t - 365 days
Four days into my exile and I'm already feeling Very homesick.
The day before my flight, I decided to take with me Carlos Cortes's Longitude, which is too bulky to carry around in a handbag but which I thought is quite appropriate for someone who's unhappy leaving las islas de Filipinas.
The book is told from the point of view of Henrique, the Malay slave of Ferdinand Magellan who sailed with the Magellanic fleet from Spain to the Philippines - a voyage which he called 'the long way home'.
During his long 'exile' in Spain and Portugal and his voyage back to Southeast Asia via the Pacific route, Henrique frequently dreamt of sago palms and the warm winds of home.
What have I been dreaming of lately?
Monsoon rains battering on rooftops. Soft winds whistling through mango leaves. Mangoes and cantaloupe melons. Alimusan and alimasag. The murmur of waves in the beach. Nilagang baboy and bulalo. The constant chatter of my sister. Ginataang malunggay. Eating kiwis for dessert with Robert. Dinner with friends. Jeepneys on Sundays. Tricycles. Everything and anything that reminds me of home.
You can tell that this is going to be a Long year.
The day before my flight, I decided to take with me Carlos Cortes's Longitude, which is too bulky to carry around in a handbag but which I thought is quite appropriate for someone who's unhappy leaving las islas de Filipinas.
The book is told from the point of view of Henrique, the Malay slave of Ferdinand Magellan who sailed with the Magellanic fleet from Spain to the Philippines - a voyage which he called 'the long way home'.
During his long 'exile' in Spain and Portugal and his voyage back to Southeast Asia via the Pacific route, Henrique frequently dreamt of sago palms and the warm winds of home.
What have I been dreaming of lately?
Monsoon rains battering on rooftops. Soft winds whistling through mango leaves. Mangoes and cantaloupe melons. Alimusan and alimasag. The murmur of waves in the beach. Nilagang baboy and bulalo. The constant chatter of my sister. Ginataang malunggay. Eating kiwis for dessert with Robert. Dinner with friends. Jeepneys on Sundays. Tricycles. Everything and anything that reminds me of home.
You can tell that this is going to be a Long year.