Family

July 9, 2015 by feyma

If accidentally burned in the Philippines!

I am writing about this subject for the awareness of some of our readers here. Not sure if everyone knows that there are not so many burn centers here in the Philippines. As far as I know only one burn center in Mindanao. Only here in Davao City (Davao Medical Center or DMC).

Why do I know that there is just one in Mindanao? A few years ago, when my nephew got an accident in school in General Santos City. He fell in the hole with a fire burning. He almost lost his feet. Luckily they were saved. He was brought here to Davao and was at the Davao Medical Center for almost 2 months if I remember. Whenever I visited him there, I saw lots of people in the hallway sleeping. I asked my brother and one of my nephews why too many people there. They told me that a lot of those people there where from other places here in Mindanao. One of the nurses confirmed that too. I saw some patients from Agusan, some area near Cagayan De Oro, near Zamboanga, near Isulan and many more. Can you imagine being the patient and you will wait for a long time to be transported to Davao City? That’s a long journey.

As I’m typing this, my left hand, some of my fingers have blisters. I just got an accident a few days ago. I accidentally burned by a boiling water. 4 of my fingers have pretty good size blisters. It’s really painful. Luckily we almost always have burn ointment/cream here in the house. I did apply right away. Then I also put some aloe vera in it. We have plants of aloe vera here in our yard. Thank God for that. Bob was asking me if I want to go to the hospital, I said no. It’s not really that bad.

To be honest I’m not going to complain. My injuries are not even a tenth of my nephew and my helper’s injuries. Our helper when she was about 6 years old she got burned by a lugaw (rice porridge). The whole pan tipped over part of her chest and tummy. She showed me her scars and its really bad. She told me that she really suffered for long hours because they lived in the mountain and they’re far from a hospital. Luckily the hospital in their area managed to take care of her. Just hearing from her story, she’s lucky that she survived that ordeal. Watching my nephew suffer it’s really hard on our family. Seeing him in pain really was hard to see. Hearing him cry finding out that he lost some of his toes was heartbreaking.

I’m hoping that none of us will ever need the facility in the future. But I guess for prevention. For a start try to plant lots of aloe vera plant in your yard. It’s really soothing and helpful, I know that for sure. Have cream or ointment in your house always. The most important of all, know where the location of the burn facility in your area.

Stay safe and God bless!

May 21, 2015 by feyma

Dear Feyma: Needs advice on cheating husband!

Dear Feyma - Got a Problem? Ask Feyma! — Dear Feyma – Got a Problem? Ask Feyma!

Hi readers I got this email from a reader on my other blog. She emailed me privately and asking some advice for her niece’s problem. To be honest I just don’t know what to tell her. I am asking you guys’ advice on what to tell her. I’ve seen and heard too many stories of cheating spouses. I want you guys’ input to what I should advise and tell this lady on what to do. Some of the words in the emails were written in Tagalog. I tried to interpret in English as good and as accurate as possible.

Dear Feyma, I’m a reader of some of your blog. You don’t know me. But I will introduce my self. My name is Mindy. My family lives in Northern Luzon. I am an OFW in Kuwait. I am writing and needing advice for my niece. She lives there in the Philippines. She has been married to her husband for over 5 years now. They had a baby last year. Her husband is a seaman. He travels abroad, works on a ship.

My niece was shocked when her husband came home last March 2015. He didn’t give any money to my niece. He told my niece that he wants to separate. My niece asked him to just stay for their daughter’s sake. The husband don’t want to be married anymore. My niece told me that when her husband started going abroad his family said bad things about my niece. Her husband got help in going abroad financially from the parents of my niece. When my niece give birth to her baby the Papa & Mama of my niece paid the hospital and other bills, until now the husband did not pay them. After the husband went abroad many times, they bought house and car. My niece wants to sell the house and car and all the other properties now that he wants to separate. The husband told my niece that she won’t get anything. He even get all the jewelries and electronics gadgets that he gave to my niece.

It turns out now that the husband is having a relationship with the working student that was helping my niece while she was pregnant. That working student was sent by the parents of the husband. My niece found out the relationship when she accidentally open the private email of the husband because they share a laptop. The husband forget to log out. My niece saw all the emails. He denied but my niece showed him the email. He still denies. The husband abandoned the baby now.

My niece was just so shocked that she doesn’t know what to do. What should my niece do? Salamat sa payo (advice). I will just wait for your reply. Sincerely, Mindy.

Honestly I’ve been hearing too many stories like this. It even happened to our neighbor before it’s the lady that works abroad, similar situation the lady went abroad to work in the Middle East. When she gets home the husband already had someone on the side, so they separate went back abroad and later the lady end up marrying an OFW that she met there in the Middle East. Others too, the lady who works abroad found someone there (abroad) and later the lady will separate to the husband here and she moves in later to her lover abroad.

Too many stories that probably you hear or it happens to someone you know. I want to hear what would you guys advice if it happens to someone you know? I will pass you guys message to Mindy.

I really appreciate any advice given to Mindy or to those readers that were just shy to share here.

August 28, 2014 by feyma

Thinking differently!!!

A few days ago I went to Nicole’s classmates house. I went there to ask some questions from the mother of her classmate. I guess one day last week Nicole had no class because the class coordinator had some meeting to attend to. He told his students that they can go to school the next day, just go to the other section and stay there for the class, but they’re not obliged to do it. Just a few students showed up at all. One of them was Nicole, our youngest daughter. Well, I guess instead of attending the class Nicole our daughter and her classmates decided that they would rather go to one of their classmates house, whose house was just walking distance from the school.

Nicole with DJ

The problem on that situation. We have rules in the house that whenever the kids go somewhere they have to inform us where they will be going. That’s why everyone in the house has cell phone. If cell phone is dead, they can go to the office in school to call from their land line phone there to our phone in the house. Or use a pay phone. So Nicole had a problem, she went somewhere and she did not inform us. So a few days ago I went to the house where Nicole went. I want to know the parents of that kid and we want them knowing us too. Nicole can also invite classmates to our house sometimes, but we want the parents’ approval.

So when we went to the house (me, my niece and Nicole). I asked to see the mom of Nicole’s classmate. I guess she went somewhere and would be back in a short while, which she did after awhile. The person there at the house was the grandmother. I guess she usually takes care of the kids sometimes since they were living in the same house. She could tell on my face that I had some concerned. Just then the mom showed up. So I talked to the mom in-front of the grandmother. Honestly they’re nice people but we just had different views in life. When I told them about my concern for Nicole. My statement: “Just asking did Nicole come here a few days ago? My husband and I don’t have problem with our kids going to their classmates house, only thing they have to inform us and let us know where they’re going to and whose house and who are the people in the house? Also is it okay for the parents for them to be there?”. The reply of the grandmother to me – “it’s okay they came here no problem since its just a walking distance from school anyway. Also they’re just kids they want to hang out where they want to hang out.” I told her it’s not okay for us. Nicole has to inform us first before going anywhere. She has to follow what she was told.

The mom of Nicole’s classmate told me that her daughter did the same thing. Went to her classmate without permission. She said they had to close their shop (store) to get their daughter. I told her the concern that she’s feeling when her daughter went without asking her, that’s how Bob & I felt. So I know she understood how Bob & I reacted. But I could tell that the grandmother thinks that I over reacted. I felt she thinks that I should let Nicole go somewhere without telling us since she’s just hanging out with her friends. I told her anything could happened on the way to there house. Nicole could have an accident while walking there. So many jeepneys passing by on the way to there house. I continue on telling her that Nicole is 10 years old. We will guide her and show her that being a concerned parent show her that we love her so much. To be honest Bob and I will continue what the rules we have here in the house.

I’ve seen parents here let their kids be out late at night during school days. Bob & I don’t want our kids (that goes to school) to be partying or hanging out with their friends during weekdays. Our students here at the house have a curfew. Our 2 teens (Aaron & Jean) now are allowed to hang out during night time with their friends during weekdays here at the house as long as they toned down their voices when our other kids (the students) are in bed.

Like Bob told me after talking what happened. We don’t give rules to other kids. But we let our kids know that we have rules to be followed here in the house. It’s just simple and easy. We let them go somewhere with their friends as long as we know where their going. Bob & I even encouraged them to bring their friends here at home. Sometimes they eat dinner here. No problem. We know the feeling, we’ve been students before too.

Anyway, Nicole knows now that she has to follow the rules and she learned her lesson. I think. Hopefully she will not be influenced by her friends. We don’t want to be too strict too.

July 10, 2014 by feyma

The people close to my heart in the States: Part 2

The people that I’m describing right now were really one of the families that Bob and I will never ever forget in our entire life. It all started when we moved to Ridgefield from Vancouver in Washington State. We used to live in a very nice subdivision in Vancouver. We were house sitting the house of my in-laws while my father-in-law transferred to Canada for his job. Before living in my in-law’s house we used to live near the downtown Vancouver area. Really just 5-7 minutes away from Sylvia’s house (She’s like my sister there). It was really convenient for me to be going to Sylvia’s for a visit. When we transferred to the other part of Vancouver, it was harder for me to see Sylvia more often. She’s kind of scared driving on the freeway by herself. But guess what I learned easily on driving around the area. Being far from Sylvia I had to learned to drive the freeway quickly and liking it a lot. Going to her house through the back way takes way longer. Driving the freeway it’s much easier than going through the busy streets of Vancouver with so many traffic lights to go through. IMHO.

So we transferred to Ridgefield in 1993 just a few months after my father-in-law passed away. We had to find a house because Mom is moving back to Vancouver. So we found a house in Ridgefield. It was a nice acreage subdivision with only 8 houses inside the subdivision. Really it used to be farmland. Even the original farm house was still there. In every house it has 5 acres. So that’s what we had. Our house was one of the newly built house in the subdivision. When we moved in the next door house was about to be finished. When the owner moved in we don’t really know them. Both husband and wife usually were not home during the day. Seeing them sometime we just say hi whenever they pass in front of house . Just months after moving in, they sold the house. The owner moved away, the guy was transferred somewhere for his job.

After a few months of the house next door being empty, we saw some Middle Eastern people with their 4 kids going through the house. the kids were playing outside. We thought they’re just looking at the house. The next day they came back, so we went there and say hello and just being a friendly neighbor. They informed us then that they already bought the house and they will be moving in in a few days. They’re just waiting of the moving truck that’s carrying there stuff all the way from California.

I was so ecstatic having them around they’re so nice and loving people. The kids ages at that time, the youngest must be like 3 or 4 years old, the oldest I think like 8 or 9 years old. The husband he owns a few gasoline stations in Portland area, the wife she’s just a stay at home mom. She already finished up college just didn’t work because she concentrated on taking care of the kids. Both husband and wife were very generous people. The kids they’re loving and thoughtful kids too.

I will give the names of my ever so favorite neighbor.

Nader, the dad (very generous & thoughtful man)
Dalal, the mom (very kind and very generous)
Julia, the oldest child (the reader)
Zade, the second child (the serious one )))
Keith, the third child (the studious one)
Namer, the youngest and the naughty one (his eyes gives it away… LOL)

We do a lot of fun stuff with them like going to the Oregon Coast for a day or two just hanging out at the beach and see the aquarium, eating at the restaurant after Sunday church. Go with the kids games in school or during summer games. Going to see some Disney on ice show in Portland. Going shopping at the mall or go to the play area like Discovery Zone or Chuck E. Cheese or the Clark County Fair and many others.

Chris and Aaron really adored those kids. They thought highly of those kids. They really want to hang out with them almost everyday. Ha ha ha, really we go there to there house every night during summer. They always invite us for BBQ. Dalal wants that we’ll be at their house, her statement would always be “Feyma it’s better that we’ll hang out here at our house, I had 4 kids and you had only 2 kids. Much easier for me here if they messed up something, easy to clean up”. But when I’m baby sitting the kids they’re at our house. Bob and I fed them Filipino dishes. They liked it, especially the lumpia. Sometimes me and Dalal would go out just the 2 of us for some girl time. Bob & Nader and one of our friend from church Randy go out together too, sometimes they went out of town for some conference. It was fun for everyone. It’s really a good bonding.

Seeing the kids on Facebook now really makes me happy. They’re all successful kids. I’m so proud for all of them. So thankful of the Facebook. I’ve been hooking up with all of them. So happy seeing all of them still so loving and so thoughtful.

To you our Best Neighbor Ever, I really missed you guys. Thank you so much for the friendship and the love. I do appreciate a lot what you guys did for me and Bob. I really treasure you guys forever. I love all of you!!!

Cheers!

July 3, 2014 by feyma

New show on E News Channel-Asia!

I was just surfing through our TV in search for a good show. I stopped on one channel; 608 on our sky box, It’s the E News Asia. On screen the teaser of their upcoming line-up for there month of June shows. I saw one of the famous families here in the Philippines. That Pinoy family will have a show on E News-Asia. That really surprised me that they’re going big in Asia. I just thought that there just big in the Philippines only. I guess I was wrong on that. LOL. Well, I think Filipinos will be proud of them being famous in Asia. The show called “It Takes Gutz To Be a Gutierrez“.

It Takes Gutz cast

It takes Gutz to be a Gutierrez geared up similar towards “Keeping Up with The Kardashians” in the USA. That show’s been going for its 9th season. My understanding from the one of the Gutierrez they will copy the Kardashians being family oriented people like they will be all together as family through ups and downs. But I don’t think the Gutierrez will copy the way the Kardashians dress up and behave in public like going to some events just wearing almost nothing. Few stars did that and they were criticized badly. I think Filipinos are still not so open yet to wearing almost nothing in public. Thank God for that. Luckily few girls on the Gutierrez clan compared to the Kardashian clan. I guess the viewers can compare the Asian reality TV family life to the West reality TV family life. It’s really similar because the matriarch woman, she’s a momager to her husband and her kids and other famous stars here in the Philippines.

One of the big thing that came out on the first pilot of the It Takes Gutz, one of the main guy there ( he’s a big actor here in the Philippines), he announced that he and his girlfriend already had a love child that they keep from the public for over a year. We’ll see what the people think of that, him being so famous with the girls, would they still follow him? Are they going to be criticized having a child out of wedlock? We’ll see in a few months I guess on that.

Honestly, it’s so common nowadays to have kids without marriage. Even the momager she wants that her son should just live-in together for awhile first with his girlfriend before getting married. I can see her points on that since it’s hard to get an annulment here in the Philippines. It took forever for her oldest daughter to get one from her Turkish husband. Geez, now you guys are confused who these people that I’m talking about. Ha ha ha… I do encouraged you to watch the show “IT TAKES GUTZ TO BE A GUTIERREZ” every Sunday 9:30 pm. I saw part of the first episode and it’s a bit slow, I think because it’s new to them. Give them time to adjust to having people follow them around. My daughter and nieces keeping up with that and they will just tell me what’s going on.

I hardly watch local TV shows, I’m not a soap opera fanatic. I just know that there’s new soap because I saw on my news feed o my FB wall. At first I don’t know what my friends were talking about until I asked my niece or my daughter. Ha ha ha. They know better than me. If it’s cooking shows or building shows I’m in for it. LOL. You know what I mean. I like the cooking show mostly in US (Top Chef) & Australia (My Kitchen Rules/MKR) when it comes to cooking competition. Any cooking shows that interest me , I’m going to watch it. Then I’m so into the new show from Australia “House Rules”. I also like decorations and renovation shows like “Treehouse Master”, “Flipping Out” and others.

Have fun watching your show. Cheers!