Since this is a Magazine for Pinoy/-ay living and working abroad, you may wonder how a Belgian tourist ended up writing her travel experiences down.

It all started with a talk, followed by dinner, with the editors of Munting Nayon News Magazine. Location of this encounter: the beautiful Island of Boracay. As a freelance journalist traveling through Asia and China with her husband for 6 months, Boracay wasn’t the first exotic Island we’ve seen. But it was definitely one of the most gorgeous beaches we’ve laid our eyes on so far.

Close to the white sand and waving palm trees, we stayed in cozy hotel, with- what a joy for backpackers like us- aircon and a ‘normal’ sized toilet! We were the only guests who were non-members of the Family Flores & co. Every evening we saw them eating and drinking around a large table. One day Eddy Flores invited us to join the family dinner. I’ve got hit in the face by a lady who tried to scare a mosquito away, but apart from that, it was a very joyful experience. :-)

If there is one thing that we will always remember from our one month stay in the Philippines, it is the laughter of the people we’ve met along the road. We couldn’t take a boat or bus without answering the questions of a sociable local. There was always someone who was eager to show us around or, as happened in Boracay, invite us to a dinner party.

This is how we discovered the taste of a great Philippine Stew. Or the fresh delight of Kinilaw.

We also learned to survive on the, sometimes surprisingly good taste, of instant noodles in a bowl. Traveling with local transport, which always took longer than expected, these noodles kept our spirits high!

The other passengers stayed wonderfully calm, even without noodles, when bus tires went down or boats left hours too late. It is a strength we Europeans might learn from: not too worry, everything will be allright.

But many Asian people are also masters in hiding their worries behind an eternal smile.

As a journalist I’ve got the opportunity to not only visit touristic places like Boracay or Bohol. In Manila we visited the House with no Steps, a home for disabled people founded by Belgian Sisters. Down south, midst the poorness of Leyte, I was shocked by the lifestories of the young inhabitants in a home for (sexually) abused children.

It was also the contrast between rich and poor that touched our hearts. In Manila for example we stayed in a guarded neighbourhood or Village while, only a few miles away, people are begging on the streets or need financial help from foreigners to pay off a wheelechair.

This made us wonder. How do these people find the strength to smile at all? We couldn’t find the answer, but they do: smilingly practicing their English, interested in another world, another life.

It is in the smile of these people, and the ones giving them a helping hand, that we discovered the true Richness of the Philippines. We hope that more people do.


Need information about the social projects mentioned above? Surf the web:

http://kinderhilfe.zdf.de,
www.tahanangwalanghagdanan.org.

 

 

 

Munting Nayon News Magazine