Patunay ang mag-asawa at may-ari ng café na si Chuck Ursua at Malissa Songkong na pagdating sa pag-ibig, lahi at negosyo, walang magiging hadlang kung gugustuhin.
“Even if I’m Filipino and she’s Thai, there was always a connection when I first met her,” sabi ni Mr Ursua.
Pag-ibig sa tulong ng kamatis
Nagkakilala ang dalawa sa isang farm sa Shepparton kung saan pareho silang fruit packers.
Naalala ni Mr Ursua ang mga sandali nang kinailangan niyang igulong ang mga kamatis sa paahan ni Ms Songkong upang mapansin lamang siya.
“I would follow her around and try to chat with her and she ignores me and then I’d be pushed off to the other side because of my boss and then I would roll tomatoes down the ground to make it hit her feet to get her attention. I eventually had the courage to ask her name,” nakakatuwang pagbahagi niya.
Pagkatapos mag-date ay nagpakasal ang dalawa taong 2012 at nanirahan sa Melbourne kung saan din ay pinapalaki nila ang kanilang tatlong anak.
Filipino-Thai couple Chuck Ursua and Malissa Songkong met in a farm in Shepparton as fruit packers and have been married since 2012. Source: Chuck Ursua
Walang pinipiling lahi ang tunay pag-ibig
Habang hindi karaniwang makakakita ng Pilipino at Thai na mag-asawa, sinabi ni Mr Ursua na hindi naman naging isyu ang pagkakaiba ng lahi sa tagumpay ng kanilang relasyon.
“I think once you establish that vibe, that love for one another and you see each other eye to eye and you want to be next to that person all the time it doesn’t matter what race,” dagdag niya.
Bagaman magkaiba ang kinalakihang wika, nakita din nila ito bilang oportunidad na matuto ng bagong wika mula sa isa't-isa at maturuan din ang kanilang mga anak ukol sa kanilang mga sariling wika.
“The language barrier was challenging but she speaks English well and I speak a little Thai, we learn from one another and we teach our kids as well and she knows a bit of Tagalog and Visayan words,” pagbahagi niya.
Doughnut give up sa iyong pangarap na negosyo
“Who doesn’t love a cheat day?” sagot ni Mr Ursua nang tinanonhg ng SBS Filipino kung bakit naisip niyang inegosyo ang doughnuts.
Ayon din sa kanya, higit pa sa kita, nais nila ng kanyang asawa na magtakda ng mabuting pundasyon para sa kanilang mga anak at kung maaari ay mamuhay ng komportable ng maaga.
“I want to set a good foundation for my children and give them a good stepping stone. Something that I didn’t have when I arrived and as a couple we’ve always wanted to branch off and do our own thing.”
Pumasok si Mr Ursua sa nasabing negosyo nang malamang patok sa mga mamimili ang doughnuts.
“I’ve always been studying the trend and what worked. We know bubble tea is working and macarons are tingling the girls and are good for little pressies and doughnuts are coming up so that’s something I wanted to get into and tap into. I see the forecast and I like sort of jumped on.”
Naging positibo si Mr Ursua kung kaya't ibingay niya ang lahat ng kanyang oras, enerhiya at pera sa pagtao ng negosyo.
Kinailangan pa niyang ibenta ang kanyang bahay upang makakalap ng pondo, mag-aral ng kurso at humingi ng tulong sa mga eksperto.
“We had to raise the funds by selling our house, countless nights of preparing, a lot of dedication. I didn’t get it right all the time.”
Ipinangalan din ni Mr Ursua ang doughnut shop sa kanyang kapatid na siyang namamahala sa kusina ng kanilang negosyo.
“I sent my brother to learn [about doughnuts]. He went into baking, worked in a bakery as well and did some night shift for a couple of months just to put his head around it. He likes to cook and bake as well. So it’s best to put him in his realm.
Doughdees café makes handcrafted doughnuts in Mount Waverley, Victoria. Source: Doughdees Facebook page
Dough-ing FAMILY and BUSINESS
Habang abala ang kanyang asawa sa pag-aalaga sa kanilang tatlong anak at pagsasanay sa mga trainees nila na gumawa ng bubble tea, nagtatrabaho din ng full time ang trenta'y siyete anyos na negosyante sa isang aero structures company at pinapamahalaan din niya ang isa pa niyang franchise business.
Inamin niya na ang busy lifestyle nila ay nakaapekto sa kanilang oras bilang pamilya, ngunit nagpapasalamat siya dahil matibay ang loob ng kanyang maybahay.
“Honestly, we manage family and business together with great difficulty, but things wouldn’t be possible without a strong lady behind me, encouraging me to do the right thing otherwise I’d go downhill,” pagbahagi niya.
While it’s uncommon to see a Filipino and Thai couple together, they say that racial difference was not an issue in making their marriage work. Source: Chuck Ursua
Behind every successful man is a woman
Patunay ni Mr Ursua na mahirap patakbuhin ang buhay kung wala ang suporta at tulong ng kanyang katuwang sa buhay at pinapaabot niya ang kanyang taos pusong pagpapasalamat sa kanyang asawa dahil sa kanyang mga sakripisyo.
“I wouldn’t be the man I am right now without her.”
“She’s been the best thing ever. She put my thoughts and my head space in the right places.”
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