I am on vacation! ^^

Though the main reason for my leaving Korea is to get a second medical opinion, my husband and I decided to extend my stay in the Philippines for a few more days, so I can spend more time with my family.

Good thing we were able to purchase inexpensive tickets from Philippine Airlines a week before Chuseok vacation. It’s usually hard to get a cheaper plane ticket when it’s Chuseok holiday.

Some months ago, I bought promo tickets from Cebu Pacific. My plan was to spend Christmas and New Year with my family, and if hubby can get a break from work, he’ll follow me here. Unfortunately, I have to stay in Korea this December for my treatment. I tried to rebook my tickets, but with the amount of the rebooking fee and fare difference, it would be wiser to purchase new tickets at a regular fee.

Promo tickets help you cut travel costs. I love promo flights… one thing airlines in Korea don’t offer… but let me tell you this, if you are going to purchase a promo ticket, make sure that you will be able to use it on the very day you  booked it for. Rebooking would cost you more. Promo flights are non-transferable and non-refundable… unless you are suffering from a serious illness and you can’t travel  overseas. I’ll see if I can store my promo tickets in the travel fund, so I can still use them next year.

It’s a great solace to be with family at the lowest point in your life.

Every day, I am awakened by the babbling of my niece who sleeps in the other room with Mom, delighted by the excitement in my three-year-old nephew’s voice as he tells me about school, pampered by my Mom who cooks the most delicious food and strengthened by the faith my family shows in prayer.

My vacation this year is just like any ordinary day I used to spend at home or outside, having dinner and shopping with the family… but it is one of the vacations I am most grateful for, knowing that God brought me here to make me realize that I am loved and supported by everyone in the family.

My husband returned to Korea last week, and we haven’t seen each other for a couple of days now… the longest we have been apart since we got married. I miss him and long to be with him soon, but we call each other few times a day, which we never did when we were boyfriend-girlfriend, and when we talk on the phone, it’s funny that most of our conversations turn out to be mushy expressions of love rather than serious talks about my visits to the doctor. We talk about the visits, of course, but we talk about them in a less burdensome way. In marriage, you learn how to deal with life’s challenges by not forcing yourselves to deal with them until you are ready and you have possible solutions in mind. My husband is one of the most understanding and open-minded people I know, and he has greatly influenced me on making choices in life.  

 

I haven’t been out of town since I arrived in Angeles. Hubby and I used to go to Subic or Pangasinan with the family every time we come to the Philippines, but this year, I probably won’t have enough time to go out-of-town with them. Hubby suggested Poracay, a newly constructed resort near our area. We have been there once with my sister and her husband. The place isn’t bad. This time, they have more pools and a 500-meter zipline ride which I am excited to try.

Life in Korea is “more work and less play”. Life in the Philippines is the opposite. Though Filipinos work hard, too, we always find ways to unwind after a long day’s work and more than one reason to smile despite life’s unpleasantness. I have learned to love my life in Korea… but every now and then, I long to be back in my country.  

Life in the Philippines can be tougher than life in Korea. The weather here is terrible… that’s what most foreigners, who got used to experiencing four seasons, seem to say. One thing my husband doesn’t like about the Philippines is there’s too much “waiting” and so much time is wasted. In his country, it’s “pali-pali” all the time and most services are orderly. I have to admit, it’s quite different in my country. Sometimes, the waiting drives me crazy, too… but things are changing lately, I’ve noticed. Change, however, can’t be done overnight. We still have a lot to do to prove to the world how much the quality of life, government service, economy and everything else in the Philippines have improved, but hey, we are improving… that’s a wonderful thing! ^^

My husband and I could have chosen another country to spend our honeymoon or this year’s vacation, but we keep coming back to the Philippines. Family is the first reason, friends, as well… but something else keeps us coming back. The street food? The bars? Nightlife? The amiability of Filipinos? These are just some of the many reasons.

Related articles

• What I Miss in Pinas (chrissantosra.wordpress.com)
• Filipino Hospitality and Korean Thoughtfulness (chrissantosra.wordpress.com)
• Things I Do in Korea that I Never Did in Pinas (chrissantosra.wordpress.com)

Filed under: Family Back Home, Filipinos in Korea, Perspectives, Pinas, Pinoy Tagged: Asia, cebu pacific, Christmas, Chuseok, Filipino, Filipino people, Korea, Philippine, philippine airlines