Family, Holidays and Reunions in Manila, Philippines

[x_section style=”margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px; padding: 45px 0px 45px 0px; “][x_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” bg_color=”” style=”margin: 0px auto 0px auto; padding: 0px 0px 0px 0px; “][x_column bg_color=”” type=”1/4″ style=”padding: 10px 10px 10px 10px; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 1px; “][x_text class=”center-text “]by Danny de la Cruz[/x_text][/x_column][x_column bg_color=”” type=”3/4″ style=”padding: 0px 0px 0px 0px; “][x_text]With the holidays upon us, it makes me think more often about the importance of family. While I know that dealing with family during the holidays can be stressful to many, I’m extremely fortunate because being around my family makes this time even more special for me.

Growing up, it was just my Dad, Mom, brother and me. I remember holidays with just the 4 of us celebrating together, far away from the rest of the family on the other side of the world. My parents had made the difficult decision to come to the U.S. to give us a better life and to this day, I am grateful to them for the choices they made. I can only imagine how hard it must have been for them to make this sacrifice to leave their parents and siblings.

But because of this, I didn’t get to know my grandparents until my teen years and I wasn’t surrounded by cousins growing up. In a way, it’s the one thing I was always a bit envious about especially during the holidays because I could only imagine how much fun it must have been at large family gatherings.

I remember the long distance phone calls each Christmas and hearing the sounds of all the kids running around celebrating in the background and the phone being passed on to one relative after another just to say hello. How large are we talking about? When Mom is one of 10 and Dad is one of 6, the numbers quickly add up, and when you layer in spouses, kids, grand-kids, etc., there are way too many to count.[text_output][soliloquy id=”11905”][/text_output][text_output]But this past summer, as part of my South East Asia travels to Cambodia and Vietnam, we traveled back to the Philippines for an official family reunion on both sides of the family. I’ll be honest, while I’ve been home 3 times since I left as a child, this was only my 2nd real vacation — it’s hard to count flying home for 2 funerals as vacations.

I was excited to see my relatives and meet new faces, but I was also a bit apprehensive since in all honesty, they were mostly strangers to me. Sure, I knew most of my aunts and uncles by name and a few cousins I had met a long time ago, but it’s hardly a basis for familiarity — so much time had passed since my last visit.

At the end of the day, I had an amazing time going home, being with family and revisiting places I knew as a child — from my grandparent’s home to restaurants we’d go to and eat after mass every Sunday. I also had a chance to see the church where my Mom and Dad were married (you can see that photo in the slide show above). And around every corner and at every meal with relatives, there was always something delicious to eat, satisfy my taste buds and remind me of the amazing delicacies only found in the Philippines.

Then there’s  the relentless traffic which Manila is known for — everything has to be planned and timed because of the congestion and gridlock to get from A to B. We’d have to wake up so early each day to avoid the madness. My hats off to anyone who drives in Manila — I couldn’t do it. So if you ever find yourself in Manila, be prepared for the traffic — no lanes, cars weaving in and out with precision and maneuvering around jeepneys (elongated, jeep-style public transportation vehicles) everywhere you turn. This is Manila — exactly as I remembered from my last visit.

One thing that did surprise me was that so much of the skyline had changed in metro Manila — countless new sky scrapers, hotels, condos and malls around every corner. I felt like I was surrounded by one shopping mall after another. It was wonderful to see the “building boom” going on, but it was a sharp contrast to the poverty I saw around every turn. Squatters, beggars, children playing in the streets — it was difficult to see. It just made me appreciate even more the opportunities I’ve had my entire life thanks to my parent’s decision and sacrifice that they made so many years ago.

Amidst everything I experienced, one lighthearted memory was when we went to the fish spa at the aquarium by the Manila Bay (you can see this in a couple of the photos I shared above in the slider). You dip your feet in a pool of water and let the little fishies nibble away at the dead skin on your feet for a soothing, relaxing experience. Let’s just say I expected tiny minnows, even neon-type fish, but these things were enormous! It was such a weird sensation having these fish eating away at my feet, ankles and lower legs. Let’s just say that it wasn’t relaxing and my feet didn’t last that long dangling in the water. I’m just glad to say that I gave it a try.

This opportunity to see my relatives and rediscover Manila, made me realize that even though Chicago is home today with my small, close-knit family, I will always be connected with my extended family in the Philippines. I realized this from the generosity and kindness of some wonderful relatives who took the time to help me (and the entire family that journeyed home) rediscover our other home half way around the world. Salamat (Thank you)!

Special thanks to E. Cruz and D. Gans for additional photos taking during this trip.

[/x_text][/x_column][/x_row][/x_section]