Charmed
Life
Gretheline
Genciana Ramos-Bolandrina
Journeys
"Even with the best of maps
and instruments, we can never fully chart our journeys."—Gail Pool
With all my published writings for Fil-Am
concerts and events, nursing journals as well as those posted on line,
(carouselpinoy and mypinoyworld), a publication from the Blackstone River
Valley, JOURNEYS,
headed by Ellen Onorato invited me to contribute. The BlackstoneDaily.com
and its sister publication has quite a large following with well over 250,000
hits per month online and a press run/distribution of 30,000. It is distributed
form Worcester, Westboro to Providence (in about 35 communities). The print
edition comes out six times annually. “Journeys” is a highly regarded
specialty publication focusing on community stories, heritage, history, arts,
recreation and events. Distributed via direct mail, paid subscriptions and
at over 450+ public sites from Corridor Nine throughout the Valley and
destination gateway sites. This includes, Douglas, Massachusetts among the
11 surrounding towns in the Blackstone Valley. Herewith is what came to be
my maiden contribution, maximum of 700 words detailing where I come from,
how I arrived here, what difference I liked, what I miss, a printed on Jouneys.
I come from the “Pearl of the Orient,”
Philippines, an archipelago of more than 7,000 islands. A beautiful tropical
country boasting of breathtaking landscapes, majestic volcanoes, powder fine
white sand beaches and crystal clear waters. A country whose people had an
advanced script (Baybayin) dating as far back as the year 900 C.E. But more
than all these, a country with warm people and old-fashioned hospitality.
I was born in the province of Isabela, located in the Cagayan Valley region
in Luzon. It is primarily an agricultural province (known as the rice granary
of the Philippines, the second largest in the country). I have very fond
memories at my grandparents’ farm, climbing trees and picking fresh
fruits (guavas, chico, tamarind) off them. Our family, a brood of seven settled
in Quezon City. And this is what I came to call our home. Adjoining Manila,
it is chiefly residential save for some textile industry. Thus, my siblings
and I grew up in spacious parks, tree-lined boulevards, and lots of commercial
areas yet we get to enjoy summers in Isabela.
My journey to America started long before
I physically set foot in the country. With children’s books not easily
accessible, I read my Dad’s TIME magazine and Reader’s Digest as
well as my Mom’s MOD magazine (similar to LHJ) regularly in grade school.
In those printed pages, I’ve taken a glimpse of life in the Unites States.
With our first Sony portable 13” black and white TV set, to our upgraded
bigger and colored TV in the late 70s, I’ve seen some reel and real
happenings in the 50 states. Coming to America was not something I dreamt
of. I knew of Laura Ingalls Wilder, Helen Keller, JFK, Lynda Carter, and
the Six Million Dollar Man. I had a preconceived notion of the Smiths and
the Joneses. Apple pie, equality, snow, Independence, New York, Harvard,
autumn, freedom of speech and Boston, these were key words in our household.
I wanted to be a journalist, but the Filipino
culture dictated that a dutiful daughter abide by her parents’ wishes.
“Be a nurse so you can go to America” my father declared and my
future’s been mapped out for me. I completed my Bachelor of Science
degree in Nursing, worked for a year in Manila and chose to go to New England.
On a chilly morning in March 1989, eleven other Filipino nurses arrived in
Boston along with me. I was 22 years old, excited and eager to begin a great
adventure. I immediately loved my “new home”. The apartment I stayed
at was only a T ride to downtown Boston. Along the green line, between BU
and BC, I rubbed elbows with a diverse student population. I worked well
with other healthcare providers from different ethnic backgrounds. My first
Thanksgiving Day was also the same day I first experienced snowfall. Fun,
cold, beautiful and what? We have to shovel the walkway? Calendar photos
of winter wonderland did not hint that such beauty involved so much work.
I discovered that I liked cranberry juice. I met Joseph Bolandrina, December
that year at the Wang Center, on a date with my girlfriends to watch the
Nutcracker Suite. There were no typical Smiths or Joneses in my circle. Learning
to make dishes from ingredients available at Chinatown quickly solved missing
Filipino cuisine. Words are insufficient to describe the explosion of fall
colors. My long distance phone bill challenged what I would have paid for
monthly rent had free housing not been one of my job benefits. I survived
skating at the Garden! One can pick what the heart desires, strawberries,
pumpkins, and apples, even cut your own Christmas tree.
Seemed just like yesterday but seventeen years
have quickly flown by. I live a charmed life with a loving husband and two
plus two children. We have a comfortable home close to nature, a pond in
the backyard, some horse farms nearby and a blueberry farm. We attend cultural
events and adhere to environmentally friendly way of life (we compost, we
recycle.) We are creating memorable experiences in what our family of six
now calls home in the Blackstone River Valley.
Feel free to e-mail me reactions, comments
and or suggestions for ideas to ponder. Contact me at
Gretheline@aol.com or through Carousel
Productions. |
