~being a beach butterfly~

Sunday, August 13, 2006

"Migrants, I think, are people who are never whole, never completely in one place.
Ours is a fractured existence.
~Arlene J. Chai, The Last Time I Saw Mother~

I've been feeling rather homesick lately.

Homesickness is something you can't completely elude. You think you're over it and then it sneaks up on you when you least expect it. It's like a little shadow following you around nagging you with memories and an ardent wish to be back home.

I don't even know exactly what I'm homesick about. My immediate family isn't in Manila. Friends and relatives are occupied in their own little worlds. The traffic, pollution and crowds aren't exactly in my list of 'Things I Love about Manila'. But I just had this.. this.. sudden urge to be home. Maybe I just miss shopping like there's no tomorrow coz i certainly can't afford to do that here! Or maybe I'm missing the Manila heat.. or colourful showbiz personalities and the even more comical political situation. Maybe I miss not having to wash the dishes and do my own laundry.. or maybe I miss the telly programmes that are uniquely Pinoy. I just miss.. being there.. and not having to read about it on on line newspapers.

Usually when I'm in this state I immerse myself in the Filipino culture. I watch filo movies, I listen to OPM, I talk to filos in tagalog.. Of course it doesn't help that my very American boyfriend, who I spend most of my time with, only knows three Tagalog phrases/words: Mahal Kita, Tae (sorry.. :P) and Diyos Ko! Diyos Ko! Ruben Ruben! (which is, oddly enough, the only tagalog phrase he picked up the whole time I was watching Kailangan Kita.)

I think the Filo Community heeded my craving for everything Filipino.. This weekend was all about seeing my filo friends, eating (orgasmic) filipino food, talking in Tagalog and such. We had a birthday dinner for Pat on Friday at the Australian Pizza Kitchen in Civic.. of course Patrick is almost Filipino, with the amount of time he spends with us Pinoys. Mama Jaimee and pogi Ogie were there who I see as the pillars of the filo community in UC.

Oj, Jaims and Me @ APK

Saturday we went to the lovely house of Ate Jeanette in Turner who cooked a great feast of Filipino food. I saw the Filos I haven't seen for ages and caught up with them and gossiped and made jokes only a Filipino can get. Had an awesome time and it somehow eased the longing to be home.

I was also trying to educate Jeff on Filipino culture. Starting, of course, with the food. He enjoyed everything: the Pancit, the Sago, Spring Rolls, Kare-kare, Leche Flan.. he wasn't too fond of Sinigang though. But oh well.. I guess it's an acquired taste.

mama jaims and me

michelle, ate sha & moi

And now I just saw this video that my great and wonderfully talented friend Ron made. Made me miss him and Manila even more.

*sigh*.. i keep coming back to manila indeed.

beachbutterfly babbled @ 1:09 PM |

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: Name: beachbutterfly; Location: Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia

i'm always on the verge of going somewhere else. Not one to settle, i've lived in 7 cities, 4 countries.. and well.. i intend to keep on counting. i live for travelling, shopping, making my parents proud, going to the beach, hanging out with people as insane as i am, boozing and ummm.. having the freedom to be the occasional bum

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