Nagoyaka Gaiko: “Separation, Solitude, Serendipity, and Synchronicity”
by Consul General Celeste Vinzon-Balatbat
05 March 2023, Chunichi Shimbun
Nowhere have I felt the unique family circumstances of diplomats than when I moved to Japan.
I know the drill: It’s a regular cycle of uprooting oneself and one’s family from home; adjusting to the language, culture, and work in another country; and—just when one shall have developed a regular routine and started to feel “at home”—leaving one’s host country to go back home.
There was one major difference, though: I had come here alone.
I was experiencing many firsts: isolation during my two-week quarantine period; prolonged physical separation from my family; and responsibility as head of a diplomatic mission.
I have found joy in solitude. At the same time, my family and I have learned new ways of maintaining our ties and managing our household.
Whenever possible, we schedule a family visit to one of our three locations.
Matrices and checklists are among our tools. They have helped ease our daughter into her role of overseeing the day-to-day upkeep of our home, vehicle, and pet cat: e.g., the contact details of suppliers who deliver fresh produce and grocery items to our neighborhood and a locator for important files like our medical history.
WiFi access is our lifeblood. We text or call each other and have family videoconferences—practically for free. We rely extensively on online banking and an e-wallet for payments and other financial transactions.
Our support system helps us stay positive: our extended family and other contacts in Manila, willing and able to assume some of our responsibilities and run our errands; the nurturing community in our daughter’s university; our friends and colleagues who understand our challenges and provide counsel and encouragement.
We have found kindred spirits in this journey. My friends in the foreign service are, like me, learning how best to balance personal life and career. We have had to come face-to-face with our priorities, choose from among “second best” options, and make the most of our imperfect circumstances.
As we enjoy the sight of snow and look forward to beholding the fleeting beauty of cherry blossoms, I am reminded that time waits for no one.
But while seasons of waiting are a part of our existence and teach us about patience and acceptance, waiting does not necessarily mean being idle. We use our time wisely by doing our part to realize our dreams, and still leave room in our lives for serendipity and synchronicity.
Our physical separation as a family is perhaps necessary, so we can each fulfill our destinies, grow as individuals, learn to value each other's presence in our lives, and—when we find ourselves together in the same place at the same time once again—enrich one another’s perspectives through our experiences and insights.
snow-capped Mt. Fuji in wintertime, as reflected in the waters of Lake Kawaguchiko, Yamanashi
Notes:
Philippine Consul General Celeste Vinzon-Balatbat shall leave Nagoya soon to assume her post as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Philippines to Chile, with concurrent jurisdiction over Ecuador and Peru.
A Nihongo version of this article was published in Chunichi Shimbun on 05 March 2023 and is available through this link: https://www.chunichi.co.jp/article/647399?rct=nagoyakagaikou
