Lunok Lang Ang Pahinga

I was chatting with an old friend from Saudi Arabia at yahoo messenger last time and she was asking me for favor: can you help me transfer to your hospital? she said. We worked together at a local hospital back in the Philippines for five years. She's one of my closest friend.

When I flew here at Doha to work, she remained there. Until I heard that she too after a few months, applied and work at Saudi instead. I asked why she wanted to transfer and resign from her work this soon, she's only been there for 6months I think.

"Mac, lunok lang pahinga ko dito!" (Mac, my only rest here in when I swallow my saliva!LOL) she said. I laughed, she's a funny girl even before.

"Why did you applied there in the first place? I told you not to go to Saudi!" I reprimanded her, I intentionally avoided applying there, because I knew so many restrictions there. I chose Qatar and Dubai when I was planning to work outside the country.

"I know, now I'm in hell! I can stand the work you know, but the people, my colleague, they are the real problem!" she continued.

She told me that in their department, the senior staffs and other employee are on competition with each other, they're not helping each other, if you don't know something they will shame you in front of other staffs, the tensions are too high, you see when you work abroad, everything was totally different, the machines, the procedures, protocols, so you have too many adjustments to make.

"I always have this feeling of fear whenever I go to work..." she said. " I saw your face book's photos, I was so jealous when you can have the parties and drinks all you want! In here its like we are in prison on our own houses! We don't even have cinemas!huhuhu"

There's clubs, bands, concert venues, and alcohol in Qatar, its an open city, still a muslim country but the restrictions are lesser than Saudi. We have cinemas all around here!

Unlike in the hospital I'm working with, when I came, I was like a newborn baby, I don't know a thing about those machines (mechanical ventilators, breathing apparatus, gadgets, etc.,) we don't have those in the Philippines, all are high-tech here! They trained me for a month, taught me this and that until I got familiar with all of them.

But the good thing here, my colleagues are all very friendly and approachable, its never a competition here, you could ask your senior staffs if I was unsure or in doubt of something, they all have time to help me, because they said, they knew the feeling of being a new comer. They're all been there. We have a great time at work, joke around, the atmosphere are very light, that's what missing in her department.

I mean, who could work peacefully if you knew the people around you are like evil villains on a movie! Its like there's no peace of mind and especially when you know you're not even happy!

I am very grateful that I am in a place where I am now. So I have her resume and helping her to move here. Im crossing my fingers...