babble mix

11/2005 Peace, New York

New York City and I started on the wrong foot. Or rather, on the wrong weather.

Ang ganda kasi ng timing ng pagdating ko – January, smack right in the middle of winter. Being used to the sun and warm weather, winter (meaning minus-0 cold and NO sun for months) was a new unwelcome experience. Ginawin pa naman akong bata. I was a warm-blooded Filipina which meant my definition of “cold” was Baguio, my old Summit office, 19-degree celcius AC and Glorietta 4 cinemas. That drastically changed when I was introduced to the unpleasant, unforgiving NY cold.

Each time I left the warmth of our apartment, my focus shifted to getting warm, trying not to slip from the floor wet with snow and/or rain and keeping up with Nino (I couldn’t hold his hand, both our hands were in our pockets to keep them from freezing), weaving through a crowded sea of people walking from all directions. The subway’s warmth was no better – they were stuffy and not really pleasant to my sensitive sense of smell.

In other words, I had no chance to see the “beauty” of New York when I first came here. I never had that “Oh-my-gosh-I’m-in-New-York!” surrealism that my friends and family felt. I was not impressed with New York City at all. My drab wardrobe did not help either. “Wala ka pa kasing magandang damit,” said my friend Ige when I told him how I felt about NYC. Come to think of it, he was right, too.

Not that I had much of a choice with scoring fasyon winter clothes when I came here. I did not have much luck winter clothes-shopping mostly because all the winter stuff were left in the stores’ CLEARANCE section and because nothing fit me (they were either too big, or too big). I even had to buy a coat 2 sizes bigger because “warm” was my priority over fashion at that point.

And then came spring. I noticed trees sprouting more greens and flowers blooming in our street’s plant boxes. It was still cold, but the weather was kinder to me now. Then I started to notice that Central Park was pretty. And that there was a Victoria’s Secret and Bath and Body Works store near our place. And that there were 5 bars in our area and hundreds of places to eat.

By summertime, I can identify favorite places like the moles on my hand. Towards the end of summer, Nino and I went on a NYC tour boarded on a double-decker bus. Like a first-time tourist, I was introduced to NYC’s noteworthy spots, landmarks, trivia and the magnificence of New York’s old architecture combined with the most modern establishments.

Fall came and the trees started to change color. There were greens, yellow-greens, oranges, reds, browns, pinks everywhere. Surprisingly, the cooler weather did not bother me that much anymore, maybe because the beauty of fall outweighed the chill (and also because I was wearing warmer and prettier clothes).

As I took the bus to work on 5th Avenue every morning, I enjoyed Central Park’s pretty fall colors on my right, and intricate architecture designs on my left.

Then it hit me.

I made peace with New York. I finally saw and appreciated its beauty, its diversity, its lights, its boundless energy. Maganda naman pala talaga ang New York. This city is cultured yet so wild, very old yet so modern, so diverse and so full of energy for its own good. What’s more, I already know where to find clothes I like that will actually fit. Yey!

After 9 months, we finally connected, New York and I.

New York, bati na tayo. Know that I will miss you when we leave. Pero I still have to say, sorry, overrated ka pa rin.

posted by meL @ 6:13 PM