I Know Where They Moved The Cheese: Tacloban - Visayas Leg Part 2

I love cheese and I'm so glad my kids share my passion for it. I was pleasantly surprised that at the age of 4 Diego's favorite snack was an open face blue cheese sandwich. He was never bothered by the stinky smell or the strong, biting taste. Bettina on the other hand loves munching on Parmesan. Our usual after dinner snack would be a plate of both varieties, potato chips and cheese dip, and 2 chocolate mallows each. Cheese time is bonding time. More often than not the topic would be vacation or places we would want to visit. I use the time and the globe beside the table for a simple geography lesson. It is no surprise then that top most on our list of places to see would be Italy for the cheese and the cheese pizza. Bettina wants to see a whole uncut Parmegiano Reggiano in the flesh. Apparently we did not have to wait long and travel far. After the scary eye of the storm experience traversing the island of Samar, Peluchi, a childhood friend from my hometown and her daughter invited us for dinner at Guiseppe an Italian restaurant in Tacloban. Guiseppe would shame a good number of Italian restaurants in Manila. The service is great and it has a deli that could rival Santi's or Terry's Deli in Manila. The best part is they actually have a whole uncut Parmegiano Reggiano. Bettina was so excited seeing the thing that she took half a dozen photos. Who would have thought that they moved the cheese in Tacloban and that we would see it during this road trip?

I am not sure how many of you have read the book of Spencer Johnson,Who Moved My Cheese?. In a nutshell it talks about the human tendency to freeze then complain when faced with change or a crisis situation instead of adapting and innovating in an allegory of how mice and men react when the supply of cheese they found together finally ran out. I was quietly chuckling to myself remembering the book when Bettina was taking pictures of the cheese. It's meant to be a business book but I have always thought that it should be required reading material for high school, some sort of life guide. I was told that the owner of Guiseppe is Italian who has opted to migrate and retire in Tacloban. I did not get to know him personally and if the restaurant is actually his namesake (it would be nice to and let us assume it is), but one thing is for sure he has transported the best things he knows about and the best goods and produce of his home country in a far away land near where Magellan first landed and where Gen. McArthur landed when he returned to the Philippines as promised.

I have great respect for migrants in all their forms. It takes a lot of courage to leave behind what you are familiar with. To let go of one's support system. To strike anew without certainty. I admire these ultimate risk takers. Granted that telecommunications technology and social media has everyone connected to their roots, family, and old friends it is still quite a challenge to build one's sphere or circle of influence in unfamiliar surroundings. It is still easier to just stay where you are then kick back and relax, even if you know the cheese is almost gone or has gone stale. There would always be a thousand and one reasons to justify not moving or doing anything.

However for Guiseppe and a lot of my friends who are out there slowly recreating and expanding their circles, they know that clearly home is where you make it. And now that I have praised your courage and pioneering spirit please, please, please leave me some of that cheese or better yet send them over in a balikbayan box!