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Trip 5: January 2009
I just spent Christmas in the Philippines then a few weeks after, I flew back. Yes, I did.
I am now subletting in Park Slope. This is a lovely neighborhood in Brooklyn. I chose this because my son will visit me this April and this area is very conducive for kids.
I have had a handful of adventures so far. Super. But I feel I am not ready to share these yet. This I can say, NYC is an exciting but tough city. Maybe in time, I’ll share some of the adventures and misadventures. 
Trip 4: November 2008
I did not have a specific reason why I went to NYC that time. I just missed it so much. Everytime I watch CSI NY or any TV show or movie shot in NYC, I felt a tugging in my heart.
Also I felt really lethargic in Manila. To tell you the truth, it is only my son that gave me energy. I didn’t even go out or see much of my friends.
So I went back.
1. I subletted in Williamsburg. It is a cool place in Brooklyn, very near Manhattan. There are lots of restaurants, artsy places and people. I’m off the Bedford L Stop.
This is Parallel Parking, NYC style. Bumper to Bumper. Pic taken in Williamsburg
2. My two roommates were guys. This was a first for me. But it was cool. They are cool people.
3. I met other interesting people as well – an engineer, a start-up founder and a guy who loves salsa.
4. I had another salsa class conducted by a Google engineer. He loves salsa and teaches it for free in his free time. He’s a good teacher too. I met very interesting people in that class from all continents of the world. I love the diversity of NYC!
5. I became more familiar with the East and West Village, and the Upper East side.
6. Oh and since Trip 3, I don’t bring a subway map with me anymore. I just hop on a train and look at the maps in the station in case I get lost. Important things to remember are in which avenues the subway lines are, where you can get from the east side to the west side, and what stations have the most transfers.
9. I saw my first Broadway show, Chicago with my HS friend and her friends. It was good!
10. My City Moment:
As I was walking from the east side to the west side and I stopped in the middle of Columbus circle, looked up and just marveled at the skyscapers, then looked around and marveled at all the cars and people. Inside the Circle, the sounds of the city toned down a bit. They say it is because of the way Columbus Circle is designed. Nonetheless, you just can feel the hectic pace of the city.
Trip 3: June-July 2008
It was after a conference in Michigan that I dropped by NYC again and not only that, extended my trip for a month! I didn’t stay with my mom’s friend in Brooklyn because they had a falling out.
1. I discovered SUBLETTING! And I discovered truly how expensive space is in NYC. I and my friend Alyssa, who flew in for LA and stayed in NYC for a week subletted a place in the Upper West Side. She stayed for a week. I stayed in the UWS for a month.
2. I had American girls as roommates. The first one was a native New Yorker. She teaches in a Bronx Elementary school. The other one is a law school student from Indiana. We hung out and went to a wine place, a dive bar and some restaurants.
3. I played tourist guide to Alyssa, although I am a tourist myself. We went to the basics- 42nd, Central Park, Rockefeller,Statue of Liberty. And we watched Sex and the City when it was showing .. in New York City!!!
4. Again, of course, we went clubbing. I met some few interesting people. I am slowly getting to learn the rules here when it comes to dating in NYC — there are NO RULES. You make your own!
5. I supposed to go skydiving but the weather conditions prevented it. Twas a shame.
6. I subletted another place in Fort Greene in Brooklyn after my sublet in the UWS expired. I discovered good good varied restaurants in Brooklyn.
7. We went to Hershey Farm in Pensylvannia with my HS friends.
8. I celebrated my birthday with the guy from Trip 2. It was very nice. 
9. For some reason, I felt I had money during the trip. I grew tired of the subway and took cabs. NYC cabs have a small TV and can accept credit card payments. Isn’t that cool?? Then after I tallied all the cab receipts, I vowed to take the subway if possible. NYC is an expensive city, that’s all that I can say.
The TV with the info channel and a credit card swiper. Love it!
10. My City Moment:
Walking in Battery Park after our Statue of Liberty Trip and then going past by City Hall and heading to Wall St.
TRIP 2: (November 2005)
This is when starts to get interesting. That year was full of drama for me relationship wise. So I decided to go back to my favorite place to “unwind and find myself”.
1. I still stayed with my mom’s friend in Brooklyn. They moved further up to Avenue U. They are a nice Filipino family and they cook good Filipino food.
2. I tried the NJ Transit. I spent Thanksgiving with my HS friends in Jersey. One flew from Seattle. The other drove from Virginia.
3. I explored Central Park with my HS friends. It was fun!
4. I geared up for autumn with the signature “all-black” New York look.
5. I went clubbing with my HS friends 3 nights in a row during Thanksgiving weekend. We entered into one club that was “exclusive” for a group of people. We didn’t know it. People there stared at us until we felt uncomfortable and left. We went to another one with so many, many handsome guys but very few girls. We said, “Yay!!”. But then when we saw the guys holding each others’ hands we realized that this won’t be our scene. We had so much fun. We laughed and laughed until we decided to drink beer and watch TV in a sports bar. When it closed we waited for an hour in a cafe so we can get the first morning bus to New Jersey where our HS friend lives.
6. I dated my first native New Yorker. I liked him. I really did.
7. I went to MoMa with my college friend. I also went inside the American Museum of Natural History and the Wax Museum alone.
9. I got to know the subway a bit better although I still need to bring my map.
No shortage of Underground Talent in NYC
10. My City Moment:
When I was riding the Q train going back to Brooklyn at 7AM , a group of Mexican singers with a violin, caracas and guitar jumped on board. They sang a Spanish love song as the Q train gave a wonderful view of the Manhattan skyline. That was my last day in the City.
I am still in NYC now. Yep. Still in the Big Apple. Come to think of it, this is my 5th trip here in the last 4 years and I have spent almost 6 months here if you put all the trips together.
I have different adventures each trip and I would like to share them with you in this 5-series list of the stuff, events, people I found memorable each trip.
HERE GOES: TRIP 1
This was my first trip to the US and for some reason, I chose New York City to be the first city to visit. I arrived alone in JFK. My dad’s friend picked me up and took me to their house in Long Island. I stayed there for awhile then stayed with my mom’s friend in Brooklyn.
In NYC, for my first trip, I was on the Brighton Beach Stop.
1. The Subway. My mom’s friend in Brooklyn just gave me a map and a few instructions on how to get around.
2. I got familiar with the Q train. I got off Avenue U.
3. I went to Statue of Liberty, Museum of Natural History(without going in), Moma(without going in), Wall St. , Empire State Building alone.
4. I didn’t take a SINGLE PICTURE during that trip.
5. Always brought the subway map with me and I counted the number of stops to know where I am.
6. Went out with 3 high school friends for dinner on the night before Halloween. Saw costumes galore. I didn’t even know where we went. All I know was it was in Manhattan.
7. I ABSOLUTELY got lost when I took the train to Long Island by myself. I got off on the other side of the tracks at 10PM. With my luggage, no cellphone and a thin jacket in a cold autumn night, I walked along a deserted road looking for a payphone. No working payphones. I had no way of contacting my dad’s friend. It was dark, cold and scary. I felt that it was a setting of an Alfred Hitchcock movie. After walking for almost an hour, I decided to go back to the train station. Fortunately, I walked on the other side of the track until I finally found their house.
8. First taste of Dean and Delucca coffee.
9. There was this guy in a subway (probably late teens early twenties) with his gang (with the gold chains and all) trying to talk to me at 11pm. I was scared. Good thing there was this middle-age guy in the same car as we are. I breathed a huge sigh of relief when they got off their stop.
10. My City Moment: Walking along 1st Ave, passing through United Nations holding my Dean and Delucca coffee. I just felt comfortable.
I didn’t really know about the city and didn’t take the time to know the ins and outs. I just reveled in being in the city.
I was given a B1 Visa to go into the US for some meetings. I want to visit my friend in Toronto after my meetings. I didn’t have time in Manila to apply for a Canadian Visa so I decided to apply for a Canadian Visa here in the US.
Here are some differences I noticed between applying for a Canadian Visa in Manila and in New York
In Manila:
1. They have more requirements if you apply for a Visa in the Philippines. For instance, they would want to know if you have taken any Caregiving course. They also require a letter of invitation of you are not on package tour. Plus the person inviting you must also submit proof of his/her Canadian citizenship or residency. They also require 6 months worth of bank statements in the Philippines.
2. You have to call the Call Center and schedule an appointment or have your documents sent to the Canadian embassy via courier.
In New York:
1. You can apply for a Canadian V1 Visa in New York or other Canadian Consulate in the US if you are in the US on a B1 or B2 Visa.
2. The people in the Canadian Embassy call center in the Philippines told me that if I apply in New York I would have one week waiting period before I get my Canadian Visa. Well in my case, not true. I went to the Canadian consulate in the city without an appointment. I applied for my visa there, had my interview and received my visa in one day with no waiting period.
3. They (the call center in Manila) also told me that I have to send my application docs via courier to the Canadian Consulate. Well, I didn’t have to. I just went to their Visa Office in Midtown East (51st and 5th) with my docs and they processed my application right there and then.
Tips:
1. They only accept applications for Canadian Visitor visa between 8AM to 10:30AM.
2. Don’t use the Canadian Supplemental Application form from the Philippines. Use the Forms they give you in the New York Office.
3. Have the application fee ready. I paid $130 for multiple entry visa. Oh Btw, they don’t accept $100 bills. Prepare $50s and $20s.
4. They will give you a checklist of docs you have to have in your application. From what I remember, they ask the following:
- Forms (Application and Supplemental)
- I-94, Current and Old Passports
- Proof of Income (Certificate of Employment) or if a student (Certificate of Enrollment)
- Invitation Letter
- Itinerary
- Proof of Funds (Bank statements)
You can ask for a checklist of the required docs in the Consulate.
5. I tried calling the Consulate to ask questions regarding my visa application. It was useless. They don’t entertain questions over the phone. They will just refer you to their website -> see this link.
I was surprised that I got a lot of questions regarding my post: Tips on Getting a US Tourist (Non-Immigrant) Visa. I have a friend who applied for a US Visa last week and she got denied. She spent and additional $30 for the Visa Processing fee that some travel agencies offer their customers. I think that you don’t need to pay that $30 to travel agencies. That is too much. For $30, the travel agency, a)downloads the forms b)gets you a checklist of the docs you need c)schedules your appointment. All these can be done by you. The hardest part of getting supporting documents will be done by you anyway and you have to go to the embassy for the interview so might as well do the whole thing. I mean, I am willing to pay the Visa Assistance Fee (that’s how they call it) if the travel agency will be the one to submit my docs for me and I don’t have to go to the embassy for a personal appearance (like for China and Japan- for packaged tours). If not, then might as well do it myself. That’s my take on it.
Here are some lessons I learned from my friend’s falied application:
1. Valid reasons to travel
-> Vacation – Show your itinerary, hotel reservations and list of places and people to visit.
-> Visiting family and friends – Give their names, contact number and addresses
-> Business meetings and conferences – Show your invitation letter and some conference or company info (website printout or brochure)
2. Funding your travel
The first question is: Who is going to pay for your travel?
If you are paying for your travel:
I suggest that you make a costing of your total travel expenses, form the airline ticket to the hotel expenses to your pocket money. If you are staying with friends and family, your travel costs will be reduced. Just make sure that you have at the very least 3x times that amount of your total travel cost saved up in your bank account.
If your total travel cost is $2500, make sure you have at least $7500 in you bank account. It might not make sense if you plan a vacation with ticket cost of at least $1500 and you just have $3000 in your bank. Spending one half of your savings on a trip will probably raise eyebrows. There is no hard and fast rule for this. It depends I think on the totality of your circumstances. But to be safe, especially if its your first time to apply for your VISA, make sure you show to the interviewer that you can afford your vacation.
If other people are funding your trip:
Bring proof that the person funding your trip has enough funds. If your parents are funding your trip (lucky you), then bring a bank certification of your parents’ savings. If your company is funding your trip, get an invitation letter for the event you are attending and an authorization letter from you superior stating that the company is funding your trip and that you are expected to go back to the Philippines after your US trip. Also bring docs showing company information (such as website printout) and yeah, bring your company calling card.
3. Significant reason to come back
Do you have a good job? Are you a student? Do you have a business?
Job/Business
- How much are you making?
- Are you happy with your job, career or business?
- Bring your certificate of employment, business registration and ITR.
Student
- Bring a certificate of enrollment from your school.
- Bring a proof that you are a student: school ID, copy of the current semester’s grades
Do you have people you have to go back for? Do you have to take care of your parents, younger brothers or sisters?
This doesn’t mean that having kids or younger brother and sisters will give you that visa. They will also consider if your kids are well taken cared of if you will stay in the States for a long period of time. If the kids’ granparents are taking care of your kids or brothers and sisters, then your interviewer might think its okay for you to stay in the US for a long time because somebody is taking care of your kids.
Make sure that you make it clear that you have to come back to the Philippines because you are needed back here.
Remember that a B1 visa is for business purposes and a B2 visa is for vacation purposes. The reason why the US embassy is sometimes strict in granting Visas is because people who were previously granted Visas abused that privilege and either overstayed or used their Visas for purposes other than what the Visa was intended for. Again, be open and transparent. Bring supporting documents. Most importantly — always stay honest and tell the truth.
Although I am a proud Bisaya, I haven’t gone to Cebu in a long time. Since April 2007, I have only gone home for 2 days – that is Dec 24 and 25 for my Christmas attendance. There are some days when I miss the beach but I don’t miss it that much to actually buy a ticket to go back home.
Last weekend, I just realized it was my brother’s birthday, and I kinda missed him. So I took my son with me and flew to Cebu for the weekend.
They say that you realize how much you have changed when you go back home. Well Cebu City is catching up with the times with new malls and building. Although these developments are great, they didn’t impact me as much. A mall is a mall, a club is a club. You can find it in any city. I wanted to go home to something else.
So I reconnected with my Queen City Toastmasters friends. Oh do I miss our meetings and our practices before! They were part of my early 20s life. I saw my uncles, aunts and cousins. I was able to visit my 86 year old grandma and went to the house were I spent my childhood. I went to the cemetery to visit my lolo and my uncle. My lolo raised me to be the super Bisaya that I am now. I also went to the Basilica de Santo Nino. As a Cebuana, Sto. Nino hold. a special place in my heart. I rode the multicab. I ate lechon. I reminisced. I reminisced back when I didn’t have so many things to think about, decisions to make. I reminisced back when I thought that my world was just contained in Cebu.
So many things have changed, especially this past couple of years. Life has become complicated and fast-paced. The journey to Cebu was not just a welcome respite but also a reminder for me that – I was born and raised in Cebu with the values of hardwork, simplicity and faith and, that no matter where I am I have family and friends back in Cebu.
What is Cebu? Before, I used to visit Cebu once a month to go to the beach, go drinking and do shopping. Cebu was for me fun and relaxation. But now, after not visiting Cebu for a long time, I realized what Cebu is for me – my childhood, my roots, my family and my values. And I’ll always bring it with me wherever the winds of fate cast me in this big world of ours.
After all the rebooking, change of plans (because my friends encountered problems in their China Visa application) I finally was able to go to Beijing for the Olympics!
I was excited although I didn’t know what to expect. I don’t follow the Olympics at all. This year’s Olympics was no exception. The fact the excited me is knowing that I am going to a world event. And for me that means seeing bits and pieces of every part of the world in just one place.. Beijing.
So my friend Toni and I arrived in Beijing. Our first Olympic game was Men’s Volleyball semifinals (Italy vs Brazil). It doesn’t take a genius to figure out why we chose that game. 
Well, in our defense, we DO like volleyball!
Brazil Men
It was a fun game. We rooted for Brazil. With names like Fabio, Gustavo, Bruno, these Brazilian players look more like Mills and Boons or Harlequin Romance heroes than volleyball powerhouses. But boy, they were awesome! The spikes, blocks and points came in fast and furious. If I turn away for a second, I would miss a spectacular play. The Brazilians defeated the Italians.
We were seated near the Brazilian crowd. And boy did they come prepared! I nominate the Brazilians as the best cheerers. They came in uniform shirts with plenty of cheers and chants. They were loud and proud and so much fun – before, during and after the game.
Before the game.. Brazilian cheerers in a HUGE shirt
After the game... celebrating with the Brazilians!
‘Twas an experience!
My favorite museum so far is the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC’s Upper East. I like it because its collections are so diverse. Even if I had only a couple of hours of sleep before I went to the museum, I still managed to keep my eyes open and still be amazed at the art and artifacts.
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