Inspiration

I met Jessica in Cambodia five years ago. A journalist by profession and in between assignments she was working in Phnom Penh for the Knight Foundation. Today, Jessica works for National Public Radio (NRP) out of Washington D.C.

Jessica is an exceptional woman. Her professional and personal life has impressed, inspired, and assured me in many ways.

One inspirational brainchild is this blog. It was one year ago when during my last visit to the US we shared stories. Jessica encouraged me to share my experiences online and this is what I started doing a few months later.

I’m grateful for this long-distance friendship and the opportunity to meet for dinner once a year!

New York City

I love New York. It’s not because of Alicia Keys’ praise for the “concrete jungle”, and neither through its audio-visual promotion through “Sex and the City”.

My love for the City is not just a fling. It grew over the years. During my days as an AuPair I'd go to NYC all by myself. Armed with my camera I’d spend the whole day chasing pavements and photo opts.

I walked the Brooklyn Bridge and conquered the Empire State Building. I climbed the Top of the Rock, admired the Flat Iron, and relaxed in Central Park. I went shopping in China Town, saw H&M’s first grand opening at Fifth Ave., and watched the ball drop to welcome the Y2K. I enjoyed a bird’s eye view of the New York skyline from the top of the World Trade Center one year before the towers fell.

My eyes were glued to the TV during the 9/11 events. Watching from Germany I saw the smoldering scar in my Lover's face. Five years later, I went back there. Ground Zero was a big empty spot in the heart of the City whose mood had changed.

Last year, arriving at Grand Central Station, the prominent American flag hanging from the station’s picturesque ceiling demonstrated Americans’ unchanged trust in the Nation. I felt the heightened patriotism in the face of a lingering threat that keeps on creeping from an invisible source since 9/11.

This year I explored the City with Glenn. We arrived from the south via PATH train and got off at World Trade Center station. The wounds are not just healing. They are being cosmetically removed. The World Trade Center Memorial taking shape!

Passing the massive construction site, we walked to Pier 17. We sipped our coffees in the morning sun overlooking the East River and admiring Brooklyn Bridge. What an architectural piece of art!

At 10AM sharp, we fell in line (along with hundreds of price conscious people) to get our hands on half-priced Broadway tickets. At 60$ a ticket is considered a bargain deal. The money was well invested and we had the best time watching “Rock of Ages” later that night. It was my first time to see a Broadway show! Surely not the last time!

It was Glenn’s first and my third time to see the “Bodies Exhibit”. Granted, the idea of looking at dead people does seem a bit creepy. However, the exhibit is nothing even close to a morgue. Professor von Hagens managed to display the human body and its parts and pieces in such an esthetic and interesting manner that walking the exhibit becomes an educational tour into human physique, nature, and health. I highly recommend catching a glimpse of it!

Another Home sweet Home

Not having seen your friends in one year sounds like an awful long time. In the light of today's lunar eclipse, which repeats after 372 long years, one year melts down to nothing!

So, two memorable things happened today: we got to see my friends in Stamford and, partying long enough into the morning hours, even got to see the lunar eclipse!

Stamford, Connecticut was my home for one whole year, from 1999 to 2000. Hoping to extend my great experience in the US three years earlier, my then young and naive brain figured that being an AuPair is the way to go. Unfortunately, the work experience didn't turn out to be all good. Fortunately, I entered a close-knit network of friends which made my stay not just bearable but memorable.

Luis is one of them. Today, passing by the old clubs with new names we reminisce the good old days! The days when we danced until the verge of collapse, the 3am breakfasts in the old Curley's Diner, or the all night cook outs with friends at the rooftop apartment he still rents.

Visiting my friends in Stamford feels like coming home. Another one of my homes, proofing that home can be anywhere geographically. At the end, it is the people who you are with that make you feel at home.

Chasing pavements

'Should I give up or should I just keep chasing pavements even if they lead nowhere?' Adele is asking while we drive from New Jersey through New York City all the way to Stamford, CT. Silly question with only one right answer: chase pavements! Every pavement leads somewhere and there is only one way to find out. Walk it!

Life in itself is leading only to one predetermined destination and that is our graves. I’d rather chase down as many pavements as possible before I die, take as many chances as possible to find the track that suits my personality, lets me meet the people I love, and explore the things I'm interested in. A cul-de-sac is not a disaster but a sure sign to turn around and try another route.

Life is not a means to an end. Life in itself is the end, the goal. It's not about the destination it's about the journey. I keep on chasing pavements!

Long distance long time friendship

I remember Patti's 'Sweet 16' Party. That was in March 1997 during my first trip to the US. I was an exchange student and for three weeks, I was able to explore the 'American way of Life'. During this first exposure trip, I caught the very infectious travel bug (which still keeps me wandering around the globe).

My friendship with Patti was the other great thing that came out of this simple school exchange. And, a unique one, too. Apparently, Patti and I are the only two 'host sisters' of this exchange program who are still in touch with each other. I can't believe we know each other for almost 14 years now!

Distance (USA, Philippines, Germany) and life (work, school, and other fun-disturbing commitments) limit our visits to once a year or worse.

Patti and her husband Ari made it possible for us to meet for a couple of hours today. They drove all the way from Philadelphia to Lincroft, New Jersey! Time is always too short though! The conversation never stalls and after Pizza and dessert, there are still too many unfinished topics on our catch-up list. There is always next year... and social media. See you on FB!

21st Century Travels

I am once more amazed how things always seem to work out in the Philippines. The lessons I learned during my latest trip from the Philippines to America are the following:

Lesson number One: don't panic in the face of Manila's overwhelming traffic! Manila's traffic never moves, so why should it at 4am on the way to the airport? Breathe deeply while carefully navigating your car from four lanes down to one counter flowing lane along the expressway. Watch out for the small dirty orange traffic cone serving as temporary lane divider. It's not illuminated so you might run into the oncoming traffic. Sorry, the traffic enforcer supposed to handle the cars going through that eye of the needle is out of sight.

Lesson number Two is: just keep it cool when you find out you can't check-in because you missed the latest of the United State’s security enhancing programs. Such is the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) for travelers under the Visa Waiver Program. Calmly proceed to a computer, complete your ESTA application, pay your 14$, and you are a welcomed visitor to the US just like the year before. Note to self: check the immigration regulations of the travel destination! Always! This is the 21st century and anything can change in the name of security!