9 Days in LA

Spending time in Los Angeles, particularly in the southern end in the county of Menifee and Temecula, away from the bustle of the city is a great treat. Upon arrival, a Christmas party near Pasadena with relatives exchanging gifts, playing games, catching up and horsing around is always a good start for the trip. Talking with older relatives about times past in San Juan brought back days or my youth and memories of dear relatives long gone.   

Afterwards, back to Menifee with parties with brothers, sisters, cousins, nieces, friends, sons and daughters not seen for some time except in these rare get together with people flying in from Asia or nearby places like Nevada. Ample food like ‘menudo’, chicken stew, ‘sisig’, yellow rice, ‘pakbet’ vegetables, goat meat, apple pie, pumpkin pie, coke, brewed coffee and Irish crème kept the mood high and the people happy and content.

Conversation lasted for several days, in all hours, some lasting until 2 am, exchanging stories of the past, of the present, of episodes with relatives or on special occasions, reminiscing our fathers and mothers, uncles and aunties, of grandfathers and grandmothers, of legendary ancestors long gone except in our memories, alive in the corridors of our minds. Remembering the good days of our youth, of times when we were young but now talking to our sons and daughters and their fiancés or husbands or wives, sharing modern stories.

Topics shift constantly of the past, of old neighborhoods and friends, of past reunions with relatives, of scandals and back to the present with conversations on current politics, or culture (LGBT, etc.), or future anxieties with the way the government or countries gear for war or of other crises such as the deportations, or Ukraine war, of Europe arming again against possible aggression of Russia, or closer to home with China active in the South seas, or the political corruption in the Philippines.

There is never a lack of subjects to talk about, but it was more about being together, to experience and talk about life, to wonder about the mysteries of life as we share our stories and the topics in our mind, of being in communion together at this time in our lives or in this epoch or in this era. To be where we are today, after travelling from far away places, being immigrants settling in this great country, to make it here and survive health challenges or work pressures and discover ourselves again and come together in the Christmas season.

We have replaced our fathers and mothers, aunties and uncles, in this continuum of life, in the saga or our clan as we make our mark in our families story, making way for our children as they take over and move on with their lives, continuing the story of our family or clan from our origin back in Asia and into new countries and time. Perhaps we will be the subject of their stories in the future when they share their lives with their offspring.