You must have seen Netflix’s Squid Game that took the binge-watching world by storm by now. A whopping 111 million accounts have watched its debut. If you have not seen it yet, stop reading. Watch the show first. There are spoilers.
For those who have seen the series, you must have been very focused on the game that you might have missed some lessons for us, OFWs. Don’t worry, I got you covered. I had them summarized for you. Enjoy as you reminisced.
These are the lessons we could learn and apply in our daily lives.
Always give it a try first
During the Green Light, Red Light game, many of those who were killed were the ones who attempted to flee the game when they realized that once you are caught moving during the red light by the sensor-detecting giant doll, you are dead. These players did not even try to play the game. Even after seeing that those who tried to flee are being butchered maniacally, the others still followed suit. In the end, the number of players were reduced to more than half from 456 to 201.
As in the game of life, we should at least try. Risk. We decided to work abroad, then we should try to give it our best shot. Every day. At some point in our work, we would be given daunting tasks, or we could be working in a toxic environment which we would say we did not sign for. Life is full of challenges. But we don’t’ throw the towel right away and give up. Sometimes, we won the respect of our colleagues and superiors with our tenacity.
Keep it simple
Why choose the complicated design of the umbrella with all its curves and nooks to trace when you can choose a triangle or a circle that is easier to trace and cut out with a needle during the sugar honeycomb game? Because they have no idea what kind of game they will be playing.
But in life, it is always advisable to keep things simple and less complicated. Whether in your way of life or in your daily choices. Simple living allows us to save more and makes the realizations of our goals easier. Do we really need that fancy car, branded everything and fat-laden restaurant meals every time? A modest life allows us to enjoy the more valuable things in life instead of fussing over insignificant issues.
You can’t do it alone
Seeing that the prize money increases with more deaths, and that it is alright to kill someone, greed pervades. Everyone’s life is in danger from their co-players themselves. They found the need to create alliances with their peers to protect themselves. Though they came individually in the game with the aim of winning the prize money, during the game of Tug of War, they have to rely on their group’s strength and cooperation in order to avoid falling from the tower and to their death.
Working abroad, meeting new people and being friends with co-workers make us realized that in this world, no one is an island. Along the way, you will need the help and support of your friends and colleagues. Being away from our own immediate families, we may need the assistance of others and they may need us, too. These alliances (friendships) will help us in our journey as OFWs. Our workplaces need our cooperation and inputs as we perform our daily tasks. Be a team player.
Always adopt an open mind to learn from others
Who would ever think that the weakest and oldest man in the Squid Game has a bag full of tricks that will help them win the Tug of War that save their asses? Already disadvantaged in terms of strength with women in their team and some scrawny males, their loss and death were almost certain. Then comes grandpa’s experience, strategy, and wisdom.
It is a blessing that we get to know other people from other countries with different cultures. Their upbringings, beliefs and customs maybe completely different from us. But it should not be a reason to discriminate, mock or criticize them for what they are. We should celebrate diversity. We should take this as an opportunity to learn from them. We should never underestimate one’s ability. In our journey as workers away from home, we would meet many grandpas. Mine their brains and come home wiser.
Follow the rules
Both the guards and players have rules to follow. For the guards, showing one’s face means death. That’s what the masks are for. The doctor getting an undue advantage for getting tips on the next game violates the equal opportunity given to all players. Thus, his earlier death.
They say that Filipinos are more disciplined when they are in foreign lands. As OFWs in the Middle East, these countries have a stricter rules and stiffer penalties for violations. We should respect their customs, beliefs and traditions. It will instill discipline in ourselves, keep us away from troubles and make our stay more pleasant.
Get your finances in order
Those players wouldn’t be in the Squid Game if their finances are in order. Even after given a chance to go home and therefore, avoid the risk of death, the 93% of the players opted to come back. All because their finances are a mess and they wanted to win the prize money.
We may not be in deep trouble as the players in the Squid Game yet, but why wait? Although it was fiction, part of the reason that it got worldwide popularity was that people can relate with it. Organizing our finances, meaning creating a budget, paying our debts, saving for the future, and investing to grow our money would keep us away from, although not as grim as death, troubles, and difficult choices in life.
Money will not change you
It will show the real you. Cho Sangwoo, despite his impressive credentials, siphoned his clients’ balances and invested in some derivatives and lost, has remained deceptive in order to advance in the game. That was him without the money. Seong Gi-hun was on the verge of losing his daughter who was about to move to the US with her mother, still did not see her even after he took the prize money of ₩45.6B (46.5 billion Korean Won) or Php1,964,448,000. (Almost 2 Billion Philippine Pesos).
We are what we are. With or without money. If we are generous before we work abroad, with the little wealth we have accumulated, we would still be generous. If we are spendthrifts and we were lucky enough to have been paid more by working abroad, we would still squander what we have.
What was your take on Netflix’s most-watched series?
Hi, I'm Cecille. I have been an OFW in KSA for 13 long years. I have been there, done that. I'd say I was lucky because for most of those years, my family was with me. I'd like to share in this blog what makes those years worthwhile, the lessons I learned and bits and pieces of info that may pique your interest as bagong bayani.