Random Thoughts: Life of a Balikbayan

Note: I promise I'll post finance-related blogs once I get to really, really feel once again how living in the Philippines is like. I'm not even two weeks here pa. Do know that I am taking notes of everything so I can report to you guys how much does it really cost to live frugally in the Philippines. For now, I'll post some random observations and thoughts through the eyes of a balikbayan who never went home for five years (well, if you have been reading my blog for a while now, you know why I didn't go back, not even for a vacay.)

• As I'm typing this, it's 5:05 AM, up since 3:30 AM. My sleeping pattern is going bonkers pa. I consistently go to sleep early, get up at 3AM and go for a run around the subdivision around 5:45 AM, though I doubt if I can run this morning coz it's raining pretty hard.

• Ang daming foreigners sa Mactan area, na shock ako! The other day, my Mama and I went to the market to buy some veggies, I was wearing a hat with one of the football team in America printed on it (the official football team of the state where I used to live), this 'kano and 'kana, with their huge backpacks on their back, were walking towards us, the 'kano kept looking at my hat and then gave me a thumbs up. Nahiya naman ako suddenly. haha!

• Filipino really point out what they think about you (especially physical appearance: the tumaba ka, pumayat ka comment): I was talking to a neighbor, we just met ha and she blatantly asked me if my nose is fake. I don't know if I should be offended or flattered. I mean you don't say that to someone you just met, right? I almost showed her my white heads and blackheads as well as my big ass nose pores just to let her know that my nose is not fake. LOL. She even ask me for my 'diet' because why I am so skinny daw. Like I could roll my eyes. Instant bestfriends na kami, is that it? And I don't like hearing 'why I didn't marry a kano, may itsura naman daw ako' comment. Ugh! Iba-ibang trip lang yan, I always thought.

• My brother was craving for ampalaya with eggs, so off we went to the wet market to get ingredients. Ang mahal kaya ng ampalaya, Php 100 per kilo na or maybe the lady just duped me lang. Yep, it's mahal but compared to the US, you cannot get healthy, fresh veggies for about 3 bucks. I am still getting used to the wet market routine pa. My friend told me to buy veggies in the supermarket because it's already weight, packed and priced na to be sure that I won't get fooled. Still thinking about it pa if I should do the wet market or the supermarket route.

• I have been cleaning my house like crazy, but ang sarap kaya ng feeling knowing that it's my house and I can do anything I want with it. Yep, homeownership comes with great responsibility but, for a balikbayan like me, having a place to live in that is mine, ay.. ang kilig kaya! Maybe I should put the title in a frame and display it, hahaha.. I am joking, of course!

• We will visit my father's grave very soon. Looking forward to that.

Cheers to HOME and for being here at last.