You York, the sequel

Not a da goes by when I don’t hear a Filipino in Manila who complains or whines about the life they wish they had, the job they wish they had, the car they wish they had...the (insert your own word here) they wish they had. I too, am so guilty of this and luckily for me, I can afford to take a break and find some sort of meaning in it all by getting on a plane and flying out of the Philippines. Whatever the reasons may be, we all end up leaving, hoping to find a part of us that we lost along the way. Or gain something which makes us feel complete. Some never return and don’t look back, but there are those repeat offenders like me who have made a habit of coming and going because we can never get enough of being able to do so. I’ve realized on this particular journey that it is only when you are in a land far away that you learn to appreciate and love the very place you loathed or needed to get away from. Suddenly, the life you had back home wasn’t so bad.

It is exactly one year later that I find myself in New York City once again. Thing is, I can’t believe that time has flown by so quickly, and try as I might, I fail at the attempt of encapsulating every single experience and encounter. Though I often use the word “random,” I am not necessarily a firm believer in its meaning. We are where we are because we are meant to be there, and the people we meet when we get “there” is not a coincidence but a result of a series of non-random events.

The Pinoys I’ve encountered from all my travels have brought me back to the bottom line: It doesn’t matter where you are, knowing who you are becomes the result of making the most out of the experiences life throws your way. As Tim said in his e-mail to me,”I just want to get lost and find myself in the streets of New York, watching shows, and wandering around its streets. So enjoy it and soak it up!” Heeding my friends’ advice, I take matters into my own hands with the help of my “brother from another mother” New York-based photographer Xander Angeles, as we do a repeat from last year’s big hit. I take you along on my journey and please allow me to introduce you or reunite you with some of the most awesome people I have met.