Well Philippines… it has been real. The time has finally come
for me to return to the States, and I could not have imagined a more
spectacular couple of years. My Peace Corps time may be up, but I am taking
with me everlasting bonds with two Filipino forever families, who gave an
overwhelming amount of love to me, and dozens of PCV best friends… a handful of
which are the coolest, smartest, funniest, most worldly and fascinating weirdoes
I have ever had the pleasure to meet. We conquered goat intestines, typhoons, fake
cheese, loneliness, flying cockroaches, earthquakes, self-doubt, parasites,
tears, joys, and so much more together. I am moving on to the next chapter of
life, but the Philippines and all of the people who have touched my heart will
forever be with me. What an incredible adventure! Words cannot express my
gratitude. Gihigugma ko ang Pilipinas sa kanunay! Mobalik ko, unya ra. Salamat
sa tanan! (I will always love the Philippines. I will return soon. Thank you
everyone!)
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| Divas |
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| LOVE |
I am currently spending my last few days at the Peace Corps
pension house in Manila. It is in a pretty sketchy area of the pines, and
surprise surprise there is another typhoon! I had to drag all of my giant
2-year full bags through the storm, and through all of the beggars lying on the
street, and through piles of poop and pee being washed everywhere, almost
getting blown over with my umbrella bent backwards. Not my finest moment, but a
perfect goodbye to the Philippines indeed. These rough experiences are never
shown in the Facebook picture façade of fun and good times…
I had a surprise school despedida (farewell party) last
week, it was quite a treat. It was a formal program, so my principal, and
former principal made speeches that were surprisingly touching. My clever glee
kids performed a re-enactment drama of my first day at school, which was
hilarious and complete with all of my mannerisms. They also performed songs. One of my favorite parts was the reading of sweet
appreciation letters from some of my old students. Cathy made a great PowerPoint
presentation of all of my accomplishments at school, which really put things in
perspective and made me feel proud. I had to give a final speech, but I don’t
really remember what I even said because I was so overwhelmed with emotion, I
think I just cried through half of my speech. I really did not know what to
say, it was such an amazing program of appreciation, and it made me feel more
special and useful than I have ever felt! Once in a lifetime kinda day.
Mariz and Nicole wanted to have sleepovers for my last three
nights. It was pretty adorable, we three slept cuddled up on a matt on the
floor, both of them spooning me from both angles. I actually woke up once to
find 6 year-old Mariz looking me straight in the eyes and gently stroking my
arm… so creepy at the initial moment but actually very very sweet when I
thought about it coherently. I have given so much time and effort in
entertaining them over the years, and it is clear how much they appreciate it,
and of course, they have given me so many priceless memories and the feeling of
sister love. I think I mentioned in a previous blog that Nicole once said that
when I leave, she will look at a picture of me every night before going to
sleep so she can dream that I am still there. I really can’t describe the
feeling of being so so close with these girls now, when they were strange kids
on the other side of the world just a couple of years ago. My host mother also
keeps texting me now that they will not stop crying. So sad, but what can I do?
It must be hard for them to process me really leaving, because people do not
really ever come and go in these small communities. We plan to try to Skype
soon, thank goodness for the internet sometimes!
I also had PCV friendship sleepovers for a few nights before
that. I have slept cuddled up countless of times with other volunteers and that
is something I am not sure would be acceptable in the states, but memories I
will forever cherish. Why this happens so often in a sweaty country with no
A/C, it is beyond us… must just be love. We are so connected to each other from
sharing this unique volunteer experience and going through so many hardships
together. We also of course had a final videoke outing and farewell for me,
Chris, Jen, and Larry with the other new volunteers. We each had to choose a
“swan song.” If you have never heard of swan song, it is called that because
supposedly swans are silent all of their lives, then seconds before their
death, they are said to release a beautiful final bird sound… haha! Hence, our
farewell swan songs to each other and the newer batch peeps. Chris choose, “Time
after Time,” Jen chose “Leavin on a Jet Plane” and “Closing Time,” I chose “Time
of Your Life,” and Larry, the token Italian, chose “Time to Say Goodbye” by Sartori in Italian… so lovely
(this is actually the same beautiful song Will Ferrell sings at the Catalina
Wine Mixer in Step Brothers, hahaha.) Then, to end the night, the four of us
sang “We are the Champions” and scored a rare perfect 100%... too good to be
true! A few tears were shed, but mostly from the newer volunteers who will miss
us so and don’t get to go home to dairy J. A final epic night.
Also,
the once a year Dauin town fiesta was the day before I left, so it worked out
as a great final family celebration, inevitable pig slaughter, and goodbye dance
party. Walking away from my nipa hut the next morning, I felt a bit melancholy,
but more of excitement, and no doubt I will be back to Dauin again someday.
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| My GLOW Gals |
Some final thoughts…
As elated as I am to be coming home, there are a few things
about the Philippines that I will truly miss. Family really is priority number
one here, families, no matter the size, all sleep in the same bed, and people
are most always thinking of how their actions affect others before their own desires
and independence. A linguistics thing that I love is that Filipinos use the
terms “Ate” and “Kuya” which literally translate to “big sister” and “big
brother,” to address anyone who is doing them a service like a taxi driver or
waitress. So cute and friendly. Also, as much as I hated the slow motion and
laid back work ethic, I think I will miss that upon returning to the states,
and leaving room during meetings for snacks and siesta on desks after lunch.
Besides the delicious exotic fruits and people who I have grown to love as my
own family, I can’t think of much else I will miss at the moment, but that is
probably because I am all sentimentaled out, and too excited for home sweet
home. With that and jumping back into the American Dream, this blog has finally
come to an end. If you miss my ramblings, bad jokes, and weird adventures, give
me a call or text sometime on the fancy phone that I guess I have to conform to
because I hear you can’t even buy non-smart phones anymore? It’s time for me to
reintegrate with the 9 to 5 robots and get back to work and play in Colorado.
Peace Corps Philippines, what a ride… you awoke my soul.
Did.
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