Burbank, California

Daras' POV

I live on the 5th floor apartment near our university and live with Minzy, she's a Korean whose beliefs and attitudes are similar to mine - Filipina, and  whom I met during my senior year in UCLA. I was busy packing when she entered her room. She's a petite young lady just like me I think that's why we click. My room is a complete mess with books and clothes all over the floor and my bed is a mountain of clothes waiting to be sorted out. With only a week to go I am in a lot of pressure to finish packing my things, I am finally going on vacation to my home country.

Ahhh I am going home....finally after several years.I left the country at the end of my elementary years and so many things must have changed.

Whenever I think about home there is a mixture of anxiety and excitement. While I do miss it I would want to forget about some portion of my history there. But I have to go home cause I miss the house, the people and the simplicity of life in my home country the Philippines. I know I deserve a break.

"Unnie what happened to my obsessive compulsive room mate? Your room used to be an epitome of cleanliness and look at it now, wow messy is an understatement if you ask me." she stood at my door and placed her hand on her hips.

"Hey instead of complaining about it why don't you help me out, come on! Go! Go! Go!" I asked her to come in.

"I will if you promise to tour me in the Philippines on my next sem break..."

"Call!" I replied, she's been asking me that eversince we became friends. We used to spend nights sitting on the sofa with me talking non-stop about how nice it is to live in  my country.  I also listen to her when she talks about Korea and we have so much fun comparing notes about our countries. She made me realize that countries are but boundaries that limit people to meet but deep inside poeple especially women have the same fears, happiness and sorrows - feelings are universal. I will miss eating kimchi and ramyon with her and I am sure she will miss my "sinigang, sisig and sinangag"(beef stew seasoned with tamarind, sisig is a Filipino dish made from parts of pig's head and liver, usually seasoned with calamansi and chili peppers and our garlic flavored fried rice). I will miss our drinking session together - a mixture of San Miguel beer and soju...hahahaha the taste is funny but it makes us deliriously happy and giddy. It will take me several months to come back so we wil