Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Joyous Journeys: Philippines Trip Day 18-19

July 28-29, 2014
After an almost full day of traveling and a good night's rest, the day after our vacation away from our vacation was dedicated to celebrating my cousin, Ate A's, birthday! You can admire her family's dog, Tango, and all his adorable self, in the rest of this blog post (as well as what food I ate for my cousin's birthday and how my last day in this great country was)!
Isn't Tango the sweetest thing you've ever seen?! He was so small, he needs a bell around his collar to alert where he is because he doesn't make a sound! I swear, after Tango, my "female biological clock" has been alerting me to get a puppy of my own! Life goal: own a puppy. 
It was a wonderful birthday gathering with our nearest relatives. I wish more of us came out, but of course, with so many of us on my mom's side, it's difficult to get all of us together in such short notice. With big family gatherings, comes several laughs and a lot of food. The gathering, chatting, and laughter of so many family members together is something I miss the most. Once we come back to America, we go back home to just the four of us: Dad, Mom, sister, and me. But in the Philippines,  hanging out with your extended family is the norm, not a once-a-year-occassion. This, I believe, is what is so characteristic of Philippines culture: strong sense of family unity, and what I cherish the most. 

July 29, 2014
This was our last day in the Philippines, and the day I, and I'm sure the rest of my family, was dreading. I wish I was able to stay the whole three months of my summer vacation, but unfortunately I had summer classes to take the next week.
This day was about spending the last moments of our time here with my dad's side of the family, so we all got together for breakfast. My goal of being able to carry, chat, and bond with my baby cousin was accomplished, and that was all I wanted. No matter how kulit or wild he was, he had this independence and bravery I wish I had at his age, even now. It made me in awe to see how he could be so easily left alone to wander out of the house into the streets, and be trusted to wander back safely. It made me realize just how in the Philippines, they just let their kids go and not coddle or hover over them like in America. This instills independence and trust within the child, which I hope I can instill at such an early age for my own children in the future. Food for thought. 
This was the last meal of the day before we headed to the airport and waited for our plane to arrive (oh yes, we of course had to order some Jollibee before getting onto the plane- who knew how long we would be served our airplane dinner). 

My great summer adventures abroad came to an unfortunate end, but I came away with so much more knowledge about my parents, and thus about myself, as well as this greater appreciation for other cultures outside of the U.S. I've come to realize how much I crave traveling, and understand the feeling of wanderlust. I hope I can satisfy that sensation soon, but until then, I'll focus on graduating college. Until the next blog post~

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