I am Rafi Usop Laguialam
I was born and grew up in a peaceful neighborhood at Saudi Arabia. As a child, I was very sickly. I frequented hospitals, and worried my parents a ton. My father told me that I technically died 2 times as a child. I lived a good life though.
As a young boy, I made few friends. Being an Asian in an Arab country had its difficulties. I was bullied for being the light brown kid. Funny enough, they made fun of me by calling me Jackie Chan. But I was never one to let people step on me, I fought back. I wasn’t a problem child because my parents and teachers knew that I had a reason for fighting back.
I transferred schools in my 4th grade. Thankfully, I transferred to a local Filipino school. I then proceeded to make a lot of friends. I finally learned how it felt to be a Filipino kid. My Tagalog vocabulary improved and I fitted in pretty well. I finally had a place to fit in. Although, I began to change in bad ways and soon became a problem child for my parents. I began to do the bullying which I myself experienced. I was never held accountable, and usually got away with what I did from my school.
A few years pass, and I’m in Highschool now. I stopped bullying, well, not as much at least. In Highschool , I experienced my first love, first hearbreak, and first bunch of big struggles. These experiences shaped me to become a better person. In my third-year of Highschool, I’ve grown pass my childish behavior. I had stopped bullying, and made amends with those I’ve hurt. I joined my school’s CAT program while also playing as a student athlete. I’d say that, that was the prime of my Highschool life. I was the happiest that I’ve ever been during my time abroad, but this proved to only be temporary. Me, my brother, and my mother were to be sent here to the Philippines, and continue life here. I could not accept this and I tried my hardest to convince my parents to let us stay for one more year until I graduated from Junior Highschool. Which did not work.
Months pass by and here I am. A homesick kid, living in a different country for the first time. My first few months here were depressing. I was in a long distance relationship with my girlfriend whom I was with during my stay abroad. I did not fit in and had no friends. I was new to everything around me. All this proved to be big struggles for me. But as time passed by, I met new faces and made new friendships. I re-assessed relationships I had back then and came to realize how better my friendships here in the Philippines are. I finally became comfortable here. 3 years have passed, I learned the local dialect Bisaya and finally fit in. Although, I don’t speak it, I still understand it enough to have meaningful conversations with my friends. I feel normal now. Just like back then, I struggled, but eventually found my place. As for who I am, I am a Saudi kid.
