Future is Orange?
>> Sunday, February 4, 2007
The moment you start buying things--like puffy pillows, a table lamp, matching orange bed sheets and pillow cases, a tangerine candle, and your own cabinet--for your small area in a staff crib, only tells one thing, that you are getting ready for the long haul.
The day I got my measly allowance I was so happy despite being several thousand riyals away from my expected income. I was so happy in fact that I started to buy stuff. When the cashier billed me I was over my budget for subtle shopping. Then it dawned on me why I was spending so much so soon.
The puffy pillows, the orange sheets, the candle. These are symbols of my acceptance, that I am going to be here for quite some time.
The day I got my measly allowance I was so happy despite being several thousand riyals away from my expected income. I was so happy in fact that I started to buy stuff. When the cashier billed me I was over my budget for subtle shopping. Then it dawned on me why I was spending so much so soon.
The puffy pillows, the orange sheets, the candle. These are symbols of my acceptance, that I am going to be here for quite some time.
Along with it came other thoughts. When I go out I don't even bring my bag anymore nor do I check the map once in a while to see if the taxi is not driving me in circles. In short, I've become a resident.
Of course it takes more than these things to make this place a home. It's far from being one. But we do what we can and hopefully each whiff of that tangerine candle will take me back home even in dreams.
Incidentally tonight the boss asked me to photocopy something and tonight I caught a glimpse of my contract. The offer looks promising on paper. Everything I have hoped for was in that five-page black-and-white, a short document that represents my life. It is yet to be seen though if it will take effect as stated. If everything goes as the script says, then the future looks orange...or does it? OUT.
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8 responses:
Orange bedsheets? Sweeeeeeeeeet! :P
Hey, get rid of the moderation thingy, it's a pain in the neck!
Thanks for linking to me!
=^..^=
thanks for the advice. got rid of it, yes ma'am. =) my pleasure linking to you..always a good read =)
bitch!couldn't help but notice the ginormous lotion bottle on your table!you must really be lonely!hehe.
all this homesick talk makes me miss u more bitch! no more marathon phone calls(for now anyways)miss u!
Bitchness! LOL! That ginormous lotion bottle is for dry skin, and no, not the kind of skin you are thinking silly! And besides, I have products that address that specific kind of dryness hahaha unfortunately, you are right about the lonely part =( and yes, i do miss the looooooong phonecalls =( see, i told you you should've stayed and waited for me in hong kong! =)
Hey again,
Just read all your entries and can deeply relate to the homesickness, the soundtracks that mark key moments, the endless walking, and the realization that yeah, it's time to settle in to a new life in a new city (and time to buy orange bedsheets, for that matter).
I'm half-excited and half-scared about moving to Qatar myself. There is always this certain fear at the pit of one's stomach before packing up and leaving. But resistance is futile - we Filipinos are a resilient people; we adjust, and we have this great Bahala-Na-Si-Batman philosophy (plus points, hehehe).
Anyway, will be visiting your blog again. And if ever you find yourself pining for new movies to watch, maybe when I finally reach Doha we could lend you some from our colleciton (I've been panic-buying dvds and books these past few months - I heard there isn't a huge book selection in Qatar).
Cheers,
Kala of http://kala.pitas.com
Oh kala you're heaven sent! It's ironic how muslims in the Philippines sell pirated DVDs like hotcakes but here in muslimlandia there isn't a single one (or not that i know of). That's great news really and I'm looking forward to that. I have nothing to offer except a few divx rips from limewire. If you're still in PI, please bring me any of these series...Prisonbreak, Lost, The Office, Grey's Anatomy...I promise to pay you when you finally get here =) (although something tells me you're giving it as a present!) hehehe kidding =)
Thanks for reading my entries. for that matter, im reposting some that I took down cause I was afraid that the people I mentioned in the post might not like it. To hell with them ey? So I'm posting it back =)
Qatar is easy to get used to, but there are some things(ok, a lot) that we have to give up, ignore and most of all understand. After you accept the fact that lechon will never be on your birthday celebration again, or you can't just ask the kids to buy a case of beer at the sari sari store or you can't sing your heart out in a videoke bar then it's all bright and sunny in Doha.
Anyway, there are DVDs and books here. Just no piracy. So don't expect to find the whole friends series for only a hundred riyal. There's a big bookstore here and they have the usual bestseller list and a good selection of reference books too. But I don't know what kind of books you are looking for. I asked for Chuck Palahniuk, Nick Hornby, Bret Easton Ellis and Alex Garland..they don't have it, but they have JD Salinger coming in next week and I'm looking forward to reading Catcher in the Rye again. They do have Stephen King, Sidney Sheldon and Danielle Steel =) so, yeah, it's that kind of bookshop where you find almost everything but not the thing you need.
You are right. Bahala na si batman. =) that's my religion for now hehehe
Again thanks for dropping by =)
LOL @ the having no lechon on birthdays and buying cases of San Mig... that's reeeeeeally one of the things I miss about home, sniff.
About the dvds- I was actually holding off on buying the series you mentioned, because it's probably cheaper to get it in Qatar than here in France. But I'm thinking of getting Prisonbreak... France is very late when it comes to tv series, because we have to wait for it to be dubbed in French - boo!
As for books: so funny, you mentioned some of the books I bought and had shipped to Qatar (Palahniuk's Choke, Hornby, Bret Easton Ellis and Garland - have you read Garland's The Coma?). You'll be welcome to borrow any of them, anytime! And if you need any specific book or movie titles, tell me and I'll get them for ya :-)
Hope you're feeling less lonely these days; it's freaking hard to be away from our loved ones, isn't it? Work is the best medicine. Sigh.
Kala
Kala =) you're too kind. Would love to borrow those books (I secretly call those writers the new beatnik writers, but that's just me and I could be wrong so slap me anytime =) But as you probably know, one has to own the book to really get into it. Just imagine smelling the fresh pulp when you open the first page of Choke and knowing that it's your own copy. There's comfort in that scent. I hope Jarir Bookstore will import those books soon. In the meantime, there's always Sudoku =)
I haven't read Coma. I'll make that my first to-read. To be honest I haven't read any good books lately. Ever since I got here it's Islam this and Muslim that. Do-It-Yourself Religion cookbooks for dummies or Christians for that matter.
Knowing that you've got the new beatnik bunch (again that's just me) I'm more excited than ever to see you! LOL but really, I could use a friend here. And so can you sistah =)
See you soon. I love your blog! =) And yes I'm feeling less lonely thanks for the grins I got from your posts =)
BTW Jul? panalo gurl! ibang level! =) LOL
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