We got in a few days early and stayed with Dominique. It wasn't as cold as I had expected when we first got there. For some reason, Joe was still stuck in SoCal mode and decided not to take a coat with him when we went out after we had arrived at Dom's. This boy has got to stop thinking it's supposed to feel like SoCal weather everywhere he goes. He and I went touring around the university district and checked out UW. We were also able to walk around the International District, Pike's Market, the retail core and the Seattle Center. I have to say, the Space Needle is completely overrated. I refused to pay $12 to go up to the observatory, take a look at Seattle and Canada, probably for a good 15 min. and then come back down....um...no!
Had a little moment at the Wing Luke Museum. I didn't think I was going to be as moved as I was. There was an exhibit of the Japanese internment camps where one was able to walk through a small version of a bunk. The entire time I kept thinking how cruel we, as a society, can be. We let our fears take over and all our logic goes out the windows. And for those in places of power, sometimes they know they can get away with anything if they exploit their influence on people's fears.
I think I could spend two years there if I were accepted into UW's Urban Planning graduate program. The advisor I met with was pretty helpful and gave some insight to other programs available on the West Coast. It's a relatively small program so I wouldn't have to worry about getting lost in the numbers. There was this one building near their quad that looked like it was used as a cathedral at one point. It was like you were looking at a picture and trying to decide what didn't fit in the view.
It was over after we got together with il familia. The festivities began with being awestruck by Raster's cross-eyes or lazy eyes, whichever way you want to see it. HA! Poor cat...we were making fun of her all weekend. She was pretty chill and is my current desktop picture. She was probably the only sober one out of all of us the entire weekend.
Here's a view from the Bunnuelos Ranch.
Here's Raster in all her disco glory.
The party on Saturday was supposed to be a costume one. I had been too busy all week to think of one so one of my cousins had the idea of putting me in one of the sari's she had purchased on one of her trips. Though I enjoyed wearing something so beautiful for a bit, I kind of felt odd wearing it, especially since she and I were somewhat limited in our knowledge of how to wrap it. After a few more people showed up with saris, it was time for me to take it off. I just felt really odd wearing it. It was almost as if I was exotifying the practice of it. I know it's similar to when non-Pinoys wear barong tagalogs and such so I go back and forth with this thought.
The whole trip was an eating fest. I hadn't realized how much my cocousins and I had become such foodies. On Sunday, we had a Japanese spread that riveled any dinner I've had at a Japanese restaurant.
That there on the top left of the picture is my favorite yaki dish in the world - unagi! Manong Bong & John were awesome! And we continued to talk about food even after we sat down for the meal. The tapas dishes at the party were pretty damn good, too! We'd revert to talking about things that happened the last time we all got together to have a party at the Bunnuelos Ranch. All our parents kept bugging us because they didn't think there was enough food for everyone. Just goes to show that we can have our own successful parties our own way.
We topped off the trip with the Holy Grail....never again!
All came to an end as Manang Juzen drove me to the airport on Monday afternoon. It was an amazing flight into San Francisco. I hadn't realized how much I missed seeing the vistas of that city. It was absolutely amazing. There were billowing clouds sitting on top of The City and was completely clear as we touched down at SFO. Figures it would be clear south of The city. I remembered how much I despised the cloud-cover. Ah...part of The City's charm.
In retrospect, it was one of the best weekend I had spent with my family for quite some time. It didn't even compare to Christmas. Can't wait to get together with those fools again.
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