"Call on me in prayer and I will answer you. I will show you great and mysterious things which you still do not know about."-Jeremiah 33:3
I have never directly quoted the Bible in anything I have written so far, but this seems really apt. I think that I have forgotten what it is like to pray and what relief one gets from praying, and just when I thought I have stopped praying, I get to experience something unexpected, something worth sharing.
I am on my last quarter through my place of assignment as a volunteer and my day to day experiences vary from good to bad or worse to great. I am learning 3 virtues so far : acceptance, patience and humility.
It is never easy for me. For those who know me at my worst, these three words are not my strongest points.
As I face the challenges of my assignment something really good happened and I am finding it so overwhelmingly surreal.
I have been to Bolangir, a rural district in Western Orissa, where my NGO operates, and since my arrival in India, the last two weeks were the longest I have stayed there. Logistics and working remotely have been a steady prick for my placement but then Pinky, one of my colleagues suggested that I can stay at their home. I did not say no because I wanted to get my work done before I leave in 2 months. Hence the beginning of my story.
Bapa and Pinky are the only ones in the family that speak English, the rest, we manage by smiling and signing. Ma is a loving mother who always have time to chat with her children, always ready to show affection and love. She is always ready with her plate of snacks and bottomless chai.
Pinky has a sister Rinky and 2 brother Babu and Bapun. They are my Indian brothers and sisters. They wait for me at meal time and they make sure I am home before sunset.
Bapa and I chat every afternoon after work. We talk about Indian and Filipino culture. We talk about politics in the Indian and Filipino context, Hinduism and Catholicism. We even talked about Cricket!
One night he asked me when I was going back home and I told him my standard line when being asked the question,"when my visa expires in June". He then said and I will never forget, "Terri your departure will be sorrowful for me and your mother here. It is like a punishment. You are lucky you have two sets of parents in this lifetime, one in the Philippines and one here in India. Please tell your friends about us and remember us when you are back home."
I was speechless. I always am when I am overwhelmed and when I try to hold back an emotion. I wanted to hug Bapa and answer him the question he first asked me the first night I stayed in their home, if I believed in rebirth or reincarnation.
I thought in that instant, and I felt something fuzzy inside, that he could have really been my father who is long gone now.
This was how we were too back in the days, afternoon chatting is what I miss most about my old man.
Bapa brought me to the bus station when it was time for me to return to Bhubaneswar where I live. He made sure I was alright. Awkwardly we reached the wrong bus. A man approached me to tell me that and so to call Bapa's attention, who was almost ready to hop inside the wrong bus to check it, I shouted "Bapa!" and he turned around and I thought I saw his eyes turn red.
I did not know how to say goodbye to him. At home, I would have reached for his hand and place it on my forehead or what a Filipino culture would call "Pagmamano" or "Mano po", it is a sign of respect to elders, when arriving or leaving. In India, they would sort of bend almost kneeling to reach for the elder's feet and make a sign as if to kiss it, but I did not know how to do it right.
When he was sure I was settled in my sleeper berth in the bus, he walked away before I could say something. but he looked back and said "Terri come back in April ok and stay here till before you leave. Your brothers and sisters would like you to celebrate your birthday with us. Make us Filipino and Chinese food. Promise no more mountain of rice". I said I will definitely return and he walked away with a smile.
I will return soon and I intend to stay longer. I am glad my NGO did not work out an accommodation for me in Bolangir or I would have missed the opportunity to have evening snacks and night suppers sitting on the floor with my Indian family, and the chance to be part of this really wonderful family.
Next trip I will make them Adobo and I will also teach them how to use chopsticks. I will also bring photos of my family back home.
It is still early to preempt it but Bapa and my second set of family in India will make leaving India the hardest goodbye since 1997.
I have never directly quoted the Bible in anything I have written so far, but this seems really apt. I think that I have forgotten what it is like to pray and what relief one gets from praying, and just when I thought I have stopped praying, I get to experience something unexpected, something worth sharing.
I am on my last quarter through my place of assignment as a volunteer and my day to day experiences vary from good to bad or worse to great. I am learning 3 virtues so far : acceptance, patience and humility.
It is never easy for me. For those who know me at my worst, these three words are not my strongest points.
As I face the challenges of my assignment something really good happened and I am finding it so overwhelmingly surreal.
I have been to Bolangir, a rural district in Western Orissa, where my NGO operates, and since my arrival in India, the last two weeks were the longest I have stayed there. Logistics and working remotely have been a steady prick for my placement but then Pinky, one of my colleagues suggested that I can stay at their home. I did not say no because I wanted to get my work done before I leave in 2 months. Hence the beginning of my story.
Bapa and Pinky are the only ones in the family that speak English, the rest, we manage by smiling and signing. Ma is a loving mother who always have time to chat with her children, always ready to show affection and love. She is always ready with her plate of snacks and bottomless chai.
Pinky has a sister Rinky and 2 brother Babu and Bapun. They are my Indian brothers and sisters. They wait for me at meal time and they make sure I am home before sunset.
Bapa and I chat every afternoon after work. We talk about Indian and Filipino culture. We talk about politics in the Indian and Filipino context, Hinduism and Catholicism. We even talked about Cricket!
One night he asked me when I was going back home and I told him my standard line when being asked the question,"when my visa expires in June". He then said and I will never forget, "Terri your departure will be sorrowful for me and your mother here. It is like a punishment. You are lucky you have two sets of parents in this lifetime, one in the Philippines and one here in India. Please tell your friends about us and remember us when you are back home."
I was speechless. I always am when I am overwhelmed and when I try to hold back an emotion. I wanted to hug Bapa and answer him the question he first asked me the first night I stayed in their home, if I believed in rebirth or reincarnation.
I thought in that instant, and I felt something fuzzy inside, that he could have really been my father who is long gone now.
This was how we were too back in the days, afternoon chatting is what I miss most about my old man.
Bapa brought me to the bus station when it was time for me to return to Bhubaneswar where I live. He made sure I was alright. Awkwardly we reached the wrong bus. A man approached me to tell me that and so to call Bapa's attention, who was almost ready to hop inside the wrong bus to check it, I shouted "Bapa!" and he turned around and I thought I saw his eyes turn red.
I did not know how to say goodbye to him. At home, I would have reached for his hand and place it on my forehead or what a Filipino culture would call "Pagmamano" or "Mano po", it is a sign of respect to elders, when arriving or leaving. In India, they would sort of bend almost kneeling to reach for the elder's feet and make a sign as if to kiss it, but I did not know how to do it right.
When he was sure I was settled in my sleeper berth in the bus, he walked away before I could say something. but he looked back and said "Terri come back in April ok and stay here till before you leave. Your brothers and sisters would like you to celebrate your birthday with us. Make us Filipino and Chinese food. Promise no more mountain of rice". I said I will definitely return and he walked away with a smile.
I will return soon and I intend to stay longer. I am glad my NGO did not work out an accommodation for me in Bolangir or I would have missed the opportunity to have evening snacks and night suppers sitting on the floor with my Indian family, and the chance to be part of this really wonderful family.
Next trip I will make them Adobo and I will also teach them how to use chopsticks. I will also bring photos of my family back home.
It is still early to preempt it but Bapa and my second set of family in India will make leaving India the hardest goodbye since 1997.
