The Joys of Home | 2011

We went home again to spend some time with our families. By home, I don't mean having a leisurely walk to the other side of town. It meant flying off to the Philippines and sorting out whatever needs to be sorted which fits in a very tight schedule. It meant getting work and school sorted out for the period that we would be away. And it meant dealing with an amount of stress that is almost equal to the amount of rest that we would have (or would like to have).


Still, like what Dorothy said, there's no place like home. 

Home, as we told Jakjak dozens of times is where the three of us (mum, dad and Jakjak) are together and living happily. We tell him this because we want him to understand that home is not just a physical place. It should be a place where your emotions and your spirit are at ease and secure. Plus, it was kind of difficult explaining to a 3 year old back then, the reasons behind us packing our bags and leaving his grandparents and cousins behind (moreso his toys). So, home is where the heart is (as another cliche goes).


And while we merrilly live our daily lives in Singapore, it is during these rare moments that we really feel it. How much we miss everybody.


On this trip alone, the things we missed were: suman at latik, jolly hotdog, longganisa, tocino, fishball, squidball, kwek-kwek, pancit canton, pancit palabok, halo-halo, Oishi prawn crackers, Cheese ring, sinukmane, inihaw na liempo, adobong palaka ... come to think of it, we missed the food that our mums used to make. That and the food peddled on the streets. Of course we missed our parents too.

It takes a bit of effort on our part to go on a journey like this because we are lugging baggage, treats and a 5 year old boy all the time. It would have been cool to be considered backpakers, but our backpacks seem turn out to be 20kg suitcases and 7kg hand carries. Still, we do it. It's not just for us. It's mostly for Jakjak and his grandparents. They are the ones who have stories to share and fun to have. It is their relationships that need to be kindled and grown. Our parents have probably had too much of our nonesense already and need a break from it all.