My Back-to-Pinas Christmas
How does it really feel like going home for the holidays in the Philippines? Okay, it’s not like I have been in and out of the country for ten or twenty years to fully capture this whole “homecoming” and MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
1.) Feels motherly-loved: I’ve never-ever appreciated my mom’s smile until I saw her beam those white (with one tooth on gray jacket) set of teeth from afar, as she welcomed me at the Philippine airport.
2.) Feels re-immuned: I will never forget that sudden little twitch in my nose as I inhaled car fumes again while walking out of the airport lobby to the parking area. Well yeah, there are hardly smelly vehicle smokes in South Korea.
3.) Feels gigantically bright and all-lighted up: Colorful lanterns have always added cheer to the Christmas season (and they are rare in South Korea). So while my friend would’ve preferred watching the Giant Lantern Festival in Pampanga via television, she joined me in mingling with her fellow Kapampangans for the occasion, anyway.
4.) Feels earthly: Sunday biking in the state university’s famous oval has always been a personal reminder of my constant struggle for spiritual enlightenment, as I embrace myself with the calmness of the trees that arch my head as I do the pedal rounds.
5.) Feels more carefree and worry-free: Pig-out dinners in Makati (especially the Glorietta-Greenbelt area) relives that part in me that would want to splurge at the present and barely worry about the future. Late night shifts and bi-weekly salaries… oh yeah!
6.) Feels all-grown up: Ironically, my physical distance from my mother has brought me closer to her in my random online talks, that when I got back, she felt it right that I join her and her village 'amigas' in their occasional dinners.
7.) Feels that I forever belong: Friends are really hard to find, and to forever have that association with a set of people who can prove that friendships really go a long, long way despite time and distance… oh such a blessing.
8.) Feels couchpotato-comfy: It’s practically been good food and nice catch-up talks with friends whom I have managed to keep ties with that highlighted my visit back home. It just feels great when you can comfortably blab and excitedly hear back stories from these down-to-earth friends.
9.) Feels sane and truly understood: It is especially when you’re with trusted people you can go naked in thoughts with that you feel more human. You may have myriads of friends, but there will always be those few who, even if you at least once in your life try not to confide things to them… nah… will end up spilling all anyway. Teehee.
10.) Feels more open and adventurous: Then of course, there are the spur of the moment chances of meeting new people and being friends with their outright, straight-to-your-face, here-is-who-i-am demeanor. You both go and ice it all the way, haha.
11.) Feels perpetually attached: You bash at each other at times, tell how years of friendship have sometimes proved to be lacking of one’s familiarity with the other, but you love them and would really make the time out to spend quality time together, anyway. It is because that long span of a time has made it almost close to an obligation to be attached. The kin-kind type of being attached, despite having your first-time picture together just recently.
12.) Feels all-ruggedly fine and easy: Things become more fun when done in the mud, as they say, because some things are easier done the dirty way. This kind of ruggedness takes us to farther places with equally fun, cowboy friends.
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