Ruth: “I want ice cream.”

Me: “What?”

It wasn’t really that I didn’t hear her. I just enjoyed her tiny, little voice on my ear and I was giving my sister the time to take photos of this precious moment. Haha. After about three times of asking her what she said, she made her voice a bit louder and pulled my ear and said, “I-want-ice-cream!”  Haha. Sweet child. I just love you!

I posted this photo in Facebook. I am thrilled to know how it brought my friend Angelie to a world of memories and stories! Yes, just one photo…and these are the words she penned…

“There are places I remember all my life though some have changed.” – Beatles.

I concur to the Beatle’s song. There willl always be places that will remain special in your life no matter where you go, what you’ve become.

A friend of mine posted a picture of a place in our elementary school. I didn’t really expect that memories will come flooding as I see it. The fact that this place didn’t really matter to me before quite amazed me in some way why it made me nostalgic. It’s just a place- a place I didn’t know special for me until I saw the portrait.

We used to hang out there as third-grade students because it’s where our so-called Science Garden was located (actually, it was just a sweet-potato garden and I don’t know why we called it Science Garden). Memories of classmates and friends flashed back. I can hear laughter and screams of wonderful childhood. I’ve seen familiar faces, not just of classmates but of teachers as well.

…..though some have changed…..

The picture is totally different from what it used to be. My friend Aurelia told me that the big globe was taken out and transferred to another spot in school. Right now, all you can see is a kiosk.

A big globe used to be there- the globe that made me wonder why the earth is round and not square. It actually formulated a lot of why’s and how’s in my young mind. It made me interested in traveling and seeing the world. But most importantly, I have shared a lot of funny memories with childhood friends. It always makes me smile how this place became our “fighting place” where girls meet up with boys to fight. It may seem silly then but it’s worth remembering now.

I was reminded of people who have been part of my life and made a greatest impact in who I am today. My first best friend jogged my memory. She was my best friend from Grade 1 to early years in College. I learned from her how to love dearly and let go because we have to grow and follow the path that we want to go. The memories of my teachers whom I will always be grateful to because of their dedication to education flooded back. They will always be a part of who I am. I can never thank them enough.

When my memory about the special woman in my life was refreshed, I can’t stop my tears from falling. I just miss her so. She was my Mama Abing. She was part of this place too. She was always there to help me in planting those sweet potatoes, in cleaning up my garden, in watering the plants and in picking up flowers planted near “the globe” in time for Flores de Mayo(if my memory serves me right, there were lilies around the globe). I miss her so much. In my life now, she’s like “the globe”- it used to be there but now it’s gone. And so is she but her memory is engraved in my heart that no amount of time can erase.

How can I forget elementary graduation day? It’s funny to think that I didn’t have a solo picture of myself graduating because I was too busy taking pictures of my classmates and friends. Too bad because I can’t remember where those pictures are now. If only I could turn back time and if only I knew that this day of reminiscing will come, I should have kept them safe in a box.

It’s just a picture. A picture that made me think how lucky I am to have met those people, how lucky I am to be part of a place that I will always call home even though I have been to some of the places/countries in that globe.

A home is always a place where you can find yourself again when you’re lost.

A place where every part of it has history for you.

A place amidst the chaos and political issues will always be a retreat for a tired heart.

Thank you Aurelia Castro for posting this picture in your facebook because it is more clear to me now that a part of me will always be in our hometown and no advanced country can surpass the memories, the learning and the love I have for our hometown and I certainly can’t wait to be home soon.

I’ve been smiling today as I thought of my four-year-old niece Ruth. As always, her stories and the stories about her never fail to make me laugh and wonder. Her language and creative mind always blow me away. As her writer auntie, I am soooo proud and thrilled of her! 

As I walked later this afternoon to buy some food in the grocery store, some story ideas danced in my head as I thought again of her…such a character! Couldn’t wait to get home to write. But I got news instead that an earring back got into her nose. I couldn’t keep myself from shaking. I held my breath till I heard from my sisters again.

Thank God the doctor was fast and got it out from her nose. Not without bleeding though. Her Mama asked her what happened. “I don’t know,” Ruth said (in English ). She speaks English, Cebuano, and Masbateno. I don’t know if she realizes she speaks two languages and one dialect. Haha.

Oh, baby. What were you thinking? I’m just glad you’re okay now. Be well, li’l girl. Stay creative, but don’t harm yourself. I love you.

I was cleaning my room last night and found some cassette tapes in one of my boxes. What in the world am I keeping them for? I was curious.  Good thing my housemate still has a cassette player. So I borrowed it to check what’s on the tapes anyway.

I was surprised. I was tickled. For the next few minutes, I did nothing but listen to it. My thoughts travelled back home. One of the tapes has my family’s best wishes and songs they sang and recorded for me when I first left for Singapore in 2006. They cracked me up. Some songs they did so well with the guitar. Some…hmm…so out of tune yet so fun and sweet. Haha.

The old songs…the familiar noise – my father’s loud voice, my mother’s ramblings and singing, my sisters’ laughter, my nephews and niece’s cute, little voices… Sweet. Home, that is.

I’m glad I wasn’t quick to put the tapes to the recycle bin.

Here’s a short clip of the parade I’ve seen at my hometown (Cataingan, Masbate) last April for our town’s fiesta. Always sweet to be home!

From playing with bingala and watusi firecracker  to watching and chasing fireflies when I was just a kid – I grew up loving fireworks.  They are always a treat for me. A few minutes of watching the night sky painted with colors, hearing all the cheers from the crowd…ah, lovely. They make me burst inside. Here’s a short clip I got from my recent home visit.

Kids tell and hear Easter Sunday story. Egg Hunting. Games. Food. Thanks Ate Espie, Gen, Cary, Yancy, and PaMa for organizing this yearly and Rosana for the help; Digital Storytelling Asia for the support. April 2011.

Mama recently told me that she got a couple of mails I’ve posted her from Singapore. She’s in my hometown in the Philippines.

I asked, “When did I actually mail them to you?”

She replied, “March 2009.”

Wow. With apologies, Mr Postman said he doesn’t know why it took that long. Embarrassed, he said he almost didn’t want to deliver them anymore. Haha. I’m glad he still did! After all, it took almost two years for my letters to float around. They needed to land and reach home somehow. Where have they gone, anyway?

I LOVE watching musicians on their rehearsals. There’s something so beautifully raw and organic about it. I get to see them not as performers trying to please an audience, but as unique human beings bursting with their music, their creativity. I get to see their mistakes, their pauses, their laughter in between, how much work they put in to master a piece…I love the intimate, invisible connection among them – just by the look in the eyes, a smile or a grimace on their faces, the sighs, the frustrations and wow moments, their familiarity of every note, every word of the song, etc. Seems like there’s a halo that binds them as they play.

For one thing, it also reminds me of my childhood days. My family used to own a music band. I remember our home being always filled with music and people. Perhaps that explains my natural high and fascination over recording studios. I love the sight of the big microphones and headsets, the clutter, the cables, the instruments, the speakers, the artists on their jeans and shirts, etc. But best of all, the feel of being back home.

Recently, I found some favorites.

“Courage is the price that Life exacts for granting peace. The soul that knows it not, knows no release from little things: knows not the livid loneliness of fear, nor mountain heights where bitter joy can hear the sound of wings. How can Life grant us boon of living, compensate for dull grey ugliness and pregnant hate unless we dare the soul’s dominion? Each time we make a choice, we pay with courage to behold resistless day, and count it fair.” – Amelia Earhart

It was special to start my journey back home in the Philippines with my family. Enjoyed every part of it, while lookin’ forward for the days ahead.