The New Basuel Family Home

Hi everyone!

I am Reyn Basuel, 37 years old and currently residing in the middle east with my wife Jane and two wonderful children, Naya (12 years old) and Alek (5 years old).

Before moving to the middle east, I used to work as a Finance and IT specialist for an energy company in Makati City, Philippines. The last two years were my favourite years in that company and that was primarily due to the flexible working schedule (anytime) and the work location arrangement (anywhere).

It was a big surprise when I received an email from my present company (same industry as my previous company) and asked for a video call. This came at a time when I wasn't thinking of jumping to a different boat (anymore) and a time when everything seems to be going okay.

We just got a new car, Jane is pregnant with Alek, Naya just moved to a new school, and I am enjoying my chill kind of life - wake up late, run 5 to 8 kilometres, get back home, eat breakfast, watch news, take a bath, then login to my PC and join a conference call (or video call) either with my boss in London, or her boss at The Hague, or my colleagues in Paris, Glasgow, Krakow, Houston, Kuala Lumpur, or Makati City (which is only less than 5 kilometres away from our apartment!), no routine work, no paper works, no deliverables, reports, etc.!

Five months later, that was Christmas time, I received an urgent call - I need to fly to the middle east on new year's eve and start with my new job! I did not.

I flew 2 months later with only 2 pieces of luggage and a heavy heart - leaving behind my (very pregnant) wife, and our sweetheart Naya, and all the stuff we put together in that small apartment for so many years.

It took us one year to bring my family to join me here due to some paper issues. Nevertheless, they joined me, and here we are together again!

Paris, Summer 2017

Before there was Facebook, I used to blog on Friendster (I'm that old!) not as a hobby or anything professional, but only to kill time (I'm bored!). Then Friendster was shut down along with all the hundred pictures and my blogs. I tried to save them but the tool provided by Friendster didn't actually work.

Then I started https://rainydaysimhereagain.blogspot.com as a new home to my blog. Here is where I write different kinds of stuff - no specific category - I just write anything. Still, nothing professional. Just a personal online diary.

As soon as I left for the middle east, my blogspot didn't have any new entry. I just dont have the time or inspiration to write anything. Tried several times, several drafts, none posted. Not that there was nothing worth posting - because there's a lot - I just can't seem to get the words together.

Then I learned about Instagram (@reyn___) and it is here where I became active and continued (micro) blogging using more pictures and less words. Thanks to Jane for teaching me how to use Instagram.

Jane encouraged me several times to go back to blogging but it's like I dont feel a flame, a spark... until today.

I sat in front of the computer for a very long time not knowing what to do, how to start.

I looked at my old blogsite to see where I left off. I couldn't connect. Weird, but I really can't. It's been 5 years and I don't know how to go back and proceed typing like nothing happened. If it were a job interview and I was asked what happened during the last 5 years, I will most probably not get the job.

I thought, I'll just close Rainy Days and start with totally something new. That's not totally a bad idea, is it.

In the Philippines, we are literally the NPAs of our time - No Permanent Address (not New People's Army). Me and Jane have been renting apartments in Manila since we left the life in the province. Changing mailing addresses wasn't easy especially for banks, credit card companies, etc.

In here, we are still renting. We have already moved to 2 family houses, and prior to that and during my bachelor period here, I have lived in 2 bachelor accommodations.

Whenever we go for our annual repatriations (vacation), we either go to different countries in Europe instead of going home to the Philippines. And if ever we go back to the Philippines, we either stay in hotels, or stay with our parents' houses. Literally and figuratively - we dont have a place to call our own home.

The framed art work that I found at a thrift shop.

I thought about this for a long time while I am staring at a framed art work hanging on a wall and just above the PC.

I found this artwork at a shuf shop (thrift shop) while looking for Naya's costume a few days before we moved to our current house. There's the word "family" written in the center, surrounded by flowers, and the words "faith", "joy", "love", "friends", and "hope".

It made me realize that, yes, we may not have a permanent house, we may not have our own house, but regardless, we still have a place called home and that is our family, and we are happy knowing that wherever we are in this world, we have a place called home in our hearts, surrounded by all the blooming things that matter to us - faith, love, joy, hope, and friends - and I guess that's all we ever actually needed to make the perfect home.

Then I started typing... "At Home With The Basuels" - a place to call "our" home, our new permanent home (hopefully) in the virtual world, a place where we can write down and give you a glimpse of what goes on inside and outside of the four corners of our house, our travels and adventures, dreams and aspirations, and the ordinary and extra-ordinary things that we do together.

So here it is - https://athomewiththebasuels.blogspot.com

Sorry for the lengthy intro... posts coming very soon.

Miss you much,

Reyn