"A SECOND HOME AWAY FROM HOME"

"A SECOND HOME AWAY FROM HOME"

The bus started spinning its wheels

And gently left the PFAC Palawan
I tried so hard to keep my tears from falling,
But soon I found myself crying

I realized it was the final day
For me to view the lovely place
Where I spent the best years of my life
Close to my heart and yet away from home

I kept on looking back... and back again
Trying to catch a glimpse, a glimpse
Of the place I learned to love sincerely
One that I held so dearly, a second home

All the lovely, picturesque sceneries
The pearly-white beaches along the sea
The old cathedral and the Buddhist temple
The simple but neat billets gradually perished   

My friends with misty eyes bade me adieu

So calmly and speechlessly they stared at me

And then gradually they went blurry and gone

The thorn that pierced my heart 
I couldn't withstand

I covered my face and bowed down 

To conceal my tears from the people around
I closed my eyes and said a prayer and then
I looked around and found that I was alone

The shrill sound of the roaring plane was deafening
With broken heart
I found myself sitting on the plane
I knew, for sure, I was getting farther away
From the place I learned to love, my second home

The golden memories of that modest
but beautiful city, Puerto Princesa,
Still linger in my mind and deep inside my heart
Both sad and happy, and then I hope and pray
That I can visit her again SOMEDAY!

 ***

My Family Became Refugees!

The pictures below were sent by Phuong Minh T. Nguyen. 

Click on them to enlarge.

GROUP 155 SUBIC BAY SOS

POEM WRITTEN BY PHUONG MINH T. NGUYEN

It was a scorching summer of 1990
My family became Vietnamese refugees
Six people had to leave Vietnam by boat
156 people with hope in a hot summer day
And in a chilly summer night

Seven excruciating days in the open sea
There was no land in sight
The food and water supplies were all gone
Then suddenly the engine broke.
And the children were crying

On the seventh day in the middle of nowhere                                             

We saw four black dots floating in the horizon.
As we went closer, the dots got bigger and clearer
Oh we realized they were in fact big ships
The ships belonged to the heroic Americans
Coming for us... to rescue us, 155 people    

 

We were supposed to be 156 people                                           

But one fell into the ocean and drowned

We were taken to a big ship that had helicopters
On board we were served delicious food                           
Everyone of us had clean drinking water
Some were on i-v treatments due to dehydration

Refugee camps were all closed in 1989
And my boat was found in 1990
The USS Peleliu LHA-5 captain had to call the United States
To see if we should go to Guam
But since the Philippines still accepted refugees
All of us 155 refugees were granted asylum in PFAC Palawan
Yes, we were happy and so lucky to be alive

We now live our happy lives in a country that is safe and free
Never forgetting the American government ship
The heroes that gave us a second chance
The never dying memories that we have to keep
We were victims of the Vietnam Civil War

We searched for freedom and we took a risk
What a terrible war that led to senseless deaths

The Civil War in Vietnam is over
We've been given an opportunity to start over

Let's heal ourselves and promote peace to make the world better

And the boat stories we should forever remember

Group 155 Subic Bay could be the clue to the future

I hope we learn my brothers and sisters

A TRIBUTE TO PALAWAN

The Nation's Last Frontier

 

Unclimbed mountains, virgin forests...
so rugged, so remote... so dense;

So wild and so tranquil until suddenly awaken
by the thunder of breakers.
Oh sweet Palawan..., our native land, 
the Nation's Last Frontier!

Oh rivers, great and small,

vivid and serene...
Wild and yet so peaceful... oh so tamed
The sweet smell of the sea of fish and salt air;

The fragrance
of dainty-colored wild santan blossoms;
In summer sky,
the reedy cry of wheeling gulls.

Oh rattling bamboo trees
melodious and unique;
The seabirds
glide above the gorgeous Ursula Island,
As the raucous colony of sea turtles
below they watch.

Be fascinated by the impeccable beauty
of Tubbataha Reefs;
Be mesmerized as you watch
the ethereal cliffs of El Nido;

 

Be mystified as you tour
the mysterious Underground River;
Be tantalized by the pearly-white beaches
on Honda Bay;

 

 Dream again as you see
the crystal-clear Nagtabon beach;
Feel like a baby as you watch
the frolicking mousedeer beneath Balsahan Hills;

Have a reviting feeling
as you enter the gigantic Tabon Cave,
where the world's biggest pearl was found.

Savor the delectable milky sweet taste
of young coconuts;
Enjoy the exquisite scent
of the budding rice and corn in the fields;
Applaud the racing crabs and parading blue lobsters;

Dance with the multi-colored fish
that glides and leaps;
And in the summer,
sing with the warbling Maya birds.

 

Admire the towering steeples
of the Immaculate Conception Cathedral

The Holy Trinity University
in the heart of Puerto Princesa brings nostalgia;

 

Celebrate with the eternally hospitable
and friendly citizens of Palawan!

All these contribute
to making the province second to none.
Beloved Palawan, 
our dearest sweet homeland. 

  Poem written by Andrew Taylor
************
888 

IMPECCABLE! A Tribute to My Mother

Our Lady of Antipolo

This mural is painted on the wall in the basement of

Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Washington D.C.

Through your vivid examples and sometimes symbolic
I learned the true meaning of being a friend
You gave me courage and impeccable Love
Taught me generosity and to live close to God

You bestowed upon me the beauty of your soul
The joy that forgiveness and humility offer
Your wisdom and confidence, irreproachable character
Your optimism and faith... to love God above all

From you I learned the value of optimism
To embrace the challenges that I encounter
To face the world with impeccable strength
To be open-minded, live my life to the fullest

You said that life was not at all easy
Not a bed of roses nor milk and honey
That life was full of ups and downs, of obstacles
What might come next, incomprehensible

You said that life was a continuous battle
An endless struggle to overcome all
A test of endurance to withstand any hardship
No one really knows what follows next

You inspired me to pursue my education
To set my ultimate goal and be successful
Your untiring guidance, your confidence in me
Pushed me to strive and make my dream a reality

You were impeccable, my idol... my role model
If I should be grateful to someone, or anyone
It would be only you, to whom I definitely owe
The absolute person that I am today

You surely deserve a perfect gold medal
A round of applause and a standing ovation
But it's sad to say that you had left me
Before I had the opportunity to give it to you

I know for a fact that I've physically lost you
But your personality is reflected in all that I do
The complete person of yours dwells deep within me
And will linger today, tomorrow, and eternally
Oh how much I love you impeccably!

***

POEM: The Day I Left the Camp

A SECOND HOME AWAY FROM HOME

A poem written by me 2 days before I left P.F.A.C.

My former Reception Class in PFAC Palawan, Dec. 1988

"A SECOND HOME AWAY FROM HOME"

The bus started spinning its wheels

And gently left the PFAC Palawan
I tried so hard to keep my tears from falling,
But soon I found myself crying

I realized it was the final day
For me to view the lovely place
Where I spent the best years of my life
Close to my heart and yet away from home

I kept on looking back... and back again
Trying to catch a glimpse, a glimpse
Of the place I learned to love sincerely
One that I held so dearly, a second home

All the lovely, picturesque sceneries
The pearly-white beaches along the sea
The old cathedral and the Buddhist temple
The simple but neat billets gradually perished
My friends with misty eyes bade me adieu

So calmly and speechlessly they stared at me

And then gradually they went blurry and gone

The thorn that pierced my heart
I couldn't withstand

The Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Puerto Princesa

I covered my face and bowed down

To conceal my tears from the people around
I closed my eyes and said a prayer and then
I looked around and found that I was alone

The shrill sound of the roaring plane was deafening
With broken heart
I found myself sitting on the plane
I knew, for sure, I was getting farther away
From the place I learned to love, my second home

The golden memories of that modest
but beautiful city
Still linger in my mind and deep inside my heart
Both sad and happy, and then I hope and pray
That I can visit her again SOMEDAY!***

I left P.F.A.C. on Saturday, June 20, 1992.

***