I worked in the Middle East for few years —Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the
Emirates… But I actually prefer working in Poland—the salary is better and
the conditions too. In Saudi it was extremely hot, and every now and then
we had sandstorms. That’s where I really learned how important it is to
keep water cool and to drink plenty of it.
These days I spend most of my time at the Orlen power plant, since I
usually work 12 hours a day—sometimes, usually on weekends, 10, or 8.
I like everything about living in Płock—the flowers, the snow, the river, the
woods, the fresh air, and the sun, which isn’t as hot as in the Philippines.
The weather here is so different from what I expected. In the Philippines,
we only have two seasons—summer and rainy—but here there are four:
spring, summer, autumn, and winter. When I saw snow for the first time,
my heart started beating faster. I had to hold back my smile, as if someone
might catch me laughing. I feel so happy every time it snows—I always take
a video of it, something I’ll keep as a memory when I go back to the
Philippines.
I also didn’t expect so many fruits—the apples, cherries, walnuts, grapes,
and so many more. They grow so naturally here; you can just find them on
the trees. Back home, you always have to buy them. And the flowers here—
so beautiful.
My son is the most important person for me, because i see a little me, my
dreams, my strength, my hopes, the reason to be focus.
My prenup picture before our wedding is the most important thing that I
brought to Poland from the Philipinnes. I carry it behind my phone cover
I stay in touch with my closest people mostly through social media—
Instagram, Facebook Messenger. I feel really lucky for the high-tech stuff we
have now, because you can actually see your loved ones face to face. Back
in the ’90s, my dad used to send voice recordings and write letters back and
forth. It’s so sweet when you read those letters—you don’t even realize
when the tears start falling. I also remember the Christmas cards that
played music when you opened them… those are the real treasures.
At first, I was really excited about the snow. But after a few days, I started to
dislike winter—it’s cold, wet, and there’s hardly any sunlight.
The camp is a very boring place to live, and there’s also nothing to do in
Stara Biała—it’s a very quiet place.
I don’t really like living in the camp, but I really enjoy the people around me.
Here we were celebrating my colleague’s birthday. They work in the same
company as I do, and we were sitting just outside the camp.
I want to move to a bigger city in Poland, but this decision depends on the
process of my residence card. I was thinking about moving to Poznań or
Warsaw. I’ve never been there, but from what I see on the internet, these
cities look very beautiful.
Before coming to Poland, I worked in the Middle East and Singapore. I see
myself as the breadwinner of my family. I send money to my mom and my
brothers. I share what I have because they are my family, and family is the
most important thing in the world.
Credits:
Marianna Łoboda