The other two universities I applied to were MIT and University of Michigan. I knew I would not get into the former but still applied 'cuz I could. I did not get in but got accepted at the latter but with no assistantship. So the decision was easy to make, Iowa State it would be where not only I was accepted but got an assistantship. It turned out to be an excellent choice. At that time in the seventies it was one of the top ten graduate schools in chemistry.
I had two months in between finishing at George Washington University and starting at Iowa State so I decided to go home to the Philippines. It has been two and half years since I left home and I wanted to see my family and for a much needed rest.
My friend, Dawn, my office mate at GWU, and her husband, Al, gave me a farewell party at their house before I left. I particularly love the gift my other classmates gave me. It was a GWU mug with candies from the stash that one of the students, Mitchell, whose dad distributed them, provided us in the basement where we did research. It was in a drawer in one of the desks and we were free to get as many as we wanted and I was one of the enthusiastic ones who loved to make trips during the day and gobble one or two or even more. In fact they accused me once of eating them all when their number went to zero. It turned out it was Paul who was stressed out over his grad school application who relaxed by gobbling the candies. They thought it was an appropriate remembrance of what it all was at the research lab including this incident.
A day before I left for the Philippines, I filled a big box with stuff including of all things large posters made by the two kids of our hosts we stayed with in Philadelphia along with the ones I bought at thr National Gallery of Art from Washington DC. I do not know why but I was equally proud of them. I also packed the dolls I bought during my European tour as gifts for my mother, including a couple from Spain which graced my make shift bookcase the whole time I was in my studio apartment. I also made sure I bought a baby doll for my godchild, Jona, as pasalubong or gift. I had a hectic last months finishing my thesis I had no time to shop for gifts to take home. I did make sure I had bags of chocolate candies for everyone. A must for all Filipinos in their list of gifts to take home.
The day I was to leave, I emptied my apartment by giving away my bed and desk, my precious two belongings the past two years to a grateful friend, Merle, who lived in the same building. I gave one last look at my huge refrigerator and that red bath tub before I left for the airport.
When I arrived at the Manila airport, I saw my mother among the crowd who were there to welcome their loved ones. She was in a duster and was looking anxiously for me. When she saw me she was almost in tears exclaiming, "There is my daughter". I saw in her face relief and with those words the realization she really missed me.
I actually slept with my parents in their bed for the first few days. That privilege had been reserved for my two youngest sibling, Chot and Menchie, when they were growing up. And now it was mine as a twenty something girl. My father and mother really missed me and suggested this. After all I was the first one to leave the country for so long among my siblings. I am pretty sure they were full of worries the whole time and perhaps being with them assure them everything was good. I was back.
My days were filled with playing with my niece and nephew, children of my sister Bebeng and her husband Jun. I also took them all over town with my sister, Menchie, who I did not recognize with her short hair do and weight loss and her boyfriend, Bubut, now her husband.
That May, we had the traditional Santacruzan, a procession which is both religious and a pageant featuring ladies in beautiful gowns. I remember being in the procession following my nephew, Ditos, as he escorted one of the sagalas or queens featured in their beautiful gowns when one of ladies behind me said she was excited to finally meet me. She told me my mother often mentioned me and how she was very proud of me. It was nice to know this since my mother and father never directly said anything to me how they felt.
I got to attend a picnic on a boat with my office mates from PAEC. One of them, Janet, made it a point I went. At that time before I saw her she warned me on the phone that she looked different but did not elaborate on it. When I saw her I noticed her hair being thinner and her moon face due to the medicine she was taking. Sad to say she had lupus and would die a few years later.
I also had a reunion with high school classmates at our Bahay Kubo or nipa hat at the back of the house. Judging from the pictures of those who were able to attend, none of us had
gained weight after almost ten years after high school. Of course that would change in the future reunions especially in my case. I also met with Lily, one of my friends in Washington DC, and went shopping with her for gifts to take home with us back to the United States.
Life was sweet those two months. I felt refreshed with all the rest I had and the time to savor the love of my parents, family and friends. I would need the physical and spiritual strengths I gathered from this break as I embark on a new chapter of my life, the challenging grad school in Ames Iowa.
Note: This is Part 8 of the series From Longaniza to Hot Dog which recounts my immigration to the United States from the Philippines. You might want to read the following:
From Longaniza to Hot Dog Part 1 Brooklyn and Sao Paolo From Longaniza to Hot Dog Part 2 Muito Obrigada and Baden Baden
From Longaniza to Hot Dog Part 3 Life Changing Question
From Longaniza to Hot Dog Part 4 Second Thoughts
From Longaniza to Hot Dog Part 5 Places I Lived At In Washington DC
From Longaniza to Hot Dog Part 6 People and Places
From Longaniza to Hot Dog Part 7 At the Crossroad
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