The Story of Us - Why It's Important

Now I know that many of you are sick of political posts. Many have probably unfollowed me, defriended me, all those things. But those who know me at all know that it isn't just politics with me. It's far more than that. I respect people's choices, I respect people's decision to vote for the candidate of their choice. It's why I have, in the course of this campaign, only blocked one person (who got far beyond disagreement) from my friend list because I believe in free speech and democracy.

I just am feeling thisclose to history and sharing. I'm emotional. And it's not just because I'm in Florida and doing my best to GOTMFV.

In all honesty, I'm not just voting against a candidate, which I know you know. Again, I'm voting for a candidate who I have worked with, who I have seen fight, without fanfare, without pushing - because she believes it's the right thing - with my own two eyes. I've been inspired by her for a long, long time. She is someone who is thoughtful, respectful, responsive - and WANTS to help people. Genuinely. I've seen it up close.That is the kind of leader I want. That is the kind of president who will make me proud.

I fought my little butt off in 2008 for this woman and I am humbled to do it again. Because I know she has and will continue to do nothing but fight for me. Seriously. Watch the video at the top of this. Take the time. Because it's really fantastic.

I will admit I have not always agreed with her. I have not always agreed with the current president (very vocally at times). But the price of democracy is understanding that you can't always have things your way. And that the cost of governing is knowing you have to work with the people who disagree with you. The very basis of the Republic lies in discourse, debate, compromise, citizenship - and community. There is clearly only one candidate who comes close to understanding this - and that we must do it together.

We have a chance on Tuesday, a real chance, to elect a person who is the most qualified person to run for president. And yes, to make history.

I am the daughter of immigrants. Who came to this country to build a better life for them and their family. I was the first of my family to be born in this country. I watched my parents work hard, struggle - and get that American Dream (immigrants, they get the job done #YayHamlet). I grew up believing I could do and be anything I wanted by being an American. Yet, despite all of my successes, despite all of my hard work, I cannot escape the invisible barriers of skin and gender.

In 2008, when we won the election, I was elated. In January 2009, you could feel the electricity in the cold DC air at the inauguration. We had done something significant. For the first time, someone whose skin color was close to mine held the highest office of the land. One barrier was broken. Finally.

And in a few days, we have the opportunity to shatter the glass ceiling. We will still have to build steps to climb out of it, but dammit, we are the closest we've ever been. If you ever asked me if I'd see two significant elections where we would be changing the course of human history in my lifetime, I'd tell you that you were out of your damn mind.

I get that people don't like either of them, I really do. But this is crucial. This country is at a boiling point. We've had a summer of hate, of race, or violence. We're more at odds than we are at agreement. We have allowed the ends of the spectrum to pull and tug and pull us away from the center. To me, there is no sitting on the sidelines or being undecided. I know many out there honestly don't know what to do. But this is the time to pick sides. It's time to decide who you are with. Because that's who will decide the course of our tomorrow.

This is important. Tuesday is important. Early voting is important.

And this proud, brown, trade union, progressive daughter of immigrants is going to do everything she can to get out the vote. Because I've learned that the unbelievable only happens when you work your ass off to make it happen. We made history 8 years ago and changed the world. May we do it again next week.

#threedays #GOTMFV #imalwayswithher

Last Day in Manila and the Long Trek Back

One would think that in Manila, we'd have the best internet. Yet, it was not the case at all.  In every other province we went that wasn't Manila, we were able to get really decent wifi.  I suppose that in a city with 12 million inhabitants - that only has capacity for 3 million, there's a few other services that are important.  But sitting in this airport in Detroit with nothing but time for the next four hours until we get on the final leg home, definitely ruminating on the trip home and enjoying the reliable and free internet in the states!

So on our last day, I wanted to go back to Intramuros, the oldest district and core of Manila. It's full of history and was the seat of government when the Philippines was still a part of Spain.  It is a walled city and sits right next to Manila Bay, which is pretty spectacular on it's own.  The center is Fort Santiago, which was heavily damaged in WWII during the Battle of Manila when American and Filipino forces tried to recapture the city from the Japanese.  But the Fort itself is also where Philippine hero José Rizal was imprisoned by the Spanish before his execution for the crime of rebellion, so his museum is also the main focal point of the Fort. 

See, I tell you all of this because many are surprised or don't realize that the Philippines only gained its' independence in 1946.  It was a Spanish colony from 1521 when Ferdinand Magellan arrived and began the Hispanic colonization - and renaming it the Philippines after King Philip II of Spain. 

In return, the Filipinos killed Magellan.  A native ruler, Lapu Lapu, was the first to resist colonization so they skirmished and Magellan was killed.  Filipinos don't play that ish.  I mean, it didn't matter since we were a Spanish colony for 300 years.  Most American's don't even realize that the Philippines was an American territory following the Spanish-American war.  It's why the Filipinos speak English; it's the second official language of the country behind Tagalog.  There are over 120 dialects spoken in the Philippines, but they read and speak English quite well.  

So all of this is to say - get your butt there and visit as it's one of the places in Asia you can get around in speaking English.  You done learned something now, didn't you?  And if you knew all of this, well then you get a bag of dried mangoes from me. You'll have to prove it, though.

But, I digress.  

We braved the heat and made our way to Intramuros, a place I have only gone to once before in all of my visits. Which is strange, given my love of history. But here we were anyway.

The first stop in Intramuros is always the Manila cathedral, the original church of Manila.  It's a gorgeous church with amazing stained glass. And it also holds one of the replicas of Michelangelo's Pietá from the original mold.  It also had St. Peter, so of course had to get that, too.

Leaving the Cathedral, we were accosted again by the vendors outside, who had pestered us on the way in.  Traveling with Pete made us vendor magnets - they immediately went right to him every time, offering him hats made of banana leaves, kalesa rides and tours - and one gentleman selling rosaries.  When he realized we didn't speak Tagalog (or at least weren't acknowledging it), he tried to speak Spanish to us.  It was a bit amusing.

Once we got outside, we tried to walk around and saw this sign. It's amusing since cars do pretty much whatever they want to in the Philippines, but we loved how direct it was. People, get the hell in line.

When we realized that the Fort wasn't close to where we were, we headed back to the car to get to the Fort.  Once again, we were greeted with vendors.  We laughed at how one hat vendor would get to us first and after we'd wave him off, a second one would appear - with a third behind him.  And yes, every single one asked us, even though we said no to the ones before him.  The Filipinos are a persistent people.

Since I had gotten a lot of pictures of the Fort before, I didn't bother to take many (sorry). Luckily, those posts are here from 2010 if you wanted to look.  But this time, we did go into the Rizal museum, which I had never been in before.  Not only was it really informational, it was air conditioned. Always have to find those spots.

So this time, I learned something. The museum follows Rizal's capture and the time he was jailed before his execution.  I have actually read Noli Me Tángere and have El Filibusterismo on my bookshelf.  I know he's the national hero of the Philippines and was a strong proponent for Philippine Independence.  I had no idea he was like Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson rolled into one.  The man had some serious talents - besides being a doctor and a writer, he was an artist and a mason and had degrees in land surveying and agriculture.  He also discovered a flying lizard, frog and a beetle that are all named after him.  Amazing.

Here is the view from the second floor of the museum down into the Fort. As well as a fun cutout we found.

Pete really is a good sport.

 

We also decided to follow the footsteps they created outside that trace Rizal's last steps from his jail cell to outside the fort to his execution. He was not a tall man, but according to the steps, the man walked like a Muppet.  This is a recreation of him being tied from his elbows leaving the Fort.  Who ties a man from his elbows and then shoots him in the back? Honestly?

They are doing some construction to parts of the Fort but the statues of MacArthur and others had been moved to parts of the park. So we had some fun again before leaving.

Hey, we know how to have fun.

So then it was back to Metro Manila to meet up with some family and get some gift shopping done.  I actually regret not taking any pictures during this time. Though there is a hilarious video on the Facebook of my cousins getting bored as we shopped.  If you can see it, it's worth the click.  

But I got to spend time with my cousin Christine, her new husband Frank and her niece, Sofia - and for us, it was like old times, bumming around Mega Mall and laughing.  I was too busy enjoying the moment to capture it.  Which just goes to show you, one of the reasons I love the Philippines is that the traditional pitfalls of social media and phone tethering go out the window.  Let's just say it was time I truly enjoyed and was entirely too short.

Following this, we returned to my Uncle's house for one last dinner together, and this time, got to see my other cousin, Justin.  So it was another small reunion - and again, I took no pictures, though the family did.  On this final day, my Aunt made sure we got to eat all the food that I had requested but hadn't had yet - Pancit Malabon, lechon baboy, fresh lumpia, kare-kare - and healthy doses of garlic rice and tinubong.  It really was a fantastic last day in Manila.

Also, remember that thing I said about Pete being a magnet for vendors in the Philippines? Well traffic this last day was also traditionally Filipino - horrible.  And the street vendors were out in force.  Well this one guy had those dashboard bobbing dog heads.  You know, these things (and how I managed to find the exact dog video in the Philippines, well, that's the internets):

And my cousin Lyra was saying how she loves them.  Well a guy comes by with about ten of them and some fake plants and steering wheel covers and she points.  He is halfway past us when he spots Pete through the window.  He then comes back to the driver window and stands there, staring at Pete, smiling and pushing the dogs close to the window.

The rest of us just laughed uncontrollably.  Even the driver couldn't help it and was laughing.  Pete was trying really hard to wave him away, but he was laughing, too.  The guy finally walked away. But he was grinning as he did.  Sometimes traffic in Manila can be awesome.  But just this once.

So after this long day, we headed back to the condo to finish packing all the gifts and our bags. My grandmother actually made the long trek back from the province and got there later evening just so she could see us off.  We decided to do what we did the first time around and tried to stay up as long as we could. I finished coloring a picture and took a 20 minute nap. Then it was 4am and the driver was there to take us back to the airport.

I know I bitch a lot about US airports. I especially have a problem with slow TSA lines and several agents just milling about. I can't imagine many of you don't.  But getting to the airport, there was a long line outside the terminal. You had to go through security.  Then we made it through the Delta priority line, were interviewed by a guard, got our tickets, dropped our bags and then... security again.  We get through the gate, have 2 hours to kill and realize that to get into the gate, we have to go through security a third time.  

What the hell, Ninoy Aquino International Airport?!

I will say this: the Asians do, however, do security right. They have several people there, ushering you through the line. It actually moves. You have to take out your toiletries, do the shoe thing, etc. But it's much more pleasant.  Now going through it three times in the same airport is a little insane. But it actually wasn't that bad.

The first leg was tough and it was short, but my legs were already feeling the flight. And we hadn't made it to the long leg yet.  Once arriving in Japan where we had to go through security AGAIN, we had some time, so I walked into a store and saw this.  

Damn, we really need to visit Japan next time we visit the Philippines.  This makes me happy. I'm sure the flight had something to do with it, but you're bobbing your head as you watch it, aren't you? AREN'T YOU?!

So we survived the 12 hour flight. I made it through one movie and slept through two (The 33 is really good, I highly recommend it).  We get to Detroit, go through immigration and customs (first time to use Global Entry, worth every penny), get our checked bags, drop them off again and then... another security check.

If you're counting, that's 5 security check points since the Philippines at 5am.  Girl, bye.

We are now 4 hours into our 6-7 hour layover. I'm properly caffeinated, have reliable internet and phone and am thinking it's time for a bite and a massage.

So that is the story of our last day and our trek back.  Thanks, dear readers, for following this journey so far.  If you stick around, I believe I'll have more profound things to say once the jetlag wears off.  But I'll leave you with this: no matter the distance and how exhausted I am now, even a short week with family does well for the soul and the mind. I am tired, but I am also very happy and content. And it was too short. But only because I wish I could see my family all the time.

Off to find a massage. This will be excellent.

Back to Manila

We woke to wonderfully perfect weather in Baguio – probably about 70 degrees with lovely breezes.  When you don’t need air conditioning in the Philippines, you know you’re in a nice spot. I can totally understand why the Japanese and the Americans decided it was a good spot for a country club and golf course.

We were not planning on spending too much time there, so we barely had time to look around. We’re just going to have to come back, we decided.

Before leaving, I did get word that some Hamilton tickets were made available from November-January, so I spent my last moments in reliable wifi searching for tickets. Everything came up resale, though.  I presume that if I was at home, I would be pretty annoyed and frustrated. But, being on vacation in a really nice place, I just shrugged, turned off the computer and continued to vacation. 

I’m really going to hate leaving vacation.  I know. Everyone does.  I’ve decided that I need more of these. Honestly.

Anyway, before leaving, we were able to sneek a peek into the floral garden adjacent to the entrance.

As a note: Pete still hates selfies.  But we’re on vacation. So he’s trying to be a good sport.

So we started to make our way back down the mountain towards Manila.  Within a few miles down the mountain, the temperature noticeably shifted when we stopped to grab some vegetables from a roadside stand. But the views did not disappoint.

Four hours later, we knew we were getting closer because the traffic started. I know I mentioned before that traffic is pretty bad here.  We got a good taste of it last night. When I say it’s worse than DC and California, I mean combined.  We were stuck in enough traffic that when we arrived back at my Uncle’s in Manila, we immediately hopped into a different car – the biggest reason that I wanted us to leave Baguio early was because we were running out of time and the other most important reason I had come to the Philippines was to visit my stepfather’s grave. So off we went, figuring that we’d hit traffic again trying to get there and wanted to get there before the cemetery was closed off.

Come to think of it, I’m not sure cemeteries’ here close the way they do in the States.  Filipinos treat death so differently, with reverence, I suspect you can visit at any time.  Also, it appears that they are workout havens for Filipinos – the amount of joggers we saw as we got there was surprising, but not at the same time. I guess if there are few places where you can find light traffic roads, you use them like you would any park.  I wasn’t sure whether to be weirded out by it, but then I remembered things are just different here.  So often, cemeteries’ in the states are empty with very few visitors. I suppose a cemetery that is full of life to accompany the souls of the dead – knowing how they celebrate life and death here – just seems a bit more comforting. In a weird way.

Thankfully, my family was prepared for the visit to the cemetery, bringing the requisite food for the dead and candles to light. We didn’t spend too much time there, but it was enough time for the many emotions and thoughts to join us.  It has been 10 years and some change since my pop died.  And I can’t help but think of how different everything is without him. And surprised that whenever I am there, it feels like yesterday that he left. 

I suppose I’m still sorting through some of those thoughts and emotions so I’ll leave it with this: my family plot there is well placed in the sense that there is a really lovely tree that is next to it so there is some nice shade.  But I was struck last night at how tall it has become, which only signaled the amount of time I have been gone.

I sort of hate how far away this place is from me, that I have to travel half the world to go visit. But in a matter of 15 minutes, I realized it doesn’t matter where I am. I’m always here. I’m always going to miss him. And no amount of distance will fix that. 

And that tree just signified that I’ve gone too long from being home.  Message received, Universe.

I find myself sad to have one more day here. It has been a whirlwind trip. Pete put it best last night, “Next time, more staying, less traveling.”  Yep.  We’ll have to plan better next time.

And come in January when it’s much cooler.  One day left. 

From Sea to Mountains

Today was a travel day, for the most part.  We decided to head back to Manila by way of Baguio, the Summer Capital of the Philippines and one of my favorite parts. And yes, I'm not going to lie, a lot of it has to do with the cooler mountain temperature but at the same time, it really is gorgeous.

Since we are only here for a week (I really must plan that better next time), I forget that I spend most of the first week of visiting sleeping off the jetlag.  And so I have to say, while I have not exactly caught up on my fun reading (yes, it's Chernow's "Hamilton"), I have done a fantastic job of catching up on some much-needed sleep.  For all of you who always worry that I don't sleep, I can promise you I'm doing something about it on this vacation. For that space alone, I feel grateful. I feel much more present in the moments I am awake. I definitely can easily pass out again in 15 minutes, though. So all of this to say that I'm enjoying it right now.  Check on me in a week and see how that jetlag is treating me once I get home...

But as I said yesterday and posted on the Facebook today, I finally got some better shots of the hotel before we left this morning.  Can't wait to return.  

Ciudad Fernandina Hotel, Vigan, Ilocos Sur

Please note, while I love going north, I usually am pretty good with only staying for a couple of days. It's easy to get bored when you know no one up there and don't have a lot to do. I always got at least one book read when in Ilocos Sur. But this time, it was entirely too short. So I mean it when I say I can't wait to return.

I love the koi

As we left, I realized there was one bridge we all completely slept through on the way there - the Banaoang Bridge, also known as the Quirino Bridge, in Ilocos Sur.  The bridge is named after Elpidio Quirino, a late president of the Philippines. It is highly praised for its architectural design and marvelous engineering. It connects the town of Santa and Bantay and crosses the Abra River. It offers a truly gorgeous view.

This bridge probably holds a place of fascination for me because it is easily one of the most beautiful parts of the drive, a really great marker that signals that we are getting closer to home.  Like home, it holds an important place in my heart for that reason, often the way that I feel about the Holland Tunnel or the Lehigh Tunnel - just signifying proximity to a place that means something. In this case, the view is simply fantastic:

The bridge is no longer in use but you can zipline from it. They let us drive over it for some reason.

Panoramic view is necessary in the Philippines.

The view from the bridge

The Banaoang Bridge

Pete giving tinubong a try

When we got back into the car, we dug into the bamboo treat that you see in the picture above. It's one of my mom's most favorite foods and she always gets it when we come home - Tinubong. 

It's basically a mixture of young coconut meat, sugar, margarine, cheese and ground glutinous rice inside a young bamboo (tubong).  It's then cooked over fire and rotated and done when the top of the tube dries up.  You keep it on the embers for a bit longer and then when it cools, you tap the bamboo to crack it and pull it apart and then you just pick the mix off the sides with your fingers or a spoon to eat it.  It's native to Ilocos and was usually only served during special occasions - my mom said it was always made around Christmas. But it seems they realized everyone likes it so it's made year round now if you visit. It's pretty good, not as sweet as you would think. And everyone wants the burnt part, where the "meat" meets the bamboo.  Tastiest part.

Before making our way into the mountains, we made one last stop to take pictures of the Pacific.  I think you'll agree it was well worth it.

Of course I had to dip my toes in the clear, blue water. Gorgeous.

After this gorgeous view, we made our way into the mountains, twisting on the narrow roads on our way to Baguio. But when we arrived, the weather was absolutely sublime. I actually wished I had a sweatshirt, that's how beautiful the weather is up here.  It was in the 70's and overcast when we arrived and I'm sitting pretty comfortably at 67 degrees right now.  

Dear God, how can I possibly think 70 degrees is cold?  Have I assimilated?!

We had a fantastic Filipino dinner that included beef sinigang, bisteak, pork adobo, crispy dinuguan (lechon kawali dipped in dinuguan) and garlic rice.  I've definitely had some ice cream while here, but I blame the heat.  For those of you who don't know what any of that food is, trust me, it's baller. And amazing.

I promise some amazing pics of Baguio tomorrow.  I was a little too sleepy today to do much better.

So. Going to try more sleep so we can get up early to head back to Manila.  Lots to do in the final day and a half when we get there.  Pop, I'm headed your way.