Some people ride bicycles for the thrill of it; others trump their pedals for a living, just like the daily grind of pandesal (bread of salt) vendors and ‘padyak’ (three-wheeled bicycle) drivers.
But for Cresilda “Khryss” Serenado, a Filipina nanny in Dubai, her new bicycle would forever remind her that she has a family here, more than 4,300 miles away from her loved ones.
Serenado was one of our few compatriots who have sent awe-inspiring stories and experiences with their employers through The Filipino Times Facebook.
The 11-year nanny in the UAE, who hails from Surigao del Sur, counts herself lucky to have found the “sweetest” employers. This year she’s turning three years with them and she couldn’t feel happier, she said.
On the day of her birthday last March 31, the Filipina received an unexpected gift from the Australian family: a pink bicycle.
She told TFT, “My employer blindfolded me and the kids held my hand as they guided my to the garage. I had no idea what it was!”
Her employers also encouraged her to invite her Filipino friends to come over their house and celebrate.
“My employer told me to invite my friends and celebrate my birthday at their house,” she said, adding that, “I was very happy and excited. The whole ground floor was given to me that day.”
She shared TFT that her bosses never made her feel she’s an outsider or a maid. She narrated how they make her feel appreciated in so many ways. But one thing that touches her heart every time is the care and love they have for her. She said, “Madam would alway tell me ‘our house’.
Asked about the gift, Serenado said she uses the bicycle to visit her friends in the neighborhood during day offs—a matter than brings her closer to home.
The gift also inspired Serenado to write a poem titled “Bisekleta”. A part of it reads:
Papadyak ako kahit gaano kalayo,
Babangon ako kahit ilang beses pang matumba,
Tatahakin kahit maalikabok na kalsada,
Dahil sa bawat pagpadyak, kapalit ay katuparan,
Ng isang munting pangarap.
Nothing beats the feeling of being in the Philippines, but for Serenado, serving a family that treats her well motivates her heart to toil hard in what she does, and to brave loneliness.
“Feeling that I belong to their family is already a big help for me to overcome homesickness. Napakalaking bagay ‘yon na pinaramdam nila sa akin that I am special,” she said.
Their lives are pivotal in keeping the wheels of many economies across the globe turns smoothly, including the UAE. Yet, they are the sector that is often, if not entirely, underappreciated. The least they deserve is to be treated with love and kindness.
