The End of an Era

For the longest time i had never liked my birthday. I like the day itself with the unluckiest number 13. I had my reason: IT’S A SCHOOLDAY. Quite embarrassing, actually, to have classmates badger you for a party, or for a “blow-out” or something. I don’t even get presents for it! I never liked presents too, simply because it feels like a bribery so you would be a good girl for the coming year. It sounds silly, but since i had been, REALLY thinking like that.

However, i also thought of celebrating my birthday, but ONLY a couple times, and those are the years that are significant. 18 is not significant so i didn’t really celebrate it. I chose: 24, 33, and 45. I don’t know if i would still alive after those years, we’ll never know, but those years are significant to me.

I’m turning 24 this Saturday! The year i have been waiting since i was 13. Way back then i only thought 24 is the MOST exciting year of being single. When i turned 15, i found out that it’s the year when i actually am considered an adult and beyond my parent’s control legally. When one turns 18 you only get adult privileges. At 24 you get to do all. *evil grin*… and at this day i want to celebrate it with a BANG!

Unfortunately, i am not able to celebrate it at all. See, at age 20, i ran away (or eloped, for a more appropriate term) because i was pregnant, and i got married. I made that decision, don’t ask me why, but i did. But still. i want to celebrate this year with a bang. Last year i thought of flying back to the Philippines so i can celebrate with a few friends, but then, i had my second baby, which eliminates all the possibilities of celebrating with a few friends EVER. But i never gave up, and i still want to celebrate it because it’s one of the few birthdays i HAVE been looking forward to. But there is just NO WAY on earth that my parents will fly here (we’re still not speaking), or to see my friends, or to simply have a get-together all for my own. So i told my manong, let’s just dine out that day, with my kids, and my in-laws.

So i started planning, i wanted to look fabulous that day! When is that day gonna be? A weekday… a weekend, doesn’t matter. I said i want to and that’s THAT…. I’ll lose a couple pounds so can fit my blue dress perfectly, i’m growing my hair so i can do it properly, i took care of my nails so it won’t be too long or too short, AND not chipped. So when is it going to be? I don’t like my birthdays but this one, even if i’m nervous (surprised?), should be just perfect. So when is it?

A month ago, i checked the calendar so i know what day my birthday will land on. I laughed, and i was sooo nervous i even called Jocelyn because i was freaked out. In fairness to God, to what i have been looking forward to for the longest time, i AM going to celebrate that day with a bang… together with the entire clan of my husband… and the entire country at that.

EVERYONE: my birthday landed on a national holiday, their THANKSGIVING DAY. Now there’s the bang i’m looking for (^__^)…

Grrr...

dig this... MY original blog site had been cleaned. Just when i'm about to share a very cute and USEFUL word compilation!

SO, there. i sent a complaint... HOPEFULLY i'd get my old ORIGINAL blog. wish me luck!

expat; what's the catch?

Main Entry:

¹ex·pa·tri·ate

Pronunciation:

\ek-ˈspā-trē-ˌāt\

-ˈspā-trē-ˌāt\

Function:

verb

Inflected Form(s):

ex·pa·tri·at·ed; ex·pa·tri·at·ing

Etymology:

Medieval Latin expatriatus, past participle of expatriare to leave one's own country, from Latin ex- + patria native country, from feminine of patrius of a father, from patr-, pater father

definiton:

to withdraw (oneself) from residence in or allegiance to one's native country

to leave one's native country to live elsewhere; also : to renounce allegiance to one's native country

Now this is interesting... i found this definition in Meriam-Webster online dictionary. I had been wondering about this word for so long. You see, i married a Korean man, and with that fact i needed to move to HIS country instead of residing on my own. Course there were some complications if i were to live on my own native land, but then again complications are everywhere. So after weighing about a dozen pros and cons, i have decided it's all for the best to live here in his mother land.

Then i encountered this newspaper, and it has a page entitled: The Expat's page. i already know what an expat is, what it means, its etymology, HOWEVER, if it were applicable to me or not was the question that caught me. My whole life i never imagined me to go somewhere else abroad, much less live far, far away. Now i find myself almost three years in Korea., AND married.

If we were to take the definition given by Webster, and thru it's latin derivation, then i am considered an expat. Here's the catch: i'm married. And here's another catch: i'm female. Is the title expat ONLY for single foreigners who had decided to live abroad? Or for male foreigners with native wives who had not yet decided to change their citizenships? Or those foreigners who had changed their citizenships? There's also this ridiculously ludicrous idea that ONLY white people, or those from the western hemisphere are considered expats!

Complicated, huh? but lemme get one thing straight: i'm a Filipino National, because i'm still a Filipino citizen living in Korea. We're still debating on whether i'll be changing nationalities or not. Meanwhile, i just gave you something to think about. =)

have a great day!

The Expat's Corner; my own review

I just finished reading the latest article on The Korean Herald regarding the Expat's corner. For weeks i have been trying to get a hold of these bloggers, because for one, it's like reading an online editorial (which, i might say, is my second favorite page on newspapers), and two; i'd like to see if they really are as smart as they preach themselves to be.

This will take long, with two kids, and a house to manage, i would read their articles one at a time.

So maybe no one would read this, or maybe someone would, i don't care. But i will say this one more time; i may be young and reckless, but i'm not stupid. And i'm certainly not the one who usually backs down.