I didn't really think much about how much my life was about to change. Or that I would not see my friends and cousins for many years. Or that I will never see my comic book collection, my old photographs, my toys, and even my pet dog. I just kind of thought about stuff like having a television with a remote control and a hundred channels. I pictured myself sitting alone in front of a nice TV set in a living room in my mom's apartment in Brooklyn.
I didn't get to say goodbye to my friends and family. My dad brought me to Manila to interview at the embassy. It all kind of happened fast. I was approved to be petitioned and then they planned the flight. This was around June or July, and my mom's friend wasn't coming back to the States until the end of August. However, it was hurricane season and we traveled by boat between to and from my province. My parents decided that my dad would go back and get my clothes and other belongings, while I was to stay in Manila just in case the boat sank or something. There had been at least one ship disaster already at that point and I think another hurricane was in the forecast. I didn't argue. I didn't think much about it. I kinda liked the nice house in Manila and not having to go to school and kind of being spoiled by my aunt.
I'm pretty sure I asked my dad about my comic book collection but for some reason he didn't come back with them. I'm not sure what his reasoning was. Again I didn't argue. By the time he got back after those many weeks, I was just kind of ready to move on.
I can't remember when we met up with my mom's friends. It may have been just at the airport. I can't remember much about it, about saying goodbye to my dad or my aunt or my cousins. Kind of the next thing I remember was being on that plane, wearing a zip up sweater that I really liked and feeling really comfy in and watching "Kindergarten Cop" projected on the screen for our in flight movie. I also remember sitting on the window seat and enjoying the view but the flight attendants asking me to close the window and me getting pretty mad about it but again not arguing.
We had a layover in South Korea. At dinner, we were served salad first, and my aunt and her friend explained to me that all the kids in America ate salad. I tried it but didn't like it. I couldn't comprehend what they would like about it. In retrospect, I don't believe there was any dressing. I don't remember what I actually had for dinner. Maybe a burger?
I shared a hotel room with my mom's friend. She took a picture of me on the bed. Of course my mom wouldn't see it until after it was processed, which was after I had arrived and everything.
Anyways, while she was in the bathroom or something, I remember turning on the TV. There was a remote control and I was flipping through the channels. Of course, everything was in Korean. I didn't really know what to watch. Nowadays, I would be curious and watch the shows even if I couldn't understand the language. Back then, the only thing I could understand was a show that was on at the time on what must have been an American channel or something. It was "Doogie Howser, M.D." I remember back when my mom was still living with us in the Philippines, she mentioned something about the character, that he was a genius who was a child doctor. I didn't really get what was happening in the show or cared about it. I think I might have liked the theme song though. Anyway, I didn't get to watch much of it. I think my mom's friend came out after a while and said it was bed time.
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