When I was a little girl, I loved watching movies from my VHS library. Some of which were taped from when the movie was shown on TV. One of my favorites was Annie. I liked her loathsome life. She had something REAL to pity, unlike yours truly. While she had clean that dump 'til shone like the top of the Chrysler Building, I had a mom who wouldn't let me sit in the front seat. Annie had real problems, so it was OK for her to deviously run away. I always thought that it would be fun to be homeless; to live Hakuna Matata. To discover the world around me and to not have to worry about making your bed or taking showers. (hey, I was trying to be environmentally friendly.) Elise and I would even play homeless sometimes, where we would ration food, sleep in a corner, and have one lone bag to travel with.
Well, living without your parents isn't as fun as TV makes it look. Surprise, surprise: TV lied. Now, don't get me wrong. I absolutely love being here. I'm thoroughly enjoying seeing my grandparents, my friends, my church, and my family here in the states. But i miss my Mum and Pop. We have been video chatting and calling each other pretty regularly, and I am super thankful for technology. But in my opinion, technology never has -- or will-- replace being there. I recently saw a commercial for the Iphone 4. It featured a video chat where a man was showing his father his newborn granddaughter. Over the camera. While it might be the best option for some families, I don't really like it. Technology could never replace seeing that baby girl in person. To see her, smell her, hear her, and touch her for real would make all the difference in the world. Ive decided to not read my dad's blog posts from Vietnam. I want him to tell me in person. I want to hear his voice and to see his hand gestures. But i don't ignore his blog altogether; some things are told even better in a blog post. But technology will never replace the real thing.
Like i said. I love being here. But I cant wait to see my parents. I miss them so much, and I was really disappointed not being able to be there to help them move into our new apartment. I haven't seen them in person for the whole summer, which is a lot to handle on a tween and teen, and I cant wait to go home and see them.
My little Madeline VHS recording always said: "Home is where the heart is. If your heart is there, its home." My heart is split right down the middle. I am madly in love with both countries; HK and US. But the number one thing my heart belongs to is my family. I have my sister with me, which makes being away from the other half of my family more bearable.
My parents are the most amazing parents in the world. They are incredibly brave, for starters. Moving to a different country with little information or experience is a pretty scary thing to do. They're also very strong. Mom somehow manages to keep us fed and healthy, and clean, not to mention working as a school nurse part time and helping me with my endless science homework. Dad teaches all day, organizes hikes and gatherings, helps me every single night with my confusing math homework, and still writes a beautiful blog. Even if he does have to go to great (embarrassing) lengths to get the photo. Our parents love us dearly, and under all their stress, they always manage to make our house (or apartment) a home. I love you dearly, Mom and Dad. And I can't wait to come back and see you.
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