During the last six days of simbang gabi at the Ahmadi Church in Kuwait, donation baskets were being passed around for the runaway Filipinas housed in Philippine Embassy in Kuwait. It's a touching gesture by Ahmadi Filipino priest Fr Fred Micua. And like the tradition of simbang gabi, I believe it will be an annual charity drive among the Ahmadi churchgoers.

Tomorrow until the last day of simbang gabi on 24th, I think the focus will be on the victims of Typhoon Sendong.

Amen to that. My 100% support.

If you feel charitable this Christmas and wish to help our kababayans in Iligan, information on where you can send your donations are in this site or at Red Cross.



Nakakataba ng puso ang pagbibigay sa nangangailangan.

Our company in Kuwait joined Movember in support of The Prostate Cancer Charity in the UK. This is to raise awareness by prompting private and public conversations regarding prostate cancer, a men’s health issue that is often ignored and taken for granted. For the whole month of November, a selected few in our office grew moustache and via donations, we managed to raise an amount to support the society.

I didn’t join but during the awarding ceremony last end November, we donned our faces with full beard and moustache to add excitement to the event.


The bearded ladies and a gentleman. That's Anna (from Poland) and Niña (from the Philippines) with Rao (from India). Rao's moustache is real.


Bearded moi. That's me in fake beard and Shaikh (from India) with his real moustache.

We managed to raise more than PHP30k which our company will equally match to be given to charity.

Background information:

A Mo Bro starts Movember – the month formerly known as November – clean shaven, and grows a moustache all month long, garnering support from friends and family in the form of donations. Supported by the women in their lives, Mo Sistas, Movember Mo Bros raise funds by seeking out sponsorship for their Mo growing efforts.

The money raised as a result of Movember is channelled into a number of world class and innovative education, support, research and awareness initiatives. Movember UK collaborates with the men’s health partner – The Prostate Cancer Charity.

The Movember Foundation is a not-for-profit, charitable organisation which runs the annual men’s health initiative, Movember, across the globe. More info can be found at: www.movember.com

In an oil-rich country like Kuwait where Filipinos are either in oil and gas-based work or service-based (household help, sales personnel, etc), finding two kabayans selling fish is quite a surprise.

What's more surprising is that they are in love with their work! One has actually transferred from being a salesman in an air-conditioned mall to vending fish and seafood in Al Koot. (Al Koot fish market is also air-conditioned and amazingly clean).



The other kabayan is still a salesman in a mall but works as a part timer in the market during his day off 'kapalit ng isang kilong isda at pamasahe'. 'Pang-ingganyo ako ng mga kabayan', he said. He must be very effective because we bought from him our crabs and shellfish.



Note: I forgot to get their names. Will do next time.

Body Shots.

That's what the name of a friend's business is. She -- Jeena -- teaches zumba, aerobics, aqua and gym exercises to Kuwaiti ladies and children. She -- married with two kids -- owns a gym in Pasay City (by the same name I think) and since two years have been in Kuwait being a 'wellness instructor'.

I mentioned to her the kinkiness of the word especially among singles during drinking sessions. She's unperturbed.

For days, she implored me to design for her, first, a calling card which gave birth to a logo which gave birth to a website, proforma for invoices, letterhead, contract documents, etc. In other words, she wanted me to create a corporate brand for her business. And what do I know about creating a corporate brand? Nada. But as I usually say to others, there's always a first time for everything.

And because she constantly invites us to a sumptous breakfast every Friday morning when it's a major major effort (for me) to rise up and cook because it's a weekend (and who rises to cook for one's self on a weekend?!), I decided to help her.

(The major reason I helped her is because she seemed genuine in her being a wellness instructor. She's also kind and buys me my week supply of carrot juice. Workwise, she knows what she's doing and she never hanky-pankies with her clients. She's credible because she's been in the business for half of her life and her family in the Philippines is also in similar business. I also like to imbibe her business acumen -- and, most importantly, make my waistline as small as her's: 26!).

These are what I scribbled in my note pad for a week.





And these are what I came up with -- five that Jeena chose from.



If you're Jeena, which would you prefer as your business logo?

In support of Philippine Expat Blog Awards (PEBA)'s 2011 theme 'Ako'y magbabalik, hatid ko'y pagbabago'.

The graphics for these composites were sourced, with thanks, from the following:
From the archives of the United States LST Association
From the news clipping of All Voices on the exodus of Filipinos from Libya.

First thing first: I am may be wrong with Ever.

Last Friday, we went to Ahmadi Church to watch a Santacruzan. Here are some of the photos we took.

Santacruzan participants line up for the short parade. If you wonder who the man in brown cloak represents, that's Methuselah.

If truth be hold, I think the organisers of this Santacruzan was faithful to this list of characters in a Santacruzan.


Youngsters who played various characters in Ahmadi's Santacruzan.


This is the first Santacruzan where I saw an Aeta character featured in the pageant.


Reyna Esperanza who represents the virtue of hope.


The legendary founder of the true cross, Reyna Elena, accompanied by Constantine, her son.


Angelic-looking girl who is one of the Ave Maria's.


Santa Maria, madre de Dios at the end of parade -- carried by Filipino leaders of various Pinoy organisations in Ahmadi.


Father Fred Micua, the Filipino priest at Our Lady of Arabia in Ahmadi greets the faithful.

And then, I spot this gentleman. Hmmm...Is it Ever? Maybe not.



Or maybe, I'm right.

(Ever is a Kuwait-based Pinoy artist-cum-blogger behind Pamatay Homesick and countless articles for POC. He is also a member of Pindot, Kuwait's premiere Filipino digital photographers' group).

Other photos are courtesy of Rhyan Alcantara, an OFW in Kuwait.

For an OFW, a month is always 'too short', and most often, there's that numbing feeling of pain as we leave our family. No matter how many times we've been through it, the feeling is the same as when we first left the Philippines -- painful, disheartening, tear-jerking. What do I have to ease the pain? These. The memories of my short vacation.


Rolled bilo-bilo.
Violet-y ube.
Bongga banana.
Whitish gabi.
Creamy kakang-gata.
Image of suffering.
His fall is our redemption.
A shameful walk for man's salvation.
The face of agony.
Rain-soaked freshness.
Watered color.
Malunggay -- green and wet.
Our veranda's produce.
Hitik sa bunga.
Rainy roof.
A lowly walis tingting soaked in rain.
Untitled.
Janine.
Ate.
Jillian.
Mag-lola.
Leaving.
A tail in the sky.