Color

After a year, I had my hair dyed again. 

The state of my hair usually did not bother me. However, seeing all those white hair adorning my head is reminding me of the incidents why I got them in the first place.

I noticed that when I get stressed out, aka, worried, they all come out in full force. It reached the point that even my eyebrows are sprouting white hair. 

That's why my first main agenda when I went on block leave was to have my locks colored. It was liberating, of some sort--like a clean slate.  Also had a cut as well, to stave off those unruly curls. 

Next on the agenda, is to visit my dad. 

Block Leave

I've been taking block leaves (vacation leave for at least 5 days--10 days for other companies) ever since I started working for banks but this is the first time in ages that I get to post about it.

I remember that in my early days of working, I would look forward to these days as it would be time for me to destress and do some self-care stuff. But for the past several years, it just meant that I can work from home (even when I was in the US, I was still working!).

For this year's block leave, I ensured to schedule an out-of-the-country trip with my eldest so we can bond. It will also force me to "disconnect" from work which I really need to do badly to regain my peace of mind. 

Work has consumed me a lot ever since I joined my current employment--not that I'm complaining. I had to prioritize things, that's why blogging, which I used to prolifically do in the past, took a back seat.  

Whenever I'm on break, I'd do things such as:

1. Spend time with kids.

2. Self care: 

    a. Watch KDramas or whatever series that I'm hooked on (come think of it, I also haven't updated my Kdrama blog in a long time)

    b. Go to the salon or have a massage

    c. Go window shopping

2. Clean

3. Bake or make kimchi

Day 11 - Barbecue at the CT Smith Residence

The day after the party, Sunday, everyone got together again at my mom's CT residence. After hearing mass at the nearby Catholic Church, the grill was lit and hotdogs and burgers were grilled. There were ribs too! Americans do really love their barbecue.

It was also a chance for everyone to use the pool that was recently installed. If you notice, their pool is installed above-ground which is more suitable in their area. Their explanation was that a below-ground pool can crack during the winter months and could be more expensive to repair. At least with the former, you just empty out the water and leave it as is when the snow comes.

The backyard was really nice as not only did they have a pool for the adults, but there was a kiddie pool too AND a sandbox. My niece, Madison, for some reason, threw sand into the kiddie pool.



Here's the pool and the gazebo:



I wasn't able to take a picture of the grill with the dozens of hotdogs and burgers that were cooked that day. Plus of course, the cans of soda and beer!

The last guest left at around 5PM. We're riding with my sister back to Avenel and we decided to leave late at night to hopefully avoid traffic. Unfortunately, traffic was still heavy even after leaving at 8PM. It took us 4 1/2 hours to get home--which was 2 hours more compared our travel time 2 days prior.

As my sister had work the next day, Leo drove the other car to give my sister the chance to rest.

Day 10 - Party Reception at the Mystic Hilton Hotel

When we got to my mom's house in Connecticut after a 2 1/2 hour drive and we got settled for the night, I found out to my horror that I was not able to pack certain clothes which I needed for the party. So when we woke up the next morning, which was the day of the party, I asked my mom if she could bring me to the nearest store where I could buy what I needed.

She took me to the Navy Exchange at the nearby Submarine Base where I bought my required clothing. She even bought two Ipad 2s which were the last 2 pieces available at $10 off the retail price and tax-free to boot. Too bad we already bought our Ipad at the Apple store in Menlo a couple of days before.

We went back home before lunch and everyone tried to get ready (our other relatives were checked in at the nearby hotels) for the party tonight.

The party was an Affirmation of Vows for my mom and her husband, Russell. It was a chance for Russell's family to get to know my mom's clan as they did not have the chance before. It was also a celebration of my mom's 60th birthday (of course, they didn't announce her age during the party).

Here's a group picture of our family:



From L-R (standing): Claudine (my twin sister), Jeff (my brother-in-law), yours truly, Leo, Eldica (Russell's daughter-in-law), Patrick (Russell's son), Christian (Russell's grandson)
From L-R (seating): Liam (Claudine's son), my mom, Russell and Madison (Claudine's daughter)

It was also the first time that I saw some of my relatives who I haven't seen for the longest time. It was also the first time that I attended an event at a Hilton Hotel. Unfortunately, the DJ/host that we got leaves much to be desired. She doesn't know what songs to play and did not even dress properly. The line dancing was better during my godson's christening party.

The party ended at around midnight. When we stepped outside the hotel, it was foggy and really cold! Apparently, I'm the only one who felt the cold. Everyone was used to the chilly weather already.

There will be another party the next day and a chance for everyone to get together again before everyone leaves for their respective homes across the East Coast.

Day 7 - Washington, DC (2nd day)

Waking up and early the next day, we decided to have breakfast at the Inn and check out and head out to explore the city some more.

Our hotel payment comes includes free continental breakfast. Being a converted apartment, breakfast was served at the ground floor where you share the big table with other guests. We also shared breakfast with the hotel cat who is just so cute and cuddly.



We checked out afterwards and tried to find the train station. When we passed by a local McDonald's, I could not help but go in and buy another breakfast meal. Somehow, the continental breakfast that we had earlier did not hit the spot. Besides, I wanted to know if it tastes the same as what we have back home.



After finishing that meal, I learned afterwards that there's not much difference as what we have back home.

We finally found the subway station after a few more blocks. Here's what the station looks like. I like the architecture.



We got off the station near Capitol Hill and the Library of Congress. After a short discussion, we decided to see the Library of Congress first. I knew I have to see this place being the mecca of book lovers everywhere.

There was a short line entering the premises as we had to go through a metal detector and security inspection. It was difficult as we were carrying our backpacks with us. We entered through the first floor and found ourselves in the Great Hall. We took pictures including me all giddy and excited.





We tried going into the main reading room where all the books are located (and where Nicolas Cage shot a couple of scenes in his film National Treasure: Book of Secrets. But there was an ongoing tour so we decided some other parts of the building.

One thing I love about the Library is that you can get a "passport" before you start your own tour. At each exhibit that you visit, you insert your "passport" inside a machine which automatically logs your visit. Afterwards, you access a certain website where you can virtually recall all the rooms that you saw during your tour.

After going through the rooms (and getting lost in the basement), we tried going back into the main reading room. Unfortunately, we were not allowed to take pictures so I just had to make do with a picture on the steps leading up to the balcony of the reading room.



When I got to the balcony, I just stood there and took it all in. Books everywhere! The book lover in me wanted to scream out in delight, but I just stood there until tears started pricking my eyes. It's such a beautiful sight and so far, it's the most heart-tugging sight that I have ever seen.

I searched the web and found a picture of what I saw, this is what the Main Reading Room looks like from the balcony:



(Thanks to the DC Traveler for that picture)

From the Library, we took a short detour at the Cannon House Office Building where I dropped off a couple of postcards. I saw different offices of US Representatives. When I told my husband it and mentioned seeing the office of a certain Nancy Pelosi, he asked if I saw her and said that she's the Speaker of the House. If I've known that earlier, I would have exerted extra effort to peek into her office.

After the Library, we walked to the Smithsonian and entered the National Museum of American Indian.




The second picture is the roof of the building from the Potomac Atrium.

Taking into consideration the recommendation of Leo's boss, we ate at the museum's restaurant the Mitsitam Native Foods Cafe. Leo ordered cold tomato soup and fried bread while I got pork Soft Tacos. Both are just SO yummy!




Our train was not due to leave until 2PM so we had time to spare. We went around the museum again and crossed The Mall again to go into the National Gallery of Art. Here's a nice picture of The Capitol.



And here's Leo posing on the steps of the National Gallery of Art.



We were asked to leave our bags in the coatroom. Believe it or not, this is the room beside the baggage place. Makes you want to sit on the sofa and get comfortable.



Posing at the fountain on the Rotunda.



This sculpture is the Capitoline Venue which is on loan from Rome.



We then proceeded to the Union Station where we bought tickets for the Amtrak Train back to New Jersey. If the bus ride took 4 1/2 hours, the train ride should only be 2 1/2.

The Union Station looks also very grand. The place was packed to the seams with people trying to get in and out of DC. Tickets were kinda expensive at $140 each (I think). Ride was comfortable too.




My brother-in-law, Jeff, picked us up at the train station near Woodbridge and we were able to make it home in due time.

Day 6 - Washington, DC (1st day)

Washington, DC was not initially part of our plans but it was highly suggested to us by my in-laws. Moreover, my husband's boss resides there so it's a good chance for them to meet up and talk business for a night.

After debating how to get to DC, we settled on taking the Megabus. I'm glad we did as even if the trip was longer (at 4 1/2 hours), the bus had free wifi and you can charge whatever equipment you want.

We also booked a hotel online, Windsor Inn, which was the relatively cheap hotel/inn that we found. It's supposedly near Dupont Circle but I've forgotten what constitutes "near" here in the US. It was actually 4 LONG blocks away from Dupont! Here's their front door.



We arrived in DC after lunch time. As we didn't bring any food on the bus, we were very famished when we arrived at the parking lot bus stop. We made the mistake of not hailing a taxi and taking up the offer of one of the people standing their for a taxi. He charged us $20 but according to Leo's boss, it should be around $10 only. Oh well, lesson learned.

When we got to the Inn, our room was not yet ready. So we left our bags with the Front Desk and looked for a place to eat. We walked four blocks to Dupont Circle and found a Starbucks. I readily devoured my sandwich and water afterwhich, we walked the four long blocks back to the Inn where we checked in.

After freshening up, we decided where we wanted to go. Feeling very touristy, we decided to make The White House our first stop and walk our way towards the Lincoln Memorial. Here's a summary of all the places we've visited.

So we had a cab drop us off at the White House. Here we are posing for mandatory pics:





We realized later on that this was the BACK part of the White House and not their front door. Oh well, at least it's still the White House.

From there, we walked towards the Washington Monument. We passed by The Ellipse and arrived at the Washington Monument. Though it's just near, we didn't want to walk towards it was just too hot with no shade at all. So we just contented ourselves taking pictures from afar:



After another short walk, we arrived at the World War II Memorial where The Philippines has its own marker. I wanted to take a picture of it but there was this group of obviously Filipinos hogging the area. We decided to just take a picture in front of the Memorial:




Here's another view of the Washington Monument from the vantage point of the WWII Memorial:



We then made our way to Lincoln Memorial. We saw the Memorial from afar and tried to find the Reflecting Pool but all we saw were dirt and machines. It took awhile to register that the pile of dirt was the Reflecting Pool and was being renovated:



We took another picture of the Washington Monument and Reflecting Pool when we got to the Lincoln Memorial. It would've been perfect if they left the Pool alone:



The Lincoln Memorial was just awesome. I wanted to just stand there and reflect on the history that this place inspired but there were too many tourists around jostling for a nice shot. I just had to make do with the moment and took a few pictures of our own.






After the Lincoln Monument, we caught a cab to take us to the Smithsonian. We were supposed to walk but we were so drained by the heat. Being from Manila, I know we're used to the heat but in this case, the sun got the best of us again.

We first visited the Museum of American History. Their exhibits are more on the mode of transportation in the US. I like the trains more. Here are some of our photos:






We decided on the Air and Space Museum next. Turns out we had to cross The Mall to get to the next museum which is on the other side of the complex.

The National Mall is between Constitution Ave. and Independence Ave. surrounded by the different Smithsonian buildings. Here are some of our pictures there:





The Air and Space Museum showcased space shuttles, planes and such.




We went around for awhile and waited for Leo's boss to pick us up. We had dinner at a restaurant at Georgetown called Das. It features Ethiopian cuisine which was interesting. It's not something I would rave about but at least it was something different.

After dinner, we walked around Georgetown and had dessert at a place called Sprinkles.



I had a Milk Chocolate cupcake as shown below. Quite yummy. I was told that they're part of a show called "Cupcake Wars" although I have yet to see it. I did see the DC Cupcakes store but we were not able to go inside the store or take a picture of it.


I found Georgetown charming with its red brick buildings although populated with yuppies and young people (probably because of the university nearby). The photo below was taken between 830 to 9 in the evening.



And that's our first day at DC.

Day 4 - Mass and Tinton Falls

I remember attending mass at a Catholic church the first time I was in the US almost 20 years ago. It was still a nice surprise when I attended mass again at the local church at East Brunswick where my cousin is an active member of YFC. I think it was the St. Bartholomew Church and the mass was at 12 noon sharp.

First of all, I liked the mass guides and song books that they have on each aisle. I was especially enchanted by the organ. I haven't seen one up close. I managed to take a short video while it was being played.



He was only accompanied by a soprano singer who sang all the songs. It was also interesting that the whole congregation really participated during the whole mass. I wish the people back home are as fervent in their worship during mass as the people here.

After mass, we went back to my aunt's house as East Brunswick. She and her friend, Tita Mona, took us to Jershey Shore Tinton Falls where we went more outlet shopping.



It was there that I finally bought a Kate Spade bag. I've always wanted to own one ever since I saw one at Rustan's. I managed to find one at the outlet store there that was more than $100 off the original price.



After buying more stuff, my aunt invited us to go to Marshall's for more shopping. Leo and I were still jet lagged so we just sat down after buying a few stuff while we waited for Tita Flor and Tita Mona to finish.

I managed to doze off at the drive back (I think it took us an hour and a half). We had dinner at Olive Gardens where we mostly had pasta. Then after getting our stuff at East Brunswick, we went back to my sister at Avenel where we spent the night.

Day 3 - Liam's Dedication

On Saturday, I attended the first party that I was invited to—one of the reasons why we came here. My nephew had his dedication and I was one of the godmothers.

I started the day early as I woke up at 330 AM yesterday which translated to about 6 hours of sleep. Not bad. I wrote my first entry on our trip and came down for breakfast at about 6AM when hunger pangs called.

Everyone then got ready for the Dedication and the party afterwards. Not wanting to get on everybody’s way, Leo and I got ready way before my sister and her family did.

The Dedication was held at a christian church (Jesus the Healer Filipino Church). It was a short and simple ceremony. Here we are posing with my sister, her family and the other godparents.



Afterwards, we proceeded to the reception at The Rosewood Gardens. My sister gave me an assignment to count the guests.

It was my first time to attend a Filipino party in the US. Other than the good food (it’s really good! My relatives said though that I’ll surely miss Filipino food soon), they had line dancing! Leo’s aunt, Tita Chit, who my sister invited, apparently is a veteran in line dancing and also participated. She said that around 90% of Fil-Am parties usually have line dancing and she can lead too. I tried my hand at it and could’ve participated more if not for my party shoes. It’s really fun!

Also got a more decent picture of my sister and I, here we are:



Afterwards, another aunt (my mom’s sister), Tita Flor, invited us to stay with her last night at East Brunswick. We quickly packed an overnight and Leo’s aunt drove us over. Here is Tita Flor's family:



If our house at Manila is in the suburbs, this literally defines suburbs. I feel like I’m in Forks (yes, in the Twilight movie) where the backyard is literally a forest. However, it’s not as overcast or rainy as in the movie/book. In fact, I just saw a squirrel when I woke up this morning! Cool! My only encounter with a squirrel is with Alvin and the Chipmunks and Chip and Dale. :) I couldn't resist taking a picture.



We also visited another aunt, Tita Cora, who lives a block away from Tita Flor's house. Here we are with Tita Cora's family: