A Journey to the Motherland
Saturday, November 12, 2011 at 08:10PM Wasting no time, I flew out to the Philippines just two days after leaving my job at jhr. I’ve been planning this trip for a while now because lately, there’s been this sort of longing inside of me to visit my country of origin. I was born in the Philippines but moved to Canada when I was just four years old and all my visits back have been too short to really get to know the country. And I guess more than anything else, I was too young back then to really appreciate the wealth of culture and history this country has to offer. The Philippines has always been a place where family was and nothing else outside of that mattered.
But lately, there’s really been that itch to go back and learn about the history of my native land…something I think every person should do. After all, it was our national hero, Jose Rizal, who once said, “he who does not know how to look back at where he came from will never get to his destination”.
And so begins my journey to the motherland… I’ve been here for just a week now and it’s really been overwhelming. So much has happened in just a week, so much of my thoughts, conceptions, and feelings has changed that I honestly don’t even know where to start. It’s like I’ve been thrown into this entirely new world that’s so different from all that I’ve come to know and yet it’s all still so vaguely familiar.
the jeepney. just one of the many modes of transportation hereThe pace of life here is something else…it’s painfully hot (45 degrees with 90% humidity on most days), the traffic is intense, and there is just this unapologetic chaos that seems to permeate every aspect of life. I was half expecting to be taken aback by all of these things, especially considering I haven’t been back to visit in over six years. But I think I’ve adjusted pretty well…I’ve commuted on my own to a relatively far away city, which I know from a North American standpoint sounds pretty trivial…but trust me, commuting here is a whole other beast. There are jeepneys, tricycles, FX vans that you can take to get to your destination and each has its own system and routes...and like I said, the traffic...oh, the traffic!! It'll take you 5x the time to get anywhere around here.
A day after arriving, I started working with a non-profit media monitoring organization (like I said, I don’t waste time!) and the transition in thinking and speaking from English to Tagalog (the main dialect here) has been pretty smooth. Learning about the press system here and the culture of impunity has just been a whole other experience on its own. It's where my passion lies, especially considering what I've done and where I've worked in the past and to be able to contribute something of my skills to my country of origin feels just...right.
And yesterday I visited Intramuros and Fort Santiago, the heart of our colonial past and actually the only remaining physical remnants of it. That was something else too. To see our country's roots and the very obvious physical--not just cultural--Spanish influences...well, that was a side of the Philippines and of Manila that I've never seen before. More on that experience later...
And of course, I've been able to spend time with my family. Very important people in my life that I haven't seen in years, some of whom I haven't even met yet. Spending time with two nephews who have pretty much become my tail has been fun (so far, at least!)
So in a quick blog post, that's been my week. A bit fragmented and all over the place, but nonetheless, incredibly enriching in every way.
Every day is a new adventure here and my thoughts run faster than words could ever capture...
Reader Comments (4)
Justine, you are a beautiful writer. And it's so wonderful to hear that you have found a way to contribute to your country of origin that feels just "right". I think that's something many people, including myself, struggle to find...
Sahar! Thank you so much for the kind words. Definitely feel like if there's anywhere I should start contributing my skills to, it would have to be right here at "home". I'm sure you'll find it in due time :)
I can totally relate to this feeling. I described it as "goosebumps" in a blog I posted back in April. It was a turning point, and I had never felt so strongly that something was meant to be i.e. me returning to Laos to live and work here, and to work with particular people on a specific project.
I visited Makati last December for a week. I have a German friend that lives there. We met through couchsurfing when we both lived in Toronto. If you're going to be there for a while I'll hook you two up. It's fantastic that you can appreciate the beauty amongst the chaos. I definitely struggled with that in the big city. I wish I had more time to explore the natural parts of the Philippines. I hear it's sublime.
Anyways, just checking in. Keep us posted on your journey. I'm so excited for you Justine!
- Anf
Hi Anf! Thanks so much for reading and sharing your experience in Laos. I really feel like it's something that everyone should do at some point in their life.
You definitely need to come back and see what else we have to offer outside of Makati...our beaches and provinces are just a whole different world! I just took a trip to Tagaytay where there's the world's smallest volcano and it's just WOW! Love it so much!
I'm here until December 16 but will be leaving the big city for a bit, but please do connect us! Would love to meet more people here!