My experience was nothing compared to others, but it was a distressing eye-opener.
Our culture has an absurd notion.
We believe that “working overseas is a solution to poverty and a threshold to a better off life”.
I had the same thought years ago until I started working overseas.
Working overseas is seen as a promising and lucrative option for a better living considering the high cost of living reflected in our country’s economic plight. One cannot take for granted the opportunity to work overseas and I am one of them.
On my first week in a foreign land, my housemates encouraged me to join them. They called it a part-time job. I thought, “Why not?”. So I began to envisage the three to four hours work such as store cashiering or nanny like I used to see in the movies.
The day of the part-time job, they asked me wear a black skirt and white blouse. At past four in the afternoon, we were off and minutes later we entered the parking area. The security guards asked for our signature in a piece of paper and we headed inside the building.
Later that night, my idea of part-time job crumpled. We worked as errand waitress. I helped set-up the table with all the cutleries and table skirtings. I served the ladies event with table plates, so big and heavy that I had to rest it in my right shoulder and carry it in two hands.
After the event, we cleared and cleaned the ballroom and then wiped all the newly washed cutleries, glasses and plates. We were standing the entire night as we were not allowed to sit.
We reached home at past five in the morning. I lied down, hanged my legs in the headboard until I dozed off. When I woke up, I could barely bend my legs and all parts of my body were aching.
I phoned my Mum. While sharing my first tormenting job, tears rolled in my eyes. I felt an intense pity to myself. Why I had to suffer like this when I could have a descent and comfortable life back home?
After that, I never worked again as part-time.
My experience was nothing compared to others but it was a distressing eye-opener. Back home you will observe how the family of an overseas worker enjoys a comfortable life, lovely home, children in expensive schools, and latest pricey toys, mobiles phone and electronic gadgets. The family doesn”t know the intangible cost of the sacrifices of expatriate workers who are working long hours, celebrating the forlorn Christmas Eve and birthday occasions and missing the milestone of their love ones such as graduation, christening, first walk, recitals and more.
All is sacrificed for the sake of their love ones.
At the same time, we also tolerate recruitment agencies back home to be richer as they find their financial wealth stored in every single soul hoping to land a job abroad. We have no choice but to pay the agencies hefty fees in return for an opportunity to work overseas and for a lifetime chance to offer better financial assistance to our family.
Sometimes it is more than just the hefty fees.
Piece of land is sold. Properties are pawned. Other siblings are asked to take a break from school until one of the family members manages to find a job overseas. These emblematic stories of sacrifice and risk become typical for anyone who wishes to move and to work overseas.
The big fat lie of “working overseas as a solution to poverty and a threshold to a better off life” remainsuntainted until one will experience the life of working abroad.
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