Vacation in my Motherland: The Philippines
Vacation in my Motherland: The Philippines
I am Valerie Gako, a rising junior at Maryville College majoring in Biology. I am also from the Philippines. This summer, I had the chance to visit my home in Cebu. I got to experience new stuff, eat my favorite foods, spend time with my family, and meet my friends. I travelled home with my aunt and uncle, while my Mom also visited Cebu by way of Qatar. No one in my family knew that I was visiting home, so it was a surprise to everyone!
During the first few days, we met up with some family, ate the Filipino foods we missed, and adjusted to the time difference. We have a 12-hour difference, so it was a little tough at first, but we managed. Then, my family and I went to a resort in Lapu-Lapu. While there, I got scuba certified and did a total of six open water dives (including training)! I saw various types of corals, fish, sea stars, and many other kinds of marine creatures (sadly no sharks were spotted this time :( ). Mostly, my only thought while diving was “Is that a trigger fish?” “Oh no, I hope that’s not a trigger fish.” But I had so much fun and it was the best experience I've ever had. From now on, I hope to plan my vacations around scuba diving.
During our second week, we spent two days in our house, and my grandma cooked ALL DAY. She was stuck in the kitchen (her favorite place). Then we went to another resort with the rest of the family. I got to eat the foods that I missed, like isaw, taho, lechon belly, and monggo soup. In addition to eating delicious foods, I went snorkeling to practice taking pictures underwater, and experienced riding a banana boat for the first time. It was fun and chaotic–I have a fun yet chaotic family.
We then spent a few days in our house again and ate more food. We had a boodle fight, where we lay a banana leaf on the table and put rice and viand and eat there with everyone. I got to spend time with my cousins and friends. I was so happy to spend time with them! I missed hanging out with them a lot. During the trip, I realized how different I was from two years ago. Probably because of my experience at Maryville College. It helped me grow as a person, and it changed me into who I am today.
For those who haven’t visited yet, the Philippines is a nice country to visit and experience new things. English is widely spoken, and street signs, informative signs, and safety signs are mostly in English. Beaches, mountains, and cities are just minutes away from each other depending on which island you are on (I highly recommend Cebu, of course). With more than 7,000 islands and diverse cultures, there’s a lot of stuff to do in the Philippines. If you want to learn more about the Philippines, I am always ready to answer any questions.
“It’s More Fun in the Philippines”
