Finally, the day that I have to say goodbye to the US has come. My fifty-day stay is over and I am due to fly home from the JFK airport in New York. Just when the day turns into another brand new day, I shall be aboard an aircraft waiting to take off and take me home to my country and my family that I miss terribly now.
I shall be bringing home with me wonderful memories of my stay here in the US. I shall forever remember the beautiful scenes along the highways of Southern California, Portland, Oregon, Maryland and Virginia. I shall remember the traffic in interstate and local highways which is really not so strange a phenomenon coming from a land where traffic has been a problem since the 90's stepped in or maybe even earlier. I shall remember the beautiful paintings at the Getty, Norton and the LACMA, even the naked dancers at Sinn in Hollywood. i shall have etched deeply in my mind the awesome paintings of European and American artists - from the Renaissance till the modern period noteworthy of which is a painting by Leonardo da Vinci followed by Rembrandt and the impressionist painters.
I shall remember the rain that got me soaked as I was dressed in formal attire, vest included, as two of my friends are being married in Oregon. I shall always remember that very brief stay in Seattle and the casino where I lost $20 and when my baggage and bags were left open at the hotel in Portland that prompted my good friend to fix them and had me checked out just because I could not make it on time.
I shall remember the sites and sounds and the hustle and bustle of New York, the ubiquitous wailing of sirens in contrast to the tranquility of Maryland and Virginia. Who can ever forget that wonderful Thanksgiving celebration knowing that my gratitude towards the bountiful blessings bestowed upon me by God.
I shall always remember that surprise, almost off-season snow that fell for one whole day, thinking that it was God's plan to have me experience how it is for snow to accumulate almost a foot deep as fast. And I shall always remember that chilling, icy cold feeling whenever I have to go out of the house that got me wearing several jackets to protect me from frost bite.
I shall always remember walking inside a cave without the dangers of spelunking but like I was window shopping inside a mall inside and yet it still was mesmerizing knowing that I was inside Virginia's tummy. Or that magical tour of Harper's Ferry I truly enjoyed as it was like living in the old west and where I experienced John Denver's Coutry Road, Take me Home song.
But most of all, I shall remember that amid the frigid environment, I was enveloped in heat, even warmer than any jacket could produce, caused by the love offered to me by friends and relatives. These people composed of long time friends who migrated here, grew a family with fantastic children and earning new ones, those with whom I got the pleasure to be with and enjoy their company like we have known each other for a very long time. I will never forget the warmth of friends and relatives who adopted me and went out of their way to show me their city. These people who not only gave me shelter and food but also embraced me as one of the family. i can never thank these people enough.
A warm hug to:
South California: Khriss and Nino, the Del Carmen family, Keno and family, Rikki Avecilla, Annabelle Reyes, Ochie Dionisio, Fr. Aaron Galvizo, Gloria Laven and ther clan, Cesar Chaingan, Becky Cajucoom and Vanessa Lyon
Portland, Oregon: Empol and Evelyn Ferma, Edison and Craig Cabrera Manalo, the Cabrera clan, Angela Moore
Seattle: Tess Niera and her family
New York: Froi and Leovie Diaz, Norman Gutierrez, Oswaldo de la Cruz, Jane Tuatis and her famlly, Bheng Pargas Yenko, Leon Gamboa, Jun Rupaniana and everyoone who attended that reunion party
Virginia: Gil and Rhea Lacqui, Dave and Alona Saturnino Barker, Joon Alfoonso, Bugs Datu and everybody who attended the party. Bong, Blessie and Rose Tibung
Noel and Janet Encarnacion and Mario and Au Sta Ana and her family and Jojo Santa, his wife and sister and her husband
Lastly, I would like to thank my nephew Ed and his wife Adet for embracing me with love and loving care.
Final Note:
I have always believed that once one has seen one State, it will be just the same like the others. Now that I have seen more than California and that I have experienced being in both the East and West Coasts, I can now see the very subtle differences. That each state will have its own glamore and will provide you with a lot of resources, both man made and natural. While California would be kinder to a Filipino, simply because one can see a lot of Asians and people seem to be just like who you are making me think that the whites are the minority there. Climate wise, it will be a little colder than Baguio but definitely not as cold as those where snow comes during winter time. New York is close to home in terms of the hustle and bustle of a city but it would be in the small counties in Maryland or Virginia where one can truly feel that one is in the USA! For one thing, it has four seasons and there are more whites than there are Asians. Oh well, these are my impressions, at least.
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