Special Report Forbes.com

How To Retire Early

Anna Vander Broek, 11.02.10, 06:00 PM EDT

You can live the dream and retire before 50.

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It's now 27 August 2011. Ramadan is almost over. I am supposed to work on these holidays from 27 August 2011 to 03 September 2011. I can work during these holidays and can be used as  an additional days paid during the next vacation. However, due to my final repatriation on 20 September 2011, I can no longer avail of these deferred holidays. It means that I will be on holiday for 8 days. It is a good timing for me anyway because I have not yet completed doing the packing of my belongings that will be send to the Philippines via the sea cargo. It is not a joke to organize this kind of work because it is a long process. It normally starts from where to buy a drum and boxes, how it is secured, charges per kilo for a drum and box. So far, my belongings for the last

I am OSCAR R. ACOSTA, an Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) presently working for 12 years as a Marine Engineer (Test & Trial) in the Ship Repair Facility (SRF) at the King Abdulaziz Naval Base in Jubail, Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia. We are responsible for the operation, maintenance and repair of various Saudi warships patrolling along the Persian Gulf.

My hobbies are social networking and the internet marketing. I am also a music enthusiast and I love playing with my Roland E-09 keyboard. It's so lonely here in our place and I have to do something to break the "loneliness monotony". 

My wife informed me last month during our chat online about the break-up news in the Philippines regarding the Filipino workers (OFW) that were already sent home due to the Saudization. You will note that I just arrived in Saudi Arabia from vacation last 19 June 2011. Last week was about the list of employees in the SRF who will be given the notice of No Re-Contract. This week, 10 people received and signed the No Re-Contract letter from the company. I was one of those included in the list. The SRF management want to keep us all for a few more years, however, they cannot do anything about it now because it is a Saudi Government ministerial order which is mandatory that requires all the foreign workers who were in the service for ten years or more will no longer be given a re-contract. My contract ends on 20-Sep-2011 and my last day of work is on 19-Sep-11. More people who worked for ten years or more will be receiving a notice of no re-contract next week. The evolution will continue to take place until no more foreign workers is left. The Saudis are saying that they want to stand with their own feet. Many Saudis dont's have any work yet up to this time. The only way that they can be accommodated for a job is to let the foreigners go. Before next year, maybe a few foreign workers will remain and continue their job in the naval base. But I'm sure that the remaining workers will soon to leave because thay don't want to bear all the responsiblities of doing all the jobs when the foreigners left. With the new set up, how can the Saudis do the job without the foreigners? The Saudi government wants to transfer that pressure to the company now. They don't want the things that happened in Egypt, Bahrain, Syria or Libya were most of the people were crying for change... the people wants more jobs, house and a better living. 

After 12 years of working here w/ the same company and today, I am very thankful for so many things like:

1. I will be w/ my family and there's no need to be away from them again.

2. There's no need for me to work overseas.

3. My 2 daughters have completed their college course and are now working.

4. My wife owns a maternity clinic in Gensan and it's earning.

5. Our 3 hectares of land planted w/ banana in Lake Sebu is now earning on weekly basis.

6. We ownned another house and lot in Gensan & we will sell it if the price is right.

7. We owned a house & lot in Marbel and it's earning.

8. We owned a residential lot in Lake Sebu for house rental.

6. Our vacation house inside the Nadine's Lake Resort in Lake Sebu is completed and it will start accepting tourist very soon.

7. My sound system that I bought here in Saudi Arabia last year can be used for an extra income.

8. Keep myself busy by getting a contract on local civil works project w/ the help of a friend

9. Improvement and repair of our residence was completed and it's fully furnished.

10. We owned a car.

My wife already agreed to resign from the government so that she can concentrate in managing the clinic. We will talk about this issue again when I arrive next month. You will note that when I was in Saudi Arabia,  all of the items noted above were managed by my wife. Imagine her responsibilities in the house, her work in the local government, the construction of our vacation house project in Lake Sebu, etc...etc.

There's no place like home. I am so excited now to leave. It's like a feeling that I always experienced when I go on vacation every year. Every time I go back to Saudi Arabia after my vacation, it always break my heart and says: "How I wish to be w/ my family again? When will the coming back to Saudi Arabia going to end?"  During my vacation, my 8-year old son is always happy and feel confident if his father is around? But this time, there's no coming back. Enough is enough. When I leave Saudi Arabia for good, I will be dealing with my new life and that is my retirement. 

I want to share these songs to all the OFW's out there, to the FanBox community, especially to the FanBox addicts like me.  I recorded this video last March, 2011.  Hope you enjoy the music. If you don't, please try, too..(joke).

PLEASE SEE MY VIDEO & LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK  

It's so calm here these days and the weather is hot at 46 degrees C. It’s the month of Ramadan and the Muslims are fasting during this holy month.

My last day of work will be on 19 Sep 2011 and the final repatriation is scheduled on 20 Sep 2011. I have so many things to do here right now. I’m still preparing the checklist to plan and organize the things I need to do first, followed by another activity and so on (similar to a Gantt chart). I’m just excited now because it is like going for a vacation again but this time, it will be for a final exit only. This means that all the personal things I have here in my room has to be identified and categorized as heavy items for sea cargo, electronic items for air freight and items to be disposed by any means (selling & giving). Heavy items that I don’t need to bring can be sold and other items I can give to my friends who are still here but will also be leaving very soon. You will note that my name was listed on the 1st group, followed by the 2nd, then the 3rd group...and so on. This evolution will continue until there will be no more foreigners in this country. The Saudi government is afraid and does not want to experience the things that happened in Egypt, Bahrain, Libya and Syria where the people are crying for change. Young Saudis want jobs, housing and food. As more young Saudis are coming in to fill the job, more foreign workers have to go.

 Below are the checklist:

1.  My salary for Aug 2011

2.  Severance pay for 12 yrs.