It was \u201991, yours truly all of six years old,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kid from the Philippines, fresh off the plane, in a foreign\nland to call home,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Set off for a whole \u2018nother land, there\u2019s no coming back, <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The tickets they were one-way, here\u2019s where the rest of life\nbegan,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Familiar surroundings in the rear-view, low-key felt bewildered,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mom and Pops promised a better life, a risk taken sure looked a winner,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Flew to a place called Australia, sure sounded like\n\u2018America\u2019,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Same language spoken, accents couldn\u2019t be less similar,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Newbies to the country shacked up with Auntie and Unc,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2018Til we found our feet and pops could get a job,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
People here looked different, lighter complexions and hair\ncolour,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faintly resembled folks on television, towering over former\ncompatriots,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They drive on the left here like in a mirror, steering on\nthe right seat,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What language are they speaking? To a young FOF\u2019s ears sounded like gibberish,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then there were the homes, made from various materials\npreviously unfamiliar,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bricks and wood, solid foundations, more than one vehicle in\nevery garage for good measure,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Green grassy lawns front and back, how do they maintain\nthem?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Found out soon enough, from out the shed emerged a weird\ncontraption,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Watched uncle fuel that little bugger, yanking that starter cord, <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Wasn’t long until the purr became a roar,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Eyes fixed on him as he steered that beast, a trail of light\ngreen in his wake,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Guiding it through the yard \u2018til the tall and unruly grass\nwas tamed,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2018Lawn mower\u2019 they call it, can\u2019t say I\u2019d seen anything like\nit,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fan-boying on transport and machinery then, this just added to it,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Back in the motherland lived in an apartment block close to\nthe big smoke,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Take deep breaths at your own risk, your eyes will water as\nyour lungs choke,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A squatters\u2019 village below, no lawn or nature strip, just\ndust and concrete,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Closest thing to nature flower pots and vases, mowers are\nuseless here,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Would soon watch Pops take on that contraption, the\nfascination grows stronger,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The smell of cut grass attack the senses, surprisingly\nrefreshing,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even to this day conjures up memories nothing short of\nnostalgic,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Spring and summer afternoons, smoothing the grass in your\nown slice of nature, <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ubiquitous part of suburban living, could call it de\nrigueur,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Years came and went, the role of grass cutter slowly\nchanging hands,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Where once Pops took care of business junior soon got in on\nthe act,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During teen years was a form of torture, chores outdoors a\nform of kryptonite, <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Slowly but surely embraced the benefits for both body and\nmind,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Worked the arms, legs and back real good, being among the\ngreenery lifting the mood,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Also the feeling of accomplishment after the yard\u2019s makeover\ncompleted,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rainy weather seems to follow a week or two afterwards,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Green grass getting a taste of it, boosting \u2018em damn near\nskyward,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And so the cycle repeats itself, time to drag that mower\nfrom out its slumber,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once a child admiring Unc and Pops pushing it, now I\u2019m the\none guiding it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
It was \u201991, yours truly all of six years old, Kid from the Philippines, fresh off the plane, in a foreign land to call home, Set off for a whole \u2018nother land, there\u2019s no coming back, The tickets they were one-way, here\u2019s where the rest of life began, Familiar surroundings in the rear-view, low-key felt … <\/p>\n