More than a Thousand Words
…If a picture paints a thousand words…
It’s been a month since I came back from visiting Philippines; and yet, I seemed to retain my hang-over. This was not my first visit since my family and I immigrated here in Canada. But compared to the first, this second visit to Philippines was more memorable.
The trip to Philippines brought anticipation to us who were going: my parents and my sister with her daughter. But real excitement mounted up when the plane soared above the islands of Philippines. I, who was sitting beside my father in the middle row, asked to switch places with my sister, who had the window seat, so I can look out the window. The excitement was temporarily set aside when we went to collect our checked-in belongings, but it came back when we were on our way to Putting Kahoy, where my parents and I were going to stay.
Eating at Chowking was mere imagination before we left for Philippines, but became a repeated accomplishment when we got there. Leche Flan was not just dreamed of, but was actually something I indulged myself with. And oh, green mangoes! Green mangoes…finally my salivating mouth was satisfied! Forgot Boston Crème, but hello to Bavarian Cream! My lola’s tamales (made of sticky rice) was sampled, and even a trip to the beach was accomplished! I got sunburn but the fun was worth the three nights of sleeping on my stomach and having to limit movements. But what really made the vacation memorable to me were for these reasons: 1. I get to see my relatives again, being able to visit my lola and be with my cousins. To put a smile on my lola’s face, who we can tell was so happy to see us, is such an accomplishment. To chill with my cousins again is even a wonderful experience that I can never completely describe even if I paint a thousand pictures of it. It didn’t matter if it’s been a while since we last saw each other. Our comfortability amongst each other remained the same. We were relaxed among each others company. Of course the playful bickering and endearing teasing common to us were ever present. Ah, good times! And of course, the card game left an impression and created a funny memory. They were taught how to play the infamous Buklo ^_^ and I wouldn’t be surprised if it spreads. (We should have copyrighted it. Tsk!) I love and surely miss the potlucks we had, the family affairs, and celebrations. Ahhhh….Pepsi Seven-Up will never be the same to me! Olonggapo sure looks different and sure seems closer….hehehe! There was no midnight snack but for sure there was midnight meal. Staying up late didn’t only mean past bedtime, but also staying up till early morning. I can go on and on, from conversations to escapades, they were all wonderful memories I constantly miss and will always treasure.
I was also reunited with my relatives from my mother’s side. The vague memory I have of them was refreshed. The faint memory I had of Negros Occidental was replaced with a clearer picture. I get to experience walking at the tarmac when I went to Negros Occ. with my parents. I got to play with the waterpump and tried the infamous ‘inasal na manok’. I get to eat Aros Velenciana and Calamay Hati, as well as fresh grilled fish. I laughed at myself for having forced to speak broken Ilonggo. But felt so accomplished when I made a sand castle and collected shells on the beach, and when I walked around during the Panaad Festival. And tho’ I hurt from sunburn, I enjoyed my 5 day-trip to Negros.
2. I get to visit my alma matter and see my friends. We were fortunate to be able to witness one of my cousin’s graduation, and I was even blessed to have the opportunity to be reunited with some of my batchmates. I get to chill with my closest friends and briefly catch-up with my highschool classmates. Reminiscing with them relived the fun I experience when I was still in highschool, which is a memory filled with a whole different fun that is unique to that particular stage in my life. The whole experience with my closest friends made me realize that our friendship stands the test of time, for despite of the fact that we don’t get to keep in touch as often as we always hoped, the sweetness, warmth, openness, comfortability, and even the craziness of our relationship remained. (I love you, girls!)
3. Enchanted Kingdom. I had always dreamed of going there and I finally did. That was one night of sheer excitement and fun. From Wheel of Fate to Space Shuttle was….WEEEEEEEEEH! AAAAAHHHHHH! And WOOOOHOOOOO! (I’ve got pictures to authenticate my experience.) Not to mention the McDo experience.
4. Escapades….shopping and mere gallivanting were so much fun. Oh, carriedo! Oh Greenhills! And cheers to food trip!
All in all…it was fun, fun, fun! So my thanks to all the people there! I really had a great time. If a picture paints a thousand words, my collection of pictures is not enough to capture the fun I had enjoyed and experienced.
We stayed in the Philippines for almost a month, and throughout that stay, I felt I have accomplished a lot and a whole lot more than the first time I went back. But like any vacation trip, it seemed so short when it’s time to go back home. (Ah, home! To me, going back to Philippines is also going home.) I found myself missing the people I left behind the very day I was leaving to return to Canada, and even if I hadn’t boarded the plane yet, I already felt a lonesome, longing feeling. And even now, I find myself going back to that memory ever so often.
XCess: Oh how I miss them soooooo much! Guys, you are the best!
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