NOY-BI

ah, the philippines..  please don't get me wrong, i love the philippines, i do, i really do.. i may rant about it, have some not-so-nice things to say about it, get irritated with it, and be frustrated with it, but bottom line is this: i was born there, i have lived there for 27 years of my life, and i miss it like crazy!

while it's true that i have fallen irrevocably in love with sydney (and australia as a whole), you can't take away the fact that i am a filipina at heart.. and because of that, i am still very affected about the news (via 'bandila') that i hear about the philippines and i am not embarrassed to say na updated din ako with showbiz happenings (via www.pep.ph) LOL!.. i also frequent a filipino store where i can buy philippine items like chichiria (piattos, clover, oishi, vcut, etc) and de-lata from the philippines (century tuna, ligo, purefoods corned beef, etc) or other filipino products like mama sita mix for karekare, knorr pangsigang, mang tomas, ufc ketchup, lucky me, barrio fiesta bagoong, nestea calamansi, etc.. there's even balot and itlog na maalat.. 

but while our tastebuds and the need to know what's happening in the philippines are more or less satisfied, i still miss the philippines.. i guess that's how attached i am to it..

so what exactly do i miss most about the philippines? not counting family because that's a given, first and foremost, i miss our house, then jollibee (super! when, oh when are you coming in australia?), makati (particularly glorietta), alabang, UST (i can't describe how i love uste..), road trips to pangasinan or la union or baguio or tagaytay, baclaran church and baclaran itself (especially every wednesday), Apo Manaoag, jeepneys, SM, street food (sago-gulaman, tuknene, isaw.. oh don't get me started on food, LOL!), oh and a lot, lot more.. 

yes, home is where the heart is, and yes, both manila and sydney are in mine..

i know that the philippines may not rank among the top 10 (not even sure if it makes the top 100) list of countries that are good places to live in, but it doesnt mean that it has nothing to offer.. yes, there's poverty and it's very true that life is tough in that country, but there's a certain beauty about the philippines that's, i don't know, i guess only a filipino could see and appreciate, because we see beyond what's there to see.. we see and feel its spirit.. and what about the filipino people themselves? i know of the filipinos' plight and what might seem to be their never-ending struggles, but i also know of their practicality, their ability to see humor amidst hardships, their courage, and mostly, i know of their heart. yes, filipinos have great big hearts and one thing that those great big hearts will never run out of is hope. 

the 2 guys in the middle are the new faces of hope for the philippines. they are the new leaders of the country: president elect noynoy aquino (son of ninoy and cory aquino) and vice president elect jejomar binay. in their hands, the filipino people have placed their trust, their faith, their dreams, their hopes, and yes, their lives. they have 6 years at the helm, 6 years to drive the philippines towards something better, and while a complete turn-around would be difficult to accomplish in just 6 years, today is a good day as any to hope that the philippines is in the hands of capable leaders who will guide the country in a better direction.

i am excited for the philippines.. even though i have to admit that they are not the leaders i have pegged to see as the new president and vice president, i am excited because the filipino people have spoken and they saw these two men as beacons of hope. are they right? are they wrong? only time will tell.. NOY-BI have won the hearts and minds of the majority of the filipino people.. i hope that they'd do all of us proud.. i have high hopes and expectations that these 2 gentlemen would be the kind of leaders that the philippines need in order for good change to happen, the kind of leaders that this country exactly needs.. 

my congratulations go out to the both of them.. they have a lot of work to do and a tough time ahead, but i know that as long as there are steps going in the right direction (even tiny, little baby steps), they'd have the nation's support, and the philippines will be just fine.. 

i do pray that they'd do good for the sake of a wonderful nation that needs good leaders to put it back on track..  

MABUHAY ANG SAMBAYANANG PILIPINO!