no place like

it’s been two months since i arrived here in my new home. i’ve met a lot of people, made friends with some people i hardly new and shared a bathroom with two girls who used to be strangers to me. it was fun at first. I had the opportunity of putting my cooking skills to a test, learning to budget my pocket money before I earn my first american pay check, getting rid of the bad habit of converting dollars into pesos (lest I end up buying nothing in the end... which now that I think about it isn’t bad at all.) But after the novelty of actually being here in the land of the milk and honey is gone, I realized that there is truth to the cliche “there’s no place like home.”Matapos matunaw ng unang snow fall na nakita ko, isinumpa ko na ang winter. Masochista lang ang taong magkakagusto sa season na ito. Dati excited akong magsuot ng winter clothes kasi nga walang pagkakataong magsuot nito sa pilipinas. Pero ngayon, tinatamad na akong mag “bundle up”. Ayoko nang mag-suot ng thermals at take note, matatapos na ang winter eh wala pa rin akong snow boots. Miss ko nang isuot ang sandals ko. Kung hindi nga lang sa takot ko sa frost bite matagal ko nang inilabas sa maleta ko ang pares na dala ko.We were watching the video of GMA 7's feature on the Philippine presidentiables and the circus that is the Philippine elections, via the internet and I can’t help but feel so left out. Sure, some would say that were lucky to be here and not be affected by all that is happening in ‘pinas, but no matter how far I am from where the action is, I would still be affected. I would still feel the shame of (God forbid!) having FPJ as the president of my country.Andami ko nang nami-miss sa pilipinas. Miss ko na ng peach mango pie ng jollibee, ang pagsakay ng jeep, si manong na nag-bebenta ng dyaryo sa akin sa dati kong hospital, ang ingay ng tricycle sa umaga, ang taho, ang aso kong si Pam, ang walis tambo, manood ng “the buzz”, bubble gang, maala-ala mo kaya, tv patrol at the correspondents, manood ng sine ng paulit-ulit, luto ng nanay ko, sermon ng nanay ko at siyempre nanay ko na rin. Miss ko na ang SM, mga kasama ko dati sa trabaho, balut, si monica na tiga-gupit ng buhok ko dati, tatay ko, kapatid ko, manggang hilaw, tilaok ng manok at marami pang iba. Inggit nga ako sa kasamahan ko dito na uuwi ng Pilipinas, buti pa sila.