Episode Transcript
Hello.
My name is Aziz and I'm the son of a divorced mother.
She is really my superhero.
That's why it's important for me to support women to share their uniqueness, their personalities,
perspectives, and emotions about this world.
In these difficult times in human history, we need to bring the people of the world together.
And when we hear the voices of women, when we listen to real lives of women from other countries,
we connect our cultures without differences or stereotypes, and we get inspired by their stories
to live a better life.
That's what this podcast is all about.
My guest today is Heidi Teresa Marcos.
Heidi is a painter, a chef, a jewelry artist,
a bowling player, a loan tennis practitioner,
a taekwondo athlete, a billiards player,
a singer, makeup artist, fashion art consultant,
musician, photography appreciator, and tattoo lover from Ilocos Norte, Philippines.
Heidi has a bachelor's degree in accounting.
She has experience in restaurant management, accounting, and office administration.
From supervisor to manager, business owner now in her home country in the grocery and apartment field,
Heidi still desires to explore more talents as a freelancer as her passion.
Her greatest achievement is having two lovely kids and she is very proud of them as a mother.
Heidi, how are you today?
Hi, I'm doing great. My name is Heidi.
So yeah, it's been, I've been in Dubai for like almost seven years next month.
So, I'm very excited to join this rare girls and yeah, I'm ready for it.
Thank you.
I'm happy.
I'm honored.
I'm lucky.
And it's very interesting.
If seven years ago, next month, you went to Dubai, you arrived in summer, how was
that experience?
Is it like because of the humidity, maybe in Philippines, it wasn't too different
in Dubai or still you thought,
oh my God, this is very warm?
Actually, I arrived exactly in the summer time,
like June, and it was my birthday to be exact.
So it's like, I'm gonna be having seven years exact
on my birthday and exactly in Dubai.
So it was really hot at that time.
It has a different humidity versus Philippines,
you know Philippines it's like you're sweating but here it's very hot but you're not sweating
i mean from and my own experience so yeah i i've got sick at that time you know the adjustments i
have really to bear it you know i understand fully and completely and you as a person if your
friends and your family and the people who love you could describe your personality what
they say about you? Actually I'm a very good person. I'm a go-getter. I'm a little, I mean like
social butterfly. So they would say to me like go girl and that's it. Sometimes I feel like
I'm a loner sometimes especially when I'm in Dubai but I love to get along with other people
And I love to get along with myself as well and explore so many things.
I'm a really very, I mean, dedicated person, especially to my friends and of course at work.
And I love exploring and everything. This is my mindset, actually.
So this kind of work I had before like in the restaurant manager, I deal with so much people, so much clients.
Now in the office, I deal with my boss and alone sometimes. So it's like that.
Like, you know, I'm both extrovert and introvert.
Thank you. You mentioned that sometimes in Dubai, you feel alone.
Is this because everybody is so busy in Dubai that it's hard to have a full and rich social life outside of work or how is it?
Is it because you are not spending enough time with your people or how does it work like the people you love etc or how is it?
So in Dubai, I love going out actually with friends, especially with friends.
But sometimes when you are in the restaurant, like before when I was in the restaurant, I used to have like very hectic schedule like until 1 a.m.
But sometimes I have to give time to my friends like from 1 a.m. to 3 a.m. going to, you know, some kind of bars and just enjoy the music.
And during my day off, it's self-time, like me time for me, like I go alone to a very quiet place.
It's a bar also, I just have a drink and go to a quiet place or sometimes I put my passion on photography, for painting and everything.
So I'll make sure myself to have a me time for me.
It's hard, but I'm enjoying it, you know.
Thank you.
I love that very, very much.
And you mentioned that you have a lot of passion for art.
And I mentioned in the introduction, you did so many things in life and you're exploring
your talents.
What motivates you to do that?
Is it that when you're doing art or enjoying photography or tattoos or anything singing,
you feel more alive. Could you or are you planning some how to change it like
move your career towards more creativity even more than restaurants or do you
find your creativity too within restaurant management? Tell me more.
Actually I discovered this passion since I was young so but unfortunately I
you know, I got pregnant early, but you know, the marriage didn't work out. So when I have my kids, I saw them the same talent that I have. And now I'm seeing them like they're applying it already. And also, especially my daughter, actually, my daughter is having a second year degree for Bachelor of Science in Accountancy as well.
And I seen her like, it's the same with me, talent like graphic, painting, fashion, photography, it's the same so I see myself and her like, oh my gosh, I really wanted to pursue this, I'm seeing my little girl pursuing it already so it was like I've got motivated more to have a partnership with her as my daughter in the near future.
So for the restaurant, I mean from my previous job in the restaurant, I'm also applying my talent through hosting an event like this kind of stuff, talking to the other people.
You have to be creative also. For marketing, you have to be creative like putting the balloons in a party.
So, it applies on my daily lives, being passionate about art and I was planning to continue this while having active income and I wanted a passive income using my talents and besides, I'm getting old but feeling young.
So I'll be, I'm planning to have it, I mean, to start this passion in Philippines as well.
And I wanted to start in Dubai first.
So this, I wanted to have my own brand of clothing, you know, just for a retirement, just in case.
You know, you know, I love Dubai, but we're not sure of living here a long time.
I mean, retirement and everything.
So that was my plan.
And for everyday lives, this is really my passion and inspiration.
It's because of my kids.
I love that very, very much.
And you said that you have been in Dubai for seven years.
Can you share how you notice the culture, the city changing, the people, like how was your
experience and how did you notice Dubai evolving throughout the last seven years?
I've been in seven years in Dubai, so I've seen the very culture of this country, I mean,
different culture, and it's like in Dubai, they are already adopting the new generation.
So being with a different culture of people makes me feel like I'm gaining also the confidence to deal with all of this kind of people and the culture itself.
So I'm enjoying like, you know, the culture.
The first one when I was working here,
the first culture I had to know is
the culture for the Indians.
And later on, later on, I've learned that, you know,
especially the food for the Indians,
then going to the Arabic food,
I love the food, absolutely.
And, you know, I've met a lot of friends,
like local friends as well. They are very nice. They like Filipino people, you know, and some,
I've met European friends also. They're go-gether, and they are very, very nice people.
I've even had colleagues like Africans. I'm not judging, but there are few good people also
who helped me throughout my previous job in the restaurant.
So, the culture was nice because, you know, as a Gemini, I'm a very adaptable person.
I can adapt to anyone. So yeah, that's it.
Thank you for sharing that.
And can you describe nowadays how is typically a day in your life in Dubai now?
because you spoke about before how it was and did you change anything compared
to your days off like can you describe your latest evolution of and your
typical day and life in Dubai as well as if most your friends did you meet
them outside of work did you can you meet or do you have time to get to
know people outside of work or they're all people you met because you
together? Actually my typical days nowadays since I'm working now in an
office as an administrative assistant, for me it's very useful now to go out
you know I have got a lot lot more time to to bond with my friends and I have
weekend off. So I got a time to do my passion, unlike, you know, having in a restaurant was like,
until 1 a.m., 2 a.m., 3 a.m. So now I have the time to do everything what I want, especially,
you know, my painting, my photography, and any other, you know, my materials for jewelry.
I have the time to cut bus and everything. So this is my typical day. So during the weekdays,
I have to go home at five to six a.m., having a coffee, watch movies. I've been given a lot of
time for myself. So this is me now. Before I was working in the restaurant, it feels like
It's different, you know, there's a difference now.
Now, I mean, I don't meet a lot of people,
but I have time with my friends outside.
But before I have to really meet a lot of people,
which gives me an advantage to have a circle of friends,
not only friends, but a circle of like external,
friends and for business, for everything, like this one today.
So I got very active also in Instagram, so that's why I got this one.
So I said I want to try and I got excited and now I have time.
I'm so proud of you, very, very happy for you as well as you mentioned
that maybe you don't see Dubai as the next place you will retire in
or live long term,
what could change your opinion about this?
Like, is it because retirement will be too expensive?
Is it because you miss Philippines?
Or like, what are some reasons?
Maybe someone is thinking about working in Dubai
and retiring.
Maybe they will learn more from your reasons.
Actually, one of the main reason
why I'm not thinking like Dubai for retirement
Because I'm actually an only child. I'm an only child. My mom is old already so
we've got businesses there and you know Philippines is a very natural, have
natural nature itself. So like if I wanted to find a serenity maybe I'll
in Dubai, maybe I'm still gonna be working until 60 here.
Joke.
So anyway, I was planning to go to Canada first.
I wanted to explore the world.
We don't know what will happen next,
but just only this are in my mind
since my daughters are in Philippines right now.
I'm not sure if they're gonna be ready
to migrate to the other country,
but I would love to Dubai really Dubai is the safest place I've ever been really that's the
honest truth oh but hopefully maybe next year or maybe next next year they will change the rules
and everything so of course it's gonna be my first option we don't know so who knows right
Thank you for that. And you mentioned that you want to explore your talents with freelancing.
How is it in Dubai to find work as a freelancer? Is it something that is somehow easy or is it
too competitive so it becomes hard? Or what is your advice, let's say women who moved
to work in Dubai and want to make extra money freelancing? What is your perspective on that?
Actually, it's a very, you know, competitive in Dubai, but for me, there's a lot of very
affordable schools that you can join to enhance your talent and everything.
So I joined it actually, but it's been a long time.
I joined this school, and I get to know to speak Arabic a little bit.
And I'm planning to gain more in this institution, to have a certificate for makeup artists
and everything.
But this helps you to have some contacts and just communicate with them to gain the
And after all, they will definitely recommend you to another institution or to some kind of companies who are hiring.
So that's going to be the advantage.
So for me, my great advice is, like, find time to learn more.
Like, you know, every day is learning and I believe in that.
I'm old. I can say that I'm older already.
So I'm going to be turning 40, but still, I'm the person who wanted to learn every day,
you know, like study every day, explore every day, and that's me.
So that's my greatest advice.
Like, you have to be positive in your mind, like, I can do this.
What will I be having after I'm going to be getting old?
So I have to explore everything and learn everything.
So yeah, so that's it.
That's the only mindset I really wanted to tell,
especially to all the single moms all over the world.
That is the mindset I wanted to tell you guys
that you have to do this for your kids,
you have to do this for your future,
for yourself, especially for yourself.
You cannot do this without, you know, learning from yourself first.
So, love yourself first and share to the world.
Yes, that's it.
I love that very, very much.
And there are many women who are maybe your daughter's age or even younger
who maybe don't really understand how to love themselves. Maybe social media is messing with
their mental health. What's your advice for them to find their confidence and their self-love?
Yeah, actually it's not easy for me to go through these things because I got married
early 2002 when I was 18 and we got separated because of physical abuse like 2012. It was
10 years that I was having a hard time to cope up with these things happened to me.
So for the women all over there, it's not easy. It's not easy. But when I realized
Like, I need friends to give me some advices, but those advices don't trust that much because you need to trust yourself first.
There's a lot of good advice, but you have to start within yourself.
then boom you will be you know you come to the end like you will realize that oh this is me so I was not this person before but now this is me
like we need self love especially nowadays you know I've been trying to cope up with my previous relationship also
Like I've realized like being alone is
It's really great. You know, you can do what you want
Like just being with friends and it helped me going through a lot
But now the focus was self-love
Because once self-love is there you can share it to your future or to anyone
so, you know, I'm really such a
Lucky person to be strong
So that's why I read some books, I read podcasts, you know, every experience of women in the world.
I'm also reading some topics like this. It helped me a lot.
It helped me with the Internet. And, you know, I just Google it like sometimes what's the greatest advice word is and blah, blah, blah.
So I know, I know guys, women, I'm not alone. You are not alone. We are not alone, actually.
So there's a lot of women out there, like, going through a lot as well.
But this is what I can tell you guys that self-love comes from within. It's us. It's us. Really, it's us. Thank you.
You are welcome. Honestly, it was my privilege and my honor to have you in this podcast to share your voice, your experiences.
I wish you all the happiness and to your daughters all the success. And thank you, Heidi, for participating.
You're welcome. It's my pleasure to share some of my experiences and this rare beauty.
I'm Rare Girls Podcast, I mean to all the beautiful women out there, be strong, be strong
for yourself so you can share the love to everyone.
And that's it.
Thank you so much, great opportunity.
