Fell In Love with The City of Love

 

I’ll start this write-up by sharing a quite negative feeling that’s been with me ever since I met my college friends. Envy. I envy them whenever they talk about their hometowns, of how proud they are that they were born in a place where they feel at home. And whenever the bottle spins and points at me, I have nothing to discuss when it comes to ‘hometown’ because, honestly, I feel like I don’t belong in the place where I grew up. I just feel different. I feel like an outcast, too far from the mindset and culture that they’ve passed on from generations to generations. Even when I was in elementary, I’d like to think that I was bullied not because I was “bully-ble” but was too different and too peculiar for them. I also gained little to no friends at all when I was in high school just because I thought maybe I’m either behind or ahead of their culture. Too cut this short, I was just different, I don’t belong to Mina. As much as I like to call myself a Minanhon, I just don’t resonate with it.

Then college came and I have to move out from my ancestors’ territory. This might be exaggerating for some but the first time that I survived the night in Iloilo City, I feel safe and at home. No cap. Legit to the max. My first day of class also was a success, I just resonate with the people that I met. The moment my former boardmates toured me around the city, I could say that I feel like I can walk alone in the middle of the night, feeling confident. Now, it might be cheesy to hear but I had this concept in my mind when I was a freshman. My BACOMM friends are my magical creatures, Central Philippine University as the magic castle, and the Iloilo City as a magical kingdom. My imagination went that far because I still cannot explain why I resonate more with Iloilo City and its people. And the influence this city had on me was massive.

 

First are the people. I’d like to say that the people here in the city just go with the flow. They don’t care who you are, they don’t care about what you do, and they just mind their own business. Too different from Mina wherein everybody’s eyes are on you and one single mistake from you affects your family’s past, present and even future. Back in Mina, they always weirdly and offensively point out my height wherein here in Iloilo City, they don’t care and if they do, they would ask nicely. It debunked my misconception that urban people are self-centered and rude. Totally opposite. Secondly, the place. I remembered the first time I went to FestiveMall, my jaw literally dropped. I kept on saying “hi” on tall buildings not knowing that those were offices of call center agents and not hotels or apartments. Everything here just suits to my eyes, considering the fact that I grew up in a place surrounded not by tall buildings and cars but a whole bunch of bamboo trees and carabaos.

 

I am still grateful to the place where I came from, but I can say that Iloilo City really molded me to become better and has influenced my culture more than my hometown did. Regardless, Iloilo City almost shares the same culture with the whole Panay Island – the loving tone, hospitable and approachable character, and most of all, its love for the island’s rich culture, tradition, and stories.