Letters to a Mysterious Stranger [ONGOING]

Arrival and Adjustments

(Sent on Sept 12th, Wednesday, 8:03 pm, Howell Hall)

To: prisoner24601@mpu.edu.ph

From: jerusha.abad@gmail.com

Dear Zorro,

I made it! I arrived last evening via a KLM flight. Fourteen hours with a three-hour stopover in Amsterdam is not so bad, especially for someone who has never been on a plane before. I love every single minute of it that I keep taking pictures with my phone. I got excited every time a stewardess asked me if I wanted anything to eat or drink. I feel utterly spoiled. Back home, I can tell everyone that I have not only been to Britain but also Amsterdam. Thanks to you, I am so well travelled.

Caermor is such a luvely (I must try to sound British now) old Welsh city. I love it already, even though I've only been here less than twenty-four hours. The air does not smell of soot or basura; everything is clean and orderly. The people here are really nice and laid-back. Really, I expected all white people to be racists but they are not. Well, at least I don't think so. Everybody is just so helpful. This morning, I asked a middle-aged construction worker down the streets for directions, and he gave me a really warm smile as he pointed me to the right streets. I am always a "dearie" or "love" to every stranger I meet. One thing I must remember though, is to look right and then left whenever I cross streets. I almost got hit twice, and I don't want my legacy to be a mere blurb in the Inquirer that reads: "Pinay scholar dies after being hit by a car while crossing street in Wales."

The university is no Hogwarts, but I was told that many buildings are at least one hundred fifty years old. You will be relieved to hear that there are no three-headed dogs, man-sized spiders or giant snakes in underground caverns, so your little Judy here is very safe.

8:00! I am severely jetlagged, but at least I managed to stay awake until 8 thanks to you. I'm going to get some sleep so I can do a little exploring tomorrow.

Good night for now.

Judy

(Sent on Sept 14th, Friday, 9:05 pm, Howell Hall)

To: prisoner24601@mpu.edu.ph

From: jerusha.abad@gmail.com

Dear Zorro,

I know I can't write this enough, but thank you so much for sending me to grad school! I am treasuring every single minute of it.

I got my ID today, and I spent hours in the library pouring over books. There are at least a hundred titles on the Brontes and maybe even more on Austen. The entire PR section (English literature) is almost 15 stacks long. I was so overwhelmed with joy that I literally hugged and kissed a shelf when no one was looking (Hey! Don't judge!).

Oh, I am in heaven, and I love you so much for sending me here!

Anyway, I also met everyone in my MA cohort. It appears that I am the only Asian. My colleagues are all Caucasians coming either from Europe or parts of the UK. Strangely enough, people around me think that I am American. Must be my accent. I spent a couple of months after graduation in a call center, so I guess I neutralized it a bit. Whenever I tell people where I am from, I usually get puzzled nods. Surprisingly, there are people who don't know where the Philippines is.

Yesterday, when I was in the dorm's laundry area, a chatty blonde English girl came up to me and asked where I am from. When I replied that I am from the Philippines, she frustratingly exclaimed, "Where the f*ck is that?"

I suppressed the urge to toss her head inside the dryer.

But then again, if someone told me that they were from a country like Mauritius, I know that I wouldn't be able to locate it on a map either. Geography has never been my best subject.