Provided by explosiveskull https://twitter.com/kaboomskull M_I_SForEver
[soft instrumental music]
[waves crashing]
[traffic sounds]
EDETA: When time comes, my son turns five,
it's about time to leave the country
and it's hard at first because there's no mom
or mother wants to leave their small ones.
As my brother told me when I leave that day,
don't bring any pictures, don't look back.
I go there because I want to work. I go there because
my family were going to starve to death
if I'm not going to help them.
[rain pours]
REY: It's really hard to leave them.
Still fresh in my memory; my memory, that night.
GEREMY: When I was 10 years old, going to the airport.
I was on his side, hugging him, like we're in chain,
like I won't let him go.
[plane engine drones]
REY: When I feel the plane lift off, I cried there but...
I have to be strong.
KUKAI: My plane from the Philippines to Toronto is big plane
then transferred over to a little bit smaller plane
going to St. John's and then
drop off some of the passengers
and get the passengers again.
What is that? It's just like a bus.
KUKAI: And then there's no buildings no more.
I cannot see anything now, all snow.
[inspirational instrumental music]
[Inuit throat singing]
[wings flap]
[music swells]
[utility truck beeps]
[snowmobiles roar]
[ringing]
REY: Hello.
Hello?
REY: I'm living in my imagination every day.
My mind is still there in the Philippines.
Without Skype or Facebook, it's like
living in another planet or something, without them.
I see them every day after work, before work but most of
the time when I wake up, they are sleeping.
When they wake up, I'm sleeping.
REY: Hello, hello.
I talk to my wife and I still keep talking,
then suddenly I hear that she is already asleep, snoring.
It's like in a movie sometimes, I hold my pillow
and I told my daughter, "This is you, I hug you."
It's like a normal thing.
"Papa, bye, we're going to school now."
Then I kiss the camera and they will kiss the camera.
REY: Bye.
I look at them, that's enough for me, I will survive.
[melancholic guitar music]
GEREMY:
[sad instrumental music]
KUKAI: It took me a year and a half before I adjusted
to my work, to the people that surround me, to this place.
[bar music]
[people chattering]
KUKAI: On my first summer here, I was working at a bar,
I was assaulted by a woman.
There is one time happening also they telling me, "Hey you"
"little Filipino, why are you are doing here,"
"why you getting our job? Better go home."
And then some girls saying the same thing, "Oh no you're not"
"supposed to be here, you FU-"
I'm Filipino, they say like that,
"You are supposed to be go back home."
KUKAI: You want another beer?
PATRON: No, I'm good, darling.
KUKAI: Woo-hoo.
[people chattering]
I met my husband Rena when I was working at a Bar.
I don't know what made him interested in me.
I'm just only a small Filipino girl,
they called me like that,
a small Filipino girl working at a bar.
"Why you here," they say. I say, "Mind your own business."
RENA: I started talking to her a little bit and she was busy
working so I couldn't talk much and...
later on that night,
I stopped her for a couple seconds,
just asking her when she works again.
I was like, almost a month trying to get her number.
[both laugh]
[romantic music]
KUKAI: I always told everybody that I didn't expect to have
a foreign boyfriend or husband because I don't like it.
RENA: She told me that all the time.
[both laugh]
She wanted a Filipino man, but she met me.
You get your people that don't really like it and you get your
people that don't mind it and then you get me,
falling in love with a Filipino woman.
[snowmobile sounds]
My name is Renatus Hunter, Rena for short and I'm Inuit,
a Native.
Inuit people, they pretty well live off the land.
They do the hunting and they do the fishing.
Go off into the woods and cut a load of wood for wood stove.
Inuit people do a lot with the land.
[happy music]
EPITACIA: I came to Labrador in 1965.
I just wanted
to see what's in the other side of the world,
adventure, sort of.
I applied to three Canadian provinces
for work but Newfoundland was the only place to offer
me a free flight one-way.
I went to the Embassy in Manila for my interview
and I asked them "Where is North West River"
"and where is Labrador?" And they had no idea.
I thought it was connected to Ecuador because of the
sound of the words.
Ecuador, Labrador, that's how much I knew about the place.
Father Charlie met me at the airport in Goose Bay
and he drove me to North West River.
The road was barely wide enough for one car in those days.
It was just a pathway for hunters, it turned like this
and this, curves, curves.
There was no bridge across the river either.
Father Pearson was waiting for me there with a canoe.
I thought, "Oh my god, where am I?"
[water sounds]
I was wearing a skirt, I had high heeled shoes on my feet.
[percussive beats]
My first job was teaching in Sheshatshiu.
I was boarding in a trailer across the river
and I had to take the cable car to get to work.
It was a little orange box with a tiny window
to look out as you crossed the river.
Everything was so close in there;
it was the same size as a coffin.
Whenever someone from away came to visit the school,
they asked if I was from Davis or from Sheshatshiu.
I looked native to them, like an Inuit
and I didn't mind, I like them, and they're good people.
I liked how they live, I felt at home with them.
[chimes ring]
EPITACIA: I got a letter from Papa once a month or so.
I miss them of course but what could I do?
I was in Labrador on the other side of the world.
I couldn't go back.
And besides, I was enjoying it.
I remember the first time it snowed.
I went outside and held out my hands to touch the snow
and I tasted it and said, "So this is snow."
I was already falling in love I guess,
but I didn't know it yet.
[angelic music swell]
[wind blows]
[plows roar]
MAN: Hello. I'm on a flight to Nain.
EDETA: Hi. And how many passengers?
Just me.
Just you.
EDETA: When I get my letter or notice that I was approved
as a permanent residence, together with my family,
they will be joining with me.
I think that's the perfect birthday gift I ever had.
Two and a half years I got my husband and my son over.
ABIEL: I was really happy to see her and
how much she grew and how much she got taller.
Oh, thank you.
EDETA: My life is so busy; we both have two jobs.
Some people thought here, locals,
they feel that we are greedy because
some of us have two, three jobs.
It's just because some of them are helping
their family back home.
ABIEL: Math, more stuff and oh, I got homework, see?
ADETA: Do you have a test?
EDETA: When he first came to Canada, he's kind of excited and sad.
He asked me, "How about Grandma, Mom?"
I said, "I'm going to bring you first and Dad because"
"I couldn't afford to bring Grandma, but don't you worry,"
"I'm going to bring Grandma soon."
Since birth, after two months I went back to work.
It was my mom who looked after my son.
She's really close to my son, to Abiel.
ABIEL: At first, I was really sad that she went but after like a year
I kind of got over it because
Grandma was there because she's like my mom
and she takes care of me and she gives me stuff,
she disciplines me a lot and yeah.
But I still missed my mom being gone.
EDETA: My godmother told me that your mom was really like devastated
and really sad and depressed when you get a job but somehow
she understand that you need to take your son.
[church bell rings]
So since then I'm kind of wondering because my mom
loses a lot of weight.
We give her money
to go to the doctor, what she did is
to give it to her sister who is needing money
or to give it to my brothers.
At that point of her life it seems that
it doesn't matter anymore.
[boots crunch in snow]
EDETA: It was my sister's birthday, I found out my Mom is sick,
she has leukemia.
I set up an account to save money for her
and I said to my son, "Abiel, you just pray always"
"for Grandma that she will get better"
"because I'm still dreaming of having her"
"with me here in Canada, which I promised to her."
CHOIR: ♪ I was sinking deep in sin, far from the peaceful shore. ♪
♪ Very deeply stained within, sinking to rise no more. ♪
♪ But the master of the sea heard my despairing cry. ♪
♪ From the waters lifted me, Now safe am I. ♪♪
REY: There's a place here in Goose Bay,
it's a window, church window,
it's telling me something about the five jars.
The three jars are my kids
and the two jars are me and my wife.
Every time I get a chance, I'll go there.
I haven't seen my family for almost four years.
I think I'm the longest application here.
I didn't know it would take this long.
I thought I can go back, maybe just a year.
I have to secure first the paper before
I go back to the Philippines,
to have a visa.
Hi, how are you? CLERK: Hi.
CLERK: Good and yourself?
Did you find everything you were looking for?
Yes.
REY: And I thought it was okay now but didn't happen.
I wait another four months.
[uplifting music]
[Edeta hums]
KUKAI: Edeta is the one singing a song for our wedding.
I was nervous,
at the same time, happy, at the same, sad,
mixed emotion because my family is not here.
They are watching through Skype that day.
OFELIA: When the time Kukai get married there in Canada,
the time here in Philippines is 10 o'clock in the evening.
We got to sleep three o'clock in the morning.
KUKAI: I'm walking down the aisle
and a lot of people are looking at me,
they're all crying because I'm walking alone.
One of my friends is holding the laptop
and while I'm walking my mom is teary eyed.
They said, "Oh, your mom is crying."
I heard them and then I burst out crying in front of people.
I said, "Why do you say that?"
Because here in Philippines if you get married, you cannot walk
in the aisles, you walk with your father, with your mother
or your brother or your sister, together in the aisles, yes.
That's why I cry because when I saw Kukai on the computer
walking alone in the aisles, I get malungkot, malungkot.
I get sad.
KUKAI: Everything, perfect;
for me, it was perfect.
I see my mom, she was crying and happy for us.
I said, "Okay, we're going to see you soon, I promise that."
[Kukai sings in Filipino]
KUKAI: Come on, sing.
I didn't know that I was pregnant.
On our wedding day, I didn't know that.
KUKAI: Not cold?
A new chapter of my life in the first year of Kelaiah.
KUKAI: Go, fishy fishy. Come on, careful.
RENA: Go fishing, look.
Fishing with Dada.
RENA: I think it's hard for her because
she's away from her family.
Four years, but I am always away from home
because I'm an overseas worker...
KELAIAH: Some more, Mommy.
since 2000... She wants some more.
but this time having your own family,
away from home is really a big deal for me.
My Mom is not on my side especially during the time
that I gave birth to her and it was a cesarean,
so sometimes I cried, "I want my mom here."
KUKAI: Kelaiah is in the Bible in Exodus 22.
She is the one saying to people, let's gather together.
EPITACIA: So this is it.
EPITACIA: I pray for all my friends and sisters, even the dead ones,
I have to pray for their souls.
I never planned to stay here for good.
After 10 years I thought maybe it's time for a change.
So I went to Quebec.
I like it there but I didn't speak French.
I went to Saskatchewan and it was so flat.
The roads went on forever so I went to Toronto.
It was so busy; I didn't last a year there.
When I came back the third time,
I told the School Board,
"You can send me anywhere, as long as it's in Labrador."
And they sent me to Davis Inlet.
Alban was driving heavy equipment in Davis
when I taught there,
clearing snow off the runway at the Airstrip.
[dog barking]
I told him that I'm older than you
and there's lots of single girls who are also teachers
and younger than me.
That was 1984 we got married and we just finished celebrating
our 31st wedding anniversary.
[dreamlike instrumental music]
[birds chirp]
REY: When I see the message in my inboxes,
I thought it was a scam, so I almost delete it.
REY: Hello.
[muffled voice from phone]
No, a passport too.
[Rey cries]
REY: It's about visa that finally, Canada approved my papers
that my family can come here and live here.
It's a dream come true.
I will book a flight right away.
[truck engine roars]
[inspirational instrumental music]
[jet engine roars]
[people chattering]
[inspirational instrumental music]
RUBY: I missed him so much
because it's difficult to have no husband
to take care of my kids
but deep inside I'm happy because
our future will be there already.
This is where we eat together and this is my place.
When I'm in Canada someone took my place,
it's Gabriel, he took my place here.
And this is our kitchen.
Not really finished.
Closet.
We live here, we sleep together.
We're five persons here.
And we sleep maybe three of us here and two there.
After school they just sit here and talk to me on the screen.
So it's like four years we're living...
I'm living inside that screen.
This is Geremy,
my handsome son.
And he's tall now.
When I left him, he's just like this tall
but now he's taller than me.
[Rey speaks Filipino]
REY: When I'm in Canada, I always wanted to have
my son close to me.
I didn't experience this bond...
because I didn't have a father,
I didn't have a mother.
My dad died March and I was born in May
so my dad didn't saw me.
My mother at that time maybe she's confused,
maybe she don't know if she can,
she can raise me.
So, my mother gave me to my auntie,
so my auntie raised me.
My aunt is sick now in Japan, I wish I could be with her.
[Geremy speaks Filipino]
[Ruby speaks Filipino]
GEREMY: I was a bit sad and happy when leaving.
Our grandmother take care of us when we were children.
And just feeling like I was back in 10 years old
and I was thinking it was my Dad.
I'm leaving here again and it was like
feeling the same thing as before.
[soft instrumental music]
[plane engine drone]
RUBY: And then when we came here,
first time I'm nervous
because this is our new journey.
We need to have a new home.
[water babbles]
[soft guitar music]
EPITACIA: Yeah, okay, that's good.
Don't die on me, my dear one.
EPITACIA: After I came to Labrador,
I sent a cheque home to my father every
month to help put my brothers and sisters through school.
When my father was dying, I couldn't get home.
I spoke to him on the phone.
I said, "I'm sorry, Papa, I can't afford the flight."
I told him I was praying for him, that was all I could do.
I didn't get home for the funeral either.
When my mother got sick, I made up my mind;
I was flying back to the Philippines to see her.
She was old then and her mind was going.
She didn't recognize most of my brothers and sisters.
I went in to the room with her and my sister pointed at me,
she said: "Ma, do you recognize her?" "Yeah, that's Epitacia,"
"she helped a lot in our family."
[Epitacia laughs]
[contemplative instrumental music]
At least I helped them out, that makes me feel good.
EDETA: April is the time when my mom is having her chemo.
They called me, that my brother, Jacob
was rushed to the hospital.
When Jacob was dead on arrival to the hospital,
my mom's blood pressure went down.
I begged the doctor: give me one more chance to see my mom alive
and to let her feel that how much I love her.
Because the doctor first talked to me,
if I will pay them to inject her,
a medication that will keep her alive.
I said, "Do whatever you can, I'm going to pay,"
and that day I decided to go home
until my godmother spoke to me
and tell me that, "I think you need to give up your mom."
Even though she always tell me that she love me,
she's proud of me but still,
I had plans to bring her over, see?
I even give her encouragement that you should be better
because I'm going to bring you over.
ABIEL: I was really surprised and I was very sad
that someone I've been for like four years, passed away.
It was really shocking for me.
EDETA: When my mother and brother passed away, I feel God like
rejecting me that day, I even asked God why,
I questioned him.
It seems like I have everything but I don't have my Mom,
I don't have my brother.
It's hard to, to be successful but without the person that you
want to offer your success;
it didn't mean anything to you anymore.
KUKAI: This afternoon we went out to the Aboriginal Day
and we went out with Ana Beatrice and her Auntie Tootoo.
"Anaanatsiaq" language means grandmother.
ANA BEATRICE: Where's momma?
[incoherent speech]
WOMAN: What you do is you hit the drum this side, then this side.
It's important for me too, that she will be exposed to the
culture of her Dad, like the Aboriginal culture
and to my culture, the Filipino culture.
I want her to know where she came from.
That's why we call her Fil-nuit, Filipino Inuit.
RENA: Give me a kiss. Give me a kiss.
[Kelaiah laughs]
Come on. Oh.
Give me a kiss.
Love you.
KUKAI: Last month Rena's mom was arrested for protesting
at Muskrat Falls.
I'll call you after.
Goodbye. Say bye, Dad.
PROTESTOR: Tell me what democracy looks like.
ALL: This is what democracy looks like.
PROTESTOR: Tell me what democracy looks like.
ALL: This is what democracy looks like.
PROTESTORS: Make Muskrat right!
KUAKAI: Everybody knows that my mother-in-law is trying to
protect us, especially Kelaiah.
The water can be poison and people is always doing fishing
in here; that is their life, the water.
It's hard as a family, especially Rena
is working also in Muskrat Falls,
and it's hard for him.
And I know it's hard for my mother in-law that she's
protesting but her son is working at the Muskrat Falls.
But we believe in her and we support her.
[rain pours]
There are changes now, for the Filipino community.
Before, we're 50
but now I think we're almost a hundred plus now.
A lot of Filipino is good.
There's a good thing and there's a bad thing.
If a lot of Filipino's, there is a lot of gossip
from people around.
But for me it's okay, for me it's a family.
[people chattering]
EDETA: The first time Abiel was here,
he had a bit of rough time.
One day he went home crying because someone is calling
name on him like "big eyes", stuff like that.
Come on, Abiel!
ABIEL: Yeah, I was a little shy at first
but after like a couple months, I adjusted to it.
Studying isn't that hard for me.
I mean sometimes I get like a mark lower than what I want
but that's okay for me.
ABIEL: When I first went to soccer, I didn't have any friends
but then I started getting a lot of friends.
EDETA: I was thankful and blessed the Lord I have a great son
who is so smart and so understanding and loving.
They told me my mom really raised him well.
[soft instrumental music]
[ringing]
KUKAI: Hello.
Say, "Hi, Lola."
Hi, Lola.
How are you?
I'm Batman!
I'm Batgirl! Something for you.
She has something for you.
Who is that? Tita, your niece. Say, "Hi, Tita."
[both speak Filipino]
KUKAI: When I was young, I was living with my grandmother
and grandfather because Mom is working abroad too.
[Kukai speaks Filipino]
Can I talk to, our language?
[Kukai speaks Filipino]
KUKAI: I want to knew her more like now that she's different now.
RENA: Hello.
OFELIA: I miss you, I'm waiting for you.
I miss you too.
Hello.
KUKAI: We're planning to go back in Philippines
this coming December. We'll book our ticket.
We're hoping that when we come back, we come back with my mom.
KUKAI: Say, "Hi, Lola."
KELAIAH: Hi, Lola.
[jet engine roars]
[energetic instrumental music]
KUKAI: It's a big difference before and now.
But now it's really, really busy, lots of malls, everywhere.
[energetic instrumental music]
[traffic sounds]
RENA: There's a lot of people. It's crazy.
There's points there where we couldn't even walk;
We had to wait for other people
to move so we could walk.
I didn't like that part.
Yeah, it's been pretty good here,
I like it so far.
Being here in the Philippines and meeting all Kukai's family.
It's been nice.
[Man speaks Filipino]
[Everyone speaks Filipino]
[Kukai speaks Filipino]
KUKAI: I never asked my mom about her past because
I know she don't want to talk about that.
[Kukai speaks Filipino]
But I heard she'd been in Cyprus.
One time when I ask her, she told me that she went
to Japan too, but she was a singer.
[Ofelia speaks Filipino]
OFELIA: Yes, I work before, in Europe.
My kids are very young, also Kukai
but then when I come there I cannot be comfortable.
I feel sad of course.
My kids before I leave
to my mother because she very young,
my mother, that's why I leave there.
Section C, brother and sister.
KUKAI: When my mother come back home,
I remember I was 12 years old already that time.
I don't know how to feel because I don't know her.
Yeah, I know she's my Mom but there's a space between us.
I grew up without father, I didn't know him ever since.
So, I asked my grandmother where he is
and my grandmother didn't told us anything about him.
And I cannot ask my mom because
she's not here to explain everything.
It's still empty, I'm looking for something.
[waves whoosh]
That's why I ask Rena that
if we're together,
we need to work on our marriage because I don't want Kelaiah
feel the same thing.
[waves whoosh]
[upbeat percussive music]
BEATRICE: Yay!
Hi.
BEATRICE: Hi.
Sometimes she will call you Tita.
KELAIAH: Car, Mama! My car's here!
RENA'S SISTER: Okay, there's Ana.
KUKAI: Oh, you know the car.
[Rey chops]
[Ruby stirs]
GABRIEL: Miss Quigley.
Miss?
Quigley.
Quickly?
[Gabriel laughs]
Quigley. Quigley.
Quickly?
[Gabriel laughs]
REY: Quickly. Quickly.
Quickly.
Quigley.
Quig-
Q-U-I-G-L-E-Y.
Ah, Quigley.
[both laugh]
[soft instrumental music]
REY: Grethel, Gabe and Geremy, they are all good in school.
They didn't say they got bullied but I'm worried
because in social media I know there is bullying.
[bus engine idles]
Geremy, he got the 9th grade and I believe in him.
Sometimes I text him, "How's your school?
"Are you alright? You don't have any problem?"
He said, "No, why?"
[bus breaks squeak]
Ruby's schedule now is from Monday to Friday nine to one
at the Dollar Store and two to eight at the Gift Shop
at the Airport with me.
I work two to nine every day, no day off in two weeks.
[people sing a hymn]
KUKAI: So far so good, back to normal and I started to work now.
My relationship to my mom before and
now is really big difference.
When I started working abroad, I understand everything,
the hard work that she did for us.
We're hoping she can visit at least three months,
maybe before end of this year.
[Kelaiah cries]
I'm coming baby, yeah, here now, come on down.
I think now my family in Philippines is second.
And my first priority now is my now family,
my little family now, Hunter family, Rena and Kelaiah,
that is my strength now.
[soft music with chimes]
[shoes crunch in snow]
GEREMY: My parents keep saying, "Keep studying; show us some good"
"grades so you can have a better future."
I was thinking of to want to be a pilot or go in military,
like piloting a jet like that.
[choir sings]
I want to be a pilot, go around the world
so I can bring them wherever they want to.
Every time we go outside, we're still, we're so much happy.
[all laugh]
REY: We're planning to stay in Goose Bay at this moment.
We will think about this when my eldest son's going to college,
because we don't want to be apart,
we stick together.
[piano music]
[snowmobile roars]
EPITACIA: When I retired from teaching,
I bought this house in North West River.
You can see the mountains from here and the water
and the trees.
All the things I missed whenever I left Labrador
and all the things I wanted to come home to.
Jamie come. Come here.
Just a minute, just a minute, come on.
Ah, ah, ah! Come here.
EPITACIA: This dog, he is part Newfoundland dog,
part Labrador Retriever.
He was headed for the dump, this one.
Come, come, come. Jamie, come over her. come.
My godchild passed a woman on the road to Goose Bay,
and she had a litter of puppies with her.
She was on her way to the dump to drop them,
to get rid of them.
He stopped to talk to the woman as he went by and for some
reason he took one of the little dogs with him.
He got home, he called me, "Auntie Pitt, he said,
"do you want a puppy?"
EPITACIA: Sing.
[Epitacia hums]
EPITACIA: Sing.
[Jamie howls]
[Epitacia hums]
Sing.
EPITACIA: It's a mystery how we end up where we are in the world.
[inspiring instrumental music]
Provided by explosiveskull https://twitter.com/kaboomskull