My Simple Life

An undelivered e-letter for my loving Grandma

WHEN I WAS YOUNG, I thought you were my real mother. I thought you were my biological mother so I used to call you "Nanay". I did not know that you are my real father’s mother. Living on the same house with your youngest daughter, you treated me as your youngest son. You always there to treat my rashes (guyos/galis) on my legs! You were also delighted to blow the smoke from your tobacco to remove the angry little red ant stuck inside my aching ear during those sleepy humid nights! Well, I was happy then pulling patiently your white hair, in return.

AT THE EARLY AGE, you taught me the meaning of simple life in the countryside. During summer and low tide, we always visit the seacoast together to collect seashells for our dinner. Sometimes I joined you and the rest of our relatives to catch fish using a big fish net as everyone is intensely pullling the net from both ends. We were buddies to catch shrimps and crabs in the river as well!

THROUGH MY YOUNGER YEARS, you taught me the essence of “hardwork” and “patience” through your art of making mats. You loved to make beautiful, soft and colourful mats from pandan leaves. Night and day, you were busy weaving mats from long and dried strip of pandan leaves, just hearing the tick-tack sound as your finger nails touch the pandan strip - it was a melody for me!

YOU DID NOT FORGET TO TEACH ME the essence of togetherness and family ties during adversity. Every time that there is a strong typhoon, we always gather our belongings and stay with relatives in a big house! It was scary walking outside the house while the trees were swaying badly and hearing those thunderstorms and watching the endless flashes of lightning. On the other hand, it was an excitement for me being with my relatives- having a good time to play while waiting for the storm to subside until the next day. I also joined you to visit your ailing mother, far far away from home and had the chance to meet the rest of your relatives. It was then that I realised that we have a big family!

Well, there were times that you and Grandpa had confrontations especially after a “tuba” (coconut wine) drink session in the town which somehow gave me goosebumps during those times. My younger uncle and auntie were “referees” to sorted out the arguments. As the “tuba” spirit left, then every thing turned fine and life moved on…

AS I GREW OLDER, you are always in my side - being closer to your sons and daughters. How I could not forget those years that you were the one who washed my clothes - from jeans to underwears! Someone who always there to remind me to travel safely! Someone who will always provide a good meal before and after school. Someone who always happy to hear about my achievements in school and also someone who will always ask why I have to go back to school again (after finishing my engineering degree)!

TIME MOVES FAST, and Im away from home searching for better and enjoyable life abroad. I know you were happy for me when I left in 1991, 2002 and 2005 to study abroad! During those years you always there for my family and my young siblings. You were also excited to find out that I was going home for vacations - able to cook for my favourite meal - ginataang mongo (beans with coco milk)! You were happy again to wash my favourite jeans and white Calvin Klein underwears!

LIFE IS ALWAYS UNPREDICTABLE and the only thing I know that more than a year  now that I havent able to speak to you, and suddenly last month you were gone for good! Honestly, I must admit, I think I am your “favourite grandson” and Im honoured to accept that! I was guilty not to see you before you go. I was upset that I have not able to speak to you and tell you my life in Britain - struggling to finish my PhD research! I am sad to think that you will not be there when Im go back home to show my thesis - bearing a dedication for you! 

AT THE AGE OF 89, you gave your 100 percent undying love and care to your family! I am very happy that you were part of my life! Thank you for everything…

Your memories will remain in our hearts and surely you will be missed by your favourite “apo” as he continues his journey of living…

Looking back to my roots

This recent post is somewhat motivated by a website developed by a foreigner who happened to visit and live in my hometown, Sibuyan Island, Romblon, Republic of the Philippines. The website contains information written in a foreign language (either German, Dutch or even Danish, Im not sure), but it is not really difficult to browse and navigate the site and find something interesting about the island.

Sibuyan Island is the place where my grandparents decided to live more than 65 years ago. My grandfather originated from Kalibu, Aklan while my grandmother came from Manabo, Abra. Well love will always find its way and two of them met in Manila and eventually decided to settle down in Sibuyan since most of my grandpa's relatives are already lived there for a while.  That's for my father's side. On my mother's side parents, both of them were already residing in the island, a barrio called Taclobo.

Growing up in the island was not easy but it was full of fun, challenges and hardworks, not only for my sibling but particularly for my parents. In my early age, I lived permanently with my father's parents and during those times, I was able to learn on how my grandparents earned for a living. I had alot of fond memories with my grandpa during his morning work as 'bangkero' in catching fish using huge nets along the sea of Panangcalan. While my grandma finds her way to be a domestic wife looking up for my young uncles and aunties; and also she very good in making soft mattress using buri (palm) and pandan leaves.

Once in a while I visit my other grandparents and they were busy plowing, planting and harvesting rice! Especially during summer, I used to join my grandma to climb 'duhat' trees! It was really fun searching for sweet rounded purple fruit and my grandma always reminded me not to tell anyone where we could find them!

Sibuyan Island is always close to my heart, not because I was born and lived during my teens,but there is something special the island can offer not only to the people living there but to the rest of the world. I dont want to elaborate this, instead have time to watch this less 20 minutes presentations that Ive got from the website. Watching this video, provided me again a closer look of my hometown - its towering mountain, Mt Guiting-guiting, rivers, waterfalls, birds, beaches, caves, corals, mangroves and endangered species that could only be found in the island! Enjoy watching... welcome to my birthplace...

http://www.sibuyan.info/video/Videos/Sibuyan%20Englisch%20DSL.wmv

For the full details of these video productions, visit the following link:

http://www.sibuyan.info/video/video.htm

But on the other side, there is something fishy going on in the island - the illegal fishing! It is depressing environmental issue that the community is facing today. Watching this clips where the Mayor of San Fernando promoting the protection of Sibuyan's marine life and forests, I was stunned how dynamite fishing is destroying the island main livelihood.

http://www.sibuyan.info/video/Videos/Doynamite%20DSL.wmv

http://www.sibuyan.info/video/Videos/Philippine%20Marine%20Life%20DSL.wmv

Two years ago, there was a proposal to put-up an open pit mining plant in the island which the community strongly opposed it. Fortunately, the project was under review and Im hoping that this will NOT be approved by the Philippine government. For details visit this site:

http://www.friendster.com/35010105

Maybe someday in my special way of sharing a little contribution back to the place where I was born, I will extend my simple way in protecting the island, where most of the Sibuyanons called it 'HOME'.

Note: The videos featured here in my personal blog is solely owned by the website (http://www.sibuyan.info) and for details contact the owner with the following details:

Dipl.-Ing. Stephan Perschke

Am Eckland 4, 45481 Mülheim an der Ruhr

Telefon: +49 (208) 48 60 10    oder     +49 (208) 466 90 90   

Telefax: +49 (208) 48 60 11

E-Mail: stephan@perschke.de

away from home!

they always say that one of the most difficult things to do in life is to leave our families - especially our parents, brothers and sisters, and even our close neighbours and friends ...maybe it is true to some extent, but honestly at my age,  it does not bothers me anymore!

i left my  hometown after finishing from high school to pursue a higher education... and being an achiever i was to able to finish my degrees ( 4 degrees to date, huhhuh...) with flying colors... being away from home was not easy especially if you are living with close relatives... fortunately, i surpassed all the tests, so im here again so far away from home!

i felt at the early age that i was destined to travel - roaming around the globe! and being away from home is easy i suppose if you started earning at the early age and living alone... i dont say that i dont miss my family, especially my Tatay and Nanay, my brothers and sisters, and of course my grandmother, and the sisters and brothers of my parents (im quite close to them)... whoaaa... a big big family... and i forgot to include my 14 nephews and nieces.... it is just that im already trained myself to be more independent through the years of my life from the time i got my first job...

i do care for my family and i will always be there for them no matter what will happen... it is only that im away from home, to live my life to the fullest... i think about them, what they are doing now, what they feel of not seeing me again for another 2 or 3 years! or maybe just one year... im saving money now for my short visit to my hometown this year-2006!

being away from home is my choice... a choice that brings joy to my heart... im not saying that my family is not my joy of my life... my family is the root of my happiness... they are the reason why im always away from home...