Closing the Jessica saga Manila-style

I was debating with myself whether to post this in my pop culture analysis blog since it will be full of that kind of media commentary or if I should post this in my inner-chever travel blog since it actually details travel stuff. But no, it's a bit personal, so hence, here we are. And sorry, this one's gonna be a bit longish.

Before the week ends, I just want to close the chapter on the AI-saga-Jessica-Sanchez-edition that has the country up and at 'em since the time this little birit girl showed her fighting chops to the yoo-es-op-ey and wherever it was beamed. As we all know, her mother hails from the Philippines and her father is of Mexican descent. Two huge, huge "minority" populations in America these recent years, one more visible in media (them) than the other (us). And yes, I said us, because whether Jessica likes it or not, part of her heritage will be claimed by those of us here where half of her blood flows. Never mind her official allegiance to the stars and stripes or if she hasn't set foot here yet. Most of us who still need postcolonial validation (or are looking for post-postcolonial armor, just in case, for whatever...) will always chalk one up the scoreboard for the home team, despite the non-home court advantage. I mean hey, haller, Tia Carrere, Lou Diamond Phillips, Apl De Ap, that guy from Glee, The Azkals? Too many to mention. Basta may dugong Pinoy, Pinoy pa rin. O siya, sige na nga, sabi ko. Tango na lang. May tama naman teh.

I don't know about you but I followed this rather melodramatic saga perpetrated by American Idol and bought it hook, line and sinker (or just parts, depending on what you want to admit) as it was broadcast to our part of the archipelago week in and week out. I was never a fan of AI and never stayed on to watch a whole season, half a season or even a quarter, but somehow, I found myself watching at least half of this season, when I saw this little girl from a town in San Diego, California sing her heart out like her talent just came directly from the heavens. Boses na tinubuan ng bata is what I could say. Wagas ang baga, teh, wagas! 

I don't know what's with this Fil-American that I stayed to watch. There were previous Fil-Ams naman who made it to the cut before, all equally great. But maybe this is what's called that unquantifiable "x-factor" I've been hearing all my showbiz life, that special ooomph that one person has that you can't quite pinpoint where it's coming from, why it's there, or how it actually emanates from her person. Basta meron 'yun, 'yun na 'yun. Ganun.

But with this one, I think it's more personal, as I said. This is because before, while watching AI, I never experienced America for myself -- until two years ago. 

And that was when it became personal for me, this AI saga, this "battle of the sexes" and then "battle of the races" and then "battle of the genre musicians" or whatever. People have differing opinions about this, but I can't help but think that it has something to do with race. Yes, at least a little bit. No, not necessarily POC-ish versus the great white male-ish type of discourse, no. Well of course there's also that, but everybody knows that already as it's very obvious anyway. My concern is more of inner POC-ish: people of color discourse to mean just being a Filipino or of Filipino descent in the land of the white people. Well, majority are white anyway, but hey, they say it's multicultural, a melting pot. Well, it depends on where you heat that damn pot anyway, as I saw. Molten? Or clotted? Hm.

 It doesn't take an Einstein to figure America out sometimes. 

Di ba Albert? (April 2010 Griffith Observatory LA)

I stayed for about a month and a half-ish with my sister, herself a certified Fil-Am already, in 2010. She lived in Central California then, which, to my observation, could also qualify as "middle America," that term we kept on hearing when it came to Jessica's ultimate contender, white-guy-with-guitar Phillip Phillips. And how does middle America look like? Well, to put it simply, it looks as white as the clouds in the sky. In central Cali, there were a lot of white folks (at that time I was there, they comprised 80 percent-ish), second are brown-skinned Hispanic folks in the 13 percent-ish mark, maybe majority are Mexicans I presume. (And how do I know? I hear it in their English accent, being familiar with it thanks to US pop culture, and also because they speak Spanish when their backs are turned to me, or even when they're facing me.) And then, there are the other folks, Filipinos included (lumped as Asians in the 5 percent-ish peg). I never saw much Pinoys there except when there were birthday parties where my sister got invited to, and these Pinoys are/were part of the health care workforce where she now belongs as well. And come to think of it, I didn't see much African-American folks there as well, at least in her part of town (sadly, the census lists them in the 1 percent-ish peg). Hm. Welcome to middle America, California style. Akala ko dati, 'pag sinabing California, melting pot din like New York. Damn wrong.

 Middle California on a Farmer's Market day. 

(April 2010 San Luis Obispo, CA)

We were lucky because we got treated well by these Pinoys. I keep on hearing tales of Pinoy vs. Pinoy plots in the US from my relatives, friends and colleagues before, and I guess that also happens to other people, right? But just the same, it saddens me that I see Pinoys out there who painstakingly conceal their heritage in order to assimilate. I don't blame them if they opt for that strategy, as it is part of their own personal journeys. It just saddens me to realize it, that's all -- and to hear it and see it for myself.

Yes, it is quite a valid strategy especially if fellow Pinoys and/or their friends/guests would label you some slightly racist thing, like being an FOB. Before, I used to hear the "fresh off the boat" term as a derogatory remark for someone who just landed in the US regardless of race, but it mostly pertains to people of color who had to ride a boat in order to get into their land. In one of those Pinoy birthday parties, somebody asked me that, as an attempt to make conversation and also an attempt to be funny-witty. "So," he said, "Are you also newly transplanted here, like an FOB..." When he saw my face wince, he backtracked a bit and said "You... know... fresh... off... the boat?"  Needless to say, both attempts failed, and in order to stop talking with him, I turned to the family dog and played with it. And helped myself to more barbecued ribs and lumpiang shanghai on the table. I'd rather eat than talk to that fool. My thought bubble: kuya, hindi ka cute so shut up.

This I hear from a fellow Pinoy. But another approach I hear from this white girl who gave me a Justin Bieber-ish do at Supercuts:
"So, where are you from originally?"
"From Manila. The Philippines. I'm visiting my sister."
"Oh, nice. Does she live here already?"
"Yes, she does."
"And are you also thinking of moving here, too?"
"Well, maybe, eventually."
"Oh, it's nice here. You should think about it. Also nice to be with family."
"Yeah, actually..."

Well, maybe I have to think that she had to be nice to me because I was a customer and hence a potential tipper but regardless, her niceness hit home more than that FOB dude. Di ba?

 Pinoys about (down)town. I see white people. They're nice naman. 

(March 2010 Paso Robles CA)

My Superfriend D in LA, already staying there in Cali for about 7 years now, also had a lot of stories like these, as she told me stories of newly-transplanted Pinoys who spoke as if their American twangs had no tomorrow or whatever, and painstakingly covered up their proximity to the Philippines. One of my favorite stories of hers involved this Pinay that she met in a line at the bank or somewhere like that, and they struck up a conversation which went like this:

"So you studied college in the Philippines or here?" my friend asked.
"Oh, naw, naw, I feeneeshed college there, ya know, like, uh, een Ley-truhn, ya know?"
And my friend was like, Leytruhn? Leytruhn? San 'yun? Aaaahhhh putangina, LETRAN! Leche. So she continued asking, "So how long have you been here in the US?"


"Two years."
And my friend was like, putangina two years pa lang, ganyan na magsalita??? 
And my reply, "May tawag d'yan ngayon sa Pinas teh: tumbling!" 


Hahaha I love my superfriends! Daotera maxima! 

Pinoys in the US, at least those I encountered on a random basis, always gave mixed signals as to whether they will reveal their Filipino-ness or not to fellow Pinoys even if they are already sure that the others are Pinoy na nga. And this always baffled me. Well, maybe we all have our reasons, but still... Whereas when it came to Mexicans, at least the ones I saw, they were always ready to connect with them as fellow Mexicans (or anyone of Hispanic descent perhaps) and the way they do that is with the language reveal: they converse in Spanish. 

How do I know this? Because while in downtown LA, my Superfriend D excitedly took me to a busy intersection where some Hispanic people were selling fresh fruits in a food cart thingie. And when the elder female seller saw us looking at the fruits and deciding which to mix-up and buy, she started speaking to us in Spanish, maybe mistaking our Asian brown skin as alike with hers, and asked us what we wanted and how many. And I understood this because my working knowledge of Spanish covered those questions, so I was able to answer her in Spanish as well. But when Superfriend D's girlfriend, a non-Filipino speaking Fil-Am, said "But I don't speak Spanish..." that was when the seller started speaking in English and smiled her sorry at her.  Still, my point is that the seller, of Spanish-speaking Hispanic descent, never gave it a second thought whether to reveal her non-white-speaking identity to strangers. But Pinoys are a different story.

 Las frutas son deliciosas. Como mi? Ahihihi. 

(April 2010 Downtown LA)

When I was about to go home, I was trying to look for chocolate souvenirs at a candy store inside the San Francisco International Airport. The huge store only had one other customer lurking around, and only two female workers were inside the store. Obviously, they were Filipino because they were talking in Tagalog. So when I approached them, I kindly asked something in Tagalog as well, smiling upon the recognition of kababayans there. But when they faced me, they gave me an icy stare and started addressing me in business English with an American twang. When I inquired again in Tagalog, the cashier again answered me in business English with a twang, this time with a matching simangot sa fez. So obviously, she can understand me but can't speak to me in our language? Or my bad, maybe there is an airport worker rule where you can't speak to anyone other than English? I don't know; maybe that's it, and I shrugged it off. 

But no, wait. When I first landed, the lola I talked to about my luggage suddenly started speaking to me in Tagalog when she saw that I was from the flight from Manila. (Me: Excuse me, where do I claim my luggage? Lola: Ay andito na, itinabi ko na nung nakita ko. Kunin mo na lang. Ito 'yung sa iyo di ba?) And then the other lolos there working at the airport also talked to me in Tagalog. (Lolo: Kailangan mo ng cart, hija? Me: Di na po lolo, salamat. Lolo: Okay sige.) So hmm, I dunno about those two candy store peeps.

 Buti pa si Dora, chikadora. 

(April 2010 Universal Studios LA)

Or maybe it depends on the situation my friends and I encounter with fellow Pinoys. But the tendency is to be quiet in a big crowd and then decide later if they will reveal they are Pinoy or not, when the "need" arises. And it's funny that one "need" arose when my sister and I were in Universal Studios.

I had this brilliant idea of trying on that scary horror place walk thingie feature there at the theme park since, I thought, being a film person, I can shrug it off to just people being in prosthetic make-up in a set with fabulous working props. But no. In the middle of that damn scarefest, we found ourselves stuck in the middle because there was this small group -- like two young kids, two guys our age, and a hubby-wife couple -- huddled closely there in between some mummy thing and some vampire thing or something, scared-funny shitless and trying to push each other to walk by the monsters first hehe. At first, they were speaking in low voices, but my sister and I picked up the language: mga Pinoy. So we walked past them and tried our darnedest to be brave and ran through the monsters, speaking in Filipino like tara na aaaay punyeta takbo na bahala na si batman waaah tao ka lang na naka-costume leche panget moh eeeek! And when the small group heard me and my sister yakking, they also started yakking loudly this time, and yes, in Tagalog. So when we ran, they ran after us. Ayan, instant Pinoy bonding inside that damn scary place! We even cajoled with them as we joked later on that they should be the ones to go first and all. Takutan na baga, or bayanihan na sa pagiging brave kahit takot hahaha. So ang ending, sabay-sabay kaming tumakbo palabas at yehey, success! Lecheng scary walk.

I told you not to go, you go. Now look at. 

(April 2010 Universal Studios LA)

Another incident like this happened on that scary horror elevator ride somewhere in Disneyland naman. We were all gathered first in the lobby area of this elevator ride, and then there was this scripted horror host talking to us etc etc. And everyone was a bit quiet and listening to the spiel. Pero dahil sinapian na naman ni Vice Ganda ang lola mo, komentaryo galore ako dun in between the spiels hehe, also to calm my matatakutin self. Before we entered that lobby area, my sister and I were just yakking away in Filipino, and we just saw some people at the back stealing glances at us, for unknown reasons. I thought they just found us noisy, so we shut up na lang. But when the spiel in the lobby said "And now, you will enter this area where guests haven't been seen for 150 years now..." or something like that, I commented "Hmp kaya naman pala ang baho ng slight ditich!" And then I heard people snicker at the back. Pan left lola mo, zoom in to see that group staring at us outside, staring at us again. I just smiled at them and they smiled back. Alam na!

 Define motion sickness, beks. *guwaaark* 

(April 2010 California Disney Adventure Anaheim)

Of course these are small but maybe insignificant stories I experienced (and there are more examples but I think I'll leave some for another time), but it somehow characterizes the experience I felt when I was there, on how it is being a Pinoy in that land, regardless if you just stepped in, have been immersed for a while, or born and raised there already. Somehow, I think we Pinoys are shy to recognize each other on an ordinary day. But of course we raise our flags and wave them high on special days, like during a Manny Pacquiao fight, or this AI. 


And this is why I got attached this time to this particular season of AI. Jessica reminded me of those days, of those moments, and how I felt as a person in America, as a Pinoy in America, as a Pinoy encountering Pinoys in America. Ewan ko ba, medyo kakaiba lang talaga. And this is also why I haven't written much about that trip for so long; I'm still trying to figure out the whole experience, and perhaps where I belong in the greater scheme of things that this thing is somewhat implying. What that that is, well, I have yet to figure that out as well.


And this is why it also warmed my heart when I saw the footage of Pinoy voting parties in the US, where global Pinoys would gather and bring potluck food, watch AI and cheer on Jessica, and then text-vote to death.To a certain extent, I got it, and also felt it. I was like "Sana andiyan din sa mga party na 'yan si Leytruhn girl or sina Ate Airport Worker,  nakiki-text and cheer dahil magaling ang dugong Pinoy na singer na 'yun. At saka 'yung mga shy magsalita o magkomentaryo na Pinoy, sana nakikisigaw na rin sila na manalo si Jessica." Sana, 'no? Sana. 

But of course hindi ko rin nilalahat siyempre. There are those born and raised there who are into knowing their roots and all, coming here to the country on their own and trying to find their spot in the universe as Filipinos, mga ganun. But it is quite hard to peg just what a Pinoy is these days, di ba, or whether we are still proud of that thing called "being Pinoy" regardless of what happens to us and what we experience outside the Philippines. Of course, I know a lot of us are proud, but sometimes, it takes a while for that to surface.

Hanging out with my homies: temporary Pinoy Emil from Oz and 

Fil-Am Freddy who said people treated him more like Am here 

but back home he's seen more as Fil. Go figure. (June 2011 Baguio City)

Take it from the different reactions we gathered about this saga. There are those who shrugged AI this year, there are those who watched it like a hawk. There are those Pinoys there who laughed at Pinoys here for feeling sad that Jessica didn't make it. My Fil-Am tita commented that America, her homeland, isn't ready for a Filipino superstar yet daw. There are those who say that it is American Idol after all, so what is the real face of America ba talaga? Well, this is where the bigger race card discourse gets thrown in, but again, I don't think I wanna go there because it is quite obvious already. Yeah, maybe middle America won, but I am thankful that at least, for a season, some little girl with a big voice galvanized a lot of Pinoys/Pinoy-descended people like her and cheered altogether, at the same time, with pride.

Isang tagay para sa dugong Pinay. (May 2012 Marikina)

Yeah, okay na ako doon. So salamat, Jessica, at nagawa mo iyon. Now go out there and sing your heart out -  to the world pa rin. And with that, we close this chapter na.

sentimentality slippage #007

Yes, I admit, I miss (eating) ice cream.

Cold Stoning with my sister somewhere in San Francisco
(California, USA / March 2010)

Ah, so many flavors, so little time! Chos.

And the winner is... me!

And I was able to rationalize why. I think. Read about it here in my travel+foodie blog Lamyerda.

senses sensing

The smell of freshly-cut grass permeates this early afternoon as I type beside the window here in my usual writing nook inside my rainbow reading room, several floors above ground. But I have no indoor or balcony garden. So where is that smell coming from? Beats me.

catching summer sunrises at home
april 2010

There is a huge house beside this side of my condo where I live but there's no grass to cut there. I can see from where I am, yes. I am a peeping tom like that. But nothing kinky, unless someone walks out of their second floor veranda and parades him/herself in some kind of pervy fashion.

Rain should be the one I should smell since it rained quite a few times last night (and I'm guessing early this morning), ruining an early evening plan of trying to go back to my sports park walking routine before the monthly curse arrived. Haven't been able to do anything active, fitness-wise, since last Saturday's (almost) three-class marathon at Fitness First at ABS-CBN branch. No, I'm not a member but my fitness freak friend is, bless her. I'm her guest. After, we drink san mig lite by the bucket(s) and feast on our favorite adobong litid fare, usually at Cubao X. But since we were in the ABS area, we just sampled some new place there, for a change in atmosphere.

*

Yes, still down with dysmenorrhea, the leaflens version, which is instead of having cramps in my puson area, my lower back is the one killing me, hence alaxan is my best friend. And hence, I stay put. Day one of UP registration should be today but it's always an easy day -- seniors and freshies -- during the first day. I'll just go there tomorrow when the real battle begins -- the enrollment of the second and third years. Wish us luck.

And I also have a lot of things on my plate right now, ideally to finish before the weekend comes, since weekend will be a different thing for me, up to a few days, due to an upcoming project I have to attend to. But here I am, blogging. Hm.

I've discussed this curiosity with two of my friends in the past, that whenever I seem to be having a deluge of things to do on my to-do list, which need to be faced immediately, I stop and write, mostly blog. Escape? Procrastinate? Hm not really. I found out that those friends also experience the same thing: one immediately watches movies in a marathon at home, DVDs. The other consumes books, one after the other. Funny that. Me, I write. Hm. What gives?

*

Skies are dark now. In the distance, a low rumbling is coming from the horizon. Another landfall might be upon us here in a few. I'm anticipating it so that I have something fresher to inhale today. The rain breeze somewhat calms me, when I'm inside my home. I don't know why.

But the stars are reminding me, once again, to focus.

Taurus Horoscopes

(Apr 20 - May 20)

Wednesday, Nov 3rd, 2010 -- You might feel conflicted today as your high ideals pull you one way while the practicalities of your current obligations pull you another. If you let your responsibilities slide, you may not be able to take time off to enjoy yourself. Keep in mind that complaining won't help. Don't put off your work; stay focused and accomplish as much as you can.

Okay. That, I will. After this.

*

Well, if there's one thing I miss right now, it's my time loitering around California with my sister and friends, and before that, my time loitering around New York with friends as well.

catching the salinas sunset
at the central coast of california
april 2010

I have yet to write about those two wonderful months, so many insights, thoughts, feelings unprocessed. Much talked about, but not jotted down. Hm, I really wonder why...

I guess it's because verbalizing mere thoughts would make the feelings behind them very real. Honest feelings. Vivid feelings. Perhaps I'm not yet ready to face a few of those honesty and vividness. Thus, they are left unspoken in written word.

Ah, hesitations. Well...

*

a street sunset silhouette in greenwich village
march 2010

What would it take for a person to just up and leave a nest to hopefully cocoon themselves in another nest somewhere out of their comfort zones? This earth sign person is having a hard time dealing with such thoughts, even if this double oxen has been nomadic in her "rootedness" all her life. Oxymoron? Paradoxical? You label it. I'm tired of labels, sometimes, especially as applied to me. Even if those labels purposefully work for me as well.

Ah. Dramatic irony. We live it.

Daily.

*

Friends have been flying the coop for love. It's always about love. It has to be about love. It always was. But is that the only thing that will make us move? Perhaps this is where that song "love makes the world go round" got its lyric. We became transnationals due to our heartbeats. Why is that? And is that the only kind of beat that will make this national go transnational?

As the now preggy Alanis once sang, these are the thoughts that go through my head...

*

Well, don't mind me. I'm just rambling. So many thoughts, so little time. Need to focus on what to write for work stuff, so I have to park these other thoughts somewhere else, somewhere where others could possibly give feedback, in order to help me process some of these thoughts, perhaps. Perhaps.

Feel free to comment.

As for my other focused thoughts, I'll be populating my other blog horcruxes in the coming days. Probably after next week, when the activities ease into my life again as the second semester begins and I face new work challenges ahead of me. For now, this will do.

"maalikabok sa pilipinas!"

That is what my Mum always says whenever I complain about things whenever I clean my condo. "Maalikabok sa Pilipinas! Di ka na nasanay." I always complain because I keep the windows closed yet dust still settles in. Kakapunas ko pa lang ng mga surfaces, mamaya andyan na naman ang alikabok. Asar. At least the bedroom is now somewhat dust-free ever since we have been using the aircon we had installed to combat the summer heat. But the rainbow reading room is another story.


That's my writing nook or as my transpinay friend said, rename ko daw na "writing fort" o fortress ba? Something like that. This is inside my other room sa condo, the one I labeled rainbow reading room because it's my library and writing nook/fort and there's a huge, huge rainbow flag up there as decor.

Since I came back from my two-month vacation in the U.S., it's only now that I was able to fix this up, one month after I came back, actually. Since it's hot in here during the summer, I can't do any writing here. But now that the weather is somewhat cooling down due to the occasional rain showers in the metro, it's starting to be comfy again.

I can't decide what to put in the white areas, though. I'm thinking of a collage of sorts from brochures, souvenirs and flyers I collected from my travels but the rest of my U.S. loot still has to be shipped here via mail by my sister. I left a lot of things, including pasalubongs, for fear of being charged extra for overweight baggage. For now, this will do. At least I was able to bring with me some of the brochures of shows we saw in New York, like that planetarium space show at the American Museum of Natural History and some cards from Birdland. My NY-based superfriend K mailed me her Polaroid prints of our Venice Beach lamyerda during our LA Easter vacay, so I used select shots and put them there. I also have two cool ref magnets I bought in Hollywood which I just put on the white board temporarily until I decide who to give it to as pasalubong. Then there's one of the rainbow hologram posters I bought at the MoMA store. I actually have two of that, one of which I'm giving to a friend when we see each other soon.

In school, I also redecorated my faculty room when I went there yesterday, and the front wall of my desk now looks like this:


East meets west in this arrangement, as east pertains to those six cute illustrations I got from my friends in India while that huge crazy one there is from the MoMA stuff which publicizes Tim Burton's awesome, awesome exhibit there. There's also that small rainbow flag I bought at a shop in Christopher Street at Greenwich Village and that Liberty clock I bought in NY's Chinatown. There's also that cool Newton's balance display which demonstrates the "for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction" law which my sister bought for me at the Griffith Observatory near LA. Plus of course that old strip of 16mm test film from the unused footage of my undergraduate film thesis.

Coping, cleaning, cleansing. That's the drama of this day. We're just finishing our cleaning errands then it's off to our latest neighborhood cafe/resto favorite for early dinner. Then maybe catch Sex and the City 2 at the nearby cinema. Let's see.

Ah, this is a good Friday. have a happy weekend everyone! I know I will. :)

of Manila movie marathons and looking for American moviehouses

new blog post up at my film horcrux Leaflens Takilya.

click here to see what i think of going to movie houses in America as compared to having movie marathons in manila.

double time zoning

weird. workaholic daw ako pero mahilig rin mag-relax. sabi ng stars sa akin today:

General Daily Horoscope Influences

The hardworking Virgo Moon won't let us relax too much today as she forms an uncomfortable sesquisquare with the Sun. Meanwhile, three planets in sensual Taurus encourage us to take it easy. Fortunately we're able to overcome the temptation to forget about our chores when Venus creates a well-balanced trine with responsible Saturn. It may actually feel good to put in that extra effort, especially later when we have the satisfaction of a job well done.

April 24, 2010

Happy Birthday
Libay Cantor

Today ...

Treat yourself to all the things you like, but remember that moderation is the best way to avoid the consequences of having "more than enough"!

Your Taurus Horoscope:

Today you could be a formidable opponent, not that you are leaning toward any sort of conflict, aside from a competitive sport. It's just that your patience and determination can wear someone down who stands in your way. Your strength comes from your ability to avoid an argument even if there's a difference of opinion. Don't push too hard; gentle persuasion will now work in your favor better than any other approach.

ayuz. customized? nah. i think this is the taurean reading for the day. but it's cool.

as i write this, my birthday day is almost over in manila but here in california, it's just starting. it's weird to be in two time zones celebrating your birthday like that. i dunno. it's like i have one foot on both sides of the world -- which is what i literally have been thinking the past few weeks i've been here. basta. long story hard to tell.

schmoozing with marilyn monroe
at universal studios

it has been a blast. the celebration came early with my sister treating me and herself to a theme park overload at disneyland and universal studios in los angeles early this week, not to mention the last minute visit to the griffith observatory before driving back home. it was the time of her long vacation from work. so now, i'm just relaxing here while she's off to work again. no big deal. super-happy na 'yung mga pasyal days namin dito anyway, at ang super-pig out sessions at lafangan galore everywhere. ayuz.

dumi-disney naman

it's nice to take a break din pala, pero i'm also excited na rin to go home. i fly back to manila next week. mami-miss ko itong easy relaxing time dito sa apartment ng sister ko. pero may plan kaming trip next year hehe so at least magki-kitakits ulit kahit papaano, hopefully every year na. well, let's see what happens. basta. long story hard to tell.

astronomy geek at the
griffith observatory woot!

ang sarap lang magsulat ng maraming bagay tungkol sa trip na ito, but i'm reserving that for when i go home na lang. i just want to absorb things here and breathe the air and soak in the weather and all that jazz. i know the kind of stress that's waiting for me when i return, and i am trying to psyche myself up for that.

closest best shot of the hollywood sign
from a hiking trail in front of it

but one thing's for sure: i'm glad i went on this trip. i should travel more often talaga. it unclogs the senses, especially the mind and the soul. oh yes, now that i'm 37, i'm ready for a whole new year, dude. bring it on!!!!

california dreaming

every film major's dream destination...



now you know what i did last easter.


more coast to coast adventures soon.