For having endured and enjoyed my first nine months abroad, specifically in Shinas, Sultanate of Oman, I gladly trumpet all the glory and praise to the Almighty! And I would like to step down memory lane to have a glimpse of my success in Oman so far. In my conviction, success in Oman—as I have come to realize in my blossoming teaching career in this nation—largely depends on at least three things: having endured the pangs of homesickness, having surpassed the hundreds of lures of temptations, and having started to establish one’s niche in the workplace. Having endured the pangs of homesickness. This is the first manifestation of my success abroad, and I think every expatriate worker would consider himself/ herself successful if he/she overcame homesickness. The fact that I did not go home two or three weeks after arriving in my host country is definitely commendable. This is because there were some cases broadcast on television where some OFWs decided to pack up their things and leave their dreams staring at them by going home so abruptly. The reason? Homesickness! Having endured the pangs of homesickness for the last nine months is indeed one of the indubitable proofs of success for me. Having endured the long, lonely nights thousands of miles away from my wife and three kids is the best expression of triumph against homesickness. Having surpassed the hundreds of lures of temptations. With homesickness, temptations abound wherever you go abroad…temptations to splurge on gadgets, perfumes and fashionable clothes; temptations to give up on my dreams for my family and go home, and worst, temptations to engage in a clandestine affair. Have I disciplined myself and cast away these temptations? In God’s grace, I did. Rewarding myself with fancy gadgets and accessories is all right as long as I can afford to do so, and of course, with savings left in a bank. If you are tempted by the lures of fancy gadgets like smartphone and tablets, you may end up left in the quagmire of debt. It’s good I have not suffered from this temptation, though I—to reward myself—have also spent a significant amount of my allowances on gadgets. Being able to adapt to my new working environment amidst cultural differences is also commendable. It takes patience and humility to learn the culture of the host country and the culture of the academe you’ve just immersed yourself into. Finally, being faithful to my wife and sparing myself from involvement in a clandestine affair is success in itself, especially so, that it is very much difficult to be alone and endure the pangs of homesickness. It’s good that my propensity to scribble my thoughts in various modes kept this temptation at bay. Thank God. I think hobbies [like writing, FBeying (just an attempt to coin a word), net browsing and watching movies] have been very helpful to me in staying away from this temptation. Having started to establish one’s niche in the workplace. Having gained the trust and respect of my bosses and fellow employees after a few months in my new workplace and after giving my best in whatever tasks accorded me is terrific success. It is like raising the flag of our nation in the host country. I just hope that, with integrity and commitment in the workplace, other successes in the workplace would—Insha’Allah—flow towards my path in the future. By maintaining a pleasant relationship—as much as possible—with all my colleagues, I would hopefully be acknowledged as a friendly co-employee in my workplace. As ‘success’ is a relative term, it may be easy for others to say “I am successful in Oman [or abroad],” without thinking of the three manisfestations of success I tackled. However, for me, ‘ success’ in Oman or elsewhere abroad, could be easily observed if the three manifestations of success I have just dwelt on are evident in their life during their stay in that foreign land. Of course, these manifestations must always be seen from a positive light. Cheers to all successful OFWs! 1/7/14 11:40 pm [edited: 07/07/14] Shinas, Sultanate of Oman 1. Technical Writing demands genuine interest. Learning takes place when we are interested on the subject matter so knowing that Technical Writing will help us in our future job, we have to enkindle our interest again and again.
Genuine friendship endures flaws, it surpasses differences, it thrives on similarities, it fosters understanding, it promotes advancement, it overcomes mood swings, it respects privacy, it provides comfort.
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