakita syang vampire. Pag meron, pupunta ako dun.
Sya: Jo?
Ako: Ano?
Sya: Tigilan mo na nga ‘yang kakabasa mo. Kung anu ano naiisip mo.
Ako: Basta. Kung nasa Pilipinas pa tayong dalawa ngayon, I’m sure mananawa ang tenga mo sa kakakwento ko about the series.

So on.

***

Conversation # 2:

Sya: Mag hike kame sa Mount Pulag this wekeend.
Ako: Inggit ako!
Sya: (tells the details of their trek)
Ako: Inggit talaga ako. Super nakakarelate ako dyan.
Sya: ?
Ako: Tamang tama sa books na binabasa ko. Woods, mountains, forest. .. tapos biglang lalabas yung vampires and werewolves!
Sya: (No response. Iniisip nya siguro tinatakot ko sya.)
Ako: Wag mo kalimutan magdala ng facial wipes, chocolates, blah, blah, blah. At wag ka magpupuyat.
Sya: Sa sasakyan kame matutulog. 11pm aalis , 530am dadating dun.
Ako: Yaiks. Masaya mag bonding, mahirap matulog pag ganyan. Try to get some sleep pa rin. Find a means.
Sya: Okay lang. 2 hours lang naman siguro kulitan, picture-taking. Tapos tulog na.
Ako: Ah. Kase kame noon same time yung trip 11pm rin. Hindi kame natulog sa sasakyan. Kulitan. 530am dumating kame ng Baguio, idlip ng 15 to 30 minutes Then, ligo na. Well, we are vampires kase. =)
Sya: Ah. (Beginning to think I’m weird).

Moved to other topic.

***

GOT SOME FEVER. I know we don’t speak the same language right now. Wolf, err, bear with me, friends. This, too, shall pass. For now, I’m enjoying the fever. Don’t worry. I’m still human. And normal.

I miss my friends back home (and those out there, too). *Sigh*