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June 21, 2004 A few more days to go and our family will be part of the statistics--of the growing number of Filipinos who are "driven" out of the country in their desire to look for a "better" life abroad. Or as one writer puts it,"Filipinos in diaspora." It took us two years to work out our migration plans, but it was only till recently that we fully realized the full implication of our move. Our 4 year old daughter, Sanyata, recently graduated from her summer playschool. I guess it must be the last time we will ever sing our National Anthem in such a gathering for a long time to come. From hereon, my daughters will be singing for and pledging allegiance to a country that has nothing to do with their heritage. They will be pledging their loyalty to a Queen whose skin and hair color are entirely different from theirs. My cousins who grew up Down Under cannot write or read Filipino. They speak the language with a funny accent. When they visited the country to attend my wedding several years back they went around the malls in their teeny little short pants and bra-less shirts. Heaven forbid if my daughters will grow up the same. Or maybe I'll loosen up and just get used to it--like my aunts and uncles. As our date of departure nears, my relatives keep on calling for their hundred and one favors--buy VCDs/DVDs of the Hotdogs, Basil Valdez, Pork Chop Duo and other local artists--things totally Filipino as they clutch at whatever memories they have of their local land. My cousins however, remain content--entirely used to the Australian way of life they have grown accustomed to. One movie comes to mind--American Adobo, which graphically depicts the Filipinos' way of life in the United States. I am sure my family will have similar experiences and I cannot say that I am entirely ready for it. For whatever it's worth, despite the bouts of anxiety plaguing us at the moment, we will push through with our plans for the sake not just of our immediate family, but for our brothers, sisters, cousins, friends and their own families whom we may one day help to get a "better" life abroad. June 26, we undertake our journey to Australia, what I call our Neverland,a land where dreams supposedly come true but whose inhabitants are called Lost Boys. Our families, friends we hold dear in our hearts as we fly towards--"second star to the right and straight on until morning." ------------ About the author Ma. Asther B. Creo: I am an upcoming migrant to Australia. Prior to our migrant status, I worked as a communications officer for several private companies in the Philippines. I am a self-proclaimed writer who dreams of having my short story for children published into a book. For now, some of my articles can be seen in my online column at www.geocities.com/mothersinc_ph Email: asthercreo@yahoo.com Tell a friend about this site! ------------ |
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