Things I Miss (The Curse of the T.C.K.*)

- Brahms Ice Cream (Bethany, Oklahoma) - Mint Chocolate Chip and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

- Typhoon rains (Manila, Philippines)

We would run around outside in shorts and t-shirts absolutely drenched. The hot tarmac would give off thick, humid and tropical scent, and it was possible to sit and listen to the sound of the rain on the roof for hours.

- Having freshly washed, ironed and folded T-shirts and jeans every single day by a loving toothless Meena (Manila). Thanks to Sema for this memory!

-Swimming in the Rhein river (Buesingen, Switzerland)

Our childhood summers were filled with barefoot walks up to the furthest point of the riverbank in Buesingen and swim down to where our hosue was. After becoming more daring, a crowd of us would get driven up to Stein-Am-Rhein bringing a floatation devise for the faint-hearted. I think the longest time it took for us to float down was 4 hours.

- Spirit Week, Faith Academy (Manila)

Every year, the school had a themed week (promoting school spirit) where everyone wuold dress up to a daily theme. There was Twin Day, half/half day.. I have so many pictures at home that I wish I could show - they're just not digital! At the end of the week we would have a massive party where everybody got involved and everybody had a good time.

- Longsight Church (Manchester)

This is my home church. It was built when I was a kid an my dad was the pastor for the first 8 years of my life (on and off). The people are just really good honest, accepting Christianis.

-Chicken Adobo (Manila)

I try to make this at home and I just can't do it! What did they put in that stuff? (to be honest, I probably don't want to know) For a whole year during 8th grade I would feast on this with a massive Mountain Dew to wash it down in the canteen at Faith Academy.

-All of my friends from Faith Academy (Manila)

There is no way that I can see most of them again. All of us have scattered around the world in places that I won't ever be able to afford to visit. When I do go back to visit Faith Academy it will not be the same place I remember.

-Sledding (Switzerland)

Sledding was a staple Christmas acitivity. I was home-schooled for a year by my mom and we would sometimes use ENBC's library as my school room. The library had wall to wall windows, where a 12-year-old child Rachel found it very difficult to concentrate on anything other then how fast I could get my sled to go, and what kind of humps I could create to skip over. It was not a constructive 5th grade winter term.

-Being with all of my family members at the same time.

These are just a few of my thoughts whilst sitting here at work. A lovely way to escape and remember things so far away from this civilised English world I live in.

*TCK: "refers to someone who [as a child] has spent a significant period of time in one or more culture(s) other than his or her own, thus integrating elements of those cultures and their own birth culture, into a third culture".^(Wikepedia)