QotD: So Not True!

What misconception about the place you live bothers you the most?
Submitted by Jessmiloo

There is always a grave misconception that life as an overseas worker is much more glamorous or trouble-free. But what those families back home don't know, Pinoys in Dubai have their share of troubles. 

• Sardines-like accommodation - one room in a flat can contain up to 8 to 10 people. Pinoys buy double-decked beds and instantly, its like summer camp from hell. Lately, Dubai authorities are cracking down this illegal tenancy situation and some Pinoys are forced to move out and look for another flat to crowd into again. Pinoys are forced to live in cramped spaces because flats in Dubai are really expensive. 
• Exiting to Kish, Oman - Just hearing that someone is to undergo a routine exit here gives me the creeps. Some employees are requested to exit to Kish in Oman for a short while while their visit visas are transformed into working visa. While some are able to go back to the UAE, others are stranded by their employers who promised to bring them back but didnt. So they're still stuck in Kish with no job (since they can't apply there since their papers are supposed to be processed) and little hope of ever going back to Dubai. Philippine officials have asked these people to just go home but they still prefer to stay and try their luck in Dubai again... if they can ever go back. 
• Maltreatment by employees - Kelan ba nawala to?  Still, its a pity to know of people who have no rest days, and minimal raise to their salaries. And these people can't leave their dead-end jobs because of fear and the thought of just making do with what they get. 
• Transportation - In Dubai, its a MUST to have a car. Cabs are either few in number or they just dont want you. Buses have long queues in the bus stations. So to travel around, you really need your own car (which I dont have; as well as some Pinoys). I read from somewhere that 1 out of 50 people in the UAE has a car. Imagine that? That's why traffic is heavier and pollution is bad. *sigh, I miss Manila MRT, tricycles, shuttles, buses, jeeps and cabs, Daming options!
  

Everyday, I'm thankful that I have a nice flat and that I'm employed by a big company. Now I think, I really, really have to get a car na. *sigh of surrender*