The iSavta’s Succor to Filipino Caregivers

One of the main problems of caregivers here in Israel is the endless and stressful hunt for employers. As much as we want to find a better job, sometimes we don’t have a choice but to settle for what the recruitment agencies are giving us. It hits me like slavery in a very discrete way. While some of the agencies let us choose the employer on our own, some are selling us like slaves and before we could say no, we were already employed to someone we didn’t even meet face to face.

Salary is also one of the problems. Until now, after all the laws was implemented, we still have no definite amount to follow. Though Kavla Oved published certain calculations, still the agencies refused to follow and came up with their own computation. While Israelis are known to be frugal, there are also a huge number of them who are willing to pay more. But agencies tend to meddle and caregivers are always torn between them. The countless problems with migrant workers here in Israel are quite exasperating not only for us but also to the employers who needs us. It always ends up in disagreement between employers and caregivers and it’s always the caregiver who suffers.

Because of these dilemmas, the Isavta.co.il was born. The website aims to help the caregivers to find a good employer and a job that is suitable for them. The site actually features important details and information about the employers as well as the caregivers. When you sign up, you have to fill up forms with general information about you.  The employers also need to sign up. Once they do,  they have the freedom to choose from a lot of available caregiver members of the site and they have the possibility to contact them. This goes the same to the caregivers. They can access the address, telephone numbers of the prospective employers whom they can choose without restraint from any recruitment agency. Furthermore, the site also disclose the possible salary they offer as well as their status and even the languages they prefer to speak. In this way, the Hebrew-only speaking employers will be filtered by the English-only speaking caregivers. This will help both the employers and caregivers to easily find what they need.

So if you happen to read this post, and you are here in Israel, looking for a job, feel free to visit www.iSavta.co.il and sign up. Then check the job openings and have the pleasure of choosing the job which you think is best for you. You can contact the employers directly through their telephone numbers, meet them, empress them and have a job. Easy.

On the other hand, the people behind iSavta are actively participating in events and projects for Filipino caregivers around Israel. They are now the proud sponsor of Miss Philippines-Israel which will be held on November 12, 2011 in Duhl Auditorium in Tel-Aviv. There will be raffle draws and huge prices from iSavta but only exclusive for the site members. All you need to do is sign up and vote for your favorite candidate and you will have a chance to win these exciting prices.

If you have a talent for writing, iSavta also gives you the opportunity to publish and share your thoughts through their blog page. There you can read the funny, sad and memorable experiences of caregivers here in Israel as well as some important tips on life, love, finances and savings.

It’s so nice to know that despite of all the selfishness and extreme greed in this world, there are still people out there who wants to lend a helping hand. Thanks to Ariel who cordially gave me the permission to feature iSavta. I’m just overwhelmed with his effort to help us Filipinos and all the caregivers here in Israel.

You can also like their page on Facebook. iSavta Facebook Page.

Facebook Victim.. Again!

When will we ever learn?!

Earlier this evening, as I was busy doing my Ferrero blog, I heard a few “Filipinim (Filipino)” mentioned on TV. I went out and asked Fany what’s going on. I thought it was again about the deportation of migrant workers here in Israel but I was pissed when she told me that it was about a 35 year old woman who was abducted by a certain man whom she met through facebook.

Again?

We’ve heard a lot of awful stories about rape, abduction and murders because of facebook and cellphones. As much as we want to feel pity for the victim, we cannot help but get nettled because of their stupidity. I don’t want to sound rude but really, are they just naive or are they really stupid?

I don’t really know the details of what happened to this Filipina since I cannot understand much Hebrew but according to Fany, this woman met this man through facebook. She went out with him for the first time and she was abducted. They were in his car and suddenly he asked for her money. He wanted to take her bag and all what’s in there. She tried to escape and asked for help. She jumped out of the moving car and hurt herself. Fany didn’t exactly know what happened to her. I just saw that there was an ambulance and police cars on TV.

I don’t know how a person can be this stupid and desperate. Excuse me for being so cheeky but is “common sense” not common anymore? First of all, you know exactly that you are meeting somebody you don’t know personally. Second, why do you need to take all your money inside your bag when you go out on a date? I was so displeased with what happened to all of these victims but honestly, they are partly to blame. It’s no secret that there are a lot of hangal ang kaluluwa in this world. Why can’t we just use our common sense?

Take for example these victims of rape and hold-ups in Tachana Merkazit. We are all aware that there are a lot of drug addicts and sabog lurking in every corner of Tachana. How can you possibly think that you can just walk around at 1 or 2 in the morning with your short shorts and tube top and nothing will happen to you? How can you be so sure that you have your entire salary inside your bag and nobody will be interested to snatch it? How can you be so stupid to think that your iphone4 or your very expensive laptop is safe inside your backpack and nobody will care to open it without you knowing? And how can you be so naive to think that your handsome middle eastern facebook friend will not do anything wrong to you?

I’m so fed up with these bad news about Facebook victims. I mean, it can be avoided if you know the boundaries of social networking. If you really found someone interesting and eager to meet him, then find someone to be with you. Don’t meet him alone. And don’t go with him in his car. You can both take a taxi. You can meet in a restaurant. You can meet him with his friends and your friends. You can have sex after 3 meetings not on a first date. My gosh!!!

Well anyways, I don’t want to be too judgmental. I don’t really know the details of what happened. But please, to those who spend their entire day on facebook, beware of strangers especially those who presented themselves as mayaman (rich) and looking for a girlfriend. If they are mayaman, they can easily find women anywhere whenever they want. They don’t need to burn their asses in facebook just to get into you. All the rich people here in Israel are busy with their businesses to build their empire. They don’t have time to make friends with people in facebook especially to us foreign workers.

I hope what happened to this Filipina will serve as a lesson to everybody. Not just to the migrant workers here in Israel but also to all the ladies out there. Most of the victims are teenagers. The parents should be aware of this. You have to impose certain rules to your children in using internet and social networking sites. As much as possible, implement strictly the “add me or no internet” in your home. In that way, you can monitor your child’s facebook activities and know their friends too.

Well, when stupidity strikes, stupidity bites. I just wish people will be more guarded and clever. Just saying.

The Adele Phenomenon

RAISE YOUR HANDS UP IF YOU ADORE HER!!!

I was pondering on the idea of blogging Adele since yesterday. I was thinking, it will just make me depressed because it might lead me to another 5 hours of listening to her songs and put “Someone like you” and “Hiding My Heart” on repeat. So I decided not to. (For those who are familiar with Adele, you know what I mean.)

Not until tonight when I saw people raving about her concert in Manila on December 3. Arggg. Why am I always in the wrong place at the wrong time?

My first orientation about her was when she bagged the Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in 2009 Grammy Awards. Chasing Pavement was a hit and for months, she dominated my entire playlist. But I really got crazy over her when she released the Adele21 album. More mature, more soulful and it hits home big time! For me and for those who went through some arrant romantic disaster, her songs became our National Anthem. Uh!

One of my fave Adele’s live performances ever! 

Someone Like You was once the fave among the faves. But now, I’m having LSS of this song. This was Brandi Carlile’s original i think and Adele revived it. 

Hiding My Heart!!!!

And of course for frustrated singers like me? Who doesn’t want to ‘effin sing like ‘effin ADELE?!

http://www.adele.tv/

9/11

Where were you when it happened?

It was a typical day in 2001. I was 20 yrs old. A student. I was still in the Philippines and I was not fully aware of terrorism in any sort or form. We were watching TV when my Dad (God Bless his soul) came banging the screen door from the kitchen, shouting and panting, telling us to change the channel. I saw one tower with so much smoke and CNN was covering it live. It didn’t occur to me at first that it was New York and they were under terrorist attack. With so much fear of asking my father about it because he was so engrossed and I don’t want him to snap, I kept quiet while watching the news. Then the other plane crashed, the second tower was hit. We all let out a loud groan or maybe screamed, I’m not really sure. The whole world was paralyzed by the sudden and awful truth; America, the strongest country in the whole world was taken down by Bin Laden.

It was really unbelievable. I saw how the 2 towers collapsed like sand castles. So many people died. You can just imagine the passengers of the 2 hijacked planes and the 3,000 more or less people who died on that day. But for us from the Philippines, especially the “not-informed” students like me, it appeared like one of those action-packed movies or something similar to what Saddam Hussein did before. It was all over the news but then after a few weeks, it was gone.

Today as America commemorates the 10th year anniversary of the event, I can’t help but look back 10 years ago. It was just like yesterday when it happened and it was just like yesterday when I was 20 years old, a student, carefree, loose and young. Now after ‘ol good decade, here I am, a 30 year old woman, reserved, still a bit high-spirited sometimes but often calm, patient, mature and old. So much has happened in the past 10 years and I couldn’t help but wonder what could have been if the 9/11 attacks didn’t happen. What could have been if I didn’t face my own fear, my own demon and my own “terrorist attacks?”

I’ve grown emotionally and mentally for the past 10 years. Like America, I fought a good fight with life. I stood firm to hold my ground and faced my fears. I fell, I stood up, I moved on and I succeeded. Today as I moved 180 degrees and look back, I can still see myself over there. The young 20 year old girl who quietly watched NY City covered with smoke and dusts. But I am far.. too far. And then I realized, I cannot really see myself anymore. It was just a vague memory of my old self. Maybe my soul wanders there from time to time. Like the lost and battered souls of the families of the 9/11 victims. But like me, nobody wants to go back to that very same day. We will always remember, but we will never go back.

My Brave Antibodies!

Sooooo happy with my Helicobacter Pylori Test (which I posted in facebook and my friend read it as Helicopter Pilot Test) result. NEGATIVE baybeiii!!

my helicobacter pylori result =)

Actually, i took this HBP test February of this year pa. But because of some unfortunate events that happened these past few months, I wasn’t in the mood to follow up everything. When you read my previous post about Chamomile Tea, it was a pain-free months until the other day when I had the attack. Fany was so angry at me that she even made the schedule herself. With sudden shoot up of blood pressure, she called the clinic and insisted on giving me a very early schedule. “ani rotsa tor le metapelet shili, Lo. Ani rotsa yoter mugdam” (I want a schedule for my caregiver for a check up. No, I want it earlier) Tunog prime minister ng Israel lang diba? Waha!

So anyways, I was with my doctor today and thank God, I have a negative HBP test. He gave me, as expected, 20 mg. of Omeprazole which I could take everyday an hour before breakfast which also mean… I am oblige to eat breakfast *rolling eyeballs*. I’m kinda upset because I’m not a breakfast person. I can live with coffee from morning until 1pm. But the most happiest from all the -estessstt was when he told me that I am allowed to eat what i thought I cannot eat. (Thank you google for the lies and for the frustrations, LOL). But I have to avoid Soda in any form and spicy foods. Citrus, sweets and oily I am allowed but with moderation. I’m just so happy today. *big grin* I’m just thinking that I have enough brave antibodies that protects me from any form of bacteria or viruses. I’m healthy, Let’s Eat!

Ex-Lovers to Friends?

I cannot say that I have a very solid expertise when it comes to Love and Relationships but these past few weeks I’ve encountered some funny questions ’round twitter and facebook. One of these is “Can ex-lovers be friends?” or “Is it okay to be friends with your ex after a break-up?”

I know a few individuals who actually went from being ex-lovers to friends. Both of them went through another heartache before they found each other again, talked, said sorry and decided to be friends. This can possibly happen since the painful memories back then was replaced by another memories with another person. It was a closed chapter and there’s no reason for them to even talk about it. (guys you know who you are, haha)

Yes, ex-lovers can be friends BUT NOT AFTER THE BREAK-UP. Yes, that should be in caps because it’s not in any way possible to be friends with your ex after your break up. Well I mean genuinely of course. Some can be civil, live with hi and hello and deal with few meet ups with common friends. There’s always a thin line between them, a boundary. You can’t split up and still spend the day talking on the phone, exchanging text messages or have a “friendly date”? I mean come on, if you happen to see ex-lovers doing this, then there’s still something more in them than being friends. Some settled for this set up for an obvious reason, they still can’t let go. They didn’t work out as a couple so they thought they will work out as friends. But friendship will never work out after the break up. This can lead to hoping for second chances, holding on to nothing and painful disappointment. If you both agreed to go separate ways, then it means SEPARATE WAYS. No more what ifs, no more if only.

To those who really genuinely propose a friendship after a break-up, I salute you. Sometimes it’s too painful to just say “yes, let’s be friends” especially if you are still in love with the person. But at the end of the day, you still can’t bear the idea of not having him/her in your life anymore. So to friendship you will settle with hopes that maybe, this will be the way to rekindle the lost interests and love and sooner or later you can have him/her back. This is not friendship with 100% pure “friendship” intentions.

Some proposed friendship for you to be his/her “friend with benefits”. These are the users. Beware of them. You can distinguish them because you can actually feel that they don’t love you from the very beginning. They just take you for granted, let you fall in love, have sex with you then dump you. The reason why they want to be friends with you is because you have something that they need. Not you nor your boring-unconditional-love but your stupidity. It’s as simple as 123. Beware of a person who broke up with you today and proposed friendship tomorrow. There’s a big big uncanny reason/s behind it. It’s either they want something inside the pockets of your pants or they want something under your pants.

Maybe there are genuine people in this world, I don’t know. I don’t want to be judgmental but i just can’t see the possibility. Maybe there are ex-couples who started out as friends, decided to bring it to a higher level, failed, moved on and went back to friendship. I mean, it could happen but not as abrupt as 2-3 days after break up. You always have to mete a certain time for healing before you can invest your emotions again for another kind of relationship. Either for friendship with your ex or another romantic relationship with another person.

I am Allowed!

In line with the latest hullabaloo that’s been happening with my current health, a sad surprise came this afternoon when I went to the supermarket. The FERRERO ROCHER, my ultimate favorite in the world is on SALE and the catch?!…

I AM NOT ALLOWED TO EAT CHOCOLATES!

You can kill me now but I’m telling you, I’ll be back on Friday to get this. I am scheduled to see my doctor on Friday and I’m pretty sure he will give me some meds for my reflux. Guilty pleasures yes, but hey, we only live once right? And what’s the purpose of taking medications? If you want to torture yourself and take all the pain of Acid Reflux then eat all the bawal without medications. If you want to deprive yourself of happiness and pleasures then don’t eat the bawal and you’ll live a pain-free life. But I prefer to take the medications and at the same time enjoy living a normal life, a normal human being who drinks coffee, eats chocolates and eats go-large-french-fries at McDonald’s. Hah!

But folks, I don’t have a deadly disease. Yes, I am prone to peptic ulcer, GERD and stuffs like that. That I am fully aware. But i think a 20 mg of Omeprazole a day will let me at least pig out once in a while and not to live in misery. I am not setting a bad example here to others who’s suffering from any diseases. If your doctor told you not to eat this or that then you have to follow. Maybe you have a more serious health problem. I just want to enjoy my life with caution of course. I just can’t stand the idea of depriving myself with the things I want because of this stupid reflux. Basta, that Ferrero Rocher will be mine and yes, I AM ALLOWED! 

Home Away From Home

Let me take you to Tachana Merkazit (Central Bus Station).

For every Filipino living or working abroad, there’s nothing more rewarding than experiencing “Pinas” from time to time. And here in Israel, there’s nothing more Pinas-like than Tachana Merkazit here in Tel-Aviv. Though most of the local citizens deemed this place as the most unsafe/dangerous place in Israel, for us Filipinos (let’s include the Chinese, Sudanese, Nepals and others) Tachana Merkazit is HOME.

Foreign Workers lives here including us Filipinos who enjoys our weekly day off from work. You can find significant numbers of Filipinos here during Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. All came from a week of hard work being a caregiver and house caretakers. Going to this filthy place is heaven for us. This is a place where we are allowed to be who we are, typical Filipinos who eats pork barbecue with sawsawan or eat shomai and arroz caldo or Chowking-like Halo-Halo under the heat of a summer sun. A place where we can buy Eskinol and Chinsansu, Mr. Chips and Boy Bawang, Safeguard and Creamsilk, even 555 Sardines and Lucky Me Pansit Canton. This is the place where we can enjoy a glimpse of the Philippines once a week, for 24 hours.

The pictures below are just some of the few stores and establishments that you will find inside the Central Bus Station. Majority of these stores are owned by a Filipino who became successful in putting up business here. From calling cards to cellphone loads, to kakanin and other basic necessities that a typical Filipino cannot live without. Honestly, Tachana Merkazit somehow reminds me not only of the Philippines but also of Bacolod, the city where I came from.

This is FilStar. This is where we send money to our love ones. They are affiliated to Banco De Oro so beneficiaries can receive the money in as fast as 2-5 minutes and cheaper than Western Union. This reminds me of ML Kwarta Padala Branches that you can find in every major streets in the Philippines.

Long telephone booths inside the Central Bus Station. A silent witnesses to the tears, laughters and sweet i love you’s from us who misses our love ones.

PNB Branch. It reminds me the PNB beside Capitol Lagoon in Bacolod. Here you can send money to Pinas too.

Tia Maria. Filipino food FTW! If you want to have a taste of Pinas by eating any Filipino dish, this is the place where you have to go. So cheap but delicious!

Who says you can’t eat puto, sapin-sapin, chicharon, leche flan and other kakanins in Israel?

This is Pinoy-Pinay. This is where you can find all the pasalubong and religious stuffs from Jerusalem. They also have a travel agency where you can purchase a plane ticket to Philippines both international and domestic flights.

We also have pirated DVDs.. Shhh…

Kitakits sa Mcdo!

Because of the latest craze about mobile phones nowadays, a Filipino must have one suki store to buy the latest cellular phone. That guy in the pic is a friend of mine. I’m his suki for ages now so I always enjoy a few discounts from his store.

A normal Saturday in Neve Shanan. A place where you can buy the things that you’ve bought before. Haha. I mean literally. This is where the thieves sell the things that they stole from poor people living in Tachana. So don’t be surprised if you’ll find your branded shirts and shoes scattered ’round here. hehe.

And if you really want to feel Pinas, go to this place. This is where you can buy PORK! ’nuff said. And check the store’s name. Kingdom of Pork Factory Price Here. Hhahahaa! Yeah.. Chinese!

So there you go. The filthy and crazy place called Tachana Merkazit. The home away from home for all Overseas Filipino Workers here in Israel.

just a thought

There were times when you can’t help but wonder if it’s possible to have love, as plain as the word, without complications and interruptions. Do you think it’s possible considering all the temptations, lies and betrayal that could possibly go in between and ruin the relationship? Sometimes it’s too difficult to believe anymore. Sometimes life can knock you down and it feels like you cannot get your knees up from the floor. But I believe, there will always be someone who will hold your hand and lift you up. The question is, would you dare to trust again despite of the pains and disappointments? All you can do is hope, more than anything, that someone out there will genuinely love you and will never ever dare to knock you down again. Because the next time you find yourself alone with scarred knees, I don’t think you will still be capable of trusting anybody including yourself.

Insecurity, Jealousy & Envy as I know it!

People live with so much insecurities and jealousy that they sometimes cannot contain themselves and they become so obvious despite of their denials.

Insecurities. I have that. Since I usually consider myself so underdog in anything. Physically I’m over the hill insecure of others. Spiritually, I have this self drama of God- is- punishing- me and stuffs like that. Mentally, I’m somehow secure with this. Maybe because I am surrounded most of the time with naive people so I’d like to think that I’m better than them. Or maybe I’m not. Because sometimes I feel that they know a lot and i know little. Insecurities always haunt me in disguise using people who are stronger, smarter and prettier than me. I always feel small.

Jealousy. I have this because of insecurity. Sometimes I become so selfish that I always want people to listen to what I am saying. And if they find someone else to listen to, I get jealous. So as to relationship. I’m always in doubt of the feelings of the person towards me. I always think that eventually he will find someone else better than me. Yes, because I’m insecure and sometimes I don’t believe that I’m capable of keeping someone forever. Jealousy usually occurs to me in expense of people who are very close to me. Family, boyfriend and friends. Maybe I’m just so paranoid. Maybe I’m just afraid that I’ll wake up one day and they don’t love me anymore. Maybe I’m just a drama queen. Maybe… i know there’s a possibility that it will happen…because I’m insecure.


Envy. I don’t know how you will define this. For me it’s a strong and very compelling word. If you will define it as potent as I know it, I’m sure I don’t have it. Envious people tend to do something more than just admiring the things that they don’t have and other people have. They develop hatred towards others and destroy them. Gossip! First step for them to project their hatred. They became identity criminals and spread wrong cue about others. Some are able to kill because of envy. It’s like counting the blessings of others instead of your own. They condone themselves and they spent their whole life hating someone. Maybe people are born without contentment. What they have is nothing and what others have is everything. For one man to understand envy is hard-won. Once in our lives we became so superficial and we wish. Wish to have what we don’t have. But some sticked on wishing. They didn’t even do something to get what they want. They even wish ill on someone only to get equal. And the most dangerous of them all are those who cannot admit to themselves that they are spiteful. They will not accept defeat. They will do everything to show the world that they are better than others. And for them to show this, they deface others while at the same time they destroy themselves too.

I don’t know if I’m capable of absorbing and hording envy inside me. I’m always happy for someone who get something and makes ’em happy. Why can’t we be happy if someone else is happy? For me insecurity is normal. It’s just a personal battle that one can win if he or she will try. Jealousy is part of loving. Sometimes it’s another form of love and fear of losing a love one. For me it adds spice to relationship and it helps you grow. But envy is heavy. It destroys you and at the same time weakens you. But there is only one counter force to get rid of this — SELF-VALUE. If you cannot appreciate and love yourself for what you have and for who you are, then you can never believe that you can be happy. You have to clear your life with bad experiences and memories. Then try to find your self-worth. Focus on building your emotional, spiritual and personal security. Life is not always about getting what we want. It’s about acceptance and contentment without compromising your capabilities as a person. Dream and make a goal. Get what you want. But never ever step on someone else toes. Because ENVY is tangible and in a shape of a boomerang. It will all come back to you… one day!