For 9 plus years at nighttime before, I slip into unconsciousness, there I am with the warm waters, sandy beaches & Filipino instant ready smiles. What makes me know that this is a bit different is the rooster crowing at MNL ~ It is March 7th, my birthday and here I am again finally! But this time my traveling has changed quite differently because I have the ( estranged wife), her Nanay and our 5 & 10 yr old boys. We are returning for the reasons of course to relax also take care of pleasure and some business, but our 2 boys will stay until December at least. They are there to learn respect and the correct ways of discipline taught by the family. I would bet that most people at the terminal after the countless hours of awaiting transfer will either jump out while in flight or hit the closet Tuba stand if they survive the boys but no airplane doors opened. I will not nor shall I paint a more descriptive picture but lets just say if the Abu Sayyaf were to get a hold of them somehow, they would respond with the usual money thing ~ but reversed as they would offer their money to take them back instead of asking from us. But never mind…… lets go on anyway.
After 9 plus years things have really changed of course. The constant is that the one thing that never changes is change itself! Tacloban, Leyte is not the small runway with grab your bags on the table anymore, it is International now with the big boys landing here, guards, customs. New shopping centers, Home Depot, Robbinson’s, 2 Gaisano’s, Handyman’s …….. and mansions abound everywhere it feels like. Late at night we all arrive and after a few hours we need our rest. The roasters and dogs seem to enjoy their Karaoke sessions throughout the wee hours. As it seems there is no jet-lag coming to the Philippines but going back to America takes days to overcome. I came here for the excitement of building our 2nd house on one of two new parcels of properties that we have obtained. A 3 story, 5 bedroom bali, with a theater, woodworking/tools shop, ballroom dancing that opens to the back yard and of course………. the waterfall from the back yard corner where a pool arrives inside the house at the swim-up bar. I have drawn my plans and have 3 months to make a bunch of work started to where the others can pick it up latter where I have left behind the plans.
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A bit of my time is spent at the beach and always being asked of my observations about the Philippines and 15 times per day there is the history lesson about why I love it here too much. I never get tired of campaigning about P.I. and the Filipino ways I admire. When I do this in the U.S. I say about my family the Mendiola’s from Cabuynan, Leyte in P.I. are the richest people I have ever met, simple rice farmers but in their hearts-they are the richest! I have watched as the floods have invaded their home while they wade in knee deep waters sometimes with Schistosomiasis and inches away from the electric outlets. They have something alive inside them and I have my needs and desires to find out how to become more like them. There is plenty of time catching up and plenty of visitors stopping by. I will stroll just about anywhere and become a instant cousin being asked if I want to join them for drink and snack.
There are also times I wish to just get away solo and do some mountain climbing but doing so I get cut and ripped up in the jungle to finish my trek. Is it wise or foolish as I choose not to return the same hazardous way and go into the rice fields for a break. Seems like I can map it out from about but once down into it. I find the levies are maybe at best only 1 foot wide in most places and like a labyrinth as I have my bamboo pole for balance. I can not and will not ruin any part for this is their livelihood of survival. I find myself in too deep, I must do way too much backtracking while in the hot sun. I am somewhat certain the others are watching their rice fields closely wondering what idiot would be there. Well- be it as it may,,,,,,,,way better than others that spend their time here in a taxi & hotel room!
I have come here for a duration of 3 months like I use to do prior to be married and having children and its a real kick knowing that I will be relaxing for that long. But 3 weeks into my trip I have the email telling me that my mother is in the hospital very badly. Holy week has me wait another 2 weeks for an available return to my mom’s. My wife returns on April 2nd but is delayed in the San Francisco Peninsula with car trouble for a few days. Things there have become crazy back there and returning I will take care of my mother and other matters now also. America is not like the Philippines in any fashion, matter or mood. One evenings brawl, drag out fight will return to being the bestest of friends the next day. The Filipino are resilient and loving, forgiving and jolly, NOT what I have lived within the States. There is only two families that comes to mind and it is our best friends in the United States, true people are very rare, we have best friends, acquaintances and enemies in our world and there is nothing in the dictionary about “bad friends” they just don’t exist. Tomorrow I leave, tonight my last evening I am torn inside. I want to help my mother of course, I need to help get attitudes back in correct thinking there and stop the craziness!
Looking at myself, I hope and pray I have learned some lessons here to better myself and to be better for others, it would be a shame if I did not.
The change comes from within always!
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