Twenty years ago, my family decided to travel across the world to start a new chapter in their lives. Moving from the Philippines to Canada, two completely different countries, was a life-changing experience, however, it was not an easy task. Moving from one country to another was a long and lengthy process, and making the transition from a culture that they’re so used to, to a brand new one, was another. But, they kept in mind, that in the end, it would be all worth it. They always remembered the one reason why they decided to move here; and that was to have a better future.
At the time, it was just my mom; Zenaida, dad; Alexander; and my two older brothers; Alex and Merlou. Four years later, on a crisp, cold, late September morning, I was born.
…show more content…
My brothers, who were sixteen and eighteen at the time, weren’t too excited; as they knew that they would have to carry on the ‘big brother duties’ and take care of me. On the other hand, my parents were beyond excited to have their first girl, especially after having two boys. It wasn’t long until I was the youngest and only girl in the family, when my little sister was born three years after. I don’t exactly remember how I felt, but I don’t think I was too happy about that! With my family being from the Philippines, I grew up with Filipino culture, despite being born in Canada. We have always been very family-oriented, whether it be at family gatherings, celebrating holidays, or even just being at home. Ever since I was young, both my parents and my brothers often shared their experiences growing up in the Philippines, and how different it was. It was almost hard to picture, especially as a child; and I couldn’t ever imagine experiencing what they went through. Recently, I finally got to visit the Philippines, and meet all my grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins, after sixteen years. Though it was more of a ‘family visiting’ trip, I got to experience what living in the Philippines was like, and it was definitely an eye-opening experience. Most of the things that we take for granted, such as shelter, food, and clothing, are luxuries to them. Education for children wasn’t the greatest, unless you had money and could afford private school. Seeing all this in person, made me realize how fortunate I am to be living in Canada. Everyone constantly finds this hard to believe whenever I tell them this, but between my brothers and sister, I was the only child that gave my parents nightmares and headaches; not necessarily in the best way. I was extremely rebellious and wild, and someone always had to keep an eye on me. Sometimes, I find this hard to believe myself but, I remember how much of a handful I was. I started learning how to walk and crawl at a much younger age than the average toddler. When I began walking consistently, my parents knew that they were in for trouble. I learned how to climb and hang off window ledges, did somersaults all around the house, and even did flips on the couches. Surprisingly, I didn’t hurt myself, but my mom decided to put me in dance, gymnastics, and cheerleading, at the shy age of two, before I ended up hurting myself. I loved learning new skills, performing in front of huge crowds, and winning competitions, but
My brothers, who were sixteen and eighteen at the time, weren’t too excited; as they knew that they would have to carry on the ‘big brother duties’ and take care of me. On the other hand, my parents were beyond excited to have their first girl, especially after having two boys. It wasn’t long until I was the youngest and only girl in the family, when my little sister was born three years after. I don’t exactly remember how I felt, but I don’t think I was too happy about that! With my family being from the Philippines, I grew up with Filipino culture, despite being born in Canada. We have always been very family-oriented, whether it be at family gatherings, celebrating holidays, or even just being at home. Ever since I was young, both my parents and my brothers often shared their experiences growing up in the Philippines, and how different it was. It was almost hard to picture, especially as a child; and I couldn’t ever imagine experiencing what they went through. Recently, I finally got to visit the Philippines, and meet all my grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins, after sixteen years. Though it was more of a ‘family visiting’ trip, I got to experience what living in the Philippines was like, and it was definitely an eye-opening experience. Most of the things that we take for granted, such as shelter, food, and clothing, are luxuries to them. Education for children wasn’t the greatest, unless you had money and could afford private school. Seeing all this in person, made me realize how fortunate I am to be living in Canada. Everyone constantly finds this hard to believe whenever I tell them this, but between my brothers and sister, I was the only child that gave my parents nightmares and headaches; not necessarily in the best way. I was extremely rebellious and wild, and someone always had to keep an eye on me. Sometimes, I find this hard to believe myself but, I remember how much of a handful I was. I started learning how to walk and crawl at a much younger age than the average toddler. When I began walking consistently, my parents knew that they were in for trouble. I learned how to climb and hang off window ledges, did somersaults all around the house, and even did flips on the couches. Surprisingly, I didn’t hurt myself, but my mom decided to put me in dance, gymnastics, and cheerleading, at the shy age of two, before I ended up hurting myself. I loved learning new skills, performing in front of huge crowds, and winning competitions, but