美国国家公共电台 NPR--A large community of Filipino workers in Dubai celebrates Christmas far from home

A large community of Filipino workers in Dubai celebrates Christmas far from home

Transcript¹

Filipinos living in Dubai often mark Christmas without relatives, who are back home in the Philippines. Many also work through the holiday but still manage to find joy and community.

LEILA FADEL, HOST:

Like millions who move far away to support families back home, Filipinos living in the United Arab Emirates often mark Christmas without their loved ones. Many also work right through the holiday. But as NPR's Aya Batrawy reports from Dubai, they find a sense of community even far away from home.

(SOUNDBITE OF CALL TO PRAYER)

AYA BATRAWY, BYLINE²: A call to prayer rings out from a mosque³ that overlooks⁴ a large church courtyard in Dubai, where hundreds of Christians⁵, mainly from the Philippines and India, are gathered for a Christmas concert. This is a Muslim country, and the mosque must finish prayer first.

(CHEERING)

BATRAWY: But now it's Santa's turn to be heard. In this desert metropolis⁶, there are no reindeer⁷ in sight. Santa dashes through the courtyard on a motorcycle and announces himself.

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: (As Santa) Hi, everybody. Finally I'm here, right here. Santa's here at St. Mary's Dubai. Let's clap, everybody.

(CHEERING)

BATRAWY: This church in Dubai provides an important space for Christians like Mai Lumapac. She's one of around 750,000 Filipinos living in the United Arab Emirates. Most are Catholic⁸ and celebrating Christmas away from family back home.

MAI LUMAPAC: My family is in the Philippines, so I celebrate alone with my friends.

BATRAWY: Her kids were just 5 and 8 years old when she left for the UAE over a decade ago to find work as an office assistant. She sends money home every month. Lumapac says it's still hard to celebrate the holidays apart or even answer questions about it.

LUMAPAC: You make me cry (laughter). You make me cry.

BATRAWY: But she's found joy in this church and the large Filipino community here. She's part of a group performing a show for Christmas that's lit - seriously. There are sparks flying and hip-hop dancers of all ages, including Filipino kids born in Dubai.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "WORK IT")

MISSY ELLIOTT: (Rapping) Is it worth it? Let me work it.

BATRAWY: Dubai prides itself on being a place that's open to the world. Its economy relies on foreigners. The city's streets and malls are shimmering⁹ in holiday decorations. Yet Christmas is not an official holiday. For many Filipinos working in restaurants and shops, in offices and as nannies, there is no time off for Christmas. I meet Romelyn Galang on Rigga Street, a neighborhood teeming¹⁰ with migrants from the Philippines.

You don't take Christmas off? You work.

ROMELYN GALANG: Yeah, I do. I work because I'm in the retail¹¹ industry, you know.

BATRAWY: Past Christmases, too, no time off, yeah?

GALANG: Yeah, no, because I was working in a restaurant as well, so I have work always.

BATRAWY: Is that Dubai for you - just work all the time?

GALANG: Yeah. I came here to work. I came here to live, you know.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: Hey, one more end table.

BATRAWY: Inside a Filipino restaurant on Rigga Street, Robert Monsale is waiting tables.

ROBERT MONSALE: I'm working on Christmas Day. At Christmastime, I'm working extra (inaudible).

BATRAWY: Still, the people I speak with say they're grateful they even have work. Back at St Mary's Church, Angelica Alipio says her younger brothers rely on the money she sends each month. At church, she's made friends and belongs to a group of other single Filipinos.

ANGELICA ALIPIO: It's very important, especially if you have a community here in UAE, or in Dubai, which has a Filipino community, Singles for Christ.

BATRAWY: For Filipinos marking another Christmas without family, nights like this one at St Mary's in Dubai are about the longing¹².

UNIDENTIFIED CROWD: (Singing) Oh, come let us adore¹³ him. Oh, come let us adore him.

BATRAWY: Aya Batrawy, NPR News, Dubai.

UNIDENTIFIED CROWD: (Singing) Oh, come let us adore him...

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

3 mosque   

n.清真寺

参考例句：

• The mosque is a activity site and culture center of Muslim religion.清真寺为穆斯林宗教活动场所和文化中心。
• Some years ago the clock in the tower of the mosque got out of order.几年前，清真寺钟楼里的大钟失灵了。

4 overlooks   

v.忽视( overlook的第三人称单数 )；监督；俯视；（对不良现象等）不予理会

参考例句：

• The parlor overlooks the street. 这客厅可俯瞰街道。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• There are plenty of overlooks and trails. 有许多可供俯瞰之处和小径。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

5 Christians   

n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Christians of all denominations attended the conference. 基督教所有教派的人都出席了这次会议。
• His novel about Jesus caused a furore among Christians. 他关于耶稣的小说激起了基督教徒的公愤。

6 metropolis   

n.首府；大城市

参考例句：

• Shanghai is a metropolis in China.上海是中国的大都市。
• He was dazzled by the gaiety and splendour of the metropolis.大都市的花花世界使他感到眼花缭乱。

7 reindeer   

n.驯鹿

参考例句：

• The herd of reindeer was being trailed by a pack of wolves.那群驯鹿被一只狼群寻踪追赶上来。
• The life of the Reindeer men was a frontier life.驯鹿时代人的生活是一种边区生活。

8 catholic   

adj.天主教的；n.天主教徒

参考例句：

• The Pope is the supreme leader of the Roman Catholic Church.教皇是罗马天主教的最高领袖。
• She was a devoutly Catholic.她是一个虔诚地天主教徒。

9 shimmering   

v.闪闪发光，发微光( shimmer的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The sea was shimmering in the sunlight. 阳光下海水波光闪烁。
• The colours are delicate and shimmering. 这些颜色柔和且闪烁微光。 来自辞典例句

10 teeming   

adj.丰富的v.充满( teem的现在分词 )；到处都是；（指水、雨等）暴降；倾注

参考例句：

• The rain was teeming down. 大雨倾盆而下。
• the teeming streets of the city 熙熙攘攘的城市街道

11 retail   

v./n.零售；adv.以零售价格

参考例句：

• In this shop they retail tobacco and sweets.这家铺子零售香烟和糖果。
• These shoes retail at 10 yuan a pair.这些鞋子零卖10元一双。

12 longing   

n.（for）渴望

参考例句：

• Hearing the tune again sent waves of longing through her.再次听到那首曲子使她胸中充满了渴望。
• His heart burned with longing for revenge.他心中燃烧着急欲复仇的怒火。

13 adore   

vt.崇拜，敬慕，爱慕，非常喜欢

参考例句：

• People adore him for his noble character.人们因他的高贵品质而敬爱他。
• I would adore to settle back homeland.我非常喜欢回家乡定居。