I've been thinking a lot about the Philippines lately. I was only there until I was 8 but I miss it a lot. I went through a lot in those 8 years and lately all those little flashbacks have been coming back. Particularly all the times my mom and I moved around. We had the one place we called home which was an apartment building in Manila that she and her siblings inherited from their parents. We lived in a bunch of cities and provinces but we always came back to that place. It was home, which is why I have the address tattooed on my body.
I don't really know why my mom moved us around a lot. Now that I think about it, I feel like my mom was on a constant search for happiness. When I think back on our experiences, I feel like we would be living somewhere for a bit and when she felt like she wasn't happy anymore or if something went awry, she would decide that it wasn't the place for us and she would pack us up and off we went. It wasn't like she ran away from problems or anything... though that's what it sounds like. She just liked to live where the vibes were positive. I guess that's where I get it from in the sense that I choose where to place myself or who to be friends with based off the vibes I get. My mom was kind of a hippie that way I guess.
I remember when I was about 3 or 4 (and yes, I can remember that far and sometimes even further back) we were living at this bar/restaurant place. They had housing for their employees near the spot. It was cool because it was like a hut and shit. I don't remember how we got there or how she even got the job. She ended up being the head chef at this spot and all the employees LOVED me. They'd let me run around the restaurant and at night when the dancefloor was on and poppin and the music would be playing, I'd be dancing around. I even remember being the one to give the patrons their checks and saying shit like "Thank you, did you guys like the food? my mom made it" in Tagalog of course. Then one night my mom packed me up in the middle of the night, we got in a tricycle and we went to the bus station. I fell asleep and when I woke up, I was in my aunt's bed in Laguna. At the time, I was like well, I guess we're staying here now. I didn't mind because everytime my mom and I moved somewhere, it was an adventure. I do kind of wonder why we left the restaurant though.
Aside from that memory of moving, I have a few more. When people ask me where in the Philippines I was from, I say everywhere and I really do mean everywhere. I lived in the city, I lived in provinces, I lived near a farm... I even lived in a beach house and met all different kinds of tourists. Like I said, my mom was in constant search for something. Was it happiness or maybe she couldn't decide where it would be best for us to live...? I know that if it hadn't been for her sister having cancer and my mom didn't have to move to Chicago, we would've stayed in the Philippines. And now that I've been reflecting on these things, it explains why this song is her and my dad's song. But I don't think this is their song, I think she meant it for us. I miss you, Amy.
There's a place for us
Somewhere a place for us
Peace and quiet and open air
Wait for us somewhere
There's a time for us
Someday a time for us
Time together with time to spare
Time to learn, time to care
Someday, somewhere
We'll find a new way of living
We'll find a way of forgiving somewhere
Yes, there's a place for each of us
A place of peace and quiet
And we must try to persue this place
Where love is like a passion that burns like a fire
And also fulfillment of two hearts' desire
Let our efforts be as determined as that of a little stream
That saunters down the hillside seeking its level
Only to become a huge river destined to the sea
Yes, there's a place for us
Somewhere a place for us
Hold my hand and were halfway there
Hold my hand and I'll take you there
Somehow, someday
Somewhere
Hold my hand and were halfway there
Hold my hand and I'll take you there
Somehow, someday
Somewhere
