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Search for Forky of Toy Story launched in DXB

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Search for Forky of Toy Story launched in DXB

Traveling kids and parents alike would be delighted as the Search for ‘Forky,’ the unlikely hero from Disney and Pixar’s latest film Toy Story 4, is on.

All throughout July at DXB, Toy Story 4 activity stations will be dotted around each of the airports four concourses where some of the 8 million expected summer passengers will be shown how to transform recyclable materials into toys by making their own Forky.

There will also be a hunt to find Forky and win a magical trip to Paris via AirFrance with theme park tickets (umm, Disneyland?).

All you have to do is take a photo with Forky and upload on Instagram, tag @DXB and add the hashtag #FindForkyDXB.

Now that’s a brilliant way to spend waiting time before boarding.

This initiative is made possible by Dubai Airports in cooperation with Disney Middle East to raise awareness of recycling and the need to eliminate single-use plastic.

Last month, DXB announced their intention to eliminate single-use plastics from all customer areas in the two airports.

 Further educational activations and initiatives will be supported over the coming months as Dubai Airports’ food, beverage and retail outlets reduce and ultimately eliminate single-use plastics.

Visit DXB website for more info.

–
*Photo from DXB Instagram

Tayo’y Magsaya! Laguna Waterpark set to host monthly Kabayan Party

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Tayo’y Magsaya! Laguna Waterpark set to host monthly Kabayan Party

Following a sell-out weekend which saw a tide of visitors take over Laguna Waterpark for the ultimate Pinoy party, the award-winning attraction is excited to announce that they will continue to roll out the event throughout summer and beyond.

The monthly Kabayan Fiesta will kick-off on Friday 26 July and Saturday 27 July and will continue to touch down on the last weekend of every month, offering five hours of after-dark access to Dubai’s hippest waterpark for just AED 49 per person – that’s over a 60% discount!

The weekend fiesta will run from 5pm to 10pm on both days and invites visitors of all nationalities to enjoy a party atmosphere based on all that the Filipino culture has to offer. Guests can expect a host of traditional South-East hospitality, Pinoy jams by Laguna Waterpark’s resident DJ, karaoke and next-level party vibes.

Laguna Waterpark is known for its outstanding dining options and will be pulling out all the stops for the Kabayan Fiesta, serving up authentic Filipino favourites including pancit, adobo and halo halo.

Boasting a lazy river, a host of thrilling slides, a dedicated surf zone featuring the region’s only WaveOz 180 FlowRider and a comprehensive kids’ zone, this is one heavily discounted weekend event that’s not to be missed.

With temperature-controlled pools, unlimited re-entry and four unique zones – Laguna Waterpark’s Kabayan Fiesta is fun for the entire family, so get down to the uber cool waterpark located at Central La Mer for a weekend to remember!

Tickets can be purchased at the gate on online at: https://www.lagunawaterpark.com/en/events/kabayan-weekend?

To recap…

What: Kabayan Fiesta

Where: Laguna Waterpark, La Mer Central

When: Friday 26th July & Saturday 27th July (Kabayan Fiesta will take place on the last weekend of each month)

Time: 5 – 10pm

Price: AED 49 per person

Offer: Full access to Laguna Waterpark plus Filipino dishes, karaoke and a DJ

About Laguna Waterpark

Laguna Waterpark is Dubai’s answer to an aqua marine paradise full of slides, sea and fun! The water park is located in the picturesque La Mer and consists of four distinctive zones – Surf, Relax, Slide and Splash. Laguna Waterpark features five main rides, two of which are ground breakers for the Middle East there is also full access to a pool lounge, beach access to La Mer North Beach, children’s zone, lazy river, food kiosks and a merchandise store. A day pass to Laguna allows visitors to come and go as they please, meaning that guests can take advantage of the direct access to the beautiful La Mer beachfront and multiple F&B and leisure offerings. The concept of Laguna Waterpark is simple: ‘carefree fun by the sea’ this mantra is embodied through every core of this welcoming family fun waterpark.

This reminds me of the song…
(Laguna) Nang ito ay marating ko
(Laguna) Para bang ako ay nagbago
(Laguna) Kakaibang damdamin (ahh)
Laguna ay isang larawan…

How our family’s visa and overstaying penalty got reduced

Ion
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How our family’s visa and overstaying penalty got reduced

My wife and my daughter incurred overstaying penalties because of a delay by my previous employer in canceling my visa. That delay has created a tremendous ripple effect on our residency status.

Raqz visa was expired when she gave birth. Because she is breastfeeding, she cannot exit the country to get a new one.

That time, we cannot get our baby a birth certificate as both parent’s visas are required. His passport also has to wait.

Overstaying fine has an initial cost of AED250, and AED25 gets added every day until a new visa is issued. The 3-month penalties have gone up to AED5,500 for both of them.

A colleague encouraged me to apply for a penalty reduction.

I inquired with the Immigration Department and was advised to visit the Naturalization and Residency Prosecution Office in Al Awir and look for the Visa Fine Reduction section. This is where cases related to amnesty are being handled.

We went to Al Awir and told one customer relations officer our story. He’s not 100% agreeing that our case is acceptable. But he still submitted the application. They asked for my passport copy and Emirates ID (as the sponsor) and passport copies of the dependents.

Aya’s case was not questioned much because she’s a minor. As for my wife, they asked us to return with a medical report duly authenticated by the Department of Health Authority (DHA) or MOH.

The processing fee for visa reduction is AED141.

SIDE STORY:
We went to Mediclinic City Hospital to request for DHA medical report. Apparently, they do not provide such authenticated report. We bounced from one DHA-centre to another all over Dubai – 7 tiring stops to be exact – only to be told to go back to the hospital and get it from there. I applied and paid AED130 for it; collected 2 days after.

I brought the medical report along with her passport back to Al Awir. I had to tell the story over again to another officer. He deemed the case as not valid. He refused to entertain the appeal until I told him that my daughter’s case has been accepted a week ago. Eventually, he accepted the plea.

While we were still there, I received an SMS saying that the visa fine for my daughter was already reduced to AED500 with validity to pay inside 3 weeks. Such a piece of great news. It has given us hope that the wife will also be rewarded with such.

And rightfully so, after another 5 days, I got the same SMS for the wife – AED500 instead of 2,750.

We’re very thankful to GDRFA officials who looked into our case with consideration and compassion. Truly you’ve shown a great sense of tolerance yet again.

Our reflection

All throughout this ordeal, Raqz and I are immersed in prayer. We prayed for God to lead the way before every step we’ve taken. We prayed for strength to endure those multiple stops and initial rejections. We prayed for wisdom for us to say the right and gentle words with the officials. We prayed for composure.

I was about to give up on the 7th stop. Frustration was sinking in, but I chose to uphold my dependency on God. Raqz kept cheering for me with her encouraging wisdom.

It was not us at all. The good results we receive were all God’s favor. True enough, if we are dependent on him, he will sustain us through it all. The situation allowed us to further develop a complete dependency on God even more.

“This is the confidence we have in approaching God, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.” 1 John 5:14

Have you observed some people during tough times, when all seems lost they’d say, “Now all we can do is pray.”

One of the things I’ve learned as I continue to grow in faith is to put prayer ahead of everything. Prayer should be the first step – not the last resort. It’s not a ‘Call a friend’ privilege. Prayer for me prepares me to be stronger no matter how rough the path ahead is.

7 kabayan thoughts that often get out of context

Ion
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7 kabayan thoughts that often get out of context

I think most Filipinos abroad intentionally build connections with our fellowmen more than we do back home. We can become critical about it because we crave for belongingness. Most of us leave the country “para makipagsapalaran.” Therefore, being surrounded by familiar culture is more welcome than being alone adapting to the new world.

During my first few years in Dubai, I have an urge to connect to any Filipino. One, I don’t have friends here. Two, sense of solidarity speaks louder than ever. There is an indescribable pride in finding a kabayan in another country. This is a typical OFW mindset.

I find joy in it too.

However, there are instances where we push the patriotism too far, putting it in a different light. Let me give you 7:

1. Kabayan naman eh

Usually, in service-related conversations, we try to seek favor by emphasizing that we are both from the Philippines, therefore, we should help each other easily then. The conversation may go as far as heritage and provinces and common friends (kilala mo si ganito…) hoping to score better favor.

One time, I heard this chitchat, “…isingit mo na ako sa appointment, kabayan naman tayo eh!” Some of us can go overboard as if we are entitled to higher importance.

2. Presyong kabayan

From the time I started doing freelance jobs, 7 out of 10 prospective Filipino clients will ask me, “Wala bang presyong kabayan dyan?” I still get this question now that I’m an entrepreneur.
 
It’s okay to bargain. It’s part and parcel of buying. However, to plea for a discount because we are both Filipino is not too cool to me. I mean, should I measure the percentage I’d take off based on how kayumanggi the other person is? I’d rather hear a kabayan willing to pay the exact price as a show of support to your business.

3. Kabayan pa man din

There is a popular opinion that Filipinos are generally good citizens abroad – that when we see someone loses his cool, people say in shame, “Nagawa nya yun? Kabayan pa man din,” as if we’re created perfect, that we cannot make a mistake in a foreign land. (If you only know…)

I don’t understand… do we care or do we judge?

4. May kabayan sa inyo?

Those inquiring about job opportunities in another’s workplace may ask, “May kabayan ba sa inyo?” trying to get an idea if he’ll be alright or not. We can attribute this questioning to finding an assurance. Apparently, we are more comfortable when at least one kabayan also works in a company – especially to the new ones. Otherwise, bahala na si Batman.

5. Hello, kabayan?

We’re good on this assumption. On the phone, 9 out of 10 times we can correctly tell if the other person is Filipino or not. If yes, we start talking in Tagalog. This is cool and I’m okay with it. Everybody does it naman.

One time in my previous work, a colleague passed me the phone because the person on the other side insisted to speak to a Filipino. I don’t think she was not good at English. She was just more at ease to talk with emotions with another Pinoy.

I’m wondering, if two Indians can talk in English, Filipinos should do too – consciously or unconsciously. A global mindset should know no profiling.

6. Buti na lang may kabayan

I’ve been to a lot of international ballroom events where I observe this particular pattern in some of us: We come in and scan the place quickly to spot any Filipinos in the crowd. It’s a relief to find some. And then we would cling and mingle with just the same group until the event ends. Friends, we’re missing the opportunity to connect and build a network with other nationalities.This is very common in many corporate setting. If not fear, it’s the “hiya” that prevents us from showing that confidence.

7. Sana walang kabayan

In any bad news like massive job loss, or accidents, there will always be at least one who will comment, “sana walang kabayang kasama (or napahamak).” Can’t we just say, “sana walang taong napahamak.” Tao, not just Filipino.Too bad, we can be this insensitive.

–I hope you don’t get me wrong. It’s always a great feeling to be closely attached to each other. I am proud of how we are a great bunch of joy when we’re together.  But if we limit our mindset that this is just the circle available to feel comfort, find favor, and achieve success, then we are in a danger zone.

I want us to rethink how we look into ourselves and in our values and refocus on where we are right now, not by the kind of work we do, but by simply changing how we tell the world who we are.

Keep the kabayan pride in its true context. If we are indeed proud to be Pinoy, raise your flag wherever you are, whoever you are with.

Kabayan, upgrade soon.

How to keep the GLOW in marriage

Ion
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How to keep the GLOW in marriage

A friend saw us snap a selfie (Photo below) last night and said, “Wow may prenup dito ah…”

If you’ve been following us through the years, you know how much we love taking photos. For us, a picture is also an expression of our feelings. We see a glow that goes beyond the skin every time we look at our photos.

In our marriage, what sparks glow is the way we express our thoughts to each other. I call this, “expressions that GLOW.”

Here’s what I mean:

G – Ganda/Gwapo mo!

Sino pa bang unang magsasabi na ang ganda/gwapo ng partner mo di ba? We always compliment each other not only about the looks but every specific detail that goes with it. I mean, we say, “Ang ganda mo ngumiti,” “Wag ka na maligo, gwapo ka naman sa jacket mo e,” “Ganda ng idea mo babe,” “Gwapo ka naman pag nagsalita ka na.” You get my point, right?

L – Labyu (Love you)

This is one of our spark plugs. I can’t count how many times we exchange ‘I love you’ in a day. Sometimes, out of nowhere, one will just send a text saying Labyu. In our 11 years of marriage, it is still a norm.

O – Okay lang yan.

We encourage and lift each other up. For example, when Raqz feels bad for not being able to do the chores, I’d say “Okay lang yan, mabuti nakapag-pahinga ka.” These 3 words often lead to appreciating what went right, rather than pointing to what did not.

W – Wow, not e di wow!

Dati, because she has a good sense of humor, she’d often react “Eh di wow!” every time I say something. That kinda didn’t sit well with me on some occasions. We talked about it and addressed it. From then on, she doesn’t use that phrase anymore. Now, whenever I have a new idea to share, she’ll say “Wow” followed by her positive thoughts. The support is louder.

2019

These expressions would not be possible if we do not abide by what the bible says about love, especially this one: “Love does not to keep records of wrong.” Because if the disappointments yesterday, the past mistakes remain in you, how can you even start talking?

Keep the glow!

Was the Philippine Flag displayed the wrong way?

Ion
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Was the Philippine Flag displayed the wrong way?

A huge milestone happened last night when the Philippine flag was flashed on the facade of 2 world-record-holding attractions in Dubai.

First, a nearly 4-minute light and water musical show at IMAGINE in Dubai Festival City – a 2-time Guinness world record-breaking visual and sensory extravaganza of lasers, light, water, (and fire) to tell remarkable, emotive stories. Aside from our flag, beautiful images of our famous tourist spots, our culture, Manny Pacquiao and Catriona Gray were also shown.

Thirty-five minutes later, the Philippine colors were quickly displayed at the world’s tallest building, Burj Khalifa, in front of an overflow crowd at the fountain area.
While most spectators are in a festive mood, an increasing number of people started debating if the flag was displayed correctly or not. Some say that the colors should’ve been reversed.
In the Philippines rulebook, it is written that “the blue field should be to the right (left of observer) and the red field to the left (right of the observer).”

If in a hanging position, the blue field shall be to the left (observer’s point of view) in time of peace, and the red field to the left (observer’s point of view) in time of war.

I did not see anything wrong about the colors. But this blog is not really about the rule. I’m more concerned about how some people see things.
When I was informed about these 2 activities weeks back, I was delighted. I was beaming with excitement. And after standing in front of each of them, I was full of joy and was smiling all along. Para akong nabigyan ng award. I appreciate how our nation was recognized in such a huge fashion.There’s so much goodness throughout the moment, I never bothered to check if something was wrong.

Now look at this photo again:
Visualize a pole on right and look at the flag swaying towards left. Can you still see something wrong?
Friends, let’s check our perspective. Are we more prone to look at what’s wrong first before appreciating what went right? Does that give us satisfaction or discomfort?In the video below and on any other occasion, when the national anthem is playing, no one bats an eye on people not putting their right hand to their left chest.

We cannot be a selective genius.

Try to appreciate first. Make it a priority. Appreciation is one of the best ways to start reversing a twisted perspective. Every time you are urged to criticize, look again and focus on the brighter side. That’s the perspective that really matters.Another great way to combat a twisted perspective is being grateful at all times. A moment of gratitude makes a huge difference in our attitude. Be thankful that such feat happened. Thank you to the Philippine Independence Day leadership and organizing team and to the Phillippine Consulate General Office.

And to the team behind the DFC showpiece, I’m impressed! Al Futtaim must be very proud of you. It was well planned and organized – from the pre-launch to the show.

You made one big thing that Filipinos all over the world can be proud of.

Mabuhay ang malayang pag-iisip!

Go for the sea view

Ion
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Go for the sea view
Isn’t this view amazing?

In choosing a room to stay, we always go for the sea view. It costs a little more but it gives us more than just pleasure. The better view also brings joy, delight, comfort and peace of mind.

In life, it may also cost us something to view the better perspective. But once we see that, it’s a reward. It’s gonna be worthy of the price we have to pay to stay focused on the brighter side of life.

And… if we want the best perspective above all, we have to remain in him and his wisdom to stay with us, then we will bear much fruit – we will be productive. Apart from God, we are nothing.

Good morning!

Say no to good opportunities

Ion
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Say no to good opportunities

As I’ve written in my previous blog, I had some struggles in saying no to many people and opportunities in the past.

One of the best things I’ve learned over the last couple of years that made my life stress-free is to “say no to good opportunities in order for me to say yes to better ones.”

At some point I was doing all these things at the same time:

  1. Full-time job
  2. Freelance script writing for FM radio
  3. Freelance web design
  4. Monthly contributor for 2 magazines
  5. Blogging (Food, travel, gadget, family)
  6. Video editing
  7. Business research
  8. Weekly church group meetings
  9. Short course every Friday
  10. Online course about online marketing
On top of that, believe it or not, I strive to be a good husband and father all the time.

It’s not about the money. It’s the fulfillment I find in doing them – passion.

I had a lot of frustrations and dreams, one of them to become a TV and radio host. So when the opportunity to write scripts for radio commercials came, I took it with a cheerful heart. When a lifestyle magazine asked me to write articles every month, I happily said yes. I thought these two ‘gigs’ were the stepping stones towards making the dream a reality.

Also, I wouldn’t miss every restaurant launch back then.  I was so happy covering concerts and sporting events. I suddenly found myself rubbing elbows and having conversations with the stars and the sports personalities I look up to – that only in my wildest dreams I thought I could mingle with.

While I was cheerfully doing all these, it derails me from keeping track of my real purpose.

Yes, they are all good opportunities but somehow they diverted me from focusing on my goals. Some of them, no matter how close they are to my heart, became distractions to keep my priorities.

Rick Warren said, “You cannot keep adding things to your schedule without cutting things out. If you load so many things on your boat, the boat sinks. If you put so many irons in the fire, you’ll put the fire out. When you burn both ends of the candle, you’re not as bright as you think you are.”

He also shared how his life was pretty much similar to my busy schedule until his mentor told him this:

Before you tell me that one thing that you wanna start doing, tell me what you stop doing.

So for me to be able to take advantage of great opportunities, I must identify what I should stop doing. I just don’t have time for everything. Just because it’s good doesn’t mean I should always do it.

Not everything is worth doing. So before I started a new business, I cut out some of my activities that don’t closely align with my purpose – even though I was really passionately doing them. It’s sad to let go of some of them – especially scriptwriting.

Today, my days only move around:

  1. Full-time job
  2. Blogging
  3. Business
  4. Weekly small group/church

True enough, I found more space to say yes to greater opportunities. And most importantly, I’m able to preserve my prime time for my family. Trimming down my activities also allows me to take the right amount of rest.

We can never be greatly productive if we allow ourselves to be distracted by unnecessary things. I chose to be productive, not busy.

Warren Buffett has another interesting perspective about saying no.

How I learned to ‘say no’ easily

Ion
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How I learned to ‘say no’ easily
One of the areas I struggled for a long time is my inability to say no to many things. I felt trapped, lacking confidence in declining invitations.
With a growing blog comes a growing interest to experience new things – especially when they’re presented to me for free, or with a minimal fee. I got excited about the opportunities that I never thought would come my way. In blogging, there’s always an invitation to attend events or try amazing experiences – food, hotel, gadgets, activities, etc. There’s a lot of exposure, and a lot of perks. Hence it became a habit to say yes to these invites – even to the ones out of my scope.

I thought I was rewarding myself every time I show up, even to those events after office hours and on weekends. I was having fun, I was getting inspired, I got to meet a lot of people. I thought it’s okay because I bring along my wife and my daughter anyway. I mean, I’m not taking away my time with them, right?

Soon, my crazy schedule took a toll on me, especially on my physical and mental health. For someone who has a full-time job, a growing family, and a startup business, a full calendar is not really fun all the time. My sleeping hours were reduced, and weekends were compromised. With an unconditioned mind, a number of commitments were badly impacted.

That was about 4 years ago.

The turning point

One day, I just decided to say no, when it’s really a NO – whatever it takes. This is not my kind of lifestyle. I don’t want to completely slip in giving priority to my family over work and community. Work and community will always have a special place in my life. I value the relationships with everyone there. It’s just a matter of priority (and frequency).

So on that one day, I got an invitation to attend a weekend event – that means I won’t be spending most of the day with the family. I told my then 4-year old daughter about it. Her very eloquent self said, “But dad it’s weekend…“ and she added, “Why do you have to go out on a weekend daddy? It’s our bonding time remember?“

That struck me hard. I called the person who invited me to say I’m not attending the event. She replied, “Too bad we won’t have you again. You’ve been declining my invitations all the time. What are friends for?“

If you’re in my situation, which guilt can you afford to take and ignore?

Since then, saying no became easier.

For me, there’s no such thing as work-life balance. When you follow your priority, this decision will come handy. Else, the lack of priority will take its toll on things that really matter.

Sometimes we want to do too much. We want to be involved so much with really good intentions to change the world. But Mother Teresa put it in the best perspective when she said, “If you wanna change the world, go home and love your family.”

At the workplace

In my early years in Dubai, it was too hard for me to say no when I’ll be asked to do extra (non-urgent) work beyond office hours. I developed a premature mindset thinking that “saying no” gives an unpleasant impression about me.

Many Filipinos are on the same frame of mind. We are not known to turn down requests by our superiors at work. We always say yes even if it’s half-meant. We are hesitant to speak up for fear of being tagged as insubordinate, or worse, for fear of losing job.

That attitude is what causes burnout.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m all about exceeding expectations but I do it by working efficiently during office hours. For me, working longer doesn’t always mean excellence. It’s the quality, not the quantity.

Claim your personal time. Go home to your family. If you’re single, discover new things; do things you love; meet people. Put your personal time on something that would add value to your life.

Number your days

In a day, 9-10 hours are spent at work, 1-hour grooming, 2 hours on the road, 7 hours sleep. That leaves us with just 3 – 4 hours spare.

In one year, there are only 52 weekends – that’s 104 days if you have 2 days off. 104 out of 365. One hundred four days to spend with the family. Every time you go out on weekends away from home, the number slips further down.

Combining work, community, and family seems to be a good idea but it doesn’t work all the time. I cannot bring my kids and just make them sit down beside me while I’m doing adult works, just to say I’m not neglecting my time with them. If you can dedicate exclusive attention to work, how much more to your family?

Time is a limited commodity. Once spent, it’s gone. If we don’t give the time they need, somebody or something else will fulfill that.

Many expats are struggling to cope with living away from their loved ones. They’re longing to be together to share precious moments. If you live with your family here abroad, LIVE WITH THEM.

If you have kids in their formative years, give them all the time. Children are the real work.

Set your priorities right. The family is always higher than work and any, ANY “extra activities.”

Kid’s wisdom these days

Ion
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0

The other night, the wife and I had a fight, in front of our 6-year old daughter Aya. It was just a little argument that got escalated. We usually don’t show we’re arguing in front of her. That night, emotions got the better of me. I was on top of my voice.

All throughout that time, we realized that Aya was with us and intently listening. She was writing on her journal while trying to butt in some questions.

We talk back to her to say we’re just discussing a small thing. Then she showed these scribbles to us.

All the while we were fighting, she was actually planning a way to pacify us. Look at these ‘waivers’ asking us to say sorry and put our signature on it!

Her words, “Ayoko ng away sa pamilya na to!” (I don’t want any fights in this family) That was something!

So as we were trying to calm ourselves down, Aya’s gestures fascinated us so much that it didn’t take long for us to reconcile.

The scene ended up with group hugs and kisses.

I’m still amused how wiser her thoughts are becoming as she grows. Imagine if she has a Facebook, she could have posted a live video that night hehe.

While fights are inevitable in any relationships, that moment reminded us that we should hold a firm control of our emotions to avoid it spilling in front of the children. And when the inevitable happens, we parents should be humble to admit our mistake.

So as we were “signing our papers,” we explained to her how and why the verbal spat happened. Then we said sorry, and we asked her to forgive us.

She ended by saying, “I thought you’re just imitating KADENANG GINTO.” San galing yun?

And the night bursted into laughters.

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