Akala ko ang mga lalaking Norwegian ang pinakamahusay na lalaki sa mundo, pero hindi pala totoo! Bago ko nakilala ang lalaking magiging asawa, nagtrabaho ako sa isang pabrika sa Bangkok, at siya ay nakatira sa Pattaya. Nagkakilala kami sa pamamagitan ng internet at kalaunan ay naging mag-asawa.
I thought Norwegian men were the best men in the world, but that is not true! Before I met the man who became my husband, I worked in a factory in Bangkok, and he lived in Pattaya. We met through the Internet and eventually became a couple.
Pagkaraan ng ilang sandali ay nagpasya kaming magpakasal. Galing ako sa mahirap na pamilya, kaya ang pagkakaroon ng asawang banyaga na kayang mag-alaga sa aking pamilya ay bahagi ng aking dahilan para pakasalan siya.
After a while we decided to get married. I came from a poor family, so having a foreign husband who could take care of my family was part of my reason for marrying him.
Lumipat kami sa Norway, at nagsimula akong pumasok sa paaralan upang matuto ng Norwegian. Mahirap na panahon iyon. Wala akong lisensya sa pagmamaneho at kailangan akong ihatid ng aking asawa sa paaralan, maghintay sa akin, at ihatid pauwi. Isang oras ang biyahe pabalik-balik. Matapos ang ilang panahon, lumipat kami nang mas malapit, pero siya pa rin ang tumatangging iwan akong maglakad mag-isa.
We moved to Norway, and I started going to school to learn Norwegian. It was a difficult time. I did not have a driver’s licence, and my husband had to drive me to school, wait for me, and drive back. It was an hour each way. After a while we moved closer, but he still insisted on driving me to school. He did not want me to walk alone.
Halos wala na akong pera simula nang dumating ako sa Norway. Minsan, binigyan ako ng aking asawa ng pera para sa aking tanghalian, ngunit dahil kulang ang aking pera, itinago ko ito. Gusto akong tulungan ng mga kaibigan ko sa paaralan na makakuha ng trabaho, pero sabi ng asawa ko hindi ko kaya. Sa tingin niya, hindi bagay sa akin ang pagtatrabaho bilang isang tagapaglinis.
I have hardly had any money since I came to Norway. Once, my husband gave me money for lunch, but since I had so little money, I kept it. My friends at school want to help me to get a job, but my husband says I cannot. He does not think working as a cleaner is appropriate for me.
Sa halip ay binigyan niya ako ng isa pang trabaho ito ay pagtatayo ng garahe. Siya ang aking boss at ginawa ko ang lahat. Wala siyang magawa dahil may sakit siya. Hindi niya ako binigyan ng kahit na anong pera na nakuha niya sa pagtatayo ng garahe.
Instead he had another job for me – building a garage. He was the boss and I did everything. He could not do much because he was ill. He did not give me any of the money he made from building the garage.
Isang araw, sinabi niya na nabobored siya kapag mag-isa lang siya sa bahay, kaya nagdesisyon siyang kumuha kami ng aso. Ayaw ko ng aso dahil pagod na pagod ako pagkatapos ng eskwela at may mga takdang-aralin. Sinabi niya na siya ang maglalakad ng aso araw-araw, pero sa huli ako pa rin ang nag-aalaga sa aso at ng matandang asawa ko.
One day he said he was bored when he was home alone, so he decided we should get a dog. I did not want a dog as I was tired after school and I had homework to do. He said he would walk the dog every day, but in the end I had to take care of both the dog and my old husband.
Hindi ko alam kung ano ang mangyayari sa hinaharap. Ang plano ko ay mag-aral sa ibang paaralan, pero ayaw ng asawa ko na gawin ko iyon. Balak niyang lumayo para mahirapan ako. Gusto kong lumaban, pero hindi ko alam kung paano. Hindi ganun kadali ang mamuhay sa ibang bansa na may matandang lalaki bilang asawa, gaya ng inaakala ko.
I do not know what the future will bring. My plan is to go to another school, but my husband does not want me to do that. He is planning to move further away to make it difficult for me. I want to resist, but I do not know how. It is not as easy to live in a foreign country with an old man as a husband as I thought it would be.
