Series of See You Laters
There are the short and easy farewells… like when someone flies to India for a short term assignment, when a princess moves to a new apartment, when an officemate resigns for a better opportunity, when a relative you’re not exactly close with passed away, when old clothes are donated to charity or when the old couch is sold in a garage sale. Then there are the farewells that are long and difficult… like when another family member leaves for abroad, when you want to forget someone for ignoring you at times but you just can’t so you don’t and when the white hoodie jacket you’ve been waiting to wear this fall is passed to the one leaving.
08.30.09. Bang’s short visit in Canada ended today. We’re driving her off for the fourth time to the YVR airport in a span of two weeks but somehow we seem to still need help from Maggie (the GPS) to either get there in time or to get to the correct airport and back. I think she holds the record for most things done in two weeks for any Manila resource assigned here – this included tracking a missing baggage, emergency outlet store and mall shopping just a few hours after landing, presenting the offshore teams to onshore teams with local food pasalubongs, delivering the good and bad news to the assignees, joining team meetings, weekend visit to her relatives in Toronto, shopping at Costco, IKEA and Richmond night market, potluck dinner at Emily’s and Rock Band jamming, picture taking at Stanley Park and downtown Vancouver, road trip to Whistler and more last minute shopping.
Benj, Bang and me at Whistler (Winter Olympic Site)
Outside the departure area of YVR airport
Just hours later, we’re returning to the airport not because Bang is back so soon or her flight was delayed or that her luggage was missing again. Jell, my roommate for two months was about to leave and return to her true home. Her extended one year assignment is over and will definitely be missing an important figure in the blue and white house, her cooking, her over-all presence and TJ’s.
Empty bed of Jell
09.01.09. I called home and Mom announced that kuya will be leaving already for Saudi Arabia this weekend. I found this surreal, realizing that it was just two months ago when I left and last saw my brother who wasn’t able to go with us to the airport because he has an interview on a different job and now, he is about to make his first airplane ride, work his ass off for his first job in a long time, and I’m not sure when are we seeing each other again. I’m not super close with my siblings but we share the same blood and I’m starting to feel anxious and nostalgic about his leaving.
09.04.09. At 3pm, there’s a cake in the hub (canteen) waiting and it’s for the one leaving. Before going, I skimmed through his farewell message email and I was having a hard time searching names. Later in the evening, we arrived at the domestic terminal of YVR airport for Benj’s flight to Toronto where he serendipitously bumped into a former classmate. This doesn’t feel like a true farewell yet, since he’ll still be in another part of Canada for another week and next Friday, Rey, Mike and I will still see him at this same airport, spend with him his last few hours here and that wraps up his bittersweet two-month stay here.
