transposable element

a couple of weeks ago, we were filling up forms for our singapore residency-related applications and i was stuck at one question. i skipped it, completed the rest of the form, and went back to that one last unanswered item: race.

huh? nationality, i can understand. or citizenship. but race? what is race? i can’t imagine that people still see that as important in this day and age! so important that they ask for this info on official forms! why the heck would the color of your skin or the slant of your eyes matter?!?

in parenthesis, they gave clues:

(e.g. Chinese, Malay, Indian, Caucasian, etc)

ah, at least hubby’s is clear, although it can be a matter of debate. some germs would probably say germans are a race of their own, and probably still a few would prefer to be called aryans. ah, well, for our intents and purposes, “caucasian” it is.

now me. er, so to what race does a filipino belong to? i refuse to believe this classification, which is largely based on the language spoken. it may be used to classify the major ethnic groups in the country, but race is something different, right? in our philippine history classes, we were told that we are descendants of malays, with a spinkling of chinese, spanish, american, japanese, and just about everything else, i think. so what race does that make me? uhm… “etc“?

and what do you call jan? half-caucasian, half-… er… mongrel?

which of these two versions do you prefer?

by black eyed peas:

by alanis:

one is meant to be danced to, the other to be listened to. can’t decide which one i like more.

relocation lesson number 1: do not sell your bookshelves until you’ve figured out what you want to do with your books.

ok, so i’ve sold most of our bookshelves in preparation for our move. now i don’t know what to do with the books that used to sit in them. i’ve temporarily put them in shipping boxes, but looking at how many boxes we’ve already filled with just books alone, i think we should re-think shipping these. otherwise, our shipping container would already be full, and man can’t live on books alone, eh?

time to get mean.

there are perhaps a few books i’d like to keep and would never part with, but i don’t feel the same connection with most of the books on my shelf (hubby is a different species, though; he’d ship 20 year old magazines halfway round the world, if possible). they were good reads, entertaining, but that’s it. they were good until i’ve turned the last page. but i most likely won’t read them again, ever.

which means, really, i just can’t justify paying for shipment of these books. so i was wondering, would anyone be interested in a book exchange?

i am going to put up a list, and if there’s something that fits your fancy, raise your hand… or leave a comment, or send me an email, and i’ll mail the book(s) to you. but here’s the catch: you have to send me one in exchange. i don’t care if it’s used, even dilapidated, as long as the pages are complete, and i haven’t read it yet. and, you have to mail it to the address of our next home.

think about it. you get a new book (or at least they look like they’re almost new) for the price of mailing a book to singapore, plus you get rid of that book you no longer want to keep (but you have to tell me what you’re sending, in case i’ve already read it).

of course, if nobody’s interested, i can always drop them at the library. their english section could definitely use some addition.

on to the next item on this year’s agenda: we’ve got roughly two months to get our act together before we leave germ’s land and set up shop on that little country at the tip of the malay peninsula.

we’ve notified our landlord, and we’re starting to cancel contracts on our utilities– phone, cellphones, internet, cable tv, water/electricity/heating, insurances, ADAC, etc. we’ve sold some of our stuff, and will post ads shortly for the rest. we’re not planning to ship much apart from our personal effects and jan’s toys, so we’d really like to get rid of as much as possible– from the car down to candle holders. we figured it doesn’t make sense to pay for the shipping of our ikea-type furniture; the shipping probably cost as much as, if not more than, the items themselves. we’re now just waiting for quotes from shipping services, and from there, we’d be able to decide just how brutal this year’s spring cleaning will have to be.

the only remaining issue are the antique hand-me-downs from hubby’s grandma, acquired prior to the first world war. much as i would like to keep these beautiful pieces for sentimental reasons, we simply can’t afford to have them shipped. not when we have all the other relocation-related expenses to take care of as well. either we pay for storage and have them shipped at a later date, or we sell them now. the challenge is to find an honest antique dealer who will give us a fair price for them, and this in the next two months.

it’s funny how these all make me feel, though: to leave the comfort and security of germany to start a new chapter of our lives elsewhere. after all, relocation is not just about changing your location. it’s about changing your life.

when i arrived, my hubby saw the “heavy” tag on my suitcase and asked why the heck i have 34 kg on my way back from the philippines.

“uh… clothes… and, er… some stuff…”

here’s what i meant with “stuff”:

pastillas de leche- a creamy confection made from carabao’s milk, sevilla’s are simply the best around.

turones de kasuy- cashew nougat wrapped in crispy white rice paper. these are from sevilla’s, too, but i prefer the ones from sta rita pampanga i got last december.

polvoron- this time also from sevilla’s, but i normally get the unflavored ones from goldilocks. they’re bigger, milkier and holds well, even in cooler and drier environments like here in germany.

haw flakes- they used to come in small packages, wrapped in thin red paper. my trip to manila or in any of the malls won’t be complete without a stop at aji ichiban, where i can get this sweet-sour hawthorn disks

boy bawang- a recepient of superbrand awards, this corn snack is just as great as those we used to get from ilocos. it comes in several variants but my favorite is the classic gaaaahrlic flavor

dried mangoes- a classic, a must-have, not just for balikbayans but also for tourists visiting the philippines. if you’ve ever tasted a fresh, succulent philippine mango, this is the next best way to relive the experience when you’re out of the country.

choc nut- living in a region surrounded by the best chocolatiers in the world, and yet nothing beats that which you grew up with. it’s not the chocolate, it’s the nostalgia i’m clinging on to.

tanduay rhum 15 yrs- my staple pasalubong to my father-in-law the last few times i went to the philippines. also a recepient of the superbrands award, this rhum is said to be up to par with the best in the world.

not in photo:

cafe amadeo- made from pure excelsa coffee beans, one of the more popular brands of what is locally known as kapeng barako

kalinga gold- a stronger but less sour coffee grown on the mountains of north luzon (available at tiendesitas)

calamansi juice concentrate- no other citrus can approximate the tangy sweet sourness of the philippine lemon. this juice concentrate is a far cry from the real thing, but, well, good enough for craving expats.

and that’s just the food…

am just getting back into the rhythm of life back here in germany after a month’s stay in the philippines. on one hand, there’s not much to tell. except for a few trips to a resort a stone’s throw away from our place, jan and i haven’t been anywhere. we had none of those visits to the mall, no beaches, no sightseeing tours which were always part of our itinerary whenever we headed home. nevertheless, these past four weeks have been most poignant.

he said he was ready. he said he wanted to go. he prepared us for it and willed us to accept it long before the fact. he told us his last wishes and when everything was settled, he left. on march 27, my father passed on. with dignity, with grace, and strong spirit.

sadness? naturally. loss? a great one, and to many. grief? no.

to be continued…