(Elite Daily) The Opposite of Wonderful: Why I’m glad our relationship didn’t work

Hi to all my readers! I recently got accepted as a contributor to Elite Daily, an online publication for the new generation, and I wanna share my first published article. Here it is:

Unrequited love. One-sided, stupid feelings. A crush turned into an almost lover. We’ve all been there, and we all know that it’s exactly the opposite of wonderful.

He doesn’t look like a Calvin Klein model, or better yet, he doesn’t look like a model at all. Period. He will not capture your eyes at first glance, but believe it or not, he was able to capture mine.

We were asked to wear either red or blue shirts to identify us as freshmen, and he was the only one wearing white. The only white among the sea of red and blue. Since that day, my eyes were set on him.

We became close friends, but not best friends. Sooner rather than later, the crush feelings drifted away. I got to know him a little and realized his attitude didn’t fit me. He wasn’t relationship material, but the friendship remained.

We still walked home together because our apartments were just a couple of blocks away from each other. He dropped me off first then walked alone toward his place. This became our daily routine.

I met other guys (who did look like Calvin Klein models) and pursued them instead of him.

It was not until graduation season that we became close. One day, we struck up a conversation we never had before, and boom! That was it. The crush feeling from years ago reemerged and it felt way deeper and more real than the first.

Texting. Chatting. Seeing each other. I didn’t realize this was still possible.

The summer after graduation, our friendship turned into something “more,” but neither of us chose to acknowledge it.

We traveled a lot, booked cheap hostels, slept in the same bed. He wrote a poem for me and uploaded it on Tumblr. He wanted to be the first and last one to wish me a happy birthday. He let me listen to his favorite songs on his first-generation iPod. Without asking, he gave me his Facebook password and let me open it.

I met his parents and all of his high school friends back in his hometown. We slept in his room, on his bed. I looked around his humble house, his neighborhood and I thought, “Yes, I’m okay with this.”

I immediately forgot about my big dreams; I wanted to have a big house, but I thought, “Forget it; this is fine, as long as I’m with him.” I wanted to have a job that pays more than just the minimum wage, but I thought, “Forget it; we can survive together.”

I wanted to pursue another degree, but I thought, “That can wait.” I wanted to work in a big city, but I thought, “Forget it; the suburbs are just fine as long as we’re together.”

I altered so many of my big dreams for him. For you. For us. Because, for me, there is an “us.” You made me feel that “us” exists. I have never been so wrong.

The real world knocked on my door. I got my first real job. While our “relationship” continued on for quite some time, it didn’t last long enough.

I quit my job and he quit me. No text. No Facebook. No communication. No anything. I felt lost and didn’t know where to pick back up. I applied for another degree but didn’t get in. I did everything halfheartedly and nothing even half worked.

I got another job, which brought back the color in my face and squeezed the life back into me. But, I had to do something more.

I quit that job. Yes, I did it again. I said my farewells to my best friend and close friends and flew 1,000 miles away from home to a foreign country where I didn’t know a single soul.

I got hired again. I built better dreams. I realized I have potential to do things I love. I began doing things I didn’t know I was capable of doing. Most importantly, I saw the road where I will go. It’s like somebody wiped the dirty windshield of my car and fixed my headlights to see the road on which I’m driving.

I am myself again. I am completely healed and whole. I have a feeling this place will make my dreams come true. It’s a big world laid in front of me and all I have to do is explore it. Hopefully, I will find love, too.

Every day, I am thankful that I didn’t end up with you. If I did, I wouldn’t be where I am now. I would not know the things I now do. Don’t get me wrong; from where I stand, where you are doesn’t look so bad, but it’s not for me.

You chose to go North and I, South. Opposite directions. We have similarities, yes, but our dreams did not and do not match. You’re fine with mediocre, but I want more.

I knew you loved me at some point, but not in the same way I did you.

Sure, you taught me many things. I learned that some people will just pass by you to teach you something. And, once they finish their missions, it’s time for them to go.

But, the lessons they taught you will be engraved in your heart for as long as you live. Those lessons are taught outside of the classroom, outside of the school, and they use emotions like happiness, failure, pain, joy and love.

I believe you just came by to teach me something; it is not your destiny to let your happiness depend on one person. But, it was the best rollercoaster ride of my life.

Visit Elite Daily and re-read my work:

http://elitedaily.com/dating/why-relationship-didnt-work/845439/

One of NYC’s best-hidden secrets

We all have secrets and behind the alluring lights of The Greatest City in the world, behind those famous tourist-y spots are a hundreds of secrets that only few, mostly locals, people knows about.

And one of them can be found underground.

My birthday was long overdue and I and my friend, beforehand, planned a birthday dinner to celebrate my 22^nd. Our plan got delayed for two weeks because of schedule conflicts and long distance friendship.

For two weeks I keep searching and searching for restaurants. I don’t want to eat in those cliché restaurants like Olive Garden, The River Café and whatever restaurant comes up first when you type ‘Best restaurants in NYC’ in Google.

I was looking for something new, something that is not heavily commercialized and free of tourists until I stumbled upon a simple website with black background, a simple picture and a Japanese logo. The website was under construction and it’s one of those kinds where you just want close the tab as soon as you open it and search for something else but when I clicked the menu, I died.

It was love at first sight. The minute I ate that ramen in TOKI Underground more than a month ago I know my tongue will always look for that kind of Japanese cuisine. And guess what? It’s affordable! You don’t need to break your piggybank to eat in this restaurant.

I get my hands on the search bar and immediately typed how to get there and it turns out that it was convenient for our plans. I sent my friend the link of the website and voila! she loved it too and she can’t wait to eat there.

On the day itself, we wore the dress that she bought for us, sexy stockings, boots and leather jackets to add accent. We’re going to live a Gossip Girl life in a day – our little inside joke.

We watched movies in AMC Times Square while eating a burger and fries that we bought in Five Guys. After the movie, we took the Shuttle to Grand Central station and walked to 43^rd Street where Sakagura restaurant is.

The weather was on our side, it was either cold or hot, just enough for a short fashion show to turn heads and, occasionally, a whistle. Reaching the end of our ‘catwalk,’ on the middle of 43^rd street, we saw a mid rise building that will surely not get your attention at first glance. We entered the lobby and took selfies.

After the ‘selfies,’ we took the stairs towards the underground basement and a dim lighted entrance and a very welcoming receptionist greet us. We arrived fifteen minute earlier prior to our reservation. They ready our table while we fixed ourselves in the women’s room. Even the bathrooms are old Japanese Style.

After the vanity time our server lead us towards at the end past the tables through the curtain and after the curtain another set of, mostly, two-seater tables. We sat and ordered what we were craving for in the menu.

And because we’re not Japanese, most of the dishes were very hard to pronounce let alone remember. And while skimming the menu, our server offered us hot towels to clean our hands and a bottle of Sparkling water.

For starters, we had this kind of sushi with caviar.

And something that looks like diced salmon.

I’m not a big fan of raw foods but this time I actually liked the taste. Maybe because I had gruesome experience last time I ate something raw.

For the main course, we had a bowl of rice, Chicken Karaage (If I remembered it correctly) and a steak.

The Chicken was crisp on the outside and juicy on the inside. It was cooked to the right amount of tenderness and spices for the taste. I’m no cook but all I know is combine it with rice and it will make your mouth water.

Same goes with the steak, it was cut to equal sizes and covered with chunks of sauce. The sauce is what made it delicious with the rice.

And of course we had the famous Japanese wine: Sake.

It was my first time to drink Sake and, compared to the regular alcohol that we drink, it’s not that strong and the taste lies somewhere between sweet and sour. It’s best if you’re that kind of person who wants to drink and not get drunk.

And what is the best combination while drinking alcohol? Stories, especially stories that haven’t been said in a long time and needs to be said again but, this time, to a new person. Our evening was full of revelations that neither of us knew about each other before.

Of course, a sumptuous meal is not complete without dessert. After finishing our main course, our server came back with the dessert menu. Because it was my birthday celebration, we had three desserts.

This one is a sorbet (I forgot what flavor)

Chocolate with sesame

Green tea ice cream

We were so full. Thanks to our jackets they did a good job in hiding our screaming tummies.

The ice creams were served with two mugs of hot jasmine tea to warm our bodies after.

If you’re planning to visit Sakagura they are located at: 211 E 43^rd St, New York, NY 10017 (a couple of blocks from Grand Central)

Walking the Brooklyn Bridge is the cliché-st thing to do in Brooklyn

But hey! We all get desperate.

While Brooklyn Bridge is a part of everyday life for every New Yorker it is also a famous tourist spot for, not just for tourists from all over the world, a newbie New Yorker (like me!) and you can’t get rid of that.

The good thing about it is I got reunited with York St, which I first step foot on a couple of months back (refer to my previous post) while exploring Brooklyn.

It was the same station we got off on.

We walked toward the entrance of the Brooklyn Bridge. I thought we’re gonna walk the Bridge from where it literally starts but we ended up finding a clump of tourists and decided to follow them and they lead us to a stairs under the bridge and there hangs a sign that says “entrance.” The stair goes up straight to the walkway for tourists.

While to many, especially those from other countries, Brooklyn Bridge is just for private vehicles – and yes, you’re correct. So you’re probably asking what the hell am I talking about? Right? In the middle of the Bridge is a walkway especially designed for tourists so they can walk without having to worry getting hit by a passing car. We can really say that Brooklyn Bridge is not just for a four-wheeled vehicle but also for two feet.

The walkway is divided in to two parts; the “walk lane” for people who prefers to walk and a “bike lane” for those who wants to ride their bike.

walk lane (right) bike lane (left)

Putting up a bike lane was pretty annoying. Majority of the people wants to walk and the space of the walk lane was not enough so the tourists were walking really close to each other and there were instances when you and your friends will not notice that you’re already walking on the bike lane, because you want to take some photographs, until these annoying bikers ring the bells attached on their bike to signal that they were coming (and coming fast!) and that you will make you step back on the walk lane.

Remove the bike lane!

On a lighter note, it was, without a doubt, an amazing experience. A few years ago, Brooklyn Bridge was just a landscape picture hanging against the white wall in my living room and the experience of crossing it was surreal.

The mandatory tourist-y post

It was comfortable enough, despite the annoying bikers, there were benches that you can sit on when you’re tired of walking. The great thing about this is that your coffee break has just become cooler. If you work close enough to Brooklyn Bridge I suggest you drag your friends during your break time and enjoy your cups of coffee on the Bridge. Ditch the cozy sofas of Starbucks! Get out and enjoy a great view of the Manhattan Skyline, the East River and everything in it. How wonderful is that?

Sorry Starbucks I love your comfy sofas but I will always choose this.

If you’re from New York and thinking about going to Paris Love Locks or Korea Namsan Tower to “lock” together with your partner guess what? You don’t need to fly three thousand miles.

Brooklyn Love Locks

Spotted: a dozen of love locks locked to the Bridge. This ritual is done by, obviously, lovers and they throw away the key to the East River to symbolize unbreakable love. It is also famous in a lot of countries particularly Paris being the first city to popularize the love lock culture.

and there are vandalisms too!

NYPD’s are also sprinkled in the walkway making sure the safety of everyone. Let’s just hope that they won’t remove any of the locks!

I enjoyed walking too much that I didn’t notice we’re already in the borough of Manhattan. Turns out that Brooklyn Bridge was not too long as I thought. It’s hundred percent walkable (is that even a word?).

Washington DC? Again? Yes, please

It’s a Labor Day weekend! Time to pack those hiking boots that has been gathering dust in your closet and book tickets to celebrate the your day as a hard working employee!

I celebrated mine at the Capital of the United States, Washington DC. Lucky me, I have a friend who live there so board and lodging is out of my budget list.

I arrived at Union Station just on time.

Union Station Facade

(Union Station Facade)

The weather was hot (New York was a bit cold!) so I look a little out of place with my skinny jeans, ankle high rubber shoes (not to mention the thick socks), long sleeves and a thick sweater. Nonetheless, I don’t care.

My friend’s work finishes at 2pm (it’s just 12:00 when I arrived) so I have two long hours to wander around the places I didn’t get a chance to visit before. I chose to stay close Union Station and just wandered around the Union Station Plaza towards the US Capitol building.

It was a long walk and I’m pulling my stroller luggage! Which I have to hand carry whenever I came to a stair and need to go up (For the love of travel!). All those “How to pack light” articles didn’t really help at all.

US Capitol Building

The US capitol building was a huge building or should I say basilica. It looked more than a church than a place where dirty political debates happen. Great architecture even I bet my MacBook laptop modern day architects cannot build a structure like that anymore. A giant lawn stretched out in front of it and you can hear the sound of water splashing from the Capitol Reflecting Pool.

The Lawn and the Capitol Reflecting Pool far beyond.

By 1:30 pm I head back to Union Station to take the Metro to Gallery Place and ride a free, yes free, shuttle to Hilton Hotel where my friend works. I sat at the brown overlarge sofa at the lobby of the hotel. And there’s also a grand piano too. She immediately saw me and together we walked to her apartment, which she shares with her dad and two other roommates, they’re often not at home, so most of the time we have the house all to ourselves.

We drop my things in her room and had a little chat with her dad. I took advantage of the situation to rest. We fixed ourselves in the mirror tweaked some eyelashes here and there and applied some powder to our oily faces (we never know if we’ll encounter some hot guy along the way!). The three of us (yes, her dad included) walked to Starbucks and ordered our favorite frappe. I’m sorry diet but its vacation time might as well enjoy some day-offs too.

I ordered my guilty pleasure, Caramel Frappuccino with whipped cream. As soon as I said my order the barista said “No!” “Why?” I asked, “It’s full of sugar!” Yeah I know that’s one of the reasons of vacation – get fat. He gave me what I want anyway.

We stayed in Starbucks shortly after we ordered then the two of us (her dad chose to stay) went to Noodles where we had barbecue sandwich that was big enough for both of us. We sat outside and immediately the conversation started flowing. I didn’t just pack my clothes I packed a number of gossips too, and yes, people, to talk about.

Have you ever experienced those times where you jaw feels tired of talking? We surely did. Fewer and fewer cars pass by the road and its just 9:30 in the evening.

Our Starbucks drinks at Noodles plus a view of Seminary Road

And it looks like Noodles is going to close in a couple of minutes so we decided to head back and call it a night. We are both tired anyway and agreed to save our itinerary for the next two days.

—

I woke up 7 in the morning and I’m all alone. I checked my phone and there’s a message there from my friend telling me the directions to the place where I can go hiking (Thanks Jamie!) I have the morning all by myself and hiking is just the perfect way to spend it.

But first, I ate the still warm oatmeal that she cooked for me in the table together with a slice of cake for dessert. Hmmm. I didn’t take a shower coz I’ll just dirty myself instead I wore the rubber shoes I was wearing when I arrived and followed the directions she gave me.

I turned right in Sanger Avenue and walked straight ahead until I saw the playground that she described in the text message and walked past it until I came to the dead end and there on the left is a sign that says “entrance” and also a cemented trail.

All the adventurous genes that I have took over the cerebral part of my brain. I went further and further. I walked slow and just appreciate the beauty of nature before me. It’s very quiet I can hear the soft “croo” sounds of birds. There were fallen tree trunks and huge branches of trees around. And by the look of it it’s been there for only god knows how long. It felt like I’m in a real jungle, those kinds of jungle you see in the Once Upon A Time series and Hunger Games Trilogy. I stepped out of the cemented trail and started exploring the real trail (that is not cemented.)

The uncemented trail

It’s more challenging (I like it!) it goes up and up the hill. And up there I stumbled upon some used firewood and huge stones circling it, which indicates that, somebody or a group have been here before. It makes me feel like a historian exploring ancient Egypt and trying to discover some facts from hundreds of years ago.

The trail started going down and ended at the other end of the cemented trail. I rested in a big lump of wood for a while to regain my breathing. Then two joggers were approaching me from another cemented trail that I didn’t notice before. There were two cemented trails that join each other only at the end. The end of two cemented trails opens to a circled mini park with only one bench. And not too far from the mini park is a small bridge and a lake beneath it.

The lake was shallow and has a lot of stones, in different sizes, in it and surrounding it. Together with the sunlight peeping through the overcast clouds it was such a lovely sight.

I stayed in there for a while and jumped on the huge stones on the water crossed it stone by stone until I reached the other end. The water was very clean you can see the stones on the bottom.

I decided to explore deeper. It was my desire to know what’s beyond so I continued to walk and saw another playground for kids and built-in barbecue grills for family bonding and recreational purposes. There’s also a huge lawn on the other side perfect for sunbathing and activities that involves running. There’s also a caged public swimming pool, to my surprise there’s water in it, that you can reserve or use in your chosen time.

The deeper part of the lake is in this part. And at one point I saw a tree trunk that connects to the other side.

It looks shallower than it is but I bet you this part was deep!

Would you dare to cross?

I have a long way back and decided to follow the other cemented trail and there I discovered another lake (I dunno if it was connected to the first lake that I saw) regardless I sat at the bank for rest and play with the water. It was too early for fall but some leaves are already falling into the water creating a rippling effect.

This cemented trail reveals more paths at the other end. It was connected to two bike lanes, well, you can also walk it was too wide for a bike.

The bike trail

I head back at the apartment and took a shower. When you get all sweaty and dirty you appreciate warm bath more than normal and of course a mouthwatering lunch after. My friend already cooked a Salmon stew with tomatoes and spinach for me and her dad before she left for work earlier (isn’t she the best?) I grabbed a plate, scooped a large chunk of brown rice and a piece of everything. I even enjoyed a second helping (oops! I’m really sorry diet).

I killed time in the Balcony. I sat in the foldable lazy chair and let my hair fall down as it dries. I love chill/adventurous days like this I hope labor days happen five times a year.

An hour later, I walk to Hilton hotel to fetch my friend and grab some beer for tonight. I arrived early and I did that on purpose so I have time to explore the hotel.

I went to the garden and the first thing that I noticed was the gazebo surrounded with colorful little flowers.

It’s a perfect setting for a romantic time if you have someone and it’s also perfect spot if you want some “me time” and read your paperback while sipping your favorite coffee or just talk to a friend. It immediately became my favorite part of the hotel.

There were also a couple of adjustable beach benches under the trees right by the fountain and a swimming pool for kids. I sat on the bench and had my fare share of relaxation under the peeping sun (if only there’s a person sitting on the bench right beside me it would be better!).

relaxation time

I met my friend at the lobby of the hotel. Before going home, we dropped by Global Supermarket and bought a couple of beers (it’s gonna be a long night!) and raw baby back ribs for dinner.

She marinated and baked the baby back ribs. It’s going to be a long wait before it’s ready so we downloaded some movies on the Internet (but didn’t get the chance to watch them. Ha!). It cooked just in time. It was dusk outside and the sky was shades of blue, violet, and pink perfectly woven together in a blanket covering the Earth.

Drinking beer and getting a little tipsy, once in a while, is a healthy thing. We drank in the terrace and as the alcohol flow down our system the conversation also keeps going. Don’t you just love days where, in a company of a beer, you and your friend talk about the things that happened to you since you were a fetus in your mother’s tummy? I sure did. We talked a lot. I mean a lot and it was a good talk not those meaningless conversations (until your drunk anyway).

We Skyped with our friends in the other States too and impulsively planned our next adventures. I’m waiting which of those plans will come to reality (I hope all of them!). I drank three bottles already and I’m beginning to feel a little tipsy. I know my alcohol tolerance is not that high compared to my friend who still appears “normal” and not affected by the beer at all.

It’s not when it started to drizzle that we decided to go in and sleep through our alcohol infected minds. Before we sleep we agreed to wake up 7am start the next day so we can complete our itinerary (good luck with that!)

—

As expected, we didn’t wake up as planned because of our hangovers. We started the day a little bit late and took a cab to the Toki Underground Japanese Ramen restaurant. It was the best ramen in all of DC (according to Google). My friend have already tried it I trust her judgment. We ordered a serving of steamed dumplings for both of us and I ordered a Chicken Karaage ramen, cookies for dessert. And man! The serving was huge and the taste was sumptuous.

The dumplings

the HUGE ramen bowl

The cookies

You can feel every single spice melting in your tongue. And the cookies are the best I’ve ever tasted. It was hot and fresh from the oven without the taste of preservatives. Dunk it in the glass of milk and it’ll make the taste even more perfect. And affordable price too! I’m sure I’ll want to visit again.

We can barely walk with our oh so full tummies so we take the Uber DC cab to our first stop, Washington Memorial.

Upon seeing the…ehem…erected obelisk I was filled with excitement.

We walked closer to the circles surrounding the obelisk. It was taller than what I had in mind and wider too. I also didn’t know then that you could enter the inside of the obelisk. Hmm? I wonder what’s inside there. We didn’t bought tickets though.

We crossed the huge lawn surrounding the Washington Memorial towards the Word War II monument. It was a monument dedicated to Americans who participated in the World War II. Fifty-six pillars surrounded it, each bearing a name of the country on the top most part and on the center was a fountain. A lot of people were sitting on the banks of the fountain dipping only their legs in the warm water.

After that we walked towards the reflecting pool to the Lincoln Memorial. Unlike the previous attractions not a lot of people were walking in the reflecting pool. A flock of ducks claimed the pool as their headquarters and their shit was all over the place thank god it doesn’t smell.

We came to the stairs of the Lincoln memorial and went up of course and up there we enjoyed a full view of the reflecting pool, WWII memorial and Washington monument only then did I know why it’s called reflecting pool. It’s because you can see the full reflection of the Washington memorial on the water of the pool. It was, yet indeed, another lovely sight.

The reflecting pool

The Lincoln Memorial

My time was almost up. And I have to catch my bus, which will leave for New York at 6:00pm. We wandered around the National Mall a little bit and we’re goddamn tired so we took a cab to Union Station.

We quenched our thirst in Jamba Juice inside Union before I went up the parking lot to the bus station. I made it just in time. I fell asleep and I woke up seeing the Manhattan Skyline from the window.

From Brooklyn with Love

Another day, another place, another adventure, another borough explored.

It was a hot Saturday afternoon and it would be a waste not to take advantage of the summer while it lasts. I decided to take the train to Brooklyn. I haven’t been to Brooklyn all my life so I figured it would be great to step foot there and see the Manhattan skyline from the other side of the Brooklyn Bridge. It was a 30-minute train ride to York St. station.

And from there I walked to the Brooklyn Bridge Park. I usually don’t bring a map with me when I travel because I like the feeling of being lost and really “travel” I mean, I like asking people questions and directions. I enjoy interacting with strangers though sometimes when it’s late GPS becomes my best friend.

When I was walking to my destination the first thing that I noticed was the roads. They were so ancient just like the ones in Wall Street and not only that, embedded in those roads are old and rusty train tracks that we no longer use. It’s so different from Queens where I currently live; it’s also full of art galleries and stores that sell musical instruments.

For an artist like me it was difficult not to fall in love. It was the perfect neighborhood.

After a couple of minutes, I reached my destination. The first thing I saw was the playground and Jane’s Carousel from afar. I’m saving that for later. I went to the park where the playground is but I didn’t go inside and play, instead, I went further towards the bank where my feet touch the shallow ends of the East River and enjoy the view of Brooklyn Bridge from where I’m standing.

I even took a picture of my shadow.

It was early in the afternoon and I have lots of time to explore around while waiting for everything to be silhouette and golden yellow.

To begin with there are lots of people, tourists and locals, but not crowded. There’s a couple of photographers armed with their tripods and expensive DSLR’s I bet they are also waiting to capture the beauty of Manhattan skyline from Brooklyn. There are also professional photographers doing photo-shoots of a wedding.

Maybe this is a good place to have my own photo-shoot one day.

I walked and walked and explored whatever there is to explore until I reached the other side of the park where the famous Brooklyn Ice Cream is. I wanted to taste the ice cream but the line was longer than that of a blockbuster movie. It’s crazy how some people wanted to buy the ice cream just to take a picture of it with the Manhattan skyline as the background and post it on Instagram. It’s even extra funny to just walk and observe all the people you’ll be surprised by your own observations.

On the deck where BIC is there’s an overlooking too. Lot’s of kids are playing and running and some are taking turns to take a picture of each other. The view is great over there. It makes you appreciate the Freedom Tower on the other side.

You can also rent bikes and there’s a charging station if your iPhone or Smartphone is desperately in need of a battery.

The most magnificent view is on the other side of the park. It has a long walkway with barricades overlooking the East River and benches that you can sit on.

I walked through the end of the walkway observing and taking pictures of the great view before me. As I reach the end, I saw a massive staircase that leads somewhere up there. By the stairwell, covered by leaves and plants, is a smaller stairs that connects the two.

I went up the small stairs and it opens to a lawn where lots of people are laid on their backs under the scorching heat of the sun. The left side leads to the upper opening of the massive stairwell…and the view up there is extra beautiful. It’s more leveled up and you can see the tiny silhouette figure of the Statue of Liberty.

I explored further and further and discovered more hidden stairs and explored each of them. One stair leads to a road with another set of benches overlooking a ramp that joins the river. Lumps of woods are sticking out of the river which, I assume, are used for the yachts to stay in place. I sat on the benches because I thought it would be nice to photograph that view wherein the camera shutter opens for 30 seconds focuses on the lumps of wood with the skyline as the background and the smooth still water. But I have a crappy camera so I wasn’t able to capture it like I imagined it.

I went back and forth to kill time. I have to say that the park is much bigger than I expected. There’s a lot of hidden pathways, small and large lawns and different re-creational activities.

I went back to the big stairwell and sat on the top most step against the railing. I watched the sunset until it transitions to a muted shade of orange and yellow.

I continue to sit there and wait for the night. I wanna see the Manhattan skyline from Brooklyn. As I wait, looking at the sunset, different thoughts entered my mind. This is a good time to reflect and think about things and plans and life and everything in between. It’s just impossible not to think of any with that kind of view.

Moments later, the glass windows of the buildings in Manhattan light up one by one until it illuminates the river. Private yachts passing by playing up beat music people in there are partying and enjoying the weekend. Wow! I would love to experience that one day.

I sat up and went down back to the walkway through the benches by the railings and took a picture of the famous skyline. I took a couple of shots until I’m satisfied.

Until next time Brooklyn!

Profound: Manhattanhenge 2014

We all have a thing for sunsets. Whether it’s a beach kind of sunset, mountain sunset, side-mirror-in-your-car sunset, bus or subway sunset or just a simple sunset by the rooftop of your house. We love to take a picture of it and post it in our social media accounts, specifically, Instagram. Yeah, who wouldn’t love to get many likes on Instagram?

I, myself, have already lost count of how many golden hours I posted on my personal IG account. I just love the feeling of posting something profound other than, #foodporn, #throwbackthursday and #selfie (not that I hadn’t done any of those). But the thing is I feel like I always post the same kind of sunsets. Not literally the same. The photos were taken in different places but it’s monotonous.

I’ve been waiting to post something more special. One that my eyes wouldn’t see everyday. Something like Valentines Day, Christmas, Halloween, New Year. We wait all year round for those events because they only happen once a year, which makes it special. There’s something about waiting that makes something different and extraordinary.

In New York, a “thing” called Manhattanhenge is an annual event that happens twice a year during spring and summer. It’s when the setting sun is perfectly aligned with the East and West streets in the borough of Manhattan. As per my research, West 34^th and East 42^nd render the most beautiful view of Manhantanhenge. I chose to go to West 34^th because that’s where my favorite building in the City is, The Empire State. I always imagined it would look magnificent silhouette against the sunset.

I arrived an hour early and the first thing that I observed was there’s a lot of locals and photographers setting up their camera’s on their tripod to capture the sunset. Clearly, I was not the only one excited for this. It feels alive to be part of something. And as the time closes to 8:30 in the evening, West 34^th street was swamped by New Yorkers and tourists.

They were everywhere, in the sidewalks, in the middle of the road and wherever they can get a perfect angle. They don’t care about the traffic at all. Yeah, who cares right? I felt like I was witnessing something that could go down in history.

And there it is.

The sunset that I’ve been waiting for.

(I’m right. Empire State looks stunning in silhouette.)

It’s only a half sun but it’s enough to amaze me. It really is aligned perfectly with the street. And suddenly, the click of the cameras and smartphones around me was such a beautiful sound. The oohs and ahhs of the people around me confirming that I was not the only one experiencing this for the first time makes me relax. The experience was worth it…except that I’m alone (okay, cue dramatics).

I always wanted to share a sunset like this with someone. That would be extra lovelier. Hopefully, next time I have someone with me to take a picture with.

 

New York. It never fails to amaze me in every turn.

 

Now I know why storms are named after people.

and so do you. 

I got DC’ed

They say if you’re waking up in your own bed for far too long it’s time to go and wake up somewhere else. I don’t mind sleeping in someone else’s couch for days and see a different view each time I wake up in the morning.

To cut the long story short, I have a high school batch mate in Washington, DC and after 5 or so years I decided to have a little high school reunion with him and meet the rest of his group. Since I have a friend who also works there, Angela, a place to stay is not a problem.

I arrived an hour early in the Megabus station in West 34^th West Side Manhattan. I thought I would be the earliest bird but some people were already in line. The station was near the Hudson River and most of the people in line were shivering. I felt relieved when they finally checked our tickets and gave us a red card for boarding. The bus was a double decker bus. I thought I was only going to see these kinds of buses in London and since it’s my first time riding a double decker bus I chose to ride in the top bunk.

(that’s the double decker!)

The bus left at exactly 9am. This is it! I’m leaving The Concrete Jungle for four days and three nights!

As the bus picked up its speed at Interstate 495 I put my earphones on and concentrate on the beautiful views outside. Majority of the passengers were sleeping. They didn’t know that one of the best parts of travelling is the ride. The joy of leaving one place and getting to another.

Manhattan from New Jersey was spectacular. I’ve never seen it from afar before. The buildings were small but still visible rendered black and white by the fog. Then we crossed Newark; still part of NJ, and the first major thing I noticed was the Newark Airport. Our bus was close enough to the airport runway I saw a plane in taxi getting ready for take off. It’s different when you’re inside the plane experiencing it all but when you’re outside and you see the whole process of a plane in taxi until it took off and in close up it’s amazing.  

We were in Interstate 95 and outside the window was a blur of green. I never thought that I would see vast greenery, tall grasses, crops and really big trees in the continental US especially not too far from the omnipresent noise of New York. I always thought that US was all about tall buildings and all that stuff. It almost felt like home.

We stopped at Baltimore. Some of the passengers got off the bus. I’m an hour away to Washington and I’m feeling the excitement building up. We’re still at I95 speeding up and they announced that we’re a couple of minutes away from Union Station in DC.

We were driving in H Street now and the houses and establishments were small and looked like a mini castle it’s like a piece on a chessboard. It’s more quiet and li-low. I missed this kind of quietness. We reached Union Station and the bus went up to the parking lot. I retrieved my bag from the rear of the bus and followed the instructions that Angela gave me.

I have a habit of not panicking when I get lost so it’s not a problem with me I just go and go and I reached the Metro. Next thing was how to use the ticket machines? it’s not the same as the New York ones. I was standing there like a kid pressing buttons figuring out how to make it work and I did it! But the fucking machine was asking for a fucking 20 bucks for a fucking one-way ticket. It’s crazy. Finally the next guy in line noticed that I dunno what to do and offered his help. “Can I help?” this British guy said I could tell by his accent, “Yes, please” I automatically replied. Then he asked where will I go down and pressed the down switch? Button? to reduce the amount to 3 bucks. Whoever that is Thank you!

I went down to the platform and wait for a Red Line Metro train that will take me to Gallery Place. The train stations here are very different from the Subways. It has a Hogwarts vibe; it’s cleaner and more pleasing to ride.

(@ Eisenhower Ave.)

(My travel bag on the platform)

At Gallery place I waited for a Yellow Line to Pentagon City. Little did I know that there are two Pentagons. As soon as I saw Pentagon Station I got off right away and realized that Pentagon Station is different from Pentagon City. When I went out at Pentagon Station I found myself in a place called Pentagon Memorial in a bay of buses. I texted Angela that I was there. She was on her way to pick me up in a car with her officemate Moses but they got pulled by the Police because of using GPS while driving. And Moses’ license was suspended and he’s not allowed to drive in Virginia. So if his friend will not be there in 20 minutes to drive for him the police will have to tow his truck and Angela has to walk to find me. We were on the phone giving each other directions. I told her I was wearing all black and she was wearing her hotel uniform. And in a snap of a second I saw a white figure in a hotel uniform! I called my mom and told her I was already with Angela and Angela called her dad to say she’s already with me.

We have to get back to Moses who was still stranded with the police. Moses was a black American and he told us it was okay and we should probably go because it will take time. I insisted on staying because I was feeling guilty but he said it’s okay. Angela checks on him every now and then though.

We took the Yellow Line to Pentagon City. Finally. And took the free Hilton Hotel shuttle bus to Hilton Hotel. It was a long shuttle ride and we talked like we haven’t spoken for 5 years.

At Hilton Hotel we walked to her apartment. It was also a long walk. We talked still. And I finally had the chance to observe around. There’s a lot of trees and greenery around. There are not so much people. I felt like it was a province but not completely a province.

Both of us were hungry so we ordered a to-go 20 pieces chicken nuggets at McDonalds and walked a couple of blocks more to Angela’s apartment.

Our stomachs were screaming for food when we arrived so we immediately re-heat the brown rice in the microwave and ate our stomachs out. I finished most of the nuggets, surprised how hungry I was, and Angela wolfed down her spicy chicken from Jollibee. We had dessert afterwards and watched TV.

We got ready by 7:00pm because Ishmael, Sancho’s friend which is my high school batch mate now friend, is going to pick us up to have dinner with the rest of the group at a Japanese resto called Kenji Fusion.

Ishmael arrived at exactly 7:30. We hopped on his car and Angela introduced me to him.

“So you’re the famous girl huh?” he said.

“Famous? I’m not famous.”

“Everyone’s waiting for you.”

I don’t know what to expect. Just go with the flow is my thing. And I’m really happy to meet new/old friends and Filipinos too.

We arrived in Kenji Fusion moments later and joined the rest of the group inside. I met Sancho for, probably the first time in five years, we graduated high school 2008 but were never classmates. He was part of the honors section and I, well, non-honors section. I met the rest, Brandon and Josh; they’re both Filipinos who grew up in US. Ishmael is Bolivian but with his looks he could pass for a Filipino or Asian. He’s quiet most of the time.

They’re very cool though. Josh could understand a little bit of tagalog but, probably, if one would speak tagalog very fast he wouldn’t understand it. When he speaks in Filipino it sounds different. And it’s because, he told me, he’s been living here since he was nine and he hasn’t been back since.

Brandon had a hard time understanding tagalog. He knows some words and maybe basic sentence. I think he was born and raised here.

We ordered from the menu. I forgot what I ordered but it’s like a sweet and sour chicken.

They’re very happy people and fun too! We spend the time debating who’s the best team between Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs. Angela and I favor Miami while they are all Spurs fans. Gahh. I don’t understand why they hate the Heat so much. Okay I will agree I hate Lebron too but LeBron doesn’t represent the whole Miami.

Most of the time Brandon would ask questions like which do you prefer this or that? He has his own way analyzing your answer psychologically. He asked Angela what songs she listened to and when Angela went out for a smoke with Josh he asked me the same question. I told him my favorite bands like Guns n Roses, Coldplay etc. etc. Ishmael suggested that I listen to this guy called Led Zeppellin. According to him, their music is like of those in Guns n Roses but it’s better.

After that we joined Angela and Josh outside. Sancho had to go home because of his curfew and the rest of us went to Breeze, a Korean café.

(sweets in Breeze)

Ishmael, Angela and I arrived first and we wait for the others before ordering. And to prevent the awkwardness I asked Ishmael questions about his college.

He was still quite quiet. He told me he was not actually that quiet he was just tired from work. Soon enough the others arrived. I had iced green tea, which tasted like water by the way. And Brandon continued asking his psychological questions.

(Us in Breeze)

It was drizzling when we left. I bid Josh and Brandon goodbye and Ishmael dropped us off in Angela’s apartment.

I really enjoyed this day. Travelling and meeting new people is like bread and Nutella: A good combination. 

I got DC’ed: day 2

We woke up late morning due to unexpected “girly talk” that lasted until 3am. It was drizzling still and because of that we weren’t able to do what we planned for this day. We cannot go hiking because the soil will be soft, oh this means I won’t be able to use my rubber shoes, and jogging would be a bad idea.

We cooked ourselves breakfast. Pancakes and walnuts with chopped banana and chocolate syrup as toppings we also fried some eggs and spam. We finished almost everything. And since we’re going to meet our newfound friends later this evening we opted for some movie marathon to kill time. 

We first watched Pain and Gain. Angela had watched it before. It’s a true story but I didn’t like it. We fast forwarded it to the ending and watched 21 Jumpstreet the next. This was the movie that I enjoyed. It’s about two Policemen who went undercover as high school students to determine who sells illegal drugs inside the school. It’s a mixture of comedy and action. I like it. Next movie we watched was Magic Mike but we weren’t able to finish it because we have to get ready.

Sancho wants to go to a concert I guess but the weather was kinda bad and it’s not a good day for a concert so, as planned the night before, we decided to go to Brandon’s apartment for a bonding and a little drink.

Ishmael picked us up again. He asked if I wanna listen to some Led Zeppelin music and I said yes he played it on the radio and I agree they sound like Guns n Roses but they’re better. We drove through Annandale Rd to pick up a guy called Luis. I haven’t met him but Angela already did. He sat together with me at the backseat of the car.

We introduced ourselves to each other and shook hands. We now drove to Brandon’s apartment. Ishmael pressed number 9 in the elevator and when the doors opened we turned left to look for Brandon’s unit.

When we opened the door the others were already there, playing and having some fun. I met another new person, Santino. Angela joined the others at the table and taught Brandon and Luis how to play a Filipino card game called tong-its.

Brandon’s apartment has a three-sitter couch and a single couch on its left. There’s a center table on the middle. That makes the living room. And beyond the couch was a dinning table and adjacent it was a piano keyboard. Whenever I see piano I miss playing it. Then all the way to the back was a sliding door that opens to a terrace.

I sat in the couch together with Josh and Ishmael we were later joined by the others. I asked Ishmael what’s the title of the first Led Zeppelin song that he played. If I’m not mistaken the title was “All of my love.”

Sancho treated us a Samuel Adams drink because he just graduated from college! Congrats Sancho! And Angela bought some more. So we’re good.

We started drinking Samuel Adams but first….group selfie.

(from L to R: Santino, Angela, Brandon, Josh, Ishmael, Luis, Me and Sancho)

I didn’t drink that much. Two bottles and that’s it. We talked and played games. The ones that I used to play when I was in college. Truth or dare. In my college, we just do dare because nobody tells the truth. Here we just do truth. They’re going to ask you questions and you have to answer truthfully. We also played Pinoy Henyo. It’s a game where you’ll put a word (whether it be a person, place or a thing) over a person’s head and he/she has to ask the others question answerable only by yes or no to give him clues until he/she guess the word. It’s pretty fun!

As the night drags on some of us went outside to the terrace. Some played Poker and some just talk.

Sancho talked me over about staying here or going back to Philippines. Well, let’s just say that I decided to take a chance and stay here for a while.

Ishmael invited another friend, Jovanna. He asked Angela and me if we wanna go because he can drop us off in our apartment but I said we’ll stay. I just figured that I’ll go back in The Jungle in two days time and I wanna “make it count.”

Then we decided to go to this Diner to have a midnight snack and since we’re not going to fit all in Josh’s car. Josh, me and Angela dropped Sancho off in his house and went back to Brandon’s apartment to pick up Santino, Luis and Brandon. We drove to Luis’ house again to pick up his car so everybody would be comfortable.

We drove to the Diner, Luis in our tail. It was drizzling and inside the car Pinoy Henyo game continued. Now it’s my turn to guess the word. I’m usually bad at these games but I guessed it right. What a miracle. The answer was Kobe Bryant.

At the Diner…but first let us take a groupfie. Again. 

 

Okay. At the Diner all of us skim the menu to find something to order. I ended up ordering Turkey sausage with scrambled eggs and fried potatoes. The serving was big and I wasn’t able to finish everything in my plate thanks to Angela for finishing the rest of the potatoes.

(From L to R: Luis, Santino and Josh)

(Angela and Brandon)

We had some good time looking at memes on their phone. Though most of the time Angela and I didn’t get the joke. I guess it’s time to visit the humor department in our brain.

We paid our bill at the counter and outside it was still drizzling. I hugged most of them and bid them goodbye because I won’t be able to see them the next day and I’ll go home the day after that.

It was already past 2 am.

Josh and Brandon dropped us off Angela’s apartment.

“Thanks guys it was fun.” They said.

 

It was very fun indeed!