thricerice

I attended a conference that took place in Oakland on November 2005. It was the first time that I visited California, so I didn’t know what to expect. Granted, I didn’t have the time to explore the area…or my hotel was located remotely from all the attractions. I hope to come back another time and explore at my own leisure.

I think I was 12 or 13 when I visited Virginia Beach. It was a summer vacation and my family and relatives decided to get there by driving from New York. From what I can remember, the beach was closed for the weekend of our stay and we used the hotel swimming pool instead. I’d like to visit again and hopefully have a better experience this time.

When I left the Philippines for the US, my family and I lived in Jersey City for a short while. I was 10 years old at the time and there was nothing significant that I remembered of Jersey City. Even now, when my family visits relatives there, I feel it’s just a suburb close to New York City. Albeit, I’m a little biased because I am a New Yorker.

Though I am an expatriate, I do not and will not renounce my homeland. Pilipinas will always be the place to where I return. One day, I will travel back to my fair country and set foot upon my native soil. I long for the day when I visit the house where I grew up and where my identity was slowly fashioned. It was a bittersweet experience to leave for a foreign land, but a return will be made nonetheless.

I was born here and left when I was very young. I haven’t been back since I left, but I have fond memories of Riyadh as a child. It was a privilege to live in Saudi Arabia and experience the culture and customs. I especially adored shawarma.