AKO SA SINGAPORE PART II

Singapore is a wonderful place but it kind of lacks "soul". I also experienced this feeling among the locals in Hong Kong where I stayed for a month. I also "lingered" on for about a month in Singapore and were it not for our kababayan OFW I mingled with, I would have left the City in three days tops. Such a small place could be toured in that short span of time. After my requisite three days two nights stay at Summerview Hotel, I moved on to stay at some backpacker budget hotels near China town and "boarded" with some young European tourists (some of them were students and were quite a rowdy bunch!) who were mostly just stopping by Singapore on their way to Aussie, Fiji, New Zealand and places down under.

But what I enjoyed most was hanging around our kababayan OFWs at Lucky Plaza and I was there almost everyday. May nakilala akong mag tiyong seaman sa tambayan na ito ng mga Pinoy at nakumbinsi nila akong tumira sa inuupahan nilang kuwarto sa Bencoolen din. So babalik na naman ako halos sa unang pinanggalingan ko kasi naka check in ako sa Travelers' Inn malapit sa China Town. Share share na lang daw kami sa bayad sa isang kuwartong tinitirhan nila para makamura so payag naman ako. Hati na rin kami sa sa pagkain pag bumibili kami sa kung saan saan. Nag hihintay daw ang dalawang mag tiyo na ito na mainterview mismo ng principal ng barko sa Singapore. Sa Pinas daw kasi "palakasan" ang pag pasok sa barko. Ah ok so may budget sila para maghintay sa Singapore. Eh kaso wala daw at kapos din. Inutang lang daw lahat ng pamasahe nila at pocket money para lang makarating sa malayong lugar na yon. I was thinking this is no place for people with no money to spare on a long wait for an interview that may never come and a slot on board a ship. After one week kumalas na ko sa mag tiyo na ito kasi madalas ako ang nag-aabono sa bayad sa kuwarto namin at minsan sa pagkain ako pa rin ang taya.

AKO SA SINGAPORE PART I

Tumulak ako patungong Singapore alas tres pa lang ng madaling araw dangan kasi maaga ang Singapore Airlines flight ko. Mga 7:30 AM ang lipad so kailangan maaga pa nasa airport na. I flew into Singapore blind as in I had no contacts at walang gaanong sadya kundi syempre bumiyahe lang. Ganyan naman talaga ako eh. Travel bug. I travel alone back packer style. Kahit saan pwedeng kumain at matulog makita lang ang isang foreign na lugar. I like the way travel broadens my horizon and to imbibe a different culture. Alam ko lang na dapat puntahan noon ay Lucky Plaza on Orchard Road kasi doon daw maraming pinoy at marami nga.

Tatlong oras din ang flight at ok naman. Katabi ko malaking mama na taga India pero mukhang suplado so no pansinan kami throughout the flight. Nang lumapag na kami sa Changi airport ay tulad na naman ng sistema sa Hong Kong. May pager boy at the same time driver ng van na maghahatid sa akin sa Summerview Hotel on Bencoolen Road. May bitbit na kong mapa ng Singapore by this time at alam ko walking distance na ring matatawag ang aking hotel sa Orchard Road na syang aking pakay.

Travel from the aiport to the hotel was quite smooth and we were downtown approaching Summerview Hotel in about half hour siguro. Singapore is not magulo like Hong Kong at syempre bawal lahat. Magkalat, chewing gum, jay walking at kung ano ano pa. Kaya naman malinis at parang robot mga tao. Mainit din kaparis sa Pinas kasi malapit pa sila sa equator kaysa sa atin pero walang mga jeep at smoke belching na mga bus at maraming mini parks kaya bearable na rin ang heat.

First order of business after checking in sa hotel ay syempre PAGKAIN. Gasino lang naman yung kinain ko sa eroplano. Ni hindi ko na nga maalala, so eto ala una na at gutom na me. Labas ng hotel walk to the left at hanap ng makakainan. Napadpad ako sa Burger King at pasok. Yun pala grabeng mahal ng inorder ko pero sige na lang pay up na lang kasi I'm starving na rin, pero di na ko uulit sa BK na to.

Maya maya lang pagkatapos kumain ay inumpisahan ko nang lakarin ang Orchard Road na tinatawag bitbit ang aking mapa. Ito raw ang kanilang shopping mecca kung baga at kailangan ko ring matagpuan yang Lucky Plaza na yan, na kung saan maraming Pinoy ang nagtitipon tipon. Kung sa Hong Kong ay sa Central maraming Pinoy tuwing weekends dito naman ay sa Lucky Plaza. Siyempre mabagal lang ang lakad parang nasa luneta at bagong dating nga kasi.

SA GERMANY

I have worked almost non-stop since I arrived in Germany. A week after I was expatriated here, I immediately started working. I have changed employers twice since then, with only 1-2 weeks off between jobs. The longest I was off from work was when I took 7 months off after I gave birth, with 3 ½ months paid in full (net salary).

Based on my first-hand experiences, I can say that the German mindset is NOT really kind to Working Mothers. No wonder, in comparison to the rest of European women, there are fewer working German women.

The societal perspective of disparagingly describing working mothers as Rabenmütter still exists. Loosely translated as “cruel mother”, a lot of mothers are quick to throw this word around about mothers who they deem uncaring for going back to work so early. Interestingly, the fact that this is the norm in most European countries does not seem to matter.

Here, you get the impression that being a mother and having a career is mutually exclusive. And some mothers even let psychological pressure dictate their decision about combining motherhood and career.

I have defied the Rabenmütter prejudice. And the only way I will change my mind is when there are foreseeable problems, which only my own husband and I could judge. I would not let anyone outside our family unit (whose advise will anyway be based only on a few hours of being with us and on experiences different from ours) make me doubt my decisions ever again.

Happy am I for being blessed with a husband who belongs to the minority (20%, says Bamberg Institute for Family Studies) of German fathers who are willing to have significant participation in raising their children. Heck, J is even planning on taking parental leave once Maximillian is born and share the temporary stay-at-home parenting with me. Fortunately, traditional gender roles are not in his mindset.

The lack of day-care facilities that do accept children under the age of 3 is yet another factor. Obviously, if you cannot find a good place for your child, you have no choice but to stay home.

My family got lucky with this. Albeit on the expensive side, we are still lucky to have been given access to excellent child-care (bilingual, even) facilities. Honestly, if we weren’t so lucky, I would not have been so confident with my decision of being a working mom.

Benefits and taxes seem generous but, believe me, they aren’t.

Yes, we are allowed to take 3 years of maternity leave. However, only 3 ½ months are paid.

Each child is entitled to receive until they are 18 allowances (kindergeld) of 154€ per month. Considering the cost of child-care facilities and everything else, that isn’t really much. In addition, you cannot really rely on tax-breaks for child-related expenses to count much.

Low birth-rate and lack of qualified people in the work force now plagues Germany. With the median age rising and the birth rate declining, the German government has finally realized that something needs to be done. They need to make changes so more moms can go out in the work force. The government is crazy with proposals on how this can be achieved. Some of the proposed solutions are laughable, though, imho. Additional tax breaks and financial benefits will not solve the problem. They should think of changing the infrastructure to allow more women to combine parenting and career.

Until that happens, I will continue to ignore Rabenmütter innuendos and solve problems as we (my husband and I) see fit.
pinayexpat