ON FRESH STARTS.

image image image image image image
&OTHERSTORIES wool sweater
H&M jeans
MICHAEL KORS watch

2014. a new year has just started.
there has been a cyber absence around here on my blog. bad move maybe, but one of the best decisions i´ve made ever for myself.
i wanted to start my year far away from my reality, far away from the cold winter that has enveloped Germany to align my views and find myself (if you can call it that) so that i can start the year right..
i spent the last three weeks in my hometown with my kid. he was one year old when we last visited the Philippines and after four long years, i decided that he was old enough to remember and understand where his mom came from.
i did bring my laptop and camera but time was too scarce to sit in a coffee shop and drain what is left of their wireless connection.
97 million people, half of which most probably owns a phone, tablet and a laptop. you do the math how crappy internet there was.
living a life with my european salary, it was too good. dining out almost 3 times a day, riding a taxi to almost anywhere, snorkeling, staying at gorgeous resorts, buying nice things.. doing things that weren´t remotely possible here.
i had a very heartbreaking conversation with a taxi driver. he didn´t own the car so he has to pay 25 euros rent everyday and 25 euros for gas. he drives 22 hours a day and 5 euros is all what´s left for him to feed his wife and three kids. if the day ends good.
and there i was spending 10 euros for a meal. or wearing a thousand euro bag.
Miguel kept asking me why there are people sleeping on the streets and best answer i could come up with is that they lost their homes. he kept asking why and i kept on making up stuff. it was too painful to say that he was probably born on the street, his mom probably dead and he has nowhere to go.
he then kept asking me to give the kids, that pass our house every day asking for food or asking to throw our garbage away for some coins, some money so that they can go to school.
how can i tell him that it will not be enough?

i am glad that he was able to see the difference between the Philippines and Germany and he still wants to come back.
#MISSIONACCOMPLISHED

24 comments:

  1. Babe I'm glad you're back. YOu made my cry so much. I went to Vietnam a few years ago and it broke my heart. All my help there would have never been enough. We are so lucky we sometimes forget how much.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Clap clap! got teary eyes upon reading this! missin' you day! GOd bless you and family! xoxo

    ReplyDelete
  3. your coat looks just flawless especially with these booties !
    and the story ... well it must be reeally hard :(


    http://franchemeetsfashion.blogspot.cz/

    ReplyDelete
  4. Very beautiful look !!!!!
    I very like your shoes <3

    ReplyDelete
  5. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  6. That's such a sad story, especially for the taxi driver. Often it's hard to appreciate how easy we have it until you see the opposite end of the spectrum.
    You look lovely here, by the way.

    xo Camilla

    Into The Fold

    ReplyDelete
  7. es ist sicher nicht einfach zu verstehen für ein kind. ich meine verstehen wir die ungerechtigkeit? sicherlich nicht.
    rosa steht dir übrigens gut!

    lg
    http://rockinglace.blogspot.de/

    ReplyDelete
  8. deep.... I know how you feel, I felt the same when i travelled too India... sooo much poverty... broke my heart.... and I wrestled with guilt all day long. I am glad your son got too see things, he will appreciate more so what he has. Lovely post and well deserved and used 'you' time.x

    http://www.myclayexperience.com/

    ReplyDelete
  9. beautiful colors of your pictures, nice coat!!!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Wow, this time I have to comment. This is the first time here for me, actually, I've been lurking at your blog for a while now.
    You made a wonderful job as a mom there. The way you told the story, your boy seriously is amazing, so good! I'm half Vietnamese and I know what you are talking about. In March I'll be getting my first "real" European salary after having studied. Convert this into the local currency, it's unbelievable...
    We should all be real thankful for the luck we have.
    <3

    ReplyDelete
  11. beautiful outfit, I love the boots <3

    http://piece-of-air.blogspot.co.il/
    https://www.facebook.com/pieceofair

    ReplyDelete
  12. This was beautiful and moving. I'm so glad you gave the little one this experience. <3

    ReplyDelete
  13. you look beautiful - and sometimes there are things that are more important than blogging. like life. x

    http://lifeofniss.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  14. jes darling spending 10 euros for meal but wear a 1000 euros bag :(( in dont understand the world....i wear a expensive bag, too. But I think. Thank you for this post!

    ReplyDelete
  15. beautiful coat!
    imjustmefashionblog.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  16. I have been reading your blog for a 2 years now and I am happy to know that you still go back to the Philippines. As a mom too, I am happy that you are giving your son the exposure and experience that will give him wisdom and make him a better person (by letting him see the differences of Philippines and Germany). I hope you had fun in your 3 week stay in the Philippines. Next time, try to visit Boracay and El Nido :)


    http://mainamaina.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  17. I have been reading your blog for a 2 years now and I am happy to know that you still go back to the Philippines. As a mom too, I am happy that you are giving your son the exposure and experience that will give him wisdom and make him a better person (by letting him see the differences of Philippines and Germany). I hope you had fun in your 3 week stay in the Philippines. Next time, try to visit Boracay and El Nido :)


    http://mainamaina.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  18. Your coat is gorgeous! It really suits you.

    please check out my blog I'm a new blogger. http://www.bloglovin.com/fashionsignal


    -Zoe @ www.fashionsignal.co.uk

    ReplyDelete
  19. Wieder mal ein sehr schönes Outfit, das dir noch dazu unheimlich gut steht!! :)

    Viele Grüße,
    Verena von www.whoismocca.com
    Bloglovin' // Youtube // Facebook

    Übrigens läuft wieder eine neue "show your style" - Aktion! Alles weitere erfährst du hier. Es würde mich sehr freuen wenn du mitmachen würdest! Gerne auch mit einem bereits geposteten Outfit :)

    ReplyDelete
  20. What a beautiful post on the stark reality on the lives of less fortunate than us. Reading things like this reminds me not to take for granted what I have and more importantly to grasp hold of every opportunity that heads my way because some people would never get those chances.
    You sound like a wonderful mother and your son will grow up to me a fantastic, caring man after the experiences you are providing him.

    It seems crass to now comment on the outfit and bring everything crashing back down to the materialistic...but I do love those boots!
    Raffles Bizarre Blog

    ReplyDelete
  21. Wow this is such a reality check! I've been to China one time and it's so weird how crazy rich we Europeans are in Asia.. Those Chloe boots can surely buy a house! You look great though!

    xoxo Iris
    A DASH OF FASH

    ReplyDelete
  22. Great pictures! Love the coat with black combination...

    Liebe Grüße aus München,

    Vanessa
    www.pureFASHION.tv

    ReplyDelete
  23. the coat and the shoes !!!! :)

    new post up

    www.dominiquecandido.com

    ReplyDelete
  24. Love think pink hues!
    The susanna from Chloé really work in pink <3 Love it!
    I Love how you mix designer shoes and mass market apparel!

    Keep up the good work

    Les Carnets d'Aurélia

    http://lescarnetsdaurelia.wordpress.com/

    ReplyDelete

leave me a comment and i will get back to you as soon as i can! thanks for dropping by. kisses!