It’s been 175 days since I began this journey.
175 days filled with school, work, research, travel, beaches, a fair bit of
debauchery (sorry Mom) and far more rice than I ever thought I’d eat.
I’ll be the first to say Manila is not much of
a city for travelers (or for Pinoys). It lacks charm and is neither
particularly attractive nor interesting. But over the past 6 months this city
has managed to win me over. And that is primarily because of the incredible
people who have been kind enough to take me in. Filipinos are hospitable and
generous, quick to share a laugh, never hesitate to lend a hand and most of all
exude such a positive, resilient spirit. Little remains of “true” Filipino
culture, after 300 years of Spanish colonization, 50 years of US occupation and
several years under the Japanese. What is left is a country of thousands of
islands, rather disjointed, its people creating a culture of their own by
borrowing from those previous influences. You could imagine then generations
raised with growing resentment and frustration. But I’ve never heard any ill
sentiments spoken of Spain (except perhaps toward the Spanish basketball team
that nearly beat the US in the Olympic finals). And most Filipinos tell me all
about a sister or cousin who lives in LA and how they dream of visiting one
day. The Philippines is the most pro-US country I have ever traveled to.
This is not to say they don’t feel cheated or
upset about their history. As the only predominately Christian country in
Asia, they lament that they’re therefore the only country in Asia to be so
fundamentally conquered, all history and culture effectively expunged. In
recent years, there has been a push to preserve what little remains and to
maintain the more than 100 native languages.
It is this country that welcomed me so warmly
back in August, when I had no idea what I was getting myself into. To explain
how this experience changed me is more than one blog post can do justice. I
will say though that I can’t imagine my life had I not come. My view of the
world, my career direction and my aspirations are so tied to this country and
the people I met along the way. Thank you to the Philippines for helping me get
here. I will miss the city and the people, but don't worry...I'll be back
:)
To those of you in the States, I should be home
for 6 weeks before the next journey (and possibly the biggest) begins. Stay
tuned...
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