Sticky remedy

The flavors of my childhood are my ultimate remedy against the blues… When all good talks fail and homesickness kicks in, there’s nothing as comforting as satisfying those sweet tooth cravings that have been nurtured for years and years. In Manila and the age of globalization, I can easily find a taste of “home” at my nearest supermarket. Nutella baguettes and madeleines won't break the bank. But there are still few items that are hard to come across and if it wasn’t for my recent trip to Europe, I would probably forget or give up on them eventually. Just another part of me I had to leave behind when i moved away... 

After a week of emotional rollercoaster because of the career change, I wasn’t too psyched about the two boxes my mom had sent over from Munich as they simply meant i had to unpack them. I was expecting mainly practical stuff for the condo; artworks, kitchen utensils, cleaning products. Nothing that could have even slightly increased my heart beat. But then, hidden in an antic pot my parents had gotten on one of their many trips, I found them. The treasures of my youth… Haribo candies! My recent stash was almost empty; this was providence! But those are not just any kind of gummibears. They are original Haribo because “kids and grown-ups love it so, the happy world of Haribo”. They come in all different shapes, colors and flavors and are simply delicious! These candies are an integral part of German pop-culture and remind me, how as a kid, I would harass my parents to buy some at the grocery store. I would save up my weekly allowance and treat myself to the newest flavors at the kiosk near my school. Fond memories… 

Armed with a new supply that should last me a couple of months, I start the week blues-less and with fresh optimism… Knowing that no matter how far I am, my family will always be somehow close to me, that no matter how much life has changed in the past years I will not forget where I came from, that no matter who I am today, I will still be who I was yesterday. Who would have thought that such deep, philosophical insights lied in tiny, sticky bears?