Goodbyes and Hellos
It’s been a year since I left the Philippines. One year has gone by. This is a trite expression, but truly, “time flies so fast”.

I migrated to the US, together with my husband, Joey, on Saturday, May 7, 2005. We charged head-on onto an uncertain and unknown future, a future whose color nobody knew except God. Are we leaving behind good-paying jobs and great careers in Media for manual labor (no, not that there’s anything wrong with blue-collar jobs … but you know what I mean)? Will we experience racial discrimination?

Upon my arrival in Los Angeles, I felt like I was floating. It was such an uncomfortable feeling – everything was surreal! It was just a dream. Blame it on my tired body – I did nothing but sleep on my first week or so. Awake in the morning for breakfast; then sleep. Awake at noon for lunch; then sleep. Awake in the evening for dinner and some TV, and then retire at 11PM. I could sleep the entire day, and still have enough “sleep energy” to pass out at night! It was not a case of jetlag. Plain and simple, it was my poor body’s way of recouping 12 years of working like a slave in the stressful world of advertising in Manila – where I lived and breathed Media, and where aging swiftly crept on me.

My eyes were swollen, puffy, and ugly on my first week. This was the result of staying up long nights just to pack our stuff (and 12 years of going to bed late), combined with blasted Spring season in the US. What have I gotten myself into? Allergies were assaulting my senses!

Now, 12 months after, I am used to this new life – a life of:

- emptying bottles of lotion and slathering this moisture preserver on your skin, only to still come out looking like you have “Lola skin”
- utmost courtesy and patience extended to pedestrians on the road (“move your butt!”)
- dryness, which wreaks havoc on my allergy-plagued nostrils (this is a gross topic)
- having to endure trashy fast-food restaurants, simply because the fast-food crew don’t seem to be trained to clean tables (kadiri talaga)
- exorbitant medical expenses, but thank God for insurance (maybe I should pretend to be on welfare?)!
- trying to behave on the road, lest the cops or traffic cameras catch you
- fear of identity theft, where your shredder is your best friend
- suffering from “grounding”/static/electricity, just by touching the car door, or even your spouse
- bank charges every time you avail of express payments (automatic payment deductions made by utilities on your bank account).
- corporate America, where employers can fire employees and you have no labor laws protecting you from unlawful termination (I don’t wish to ever experience that!)

A life … where self-service is the way of life.

Ang buhay na mas magaling ka pa mag-spelling sa salitang Ingles, kesa sa mga Americano. Ang buhay na mas magaling ka pa bumuo ng isang pangungusap sa Ingles (kumpleto sa direct object, verb, and subject), kesa sa mga Amerikano. How do you read “St. Francis Xavier”? “Saint Francis Say-vyer”. Paano basahin ito ng aking mga dayuhang kababayan? “Saint Francis X Avier”, as in “eks-a-vyer”. Astounding, huh? Sometimes, their lack of verbal dexterity really makes you wonder why they can’t seem to twist their tongues and pronounce simple words, like words in Spanish. Villalobos would be pronounced as “viya-lowbows”. Quesadilla? “Kay-sa-diya”.

There are a lot of strange things about Americans. But that will take up too much space in this entry, so might as well save that for later. Tee hee hee.

Life here aint bad! I am pleased with the US – people are very polite, warm, and friendly; research is at your fingertips (everything in and about the US is on the internet – shopping, Media info for work, and even church locations); and the best part – your dollar goes a long long way. May consuelo ang pera mo, from reimbursements (medical expenses, Turbo Tax software, donations) to retail rewards (discounts, rebates, cash points, and awesome sales). Unhappy with what you bought? Just return it.

Living in the US is a very positive experience for us, save for those blasted expensive service fees (parlor, carwash, clothes repair, etc.). My husband and I are thrilled with: the endless possibilities of life in the land of milk and honey, and the free and the brave; the wealth of resources within your reach; different states to explore and their respective cultures to discover. Joey and I have been blessed too much, too soon – good jobs back in advertising, a nice apartment, and an old car. But don’t get me wrong -- we’re not complaining with all this luck! We do see ourselves living in this country for decades.

We just dream of the day when we will finally fly back home to Lupang Hinirang.