Sisters

i'm lucky i've got three. when my son and i got here, all my resolve to start anew, rebuild our lives, etc etc dissolved when i met my first challenge: homesickness. it's such a crippling experience i wouldn't have overcome had it not been for my parents and my sisters' support. it's amazing what we could all accomplish despite the different geographical locations. it's incredible how they made things happen for me and Aj. and despite the fact that there's still a long way to go for me and aj here, i know we'd be ok, i've got all my sisters beside me.

My (global) Support Groups

there's nothing like the corpuz clan. my tita and tito from oregon visited us twice already and brought us cookies and goodies to last us a lifetime:-) and an imac to boot! my cousin in florida checks on us every now and then. my cousin in germany, along with uncle george, give me crash courses about the Macintosh. my other aunt in HK also keeps in touch. once my other cousin gets to belgium, i'm sure we'll get to correspond too.

The Mighty Tambo

never underestimate the power of the tambo. i love the convenience modern technology brings, but still, nothing compares to the fine sweep a tambo gives. besides, it's not at all noisy like the vacuum cleaner. my first tambo here is a gift from my tita glo. this tambo travelled from the philippines to oregon and now to my home. the mighty tambo is indeed a well travelled tambo!

Words of Wisdom (of sorts)

If you keep your head when the rest have lost theirs,
You’d be the only one needing a haircut
---fred flintstone

If you lie on your back and you cry
Your tears go to your ears
---fred flintstone, again

You taught me a valuable lesson…although im not sure what it was
--- spongebob

and of course, i saved the best for last:

Sabi ni teacher pag di ako umutot magkaka sick ako
E lahat naman kami sa room umuutot
---my nephew

Vancouver, finally!

Arriving in Vancouver was a totally different experience. This time, I was excited. My sister and H met us at the airport. And we finally got to see our new apartment. And everything was just perfect! There was even a pot of violet blooms to welcome us. There was coffee, and lemon meringue, and milk, and bread, and cheese, and pots and pans.
I immediately felt at home.
My son kicked off his shoes, smiled and said, "I like our apartment."
And that was enough.
Thanks sis for making it all happen for us! I'm truly grateful (and about to get mushy so I better end here).

First Week

Severe attack of homesickness.
I've lived away from home and have felt homesick before, but homesickness in a foreign land, knowing that you couldn't just pack your bags and go home, made the experience crippling. I couldn't function well. I could, in some levels, enough to remember what forms need to be filed where and when. but inside, I was hollow.
By the end of the week, I was already considering really going home. It took my parents' phone call to rouse me from my stupor and regain focus. I was wailing like a little girl, but they quieted my fears, my anxieties. Then my sister in HK suggested that we could move to Vancouver and she'd meet us there. And that did it for me. The grey cloud disappeared. And I began to plan for the move.

Leaving

It was tough.
Soon as my sister's revo entered the departure lane at the airport, I felt heaviness in the air. For the nth time, I fought off the urge to cry, to cling, to turn back. I wanted to be back at my apartment. I wanted to go home with my parents. I wanted to be surrounded with everything familiar. I was terrified. I thought, what have I done? what was I thinking?
We said our goodbyes and I still managed not to cry. But when I saw our plane, it unnerved me. I realized that it'd be months, if not years, before I see my family again. And my heart felt like it was bursting, and I couldn't breathe. We boarded and I tried to recover for my son's sake. When we reached our final destination, I was already drained. The interview at customs went smoothly, thank God. But the bags were torture. I couldn't lift them from the carousel. And it was difficult keeping an eye on my son and the rest of our valuables while hauling the luggages and maneuvering the quirky cart. But soon it was over. Nobody met us outside and it was a bit disheartening because I was still disoriented from the long flight, and my emotions were a bit raw from all the crying I did on the plane.
But we managed. We've landed.
We stepped out and it was chilly outside.
I thought, a step at a time, a step at a time.
Breathe.