my parents came to visit me last week. hands down, it was one of the best weeks of the year.
last monday, darren gustafson invited my parents and i to visit him and his family in taytay, one of the areas most affected by the typhoon. the gustafsons run a birthing center there, and it essentially turned into a refugee center for people who had lost their homes and their belongings. it’s still one of the main headquarters for distributing relief goods in the area.
it was an interesting experience for all of us. my dad grew up in poverty; he mentioned that all of the barefoot children running around taytay reminded him of his childhood. my mom was dressed in ann taylor — not exactly what most people where when they visit squatter communities. as for me, among other things…i realized that day that i had gotten used to seeing poverty around me, that it didn’t shock me or affect me anymore. i guess 9 months in the philippines can do that. i still don’t know what to make of it.
