Passionately M

  Jane, (not her true name), lived and worked in the vibrant UAE for many years. Like many, she relied on credit facilities for various needs, being the major financial provider of the family in the Philippines.  However, life can take unexpected turns. A job loss when the company closed and some challenges faced by some family members, coupled with her unforeseen health issues, left her in a precarious financial situation, struggling to make ends meet. Years passed, and while she always intended to resolve her debts, circumstances kept her from doing so. Recently, she was contacted by a third-party debt collection agency regarding a very old credit card debt. What followed was not a professional attempt at resolution, but a relentless and deeply distressing experience that I feel compelled to share, hoping it sparks a much-needed handling of debt collection practices and the human cost involved. The Pressure Cooker Tactics The agency's approach was far from empathetic. Despit...

Sometimes you find yourself in the middle of nowhere, and sometimes in the middle of nowhere, you find yourself.  I do not know who wrote this. I remember watching a movie on chaos -- chaos, then peace. Nowhere in the middle or middle of nowhere, both seem apply to me, but I find peace, and in peace, I find myself. Forty days ago, I moved into my new room. After nearly eight (8) years in my old landlady’s two (2)  flats, it feels strange — like breaking in a new pair of shoes. There’s a mix of excitement and awkwardness, but mostly, it’s about learning to adjust -- again (I thought I am used to it). My young landlord and his wife? Incredibly kind. They check in on tenants and actually listen when we need something. My flatmates are polite and easy to live with. There’s no laundry timetable, no silly fights over washing time. I can wash clothes anytime, day or night — Monday to Sunday. I love that, because it means no smelly pile of clothes waiting for “my turn.” The only catch...