It was about 5 years ago, I still remembered my first step out of the airport coming on this new profound island called New Zealand. *Swoosh~~~* as the strong breeze flies by. The weather was bad when I and my three brothers went out of the airport. Strong winds and a sky covered in clouds were present. Therefore, it was very cold for us and very unusual. My home country - which is the Philippines - is a tropical island, meaning it was primarily hot over there. But then, I had to travel across the world to live the rest of my life in this cold, freezing country. It was very different indeed!
A week later, I’ve gotten used to the cold temperatures and settling in this country. Then, a shout from my mum was heard in the entire house telling me and my brothers that the next day would be the first. The first day of school. I was nervous as an ostrich, I wanted to bury my head onto the ground as well. Then, the next day came. Surprisingly, none of my brothers cried and our mum talked to one of the teachers. After that, the teacher told us that we would be okay. Slowly, the teacher opened the door. I caught a glimpse of wild kids running around and some of them sitting around a table. Then when I entered, the eyes of the room was on me. The sudden shake of my knees nearly put me down to my knees but I bravely held on. *Stomp!*as a random kid ran towards me and introduce himself. He was of another ethnicity than me but after that first meeting, we became friends.
The next day, I was excited to bring one of the cultured dishes that my mum made for me. As I open my lid, the familiar aroma filled my nostrils with delight. But as I was about to take a spoon full, I turned around and saw others looking at my food. Their mouth opens… “Oi new kid, are you eating catfish? Eww,” I felt enraged because they disrespected my mother’s cooking but at the same time. I felt as if I was looking down on an edge of the cliff. As they talk more badly about my lunch, the ground under my feet started crumbling. Since then, I didn’t dare to bring any food that relates to my culture or any of my mum’s food.
A whole month passes by, I started becoming homesick. I missed my friends and family where I could just be comfortable and not be wary of my actions or what I do. I missed how I could play all day and not worrying about being judged. I missed home...
