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Don’t downplay the pain, we can be soda too

Ion
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Don’t downplay the pain, we can be soda too

They say, “Be a bottle of water not a bottle of soda so you won’t explode when shaken.” But, it doesn’t work that way all the time.

We can all be bottles of soda too. We cannot just tell another person to be as calm as water. Yes, a soda when shaken, explodes. But there’s a way to avoid it.

When shaken, don’t rush to open the soda. Leave it for some time. Allow it to go through its natural property being a soda. After some time, slowly open it. SLOWLY. It might spill a few but it won’t explode.

We cannot downplay the pain of others. We cannot rush to make them feel better. Give them the time they need to grieve, to hurt, and eventually, to heal. The only way to get past it is to go through it

How I got scammed in Dubai

Ion
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How I got scammed in Dubai

I wish someone had warned me before that there are also scammers in Dubai. But I guess we can’t have everything fed on us. So we had to learn a lot of them ourselves.

The worst scam we experienced was from someone pretending to be a cancer patient. She used a really emotional narrative to tell her pitiful story so she could solicit financial aid for her chemo sessions. This con artist has convinced us really well with her drama. She has all the medical records to support. And, she sounded so meek and “spiritual” when people talk to her.

Not too long after, suspicions arise and someone did a thorough background check. It was discovered that she’s been scamming people for years using different tactics. We lost 9,000 dirhams. But a total of 600k were lost from the other victims who gave money.

In another scam, a freelance agent offered to help us arrange a business visa for someone. Complete trust was built with all the legal docs and accreditation she presented. After giving the payment, we never heard from the lady again.

We lost 10,000.

Recently, a friend shared this new scam story. Like a typical plot, this fraudster couple is endearing themselves to her victims in the beginning. So apparently, they are renting out spaces in various areas in Dubai. Then they use their tenant’s names to register for utilities like landline and internet connections. Apparently, their IDs were used beyond that. It appeared that a crazy amount of debts were later credited to the victims. As of today, the damage has amounted to AED 1.2 million for 9 different people who were scammed.

Another one, this lady ordered bulk shirts from us to resell. We trusted her because she worked with me in the past. When she’s not being able to pay, we investigated and found out that she has swindling cases here and there. Lost money: 3,000 worth of products⁠.

There was also this event organizer who asked me to design the event logo. I never heard of him after I deliver the work. Then he ended up using my logo on all official event materials. Later he was arrested for a bigger fraud case related to the event he organized.

Pinoy, do you still trust your fellowmen abroad?

Before, we’re very comfortable here whenever we’re surrounded by our “kababayans.” Do we still feel the same today?

Really ironic how we feel safe in the foreign land but we worry about being taken advantage of by our fellow men.

What to do when you are scammed?

Some of these swindlers are still on the loose hunting new victims to devour.

I hope this will remind us all to be extra careful (also a note to myself). Never share your personal details especially over the phone. Never let someone else hold your Emirates ID. You should be the only one keeping your Emirates ID.

Fraud starts the moment you let someone take hold of it. If you ever got scammed, report to the police immediately. You can download the Dubai Police app, or visit the Smart Police Station kiosks, in case you don’t want to do it face to face with an officer. More often than not, the police here are very helpful in such cases. You just need to come complete with details and supporting documents.

If there are options, we cannot just say, “Si Lord na ang bahala.” Let’s try to do our part, then have faith na si Lord na ang bahala after that.

Police caught us cycling at a prohibited area in Dubai Canal

Ion
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Police caught us cycling at a prohibited area in Dubai Canal

When we came down from this Twisted bridge to continue cycling at the Dubai Canal, there’s no bike lane going back to the bike lane (Got it?). A legit law-abiding citizen would carry his bike until he reaches the designated lanes, right?

Usually, I am that citizen, but NOT this time.

Since no one else was in the area, we rode our bikes going to the bike lane. We even took the longer route.

After about a minute, we saw 2 cyclists approaching us. They were in cycling uniforms – maybe they’re a team. I even said, “See, there are also other cyclists here.” But they were looking at us sharply. Then they waved to stop us.

HALA PULIS! Two policemen patrolling the area.

(Suddenly the news about cyclists who got fined for biking at wrong places flashed back on me. Some even got their bikes confiscated.)

The men told us we shouldn’t be cycling there, “Not allowed!”

With a calm voice, we apologized. We told them the truth – that we came from the bridge and are on our way to the cycling path. They said we could be fined heavily.

We apologized again.

Then, the gentlemen showed us the direction to the bike lane. But they asked us to get off our bikes and just push them until we reach the right path.

And they left. No fines, no confiscation. Just a warning. What a relief!

Up there at The Twisted Bridge, Dubai Canal

Lessons learned

This experience reminded me of our personal accountability with God. We thought we can always get away because no one’s watching? Even the smallest of things? Well, think again.

As humans prone to commit mistakes, we need to recognize warning signs before they become penalties. These signs often come in form of convictions. The good thing about it, there is always a chance to make it right.

Are you seeing warning signs lately?

Take every success advice with a grain of salt

Ion
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Take every success advice with a grain of salt

When you hear advice from “successful people,” take it with a grain of salt before you do it. Look at the context too.

When they say, they sleep at 9pm and wake up at 5am. Are they referring to their NOW or was it like that even at the time they’re building up their road to success? Did they not spend sleepless nights too to reach the point of enjoying 8 hours of sleep every night?

It’s not a “one size fits all” formula all the time. What works for them might not work for you, and what’s effective for you, might not work well for others.

Success is personal and subjective.

Why do people still shame sellers today?

Ion
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0
Why do people still shame sellers today?

I was selling homemade donuts on the streets when I was 10. Then my mom would bake mamon and brownies to sell in our canteen. I was tasked to deliver them every morning when I go to school. My schoolmates would see me carrying huge plastics bags and would make fun of me, saying things like, “Eeeww nagtitinda sya!”, “Bata, bata ano tinda mo?” and they would laugh.

I developed low self-esteem because of such treatment towards me. I had the stigma na, “nakakahiyang magtinda.” I wanted to reach school early to avoid those kids.

I wasn’t telling my parents about it, but my actions say that I didn’t like bringing those pastries to school. My mom would tell me not to be lazy about it, else I won’t get my 2-peso daily allowance.

Back then, there were popular TV series portraying how lowly people selling on the streets are. It has had a huge impact on my young mind.

In High School, we would set up a table outside the house to sell home-cooked meals and street foods. I would be asked to look out for it. Because of the bullying from Grade School, there was embarrassment especially when a group of well-off teens would pass by. (Triple that feeling when my crush was one of them.)

The turning point

Then one day, a wise old man told me, “Selling is honorable because you provide answers to people’s needs (and wants). Everybody lives by selling something. So don’t be ashamed because you have the advantage of learning the ropes at an early stage.”

True enough, the Bible also tells us to pursue whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable – anything excellent or praiseworthy. And as long as we’re within ethics in selling, we’re responding well to this message.

So upon hearing that, my perception has changed. I found joy in facing customers. I would sit at the table and hope my favorite customers would pass by. I also gained more friends in the community when I started to love what I was doing.

Not long after, in college, I found myself selling personalized CDs with MP3 – which I consider my first ‘business venture.’

And then I started selling my designs. I sold domain names and web hosting too. Fast-forward today, I’m still selling, shirts and other merch online.

We must do something

This unpleasant part of our past plays a big factor in why some people are still shaming sellers today.

This old-school mindset is very dangerous if not changed – not only on how low they see people selling but also on how this thinking crosses out the idea of entrepreneurship.

Like what the wise old man did, we need to keep telling people that selling is such a noble thing to do. We have a part to do in helping people unlearn those limiting beliefs to stop the transfer of such false ideas to the next generation. 

Photo from pexels.

A lesson after an embarrassing moment

Ion
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A lesson after an embarrassing moment

I followed Francis Kong ever since I heard him talk in an event in Manila 16 years ago. I always wanted to listen to him. So when an opportunity to interview him came along, I grabbed it, even though I was just starting to make videos at that time. (I didn’t have a good camera; I have no microphone, and I was only using a selfie stick.)

I sneak out from work to meet him at Emirates LitFest. The organizer told me to make my interview quick because it’s lunch break and has back-to-back talks. So after a quick chat, we started the interview. The topic was around “Passion, purpose, and productivity,” tailor-made for OFWs. It was a value-packed 12 minutes of walking and talking. I couldn’t believe that was happening.

I checked the playback right after. The video wasn’t there! I realized, I DID NOT PRESS THE RECORD BUTTON. 😨😰😱

I blacked out! Nanlumo talaga ako! It felt like the world collapsed on me. I told him that 12-minute video was not recorded.

Mr. Francis Kong was speechless and was just nicely smiling back at me. I was trying to compose myself of what to do next while my head was grinding.

So, at the height of embarrassment, I collected all my guts to asked him if we can do it again (knowing that he has to take his lunch already and prepare for the next talk).

Looking straight to my eyes, he said, “Sure! We need to do it again,” while tapping my shoulder as if he was telling me, “don’t worry young man!” – very true to his gracious character.

I was very conscious (and shaking) during the second take that I didn’t know if I was still asking the right questions. But nevertheless, the output was equally valuable, if not, more valuable.

We both ensure that the video was captured this time. 😛

To date, this vlog remains one of the most interesting conversations I have ever done, not only because of my experience but because of the value the viewers would take away from his wisdom. Thanks to his calm persona and very generous self that he was willing to repeat it with someone like me.

He even invited me to join him and his daughter Rachel for lunch. If not for an upcoming meeting at work, I would’ve joined them.

The way Mr. Francis Kong encouraged me to do it again, despite the shame and inhibitions, reminded me of a valuable lesson – people who messed up deserves another chance.

This moment signaled the beginning of my vlogging journey with gained confidence through the way Mr. Francis Kong has spoken and has modeled to me.

Here’s the video:

Why game nights are important in the family?

Ion
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0
Why game nights are important in the family?

Playing as a family is an opportunity for us parents to show the kids how to strategize and solve problems creatively. Every game night is also an avenue for them to develop discipline in following rules and mechanics while having fun.

This is also a good time for parents to show how to be competitive yet graceful both in winning or losing. It’s the best avenue to develop sportsmanship.

If you’re not yet doing it, try to set a game night at least once a week. It’s one good way to establish a fun routine… and, needless to say, a good BREAK FROM THE GADGETS.

What are good board games to buy for family game nights?

You can find many age-appropriate board and tabletop games at noon.com. Below are a few ideas on what games to play. I’ve added the links where you can find them at noon.com.

You may use my promo code ‘BOYDUBAI’ to get up to 10% discount on your total order.

BANANAGRAMS

Gameplay involves arranging one’s tiles into a grid of connected words faster than one’s opponents. The object of the game is to be the first to complete a word grid after the pool of tiles has been exhausted. 

SONY DSC

You can buy it here: https://www.noon.com/uae-en/search?q=bananagram

Dubai-themed Monopoly

monopoly game night dubai

You can buy it here: https://www.noon.com/uae-en/search?q=monopoly

Twister

If you want something moe physical, Twister is for you. It is played on a large plastic mat that is spread on the floor or ground. The mat has six rows of large colored circles on it with a different color in each row: red, yellow, green, and blue.

A spinner is attached to a square board and is used to determine where the player has to put their hand or foot. The spinner is divided into four labeled sections: left foot, right foot, left hand, and right hand. Each of those four sections are divided into the four colors (red, yellow, green, and blue). After spinning, the combination is called (for example: “right hand yellow”) and players must move their matching hand or foot to a circle of the correct color. The game promotes itself as “the game that ties you up in knots”.

You can buy it here: https://www.noon.com/uae-en/search?q=twisterr%20game

Swish

Swish is a transparent card game that comes with 60 challenges of increasing difficulty, from beginner to expert, and is one of the best gifts you can buy for kids who like smart games and a challenge.

Swish is built to develop critical thinking skills. Playing through the increasingly difficult challenges will improve logical reasoning and visual perception skills, all through fun gameplay.

You can buy it here: https://www.noon.com/uae-en/swish-a-fun-transparent-card-game/N44871858A/p?o=cf2e35644b676abb

The Game of Life

In The Game of Life game players choose a path and move their car tokens around the gameboard. Who is headed for wealth and fortune? Pick a path for a life of action and unexpected surprises, but spend cash wisely because the wealthiest player at the end wins the game. Land in the Day of Reckoning space and try to become a Millionaire Tycoon to instantly win!

You can buy it here: https://www.noon.com/uae-en/the-game-of-life-family-board-game/N46444144A/p?o=da454a04e7b0dd4e

More board games for the family

You can explore more board games and tabletop games for the family of all ages here.

Why are Filipinos sensitive about being targeted?

Ion
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0
Why are Filipinos sensitive about being targeted?

“Kabayan, sibuyas, piso tumpok, ilan bili mo?” – says the Indian at the vegetable market.

Here in Dubai, many non-Filipino vendors speak fluent Tagalog when talking to Filipinos. They know all Tagalog names of the fruits and veggies they sell. Of course, they’re doing that to attract buyers. And even though we don’t buy all the time, we are amused by the gesture.

Taxi drivers say “Kumusta ka?” Officemates greet us “Magandang umaga!”

KFC had their “Kabayan meal,” Taza added chicken Inasal to their menu, Dunkin Donuts introduced Ube donuts using Tagalog words. Dubai Police covered their patrol cars with, “Manatili sa bahay” stickers for their COVID-19 campaign.

But no one here ever said, “Let’s cancel that Indian, nagta-Tagalog para bumenta;” or “Let’s unfollow Dunkin, they’re exploiting our ube flavor to make money;” or Let’s report Dubai Police, kunwari concerned sa Pinoy!”

Part of creating content or any business project is knowing your audience. You cannot succeed without a target market strategy. One of them, EMPATHY.

So why point finger at the creator if you are the one vulnerable? If something turns you off, simply don’t buy. Don’t subscribe. It’s just not for you. Let them continue their creation, and you control your action.

Why are we so good at making issues from supposed non-issues?

At a time when the world wasn’t looking at us, we plead. We wonder why we don’t get inclusion on the global stage When people say unfavorable remarks about our race, even in fictional TV shows, we cry foul.

I guess we won’t ever be content with whatever content.

The Nas Daily controversy – the 3 sides of the story

Ion
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0
The Nas Daily controversy – the 3 sides of the story

As a designer, there were a lot of times my work has been rejected badly. Working my sweat and blood for a project apparently does not give me the right to claim it as the best.

Any guy who works in the creative field would know that approval on content, design, and stories can be very, very subjective.

Being rejected felt really bad at that time especially I’m not used to the foreign culture. My lack of experience had me hurting for not being favored. Until, after working for more years with other nationalities here in Dubai, I’ve realized that everyone brings their own culture to the workplace. Some seem nice but are actually rude. Some are vocally arrogant but really nice. It is just the way they talk and they don’t mean bad.

Maybe, Louise was expecting the universe after Nas has already invested so much time and effort, and interest in building up the story. Until eventually it turned sour because, in the end, the supposedly good story did not align with what Nas was expecting. You know, content creators have a set of criteria, KPIs, and targets – especially the established ones.

It could probably be a case of being too sensitive to the rejection because it came from a non-Filipino, much more from someone she looks up to.

Louise probably has her reasons why she expressed her sentiments that way. With high expectations, and suddenly got rejected, it stings. I felt that. Nas Daily probably also has his reasons why he responded that way. And it may have something to do with alignment to the goal – and culture.

I hope things will turn out well for both of them, and even for us who may pick up some lessons or so. With this series of breaking the silence, one thing is clear, the context has to be clear, ALWAYS.

NAS Daily criticized for “Pinoybaiting,” using Apo Whang-Od ‘without permission?’

Ion
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NAS Daily criticized for “Pinoybaiting,” using Apo Whang-Od ‘without permission?’

“Apo Whang-Od is being used by NAS Daily without permission.”

That was the claim by her grand-niece in a Facebook post. She called NAS Academy a scam; that her grandmother did not sign any contract, and “Some people are taking advantage of our culture.“

She ended her post with a strong call to, “PLEASE HELP US STOP this disrespect to the legacy of Apo Whang-Od and the Butbot Tribe.”

Big words.

But that’s not the point why I’m writing this article. (We don’t know the real story about that claim.)

The traditional media agencies made a piece of news out of it soliciting a barrage of nasty comments – many of which from the so-called keyboard warriors.

Many commenters accused Nuseir Yassin of “Pinoybaiting,” or the act of using Philippine-relevant content to drive traffic from the Philippines into the vlogs – apparently because the majority of Filipinos are hungry for global validation – click baits.

Comments went as far as suggesting he be labeled ‘persona-non-grata‘ in the country for “exploiting” our people.

If this is exploitation, how come the likes of Jessica Soho, Catriona Gray, Chinkee Tan, James Deakin, Erwan Heusaff, Moira, Jason Magbanua, Carlo Ople and other personalities with great reputations signed up for this?

Is NAS Daily Pinoybaiting?

NAS travels the world since day 1 to tell simple stories that are relatable to a global audience. While he features each and every place he has been, he does not intend to create stories that would only endear to a particular nationality. In fact, that is against his principles in content creation.

Instead, he hooks the audience through a universal feeling towards the story.

Every story presents a subjective appeal. What’s a good story to some, may not be good for Nuseir, and vice-versa.

When you say Pinoybaiting, rampant mentions of anything Filipino are obvious in the content but oftentimes lack substance. There’s been an influx of foreign Pinoybait vloggers in recent years and I think that has largely dragged Nuseir into the conversation.

But, if you look deeper into his platform, would you really put NAS Daily into that category? I mean, his content about the Philippines is not even amounting to a quarter of everything he has created.

Is he taking advantage of our culture?

They say, “how we see things define who we are.” If this is the first angle we see about this program, well it says a lot about us.

I may not be 100% in favor of doing this course online not only because it isn’t close to my heart. But, because, when you say Apo Whang-Od, you are talking about a cultural heritage (as my friend aptly describes it). It goes a long way down to her rich lineage.

It’s just not your usual tattoo session. The experience of trekking through the mountains is part of the package – a journey that you won’t get online.

NAS Academy presents the course using the following blueprint:

“Prepare to learn a 1000-year-old art form from the last Kalinga tattoo artist in the world: Whang-od. This 104-year-old legend will reveal all her rituals, tools, and methods for making traditional tattoos. All packed in a course that’s unlike anything we’ve ever done before!”

Now, will the heritage be ruined if Apo Whang-Od extends her reach through the digital platform? Will the culture be tarnished, or will it be amplified?

Can’t we at least celebrate the fact that a person of influence recognizes our champion in Apo Whang-Od, the same way he recognizes the excellence of Jessica Soho, Catriona Gray, Chinkee Tan, and others who are being groomed as world-class mentors to train diverse sets of students from all over the world?

Why do we have to go far in pulling someone down?

Using the Filipinos?

By establishing a company, he has created employment opportunities for many Filipinos currently working at NAS Daily.

He founded NAS Academy to train aspiring content creators, Filipinos included.

Yes, he is ‘using‘ Filipinos just as he ‘uses‘ other nationalities as well. But he hired them not because they are Filipinos but because of their talent and value as a person.

The problem with many of us is we easily become itchy to any talks surrounding our nationality that often gives us a misplaced sense of pride.

And because of this toxic cancel culture, we are so quick to invalidate everything the man has done just because of a one-sided, unverified issue.

Why am I speaking up?

As a fellow content creator, I had an opportunity to hear his thoughts in a few storytelling sessions. He never suggested anything about milking or “baiting” for likes and views; never talked about exploiting the hunger for validation in creating content; never singled out a particular country because of the high traffic it may bring.

Instead, he constantly encourages aspiring creators to make compelling stories with relevance to people no matter where they are in the world, and with an impactful call to action.

I usually keep mum about online outrage, but this one has gotten way off. Media outlets have shaped this up in a fashion that triggers a wave of negative emotions.

It’s not about defending NAS. I believe, if there are indeed any mistakes or lapses in this whole Apo Whang-Od issue, he is accountable for that.

But why are we so quick to judge even without hearing the other side? Whatever happened to giving the benefit of the doubt? Why did we allow “cancel culture” to become our culture?

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