Bisdak Babbles

Winter 2001. I was in Kagoshima and all I was “allowed” to experience was about an hour of wet flurries. Winter 2002, I was back in the Philippines, then Kagoshima experienced a very white winter, which is a very rare occurrence.

Last New Year’s day, I went to Gifu-ken with hopes of experiencing snow fights but not even wet flurries showed up. A couple of days later, my friend from Gifu-ken called just to deliver the “exciting” news that they woke up having an ankle-deep snow.

Now, it’s almost February and I think the temperature is rising. Will I ever have my picture taken while lying in the snow or at least seeing with my naked eye, “pure” snow? Unless I go to Hokkaido…

These past few years have been a great struggle for me. I’ve been bombarded with difficult situations, some of which are just results of wrong decisions, and most are beyond my control. I have fallen so hard and I am still groping in the dark. Well, when every thing else fails, there is one source of strength I could always turn to… Someone I could truly depend on. It is a shame that I have been so stubborn and proud trying to face all these alone. Now, I admit defeat…

I believe that these will all come to pass and I will emerge stronger, better and more compassionate person. I refuse to give up but I surrender to my best friend and my Savior…

I turned a year older yesterday. If I were working in Manila, I would have took the day off, go to the movies and have a huge meal in a favorite restaurant. Even so, I would have fabricated a story of being extremely sick, just to be off from work but I’m sure I would end up being nostalgic so I just spent the day as ordinarily as possible: seriously going to work. However, I admit I would have treated my self to a restaurant but due to serious financial restrictions, no fancy meal for me today. But still, I treated my self to a home-cooked huge meal. ^-^

To those who were able to send me their greetings… thank you! I realized that a birthday without any one greeting you is indeed very depressing. To that someone who greeted me at 12:12AM, I was a bit frustrated but then it was still 11:12PM in the Philippines after all.

I’m very grateful to God for being constantly so good to me. To my family for always believing in me and for their unconditional love, to my friends for not failing to lend me a hand, thank you very much!

It’s been 5 years since I last seen my twis (twin sister). Yes, I do have a twin sister… we were so close that she was like a twin sister to me. Being of Japanese descent, she and her siblings were able to work here in Japan years ago. She got married on March 2001 and settled here (her husband is also a Nikkei-jin). Now that I am back here, one of the few things I wanted to do most was visit her in Gifu-ken.

December 31, 1:30pm. I boarded the train bound for Nagoya, had 3 train transfers and the whole trip was about 4.5 hours. It was a long trip but I enjoyed it. I did not even fall asleep not only because I was so excited about our reunion but the sceneries were very interesting. I won’t expound on the details of our “first” meeting but I would say that I had a “throat constriction”. ^-^

I also got the chance of meeting again her brother, who was more of a brother to me than my “blood” brother, and his family. They have lots of Nikkei-jin relatives who are also in Gifu-ken that their New Year celebration felt like celebrating New Year’s day in the Philippines.

My twis and I spent most of the time talking, catching up with each other’s lives. I’m so glad she’s still the same Bimbim I knew… thoughtful and kind. Having those conversations with her humbled and reminded me of who I should be, what I should be.

I had a wonderful time that it was so difficult for me to go back to Osaka. I wish I could see her again soon.

Below is a picture of my twis and her family: