Thursday, February 25, 2021
Today I had a long chat on the phone with Sonny, a classmate of mine. We talked about life.
He is successful in both his career and personal life. Marami daw ngayong nasisira ang pamilya. True.
He and his children had met my son in 2015 when they bought a Ford Explorer from us. They had a very good impression of my son. Nyke became their gold standard of how buying a car experience should be like. My classmate remained our loyal customer by purchasing a Ford Ranger from Makati Ford and followed by a Ford Expedition, also from Makati Ford in Pasong Tamo.
Although we were classmates I am much older than him. Actually, that’s just a guess because my kids are older than his. His eldest, 28, is a male, sabi ko sayang, kung babae, ipapakilala ko kay Nyke, baka magkagustuhan eh di magiging magbalae kami.
He and his family lived in the US for many years and came back when the going got tougher there. It was a good decision for he continued to flourish here.
To borrow his words he said “kung hindi naman naghihikahos ang buhay, masarap mamuhay dito sa Pilipinas”. I have mentioned this before, I believe that as long as you have a certain amount of resources that would enable you to live comfortably, then you can enjoy life any place on earth.
Many have settled comfortably and happily in another country. They found new opportunities, new friends, new community, and have progressed too. They’ve found the kind of life they didn’t find it here in their native land.
Me, I had the privilege to emigrate to the US to join my parents and siblings in the early 1980s but I chose to build a life here in the Philippines instead. No regrets.
What I did was to visit my parents and siblings regularly, and bring my kids most summer-breaks to play with their cousins. Lifestyle-wise, there’s a big difference between living in the US and living in the Philippines. There’s always an upside and a downside anywhere you choose to live. There will always be a new set of challenges and rewards.
Our conversation centered around our children. He was amazed when I told him that we sent Oyen to New York so she would be street smart. So she can experience the kind of freedom she’ll never have here in Metro Manila. She took buses, trains, walked blocks and blocks. She learned how to survive on her own in other words. My daughter has always been brave but living in New York for 5 years made her tougher. She made it in New York, she can make it anywhere.
He also found it amusing when I told him that there was one-time Nyke was in Los Angeles when he only had $10 left in his pocket and his credit card was rejected by the ATM machine. He was traveling to the LAX and I was so worried about what would happen to him. Paano sya sasakay ng taxi? Paano kung magutom sya? My husband was more firm, matanda na daw anak ko (he was 25 that time) hayaan ko daw, he would learn how to survive in America alone. Kahit daw matulog sa kalsada. Dyos ko po, syempre I cannot allow that naman to happen. Ang nanay pa.
My classmate mentioned that he feels happy every time he sees my family photos, happy together.
I told him Edmund and I don’t pause in the middle of an argument to pose for a selfie and smile.
Our conversation was getting too long and it was time for lunch so we paused and hoped to continue soon.
it is possible to be successful and live in nice life in the Philippines but I like the American life more. I moved here for my Masters degree and stayed to work. I wouldn’t say I have a lot of friends and I can’t say I have built a life here but I appreciate life here. I like how where I live is clean and peaceful, salaries are high, good healthcare, etc