Living in a Stange Land

Many people dream of coming here. They said it is a land of milk and honey. When I first set my foot here I think it is true. Why? Because it was different from the place where I came from. The entire place is so astonishing and breathtaking. It is blessed with modern and natural beauty. It is a place wherein people can have what they want in just a single minute or hour or just a snap of finger. The surrounding place is full of natural resources. The state of the art facilities that they have did not destroy the nature’s beauty that the creator gave them. Instead they preserve, gave nurture and respect. They had preserved the place that has it natural beauty. Most people around here are courteous and well discipline. They know their responsibility and their accountability. They always have their smile in their faces although they don’t know you.

Was living here would be the fulfillment of one’s dreams? Maybe, it’s depending on what your dream is. If you’re dreaming lot money, a nice place to live, for luxury I bet this is the place. The way of life you have here is simply a choice. Why because there are a lot of opportunities around. It’s up to you what you want the best. But if you’re dreaming of happiness that does not come from money, like for example your family I think it wasn’t. Why do you want to stay in a land away from your family? We can find money everywhere the only problem that we have is that we are not contented. That’s the fact that many people ignore.

There are different reasons why people come here. But for me there is only one thing; to be with my husband in order for us to start our own family. Coming here is not that easy. Not to mention the papers that you need to processed. I came here as a wife but still it didn’t make it easier. I still need to undergo a lot of things. Interviews, processing papers again, exam and so on. Aside from that you need to adjust here, their way of life is different form the way I used to lived. First the food, it is very hard for me to be accustomed of the food. Cheese, cakes, pies, casserole, milk and everything. They are appealing and taste good unfortunately my stomach is unsophisticated. I’m still yearning for food that I used to eat. I’m still craving for pinakbet, inabraw, bagoong tuyo and so on. I tried to eat their food; because I thought that it just a matter of time then I’ll be familiar to it. Unfortunately my stomach is not akin to it. If I eat their food for a whole day, I suffer from sickness. We live in an apartment but it was strange for me that I don’t know those living next door. I don’t even see them... It’s kind of weird for me.

I have a wonderful family here; my husband is great and so wonderful. We never experience any misunderstanding although we sometimes have different idea. We never fight of something I had never seen my husband get mad, He usually talk in a soft and comforting manner. He never yells or raised his voice in me, not just the way I used to have in the place where I came from. I experienced embarrassment and humiliation to some people who are not even a part of my family. Isn’t that more excruciating? My husband is so wonderful and so with his parents; my parents in laws and his siblings. They are all great. Maybe because they where persons who grew in the church and love the Lord so much that they treat every person with respect and dignity. And I am grateful to be a part of their family. I never heard them say anything bad about certain people. No matter how mean a person is.

But with all those kindness that they gave still I miss my parents, my brother and his family, my friends and of course my dog. That sometimes if I think of them I have this feeling to go back to the place I used to live. A nice place, nice people, but still I’m longing to the place where I spend my 30 years. Back in the Philippines, I was never appreciated of all the things that I did. I work and spend 8 hours a day, 5 days a week and sometimes I spend my Saturday at work and some holidays but still I never had appreciated. Still they told me that I am nothing, not capable of doing something nice in my vocation. They regard me as someone who was not good, why? Because I am just a THE teacher, everybody knows how to cook, how to sew, how to do things. So it is not worth it as they said. So it embedded in my heart and mind that I cannot do anything good but when I came here I was given the appreciation that I never had. Although I am not expecting any appreciation and respect in this place Because I told myself that if I wasn’t appreciated in my place in my work that I have for 6 years why should I receive it here? But I was wrong I receive it, they recognized any single and small thing that I do. And I feel wonderful about it. I am motivated to do more, to strive to do something in order for me to grow. Was it nice that somebody would say something nice on what you are doing? Of course I am not expecting something, like they will give you an award or they will build a monument for you but just a simple act of appreciation will do.

Living here for more than three months gives me a lot of lesson. And it helps me to become a better person. It builds my confidence that I lost when I work in a certain school. It brings back my dignity that had been shattered because I was only a poor and I am not an intelligent person. It rekindles my hope that even if I am only a Home economic teacher I can also touched some one life. That one of the most important thing in life is the family that I have. That it is not important that you don’t have a successful career, that you’re earning a lot of money. That you are the most intelligent person that you study in a well known University but how wonderful family you have, that you always hold the joy in your heart no matter what happen. That you have the feeling of security that you’re family will be yours forever. That you are secured that your husband will be on your side forever more that no matter what happens he will always remain faithful. I also found out that success in life is not how many money do you have in the bank or how big your house is but how you treat others with love and dignity. That you can sleep at night not worrying anything. That when the night comes when all your friends are gone still you have your family to hold, support and talk to. And you never feel emptiness in you heart.
Living in a strange land will change your outer appearance but most of all it change you perception in life. It makes you a better person. It teaches you the most important thing in life, the family, and the true friends that you have. This is the place that helps me to become a better person. And it teaches me where I really came from. That a person no matter what his status in life he has the right to be happy and to be respected with other people Besides we all come from one parents with divine qualities. That those qualities must comes out in order to become the person you should be. I also learned that there is someone who will never leave us and knows our struggles and sufferings that on His due time he will give what’s the best for us. It may not be the one that we are expected to be but it is the best. That life’s lessons comes in different packages, sometimes it will hurts you so much but it’s all that we need in order for us not to give up and to face a bigger, and better challenges in life.