Natalie Cole - Miss You Like Crazy

Summer Vacation

Bagai suatu tradisi di sini bila sampai musim panas iaitu dari bulan Jun ke Ogos, ramai rakyat tempatan mula bercuti dan menghabiskan cuti mereka. Salah satu faktor ialah kerana cuaca pada masa ini adalah panas dan kadangkala boleh mencecah lebih dari 40 darjah C. Pernah saya teringat semasa di Doha, pernah mencecah suhu 50 darjah C. Dan pada masa itu kalau kita berada di luar, rasa macam Oven.

Pada ketika ini juga la, mulanya cuti sekolah semester semester baru akan bermula pada bulan September nanti, di tambah pula dgn bulan Ramadhan dan selalunya aktivi bisness pun amat berkurangan. Itu la tradisinya.

Dulunya mereka gemar pergi ke negara Eropah dan Amerika Syarikat tapi selepas peristiwa September 11, kebanyakkan mereka telah beralih arah ke Asia Tenggara... Dan Malaysia kini menjadi salah satu destinasinya. Ada juga yang hanya bercuti di sekitar Timur Tengah seperti di Dubai dan Lebanon.

Bagi saya, hari2 summer vacation fasal duduk merantau kan, memandangkan saya berada di Jeddah ni, saya bercadang untuk menziarah tempat-tempat bersejarah di sini. Selain Mekkah dan Madinah, saya pernah ke Taif iaitu kawasan tanah tinggi yang mirip Cameron Highland di Malaysia yang cuacanya agak nyaman berbanding di Jeddah. Saya juga pernah ke Jabal Nuor tempat Rasulullah mendapat wahyu pertama. Saya juga pernah menziarah Arafah, Mina, Muzdaliffah iaitu tempat-tempat jemaah haji menunaikan fardu haji setiap tahun. Di Arafah ada suatu tempat di panggil Jabal Rahmah di mana di katakan tempat pertemuan Nabi Adam dan Hawa setelah berpisah sebaik di turun ke bumi dari syurga.

Perantuan dan penjelajahan kita saya teruskan dan kita saya dan rakan-rakan ingin pula melawat peninggalan sejarah Nabi Saleh dengan kaumnya Thamud yang engkar perintah Allah dan Nabinya. Kaum Thamud di katakan mempunyai kepakaran di dalam pembinaan yang kesan nya masih bisa di lihat hingga kini iaitu di Madian Saleh. Tapi kerana keengkarannya maka allah telah turunkan azab. Untuk penbacaan lanjut sila layar link ini Kisah Nabi Salleh. Moga apa yang berlaku pada umat terdahulu menjadi iktibar pada kita sekarang hendaknya dan Moga allah merahmati kita dan menjauhkan kita dari segala bentuk mala petaka insyallah.. Amin.

Facts of Life to share about trying to make a living abroad

I saw this article and wanted to share with you of some of the predicament of having to face some challenges in living in foreign land....the story is like this..

When one (Expat) leaves his/her country and decides to earn more to increase standard of living. What are his/her expectations?
a) Family Happiness
b) Health & Security
c) Savings
d) Standard Kids Education
Would like to share one of my friend’s experiences in Kingdom. His name is Essa.
Essa was in Sound Job in his home land, planned to move Saudia for Good. He came to Kingdom in mid of 2007 in Average Job. At start, company provided him Visit Visa and promised it will be transferred to Permanent Residency within 3 months with family status.

After 3 months, Company couldn’t arrange visa because of some CR Problems. But they told him to purchase visa (Independent Visa) from his Home Land & they will pay him, once he comes back. He had no other option at that time, so he went back to his country and started the procedure of purchasing Visa. He gave money to one agent and waited for three worst months for visa, but heard every time excuses from the agent. Later on he decided to change agent and asked for money return. Luckily, he received some of money from Agent and applied for Visa by another Agent.
His luck clicked that time partially and got Visa within a week but with the status of Labour. He was not aware that he can’t call family on Labour status. During this painful wait, company did not give him salary and doubted him as Cheater (that he ran away with money). During this 3 and half month, He lost 15 Kg without any Weight Loss Program.

Finally he visited Kingdom and 1st day his boss told him to run away because Labour Office is raiding to check who is working with their sponsor or different one. He started to attend office with fear without any Crime. He got Iqama after 3 months after requesting kafeel (Sponsor) again & again.
Kafeel always charged him for each and every official paper like Driving License Paper, Opening Bank Account paper etc. Because of less dealing skills and financial loss he decided to take transfer and asked company for it. His own company was not having CR and another company was taking care of staff Visas. That Company accepted and told him to get his degree attested from his country and Ministry of foreign affairs in Kingdom, if he wants his family here. He did the same and applied for visa transfer & Occupation change by company. After 4 months, he got transferred but without occupation change because that occupation is not allowed for Expats.

After getting attestation & transfer, still he was helpless but not hopeless. He called his family in 2009 for 1 month Umrah Visa and life little changed only for 1 month. He also tried for occupation change, but didn’t work because agents asked for handsome money that he couldn’t pay.

In 2010, again his company told him for transfer of visa to another company because of contract with new company. That transfer took 1 Year and in between that time Iqama expired. Now he is waiting for Iqama renew. He couldn’t go for vacation for last 2 years. First thing he is going to do after Iqama renew is FINAL EXIT.
During all that Time Period he suffered from Depression, Anxiety and frustration. But good thing is that he became religious. How many expectations he got from what Expat Wants? Now his wishes are;
a) Get Time Machine and go back to past and change his decisions
b) Pray for 80 years of age, because three and half years have exceeded his age 20 years ahead.