New York 2009, Part 5: In Summary

Posted on | August 28, 2009 | No Comments

This post is the last part of a 2-week series about my recent vacation in New York.

To conclude my trip (at least for this year), I would like to share 5 things I love about New York:

1. I love that streets are always bustling with activity, like an endless pool of people. Makes me feel like I’ve never left the Philippines. I love being in a moderate crowd (not the choking-I-can’t-breathe kind of crowd) because it makes me feel part of the world. I also love observing people – in a non-nosey kind of way.

These two pictures were taken in the West Village neighborhood of Manhattan.

Here we are lined up to enter the Magnolia Bakery in Bleecker Street. How exciting is that? – lining up just to buy cupcakes! Very much reminiscent of my college days (again!) when I had to fall in line for hours just to register for classes. Of course, I understand how crowds can be a bad thing – too much of this and I’d be wishing to go back to a quiet, peaceful neighborhood.

But it’s not simply the density of people. I love the diversity of cultures. When I was lining up to buy tickets in Guggenheim, I could hear at least 5 different languages spoken at the same time in that one place. It was music to my ears – weird, I know!

2. I love the boutique-lined streets in Manhattan, especially in SoHo and Greenwich Village (since we went there 3 or 4 times). They are so full of personality that I’m left bursting with inspiration and ready to create. Beats the monotonous, big box stores in my neighborhood.

Here we are about to enter this cute shop in SoHo that Mica found interesting because it’s name is Meeka Meeko.

I love books, so you can imagine how I drooled at the site of this book shop in West Village.

I wasn’t able to take a shot, but another eye candy shop for me is the Purl in Soho – a small yarn and fabric store that’s just overflowing with character.

3. I love how New York seems to be the mecca of food. No more wondering what to eat for dinner – there’s so much to explore. Here are some of my new finds for this year:

Minado Japanese Seafood Buffet Restaurant in Long Island
Mamoun’s Falafel in Greenwich Village – Satisfying and inexpensive, what more can I ask?
Food Fight Mini Burgers in Greenwich Village – Their portabella mushroom burger is delish.
Red Mango Frozen Yogurt in Greenwich Village – I can’t get enough of their promegranate yogurt and wildberry hibiscus tea.
Magnolia Bakery in West Village – Forget the cupcakes, their banana pudding is the superstar.

And here’s my pomegranate yogurt from Red Mango. I must say, even the donuts from the street vendor outside my brother’s apartment were yummy – definitely better than Dunkin Donuts.

4. No tax on clothes! Who won’t love that?? :)

5. And lastly, I love that my brother lives in New York, so I can come visit anytime! Mwahahaha!

And just like that, our vacation was over. I had a wonderful time. Thanks so much to Jay, Ivy, Jessi, and my mom for making it very memorable.

As we were leaving for the airport, my mom gave Mica and Rinoa some money for ice cream to distract them from being sad that we’re leaving. So these are for my mom so she can see how the two girls enjoyed their ice cream at the airport:

Category: Daily Musings, Travelogue

New York 2009, Part 4: Visited Places

Posted on | August 27, 2009 | No Comments

This post is the 9th part of a 2-week series about my recent vacation in New York.

I’ve been mentioning that this series of posts is about my trip to New York, but so far, it would seem that I was barely in New York. Rest assured, in between our out-of-state travels, I did manage to roam the streets of Manhattan and visit a few places that I haven’t been to before.

American Museum of Natural History
Mica’s interest in this museum was more because of this movie than anything else. Nevertheless, we all thought it was a delightful place! It’s like the museum version of the tv series Planet Earth. I was even more amazed at Rinoa’s sustained curiosity. She paid close attention to the exhibits, even asking intelligent questions here and there, while Mica just breezed through most of the displays with barely a spark of interest.

Here’s a short video of Rinoa talking to her dad on the phone that night after our trip to the museum (and back at my brother’s house). She was so animated, talking about all the things she saw – especially the scary octopus and the giant squid – that I decided to video her so Troy can see later.

Guggenheim Museum
It was the perfect time to visit Guggenheim since it was the last day of the Frank Lloyd Wright exhibit. Like all buildings done by great architects that I’ve visited, simply seeing Guggenheim makes me nostalgic of college days when I had to learn such masterpieces. And then roaming the floors is like the culmination of those studies – and I realize (like I do in any great building) that no amount of reading can give you the same spatial experience of actually being there. On the down side, I doubt the museum will be as popular based on the merits of the collection alone. There were a couple of great works but as a whole, it left a lot to be desired – considering entrance is not free.

Coney Island
Ask Rinoa what her favorite experience is in New York this summer and she’ll answer without hesitation “the rides in Coney Island” – yep, that old, shabby amusement park by the bay. What can I say, kids will be kids. Just look at the big smiles on their faces.

Come back tomorrow as I wrap-up my trip to New York. If you want to read the previous posts in this series, here they are:

Category: Daily Musings, Home Videos, Travelogue

A Day in Philly, Pennsylvania

Posted on | August 26, 2009 | No Comments

This post is the 8th part of a 2-week series about my recent vacation in New York.

After a 3-night stay in Cape Cod, my brother’s family, being the gracious hosts that they are, decided to take us to a one-day trip to Philadelphia, just two days after we got back in New York. What I love about the East Coast is that the states are smaller and close together that you drive for one hour, and bam! – you’re in a different state – lol!

The first thing we did when we arrived in Philly was visit the Mutter Museum – not surprising given that we were being guided by two doctors. It was actually very interesting – seeing all these medical anomalies. The display I found most disturbing was a collection of books bound in human leather (not actually a medical anomaly). Apparently, in the 1800s, human leather was not uncommon. I felt like giving up leather altogether after that showcase.

We had lunch at La Scala’s, an Italian-American restaurant, which we discovered by accident. We were walking from 12th Street to 6th Street towards the Historic District from the new City Hall and by the time we reached 6th Street, we were starving. La Scala’s was the only appetizing restaurant in the block so we went in. I’m glad we tried it out because I thought their food was really delicious. I especially loved their cheese steak stromboli (You can’t be in Philly and not eat some form of cheese steak, right?) and cheese tortellinis in cream sauce with prosciutto and sweet peas. Yum!

After we ate, we headed towards Liberty Bell and Independence Hall which was just a block from La Scala’s.

The bell was constantly surrounded by tourists so it was a challenge to take this shot where there are no extra heads poking in the picture.

Here we are in front of Independence Hall, with Jay taking the picture. We had to wait in a long line to go inside Independence Hall and unfortunately it was after 5:00, so we got the “rush” tour – which meant we only saw the first floor of the building. Oh well, maybe next time we’ll get to go upstairs. BTW, it’s free to see the Liberty Bell and go inside Independence Hall.

In the lower right picture, it says “Abraham Lincoln stood here.” I thought that was cool. But that’s really all we had time for. I know there were a lot more sites/places we weren’t able to visit; nevertheless, I had a wonderful time. I would definitely love to come back and explore more of the city – maybe after Mica’s lesson on U.S. colonization and independence.

Come back tomorrow as I share more about our trip to New York. If you want to read the previous posts in this series, here they are:

Category: Daily Musings, Travelogue

From Cape Cod to Mystic, Connecticut

Posted on | August 25, 2009 | No Comments

This post is the 7th part of a 2-week series about my recent vacation in New York.

On our fourth day in Cape Cod, we decided to leave after breakfast and spend the day in Mystic, a quaint little town in Connecticut, which was on the way back to New York.

My brother Jay suggested we try the legendary Mystic Pizza, made famous by the 80’s Julia Roberts movie of the same name. I’m not sure if I was just really hungry (we had to wait for 45 minutes to be seated) but I enjoyed the pizzas – definitely worth coming back to, if ever I’m in the area again. We ordered the House Special (pepperoni, meatball, sausage, green peppers, onions, and mushrooms), the Mediterranean Delight (artichoke hearts, spinach, tomatoes, garlic, and roasted red peppers), and of course, the Hawaiian Pizza with ham and pineapple – that’s the only pizza my mom eats. I personally liked the Mediterranean Delight because I love artichoke hearts and roasted red peppers.

When we were done eating, we strolled down Mystic’s Main Street, enjoying the lakeside views and checking out the boutique stores.

Love this picture. In a group shot where everybody is smiling, Rinoa had to be different and show some personality.

Here we are getting ready to leave and head back “home” to New York. It was a fun day. Would have wanted to explore more of the area, seems like there’s more to be discovered – maybe next time.

Tomorrow will be about our trip to Philadelphia. If you want to read the previous posts in this series, here they are:

Category: Daily Musings, Travelogue

Cape Cod, Part 3: Race Point Beach and Whale Watching

Posted on | August 24, 2009 | 1 Comment

This post is the 6th part of a 2-week series about my recent vacation in New York – still in MA though.

Enjoying the Atlantic coast at Race Point Beach on our third day in Provincetown …

This is the view when you look inland from the beach. I’m in love with it – swaying grassland, rolling sand dunes, lone building. It’s like a cheery version of “Wuthering Heights”.

Here’s Jay, Ivy, Mica, and Rinoa ready to test out the water. They didn’t really swim, they just waded because the water was too cold.

Here’s my mom with Rinoa and Baby Jessi on our picnic setup.

Two things I realized while I was at Race Point Beach:

This trip to Cape Cod is my first “Atlantic” beach experience. I also learned that the Atlantic water is saltier and colder than Pacific water, given the same weather temperature – interesting.
Beach umbrellas are hard to keep staked in the sand. I can’t tell you how many times our beach umbrella tried to blow away – actually, it did blow away once or twice.

So we were at the beach for most of the morning until it started drizzling and we had to pack up and go. Incidentally, when we got home (like back home in Illinois), Troy asked Rinoa if she swam in the beach. Rinoa replied, “I didn’t really swim. I couldn’t open my eyes under water because the water was salty. Why is the water salty, Daddy?” (Hehe, I thought that was cute.)

Anyways, back to that day in Cape Cod, we decided to go whale watching in the afternoon – taking the last trip out to Stellwagen Bank at 5:30.

My brother took this remarkable pictures of a whale dive. (I was holding the videocam, whose battery died on me halfway during the trip – tough luck, right?)

One thing about whale watching, it’s exciting for the first hour or so – but after a dozen whales, it kinda gets redundant. This trip we had though was a double whammy. We saw several whales and we were able to enjoy the sunset on our way back to the harbor.

Provincetown is spectacular at night. I feel like I’m in a “Pirates of the Caribbean” scene – without the stinky pirates.

I know – my hair is all puffy and wind-blown from that ship ride. What can a girl do? =)

And here we are, back on the streets of Provincetown – enjoying a buzzling evening.

We stopped by the Purple Feather for some treats before heading back to our hotel. Their gelatos and red velvet cake with cream cheese are to die for.

Check out tomorrow as I share my day in Mystic, Connecticut. If you want to read the previous posts in this series, here they are:

Category: Daily Musings, Travelogue

Cape Cod, Part 2: Exploring the Tip of the Peninsula

Posted on | August 21, 2009 | 1 Comment

This post is the 5th part of a 2-week series about my recent vacation in New York – although during this time, I was actually in MA.

There’s something serene about waking up in the early morning with the clear, unobstructed, blue sky and gentle lapping waves just outside your window. It’s also interesting to observe sea life at this time – when the shoreline is still peaceful and there are no people yet to scare away the seagulls.

This fish was whole when it was washed ashore – and this is what was left after several voracious seagulls picked on it for breakfast. (Ok, you may find it gross, I found it interesting.)

Here’s Mica and Baby Jessi out on a morning beach stroll – just soaking up some healthy sun.

This was our second day at the peninsula. When the whole family was up and ready, we headed to the hotel lounge to fuel up – the hotel offered free breakfast.

Here’s my mom making us some waffles. The waffle maker is actually pretty cool. You just pour batter from a dispenser, turn the waffle maker upside down, and after two minutes on the timer – voila – you have nice crisp waffles. The challenge, I think, is doing this 6 times without getting bored. Uhh, that’s one for each of us – not all for my mom – lol!

Nothing fancy. Just good ol’ waffles.

Here’s Rinoa with her bagel – this is after eating her waffles.

Here’s Rinoa again with a grapefruit. She thought it was an orange. Imagine her surprise when she bit into that bitter citrus!

And here’s Mica, just being happy. I don’t know why.

After breakfast, we decided to explore downtown Provincetown – which was a mile walk from our hotel.

Here’s Mica, Rinoa, and my mom taking a rest. (Mental note: teach Mica proper posture, especially in public!)

Here’s Rinoa, Ivy, and Mica on another rest stop.

I’ve learned that Provincetown is a haven for visual artists. Lots of creative minds flock to this small town. And I’m not surprised – lots of inspiration to be drawn from this place …

Found this fish on a bench in the harbor.

How awesome is this gate? Found this beside the Provincetown Public Library.

I thought the pilgrims first landed in Plymouth, MA. Apparently, the pilgrims first landed here in Provincetown – then moved to Plymouth. So the Pilgrim Monument, built between 1907 and 1910, is a tribute to this first landing of the pilgrims – although the structure bears no relevance to what it commemorates.

The Pilgrim Monument is the tallest all-granite structure in the US. And in Provincetown, it really stands out. Here, it is the tallest structure – period.

We found this Mayflower Compact bas-relief on our way to the Pilgrim Monument. Of course, we had to pose – hot scorching sun and all. My brother Jay set his camera on a tripod so all of us can be in the picture. Unfortunately, the camera was too far for the wireless remote to work. He tried to trigger the timer manually then run back to us before the shutter release. Obviously, he didn’t make it the first time – nor the second time. The third time, well, we just walked away.

You bet I climbed that 252-ft tower with 116 steps and 60 ramps. Well, actually, I didn’t want to – but what the heck, I was already there! Anyways, I almost died – well, ok, I almost fainted. Really! I felt my blood leave the upper part of my body – not even halfway up the tower. (For those who don’t know, I have the worst acrophobia ever! – But I am willing to challenge myself to overcome it.)

This is the scene from up the tower. I didn’t take this picture. Obviously. (My brother did.) I didn’t even look out at the view. I just stayed by the door that led out to the view deck, clutching the granite wall for dear life until Jay and Ivy were done enjoying the views and taking pictures.

So why you ask did I really climb up the tower? To get one of these stickers that my mom, Jessi, and Rinoa have now posted on their shirts. Really. – It says “I made it to the top of the Pilgrim Monument.” – lol!

It was exciting to try out some of the local restaurants, especially because there is an abundance of fresh seafood – something I crave back in the midwest. Thanks to my mom for treating us to every lunch we had at Cape Cod.

So this is us (well minus Jay who took the picture) after we had lunch at the restaurant behind us. Unfortunately, I don’t remember the name of the restaurant. (I know I have to pay more attention. Should just ask my mom – she writes down everything.) I do remember we had a delectable lobster salad and a mixed seafood platter. We didn’t try their Boston cream pie, even though the group behind us recommended it. We were saving room for dessert elsewhere.

No idea who that tall, bald guy is. Sorry.

Check out on Monday as I share more of Cape Cod. If you want to read the previous posts in this series, here they are:

Category: Daily Musings, Travelogue

Cape Cod, Part 1: Hello Provincetown

Posted on | August 20, 2009 | 4 Comments

This post is the 4th part of a 2-week series about my recent vacation in New York.

During our visit to New York – and after my sister, aunts, and cousin left – my brother treated us to a 3-night stay in Cape Cod which was a 5-hour drive from New York.

We headed towards Provincetown, which was at the tip of the Cape Cod peninsula. When we got to Commercial Street in Provincetown, I started feeling like I was at the Hobbits’ Shire (from Lord of the Rings) because the one-way street was just lined with lovely cottages framed by colorful, full-blooming gardens. I knew I was drooling. These cottages were just teasing passersby to explore their warm, cozy interiors. (Of course, I don’t think the owners would appreciate it if I just invited myself in.)

Didn’t quite capture it, but this tree here with its outstretched branch has a 2-seater wooden swing hanging on it.

We finally arrived at our destination – the Surfside Hotel and Suites – where my brother reserved us a suite with an ocean view.

The first thing that caught my eye were these colorful lounge chairs.

They couldn’t resist striking a pose even though the sun was blazing hot.

Here’s our suite, which is literally steps away from the sandy shore.

The suite had a king bed, a sofa bed, a kitchenette, and a Jacuzzi tub.

This is what greets us before we walk in our suite.

And this is what awaits us when we walk out the back patio.

As soon as we got settled in our suite, I started exploring the beachside. It’s been a long time since I smelled the salty air – I was excited!

Mica and Rinoa jumped at the chance to make sand sculptures.

And Jessi had her first taste of playing in the pool.

When evening came, Jay, Ivy, Mica, and my mom tried to go downtown on foot. (I was left to watch Jessi and Rinoa.) And I said tried because they weren’t able to go very far – they were scared off by huge mosquitoes – lol! So we all decided to postpone exploration until the following day.

Check out tomorrow as I share more of Cape Cod. If you want to read the previous posts in this series, here they are:

Category: Daily Musings, Travelogue

NY 2009, Part 3: Girls’ Night Out and a Celebration

Posted on | August 19, 2009 | 2 Comments

This post is the 3rd part of a 2-week series about my recent vacation in New York.

During Jessi’s baptism, I met more of Ivy’s aunts and cousins. (If I haven’t mentioned it before, Ivy belongs to a really large clan.) Her family is amazing. You know how sometimes it feels awkward to meet new people because you may not know what to say? Well, my sister-in-law’s family makes you feel like you’ve known them for a long time. They’re so warm and inviting. What’s really great about the relatives I met is that Ivy’s cousins are in Mica’s age group – the girls bonded in no time and went out on that same day for a fun evening in Manhattan.

Here’s Kayla, Gisella, and Mica at M&M World in Times Square.

[As a sidenote, I found two new M&M flavors - Peanut Butter & Strawberry and Coconut - weird but interesting at the same time. I love the Peanut Butter & Strawberry - it tastes kinda like PB&J. The Coconut I wasn't even going to try but after reading reviews online, I became curious - so that's going to be in my grocery list.]

I didn’t go out with the girls because Rinoa was tired and I knew I’d end up just carrying her – which would definitely not be a good thing. The “Tres Marias” ended up chaperoning them.

We were able to share in the celebration of Jessi’s 3rd-month birthday while we were in New York. Yes, her parents actually buy a cake every month – ironic since the celebrant can’t eat cake yet.

My sister-in-law Ivy, my brother Jay, and Baby Jessi.

With Mica and Rinoa.

Ok, now they’re just goofing off. =)

Tomorrow, I’m sharing about our trip to Cape Cod – yes, still part of the 2-week “NY 2009″ series. If you want to read the previous posts in this series, here they are:

Category: Daily Musings, Family Affair

NY 2009, Part 2: A Family Reunion

Posted on | August 18, 2009 | 5 Comments

This post is the 2nd part of a 2-week series about my recent vacation in New York.

I love family reunions – and this visit to New York is a family reunion. Never thought my siblings and I would end up being scattered – My sister and I live in Illinois, my brother lives in New York, and my mom still resides in the Philippines. Because of this, get-togethers become all the more important to maintain an unbreakable family bond – especially as our family stems out into the next generation.

Mica, Rinoa, and I have actually been anticipating this reunion because it’s the first time we’re going to see my new niece, Jessi. And what a delight! My two girls just adore their cousin!

A few things I realized:

Jessi loves putting her whole fist in her mouth – I guess thumb sucking is old school.
Mica definitely loves kids. When we visited my friend’s family last year in Vegas, she took charge of watching over my friend’s toddler. This time, she jumped at every opportunity to take care of her cousin. (Although she still walks away at the site of poopie diapers. Didn’t say she was the perfect babysitter yet.)
Next to a 3-month old baby, it really shows how much Rinoa has grown and matured. She’s not my baby anymore. Sob! Sob! (Next thing you know, my two girls are off to college — Whaaaa!)

Like I mentioned yesterday, two of my aunts and a cousin from California and Texas were also able to visit – so we had a blast. I’m sure it was a challenge for my brother and his wife to house so many guests. But it just adds to the fun – all packed like a sardine in one house.

My two aunts are awesome. I always have a great time with them. You see how cool Tita Liwie is – doesn’t even care that she’s still in hair rollers in the photograph. And Tita Maricor is the epitome of homeyness – she always brings homebaked cookies and other goodies whenever she visits family. This time, she even brought some fresh produce from her garden.

This is my cousin DJ. Love love love my cousin. He’s such a hoot – there’s never a dull moment with him. He’s probably going to strangle me for posting this picture of him but it makes for an interesting subject. That morning, my brother’s neighbors were violently arguing outside that I almost called the cops. They were so loud but my cousin, being a heavy sleeper, was not disturbed a bit – didn’t even have a clue on what happened.

This is my sister’s best friend, Madz, with Rinoa. She’s been friends with my sister for so long that she’s become part of the family. I’m glad she was able to join us.

And here we are playing cards – a staple in our get-togethers. Not for the faint of heart though as these games heat up pretty fast. Unfortunately, after that weekend, everybody else had to fly back home to go back to work.

More family affairs in this 2-week series coming tomorrow. If you want to read the first part of this series, please go here.

Category: Daily Musings, Family Affair

NY 2009, Part 1: Jessi’s Christening

Posted on | August 17, 2009 | 5 Comments

This summer, my two daughters and I spent two weeks visiting my mom and my brother’s family in New York. Allow me to indulge as I share my experience in this 2-week series, starting with my niece’s christening.

The main reason why we flew to New York was to attend my niece’s baptism. I was excited to learn that a few of my relatives from different states were able to get time off work to take part in the event.

Here’s our 3-month old celebrant, Jessi, with her mom and dad. (My cousin DJ and I are behind them.)

That’s me, peeking in between my brother and Mica, teasing my sister who ended up taking the pictures.

Did I mention that I’m the proud godmother of Baby Jessi? Yep! I don’t know what Jay and Ivy were thinking. (lol, j/k – I’m actually deeply touched!)

Me again, blessing Baby Jessi.

My sister-in-law, Ivy, with my newly baptized niece. Isn’t Baby Jessi adorable?

My sister Jona, Tita Maricor, my mom, and Tita Liwie outside the church.

After the baptism, we all went to the East Manor for the reception. The East Manor is an incredible Chinese buffet restaurant – your eyes will pop at how huge the selection is. They even have a sushi station (which isn’t exactly Chinese – lol!)

My cousin DJ with my lovely daughters, Mica and Rinoa. Gotta wonder why Rinoa is pouting.

Here’s my mom with Jessi. My mom lives in the Philippines but has been visiting my brother’s family since May.

Here we all are in one table. There’s also Cary, Jay’s best friend from grade school, with his girlfriend Chris.

Of course, we aren’t the only ones there. Several of Jay’s and Ivy’s friends attended as well. I was also able to meet Ivy’s aunts and cousins from New York …

And finally, after partying all afternoon, the celebrant is fast asleep on her daddy’s shoulder.

Watch for the second part of this 2-week series tomorrow -where I simply share more of my family affairs. Thanks for reading. =)

Category: Daily Musings, Family Affair

Johwey Redington

- – - – - Living Out Loud – - – - -

New York 2009, Part 5: In Summary

New York 2009, Part 4: Visited Places

A Day in Philly, Pennsylvania

From Cape Cod to Mystic, Connecticut

Cape Cod, Part 3: Race Point Beach and Whale Watching

Cape Cod, Part 2: Exploring the Tip of the Peninsula

Cape Cod, Part 1: Hello Provincetown

NY 2009, Part 3: Girls’ Night Out and a Celebration

NY 2009, Part 2: A Family Reunion

NY 2009, Part 1: Jessi’s Christening

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