NYC Pride Parade 2012

my trip here in the US coincided with probably one of the major events in NYC this summer.  in support of my LGBT friends and family, i stood for 4 hours, camera in hand, amidst throngs of people - gay and straight, under the scorching heat, to watch the 2012 Pride Parade, the culmination of a month long Pride celebration  in New York.

rainbow colored flags greeted me as i exited the subway to meet a dear friend from Manila. he is gay and proud and very very happy. we went to Chelsea to catch the parade and was fortunate enough to get a good spot up front. the mood was festive, everyone was smiling. people from all ages of varied cultures, religion, race and sexual orientation flooded the sidewalks.

banners with messages ranging from flamboyant ("foreskin is fabulous") to the more serious ones ("HIV is not a crime, criminalizing it is") were seen in almost all the floats expressing what the LGBT community feels. or what they have gone through in the past.

 

i found myself hooting and yelling "Happy Pride" with the rest of the crowd.

there was no room for hate nor insult and ridicule.  it was a happy place, a happy energetic place.

then came the men, hot naked men, in pinks and golds and silvers and camouflage. omg. i think i may have drooled at one point. just a bit!

and of course the ladies and the "ladies" in drag,  in costumes or simply au naturale



the pride parade was one heck of an experience.

i'm glad i went.

i'm happy to have worn the beads and read the flyers.

i'm honored to have been a part of their community even just for a day.

in a world where cynicism. prejudice and hate exist, it was nice to be in the presence of shiny happy people who are proud to be who and what they are, standing tall with dignity. not to mention fierce and fab outfits!

and to my dear friend, thank you for taking me. you have gone a long way from the shy kid in Manila. New York suits you. i'm so happy to know that you are happy, accepted and free. you are one good person, a gift to society and more importantly to your family. don't let anybody tell you otherwise.  looking forward to our next NYC escapade.  next round of drinks on me!

happy pride!

concrete jungle where dreams are made

last weekend was THE BOMB. to say i was excited and overwhelmed is an understatement.

New York was everything i thought it was gonna be. and more. it was my city. the city for me.

as excited as i am, i couldn't create a decent entry about it. seriously. nuninuninuninu. if NYC was a celebrity, then i was definitely starstruck. dumbfounded. gobsmacked. and all other adjectives that could well describe that feeling of awe.

as pictures paint a thousand words, let me then start painting...

from Morristown, we drove to NYC via the Lincoln Tunnel. later on, i found out, it's underneath the Hudson River. had i known it was, i wouldn't have taken a photo and screamed instead!

we got to The Metropolitan Museum of Art at 10 and walked for a good 3 hours inside to explore. we paid $25 plus $7 for the audio guide. of course we didn't know that entrance was free and we could go in just by giving out donations of any amount. lesson learned.

since Central Park was just across the museum, we HAD TO GO! but first, lunch was in order. we tried to look for places to eat nearby and i remember hearing about Shake Shack. we walked a couple of blocks and got lost a couple of blocks! so much for using the GPS. hahahha! lesson learned again. when i got home, i downloaded a map! anyway, the food was not that good. i ordered a hotdog instead of a burger since i probably had more than my share of burgers to last me a month! the verdict, Shake Shack was more hype than taste.

after lunch, we went straight to Central Park which turned out to be popular in the summer. girls in bikini and naked men sprawl and bask in the sun to bake while we look for a good shady place to sit.  we've had our share of the sun. let them all have it! hahaha!

it was around 6pm when we all decided to head back to Jersey, this time via the Holland Tunnel and it was right about this time when i found out that both tunnels we used were under the Hudson River. i tell you, my butt was like up in the air until i saw the light. indeed there was a light at the end of the tunnel!

going to the Holland Tunnel, we passed by Union Square which is near Broadway -  a trip i saved for another time to watch Wicked

so there, that was my New York saturday. a bit of culture and relaxation if i may say.

Sunday, however, was a different story. an entirely different one which i will blog about in the coming days. i still need to sort out the photos as most of them are of adult content! no, i didn't go to a strip club. but a trip to one is in the agenda.

will tell you all about my first  New York Pride Parade experience in my next entry. here's a sneak peek. enjoy!

i love NYC!!!!

musings from New Jersey

The Hotel
IT.IS.FIERCE! in fact, it can kick all of my previous hotels' butt 10 times over. i'm staying at the Hyatt House Morristown which is a good 15mins drive to where our office is located.

there's free wifi everywhere, 24hr laundry and gym use, free breakfast and best of all, they serve cocktails and light dinner/snacks mon-thurs night! told you, fierce!

The Office
as i've mentioned earlier, the office is very near. we rented a car for the entire trip as going around NJ is quite tasking. very small price we had to pay for choosing to stay in the suburbs.

unlike my previous trips, there won't be as much pressure with this one. i hope. work is very easy. the covergirl kind...easy breezy.

The Food and Weather
there's nothing much to be excited about i guess. i mean, at least i know there is something to eat here, unlike in KL or Johannesburg where it was difficult to find "familiar food".  From the office, there's a wide selection of diners, fastfood, restaurants and cafes to choose from. For my first lunch, we opted to go to Taco Bell.

as for the weather, i experienced and survived my first heat wave. lesson learned, when the forecast says extreme weather condition, it's best to believe. never doubt/question. hahahhaa! it.was.hot! uh, maybe that's why they call it heat wave? good thing this lasts only for a few days.

The Shopping

retail therapy at it's finest. seriously. i've just been here 6days and have already gone to Walmart, Costco and Macys. can't wait to visit the other shops this weekend.

This coming Saturday, we're going to NYC and visit the Metropolitan Museum of Arts. cultured much?

Of course a separate trip is also in order as i want to paint new york red! but that will have to wait. one at a time. for now, it's the museums and Central Park. next is to walk the streets where Carrie Bradshaw walked on and have cosmopolitan. oh how cliche. yes, i'm a fan, don't judge.

Oh Jersey, how i love thee. i told you we're gonna have a blast!

Cheers!

time to catch up on my writing...again

i've been lazy to write. since i got back from Tokyo last December, i only wrote 2 entries. yaiks! this coming from someone who wrote about wanting to write more.  i wasn't even able to complete the 30 day photo challenge! (i'm sorry ate bing for failing you and andrei!) what's up with that????

to think, 2012 has been a friggin blast! i have no excuse, i just was to lazy. plain and simple. so imma try HARDER this time.

now, what's new with me you ask?

to start off, i applied for a US Visa and was given 10yrs multiple B1/B2 visa. that being said, i'm now in New Jersey. For two months, home is the Hyatt House @ Morristown where the room is mighty fine. The best room i've had since i started travelling abroad.

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i was able to tick/check one item in my bucketlist - to see the NKOTB in concert! they came and conquered manila last month together with the Backstreet Boys. And boy oh boy oh boy, the throngs of screaming fans in their 30s proved they still got it. Jordan and his falsetto, Donnie and his abs. damn those abs! i found myself swooning and screaming with the rest of the crowd. i screamed like a friggin teenager but I DID NOT CARE. it's NKOTB and Donnie Wahlberg's abs for crying out loud!!! Did i mention Donnie Wahlberg's abs? yes, for days i dreamt of just that.

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i got hooked on Instagram and when i say hooked i meant addicted. the kind that needs/requires rehab. that kind. i simply love it. super love it. can't let a day pass without using it. seriously, i need help! here are some of my fave shots so far...

    

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and lastly, as all best things are saved for, i lost 20lbs. woot woot! working on losing 20lbs more! wish me luck!

so there, those are the highlights of my 2012 so far. oh in case you're wondering, i'm still working on the love front. real harder this time.

cheers from Jersey!