Balikbayan Take-Home: Xtreme MagicSing

When you live abroad, it's a must na may sarili kang karaoke mic sa bahay lol. Aside from personal enjoyment, importante yan kapag may bisita ka sa bahay, pang-entertain kumbaga. Kaya naman ang isa sa agenda ko sa pag-uwi dito sa Pinas this year ay ang makabili ng Magic Sing hehe.

Most of our friends in Edmonton have this already, kaya siyempre nakikigaya kami. Ford and I are not bibo when it comes to karaoke singing, shy kami sa mga tao. Pero kapag kaming dalawa lang, kanta kami ng kanta haha!

Noon pa namin gustong bumili nito kaso nag-apartment lang kami the past 2 years. Sabi namin kapag nagkabahay na lang uli. At eto na nga, nakalipat na kami last November! =)

I knew that there are so many karaoke microphones now but I only wanted to buy in SM. Wala na akong energy na maghanap-hanap pa, saka mas credible for me ang nabibili sa mall kesa Lazada o Shopee.

While waiting for TanTan to finish his train ride in SM Marilao last May 1, ayun nakita ko ito. Yung presyo na lang talaga ang tiningnan ko haha. Less than Php15,000 so pwede na. Wala akong balak bumili ng mahal kasi nga hindi naman nga kami "pro" ng asawa ko sa kantahan.

When I asked the saleslady, parehas lang naman daw halos ang dalawang units na ito, wireless microphone lang yung mahal.  Lalo akong na-convince bilhin yung cheaper syempre. I asked the saleslady about their ongoing promo, less Php1,000 daw plus Php6,000-worth of hotel voucher (sa Ilocos at Baguio nga lang haha!). Then she suggested na sa May 23 daw, may 10% promo ang SM kaya malaking tipid din. Ayos, sabi ko babalik ako.

At syempre kelangan ko munang hingan ng pera ang asawa ko. My mother was volunteering to buy it for us kaso nahihiya na ako. Super dami na niyang gastos sa amin ni TanTan dito eh. Ford initially wanted me to get the cordless one, but I disagreed. Sobrang mahal na kako yun, doble ang halaga tapos "cord" lang ang difference. Ok na kako muna yung mura, we can always buy again next time kung magugustuhan namin.

A few days ago, a saleslady of another brand was convincing me to buy their product. Grand ang tatak (dating Wow daw). Their cheapest unit is more expensive than Magic Sing's so medyo turn-off ako (lol again). Pero medyo ginoogle ko pa rin kung ano ang mas ok. I also even asked a friend in Edmonton kung ano sa tingin niya ang ok based on their experience.

To cut the story short, Magic Sing won. So bumili na nga ako kahapon.

The salespersons were very happy with their sale hehe. Medyo madami nga raw bumibili nung Php14,900 unit lately, dinadala sa abroad. I think most nga ng bumibili ng karaoke microphones ay taga-abroad. Dito kasi Php500 lang ang rental ng videoke machine kapag may handaan so no need to buy your own.

This is the unit that I bought. Less Php500 lang pala ang summer promo nila. Yung Php1,000 discount is for the cordless one.

I only paid a total of Php12, 960. Not bad na rin. Sulit ang paga-antay ko ng May 23 kasi Php1,440 rin ang natipid ko.

And they were not kidding about the hotel vouchers! Meron talaga! The vouchers are valid for a year kaso kung kanino lang nakapangalan. I had the option to have it under a different name kaso sino naman. Kaloka, gusto ko tuloy mag-Baguio haha! Pero I wonder rin kung makakapag-book nga ba ako using these haha. Let's see.

Ayan, one item off my shopping list! Excited na akong gamitin ito kahit na na-info overload ako sa mga instructions na pinagsasabi nung saleslady. Oh well, bahala na ang asawa ko na magset-up nito. We don't have many friends yet in BC at hindi ko alam kung kelan kami magkakabisita sa bahay pero for sure masusulit pa rin ito. =)

Be wary of so-called friends

I honestly miss having friends around. I actually already have two friends here but I seldom see them, kapag may birthday lang. Aside from us living in different cities, I honestly don't think we have common interests. Siguro sobrang taas lang din ng benchmark ko sa friendship. Kasi nga ang saya-saya ng samahang iniwan namin sa Edmonton, hindi talaga ako maka-move on.

Anyway, in one children's party thrown by a friend here, I met this girl who seemed very very nice. May anak din siyang (almost) 3 years old na boy. Nakiupo siya sa amin at nakipagkwentuhan. I instantly liked her. She looked educated, soft-spoken, decent. Gusto ko siyang maging kaibigan talaga.

I later learned na acquaintance lang din siya ng friend ko na host ng party. Nagkakilala lang daw sila sa Toys R Us and my friend invited her to the party. I was surprised, kasi why would she bother to go to a party of someone she barely knows? I mean unlike us, she's fully settled na dito sa Vancouver and I am sure she has family and friends and co-workers here. Hindi siya deprived sa social gatherings. She reasoned na gusto lang din daw niyang maka-attend ng kiddie parties ang anak niya. I accepted that.

Before we parted that night, she asked for my contact number. Sabi ko invite niya na lang ako sa Facebook which she instantly did.

After a few days, she PM'd me para mangumusta. Christmas season noon and I thought she was just being extra friendly. Pero syempre nagtataka na ako kung bakit niya ako mine-message. I believe in the stages of friendship, gradual ang pagdevelop niyan. Wala akong makitang reason para imessage niya ako ng ganun na wala namang specific na dahilan o tanong man lang. Basta plain kumusta lang.

After some time, ayun nangumusta na naman. Papasok daw siya sa office nila. Tapos ayun na nga, nagtanong na rin siya if I know someone who wants to do some part-time work sa bagong office na itatayo ng company nila. Syempre itatanong ko kung ano ba nature ng job niya (and why she can bring her son to work). Brokerage firm daw, tumutulong sa may mga utang sa credit cards, o bumili ng ng bahay, etc.

Ayun, gets ko na! Network pala ang purpose ng pakikipagkaibigan. Kung may kilala daw akong nangangailang ng services nila eh sabihin ko lang. I politely said yes, na irerefer ko sa kanya kapag may kilala ako.

I knew right there and then that I will stop replying to her. Wala rin naman siyang mapapala sa akin. Wala nga akong friends dito sa BC eh, at lalong wala kaming utang sa credit card noh.

Kaya ayan dedma na ako sa kanya kahit panay ang papansin at pangungumusta niya.

Sorry, pero user-friendly talaga ang tingin ko sa kanya. And I refuse to be used.

I can't blame people like her, though. Syempre trabaho nila yan, ang maghanap ng clients. Kaya pala siya nakikipagkilala at nagpupunta sa parties ng mga Pinoy dito eh para makahanap ng contacts.

Siguro nga kailangan ko ng madala haha. Sa edad at puntong ito ng buhay ko at sa lugar na kinalalagyan ko, it will be hard to find quality friendships. Yung genuine at totoo. I have to be contented sa company ng anak at asawa ko kasi kami lang talagang tatlo ang magkakasama dito. I actually felt guilty pa nga kasi bakit ba naghahanap pa ako ng "life" outside our family eh ok naman kami. I have friends naman in Pinas and Edmonton na palagi kong nakaka-chat kung gusto ko ng ibang kausap.

I've subscribed to some Youtube vloggers who are based here in Canada and I realized na hindi naman din sila mabarkada at maraming kaibigan. Palaging silang magpapamilya lang din ang magkakasama. all the time. Ganun naman nga kasi ang buhay dito, trabaho at bahay/pamilya lang.

I am still hoping to find good friends here someday. Pero hindi na ako magmamadali. Dadating yun kung talagang dadating (naks, parang love lang lol!).

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UPDATE -- March 12, 2018

I brought Nathan to Central City's play area last Friday, March 8. There was this Filipina with three kids na katabi ko na nakipagkuwentuhan sa akin because she heard that I was talking to my son in Tagalog. Talagang mega chika siya sa akin and I was starting to believe na genuinely friendly talaga siya. Kaso after several minutes of talking, ayun I found out na nagpapart-time siya as insurance agent. Waaah! Di pa kasi ako natuto. Talagang nawalan ako ng ganang makipagkwentuhan (kaso nabigay ko na ang phone number ko). Buti na lang nag-aya na rin ang mga anak niya pauwi at saktong dumating din yung friend ko.

Goodbye, Auntie Nen. =(

Ford's 88-year-old aunt passed away yesterday (June 19, 2018 - Philippine time). She recently had a pacemaker insertion and we thought she'll be ok na. Kaso dahil medyo may edad na talaga, marami na ring ibang sakit ang dumapo sa kanya.

Auntie Nen is so special to my husband. She acted like his second mother when he was growing up kasi nga kasama nila sa bahay. She was his math teacher and mentor. Siya nga raw ang favorite among the nephews and nieces.

December 2016

If there's one thing I regret, it's that Nathan and I weren't able to visit her during our 5-month stay in Pinas. She was looking for Nathan daw. Kaso they live in Luna, La Union and I don't go there without Ford kasi nga ang layo. Hindi ko kayang dalhin ang bata doon mag-isa. Wala na rin kasing tao masyado sa probinsya, my immediate family-in-law are all based abroad. Kaya walang maga-aasikaso sa amin doon, given na may sakit na nga si Auntie Nen. Siya na lang kasi ang naiwan mag-isa sa ancestral house nila (with some helpers, of course).

Sayang nga, she passed away just merely 10-days after namin umalis ng Pinas. Sana nandoon kami to pay our last respects.

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Anyway, my husband is in a dilemma. Uuwi ba siya ng Pilipinas o hindi? There's a part of him na gustong-gustong umuwi (lalo na at tinawag ang name niya bago mamatay nang makita pa namin sa Facetime), pero given our current situation, parang hindi feasible. Ang daming dapat i-consider eh:

BUDGET -- Ang mahal ng plane ticket na mabilisan. Mahina ang Ca$1,600 (o Php65,000) kung uuwi siya. Idagdag pa ang additional expenses like airport parking (for at least a week), expenses sa Pinas, contribution sa hospital bills and burial, etc. Aabutin siguro ng around Ca$3,000 (Php120,000). To be honest, dati madali lang sa aming gastusin ang ganyang amount. Pero dahil kabibili lang namin ng bahay at maraming naka-ambang gastos sa mgas susunod na buwan, malaki na iyon. Sobrang bigat, actually.

VACATION LEAVE -- Isa pa ito sa major concern kapag kailangang umuwi ng Pinas agad-agad -- may leave credits ka pa ba at/o papayagan ka ba ng boss/company mo? Sa case ni Ford, madali lang para sa kanya ang magpaalam (yung mga bosses na yata niya ang pinaka-compassionate employers sa mundo) pero he was alloting sana all his remaining leaves sa paglipat namin sa bahay. Medyo matagal din kasi maghakot at magsettle sa new house kaya kailangan niya umabsent ng matagal-tagal kasi wala naman kaming ibang aasahang tutulong sa amin. With a very clingy toddler, malamang siya lang ang gagawa ng bulk ng trabaho by that time.

By the way, may 3-day bereavement leave dito sa Canada pero it only applies to deaths of immediate family members eh.

LONG AND TIRING TRAVEL TIME -- We need at least 24-hours para makauwi sa Pinas (including na yung commuting time to/from airport, waiting times, plane rides, layovers, etc.). Mas matagal pa ang kakailanganin niya since sa La Union siya uuwi at malamang walang susundo sa kanya kasi nga nasa probinsya na lahat ng tao. So we're seeing na 3-4 whole days lang siya sa Pinas tapos babalik na sa Canada. Tapos back to work na rin agad. Talagang parusa sa katawan yun.

SOME FAMILY CONCERNS -- I am actually hesistant na payagan siyang umuwi kasi natatakot ako maiwan dito mag-isa with Nathan. I am useless here, if something happens, matutulala lang ako. I also feel so alone here, pakiramdam ko wala akong ibang maaasahan in case of emergency. Buti sana kung nasa Edmonton pa kami at maraming kaibigan. Saka physically, hindi ko kaya si Nathan mag-isa ng 24/7. By body is too weak at mentally, nakakabaliw kapag kaming dalawa lang. Kaya sobrang takot din ang asawa ko na iwan kami (haha) kasi kawawa daw ang anak niya dahil baka masigawan ko lang pag na-stress ako.

Pero dahil ayokong maging KJ, I told Ford that he could go. I told him that the decision is up to him. Tingin ko gusto nya rin umuwi dahil uuwi ang parents at sister niya from California. Yung brother niya from Qatar, nagpa-plano rin. Ang sabi ko lang sa kanya, timbangin niya nang maayos. Wag kakong magpa-peer pressure (lol) kasi iba-iba naman ang circumstances ng mga tao.

His grandmother passed away in May (2014) and he was able to decide to go home kaagad kasi nga madali that time. I was pregnant with Nathan that time at thankfully nasa second trimester na kaya I was feeling better. Tapos nasa Edmonton pa kami noon, marami kaming kaibigan na matatakbuhan. Wala ring problema sa budget kasi talagang settled na kami that time with a house na hindi kasing laki ang mortgage ng tulad ng magiging mortgage namin dito sa BC.

Hay, ito talaga ang isang malungkot when you are living abroad. Hindi ka basta-basta makakauwi kung may mga ganitong pangyayari. Naexperience ko na ito when my grandfather naman died in October 2014. I wasn't able to go home kasi nga manganganak na ako.

Anyway, whatever the husband decides, alam ko naman na maiintindihan yun ni Auntie Nen.