How Pinoy Introverts Adjust Overseas
By LUCKY MAE F. QUILAO
Homesickness is a given fact. It’s the first thing first-time OFWs have to overcome before they could adjust well to their new surrounding. Even veteran OFWs are still prone to it. After all, it’s not easy to be in a strange land, miles and miles away from your loved ones.
The problem, however, is worse for introverts. For them, their shyness and reticence are big stumbling blocks in their efforts to adjust well in a different country. Take Nikki Develos, for example. In an online interview, she said that being in the company of strangers is enough to make her feel “paralyzed.”
“Lagi ako sinasabihan na, ‘Ano ba ‘yan, singer ka tapos napaka-mahiyain mo!'” said the 23-year-old lounge singer at the Dubai Production City. “Sinisigurado ko na lang na may kakilala ako kahit isang tao lang, tapos sa kanya ako sisiksik. Kapag iniwan naman ako, halos manigas ako!”
Develos said after a week in Dubai, she was able to adjust to her new surrounding — but only because her mother was there support her. That, and the thought of helping her family back home, inspired her to pursue a career overseas.
“Kung wala nga lang mama ko dito, hindi ako tatagal. Hindi niya naman ako pinilit. Mas inisip ko kasi iyong hirap ng buhay sa Pinas kaysa sa takot ko. Mas nakakatakot [kasi] na hindi man lang ako makatulong na mapag-aral ang kapatid ko. Ayokong lumaki na wala akong naitulong. Kailangan kumilos kasi panganay ako,” she said.
Prayers, goals
Karen Gay Villanueva-Aliparo, 38, assistant recruitment officer in Tawam Hospital, prayers and having a job that she really loves helped her overcome her introversion and insecurities, which she said are caused by her parents’ separation.
“I had a slow yet steady move in my career here and I almost wanted to quit for I wasn’t doing what I wanted to do,” she said. “Then I prayed for the work that is close to what I studied in college. I was moved to the Tawam Hospital where I’ve come to encounter many more other types of people of different nationalities!”
“Up to date, I still couldn’t believe how far I’ve gone from that person who I thought was shy and introvert. I’ve learned to try and adjust my ways to know what I can and can’t handle,” Aliparo added.
For Madje Dangeros Ador Dionisio, joining a religious group helped her overpower her extreme shyness.
“Nang mag-start ako mag-join sa CFC [Couples for Christ], masasabi ko na unti-unti nawala ang hiya ko makipag-usap,” shared the 36-year-old auxiliary nurse in Al-Madar Medical Center.
For Ryan Paranes, having goals and sticking to them no matter what are sure-fire ways of overcoming introversion, especially if you’re an OFW.
“Working abroad is a big decision in life. I have to give up the things and people l’m so comfortable having around with me,” said the 33-year-old accountant in a waste management company in the Middle East. “At first, I struggled. But maybe, because I’m so driven by my goals, I was able to get the hang of it.”
“The world needs introverts”
But according to Dr. Karina Therese G. Fernandez, assistant professor at the Ateneo de Manila University, there is nothing wrong with being an introvert.
“The world needs introverts. Given their behavioral inclinations, it is easy to imagine that they make great contributions to society,” she said, adding that an introvert “is someone who is shy and quiet, introspective and takes life seriously.”
“He generally does not like excitement and prefers order in his day to day, liking to plan ahead and does not like to be impulsive. He keeps his feelings under control and can be seen as distant except with close friends,” Fernandez explained via email. —KBK, GMA News
(Source: GMAnetwork.com)