Problems with My Luggage

Up With People recommended that we bring one suitcase, one carry on, and a personal item such as a laptop bag or a camera bag.

After packing Essential clothing (everyday shirts, exercise shirts, work/ dirty shirts, jackets, host family gifts, vitamins. toiletries, clearbooks, photos from home...) my luggage was so heavy. But still within the weight limit. Note:as much as I wanted to pack few stuff, I wouldn't want to forget something and then buy along the way. That will be more expensive.

Issue: Domestic flights had lighter weight limit. I still feel like I have packed to the barest essentials already... so what I did was get all the heavy stuff from the suitcase, packed them in a smaller bag for check in.

So all in all I have 2 pieces of checked in luggage and one carry on backpack which contains my heavy laptop.

I sure hope things will become lighter during my 4 weeks in Denver... if not, I shall be sending some stuff back here in Cerritos.

Oh please wish me luck.

Super Size Me

In America, everything is double the portion.

I woke up at 10AM this morning - famished. But we had to go to the mall to buy my show makeup (didn't have time for this back home) . The foodcourt there had Sbarro's and I ordered my usual Baked Ziti.

Glorietta Baked Ziti x 3 portions = 1 portion of Baked Ziti Cerritos Mall

I asked the lady, do you have half servings?

She looked at me as if I was weird and said no. I just took most of it home.

I'm home now and it's merienda time I still have not finished my Ziti :-)

Sizes are big. People are big. Gosh. I feel so skinny here! :-) Mommy, Kakay, dito na lang tayo!

I have to cut down on Baked Zitis though or I'll be huge when I go back to the Philippines ;-)

Fourth of July

I arrived in LA just in time for the July 4 fireworks. My Tita Girlie picked me up from the airport and drove to a friend's house in Rosemead where a group of Filipinos from Binan gathered for the celebration. There was sinigang, rice, halo-halo, baby back ribs and ... mahjong!

About the fireworks -- mas maganda pa ang fireworks ng kapitbahay naming Chinese pag new year :-)

By the way, my flight was smooth. PAL apparently has flights without stopovers (we usually flew via Northwest before) . I just slept and woke for a while, then tada! We were 2 hours away from LA na (the total duration of the flight was 13 hours) It was better to sleep because the inflight movie was some Will Ferrel movie that involved man-man figure skating! (Jops, Ave, Sam -- alam ko favorite nyo siya pero I really cant stand him!)

I breezed through immigration -- the officer did not even look at my one-way ticket. Siguro hindi ako mukang mag TNT. He told me to have fun in America! The baggage guy even told me "Welcome Home!" So, did I look like as if I "belonged"? Heheh

Tomorrow I will go last minute shopping for personal effects with my Tita (because I failed to buy some "essentials" ) and then meet with my cousin. On Friday, we pick up Rafael from Brazil (my co-delegate) who'll be having a whole day stop over in LA before he flies to Denver for Up With People at around 3PM. He wants to see the Walk of Fame in Hollywood and we'll be happy to take him!

I fly to Denver at 8:30 PM On Friday (July 6) also. During the trip from Manila to here, I realized that it is SO HARD to carry the laptop and another carry-on bag. Horrors when I picked up my suitcase from the conveyor -- ANG BIGAT ! I am now having thoughts of re-packing because I cannot imagine dragging them around all over the US and Europe.

But I feel like I've packed all essentials already and anything less than that might be hard also. Anyway, bahala na. I guess this is the time where I'm going to have a complete work out!

Here are more photos:

"Patriotic Paula" - she's a 15 year old Shi-Tzu owned by one of my Tita's friends. Cute! And guess what? They drug the dogs so they won't be so scared of the fireworks (don't worry! recommended dosages by the vet naman!)

Snack'em Strawberries - HUGE! Sarap!

Fourth of July , Pinoy Style: Mah-jong!! :-)

It's 12:40 am here and 4PM sa Pinas. Huhu -- I am so awake. I miss you guys!

Despedida Parties

Here are some photos of various "send-off" activities :-) Thanks so much to everyone who went out of their way !!!

This shows me, my mom and Tito (Uncle) Jojo -- sitting down - My dad, Sam, Lukas, Eman, Ninong Eloy and Ninang Ludy (wedding godparents) at Italliani's Greenbelt last July 1.

Lunch with the staff from the Center for Social Development, Ayala Foundation. At Sentro, Greenbelt, July 27 .

Gladys' last minute shopping and chika, Pat's Europe tips, Ninong Sir Mose's blessing, Jops, Nyles, Kakay's surprise visit!

I will miss you all!

My Circle of Nice People

When the time came that I was finally able to say that "I'm really going to UWP!" I told my boss that I was so lucky to be in that part of the world with a HUGE concentration of nice people. Throughout my Up With People application process, I knew that a lot of people rooted for me, cheered for me, prayed for me... my eternal thanks!

To Sam - such a wonderful husband. I know that we are a bit anxious about being away from each other for 5 months, but as he said "This is for your own self fulfillment, I do not want to take a dream away from you." We know that this is a sort of separation that may bring about rewards fro the both of us in the future. (Sam, by the way, is also in training and is barely home. He graduates in January 2008, hopefully.)

To my Parents, my Memi and Pepi - again, I am lucky for having very supportive and "game" parents. I know my Mom prayed for me a lot and my dad also encouraged me to go for it. They have been with me through EVERYTHING. I know they also shared all my stress for this trip --- financially, physically, emotionally and spiritually.

To the UWP staff and most specially to Scott Reeder, Admissions Counselor.

My super-boss Mario Deriquito - who helped me out through the "toughest" part of the program even if it meant "losing his hamster" :-) plus the surprise CSD lunch send-off.

To Reynold Feldman, Executive Director of Blue Sky Associates in Minneapolis, for the outstanding recommendation and for continuing to believe in this Filipina.

Very special thank you to Ms. Bea Zobel, Ms. Loida Lewis, Mr. Archie Velasco, Mr. Simon Mossesgeld (Ninong Sir Mose) , Mr. Dody Naguiat, Tito Benjie Gervasio, Tim and Candice Cipullo, Lola Salud...

Tito Eloy, Tita Ludy and Manu for the wonderful goodbye dinner.
Tito Jojo Guamen and Lukas! For the super special goodbye hug and the bonus "baon"
Tita Girlie and Tito Conrad for my L.A accommodation! Cuz Elvin for the charger assistance...

My special cheerleaders, Maan Samson, Kiel Fernandez, Rico Yee, My Almogino and Geelay Payumo -- you definitely encouraged me lots when I thought I should give up! Kasali na din si Miss Sarah Sevilla, JJ Ferro, Martin Nanawa, Pogz Handig, at ang grad school teacher ko na si Sony Querejero, na walang patid sa pagkumusta and for their genuine happiness! Prayer warriors Aque Holgado, Maricar Yulo and practically the whole CSD family...

Office buddy and Kopi-Mate Nyla Prieto who kept up with my mindless chatter and shared my excitement over everything !! (as in everything!!!)

Ave Mejia ! Next year ikaw naman!

Pat Gallardo for the super nice words and great travel advice (up to now I am carefully analyzing my luggage..) , not to mention for the "extra cappuccino" baon.

Gladys Malto for the last minute shopping companionship, last minute chika, last minute hug!

Jofel Josef and Kakay Rico (plus Nylah ulet!) for the surprise visit this evening. I was not able to pack , but who cares! :-) It was fun seeing you again ! Jofel -- for the laptop bag and kikay kit -- ahh and the wonderful hat!

I am so sleepy now -- I hope I have not forgotten anyone.

Tomorrow, i fly via PAL flight 112 at 8:00 PM -- will try to see if I have the time to post despedida photos before that...