Homesick At Immigation Queue
Sunday, May 6th, 2007
The Seoul trip was my first outside the Philippines. I was the only non-Korean passenger in the plane. The Filipina stewardesses were reminders to all that’s familiar and my only link back home. At Incheon airport, I fell in line for immigration. It was beautiful and modern and huge, and full of passengers from all over the world, speaking in different languages.
I scanned the airport not to admire its beauty or sophistication but to look for another Filipino. I saw white skinned, black skinned, dark skinned, yellow skinned and probably purple skinned people, but not a single brown skinned soul. I was homesick! I never felt such intense longing and love and connection to my country and family than that moment.
I realized that there is no other country for me more beautiful than the Philippines, and that there are no other people better for me than the Filipinos. And that wherever I go, I will always look to the direction where my heart belongs – HOME!
POSTSCRIPT: Seoul is fascinating and vibrant. Three weeks is not enough. I would have wanted to stay longer, be with all TFT participants more, and more chopsticks practice. Ironically, I felt like not going back home!
Truly I agree with you. There is no other country far more beautiful than the Philippines. I have been staying here in the US for almost 5 years now and have been in every state I could visit. Every Filipino you could talk to, always long for the time to get back to the Philippines. We always talk about the good times we had in P.I. These good times in P.I. could not even be compared the ones we had in the US. All we do here is work and work.
Posted by ethel at May 10, 2007, 3:44 pm