itlog. eklok. pitit.

While I was at IGA last Saturday, my brother, Earl, video-called me on messenger. I still picked up even though I was in public because (1) I don’t care what others think, I will always answer a call from my family and (2) they don’t often call me.  I announced that I was outside getting groceries. Without missing a beat, my perfect niece asked, “Why not Tito Ash?”  In the Philippines, they only give one person from each household to have a “quarantine pass.” The pass holder will be in charge of all tasks and chores that require going outside. At home, my brother is the chosen one so he takes care of groceries, among other things. I found it fascinating that she drew that parallelism so quickly. “At home, my dad gets the groceries, so in your home, the dad should also be getting the groceries.” It also shows how kids need consistency to help them understand the world that grows every single day in their eyes.

It was two days after my husband’s birthday that we received the news from the migration agent but it was actually granted on my husband’s birthday. How divine is it that my permanent residency in Australia was granted exactly 40 years from the day my husband was born? I mean, I know that a miracle can be found in every other corner if we only pay attention to the flowers blooming and the sun rising, but I suppose there’s no better way to say what I want to say rather than to steal this line from The A-Team: “I love it when a plan comes together.” It’s so comforting that despite how crazy and difficult this year had been, there are little reminders that there is a plan, bigger than man is capable of conceptualising, and beyond the reach of human intervention. On this label, I would like to talk about my thoughts about the process of moving to Australia, the differences between the country where I grew up and this one, and the perks, as well as the challenges, of being an immigrant....