Half of the year went by in a flash and off we go to the year’s equally interesting second half.
September used to be the start of the Christmas celebration, but last year, we Filipinos have become exaj and started playing Jingle Bells in August. I won’t be surprised to hear Ang Pasko ay Umawit….. when I arrive next week.
Life here in America goes on, I am not sure if Americans are already looking forward to the holidays. I doubt it.
What I do know is that thousands of Filipinos are already planning of going home this Christmas, a lot of them in January, kasi “masaya” daw sa atin.
My friend Madeline and her daughter are also going to the Philippine in December till January 2013. Her husband Tante is going this month.
Our neighbor Alex Igama and his wife Eleanor are also planning to visit after Christmas, so that the plane tickets are less expensive. Alex works in the hospital and Leonor is a Registered Nursing Assistant.
Alex & Eleanor are originally from Pangasinan. They were already married with three children when they emigrated to the US. They are both hardworking and dedicated couple. They now live in a beautiful brand-new 5 bedroom house with their eldest daughter Michelle, a nurse and her family.
Eleanor’s dad, 86, was a US Navy. He chose to retire in the Philippines and is now living by himself with the aid of househelpers, in his home town in Pangasinan.
Alex and Eleanor stayed with Alex’s brother who lives somewhere in Murphy, Cubao when they vacationed in Manila. Leonor’s relatives are in Pangasinan. She feels the pressure of giving a lot of pasalubong to neighbors and relatives.
Bong took this photo. Aileen did not like it, para daw kaming sardinas.
Okay re-take
They went home two years ago and had a bad experience with airport employees.
When their handcarry bags and wallets were opened and searched before the final boarding, the airport employees saw they still had some cash left. These employees were so brazen and kapal-muks when they told Alex and Leonor
“Iwan nyo na yang pera nyo sa amin, hindi nyo na kailangan yan pagbalik nyo”. In one instance, one guy opened Leonor’s wallet and took out the pesos.
This wrong doings shouldn’t exist in our airports. This discourages our balikbayans from returning home. Nakakahiya at nakaka-inis.
