North America - USA, Canada and Mexico

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

In 2001, attended a one (1) month renewal program at Rockhaven Ecozoic Center, House Springs, Missouri.  This experience left an imprint and a change on how I perceive the world in me and around me.  Being away from the confines of a rigid religious life, America is a land of liberty and new horizons.  This southwest part has lots of farmlands and people are very helpful, sweet and accommodating.  Native American culture and all indigenous culture is a real attraction for me.  I wish I will be able to pursue Anthropology for my Doctorate so I can write a book about native/indigenous culture and spirituality.  Let´s see and wait.  Meanwhile, I did enjoy the program while I also spent most of the afternoons exploring museums, parks, churches, restaurants and shopping malls with my colleagues:  2 Irish, 1 Tanzanian and 1 Canadian.  We became friends.  I made one weekend trip to San Antonio, Texas to meet a filipino-american psychologist who was referred to me.  After the program, I got the chance to stay with Filipino families who ushered me in their houses in San Francisco and Los Angeles.  I played for the first time at the casino of Las Vegas and I tell you, I have a luck in playing.  I won about  $100 dollars just enough to buy gifts for family and friends.  In those trips to California I took the Greyhound bus and Amtrak from San Francisco to Los Angeles, in that way my intention to see the countryside was materialized.  I got tired of eating American food and so Los Angeles was a redeeming place at that time for me to relish and enjoy my favored sinigang dish, etc..  I stayed with the filipino family at the heart of the city of Los Angeles near Hollywood.  My San Francisco´s foster family brought me to the city of San Francisco even if they live in the South SF, to the Golden Gate, a nearby Navy Commissary, the Alcatraz, etc.

And of course I have lived in the US, in the Weschester County, Ossining, New York where our Maryknoll Center nestled on a hill facing the famous Hudson River.  We are at the north of New York City and the train to/from the Central Station is our mode of transportation.  Have combed Manhattan, the ground zero, Empire State Building, 5th avenue, Broadway, etc, etc.  I got the chance to go on a vacation during my short trips at the Rhode Island where we got a beach house.  Visited friends and stayed in their houses at Long Island, New Jersey, Chicago, Massachusetts, Monrovia, CA and Washington, DC.  My recent trip to US gave me the chance to see the Smithsonian Museums and a glimpse of the White House.... including a a special trip to Lancaster, Penssylvania in the Amish community and oooooooohhh spending summer at DC and VA sometimes is not a good idea, temperature can reach 100F.


CANADA
Visiting Canada for the first time during Early Fall of 2012 is quite colder than what I expect.  I took the train from Croton-Harmon, New York and was picked up at Buffalo, NY.  From there I was given a tour of the Niagara Falls from the US side to Canada side.  What a privilege to see God's wonder thru this magnificent creation that visitors from all around the world would not miss visiting when they come to US or Canada.

I have lived in the Toronto, Ontario Province area with a filipino family.  The woman in the family was a high school friend/classmate back in the Philippines.  I have witnessed Filipinos working hard to keep their family and loved ones enjoy and live a better life.  Toronto, Canada is 8-hour drive from upstate New York.  It  saw vast track of lands, lakes and forests that abound in this country.  Leaves were turning into different colors as the altitude goes up and higher from where I was coming from. The plains and prairies were darted with different flowers and bushes.

Adjusting to food was never a challenge since it's also an American / Filipino food that I shared with my host family.  Asians are all over the place as well as Africans. 

It was too windy, cold and scary viewing Toronto area from the then "tallest building in the world" that now became the 2nd, the CN Tower. The Royal Ontario Museum is a site not to be missed when you visit Canada.  The luxurious time I had that time made me appreciate the history of our planet, our culture, our humanity and our universe that continues to expand as we continue to grow in our  consciousness.

On a spiritual side, the pilgrimage to the Martyr's Shrine in Ontario Midland and Fatima Shrine in Buffalo were my soul-searching moments to the God who privileged me to be in these places.


MEXICO

Again, I know that if you desire something, then you can get it.at the right time. Since I was in Los Angeles I was asked by my foster family if I like to visit Disneyland. I said no, and so I got the chance to say what I want. We crossed the boarder of San Diego passing the San Bernardino mountain range and not long after we were at Tijuana. A small quaint town with a lot of ceramic products, tacos, vodka, wine, etc. to bring back to America. I looked for the Guadalupe Church since this is Mexico`s patroness. In the church, I saw pilgrims walking to the altar on their knees, I said silently to myself, ohh geeeeeeeeee they are also like those pious filipinos doing this devotion especially in Quiapo and Baclaran churches. I tasted the taco in those small eating places, it´s more watery but I thought maybe it´s the original because the tacos in the Philippines are prepared by filipinos.