just a friendly reminder
after two glorious weeks in new zealand with my family, i struggle to get back into the groove of things..... the daily routine, work, the house, activities of whatever's left with summer. vacations away from home especially this one, being the longest we've ever had since we got back to manila in 1998, has a way of tickling, teasing, picking one's mind about things close to home.
it was wonderful absorbing all the beauty that was in new zealand. no wonder everyone says it is really beautiful down there. it truly is. so refreshingly green everywhere. so clean... you can even drink water straight out of the tap! and the people are so simple... city-dwellers or not, white-collared workers or blue. just about everything and everyone are pretty much taken cared of... from education, work, healthcare and the environment, the newborns to the elderly, even the unemployed or those in prison. there is a conceivable effort to center on family and healthy, non-stressful living. shops are closed by 5pm. places are developed for healthy living and simple pleasures like strolling, hiking, biking. there is a conscious effort to give people time to smell the wonderful scent of grass or watch the glorious sunset by the bay.
we met up with a med school classmate who was living his dream as a kiwi. that's what they call new zealanders... yep, same as kiwi the bird, kiwi the fruit, and kiwi their currency. we also encountered several pinoys, some who have just relocated and some who have been kiwis for more than a decade or so. some of them went through a lot of difficulty to get to where they are now. some were still awaiting the rest of their family to join them there. almost everyone asked if we had plans to relocate and encouraged us to stay. all were very happy to be there. and we can see why. it was as clear as their sky. and their question and sincere advice as crisp and pure as the air they breathe.
before we can even give it a serious thought, and barely a week into our vacation, i received a text from manila. it was my tita cora, as though in anticipation of the tickling our minds were getting. "i'm glad you guys are having fun. enjoy yourselves but just visit. huwag mag-ma-migrate."
it was wonderful absorbing all the beauty that was in new zealand. no wonder everyone says it is really beautiful down there. it truly is. so refreshingly green everywhere. so clean... you can even drink water straight out of the tap! and the people are so simple... city-dwellers or not, white-collared workers or blue. just about everything and everyone are pretty much taken cared of... from education, work, healthcare and the environment, the newborns to the elderly, even the unemployed or those in prison. there is a conceivable effort to center on family and healthy, non-stressful living. shops are closed by 5pm. places are developed for healthy living and simple pleasures like strolling, hiking, biking. there is a conscious effort to give people time to smell the wonderful scent of grass or watch the glorious sunset by the bay.
we met up with a med school classmate who was living his dream as a kiwi. that's what they call new zealanders... yep, same as kiwi the bird, kiwi the fruit, and kiwi their currency. we also encountered several pinoys, some who have just relocated and some who have been kiwis for more than a decade or so. some of them went through a lot of difficulty to get to where they are now. some were still awaiting the rest of their family to join them there. almost everyone asked if we had plans to relocate and encouraged us to stay. all were very happy to be there. and we can see why. it was as clear as their sky. and their question and sincere advice as crisp and pure as the air they breathe.
before we can even give it a serious thought, and barely a week into our vacation, i received a text from manila. it was my tita cora, as though in anticipation of the tickling our minds were getting. "i'm glad you guys are having fun. enjoy yourselves but just visit. huwag mag-ma-migrate."
so enjoy immensely we did. but i must admit, it is very difficult not to be tickled because we really did.
posted by freckle-face @ 5:00 AM
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