It’s close to 2 weeks since I left Manila for a 6-week training here in Minnesota. I left Manila with a heavy heart because I will be missing my family, most especially my little angel, Zion. But deep within
me, there’s that feeling of excitement and anticipation, knowing that I will be going to a new place, quite different from what I have and experience in Manila. I have been to the US before, but it was
different back then. I went to California to visit my aunt (Tita Layla) and uncle (Tito Nap), and went there with my Mom and Dad. It was different that time. The climate was similar to Manila (minus the
humidity and pollution). No need to be pressured because I was there for a vacation. No need to worry about what to eat and how to budget my money, because my financiers (my parents! hehehehe…) were there, plus Lola Teresa (Tita Layla’s mom) was there to cook Filipino food. No feeling of homesickness, since I
know I was with people whom I felt comfortable and warm.
It’s a totally different ballgame this time. Went here during winter wherein the temperatures could drop as low as -30degrees FAHRENHEIT (and people close to me know how I crumble in cold climates). A short walk to the nearest building can make your hands, nose, and ears, freeze, causing frostbite. And last Saturday night we had to walk for about a minute or two just to find a building that was open, for us to get to the skyways that connect one building to another (similar to the walkways in Dela Rosa in Makati). Talk about
suicide eh! Hehehehe… Remind myself to go to the beach as soon as I get back to Manila. I miss the sun and its warmth… Another difference is, I came not for a vacation. I came here to be trained for 6 weeks. Thus giving the pressure, that when I come back to Manila, I should be "learned" or "enlightened" in some way. I am just very thankful that my mentors here are very patient and very helpful, ever willing to share their "tricks of the trade" with me. I am also very thankful that our managers here in the US are very
accommodating and has much concern for us like our manager in Manila. It makes things a little better. Third, being sent here with an entire budget good for 42 days, would mean mega-budgeting. I can’t simply splurge a whole lot of bucks in Mall of America in one or two visits. I have to take into consideration that I have to eat for the entire 42 days. Bad thing is, I can’t cook, which leaves me only two options - buy cooked food in the nearby food shops (like Arby’s, Subway, or Sampan), or go for the cheaper alternative - buy microwaveable food (God bless the person who invented the microwave oven!). During weekdays, I go for the microwaveable foods. During weekends, when go out for trips to mall, I go for the
first one - and I usually go for rice. God, I miss rice, be it plain, fried, garlic, bagoong, and even the "flavored" ones like arroz caldo and champorado. And lastly, it was a lot different last time because
I was with people whom I felt comfortable and warm. People whom I know genuinely care for me. People whom I can be myself. Very minimal adjustments. No leaving-behind. No misunderstandings. No faking. No stress. Just genuineness, sincerity, respect, and family love.
In my 2 weeks stay here, I already miss Manila. I miss the climate, the food, and the less-stressful life. I miss my friends back in Manila. Thank God for Rio, Koox, Lorraine, and Jun who are in either US or
Canada, for minimizing those homesick-moments by calling me or chatting with me (even during work hrs!). And last but not the least, I miss my family, most especially Mama and Zion. I miss the 3am wake-up-slap-on-the-face by Zion to ask for milk. I miss his laughter and his perky way of saying "MY MOMMY! MY MOMMY!". I miss Mama’s boisterous laughter everytime we make fun of Daddy or Zion’s nanny (bwehehehe!). I miss her "good morning starbright" greeting every morning. I miss the way she makes me feel at ease everytime I
feel like breaking someone else’s neck. I miss our usual Sunday schedule of going to Mass then lunch at Serye or Casa Verde at UP. I’m just counting the days - exactly 29 days - before I leave for Manila. I just hope the days pass by swiftly.
What do you consider a holiday?