Going Home for Christmas...

Alex' Canadian-born daughter Aliyah

My bags are packed for my trip home...I travel light every time I go back to the province knowing my older sister Marisa (it's official, I've mentioned all my sisters in this blog, LOL) would gladly lend me the stuff I needed. The Christmas break has always been special considering that's the only time I get to see my family--at least the family I have left in the Philippines--my mother, my sister and her 3 children.

Vic with his kids Alyssa, Emman and Girlie

There's 6 siblings in the family and Marisa and I are the only ones left in the country. My eldest brother Vic is living in New Zealand, my other older brother Alex lives in Canada, eldest sister Mayet is in Italy, Anne is in Australia...add to that my aunts and uncles and cousins in Switzerland, Germany, the US, the Middle East etc. It's really sad to think that we really haven't taken a complete family picture in more than 10 years.

Anne being goofy in Melbourne

It might sound odd to the readers of this blog in Western countries--but this is the situation of most families in the Philippines. Opportunities are few and far between that after college, the majority of those who can leave to work in other countries, do so. My generation owes a debt to those who left and sent their hard-earned money back to support our education.

Mayet in Milan

In my family, the trailblazer is my mother's sister Auntie Ester when she left to work in Germany in the early 60's--she helped her younger siblings finish school then their turn came and in due course aided us to finish school and find opportunities (I'm talking to you Auntie Alice, Fannie and Uncle Mar). I have heard of horror stories about families getting splintered by long separations but we have remained close against all odds, thank God.

my cousins with uncle Mar & aunts Fannie and Alice

Our government calls overseas Filipinos 'new heroes' due to their multi-billion dollar remittances that keep the country afloat in hard times. We even narrowly avoided recession this year because even if the economy is bad in the country where they work--Filipinos still sent billions home. This is all well and good but I just wish that in the near future, the Philippines won't have to 'export' its people to keep it solvent. That Filipinos would have opportunities right here in this beautiful country. It's Christmas, so I'm allowed to wish for the seemingly impossible, right?

Marisa's husband freezing in Alberta

I started this post not expecting to touch on anything heavy, but Christmas is a weird time... shopping for stuff is fun but there's really no better Christmas than spending it with people you grew up with...people who's been there for you in good times and bad...people who loves you no matter what. So to my brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles, cousins galore--the people who matter the most to me--I just want to let you know you are deeply missed this Christmas and I hope to see you again soon.