Sunday morning as I left my flat in Bowdon, it was still foggy and cold. I can see the moisture on the leaves which starting to fall on the ground. I can feel the coldness of the air that penetrates through my jacket. It's going to be Christmas soon. And I remember my family back to my homeland, I remember all the laughter's and joy, the videoke, the puto at tsokolate, the carolling children, the midnight mass, the noise of the firecrackers, oh yes!!! I missed all of those. For me the month of December is just an ordinary month. For me my Christmas time is March. That is the time for me to go home. Even so , I can't enjoy the holiness of the season, still I must try to lengthen my sacrifices. It is the other side of the benefit,when you are working away from home. But all the pain, and sacrifices has it's own price,even though It's not a grand price but it's worth every penny.
For now, I'm going to Glasgow to enjoy my one week paid holiday. As I walked through the town of Altrincham, the town is so quit , the shop are close, and barely you can see vehicles passing. I'm worried that there's no tram operating today, ' I should used my car' I said to my self, but I'm far enough. I try to ask the black lady standing near the ticket vending machine, she said yes!, during Sunday only one tram is operating, she replied. So I bought my £3:60 ticket from Altrincham to Picadilly. As I arrived in the national express coach station my mind was thinking twice to used the coach or train. But I want to go more places before arriving to Glasgow, so I decided to pursuit my plan to take the coach. And I didn't wait much longer.I saw coach 538 coming. As we start our 5 hours trip from Manchester to Glasgow, I try to listen mp3 music from my cellphone, but my mind keeps on remembering the first time I came to Britian. It was three years ago,but the experience is still clear in my head.
I was very excited, but anxious, the very first time I stepped into the soil of Britain. I said to my self ''this is it!'', this is the chance that I'm waiting for, my chance to have a better life. For the hardship and expenditures that I invested, at last I'm here. Now I can earn enough money for the future of my family. As I follow the flow, towards the immigration counter I felt more anxious.
There are lots of things that came up to my head. There are lots of IF's that appeared, what if my papers are fake, do they sent me back? do they put me in prison?.. its not my fault, I'm a victim here, hello!!!! Or do they shave my head, before sending me back?, just like those people from Malaysia that their head were shaved by the police before sending back to the Philippines....''where's the International law of human rights''.
I observed the person ahead of me, when he stepped in to the counter. He looked like he's from India or Pakistan,...I'm not sure.But the only thing that I'm sure that he's very anxious. He's sweating a lot and uneasy, it seems he's constipated for a long time. He's talking to the immigration officer while wiping the sweat on his forehead. Then there were two uniformed officers came, and ask him to come with them down to the room near the alley. And my anxiety worsen, I felt like my bladder is full, I want to go to the toilet but I can't , I'm nearly there!. And there are lots of people next to me, I can't take the risk of queuing again. It takes about 20minutes before the other immigration officer announced the word next, so its my turn now to step in. The officer ask my passport and look at me then looked to my passport again, then he ask the rest of my papers, he asked me loads of question which some I can't remember anymore. In short he scrutinised my papers very well. I ask my self ,is this the way they do their job?,or is this the way they treat migrants? Only one thing I remembered when he said about the taste of beer in my town Cebu. Then I smiled, and said to my self, this man had been to my place. Then my anxiety and fear of IF's are gone. and he said to me welcome to Britain.
My wondering brain was interrupted when the driver shouted, that we were stopping for 30minutes for a break in the tebay to stretch our legs and have something to eat.
For now, I'm going to Glasgow to enjoy my one week paid holiday. As I walked through the town of Altrincham, the town is so quit , the shop are close, and barely you can see vehicles passing. I'm worried that there's no tram operating today, ' I should used my car' I said to my self, but I'm far enough. I try to ask the black lady standing near the ticket vending machine, she said yes!, during Sunday only one tram is operating, she replied. So I bought my £3:60 ticket from Altrincham to Picadilly. As I arrived in the national express coach station my mind was thinking twice to used the coach or train. But I want to go more places before arriving to Glasgow, so I decided to pursuit my plan to take the coach. And I didn't wait much longer.I saw coach 538 coming. As we start our 5 hours trip from Manchester to Glasgow, I try to listen mp3 music from my cellphone, but my mind keeps on remembering the first time I came to Britian. It was three years ago,but the experience is still clear in my head.
I was very excited, but anxious, the very first time I stepped into the soil of Britain. I said to my self ''this is it!'', this is the chance that I'm waiting for, my chance to have a better life. For the hardship and expenditures that I invested, at last I'm here. Now I can earn enough money for the future of my family. As I follow the flow, towards the immigration counter I felt more anxious.
There are lots of things that came up to my head. There are lots of IF's that appeared, what if my papers are fake, do they sent me back? do they put me in prison?.. its not my fault, I'm a victim here, hello!!!! Or do they shave my head, before sending me back?, just like those people from Malaysia that their head were shaved by the police before sending back to the Philippines....''where's the International law of human rights''.
I observed the person ahead of me, when he stepped in to the counter. He looked like he's from India or Pakistan,...I'm not sure.But the only thing that I'm sure that he's very anxious. He's sweating a lot and uneasy, it seems he's constipated for a long time. He's talking to the immigration officer while wiping the sweat on his forehead. Then there were two uniformed officers came, and ask him to come with them down to the room near the alley. And my anxiety worsen, I felt like my bladder is full, I want to go to the toilet but I can't , I'm nearly there!. And there are lots of people next to me, I can't take the risk of queuing again. It takes about 20minutes before the other immigration officer announced the word next, so its my turn now to step in. The officer ask my passport and look at me then looked to my passport again, then he ask the rest of my papers, he asked me loads of question which some I can't remember anymore. In short he scrutinised my papers very well. I ask my self ,is this the way they do their job?,or is this the way they treat migrants? Only one thing I remembered when he said about the taste of beer in my town Cebu. Then I smiled, and said to my self, this man had been to my place. Then my anxiety and fear of IF's are gone. and he said to me welcome to Britain.
My wondering brain was interrupted when the driver shouted, that we were stopping for 30minutes for a break in the tebay to stretch our legs and have something to eat.
No comments:
Post a Comment