Dahil medyo nammiss ko na ang Amerika, naisipan kong i-post muli ang isang artikulong ginawa ko habang naho-homesick ako noon. At para maiba naman dahil nagno-nosebleed din ako paminsan minsan sa mga Ingles kong blog, naisipan kong magpahinga muna sa wikang banyaga at gamitin ang wikang Tagalog. Sana magustuhan nyo ang mga mumunting obserbasyon sa maliit na panahon ng aking paglalagi sa Amerika.

buhay amerika vs buhay pinas:


1. maluwag ang daan. parang wlang eskinita dito. parang laging nlex ang daanan kahit ordinaryong kalsada lang. maayos lahat ng traffic lights, hindi naggigitgitan ang mga sasakyan, walang msyadong traffic ( maliban kung weekends), malinis ang daan walang basura halos at wla ring kanal na amoy imburnal. hindi din gamitin ang train nila dito dahil lahat halos may sasakyan. bigla ko tuloy naaalala ang mga kalunos lunos pero nakakatawang experience ko sa mrt.

California

2. disiplinado ang mga tao sa daan. pag may tmtawid bawal tutukan at dapat talagang huminto ang mga sasakyan. ang mga sasakyan hindi pedeng sumakop ng 2 lanes. may pangalan ang bawat street kaya din madaling malaman ang mga daan. kaya lang bawal huminto basta basta sa gilid ng daan. di kagaya sa pinas parang kahit saan pwedeng pwedeng mag-park. kaya kahit naliligaw ka na sa US diretso lang ng drive.

3. hindi ko alam kung tamad lang ba sila sa bahay o mahilig talaga cla mgimbento. napakdaming bagay na napakadaling gawin ng kamay pero ginagawan pa din nila ng imbensyon para hndi na kailangan pang gamitin ang kamay. halimbawa, de kuryenteng peeler ng patatas, cucumber etc. may pambukas din kami ng delata na de kuryente. nammiss tuloy namin yung pambukas ng delata na manual. panu na pag mgbabaon kmi ng delata sa pamamasyal? wla kaming can openner kasi nga de kuryente yung nasa bahay hindi pedeng baunin. demanding?!

4. mahal ang bigas! OMG! sa isang pinoy OFW (ofw talaga?!) hindi ito makatarungan. $17 para sa 20lbs ng bigas. kaya cguro ndi sila mahilig sa rice. hindi ko maintindihan ang mga amerikano kung pano naging substitute ng bigas ang mashed potato at bread sa kanila. nakakalungkot naman kumain ng tinapay at sinigang di ba.

5. ilang beses na ko nakatanggap ng compliments sa kulay ko. pero sa pinas nilalait nila ko. parang araw araw daw ako ngbbeach. buti naman dito ngustuhan nila kulay ko. kung hindi eh san pa ko lulugar.

6.  andaming pagkain n less fat, less sugar, less than 200 calories, less na lahat parang halos wala ka ng nakain. pero ang tataba pa din at ang lalaki pa din ng tao dito. baka dito ng aapply ang sabi nila na "less is more".

7. madali lang para sa kanila makabili ng mga bagay bagay na napakahirap bilhin sa atin. halimbawa, TV. makakabili sila sa isang buwang sweldo nila ng de-kalibre at makabagong teknolohiyang telebisyon at may matitira pa din sa sweldo nila, samantalang sa atin, 2 taon mo huhulugan sa credit card ang ganoong klaseng TV.

8. sa amerika napakalayo ng mga bahay. hindi uso ang tsismisan tuloy sa kapitbahay. nakakalungkot di ba? na-miss ko tuloy ang kapitbahay naming walang humpay sa pakikipagtsismisan sa umaga habang nagwawalis ng bakuran. kahit di na ko manood ng tv o makinig ng radyo, mas madami pa syang alam na impormasyon tungkol sa mga artista at sa mga tao sa barangay namin.

9. SNOW! umuulan ng nyebe!!! para sa isang taong namumuhay sa init ng araw 365 days a year, ang makaranas ng pag-ulang ng yelo ay tunay na pruweba na talagang nakatapak na ako sa lupang banyaga! isa din ito sa pinakahihintay kong pagkakataon para makapasuot ng "boots". oh yes, boots! pangarap kong magsuot ng boots pero di ko magawa sa pinas, napakainit ng panahon at kahit nakatsinelas ka ay nakapakainit pa din. hindi ko maintindihan ang ibang kabataan sa pinas pano nila natitiis magsuot ng boots sa gitna ng sikat ng araw. baka may aircon sa loob ang boots nila o baka lamigin talaga ang paa nila. ewan.

isnow!

pacman vs clottey fight in TexasT

10. ang tanging bagay na na-miss ko sa Amerika -- mag-shopping. mura ang bilihin. ang mga "branded clothes" ika nga ay halos "bagsak-presyo". marahil ay nasanay ako sa kakarampot na sweldo sa Pilipinas kung kaya't pagdating sa ibang bansa talaga naman "shopping galore" tayo, sa Amerika, ang sweldong pinaghirapan mo ay marami ng mabibili. ang bawat sentimo ng dolyar ay may saysay. sa pinas, ang tawag natin sa singko, singkong duling. at kapag nakakuha tayo nito, kalimitan inihuhulog na lamang natin sa mga lata ng red cross. nakakalungkot isipin.

marami pang ibang gusto kong ilahad pero sa susunod n lang. masaya ang buhay sa amerika. pero yun ay kung ndi mo naranasan mabuhay sa pinas. 

Again, I am so busy at work I have no time to blog. I really miss posting on my site and seeing lot of traffic on my webpage. So I thought I need something worth reading to post and something that would really entice my readers' minds. :)

Last week, I have just done one life-changing decision. I have just passed my resignation letter. Though it is truly a heartbreak to leave the company I have worked for 8years in my life, I know that God is up to something good that's why He gave me a new opportunity to be accepted in another company.

When we decide to leave the company we are working for, it must be because we have found a better workplace. Be it a better pay, better working environment, better work schedules, etc. But can these "better" things compete with the world's best countries to work for? Surprisingly, America is not on the list. Aaaww, does that mean no more "American Dream" for us Filipinos? I have nothing against USA but the facts says it all, USA may not be the only country that can be branded "the land of milk and honey" nowadays. Read on and see for yourself what we are actually missing. :) (the blue lines are my comments)


The 10 Best Countries to Work In

Source: Yahoo! She


2. BULGARIA: Bulgarians are given up to 410 days of paid maternity leave at 90 percent of the mother's salary, 45 days of which must be taken prior to the birth of the child. Parents are also eligible for a second year of paid parental leave at a minimum salary. Even better, both the father and the grandparents can take the second year of maternity leave in place of the mother, if necessary.


3. BRAZIL: Brazil is most notable for offering workers the most paid vacation days per year in the world. Full-time workers can earn a whopping 41 paid days off - 30 of those days are mandated for leisure time at the worker's convenience, and the other 11 are considered paid federal holidays.



4. FRANCE: According to the OECD, French people work nearly 200 hours less each year than other countries in the organization. France is also a world leader when it comes to the number of paid vacation days: 40 in total, 30 of which are mandated and 10 of which are public holiday.



5. FINLAND: Like Brazil and France, Finland is one of the world leaders in offering paid vacation days - up to 40 days a year, including 30 of which are mandated, and 10 more as public holiday. Additionally, only .04 percent of Finnish workers work more than 50 hours a week on average, an important indicator for a healthy work/life balance.



6. NETHERLANDS: Workers clock only 1,378 hours per year, or 27.6 hours per week. Like Germany, however, the Netherlands maintains a healthy GDP and high standard of living in spite of fewer hours on the job. On top of that, they are given 28 paid vacation days per year, and 16 weeks of paid maternity leave at 100 percent of their salaries. As if that weren't enough, Dutch workers are also offered tax breaks on an additional 26 weeks of unpaid maternity leave if required.



7. NORWAY: A parent is given as much as 47 weeks at 100 percent salary, or 57 weeks at 80 percent salary. Nine weeks are reserved for the mother, 12 weeks (the "daddy's quota") are reserved for the father, and the parents can share the rest. Norwegian workers are also given a healthy 35 days of paid vacation per year.



8. DENMARK: Denmark was ranked No. 1 in the world for providing the best work/life balance by the OECD. It has a number of factors working for it: a full 52 weeks of paid maternity leave, 34 total days of paid vacation, and only .04 percent of workers are on the job more than 50 hours per week. Additionally, the OECD calculated that as many as 16.31 hours per day are dedicated to personal care among Danish workers.
 

9. LITHUANIA: It is the only nation tied with Brazil in offering the most total paid vacation days in the world at 41 ("only" 28 are mandated, but 13 are public holiday). Lithuania also offers a generous maternity leave: one year of leave at 100 percent salary, or if parents opt to take two years off, the first year is set at 70 percent salary and at 40 percent in the second year.



10. SWEDEN:  As many as 480 days, or 16 months, of paid parental leave is offered to workers, 60 days of which are reserved for the father. Furthermore, those 480 days can be spent however the parents see fit over the first eight years of their child's life. Sweden also offers a generous 36 days of paid vacation every year, and ranks firmly in the top 10 countries in the OECD with the best work/life balance.

For the record, Sweden is my best bet to work in. :) How I wish I could have that 16month paid parental leave :(



WOW. Working in these countries may just be the work-life balance everybody's dreaming of. Apparently, 9 of these countries are situated in Europe. Oh yes, not in America. Reading this article actually got me into thinking, would it be best to migrate in these places? Who knows, one day I might just give in. But for now, I am such a patriotic as everybody knows. For me, still, "Its more fun in the Philippines!" I love you, motherland!