"Id wish upon a satellite to bring me back to you"

No, I did not fall in love with New York the first time I stepped out of the JFK airport. It just hit me in one fell swoop a few days after I arrived. I think it was the time when my dear friend took me out of Brooklyn and went straight to Manhattan, one chilly afternoon in December. Manhattan is vibrant and exquisitely chaotic. I love the diversity and random faces that it offers. I love it that New York city is not too perfect with its share of dirty alleys, police sirens screaming onto your heads, and lots of indecency going around. It is a lot like Manila, my city and more. People dont generally give a hoot about who you are or what you look like or how you sound. I will come back here because I love that it rubs off on me that feeling of proud and reckless entropy.  

Times Street

Times Street

"It sucks to be you"

photo from http://www.oll-ada.com/

When I was living in Ada OH, I would usually attend the Catholic Mass in Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Highland Avenue in Ada every Saturday  afternoon. I would normally see the same faces every Saturday as there are only a few or maybe just a couple of catholic churches in the small town of Ada.

I would always sit at the far end of the chapel. And I would notice two ladies, seemingly mother and daugther, the latter maybe be in her fortys, would likewise always sit in front of me. Although I dont want to ascribe malice or ill-intentions to strangers, it became pretty obvious after more than three times of keenly observing it, that they did not really want to shake my hand or even take a glance at me, during that portion of the Mass, when you say peace to one another. They would always, always, extend their hands to others sitting next to them and turn around to say peace to everyone sitting behind them except me. I was thinking perhaps because of my Asian features and that I was looking so conspicously and overbearingly un-local. Whatever it was, it was disorienting and affronting that at this time and age, there are still people out there who could make  you feel that you would always be an outsider and that you dont deserve to set foot in their community. If indeed there was an intention to racially discriminate one person, then, I would say nice try but crude and uncivilized people have no place to stay in the real world.

Ada Ohio

In the middle of the campus - during the middle of spring :)

near the Polar Bears football stadium

Ada Ohio will always have a special place in my heart. I hate it the first few weeks that I was there but it just grew on me as summer turned to fall. It was a liberating experience. First time I felt so alone and yet so invigorated about my present. towards my future and my life. For me, it was a journey of healing. Ada made me realize that being away from my home in the Philippines is not a challenge at all but a sweet detour that has led me to a smoother road. I wil always miss Ada.

The ubiquitous fountain at the center of the campus

a far-cry from the busy and noisy streets of Manila

Northern On Main Cafe - the only cafe and deli in Ada