The Filipina Mom in Denmark

In Danish we greet everybody with “Tak for the gamle and Godt nyt år” meaning we give thanks for the past year what ever it brought us pain and happiness and at the same time welcoming and wishing a Good year ahead.

Personally the year 2009 will forever etched in my memory as it had brought me pain and triumph at the same time. It was the year my father passed away which until now still hurts and can’t believe that he was gone. We spent the Christmas together as a family last Christmas 2008 after 27 years and he was full of life and so brave to go through all those operations but all of us know that it was too risky and that parting where he cried and ran after me will haunt me for the rest of my life.

My countrymen were also hit by 2 typhoons in a less than a month which leaves thousand of families homeless. My hometown is used to floods ever since I can remember we always had to move in the second floor of our house. But this time just after just one year after the strong winds of typhoon Frank which left our family house and most of the houses in my village without a roof, the recent typhoon Peping brought massive rains which suddenly left our house submerged in flood. Luckily no one was hurt and it was like nothing ever happened when you look at the pictures after they cleaned the house  but we lost a lot of  old pictures, memories of our childhood which  but it always remains in our memory.

Our house during typhoon Parma (Peping)

Another tragedy my home country just experienced after the two typhoons was the Ampatuan Massacre in Maguindanao where there was 57 innocent people consist of journalists, women, who were killed in a barbaric way that I can’t describe because it makes me puke and can’t believe that those who are responsible  can do those awful thing other human beings I think they are not human beings at all. I just hope and pray the victims gets the justice they deserved and their families may recover from the tragedy.

Last year was also a really busy year as I was so active in my community locally and abroad. As a Babaylan Denmark’s country representative I was able to attend the Babaylan europe’s Congress and conference and at the same time I had been to Odense and Norway to spearhead the Au pair conference.

It was also the year 2009 where I was able to travel to Paris, France last  and met a lot of wonderful Filipinos when I joined the annual  conference of the Babaylan Europe and I was glad to meet most of them in the city of romance. I was able to see those wonderful places where I only see in th post cards or in the movie but what I enjoyed most is the people I met especially the migrants when we joined their seminar and I realized that day I or we are so lucky in  Denmark in comparison with  the problems experienced by the Filipino migrants in France. I cried during that meeting because they remind me of my parents who were also worked hard for almost 30 years in foreign land and suffered all the loneliness just to provide us a better life. I can’t control my tears and they just let me cried. I don’t know at that time that my father was about to die and when I came home the day after I was waken up with that call…

Last November I went to Athens, Greece to join the People’s Global Action on Migration, Development human rights conference on Migrant coinciding with the United Nations’s Global Forum on Migration and development  but wasn’t able to come in time during the discussion of the aupair problems but my colleuges from Babaylan Denmark and Babaylan Holland did a great job as most of our countrymen and other NGO’s doesn’t know about it. But I was able to Attend the closing ceremonies and it was fantastic and at the same time sad to hear those sad stories of migrants all over the world.

When the two Pinoys who won the CNN/You tube Contest Paul Garilao and Ponching Orioste Jr. came to Copenhagen I became more busy by introducing them to all the Filipino events and visit relevant places like the Waste Segregation Plant and the Incineration Plant where the waste is turn onto source of heat and energy. we event met the President of the Philippines Gloria Arroyo during her meeting with the Filipino Community in Denmark. So I was told that by my friends that they saw me in TV Patrol when they were featured those two guys.

The Winners of CNN/Youtube COP15 contest Paul and Ponching with Denmark's Filipinamoms Ana and Hilda

I wasn’t able to update this blog because of too many activities and I actually too tired to do anything but my family keeps me sane especially my son who always gives me joy and I cherish every moment I spend with him and of course my husband who always supported me up 100%. And lastly I thank God for all the blessings we had received last year and God bless us for this new year.

I thought it was just a short post but I want to greet and wish you a Happy new year.