I absolutely love hearing about my OFS adventures. They trust me enough to share their experiences when they are not working.
A few weeks ago, one of my OFS, Vincent, went out of town on an adventure with his family. His brother-in-law flew in from abroad, and they decided to go on an unforgettable vacation. No fancy resorts, just some good old-fashioned dolphin watching and beachside fun.
He sent me photos of their fun-filled day!
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Last weekend, we went out of town for dolphin watching.
Jenn’s brother-in-law, Ken, an OFW working in Hong Kong, is home for his occasional vacation. He invited us for an outing, in a town called Manjuyod, around 5 hours away from our place.
Friday night, we prepared for an early 2 am drive for the scheduled dolphin-watching set at 7 am. Jenn who finished her shift Friday midnight, took a full 2 hours of sleep.
With our three sleepy kids and 2 nephews, Jenn drove while I navigated in the first car, while Ken, his wife Tin (Jenn’s sister), and the parents-in-law in the other.
Manjuyod is such a beautiful coastal town with clear waters sandbars, and dolphins in its natural habitat. We went there some years ago.
Jenn and I quite enjoyed the dolphins. The locals would typically offer you their boat service to take you to shore, where the dolphins frolic. You’d normally have to chase them along with the other tourists’ boats. The chase is also quite exciting as the dolphins likely take it as play.
This time though, the dolphins weren’t as playful nor as plentiful as I expected. We only saw a few, and they were not as big as I remembered. Some of the dolphins didn’t bother to surface at all. And for those that did, they were quite far. The kids still enjoyed it though, and so did Ken and Tin since it was their first time.
After some time chasing dolphins, we went to the sandbars. The tide was still high, though, and so there were no visible sandbars yet. The kids started swimming in the lowering waters on the sandbar. Uncle Ken treated his nephews and niece to some water rides.
It was already 10 am, and I remembered I hadn’t had coffee yet. I need coffee in the morning, or it will be an afternoon of headaches. Luckily…
Here’s me, having my coffee fix, aboard what the locals called their floating 7-eleven. The 50cents coffee isn’t Starbucks, but the ambiance can’t be beat.
Filipinos will simply provide anything, whenever, wherever.
The sandbar did not actually dry up while we were there, which was another disappointment. So we just left for lunch. I guess it was an OK day. I hope Ken wasn’t too disappointed not seeing the sandbar or chasing more dolphins.
I realized the trip wasn’t really about the dolphins and sandbars but about time spent with family.
Ken will be going back to Hong Kong soon. And who knows how long till the next vacation. And it made me think of the usual sad airport scene of OFWs returning abroad. Ken and Tin don’t have kids yet, but I really can’t imagine kids crying at the airport when an OFW father needs to go.
Jenn and I are simply blessed, having work without leaving home and family; without the usual drama of departures, and no hassle commuting. Blessed with work where we can go to sleep seconds after clocking out because the bed is just in the next room, and we’ve been working in our pajamas anyway.
So blessed.
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I’ve only ever been to the Philippines once, and it was to meet my then-small team. I can attest to the beauty of their beaches and, of course, that renowned Filipino welcome.
I’ve always talked about the 4-hour work week and just how much you can do with your time when you outsource, and now, here’s the other side of that coin. Yes, they don’t get that 4-hour work week we desperately want to achieve, but they have work. And to have work in the Philippines, especially if they get to do it in the comforts of their own home, it is priceless.
This is the reason my OFS are still with me even after more than 15 years – yes, my first outsource was in 2007.
Filipinos are loyal, and if you are the reason why they’re able to stay home, watch their kids, and be with their families while working, trust me, that is a good thing. Not only are you getting someone who’s really really good at what they do, you are also getting them for the long haul.
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About John Jonas
John Jonas is a long-time outsourcing expert and the creator of OnlineJobs.ph.
Since 2005, John has taught hundreds of thousands of entrepreneurs how to profitably delegate to VAs in the Philippines (and get their lives back in the process).
With help from his own VAs based in the Philippines, John has created an outsourcing empire that allows him to work 17 hours/week and to spend most of his time with his wife and 5 kids.
Find John at JohnJonas.com and Facebook.
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