HONGKONG: HOME AWAY FROM HOME

By krizen

Moving from your home country to another is probably one of the most heart breaking scenes a person has to experience in his or her life. It is exciting and fulfilling in a way, but the idea of living your life far and separate from your loved ones is a totally different experience.

I live in the small province of Ilocos Norte in Philippines, along with my husband and our four children, who are all studying in elementary school. Two of them are twins; both were born with Cerebral Palsy, a group of disorders caused by either abnormal development or damage to the parts of the brain that control movement, balance, and posture.

Leaving my family, especially my intellectually disabled daughters, has been one of the most challenging decisions I have ever encountered. As a mother, it was never easy to consider migrating and working abroad. It took me a long period of time, coupled with financial, mental, and emotional preparations before I finally decided to pursue my plan and left for greener pasture, with the hope that I could be able to provide the needs of my growing children, and generally to improve the quality of our life.

Since then, Hong Kong has been my home as a migrant worker. At first, it wasn’t a piece of cake especially that I needed to undergo cultural adaptation since I was unaware of the local laws, customs, beliefs, and languages in this region. Moreover, as a domestic helper, I needed to take care of other family instead of my own family; I feed and cook for other children instead of doing it to my own kids; I keep other’s house clean and presentable when I am supposedly doing it to our own house. Most of the times, I think about my family which often leads me to experiencing isolation, separation anxiety, homesickness, and other emotional and mental distress. I have to handle my emotions, fight with my battles, face struggles, and live my life alone — all alone.

Despite everything I have felt and experienced, Hong Kong has been a very welcoming place to me. As time passed by, I have gradually learned to enjoy everything this place has to offer – its culture, its food, its people. I believe that the closest way I could ever experience my home country is to embrace the place where I currently live in, including its way of life. Here in Hong Kong, the concept of ‘family solidarity,’ similar to the value of being family-oriented of the Filipinos, is given heavy importance. From the huge number of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and other groups of Filipino communities here, I have found new friends whom I also recognize my family; I consider them essential in coping with longing for my loved ones. With all of these, I know that somehow, the feeling of loneliness and emptiness will be lessened.

Indeed, the life of a migrant worker is undeniably complicated and sacrificial. But no matter where life may bring us, we can always find a piece of our home; no matter where you live in this world, there is a special home for you. As other people say, “Home is everywhere.” I may be over 1,300 miles away from my own family, I am certain that after all, there is a home away from home.