New world, new life
It’s almost more than two months since I arrived here at California from the Philippines. I actually arrived here August 21, 2008. Why I came here? Well, for my graduate studies. So far I’m already acclimatized and settled down. The only big deal now is home sickness and living to the idea of not seeing my son as he grows up. He’s now 8 months old and he will be more than a year when Ill get to see him this summer. But sacrifices have to be made. I’m hoping that my coming here to pursue my further studies will open better opportunities and better future. Most people I’ve met told how brave I am to do what I’m doing now. It is indeed. Living one’s family is not that easy. The financial aspect is the other factor. I’m just lucky to be granted a scholarship from the school and found people who’s kind enough to support my living expenses. Without these, I don’t know if I’m here right now. Next year would be another searching task to be able to find continuing grants and sponsorship to be able to finish my two-year program. BUt I’m hopefull. I just hope too, that there will be available grants that could support international students with families, that they could bring their families with them and don’t need to leave them behind.
My 1st month????…………….gosh, its really tough. The time difference, the food…………of course culture shock……………would I be able to adapt that fast?????????….thank God I did. Now that I’m on my third month I can say I’m getting used to what’s going on around me. So, what are these new things????????????? First, everything here seems to be mechanical , you’ll just going to drop coins or insert a bill , push the button, and there you are, just wait while the machine does the work for you. Its a good thing though coz it makes my life here at Parson’s Hall (the school dorm) comfortable and convenient. What else…………the food……coming from a country where rice is the staple food, eating a meal without rice is just pretty odd and new. For example an egg omelet and fruits for breakfast, bread vegetable salad, burger or tuna sandwich and soup for lunch, and pizza or pasta and meat for dinner. Oh my, most of these foods serve as a snack way back home, with the exemption of egg omelet and meat of course. THe most overwhelming of it all is the openness of the people about same sex relationship and the legality of same sex union. Not that I have negative issues about it, but coming from a conservative background and culturally bounded, and be in a place where such thing is just a normal thing is overwhelming indeed. So at first when I heard people talking about their partners, I thought of a wife for male or husband for female , but then I was just surprised to know that partner is relatively used for same sex relationships. You could just imagine how surprised I am one day when I was with a group for lunch and a certain man was talking about his impending wedding then during his talk he was starting to say HE, HIS, HE’s, which means he is marrying one of his kind. WOW! As I said, I don’t have negative issues with this, it’s just totally new. Not that we don’t have gays and lesbians in the Philippines but being being open to having partners and same sex marriage is still a scandalizing thing. It is probably due to the fact that Philippines is predominantly a Catholic country, and culturally, the idea is not just accepted. I don’t know if Philippines will ever be like California in matters like this. ……. WELCOME TO AMERICA.……..
So far, my life now a days centered on worshiping, reading, writing papers, and more readings and writings………being away from school i.e. as a student, …..for quite sometimes really makes the difference. It really makes the adjustment pretty hard. But I’m getting there. Especially the idea of taking exams…..it just sucks, but I have to deal with it coz I’m here as a student. It’s the price of being one. I have to hang on….give a tap on my shoulder and say to myself, I can do it……….
But I really missed my family…..hearing my son’s voice whenever I call my wife just increases my yearning to carry him, hug him and kisses him. I have to endure till summer to be able to do that. Oh well…..life must move on…..
Till then, have to go back to my reading in preparation for my classes tomorrow.
