The term diaspora (in Greek, διασπορά – "a scattering or sowing of seeds") refers to any people or ethnic population forced or induced to leave their traditional ethnic homelands; being dispersed throughout other parts of the world, and the ensuing developments in their dispersal and culture.
THANK YOU FOR CHOOSING CANADA.
These were the words that I immediately saw one November night when I got home from work. I couldn't have been wrong in reading this line. It was written in bold, all caps and was seen right away from our half-open door. After reading these words, I knew we will soon join the Filipino diaspora - where hundreds of Filipino families are leaving the country for greener pastures. It was a brochure from the Canadian embassy and together with it was our notice to take the medical exam - the only prerequisite left before we are issued our permanent resident visas.
There was a sudden surge of mixed emotions after I read the notice. I did not expect that we will still be getting word from the embassy after five years of waiting. Thus, I have already set my plans here and it seems that things are going quite well as planned.
For instance, I recently got promoted as a manager in my company, a reputable multinational firm, after only 7 months of training. I have also made a good number of friends in my new organization.
Moving to a new country, and a far more developed one at that, means having to start from scratch. It might also mean losing the opportunity to climb the corporate ladder faster as I might not be given the same "jump start" that I had here. With this in mind, I thought that it would be best for me to stay behind. Anyway, after getting my permanent resident card in Canada, I can immediately return and stay for 3 more years. The timing is just perfect as my 3 more years here in the Philippines will allow me to gather enough working experience to get a master's degree in a reputable Canadian university.
As expected, my family was not "buying" this plan of mine which made it more difficult for me to decide. At a point where I did not know which way to go, I asked for a sign. After this, sleepless nights followed. I couldn't put myself to rest as my mind was working nonstop - contemplating on the right thing to do.
The signs showed up as early as January the following year. My new job was more stressful than I expected it to be - hours of work way beyond the usual, a difficult boss and an unreasonable teammate. Moreso, I was starting to get bored with my job.
For a very passionate person like me, boredom is non-negotiable. In my perspective, the worst thing is engaging in a profession that one is not passionate about. It should not only be "ok" as this means that it could have been "better" or even "great" if only one had not been too "safe."
Faced with this problem, I took some time to reflect on what I really want. I was thinking of something that will make me wake up each morning with a smile in my face knowing that I will be doing something that I am crazy about?. Then, I remembered how I always enjoyed and excelled in leading school groups whenever we make presentations whether they be live or recorded. In fact, these presentations have often given my grades that much needed budge up the scale.
Since it looks like my thoughts were pointing towards a change of career, I knew that I had to take further studies to hone my craft. I could either take another bachelor's degree - this time in communication arts or get a special program that will give me hands-on training on the different forms of media. Of course, a big consideration in this endeavor is the availability of funds to finance my education.
As a permanent resident, I can take advantage of Canada's prestigious centers of learning through numerous scholarships and zero-interest loans given by the government. If I had stayed here in the Philippines, I would not have even considered studying again as an option given the financial constraints.
That was the only time that our move to Canada started to make sense. In fact, this change helped me in more ways than one. It opened a lot of questions and led me to the answers.
Diaspora is what they call the transfer of families to other countries for a better life. However, with what happened to me, it became a more meaningful word. To me, diaspora transcends countries, borders and nationalities. Diaspora is a turning point in one's life where he realizes what matters to him. Then he takes that different turn, no matter how difficult it may be to pursue his heart's desire.
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