My Blog

I arrived in California on August 9 thinking that the place would be a lot like home.  I was right and wrong.  I was right because everywhere, you look, there will always be a kababayan.  I can’t help thinking that the white is a minority here in California.  On the other hand, the place is so unlike the Philippines.  For one, the weather is a lot cooler.  It reminds me of Baguio weather, only much, much cooler.  When the weather gets so hot in the Philippines, people go to malls or restaurants to escape the heat; here restaurants and malls are well-heated to help people feel better from the freezing cold outside.

My new place is in San Bruno, in a little neighborhood called Berkshire.  I have an in-law type of accommodation, so I pretty much have everything.  I have a little kitchen with a refrigerator, stove, and oven; a toilet, which is just the right size; and a bedroom with a king-sized bed.  I must admit I can’t complain about my place; it’s pretty neat.

If San Francisco is cool, San Bruno is freezing.  My place is on a hill, so it fogs early mornings and evenings.  My first night here was hilarious.  I didn’t know how to turn on the heater, so I was shivering from evening to morning– and to think I had two comforters.

One good thing about California is that it has a lot of restaurants to choose from.  On my first day here, I dined at Goldilocks, Chow King, and Jollibee.  Crazy, huh?  Well, I went to these places because I really miss Filipino food.  The next thing I realized is that California has lots of Filipino food enough to make you sick of it, if that’s ever possible.  Asian cuisines are a dime a dozen here.

California is also a very active place.  I was told that a lot of things happen here.  Just yesterday, I attended the Pistahan Festival of the Filipino community.  It was a treat seeing a lot of our kababayans on parade.  After that, there was  a big fair at the park.  I picnicked with my advisor’s circle of friends and there we ate Filipino food and watched a show.  I got a kick seeing Martin Niev era LIVE.  When he had a concert in Dumaguete, I didn’t watch it because even if I like him as a singer, I thought watching him LIVE would be excruciating: he can be so OA, you know.  Boy, was I wrong.  He’s hilarious.  After his performance came Bernardo Bernardo.  He brought the house down with his funny, sometimes risqué, punch lines.  He sang Elvis and Anka tunes.  I didn’t know he can sing so well.  He can  give our young singers a run for their money.

I still have a lot to learn about California.  Sure I was able to see the Golden Bridge and Lombard’s Crookedest Street, but I know there’s more to explore.