Saudi Youth Attitude

I have lived and worked in Saudi for a few years (obviously, hehehe see the blog title). And I always, OK, most of the time, read the entry of Rasheed Abou-Alsamh, his Manila Moods, or his blog. His entry today is about the laziness of Saudi youth, and to quote him:

" Another Saudi colleague reinforced the lazy characterization of many Saudis by telling me that when she went to the Durrat al-Arous beach resort near Jeddah for five days recently, most of the Saudis there slept the whole day, rising only at 4:30 p.m. to have their first meal of the day at 5 p.m."

All I can say is that, he is right. I have seen lots of them. I have been asking myself, what if they do not have oil? What I mean is, there is more to life than sleeping all day long, or bullying you're maid, or having the most oil, hehehe.

Many people enjoy gardening, for example. Or cooking, washing dishes, or cleaning the kitchen.

But in fairness, some of the best Saudi guys I worked with are those that have been overseas, or educated there. Best, I mean is hard working, always on time, and understands the word "quality" and "respect".

So, I guess to change the culture of the Saudi youth, and because the Saudi Government has lots of money - they should send more and more of their youth overseas, to widen their world view and to change their attitudes, in general (whatever that means).

Self Assessment

I was reading my old posts (now around 200), and I have come across one of my posts in 2005 that somehow made me ask my self, "eh..nasaan na ako, ngayon?" I am not showing off, pang-mahirap lang itong buhay ko that is posted here. I just want to compare my life noon, ngayon, and where I am going. OK, here is the post.

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" Saturday, November 19, 2005
Working in Saudi Arabia

I have been working in Saudi Arabia for a total of 18 months and 20 days now. I have been on official vacation to the Philippines twice. That 18 months was not straight, I first came here on a tourist visa, which my sponsor kept on extending 2 months at a time. That was in 2003, my stay during this period lasted for 9 months. Tapos umuwi ako sa Pilipinas and was jobless for 10 months. But my sponsor called me in October last year (while I was looking for a job) to return here, if I was interested, kaya bumalik ako dito dahil wala akong makitang trabaho sa Pilipinas. Sabi ko sa sarili ko “nobody wants to hire me in the Philippines”. Ngayon, all in all 18 months and 20 days na akong nakikipagsapalaran dito.

Ano ba na-achieve ko sa pag-a-abroad?

a. I was able to send to college two of my nieces. I call them “my scholars”.

b. Nakabili ako ng dalawang MCH (Motor Cab for Hire), ito ang tawag sa aming probinsya. The boundary of these two MCH is 600 pesos a day, which my “scholars are managing”, they get their expenses, tuition etc. from the MCH, and they deposit the boundary money, after expenses to my account weekly. Kaya kumikita pa rin ako kahit nandito ako sa Saudi.

c. I was able to employ 4 people. One MCH has two drivers (isa sa gabi at isa sa araw), kaya literally, four families are dependent on that small livelihood I created out of my savings here in Saudi.

d. I was able to buy four hectares of land planted with coconuts and rice. It is managed by one family (katiwala), on my behalf. The proceeds are given to my mother, which she also deposits to my account.

e. I was able to provide agricultural loans to 6 rice farmers during my vacation last month. They pay interest during harvest (2x a year) at on going rate of 8 sacks of palay per 10,000 pesos loan. I am expecting 300 sacks of palay as interest per year. Pag maging maganda ito, I will expand it to enable me to earn an interest of 2000 sacks of palay per year.

f. I was also able to buy a 300 sqm lot in the city.

g. I planted 20 mango and, 100 mahogany and narra trees during my vacation last month.

Paano ko nagawa ito?

I save every riyal and halala. Hindi ako bumili ng mamahaling cellphone, hindi rin ako bumili ng mga alahas at ginto, I limit my calls to the Philippines, at hindi rin ako kumakain ng mga masasarap, at hindi rin ako bumili ng sasakyan dito. In others words, sa pagiging kuripot, at sa pagsasakrispisyo.hehehe.

Ano pa ang plano ko?

May isang taon pa ako dito (until September 2006) sapat na panahon para makapag-ipon ng pera pampagawa ng bahay ko at pambili ng sasakyan ko (pick-up truck). Ang tira ay gagawin kong capital sa balak kong farming business.

I have simple dreams. And I plan to live a simple, comfortable life. Bow! "

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That post was on November 2005. It is now August 2007 (obyus, ba?, hehe). Where am I now?

1. I did not finish my contract, umuwi ako in June 2006. Although I had a return ticket and VISA, hindi na ako bumalik, iniwan ko ang iba kong gamit doon including my TV, Ref, and some personal effects. I have been jobless for the past 14 months now.

2. One of the scholars is now a graduate and working, the other one is in 3rd year college. I have added two more "scholars".

3. The MCHs are doing fine, and I have added, not MCH anymore, but Multicabs (discussed on one of the post here). So, I have more drivers now.

4. My agri loans had been a lucrative business, I am close to earning a thousand sacks of palay on interests alone per cropping. I made sure that it grew by at least 400 sacks per year, and will continue growing in the months and years ahead.

5. The lots have become 4.

6. The trees are growing and doing fine. I am planting more.

7. The addition to this, was the income developed over several months from blogging. My current income from blogs is enough to pay the bills, and more!

So? Am I going back abroad? Ewan ko, wala pa akong balak. Will I be searching for a formal job? Ewan ko din, I am doing fine blogging (seriously) katamaran ko lang ang kalaban ko, hehehe.

I am currently living on our old house, which means, hindi pa ako nakapagpapagawa (sa 2009 pa ang balak ko), at hindi pa ako nakakabili ng pick-up truck (May 2008 pa ang balak ko).

PS: Prior to my Saudi stint in 2003, no assets or business was on my name. Fact was my utang pa ako noon, which means, my net worth at that time was in the negative. At least nagbago narin ngayon. I know mabagal ang progress ko - but at least I am doing it honestly,with a lot less pressure, and with a lot of charity works on the side, hehehe.

This is all for now.

Self Help

I posted on this blog that I get depressed, particularly the day after a night of heavy drinking. And when I am on this state, I searched the internet for self help and inspirational sites that I could read. Reading somehow helps in improving the bleak mood that I am in. Also, when I need to know certain things that I am shy to ask from friends about – I go to Google and search whatever it is that I need to know.

In many occasions, I had been helped a lot by various sites. It cannot be denied that I, one time or another, searched about: Millionaire Mindset, Loving Relationships, Business Management, Start a Business, Stress Relief, Anger Management, Dating Tips, High Blood Pressure, and Weight Loss & Dieting among other information.

In looking for good sites, there is one called Self-help Vocaboly that has comprehensive information about all sorts of self help topics. The articles on this site are written on a very easy to understand English, and the site is not cluttered with pop ups and other ads.

US Subprime jitters

So, what should we do amidst the US subprime jitters?

I think it is just the tip of the iceberg. Everybody knows its going to hit the fan sooner than later, it is thus, fitting, to call it crisis, than just jitters. Which means more funds will fall, and that stocks and currencies will fluctuate in the coming days and weeks than usual.

Locally, stocks will go lower in the coming days and weeks, and there is more room for the peso to depreciate. From 45, I am now saying it is going to hover around 50 for everybodys benefit: from OFWs, to our exporters, and to the Pinoys dependent on the dollars sent to them by Pinoys overseas. Besides, the government already acquired so much dollars cheaply when it was at 45, and paid many debts. This is the best e.g. ideal arrangment that we could have. But as Murphy says "Nothing seems easy as it looks, and it will take longer than expected......"

So?

For now, I would say, get out, be wary, be careful, and watch out.

Stairlift

My friend, whose grandmother lives in his house, told me that she just stays on their second floor because the grand old lady is finding it difficult to go down the stairs. Why?..you know..the typical rheumatism, and arthritis which hits people when they reach their 60’s and up.

So what is he going to do with his grandmother so he can go around more easily in their house? I told him, he does not have to repair his house to put in an elevator or escalator since his house is not too huge, hehehe, otherwise people will talk about it, apart from being too expensive. I suggested that he can try putting in a stairlifts – a much simpler approach. A stairlift is a mechanical device for lifting people and wheelchairs up and down stairs….just that! He does not have to complicate things, and he can bought them cheaply and install them easily.

O diba?

Calicoan: the next Boracay?

How do you wish you where there first, before the boom comes? What I mean is, how would you wish to be able to invest in Boracay, 30 years ago, when it was cheap then? Or bought Google shares on its first day of trading? Yeah...I know Google is too far off as an example...where talking here about resorts and real state.

OK there is a chance, not in Boracay but in Calicoan. This island will probably be the next Boracay in the Visayas.

On the news:

Tacloban City (PIA) (August 12) -- A sanctuary of privacy and indulgence highlighted by tropical landscape and surrounded by the relaxing sound of the ocean – this is how Calicoan Beach and Surfing Resorts, which was launched on August 10, will win the hearts of local and international tourists.

Calicoan Island boasts of miles of white sand beaches. With powerful swells rolling in from the Pacific over the 10,000 meters Philippine Deep, Calicoan is a surfer's paradise.

The rich diversity of the area is evident when one sees the exotic species being sold. The surrounding waters support several marine based industries such as fish, seaweed, and pearl farming.

In the middle of the island are six lagoons ringed by forest, the largest being 30 hectares in size. At the cliffside margin of Calicoan's forests are dozens of caves. On the northern tip of Calicoan are wetlands like the Everglades , teeming with fish, shrimp, and crabs.

The Calicoan Island Resorts which covers an area of 11,163 square meters or more than 11 hectares, will soon start development, as announced by Mr. Timothy Brumlick, a director of the Calicoan Island Resort Development Corporation.

Designed by Citibase Development, Inc., in conjunction with C.D. Arguelles and Associates, the Calicoan Island Resorts will soon start construction at the scenic Calicoan Island in Guiuan, Eastern Samar, facing the ground swell and wind wave Pacific Ocean on one side and the placid and flat Leyte Gulf waters at the west side, Department of Tourism Regional Office 8 Director Karina Rosa Tiopes informed.

The $150-160M resort will have the largest pool in the Philippines and will feature an eight storey 240 rooms with balconies, a casino, a medical clinic for cosmetic surgery, a sports complex and 20 private villas, functional homes in two sizes, and other Entertainment facilities.

With the road networks of the entire resort area and the drainage systerm and water facilities already ongoing, and the communication cellsites of Globe and Smart which will start soon, the construction of the hotel will start early January 2008 and two years after, the resort will already be ready to accept tourists.


Photo courtesy of http://www.real-estate-ph.com

Land Title (TCT) and Tax Declaration

I am not sure if its my lucky day, but events like this excites me, hehehe. What is it? I just got a text message: Sir: ur TCT and Tax Declaration are ready, please pick them up. And another text message: Sir: can we see the lot you are selling?hehehe.

I posted a few weeks back that I bought cabs and lands. I never thought that processing the Transfer Certificate of Title and Tax Declaration would be this fast, hehehe.

Hay...I will buy another parcel of land adjacent to this land that I just bought on November when my cash flow is expected to improve.I have to, and will.

Why? Because I realized that the more assets that you have, the more agencies would provide you with loans. If you present a land title somewhere else as guarantee, most likely, the loan that you are seeking would be granted. It means, with a single pot of cash, you can actually own lands (with a little bit of foresight) in a pyramiding way - only that your loans would be astronomical, hehehe. What am I talking about?

Buy a piece of land, use it to get a loan, and use the loan proceeds to buy another land, and use it again to obtain a loan, and use again the loan proceeds to buy land, while advertising to sell lands in between this transactions. The important part of this activity are the profits in between, and you must be able to sell lands as fast as you acquire them. Mark up price? I dont know yet...but I am contemplating of 20 to 30% hehehehe.

Hay...hirap kumita ng pera.

Tractors and Increasing Food Production

I have been to my farm and engage farmers in discussions how to improve their incomes and change their lives. After the discussions, I felt that the farmers just lack prodding from the government, lack government support, and lack government assistance. My observations:

Since, EV is mostly planted with coconuts, areas down the coconut trees are mostly vacant and not planted with anything. Farmers say, these vacant areas are less productive because of the shade provided by the coconut fronds, but still it could be planted. Their problem is that, they are still using Carabao to till these lands, hence planting these areas is difficult. Their suggestions, is that, if the government, can provide "tractors" to till these lands on a rental basis - then it would be faster, economical, and most farmers can increase their productivity by 30%. They can plant these vacant areas with sweet potato, cassava, vegetables, cocoa, among others. Also, the tilling of the land under the coconut trees would increase coconut production.

But how would the farmers afford a "tractor" when its costs is around the cost of a Pajero? Farmers say, 1 tractor can be used by the whole village (around 100 farmers), and that each farmer are willing to pay rent and gasoline everytime they use the tractor. Eventually the rentals, after maintenance cost, would eventually pay the cost of the tractor. Farmers say a tractor can till the land, what 20 farmers can till in a day! Without the food cost for 20 farmers etc. and the effort of 20 carabaos which means tilling these farm lands would be a lot cheaper (probably by as much as 70% cheaper)!

So where would the initial capital outlay be sourced from? I suggest, that the government should order the farming villages to use their IRA to buy a "tractor" for community use. This simple order from the government would help improve food production and livelihood of our farmers. This would be great, if the these are coupled with seeds and fertilizers among other farm inputs.

By doing this - farmers now can till vast areas for planting with just a "rental" and gasoline cost. Also, a job would be created in every village by way of an "operator-driver" of the tractor. Farmers without caraboas and plow can now till their land at minimal cost.

Currently the IRAs which is around 300 to 400K per village are being used to construct basketball courts, halls, waiting sheds, etc. which are mostly non- productive.

Photo courtesy of www.deere.com.