Sometimes it helps to share feelings of homesickness
Originally uploaded by: KnOizKi
My little niece Meeka, called me up with a surprise asking me to join them for dinner with her family at their flat yesterday. I asked about what the ocassion was and she replied, “I wanna show you something”. I knew they arrived from vacationing in the Philippines along with my two other nephews and her elder brother. And eventhough it was their first grand holiday, she did bring my favourite filipino dessert, Polvorons. Then she showed me their photos from the camera where she met my sisters and her Lola (Grandma) who flew a long way from Bicol to see them - they obviously enjoyed Manila, so surprised seeing a huge shopping mall, they called it the The Big Globe. I would say, how lucky of them seeing all our lovedones.
She talked a lot of things about home, especially their Lola. Although many times she complained that people back home only meet at these big malls, still they enjoyed the trip because they saw the Jollibee mascot, watched movies, played the BINGO in the mall & even enjoyed the jeepney rides. She was shocked however the day they arrived, it was in pouring rain, so afraid typhoons were going to hit the country or they would be disappointed showing off their new shoes. I let her do all the talking and excitements but while listening, I suddenly felt somewhat really homesick, you know these home-focused thoughts about our lovedones back home.
You know some time in our lives homesickness will hit us, perhaps when we were still young it is easy to forget just how overwhelming it can be. When I left home to study in a big city and so of course when you go to a University, it naturally generates both excitement and anxiety about the move, academic work, meeting new people but there were times that these transition takes longer, homesickness could hit us once in a while.
And now that I’m here living so far away from my other family, I still feel vulnerable to feeling homesick and I thought I am already immuned to it. I guess I have my own level of tolerance to learn different ways of coping with this situations. But why is it so hard? If you are away from the family for a long time, would you feel like as if you’re on your own seeing unfamiliar faces in your surroundings, working all the time and easily burnt out?
It’s probably a “universal symptom” like many of us who lives and work away from our own families. It feels like I’m longing to be back home. I’m missing those familiar faces, the jeepneys, the old bench, the streets, the old neighbours & even the typhoons and the quietness of my surroundings at eight in the evening. I miss it HOME. Am I allowed to feel this?
Sometimes it helps to share the feeling of homesickness by singing this song.
3:43mins
Home (K, sings with Jed Madela)
by: K, speaking!
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Heyyy Ed? What made you changed blog? I remembered I have 2 old blogs - I abandoned them for the reason I don’t know. Maybe I’m like you, I try things, end there but still life goes on, like our blog.
Will do, will do right now.
Homesickness isn’t really nice, I hate that feeling so much
Anyway, this is Mentatoh, change the details A.S.A.P 
I’ve been listening to your song over and over and it was really great..
WHAT? Oh my lordy, turn your speakers off Renny. Hahahaha. Sure, it’s a way of prescribing my homesickness, and it adds to the loneliness even more. Glad you like it.
Any song that you want me to sing next time?
[...] Since I wanted to kill my homesickness a little bit, I travelled not too far from my place riding my favoutire tramcar to the the Hysan Avenue in Causeway Bay. It’s a popular place ideally situated for touring around the Shopping area with the most fascinating crowds and of course, you would forgive me for doing the “touristy thing” because I was only trying to find the nearest McDonalds around and “rejuvenates”. [...]
What a great and sensitive post K - thank you so much for sharing your thoughts, idea and this pressures time with Meeka! I am thinking of my wife coming over all the way from the US. She was brave and I was lucky:-)
I’ve been listening to your song over and over and it was really great, nice and sweet and a good gift to Meeka from you – thanks for sharing that as well!
Now I always believe that home is where the heart is.
And added to that, family that prays together, stick together. I still believe in that. I would love to travel, only if I’m rich I’ll definately go to New York. No, to Europe. Errr, Australia.
Nah, I always feel like I’m going back to my native province. Practically, I want to tour around Pinas, I’ve never been to Boracay, to Baguio, to Palawan, there are places I can remember but I can’t even tell my colleagues about my own country. Thanks Charles.
I agree your niece is cute! Of course you are entitled to be homesick. Why not take a trip or something soon? If you asked me I’ve never felt this kind of feeling. It’s probably because I felt at home here and so attached with the place unlike before when there is not a single day that I always tell myself if I was born in a wrong country. I told my teacher once if probably I was a Norwegian in my past life. lol. It is quite weird since when I travel around I always miss Bergen in particular. Now I always believe that home is where the heart is.
May kasamang cuddle ba yan? Hahaha Thanks Gracie, you know how to cheer me up. How can one not love the effect of virtual hugs?
OK Let’s embrace. Salamat.
tito k! hugs for you!
There are moments when I feel so homesick just by listening to a song. Then I will have the urge to call my parents and I immediately do.
Blame Jed Madela for that. hahaha I too get emotional, weird but that’s it, at least I purged it out. For whatever reason why I’m here to work is because of my family. And you know, I’m proud of that. From what I’ve heard, the most sensational feelings of accomplishment come from personal achievement.
And you know, pag nakausap mo na sila at tatanungin kong “Kumusta ka na diyan sana OK ka parati”, nakakawala ng pagod. That’s the wonders of calling home to hear your lovedones. Teka, that reminds me, bibili na naman ako ng phonecards.
my dear K,
you have every right to feel homesick.I for one, never had a day where I didn’t think of my family back home. I often picture them at home doing teh regular stuff- my bro watching TV, my mom cooking, my dad reading the newspaper, etc. There are moments when I feel so homesick just by listening to a song. Then I will have the urge to call my parents and I immediately do.
If time and money permits, do visit your family back home soon. Or give them a call. Listening to their voice also exudes that feeling of home.
I’m home soon
( mang inggit ba!)
My friend, who is a probinsyana, is always homesick. She always misses her family, and who wouldn’t miss them.
Sadly, life in the province is different than living in the City JV, maybe that’s why We (as probinsyanos) tend to feel that way. Maagang nasa loob na ng bahay ang mga tao sa probinsya, alas ocho y media ng gabi, alulong ng aso na lang maririnig mo. Well that was many years ago, people change, outlooks in life change but I cried tonight. I’m sure it was just a lot of pent up emotion and frustration, but I did. It felt good yet bad at the same time. Sometimes, it’s just best to purge yourself through salty drops cascading down your cheeks.
Whenever someone leaves home, he/she always feel that way- homesick. My friend, who is a probinsyana, is always homesick. She always misses her family, and who wouldn’t miss them. We miss our families and friends because we love them. That’s why when you leave home, make sure that you have a lot of well-kept memories like photos or cards, take them with you always so that you’ll feel they’re with you.
That’s why I say, “Nothing is more sweeter than where you are truly born.” Take care, K!:smile:
No Asha, homesickness is different from feeling sick. I think you’re BORED. Sorry to say but you have kids around you, it won’t last a day if you’re feeling that way. But despite the fact that sometimes I feel like a Charlie-in-the-box, I don’t mind that much anymore, this homesickness will pass. I hope.
And yes, you commented on that to my flickr. She is chubby, the picture was a year old, and she’s getting bigger and bigger any moment.
oops, I forgot to mention again… your niece is soooooo bubbly chubby.. cho cho cute. Hehe. Feel like pinching her man.
Oh yes… I’m home sick. Sick of staying at home. Sick of staying in this place. Sick.. so sick of everything.
Sheesh, I really did sound sick? I’m sick?
Bleargh.
I’ll become more involved with what’s outside my room instead of what’s inside my head. Hopefully. Thanks for the visit, Shine.
Yes you are allowed to miss your hometown. But don’t wallow in homesickness so that you can still be open to happy new exciting experiences! =)
Good to know you’re OK, C. Earthquakes is not fun to even say it, people around here avoid news about “disasters”. Scary but we never know.
You’ll never feel homesickness since you have R with you, right?
I’m alright…the tremor was just for a second, but it still did come as a suprise as the ground and my entertainment center shook!
I miss home too…I miss my parents, esp my mom, my friends and all the food. The only thing I don’t miss is the weather…but I do wish I’ll get to visit home soon again
She’s fat hahaha. I keep reminding her to slim down, at her early age, cute pero pag lumalaki na mahirap. Nasa dugo na ata ng pamilya ng kanyang Mommy ang mga mataba. She hates that word tho.
Thanks Meeya for the kind words. I just miss people, my friends back home, how things normally go. And I’m saying this at the risk of sounding ungrateful, unhappy to be here, though I’m not. It’s great fun here, when I’m out having great fun. But with whom? I sometimes think, people easily vanished.
Talagang taob si Jed Madela sa kanta ko. Bwahahaha, for pittysakes, turn it off.
first off, your niece is so cute!
secondly, as long as one has emotional and sentimental ties in the phils he/she won’t ever be immune to homesickness. it’s all about the “comfort zone” kasi. there are just some things that will always be alien to us no matter how good we assimilate, so it’s human nature to yearn for the familiar comforts of home. basta ba you can learn to cope with it, its normal. ang mahirap ay yung mga nababaliw because of it and i’ve seen how destructive homesickness can be to the faint of heart.
anyway, taob si jed madela
That’s so comforting of you to say. I think my social life is lacking - it’s part of this “homesickness” maybe because I don’t have the same relationships surrounding me that I did few years ago. I miss it/them already (insert a big SIGH here).
Thanks JC.
hi, k. you are allowed to miss. actually you SHOULD feel it. i myself miss my mom and sister when i go out of town during trainings. that’s 3-7 days lang ha? miss na miss ko na sila agad nun. anyway, we are armed with memories that will keep us warm. and we have the entire blogsphere to keep us company, di ba? keep the faith! i’m an email away…