US 2015 - West Coast Edition

This is my third time in the US since I got married 8 years ago. The first time was in 2011 when I visited with my husband. The second time was just last year when we attended the ordination of Leo's cousin. This time around, my visit was to celebrate my 40th birthday with my twin sister at Vegas. This was totally unplanned in a sense that my mom and I only put everything into motion three months ago. Usually, our US trips are planned almost a year in advance.

Initially, I was supposed to surprise my sister at Vegas (she's supposed to go there on the 1st with my mom for a convention). But due to extenuating circumstances (a death in the family which almost lead me to go NYC instead--which I was not looking forward to since it's SO cold there), my mom had to inform my sister which ruined the surprise. We ended up still pushing thru with the Vegas plan.

I'm now in California staying with my mom's brother and his family. The last time I was here was almost 30 years ago when I was 11 years old. I remember my mom just putting me in the plane from NJ and my Uncle Dan just picking me up at the airport where I stayed with him and his family for two weeks. I don't recall much about that visit except a visit at Universal. This time around, I was able to visit the tourist places and even had my first taste of Thanksgiving, US version.

Will post more when I am able to download my pictures from the phone.

Panic Mode, On!

In 13 days, we're leaving for our US Vacation. And I'm panicking already.

I have tons of relatives in the US, including my mom and sister. Naturally, like most homesick people, our luggage will be full of "pasalubong" or gifts for our family. However, I still have not made much headway to the list that they sent me. Most of the stuff that they want are food items but I cannot buy them until the week we leave and I have to do that on top of packing and doing my turnover at work. Oh well, I only get to do this twice every five years (every other year if we're lucky) so might as well suck it up.

I'm quite excited already as it will be our first trip abroad as a family. We did not bring Basti with us in our last US trip so this will be a trip to remember. Not to mention, we will be going to Disneyworld!

Speaking of Disneyworld, my brother-in-law sent me the picture on the left letting me know that our magic bands have arrived. This will be our ticket to the park, not to mention it will make a nice souvenir afterwards. Though I've been to Hongkong Disneyland, Disneyworld is literally a world apart.

The first time I went to the US more than 20 years ago, I wanted to visit Disneyland. Looks like I'll be getting that wish, 20 years later. It's funny that I'm more excited than my 5 year old son.

Travelling with a Toddler

Two months from now, we'll be going on a long-haul flight with my 5-year old. I'm really dreading it as my son gets bored easily. This was evident during our wait at the US Embassy for his visa interview. We waited for almost two hours for his number to be called and he was horribly bored by the time we were in line with the consul. Since electronic devices were not allowed inside the US Embassy, we had to contend with a sticker book and chatting with seatmates.

I'm already planning my strategy for our flight. It will be a three-hour wait at the NAIA 1 airport as we intend to be there by 8AM for our 11AM flight. And then 2 hours on the plane to Hongkong. Another 4 hour wait at HKIA before our flight leaves at 540PM. And then there's the 16-hour flight to Newark where we'll arrive at 940PM. That is more than 24 hours of travelling!

I'm thinking of adjusting his body clock even before we leave. That means that I'll be disrupting his sleeping schedule. I'll have him sleep sometime after midnight the night before we leave. So by the time we leave for the first leg of our flight, he'll be very sleepy at the airport. When we get to Hongkong, hopefully, he'll sleep it off while waiting for our flight. However, that means he is awake most of the 16 hour flight to Newark. I guess I just have to entertain him with books, crayons, IPad and hopefully, the movies of Cathay are entertaining enough for him. Or my husband and I can take turns taking catnaps while somebody watches over him. I truly hope he won't annoy the other passengers as he can get really loud and chatty. I guess we have to brief him on flight etiquette first.

I will definitely be posting on our experience when we get back.

Day 19 - Groton, CT (4th of July Parade)

I was finally able to witness an honest-to-goodness local 4th of July Parade. It's nothing like the Rose Bowl but it's more of a community parade where almost every aspect of the community has its own float.

Before going there, I resolved to eat a healthy breakfast so I can some cereal, fresh blueberries and humongous strawberries. This is what it looked like:



If there's one thing I miss about the US, it's the fresh fruits as shown above. That was the best breakfast that I had when I was there. I tried to duplicate it here but I could not find fruits that are as fresh like what I got there.

My step-sister-in-law, Eldica and my stepbrother, Patrick together with their son, Christian, picked us up and took us to the next town (Groton) where we staked a spot across the local Dunkin Donut (apparently, Dunkin Donuts is really big in the East Coast. Krispy Kreme is not heard of there) to wait for the parade.

The parade featured the navy servicemen in their really spiffy uniforms. There were also the vintage cars and motorcycles. It was interesting as it gives you an idea on what kind of community Groton is.

I told Eldica that on my next visit, I would want to visit an old-fashioned country fair. I want to eat the local food and see the local sights. Somehow, it's like seeing all the stuff that I read come to life. She promised to take me and I can't wait!

Here she is with her really cute son:

Day 18 - Gales Ferry, CT and Sunni Dae

(Continuation of my travel posts. Day 18 is July 3, Sunday)

We spent the 4th of July weekend with my mom and stepfather at their CT house.

I really love their community because it's so peaceful and most of the people who live there are retirees from the nearby US Navy/Submarine base. We heard mass that morning in the local Catholic church. Again, they have that lovely musical organ and the sole singer who leads the congregation in the singing.

My stepfather has turned my mom into a dog lover and this weekend, they were able to bring home their new dog--an Akita breed--named Sunni Dae. I can't recall why they named her as such but she is one cute puppy.



Like any newborn baby, she pees and poops a lot and my stepdad would wake up in the middle of the night to take her out. I remember waking up also as I would hear her crying in her kennel.

I bet she's big now. I was told that this specific breed really grows and is quite loyal (there's a movie called Hachiko and a lot of my dog-lover friends have attested that it's quite a tearjerker. The dog there is an Akita breed). Can't wait to visit my mom again so I can see Sunni Dae.

Day 17 - Submarine Museum in CT

(Catching up on my travel posts. Day 17 is July 2, Saturday)



On Saturday, my mom, Leo and I headed off to the Submarine Naval Base to check out their museum. I haven't been inside a submarine before and they have the Nautilus SSN 571 permanently docked at the museum.



Here's a partial view of the submarine at the back.



Instead of a tour guide, they had this interactive handheld recorder (I forgot what it's actually called) where you can listen to some trivia about the ship if prompted by a sign. Here's Leo listening to the device as he views an exhibit.



The whole ship is so small and cramped. I can't imagine the sailors living in that thing for months a time. Even the sleeping compartments are so minuscule! I pity the guy who gets the middle bunk.



We took lots of pictures. I'll just post them in Facebook once I've organized that day.

Day 16 - Gales Ferry, Connecticut

The first of July, being a Friday, was time for mom and her husband to head off to their home in Gales Ferry, CT. It's easier to get there from Shelter Island compared to the trip that we took from NJ.

We took the ferry to Greenport and we drove up to Orient Point, the end point of Eastern long Island. From there, we took the Cross Sound Ferry services which took us across the channel to New London, CT. Gales Ferry is a mere 15 minutes from the port of New London.

Here's a picture of the bridge that we crossed from the port going to Gales Ferry.



Arriving at the house, we put away our stuff and got ready for dinner at a place in Noank called The Fisherman Restaurant. We managed to get a table with a nice view.



After dinner, we drove around Noank to look at the old houses. I think the oldest one that I saw was built during the early 1800s. The town is a small fishing village where they have more ship/boat yards than churches. Look them up in wikipedia.

I was able to take pictures of the houses but since we were in the car, the shots were not so good. Nevertheless, here they are. Advanced apologies for the crummy shots.





I like the house in the last picture but it somehow reminds me of a haunted house (shudder).

Nevertheless, I wish I was able to take better pictures. I really liked that village. Like a blast from the past.

Day 15 - Shelter Island, New York

On Day 14, Tita Chit took us to do some shopping at Walmart and drove us back to my sister at Avenel. I get to watch TV and watch Man vs. Food (I so love this show).

On Thursday, the 30th of June, we were on our way to my mom's place at Shelter Island. A lot of people don't know where it is as you have to take the ferry to get there. It's somewhere in Long Island and the scenery going there is quite charming. Think white houses with porches. I saw my dream house near Greenport too.

As no one would be able to take us there, my mom previously gave us tickets for the Hampton Jitney which dropped us off at port. The trip took us 2 hours and a half. I called my mom when we were near the Southold and she met us at the bus stop at Greenport.

As it was past noon, we had lunch at one of the places near the dock. I finally had the lobster that I have been craving for since I arrived in the US.



Here I am with the meal. And yes, I finished all of it by myself. :)



After showing us a bit of the town, we then boarded the ferry (which takes 7-8 minutes) to Shelter Island.

Shelter Island is definitely a summer place. During the summer, the population swells to almost 10,000 but during the rest of the year, it's only down to 2,000. It's a place where people spend their long vacations and holidays and definitely a hang-out of the elite, not surprising as it's near the Hamptons.

My mom owns a business there which provides home health care and other personal services to those who needs it in the island (most of the people who live there are retirees).

Here's a sample of the scenery in the island. There are a lot of beaches there although of course, they are nothing like the beaches in the Philippines.





My mom and Rusell took us to dinner at a restaurant in Sunset Beach. The name of the place escapes me now but they swore they won't be going back for the lousy service that we got.

Day 13 - New York, Part 3.1 (Central Park)

This post will be the first half of our third day in Manhattan. I just have too much pictures and stories to post and Central Park deserves a post of its own.

This is the third time in my trip that I'm returning to NYC. Living in Jersey City is so convenient. It's like Mandaluyong and Makati.

We had breakfast at this place in Hoboken whose name escapes me now. Leo and Carlo had their oatmeal while I had a breakfast burrito.



We parked at St. Christopher's in Jersey City where we caught the Path Train to take us to NYC. This time around, we emerged at the Columbus Circle station as we wanted to visit Central Park.

This is the view of Columbus Circle from the park entrance.



Once you leave the station, you'll be met by this wave of people hawking tours of Central park or NYC. There was even a guy who asked if we were Pinoys and started hawking bicycles in Filipino (yep, he's Pinoy too). I wish we took up the offer though as by mid-day, I was so tired of walking inside the park and we even got lost a bit. You really need a compass to find your way inside that place!

I've always wanted to visit Central Park after seeing it in several movies (Enchanted, You've Got Mail, Ransom, One Fine Day etc). There's this specific fountain/bridge that I wanted to see and I finally got my wish that day.

We entered the park at its southernmost tip. We immediately saw softball fields which according to Carlo, is abounding in the park.



After more walking, we came upon The Mall. I'm sure this looks very familiar as it was in the movie Enchanted.




If you notice, there are benches lining the Mall and actually the whole park. What makes these benches interesting is that each seat has its own unique silver plaque (like the bench in Notting Hill) which is a memorial for someone. It was just pure luck that the first bench that I approached is dedicated to someone famous.



And at the end of the Mall, we see another familiar site. Again, something from Enchanted.



This is the Bethesda Terrace. It's such a wonderful place. Even the underside of the bridge is beautifully tiled.





There were a couple of guys singing Amazing Grace underneath the bridge and their voices sounded wonderful with the acoustics. It sounded as if there were a dozen of them. I had to give some money on the box to show my appreciation for their talent.



And at the other side of the bridge, this is the view. I'm sure this is familiar as well. I clearly remember this fountain in "One Fine Day" and somehow in "Ransom" too.





While trying to find our way outside the park, we came upon a couple of interesting benches. These are placed beside each other which makes it really...sweet.




After the benches, we came upon this bridge. Again, another familiar place courtesy of "You've Got Mail". I could imagine Tom Hanks walking up the bridge to meet Meg Ryan.




And that was Central Park where we spent most of our morning. The second half of our day will be in another post.

Day 12 - The City that is called New York!

We were scheduled to stay with Leo's relatives for the next couple of days at Jersey City. Leo's cousin, Carlo, a student at Rutgers and working part-time at Aldo's, picked us up late in the afternoon.

From my sister's house in Avenel, we drove to Newport and parked near the train station where we took the Path Train to NYC. We figured we can have an early start on our gastronomic tour of the city that enchanted me when I was there on our first week.

We emerged from one of the subway stations at Broadway (near 72nd street). We were hungry already so Carlo took us to the nearest Gray's Papaya.



I mentioned that I wanted to eat a hotdog at NYC. Although this wasn't technically a hotdog stand, it's known to have inexpensive but high-quality hotdogs. Not to mention they were featured in Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations. The place is owned by a Filipino and run by Filipinos. That makes it a winner in my book. That's me above posing before the counter.

We walked towards Washington Square Park which is within the vicinity of New York State University. Here we are posing in front of its known landmark.



A few meters down, we saw this:



If you're a movie fan, you'll recognize this as Will Smith's front door in the movie "I Am Legend".

Moving on, we came upon a map of New York University:



I was amazed by the size of their campus. As you can see, it encompasses several blocks. You would really need longer lead time to get to your classes. That's Carlo showing us where we are.

As my husband and I are both MBA graduates, we could not resist having our picture taken in front of NYU Stern School of Business.



As I cried inside the Library of Congress, I knew I had to take a peek inside NYU's Library as well. We could enter the doors but we can go no further beyond that as one needs a library card. This is what you see when you enter and on the left side are the counters with the flags of different NYU Colleges hanging like Hogwarts! :)





After a few minutes of ogling the interior, we set out to find a place that will feed Carlo who's a vegetarian (or vegan...forgot which is which). We came upon Mahmoun's which serves the best falafel in the city.





Take note that they were featured in "1000 Places to see Before You Die" and other accolades.

Here's what my falafel looked like:



Just looking at it makes me crave for it. Wonder if I can get it here in Manila and would it taste as good?

After polishing off our really scrumptious falafels, we quickly stepped out to give other diners a chance to seat as the shop only has 2 booths inside. Carlo took us to another hole-in-the-wall restaurant a few doors down called Kati Roll where they sell Indian Rolls. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to take pictures as I was busy observing Leo and Carlo chow down heir rolls.

We then ventured forth towards Greenwich Village where we came upon this nice shop called "Rice to Riches". The place looks nice so we stepped inside. They sell rice pudding or "champorado". In the Philippines, it's just one flavor--chocolate--but in this shop, they have dozens of different flavored rice puddings.

I tasted only the nutella flavored one and got a small bowl. This is what it looks like:



And here's Carlo goofing off in the store.



The three of us shared the rice pudding. Though the container was disposable, I still took it home with me as it was just too nice to throw away.

We then walked towards Little Italy where we saw the "First Pizzeria in the US".



We trudged down (or was that up?) Little Italy which was lined with Italian restaurants. According to Carlo, they don't really serve great Italian food, people just assume that since it's in Little Italy, food is good but it's not that great. We saw the edge of Chinatown and I finally got my picture taken beside an NYPD police car.



I initially wanted to have a picture taken with some firemen that we saw earlier but I was too shy to ask. That would've been nice though.

After more walking (and buying NYC souvenirs), we opted to head back to Newport as it was getting late already. We walked towards Ground Zero where we'll take the train back to NJ. But before we went down the subway, we took pictures of this historical site:



One of the towers is already up. I don't know if it will be as high as the previous one but it does look promising.




It was a tiring day and my feet hurt from all the walking that we did but my stomach was very happy. The trip back to Newport on the Path Train was shorter because we got on the World Trade Center station. I still haven't gotten the hang of their subway station but maybe when I'll live there long enough, I'll figure it out.