Guess who’s back in the Philippines?
It’s been a day and a few hours since arriving back home. Let me just say that the temperature difference of at least 30’C is easily noticeable, especially upon alighting from the plane. I could immediately feel the humidity in the air, as compared to the dry weather in Beijing. It’s a bit difficult adjusting to the weather differences, with my slight headaches and sneezing fits as proof of my current condition. 菲律宾的天气，我不习惯了~
A couple of weeks ago, I was so excited to return home, even for just a short while. Ironically, now that I’m back, it’s Beijing that I am missing. Part of me is afraid that I might forget so much Mandarin while being here since there aren’t a lot of people I can talk to, and well my environment is practically Mandarin-less. Well, episodes of 喜羊羊与灰太狼 is here to keep me company, though I’ve been repeating the first episode over and over again to try and really understand the dialogue and such. Haha. Okay, so it’s a children’s show, but at least its good practice for my Mandarin. My Mandarin is probably not even as good as a child’s to some extent.
Some of the things I can look forward to about being home is the company of my family and my adorable dogs. My friends are just minutes away too, so getting to talk to them and spending time with them is always a plus. Having missed some Filipino food, especially the one that my maid makes, I can gorge on those while I am back home. Also, there is the possibility of losing the weight that I gained in the harsh no-sweating Beijing winter. Of course, gorging on food (as I had previously mentioned) could deter that goal, but at least I could try to reduce the weight I’ve gained since leaving here. To make matters worse, all of my friends and family who’ve seen me since I have arrived, had commented on my weight gain, especially around my face. Some have mentioned though that it actually looks quite good on me, the dad of a friend mentioning that I had gotten prettier and I look much better now since I was too thin before. Definitely something to consider, as he has told me not to lose the weight anymore, even when I go back to Beijing. 我胖一点儿！不要多胖了~
Ugh, it’s just too hot. Can’t help complaining even when I told myself over and over again that I couldn’t wait for the heat. Body seems to slightly disagree as it’s giving me problems at the moment. Oh well. I can tell myself that I’ll be back in Beijing in about 3 weeks and that for the moment, I should enjoy the food and the company of friends and family.
Things that made me happy upon my arrival: Seeing my dog(s), finally seeing my Starbucks planner (apparently, besides the one that my mum gave me, my dad also gave me another planner!), and of course re-seeing my family in the flesh (though being with them now, it seems like just yesterday that we had just seen each other as compared to the 5 months we’ve been apart!)
For now, it’s time to enjoy and slowly prepare for another semester abroad. Clothes that need packing, and clothes that need unpacking. Oh………and all the re-check-ups at the doctor and the dentist. Plus my much needed massage (curse you hard Chinese mattresses!) and another blood test! Going to take it one thing at a time.
