I may have tonnes of fear, but I ain't fear my home.
When I was young and ignorant, I used to display a signature that said "Only when you are far away will you truly love your home", because I thought it sounded cool and somewhat mature. At that point of time, I had never known what it was really like to be far away from home, though.
Thinking back, it now sounds almost ironic.
Away for more than a year now, I have already got used to the constant cravings for the warmth of family and home to almost completely migrate into this new environment. It is not easy, and certainly not pleasant. I encountered problems that I would never dream of had I not left. Homesickness is still there, stinging, swelling, but just enough not to bite.
Anyway, I just watched "The Terminal" (starring: Tom Hanks) the other day (or at least 30 minutes of it - don't misunderstand, there's nothing wrong with the movie: I just don't feel like watching another romance). The protagonist (what's his name for god's sake!) was a foreigner who arrived at New York as a tourist. Following a series of unfortunate events, he was trapped in the airport and unable to either get to New York or return to his home town. Anyway, the concept is both amusing and cliche, but there is this line that really got to me. It is during the scene where he was asked to establish a fear not to return to his home country (which was in war at that time) in order to become an American citizen:
Official: Do you get it? If you say yes, then you would be out tonight. To New York.
Whatever-his-name: *Nod*
Official: So are you afraid of returning to Krakozhia?
WHN: No.
Official: *sigh* Okay, listen. Your country has a revolution. War. It is completely normal to be afraid of returning in this situation. Okay?
WHN: *Nod* *Grin stupidly*
Official: So let me ask again. Are you afraid of returning to Krakozhia?
WHN: No. Krakozhia is home. I'm not afraid "in" home.
Official: *Sigh*
WHN: But I'm afraid "in" ghost. I'm afraid "in" rats. I'm afraid in.. etc.
I don't like Tom Hanks that much, but I've got to admit his performance in this movie is spectacular. Somehow with that one line only, along with his sincere expression, the movie has far surpassed the standard of a plain romance. That one scene, and especially that one line only almost got me cry, and I'm not a particularly emotional person.
I may have tonnes of fear, but I ain't fear my home.
For my entire life, that's the most utterly fantastically honest declaration of love for home I've ever heard.
Thinking back, it now sounds almost ironic.
Away for more than a year now, I have already got used to the constant cravings for the warmth of family and home to almost completely migrate into this new environment. It is not easy, and certainly not pleasant. I encountered problems that I would never dream of had I not left. Homesickness is still there, stinging, swelling, but just enough not to bite.
Anyway, I just watched "The Terminal" (starring: Tom Hanks) the other day (or at least 30 minutes of it - don't misunderstand, there's nothing wrong with the movie: I just don't feel like watching another romance). The protagonist (what's his name for god's sake!) was a foreigner who arrived at New York as a tourist. Following a series of unfortunate events, he was trapped in the airport and unable to either get to New York or return to his home town. Anyway, the concept is both amusing and cliche, but there is this line that really got to me. It is during the scene where he was asked to establish a fear not to return to his home country (which was in war at that time) in order to become an American citizen:
Official: Do you get it? If you say yes, then you would be out tonight. To New York.
Whatever-his-name: *Nod*
Official: So are you afraid of returning to Krakozhia?
WHN: No.
Official: *sigh* Okay, listen. Your country has a revolution. War. It is completely normal to be afraid of returning in this situation. Okay?
WHN: *Nod* *Grin stupidly*
Official: So let me ask again. Are you afraid of returning to Krakozhia?
WHN: No. Krakozhia is home. I'm not afraid "in" home.
Official: *Sigh*
WHN: But I'm afraid "in" ghost. I'm afraid "in" rats. I'm afraid in.. etc.
I don't like Tom Hanks that much, but I've got to admit his performance in this movie is spectacular. Somehow with that one line only, along with his sincere expression, the movie has far surpassed the standard of a plain romance. That one scene, and especially that one line only almost got me cry, and I'm not a particularly emotional person.
I may have tonnes of fear, but I ain't fear my home.
For my entire life, that's the most utterly fantastically honest declaration of love for home I've ever heard.