Sarap dam'hin sa kalooban
Ang bawa't leriko't melodiya
Puso ko'y napaluha habang
Sumasabay sa pag-awit...bro paul pruel
Ikaw Ang Pag-ibig (Karaoke)
Composed by Kuya Daniel Razon
YouTube Uploader: Christian Music
One of Paul's most memorable moments during his vacation last May 4 to June 16, 2010. Bonding with my family, friends, and relatives was his priority.
It is exactly equivalents to 28 years, seven months and fifteen days - his wife Imelda has enjoyed life with him and with their three lovely and loving children. For more than 28 years, they have enjoyed a married life full of beautiful dreams for the future ahead. They have never fought or have shouted at each other. But sad to say, Paul's wife has already gone on the 24th of July 2015.
Paul still remembers the happiness he felt when Imelda delivered their first baby angel which was a boy on October 16, 1987. They gave him the name Jeffrey. However, in his nine months on this planet, the boy died. And it took Paul and Imelda almost a year on mourning.
But the good news followed when in April 1989, Imelda conceived their second baby which was a girl and she delivered her on December 5, 1989. They gave her the name Fe. And in 1991, November 21, again the couple welcomed another baby girl, they gave her the name Khar and again they received another blessing from the Almighty, Imelda has again conceived another angel and has delivered her on December 30, 1992, and they gave her a name Joy. She was the last angel Imelda has conceived before she expelled her last breath on July 24, 2015.
Imelda left Paul behind and her three loving children with her love and those beautiful memories of hers and her bereaved family will always cherish them as time passes by. (To be continued in part 15).
It was Nourah of Arab Newspaper, the first person who encouraged Paul to blog. Also, it was her pushed him to pursue his plan to study Journalism and Short Story writing courses with the Writers Bureau in Manchester, London in 1999-2000 by mail and with the ICS - International Correspondence School in Pennsylvania, the USA in 2000-2001 also by mail - during those years, he was working with Kawasaki Helicopter (S.A.) Limited as an account analyst - owned by Sheik Abed-Leilah Kaki of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia for the period from March 23, 1994, to April 30, 2012.
On January 31, 1999, he wrote a letter and sent it off to the editor-in-chief of Arab Newspaper - Mr. Khaled A. Al-Maeena for Nourah Alkhereiji whom he mistakenly addressed as Big Mister.
His letter reads, "Hundreds of thousands of OFWs have loved, saluted and commended Nourah for his dedication to writing such exposes, to edify readers to know behind the perception, disregarding any race". It was approximately 22-year passed from the day Paul wrote the draft.
He thought Nourah was a guy. His daring exposes re "Mutawwas give self a new role" as they loved to impose the law - mandated in the prevention of vices and promoting virtues in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Arab Newspaper published the said article written by Nourah on January 30, 1999.
Arab Newspaper - an English language newspaper in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
After a week, gaiety filled Paul's heart - he received a letter from Mr. Tarik Alkhereiji - the brother of Nourah telling him that Mr. Al-Maeena, the editor-in-chief of Arab Newspaper forwarded the letter to Nourah. He said his sister wanted to thank him for his encouraging letter and she wanted to point out too - that mistake Paul had in referring to his sister Nourah as big Mister.
Immediately, Paul replied to his letter. He explained to him what caused his mistake. A few days later, Paul received again another letter from Mr. Tarik telling him that his sister has understood it, the reason why Paul made that mistake.
That mistake Paul made addressing Nourah as a big Mister has pushed him to write more and more.
With the help of the Internet, Paul started to look for an online group where he could exchange ideas with all the members of the group. In 2000, he started to create his personal blog at Blogger.com.
Of course, love is his other reason why he would write. Like Nourah Alkhereiji - who loves to write about anything that interests her even the English language is not her language according to his brother Tarik - most of her news articles were written in her Arabic language. Nourah is a daring and competent writer that the Arab Newspaper must be proud of. Wish she can read this piece - Paul's simple way to say "Thank You".
Like Nourah, Paul could write too because he has love in his heart. He has the desire to become a writer too, someday. Because of love, his interest to write about anything and everything that he mostly liked and loved is growing every day. (To be continued in part 14)
While working, Paul also has devoted his time to writing poems, essays, articles, and stories of different subjects and themes. Paul found them interesting hobbies, especially during his spare time. Also, he found them as the best medicines and effective ways to fight homesickness. Most of his poems "mga Tula" were written in the Pilipino language.
Below are sample of Paul's poem collections with subjects and themes are about life and some political issues happening on his country, namely:
Hiyaw Ni Juan Dela Cruz
Panaghoy ni Inang-Bayan
Isang Mundo Nilikha Ng Tao
Gusto Mo Ng Masayang Buhay
Balimbing Ko'y Hitik Na Ng Bunga
Mas Mahal Pa Sa Diyamante’t Ginto
Ngiti at Kaway sa Darating na Halalan
Mga Anak-Pawis Ay Simbolo Ng Lakas at Katapatan
Dapat Bang Maglimos O Hindi Sa Pulubing Kaawaawa
Sa alaala ng dating Dean Felicitas Balino, Leyte Colleges, Tacloban
Manunulat ng tula nais palaganapin ang Wkang Pambansa - featured on Pinoy Xtra
On January 4, 2009, the Editor of Pinoy Xtra, Arab News Mr. Rodolfo C, Estimo Jr. has featured Paul in their newspapers. Pinoy Xtra is 8 pages - its contents are written in the Pilipino language about life, adventures, and other things important to the Filipinos in the Middle East and around the globe. Pinoy Xtra is printed every Sunday with the English Arab Newspapers in the Kingdom.
This is a free eight pages provided by Arab Newspapers to its Filipino readers. These Tagalog newspapers are accepting contributions like poems, personal stories, news stories, business stories from Filipino writers and OFWs (Overseas Filipino Workers) from around the world.
Paul said that Arab Newspapers - the number one English Newspapers in the Kingdom was the first to publish some of his letters to the Editor that started in 1994. And he has become one of the contributors of Pinoy Xtra since its inception in 2004. And he has already published several poems or mga Tula, letters to Editor, and other Editorial pieces under the names Paul Pruel and Paulino O. Pruel. He said that both Arab Newspapers and Pinoy Xtra have inspired him to continue his writing hobby not only in print but also in online writing.
Pinoy Xtra is a free eight pages provided by Arab Newspapers to its Filipino readers
Aside from Pinoy Xtra and Arab Newspapers, the Editor of an online website the OFWGuide.com has also featured Paul as Bayani Rin Ako! Featured OFW entitled: Things Get Better and Better. It was featured on May 20, 2009. The story was about Paul's first 15 years in the desert. If interested to read the above story - you may visit the site and look for "Things Get Better and Better". It is still available on their website.
I quote what Paul's message for the million OFWs in the world said,
"Alam natin kung bakit tayo ay nangibang bansa - iyon ay di lamang para sa ating mga sarili kungdi para sa ating mga minamahal na naiwan sa Pinas, ang mabigyan sila ng magandang buhay at kinabukasan. Huwag hayaan na madaig tayo ng homesickness at panghinaan ng loob. Maraming tukso sa ating paligid, pero labanan natin sila. Laging magdasal. Higit sa lahat mahalin natin kung anuman ang trabaho ang mayroon tayo ngayon." (To be continued in part 13)
As recorded in Paul's journal, he said that it is vitally important too to learn the language of the host country - this is needed especially for immigrant workers when talking to people of that country who cannot speak the English language.
It was around 10 AM on June 11, 2011, when one of Baladiyah personnel (a Saudi national) arrived at Paul's place – a showroom of home decors and other home accessories where he was working with. Paul was managing this showroom for a couple of years since it started on March 23, 2008.
The building where Paul was occupying was divided into two showrooms - separated by some concrete and gypsum board walls. Each showroom was selling different stuff. The showroom where Paul was working was for antique decors and other home accessories. The other showroom was for building instruments and other measuring tools.
The owners of these showrooms were Saudi nationals - they were brother and sister. The licenses for these showrooms were conjoined into one document with each specification approved by Baladiyah Department. This department was responsible for the issuance of licenses like business licenses, building construction licenses, and other licenses in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
When the Baladiyah guy asked Paul about the license of the showroom where he was working, he had nothing to show off to him instead, Paul had explained that the person who was keeping it was on the other side - so the Baladiyah representative asked Paul to call the person. And Paul asked the other salesman from the other showroom to speak to the Baladiyah guy in Arabic. Following Paul's request, his friend started the conversation with the Baladiyah representative.
After a while, Paul's friend explained to him what the Baladiyah guy wanted and said, “The showroom where Paul is working should have its own license because this is a different showroom. Otherwise, this will be closed.” In addition to it, the Balladiah guy started writing a document in Arabic language using their Baladiyah letterhead. Thereafter, he requested Paul to affix his signature on the document.
Arabic-Baladiyah Letterhead
Of course, Paul has no intention to object to what the guy wanted him to do. Although when Paul asked him to translate it first to him in the English language what he has written on the document, the guy quickly replied in his Arabic language and was translated to English by Paul's friend said, "You’re not American to request such English translations for this Writings!”
That very moment, Paul has raised his voice as his reaction without thinking that he was talking to a person who does not speak English. Paul said, “My friend, why I should have to affix my signature in the document when I could not understand what was written there. I asked you to explain to me but you can’t. I don’t affix my signature to any document if the language used is not clear to me.”
Paul further said, “It's better to refer you to our office here in Riyadh or leave the document to me and I would send it off immediately to my boss for his decision and action.” That followed the Baladiyah guy had decided to leave the place and their conversation ended up but leaving the document to Paul without Paul's signature.
After that incident, Paul immediately photographed the document and sent it off to his boss who at that time was in Jeddah by attaching it with the email he wrote with some explanations about what the Baladiyah guy has suggested.
When Paul got home that night, what the guy said was popping up into his head the whole night and Paul realized that language variations make people different and can cause headaches too. But the real problem Paul has encountered on that day - he was not American! (To be continued in part 12)
Since malice among youths starts at a young age, teaching about sex education is a necessity – to avoid the young ones indulging in premarital sex at an early age. Teenagers' lives are crucial because this is the time when they are attracted to the opposite sexes. Here sex education is a good move for children and teenagers to let them fully understand the meaning of their being.
Young ones need to be educated early about sex to become aware and to become more responsible in dealing with this matter. Teaching about sex education should start at home but parents should refrain from using the word sex to avoid any malicious meanings that the word may transport to young minds. They can use synonyms for it such as male and female gender, femininity, manhood, manliness, masculinity, sexuality, womanhood, womanliness, and many more.
Some people said that sex is the ultimate expression of love and no amount of education could change a person’s sexual behavior, particularly that of the sexually active youth. As a father, Paul objected to it. Paul is not here to tell the world that what he is sharing with everyone should be accepted. He knows, of course, everyone has his own right for his views and opinions and they should be respected.
In Paul's journal - he has recorded an event. Paul was a first-year high school stud at that time. One of his female classmates who was also his age had become the apple of everyone’s eyes. She was beautiful with black long hair down her back. She smiled beautifully with a dimple on her cheeks. One of Paul's male classmates was attracted to her. He courted her and showed his love for the girl. And in a short of time, they became young lovers. Now the problem started. Three months before finishing the school year – the young girl got pregnant. These young lovers became the hot subject in their school that caused them to be expelled out. Now Paul asks: Who will suck the problem?
For Paul, sex education is a healthy move. If parents become too hesitant to talk openly to their children about sex and just let their children learn about it by themselves – there will be more unwed mothers who are only in their teens. And maybe more abortions could be expected. Having sexual urges at this young age with their shallow knowledge of the cause and effects of replicating acts they saw on adult DVDs, could result in unwanted babies and sometimes deadly diseases. In this world of high technology, nothing can be hidden from children and teenagers.
Paul considers High School as the most interesting phase of school life. At this stage, new things and experiences are to be explored and to be enjoyed by young students. Also on this stage is the hot point for them to start to attract the opposite sexes. Paul still remembers his favorite subject biology that includes the parts and functions of the human body. He learned from that subject that red blood cell is formed of molecules. Paul also studied the five sense organs. He considered them as the most interesting part of the biology subject. He has learned about the power of eyes for sight or vision which many poets described as the gates for the souls but Paul described them as the gates for the sins. The eyes are the first to see and perceive things before sending them into the mind or brain.
Paul also learned about the power of ears for hearing or audition. He learned that ears are responsible to detect the vibrations of any sound through an avenue such as air. Inside the ear is a section responsible to ascertain the mechanical motion and other vibrations before sending them to the brain. He also learned about the power of the tongue for taste and the power of the mouth to bite, to eat, to drink, and to speak. He learned that it is the responsibility of the tongue to identify and to differentiate sweet from salty, sour from bitter taste.
He also learned about the power of the nose for smell. He learned that it is the responsibility of the nose to detect the different types of odors from sweat, pungent odor from stagnant water, odor from our armpits, odor from decaying animals. The nose can also identify sweet, salty, sour, and bitter. He also learned about the sense of touch. He learned that hands and fingers are not only responsible for this sense. Tongue, mouth, skin, nails, and hair can also be used for touch. Paul insisted that these five sense organs are our physiological capacities that provide inputs for perception and they are useful for our sex life and education.
Paul believes that the best teachers ever produced in the world to teach the offspring are the parents either they are biological parents or adoptive parents. The parents should be the first to draw the actions to teach the children about life and their sexuality and it will start at home. But parents find it hard to explain sex to their children when they begin asking questions.
Most of the time parents often let their children learn about it by themselves. If the parents detest doing their part in their children's exploration for such a delicate matter their friends might feed the meaningless with complication and possible undesired conclusions. Sex here is not only about sexual acts. It regards also all the aspects of life and its existence as a human being. Sometimes parents forgot that they are the first people in the world to cherish their children that moment they arrived in their lives.
According to Paul when their first child arrived, he was also inside the delivery room when his beloved wife had labored for their first baby girl. He saw where the child came out. He heard her first cry and he was the first to kiss her with a pool of blood before her mother. Paul was the one who brought her to the lavatory where she had got her first bath. He saw how the nurse cut off her umbilical cord. And when the child made her first junk, Paul was the first to clean it.
To sum up it all, Paul said that it is the parents who really know better about their children than any other people in the world. It is the parents who know better what their children want, likes and dislikes. There are many ways to tell and to teach children if parents really are willing to teach them. They should not wait for children to come home with bold magazines, CDs, and DVDs from their peers and open them and tell them that this is the way we have created Dad, Mom! (To be continued in part 11)
I hope in the 2022 Philippines elections, the Filipino voters should elect candidates for president, vice-president, senators, congressmen and other party list groups who are not corrupt and have the balls to continue what President Duterte has started and help one another to lead the country to a better Philippines.
The Philippines is not poor. The country is rich in natural resources. We are poor because we lack the correct attitude. I hope that in the 2022 elections, the Philippines should elect a president - who has the balls to continue the Legacy of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and to lead the country to a better Philippines.
Executives from rich countries who communicate with their counterparts in poor countries show that there is no significant intellectual difference. Race or skin colors are also not important: immigrants labeled lazy in their countries of origin are the productive power in rich European, Western, and other Asian countries.
The difference is the attitude of the people, framed along the years by the education and the culture and flawed tradition. The behaviors of the people in rich and developed countries are greatly followed the following principles on their lives, namely: Ethics, as a basic principle, Integrity, Responsibility, Respect for the laws & rules, Respect for the rights of other citizens, Work loving, Strive for savings & investment, Will of super action, Punctuality and of course...Discipline.
The Philippines is not poor because we lack natural resources or because nature was cruel to us. In fact, we are supposedly rich in natural resources. We are poor because we lack the correct attitude. We lack the will to comply with and teach these functional principles of rich and developed societies.
We are the most abusive to the environment: Illegal Logging, dynamite and cyanide fishing, hunting, and poaching of birds and wildlife and we throw garbage everywhere.
Now, for the third question that Paul's daughter asked him for help re "Love from a thousand miles away" for her project in school: How would you balance the federal foundation for transportation and road construction?
Paul did not give up answering the question. He consulted from many reading materials: books, newspapers and other print media, encyclopedias, online articles, and other visible sources for ideas for his daughter's assignment.
Below is the complete write-up.
"I believed that building roads in rural areas promotes development through improved access to markets; health and educational facilities; the generation of alternative income sources; and better information flows.
"My assumption is that the supply of transport services, such as freight and passenger movement, would naturally follow new road construction.
"In the Philippines with a tradition of building roads with Portland cement concrete, here is now a considerable network of aging roads needing rehabilitation. The traditional method of treating these roads is to neglect them until the ride becomes severely impaired and then to break out the old concrete and replace them with new ones.
"I would request the Philippine Department of Highways to improve this situation by addressing the problem of concrete quality, using indigenous materials, and investigating alternative methods of rehabilitation.
"But what is of more vitally important – I would coordinate directly to the national budget commission and request them to see to it that before releasing the funds for this project, there should be complete planning and specifications of materials and all the supposedly incurred expenses should have a corresponding transparency of expenses records available for the public."
Paul's hard work and efforts were compensated. It took him three days to finish the project for his daughter. After he did it, immediately he sent it off to his daughter. And in two days, Paul received her reply said, "I love you, papa. It was approved. Now I will graduate. Thank you so much. Muaaaaaaaa...!" (To be continued in part 10)
Paul was a thousand miles away from his children. It was really hard for him to make available for his kids according to what John Gottman says, "Men must allow themselves to be aware of their feelings so they can empathize with their children. Then they must take whatever steps necessary to make themselves available to their kids."
35 years ago, Paul got married and was blessed with three lovely children. Now they are young ladies. His eldest is 31-year old. His second daughter is 29-year old and his youngest will be 28-year old this coming December 30, 2021, and has graduated from her accountancy course in 2013. Paul supports his children has no boundaries. While he was away, if his children need Paul's help for their school assignments and projects - he was always available through the Internet and mobile phones - one of the reasons why Paul has created his online blog site.
In 2010, as recorded in Paul's journal - his second daughter has graduated from Computer Science Course. Three months before her graduation, her English teacher gave her the assignment to write a short speech for the Vice President candidate plus another two questions that a Vice President candidate should answer if his countrymen would ask him during his speech. That would be her project and if she failed to submit she could not graduate according to her teacher.
After she received her assignments, she sent them off to Paul through email said, "Papa I need your help. Please write a short speech for the vice-presidential candidate. Also include these two questions: What kind of advocacy do you want to proclaim to prevent poverty in this country? And how would you balance the federal foundation for transportation and road construction?"
For Paul reading those questions was really a headache since he was not the one to graduate...but Paul cannot say no to his daughter. And he has no choice but to comply with his daughter's request. So, Paul started surfing the Internet, encyclopedias, and other reading materials for information about the topics.
Below is a short speech of a vice-presidential candidate that Paul has written for his daughter:
"Thank you so much for the trust that you have trusted to me. Thank you for this opportunity to work with you as we raise the truthful reform. Thank you for the privilege that you have entrusted me of joining in the fight for cleanness, honesty, integrity, and trustworthiness in public service, and for a government that puts first the people’s interest.
"From the bottom of my heart, I accepted the challenge to achieve the true reform of good governance of this country. But this fight is not just about me. It is about our collective thirst and hungry for change.
"My friends, this is going to be a tough battle. My opponents will use all forces in order to win. They have been there for so long and continue robbing us. Now with your help, we should stop them. Let's stay hand in hand in this field of battle."
For the second question: What kind of advocacy do you want to proclaim to prevent poverty in this country? Paul has found an interesting short topic but with substance and he thought that this was good for advocating purposes which can be read in (part 9)
Diploma in Journalism/Short Story Writing - ICS (International Correspondence School, Pennsylvania, the USA in 2000 to 2001
Paul believes that education and learning can be achieved anywhere and any time but it will depend on the person's willingness to learn. It is either by books and other reading materials, schools, and a home study program. He was a product of a home study program. He started his creative writing course with The Writers Bureau in Manchester, London from 1998 to 1999 by mail and also took up Journalism and Short Story Writing course by mail with the ICS (International Correspondence School, Pennsylvania, the USA in 2000 to 2001.
He said that a home study program is best for people who have no time to go to school and who are busy working.
He had enjoyed the training during the course. He found that it's a first-class comprehensive course written by successful professional writers. He had enjoyed the caring, constructive help from his expert tutors who're all published writers.
Paul was attracted to the four excellent guarantees to safeguard his interests: A full refund of his tuition fees if he had not earned by the time he had finished the course, the course has 15 days inspection and evaluation, there's the refund of 5 sterling pounds for each assignment not properly corrected and if his English was found not good enough for the course, the Writers Bureau will refund the money he had paid in full.
The course has a flexible study program to suit Paul. There were twenty individual writing assignments for his practice and guidance. With most of his assignments, he will be writing material that can be submitted for publication. There're specialists who helped him and guided him on how to sell his writing. The best way that he studied the course anywhere in the world where there's a postal service as all study material, returned and corrected assignments and etc. were sent off to him by air.
Paul also had the choice to pay his tuition fees by installments. He could have the choice to study and to progress at his own speed to suit his circumstances. During the course, Paul was given six specialist handbooks and an 80-minute cassette tape.
For the whole course, he spent at least 680 sterling pounds - this includes expenses Paul had spent for postal services when sending off his assignments back to the Bureau for corrections plus other miscellaneous expenses. The course was actually designed for two years though he finished it for only one year.
The whole course was divided into two parts: Writing non-fiction and Writing fiction. During the course, Paul received 30 modules with twenty assignments. Fifteen of the course modules were for non-fiction writing and the other fifteen were for fiction writing.
Aside from the 30 modules he received from the course for his practice and guidance.
Paul also was provided six bonus handbooks written by remarkable authors. These handbooks are totally helpful for him with those 30 modules which until now he is using as his references for his blog and blogging hobby.
The two very important people Paul knew at the Writers Bureau were no other than Mr. E.H. Metcalfe, the principal, and Mrs. Diana Nadin, the Director of Studies - who actually have encouraged him to pursue his tutorial course on creative writing.
Mr. Metcalfe has worked in home-study training and distance learning since 1962 and this has involved him in a substantial amount of technical and non-fiction writing. His experience with many thousands of students has convinced him that to achieve success with a home-study course Paul would need a comprehensive, thorough, high-quality course, caring, conscientious tutors, and regular application.
Mr. Metcalfe has gathered around Paul a first-class team of writers and tutors to provide him the first two. And for the third, he encouraged Paul to take full advantage of the very personal tuition service and teaching - the institution offers to him.
Mrs. Diana Nadin was an honors degree graduate in English from Nottingham University and she has worked in home-study tuition since 1978. Her experience has given her a deep insight into student needs and how to help students progress with their studies.
She said, "It is particularly important that a student has competent, conscientious tutors throughout his course." Here Mrs. Diana is at her best. She takes particular care to select just the right tutors to help the students. Thus anyone can rely on Mrs. Diana and her tutors - to give him the sort of caring tuition service that can make all the difference between failure and success.
After the course, Paul has applied what he learned from his tutorial course. He started his blog and blogging hobby and also wrote for other publishing sites like HubPages, Triond, Wikinut, and Expertscolumn at that time. (To be continued in part 8)
