Bugoy

196 cities, 12 countries and counting! The numbers surprised me, especially the number of cities I have visited. I guess I am a globalization pioneer. Although I only worked in five countries,I actually lived in 6. Who would have thunk it???

Every time, I popped in Michigan, Uncle Santos Ares used to say, "Okay where have you been or where are you going now? I can't keep track of you. One week I get a postcard from Canada, the next week I get a card from New Zealand." Uncle Santos was Tia Ginang's brother and just as funny. Always jolly and full of jokes.

They called me bugoy when I was growing up in Catmon. I was always wandering around town - my base was in Pilapil. Lola and I lived in the last house, just before the pilapilan (rice paddies and sugar cane fields)depending on the amount of rain. There used to be a huge "Bangkal Tree" in the corner of Burgos (now Juan Ginoo)and the national highway. I used to run every time I passed that tree. I believed that there were encantos living there. I was so happy when Man Solang built a restaurant there!

As a little girl, I always felt a bit isolated from the rest of Catmon. I was very lonely. I would go and hang out at different sections of the town with different family groups.The whole town was my playground plus Bawo (Lola Dulya and Lolo Sergio Rule family, Nanang Ipay and family) and Bagalnga (Tia Tana and Tia Andring), Ilaya (Tio Titing and Nana Pising) Ibabao and Cogon (Tata Batyong and Lola Sayong).

I loved and enjoyed spending time with Manoy Aliado, Ingko Tony and Inday Tanciang in lungsod. For me they are the closest to having siblings. I received my grounding in my Catholic faith from Lola Ebing, Lola Ciana, Lola Sana and Lola Elyang in poblacion the old house by the imburnal across the street from the plaza. My faith role model is of course Lola Piyang.

The most memorable ones were the "Impolite School" memories with the Roldans, the Estenzos, the Manits, the Rojas' and the Canares families. Not to mention Peggy and Johnny Bjeland and Stuart and Danny Chalmers. Heard but unable to confirm that Stuart married a Filipna and settled in the Philippines.

I think I can see a pattern of connecting with various people and going to different places. My dream now, is to go to Italy - Rome and the Holy Land to visit. I would also like live in Istanbul (Turkey), Damascus (Syria), Alexandria (Egypt) and Shikoku Island in Japan. I am starting to prepare for the Damascus and Alexandria stint by learning Arabic.

I am a bit slow but every trip starts with the first step - so every language starts with the first word - inshAllah!

International Face - Everything But White

I asked one of my friends to scan some pictures that I took in Mexico. She commented that I looked like one of the natives. When I was down there, the shopkeepers and the folks I met in the street spoke to me in Spanish.

In retrospect, this happened to me in Japan, Taiwan and Korea when I was young. Indigenous folks in the Northwest often mistook as one of them.

It is okay - I like it.