a homestay guide for wanderlust

|

when your sister says come visit... you don't think twice. you immediately file for a long work leave and pray you still have that job when you come back. because believe me, you would want to come back...


don't get me wrong, i love spending quality time with the kwitkowski's especially during the holidays. it's probably one of the best memories i have in my life. rewind back 4 years ago when i almost went over the edge, being around such a loving family and drawing all my remaining strength to look out for my then 2.5 year old nephew tyler was the best wake-up call any emotionally challenged individual could have. how can you selfishly think of your own woes or anything else for that matter in the midst of changing diapers, making meals, rocking a baby for his nap, running around in the yard looking for lady bugs and taking care of the laundry?

when i'm faced with problems with work, being single, thoughts about my retirement, my constant search for spirituality and other such trivial matters; my tried and tested course of action~ and re-action has always been to just GO... travel, get lost on my own, land a new job in some foreign developing country, or... to just STOP. this year i opted for the later.

we couldn't be any different than you could imagine, melissa and i. i can make a list that would bore the hell out of you. but we get each other. for some strange reason, my sister knows when to call and ask me to visit. she knows that its time to get me to park my suitcase at her door and make me sit still, literally!

in her own quiet, unassuming domesticated bliss i find the remedy for my ailments ~ to be invited and made a part of her happy home keeps wanderlust at bay and makes me feel part of regular people's lives even for a little bit.

to enjoy the hypnotic clicking of zippers as they thrash about in the dryer, to smell the slowly rising cookie dough as it bakes in the oven, to laugh at the hyterics of a 6-year old who doesn't want to loose a game of chutes and ladders, to wait patiently for the 2:30pm school bus to arrive, to listen to country music on the car radio as we drive off for an afternoon at the local mall, to talk to an old feline for company...

it's been a great visit so far and when it is over, i will miss it. but i'll also be glad it's over because it means i get to push the re-start button. this trip like the last i took homestaying with the K's has given me another year to look forward to, on my own, yes. but with a renewed spark in my torch that tells me everything will be ok. after this year though, i think i'll try to make it on my own for a while... can't be too keen on spoiling myself within this comfort zone. might not be back for a spell. it's going to be a rough one, but maybe things will be different... it is a new year after all. Tennessee (Dec. 14, 2009 12:17pm)

Manila, my Manila

|

The dirt, grime, traffic, noise, smell... My history, my Manila.

Call it what you want, look at it through a bigots' eyes. I don't care what you say, I still love the chaos reflected in the murky waters of the Pasig River and the esteros clogged with garbage. I will never abandon my love for you because you are all that I have. Every time I see you I fall in love again with your savagery. I am amour-ed by the secrets you show me in your dark alleyways. Mine to keep for always. (November 28, 2009)

Winter in Hanoi

|

The air is crisp, clean but chilly. My boots, are not enough to warm me from the ground up as I walk about. But this is just what I need. I want to feel the snip of the cold through my bones. It makes me feel alive, it jolts me to reality that the romance of Hoan Kiem Lake will dissolve after the sun rises the next day. Yet, why do I allow the city to trick me one last time? I do this because nature cannot be steered away from its course. Wintertime calls my emotions to hibernate, to accept and wait for spring to rekindle and surprise my spirit anew and let its warmth strengthen me again. (November 20, 2009)

Open Houses... Open Hearts

|

I just came back from visiting with my friend Sumitra and her family for a weekend celebrating “Hari Deepavali” (in India known as “Diwali” the Hindu festival of lights); I have to say that all the clichés about Malaysia being “truly Asia” could not have been truer. It could have been just the curry on the mutton I was eating, or perhaps the subtle kick of the spinach and lentils I dipped my roti in, but the warm and soothing feeling of a well eaten meal could very well be the feeling of how peace on earth is ~ Malaysians of different ethnic backgrounds (Malay, Chinese, Indian, etc.) gathering together for a meal with only the purest purpose in mind… friendship.

I did not think twice about going to Malaysia with Sumitra, a good friend from Sai Gon. To travel on Air Asia a budget airlines made it easy plus a home-stay visit always beats the ‘lonely traveler’ option, especially as this trip was a much needed form of distraction for me to physically heal and overcome some very intense issues. And who would not have fun meeting new people and experience a truly authentic festival! The chance to visit our pregnant friend Ida and her husband Per who recently moved to KL from Sai Gon was a bonus, and Ann another friend from Vietnam was also in for the trip to shop and just relax lah! For a brief moment I was in Nirvana as my gracious hosts the Valliappan’s, and their extended family welcomed me and our friends into their houses, making this festival of lights truly a triumph of good over evil. And yes... I am ok now, one day at a time.

Open houses are a unique practice among Malaysian Tamils. During the seventh month of the Hindu calendar, oil lamps are lit, colorful rangoli’s are painted on the floor, home cooked Indian meals and sweets are prepared and firecrackers are played by children and childlike ‘uncles’ alike. Everyone is welcomed in homes, be it family or strangers as they commemorate the defeat of Lord Rhama over Ravana, as well as the celebration of the slaying of the demon king Narakasura by Lord Krishna in Hindu religion.

Kashka, Sumi’s youngest sister picked out a Punjabi dress for me to wear for temple. Geeta, middle sister gave up her bed for me. Auntie Jo and Uncle Swami her parents lent us their car and basically made me feel at home. And even granny gave me lucky money! Sumitra and her beau Yogi took me around town sightseeing. And for every relative’s house we visited, I was filled to the brim with food (yes pacing myself saved the day!).

As I met new people and enjoyed KL with my friends I couldn’t help but think why it’s so hard for people to just appreciate and respect their differences? I am quite blessed for being in an ever growing circle of such respectful people. I am a Christian Protestant; Sumitra practices both being a Malaysian Tamil (from her Dad) and a Christian Catholic (from her Mom); Ida is an Indonesian Muslim who loves Buddha statues for decorations who married to a Danish man so considerate that when Soraya their first born comes into the world she will not have a forced baptism but simply a name dedication ceremony; and Ann’s family in Vietnam are basically traditionalists who do ancestor worship but Ann is one of the most modern and independent spirits I know... AND WE ALL GET ALONG WELL! Aside from my travel companions, I have also made friends from so many nations since I became an expat four years ago. Truly, my world view has changed significantly in such a short period of time. And though I do not regret nor resent the sheltered life I grew up with, I hope that I can catch up to the many experiences and peoples that are waiting out there for me to meet. So that with each return to my current comfort zone I can become a better human being.

Differences in race, cultures and religions bring discord to a world obsessed with getting ahead for their own benefit, such is the happening in my home country the Philippines. Living in a continent where we have the most number of races and religions per square inch, shouldn’t tolerance be the norm? But it is not. As I contemplate my experience and upload my Deepavali and KL trip photo albums in my frivolous social networking site(s), I couldn’t help but wish… that one festival in a year, in one country can set an example for the rest of us to seek that bright light of peace? Here’s hoping it will.

Draft Script...

|

Just another day at the office... laying on the infinity pool, getting a tan, waiting for the allergies to hit after eating fresh lobster, natural exfoliation on the sand and a nice quiet walk as the night creatures begin their chorus... Oh wait where am I again now?

I am back in the District 4 studio factory and struggling to relive the past weekend where I was privy to one of Vietnam's newest resort additions in the city of Nha Trang. The images are in my head... all I need is help with the copy. Writers block you see, sometimes we need to smell that sea breeze again.

“Imagine a place where you wake up to a dream everyday… Where nature serenades the soul… And revives the adventurous spirits within… A place…where the beat of your pulse can quicken at every turn, or make time stand still at your whim. To stay for a day is amazing, to stay for a while inviting...”

Hon Tam Resort - Eco Green Island

|






With my colleague Phuong, doing a location scout in Nha Trang, Vietnam

Beginnings

|

I haven't done this for a while... Sure the old journal and tissue paper scribbles are still there, and I've managed to post superficial items first in friendster, multiply and now facebook. But I am in a new chapter in my journey, and thus a celebratory new page is in order. Why do I make other people suffer thru my incomprehensible rants and such? Simple... Because as human beings we need to be validated. Writing it down and throwing your bottle of blogs into cyber shores and hoping it gets opened by others and connecting in some way, makes living a whole lot manageable.

Subscribe to: Comments (Atom)