Light Feature - Expatriate Opinion (Profiling Filipinos)

October 7, 2009
783 words

Savory memories.

Expatriates fly away from their homes in search of greener pastures. The number of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) working abroad as on September 2008 reached 3.0 million as reported by their government. While being highly in tune with the sense of transience they face as expats, most Filipino’s have adjusted well to their surroundings. While being ever acceptable of other customs and traditions Filipinos hold their own culture close to their hearts. They are hardworking and respectable, and their hospitality has no bounds. These expats terribly miss and yearn their homes. There is another thing that expats miss most, their local food, that is difficult to find overseas, or is difficult to make. Whatever the case may be, most expats agree that their regional food doesn’t hold the same flavour and allure when eaten elsewhere in the world.

Expats travel to and fro their home countries as often as they can. We take a peek into the luggage a few Filipinos carry to their country and back. Most Filipino’s agree that they take back things like souvenirs, clothes, toys, perfumes and other knick-knacks for their families back home. They bring back food items to munch on here in Dubai.

Citadel Sanchez, an Office Assistant at Al Futtaim Motors, has been in Dubai for 3 and a half years. When asked about the items she brings back from her trips to the Philippines she says,

I bring back Filipino delicacies, little things I cant find here, like the shortcakes and the little homemade fruit flavoured candy. I even get back dehydrated Kare Kare(Beef with vegetables) and Chicken Abodo (chicken cooked in s special manner) to eat here.

Beverly D. Reyes, has been a Dubai resident for the past 2 years. She says she desperately misses her home country, “I miss the whole country itself because it is the only place where I belong and is close to my heart.”

When asked to tell us abut the things she brings back from the Philippines, she says “I’ll probably bring Bagoong (fish and shrimp paste), Yema (milk sweets made by my Mom), dried salted fish, green mango, photos of my loved ones and family, and native souvenirs for my friends in Dubai. ”
With Dubai’s specialized outlets for selling pork, and supermarket aisles dedicated to Filipino products. Filipinos have no trouble finding the ingredients for most of their dishes. However, there are some items they do not find here.“Fish balls, squid balls, crab balls, and Balot (blue egg), all Filipino delicacies, but you cant even catch a whiff of them here in Dubai.” Says Beverly.

Glodelyn Sevilla has been in the Gulf for about two years. A Credit Control Assistant, she says “I bring back my favorite foods like palabok, lechon and kawal, None of these are available here. Once I bring them back, I scrimp on them so as to make them last longer. Besides these, I bring back Filipino medicines, They are the only ones that work effectively on my system. ”

James Mark Narisma, a Staff Nurse with the Ministry of Health for the past 4 years now says, “I was born and raised in the lovely city of Davao, I bring back Philippine dishes like coconut and butter cake, baked in charcoal, and paella made Philippine-style. The foodstuff we bring back from vacations to my country, doesn’t last as long as we’d like it to.” He grins. “ We can make the Philippine cake here as well, but it is just not the same,"

Expats miss their homes most during religious Festivals and other celebrations. With a majority Christian population, Filipino’s have the longest Christmas celebration extending from September to January. They have a love for exuberant celebrations with loud rejoicing and dancing. Metina Dolondz from Jumeirah says, “The first few years I was here, I tried to celebrate Christmas the way Filipinos celebrate at home. giving and sharing. I try to go back to the Philippines during Christmas and Easter. The times I cant, I bring back ingredients on my summer vacation to try and make the Christmases here just as enjoyable for my family. The best of Pinoy food comes out at celebrations. We have traditional favorites like the “biritan” and “kantahan” and delicacies like Sinigang na baboy (Pork with Tamarind soup), Taho (tofu in caramel syrup).”

Every expat faces challenges the first time they set foot in the country. What all these people have in common is a story of struggle away from home, one where they are all lost masses trudging through the muck in a bid to build a better tomorrow for themselves and their children.