The art of coming back…again and again.
I really do not know what BACK means to me. Sad, but I do not know. Is it Argentina, is it Canada, is it Singapore, is it myself? I have been doing this “coming back” thing for a while now and I do not know what to expect this time.
My month in Argentina was great, I will not bore you, my dearest audience with sappy comments and long stories. I’d rather share some daily stories and drop some questions for self reflection: Family, friends, acquaintances, work, relationships, shopping, cultural interaction & miscellaneous will be the categories. I am sure you have experienced some of them and I expect you find them interesting and inspire you to also share your views. Today I will start with FAMILY: immediate family.
Family comes first
Thanks to my upbringing I have always been VERY independent. TOO independent for some people’s taste. (And I care… why?) From leaving home for swimming competitions at the age of 6, to Boy Scout camping tips, to traveling alone visiting relatives, etc. When I embarked myself into this Singapore chapter of my life I did not know I was gonna spend 2 ½ years overseas without seeing my family. And one wonders “so what?”
Now, I tell you WHAT. In this trip I did many extremely nice things: I visited my long life friends; I witnessed one of the most spectacular landscapes on Earth (Iguazu Waterfalls); I shopped till I dropped (and you all can imagine how nice that is for me); I shared love and friendship with a very special person to me; I saw my best friend becoming a dad for the second time; I saw two friends getting married; I saw other friends moving into a new wonderful home and building up their family even more, etc. Yet, the simple fact of seeing my sister and dad again was the highlight of this whole trip.
I had almost forgotten what it felt like being “the kid of the house”. I have not lived with them since I am 18. It’s been 14 years so far. However, the “kid of the house” feeling was back. Oh boy, was it ever back!. And it felt nice, very nice. Strangely enough, I do not consciously miss people. I don’t. It might be a self defense mechanism of a nomad dude like me so as not to suffer with each departure. Nevertheless, this time, this mechanism is sort of failing on me. I feel odd about this specific departure. Time will tell what it means. So far I can say one thing; I believe this whole royal family treatment is a sweet and deadly poison for nomad people like many of us. And it is alluring, and it is intoxicating, and you buy into it even though you clearly know it will end within days. But, like the singing of the mermaids to the pirates, it is something you cannot avoid falling for.
Dad and sister
And you see your little sister (because that is what she will always be for me, ok?) becoming a gorgeous young lady, resembling our mom as she has ever resembled her; moving onto work projects and life projects; talking with a maturity I still wonder where it comes from; loving, and caring, and smiling. Oh my… I could talk for hours about her. I will simply say I am very proud of her. (Portate bien!)
And you see your dad, working hard, keeping this ever lasting smile in his face, contagious and sparkling as usual, spreading joy all around. Reading the paper, smoking a cigarette (although I am not too happy about it) or simply taking a nap. Much more expressive and truly happy of having his two kids with him for the longest time… just for him, again. It felt nice!
And then he puts on his ASADO HAT and prepares a BBQ for us, still smiling; anticipating how it is going to be sitting at the table with us again, together, like in the good old times. And it is the best BBQ you could ever have, because it tastes like FAMILY. It tastes like LOVE. Pure love...
Gracias Papa y Cecilia por los dias que pasamos juntos. Los quiero mucho!
(more to come)
My month in Argentina was great, I will not bore you, my dearest audience with sappy comments and long stories. I’d rather share some daily stories and drop some questions for self reflection: Family, friends, acquaintances, work, relationships, shopping, cultural interaction & miscellaneous will be the categories. I am sure you have experienced some of them and I expect you find them interesting and inspire you to also share your views. Today I will start with FAMILY: immediate family.
Family comes first
Thanks to my upbringing I have always been VERY independent. TOO independent for some people’s taste. (And I care… why?) From leaving home for swimming competitions at the age of 6, to Boy Scout camping tips, to traveling alone visiting relatives, etc. When I embarked myself into this Singapore chapter of my life I did not know I was gonna spend 2 ½ years overseas without seeing my family. And one wonders “so what?”
Now, I tell you WHAT. In this trip I did many extremely nice things: I visited my long life friends; I witnessed one of the most spectacular landscapes on Earth (Iguazu Waterfalls); I shopped till I dropped (and you all can imagine how nice that is for me); I shared love and friendship with a very special person to me; I saw my best friend becoming a dad for the second time; I saw two friends getting married; I saw other friends moving into a new wonderful home and building up their family even more, etc. Yet, the simple fact of seeing my sister and dad again was the highlight of this whole trip.
I had almost forgotten what it felt like being “the kid of the house”. I have not lived with them since I am 18. It’s been 14 years so far. However, the “kid of the house” feeling was back. Oh boy, was it ever back!. And it felt nice, very nice. Strangely enough, I do not consciously miss people. I don’t. It might be a self defense mechanism of a nomad dude like me so as not to suffer with each departure. Nevertheless, this time, this mechanism is sort of failing on me. I feel odd about this specific departure. Time will tell what it means. So far I can say one thing; I believe this whole royal family treatment is a sweet and deadly poison for nomad people like many of us. And it is alluring, and it is intoxicating, and you buy into it even though you clearly know it will end within days. But, like the singing of the mermaids to the pirates, it is something you cannot avoid falling for.
Dad and sister
And you see your little sister (because that is what she will always be for me, ok?) becoming a gorgeous young lady, resembling our mom as she has ever resembled her; moving onto work projects and life projects; talking with a maturity I still wonder where it comes from; loving, and caring, and smiling. Oh my… I could talk for hours about her. I will simply say I am very proud of her. (Portate bien!)
And you see your dad, working hard, keeping this ever lasting smile in his face, contagious and sparkling as usual, spreading joy all around. Reading the paper, smoking a cigarette (although I am not too happy about it) or simply taking a nap. Much more expressive and truly happy of having his two kids with him for the longest time… just for him, again. It felt nice!
And then he puts on his ASADO HAT and prepares a BBQ for us, still smiling; anticipating how it is going to be sitting at the table with us again, together, like in the good old times. And it is the best BBQ you could ever have, because it tastes like FAMILY. It tastes like LOVE. Pure love...
Gracias Papa y Cecilia por los dias que pasamos juntos. Los quiero mucho!
(more to come)
posted by iGnacio at
Friday, November 03, 2006
2 Comments:
:)
PS: Your sister is a hottie.
By
Devrim, at November 03, 2006 4:27 PM
Your pictures shine with warmth, love and care. Maybe also because I have heard the first dose of your heart-warming stories from home in person and when I see the photos of your Dad and Sis it reminds me to way more than what I can see on your blog.
I am sure you will not do again such silly thing as staying away for 2 1/2 years from your loved ones and that you will more often enjoy the stunning feel of family! :-)
By
eGitti, at November 03, 2006 4:40 PM
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