A Gift For My Mother

Everytime I hear the place Hongkong, I recall the Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW). We have plenty of ‘kababayans’ working there as domestic helpers, butlers, drivers, etc… to support their family in our country. But the place is not only for the working Filipinos. It’s also an exciting place for tourists vacationing.

I’m blessed to reach Hongkong in 2010 with my mother. It is one of the unforgettable places I’ve travelled. After I successfully visited Thailand in 2007, one of my officemates told me that one travel leads to many. It’s true. My international trip was followed by another travel which was in Hongkong. I always hear my mother that she wanted to travel the world. It’s her dream. It’s been late for her to take that trip but nothing is too late for a dream. That’s also the reason why I believe in dreams. It’s amazing when they come true.

With all my desire to visit the place, I always remember my mother. I call her ‘Mamang’. She was my mentor. I recall the days when I was young. We take long walks going to the customers usually at night because she directly sells consumer products as a sideline business to her being a teacher only receiving meager income. Selling goods could augment the income to pay for the family expenses. Those long walks were in a way our bonding moment. I asked her many questions and she would answer me. She would tell me stories and one of them was her dream to travel. When I got the chance to book for my travel, I thought that it would be great to include Mamang. I want to make her dream come true. Without hesitation, I booked a flight for two to Hongkong, for my mother and me. I knew that she had already a passport. When I got home, I presented to her the ticket I bought. She can’t believe it. She was so happy and couldn’t imagine that her long wanted dream will come to reality.

Our travel was very memorable. We visited the Hongkong Disneyland, the Ocean Park and The Peak Tram. We got the chance to see the life-size wax figure of Bruce Lee, Michelle Yeoh and many other celebrities. We experienced the various exciting rides in the Disneyland and Ocean Park. The cable car was thrilling as we watched the enthralling view from afar. In our travel, we saw the multitude of Filipino workers hanging around the HSBC Tower as they spent their day off together merrily. The buildings were like tall boxes from a distance. They were skyscrapers as they say. We watched awesome shows with live performances like the Lion King and the Golden Mickeys. We also experienced watching some 4D movies.

We successfully completed our journey with the help of our dear friends who helped us during our stay. This time I would like to say thank you to Alma and Art, who accompanied us to the Peak Tram and for the nice chat over a cup of coffee. We also had a bonding in a lavish Korean Restaurant with them. We give our thanks to Mang Boy, the father of Art who picked us from the airport. He spent with us some of his precious time too. And to Ate Arlene, the sister of Alma – she was very warm and cordial to us.

My mother and I were very grateful for the opportunity given to us. To God be the glory!

Exploring Thailand (My First Travel Abroad)

"Although our intellect always longs for clarity and certainty, our nature often finds uncertainty fascinating." – Karl Von Clausewitz

It was my cousin working in Thailand who encouraged me. We met after our cousin passed away in 2007. Usually in Filipino culture, burials are reunion of families. You will see your relatives living in other places when they come to pay their last respect for the dearly departed. It was our first meeting. We never saw each other’s childhood because they were brought up in Antique, Iloilo while we grew up here in the southern part of Mindanao, yet we got along so well.

I booked my flight to Thailand, known to be the land of the free. I was so excited. It’s was the best time of the year for me. Each year, we are given five days to spend whatever we’d like to do whenever we want. I have apprehensions and hesitations yet the joy of adventure is greater than my fears. I was given instruction by my cousin for I will be travelling alone. If for other people travelling alone is quite a disadvantage, to me it meant a lot of adventure and exploration. It means going out of the shell and meeting challenges head on. It’s an opportunity to discover new friends, new environment and a way to relax without many distractions.

I have a connecting flight to my destination. I began my journey through General Santos City Airport to Manila. I have prepared all the necessary documents for my trip such as passport, identification cards, travel documents etc. My belongings were packed into two, a medium size plastic luggage and a back pack. I checked-in an hour before the flight just to be sure I won’t be left. It was twilight when we arrived in Manila. I felt hungry so I went out to a nearby stall to take a simple meal. When I returned, I asked a guard where to go for my next flight. He told me that I should have waited after we touched down because the bus had already delivered the passengers. But I was fortunate because there was another passenger who had the same case with me. She came from Cagayan de Oro and was catching the same flight. We were told to wait for the next available bus to carry us towards the next plane. I was glad to have a companion. I got to know her. Ivy worked in a local government. She will be meeting a friend in Thailand and it was also her first time to travel abroad.

We followed the lengthy queue in the immigration. We filled out forms and I saw a lot of passengers rushing through. When it was my time, the immigration officer looked at my passport and put a stamp for my departure. I found out that my companion was held back due to lack of travel document. She asked me about it so I helped her. She was later approved to go and we took the same flight to Thailand. The night was calm. Inside the plane was cold but I was restless. I eventually rested on a sleek passenger seat with happy thoughts that when I wake up, I will see another country, a different place and a new adventure is waiting.

It was already dark when we reached our destination. I saw the dazzling lights from afar outside the window. My heart leaped that we finally arrived safely. I was eager to see my cousins, my nephews and nieces whom I have never seen. I bid goodbye to Ivy before we parted ways. We wished each other an enjoyable stay. How lucky are we because we will see each other again on our way back. The world may have conspired because we have the same return flight. I was inspired moving on.

The Thailand airport was classy, sleek so to say. It is equipped with modern facilities and equipments. Tight security measures are being implemented. The space was huge. There are expensive stores offering variety of products. The place smells good. There were a lot of foreigners of different color, sizes and shapes. The people are walking fast. I saw them in different directions. We moved from escalator to elevator. I followed the signs and the people. We passed through the Thailand immigration then walked to the conveyor to get the luggage. After I took all my belongings, I approached a person in uniform whom I presumed to be a security officer. I asked him where to proceed but he did not understand me. I recognized the language barrier. I found a seat and observed where the people go. I saw a narrow gate and headed to where it goes – arrival area where my cousins are waiting for me.

I hugged my cousins. They were as excited as I am. Though it was in middle of the night; our meeting felt like it was morning. They were wide awake as I am. They ushered me first to a restaurant where I could eat. I was quite resistant but they insisted knowing that my journey from the Philippines was rigid. I got a special Thailand dish that was spicy while we did the chitchat. We took pictures in that restaurant and hailed a cab to their place. The moon streaked its brilliant shine as we laid to a night quiet rest.

I met my cousin’s husband who is a Sri Lankan. He was cordial yet reserve in his demeanor. I stayed with them in a flat they rented. My nephews and nieces were restless. They were energetic as they played. They invited me to play with them. They were speaking in English. I joined in their soccer game and we were happy.

Thailand is a progressive place yet they have preserved the balance of ecology. They have plenty of big, old trees. The plants are thriving in the city as they are taken cared by the people. I saw tall buildings and trees standing together. They have varied plants properly cultivated. The greenery hangs everywhere that looks beautifully ornamenting the grandiose structures. We went to the King’s Place. It’s a nature park. It was a breath of fresh air, a cool place to stay. It was a place where family could enjoy the nature. There are water vehicles in the lake that you can rent to navigate the place. My nephews and I rode in one of the vehicles and experienced the thrill of driving the vessel in the water. We saw a group of people doing exercise in the park so we joined them. It was a nice activity to do away with backaches and joint pains. I was sweating after few minutes.

Anyway, we finished bonding at the park. They toured me to one of Thailand’s Malls. There were a lot of goods being sold. I bought a camera for a reasonable price. It’s one of my souvenirs from Bangkok. I bought some gifts to bring home to my family and friends. The mall is huge and composed of many storeys. My eyes could not really stay focused because there are plenty of things to see. The thing is that you have to be specific if you really want to buy.

On the following day, I was booked by my cousin to a group tour. I have Dawn, my niece as my companion. We were with two Australians and one coming from USA. So, we both felt uneasy but our tour guide made the balance. She told us about the places we are going and some facts about Thailand. She said that most of the people are Buddhist and they believe in karma; what you do goes back to you. If you do something good, you will receive good things in return. If you do something bad, you will receive bad things in return. So, most of the people have good behaviour. We went to Elephant show. It was my first time to see this gigantic creature. The elephants were domesticated. They were friendly to visitors. The elephants were considered sacred to the people. The show in a way has told the visitors the importance of elephants. It has been one of Thailand’s tourist attractions. Tourism in the place has been dynamic because of these creatures. A lot of tourists visit the place to see this giant, colossal animal. We were able to ride at the back of the elephant touring the jungle. It’s also amazing that these creatures can really entertain. They can dance, play the ball and do many tricks that make people laugh. Anyway, Thailand is not only a host for elephants. They have crocodiles too. We went to crocodile show. It was thrilling to see them being choreographed by their trainer. We were shouting everytime the crocodiles move. They look scary. So, we were appalled everytime the trainers do the tricks on them which makes us laugh in the end.

Thailand is indeed a wonderful place. We went to their floating market where trade is being done in the river. It shows how the people make use of their resources. I tried riding their River Taxi and Tuktuk. It was very convenient. We watched their village cultural show that makes Thailand culture peculiar. There were really plenty of amusing shows to watch. I missed some of them like the cobra show. So, I told myself that I will watch them next time I will visit Thailand. By that, I have reason to go back.

We went home tired yet refreshed with the experiences we gained. I learned a lot from my sojourn.

Time has given me precious opportunity to explore a different country, a different world. I thank my cousins and relatives who gave me a very good accommodation. Though I faced a lot of uncertain things in my first journey abroad, that part made the whole thing fascinating.

Several years after, here I am writing these experiences. They still rest vividly in my mind.