I've been here in New Jersey for three weeks now and I have not updated this blog to tell about my trip, experiences, people here in US. I'll try to recall them as much as I can and tell it as if it happened yesterday.
My second plane trip
It is my second time to go to US but I am still excited as the first time. I came to the airport quite early because I miscalculated the travel time (since we're leaving at two am, there should be no traffic).
I arrived in the airport too early but the line for check-in is already long. I guess there are people more excited like me. While cheking in, I was picked for a ramdom baggage check. Since I only have clothes, pulburon, chocnuts and other padalas in it, I am not much concern except for the way they rummage into it. Good thing that the guy is nice enough to keep things the way they are.
After checking in my baggage, I went to the gate but I stop in for a while for a quick breakfast of siopao.
Plane departed around 0630 when I am seated in the middle left aisle. Because of my condition, I requested for a low cholesterol meal. Since special requests are served first, I got my meal ahead from the the other passenger. When I check my meal, it is fruits, orange juice, egg, potato and spinach. i didn't touch the spinach because it didn't smell good. When the flight attendant, start her round to serve food, she noticed that I am not touching my food and ask me if I like it. I said no and ask her if she sould replace it with something else. She said that she'll check if there are extra after she have served everyone. By the way, I have no seatmate. I am not sure if the flight is not fully booked or there are people who resched their flight. Minutes passed and she's nowhere in sight so I decided to eat the potatos and egg. I am almost done eating when the flight atendant approach me handing me an omelet saying there's a spare one and I could have it.
It was around 11 am (Japan time) when we landed in Nagoya and I don't want to deplane. I'll be seating in the same seat on the same plane on my way to Detriot anyway, why would I bother to get out of it. Thought of pretending to be asleep playing on my mind just to have an excuse from not stepping out. That won't work, I think so I lazily get my heavy knapsnack and try to smile on my way out as the flight attendants saying adieu.
While walking to the next gate when we wil wait to board to the next plane,I have a chit-chat with a couple of American exchange students wearing PUP PE shirt. They explained that they were sent to Manila on a Christian mission. They ask me if am heading back to the States for school. Hehehehe.
I met Gladylyn (a fellow 77 GSI employee) in Nagoya. Since we have timw to roam around the airport to check some Japanese stuffs. She bought a smoked squid.
We boarded on the time around 1 pm (japan time) and I am seated at the same seat but this time I am seated beside a Japanese exchange student going to US. The flight is long and tiring though I am doing nothing except sleep, watch movies (She's the Man starring Amanda Brynes and Aquila and the Bee - an inspirational movie about a black kid winning a spelling bee comptetion). As usual, my food was served ahead because of the request I have done. Food were not so great when you have medical condition. With that, I'll never do another special request again. Here are some items about the flight:
We reach Detriot airport at around 1 pm EST. Glad and I decided to split so we weren't be interviewed by the same immigration officer. It will be easier that way. So I went to the queue of some Japanese. It seems like m,y choice of line is not good. It took them longer time to be interviewed. When my turn came, I am no smiling anymore. I answered very briefly. When I was asked why would it take 2 months for me to learne the system, I irritably answered, "I dunno.. I am not the one setting the timeline. It's my boss." When it is time to take my picture, the immigration officer told me that it will not hurt to smile.
From the immigration officer, i went to the carousel to get my luggage and proceed to custom officer booth. Still irritated from lack of sleep, when asked if I have food in my luggage, I reply, "None. Why would I bring food on a business trip?". The custom officer just smile at me and instructed me to proceed to the check in area. I checked in m baggage and look for Glad who, despite of a little problem with he immigration office (her name is not listed in the database), still got ahead of me.
Our flight is delayed by an hour so Glad and I decided to check some stores/shops. We called 77 Software office to inform them about the flight delay. The flight to Newark is quite a bumpy ride. I was seated beside a doctor whom I asked a couple of questions on medical stuffs and how a real doctor similar to the doctors I saw in Scrubs, House, Grey's Anatomy and other series. On my left is a huge man who is a resaercher who watched "White Man Can't Jump" in his portable dvd player.
We arrived Newark airport at 4 pm EST. The sum is still high and the weather is the same as in Manila minus the humidity. My New Jersey adventure begins.
New Jersey - it is not what I think it is...
I rode with Miss Che and Sir Elmer from the airport to the staffhouse. While on the car, Sir Elmer was on the phone talking angrily. My first conversation with him is not a good experience. I find him mataray. The few minutes in the car with him didn't change my first impression. Later on, when he's done with his issues, he calmly talked to me explaining that since all the staff houses are full, I'll be staying in a separate house. I'll be staying with a Filipino family and since I don't drive, I'll be on a hatid-sundo basis. He also explained that it will just be my sleeping quarters for most of the time I will be staying in the staffhouse.
When we arrived at 77 Software office. I was surprise to learn that the office and the staffhouse is in one building. The ground floor was the office and the staffhouse is on the second floor. Also the surrounding is not what I expected. I was thinking that New Jersey is like New York with buildings, busy streets and fast-moving people. I am wrong- very wrong. The place is a suburb no different from San Ramon (in California).
My second plane trip
It is my second time to go to US but I am still excited as the first time. I came to the airport quite early because I miscalculated the travel time (since we're leaving at two am, there should be no traffic).
I arrived in the airport too early but the line for check-in is already long. I guess there are people more excited like me. While cheking in, I was picked for a ramdom baggage check. Since I only have clothes, pulburon, chocnuts and other padalas in it, I am not much concern except for the way they rummage into it. Good thing that the guy is nice enough to keep things the way they are.
After checking in my baggage, I went to the gate but I stop in for a while for a quick breakfast of siopao.
Plane departed around 0630 when I am seated in the middle left aisle. Because of my condition, I requested for a low cholesterol meal. Since special requests are served first, I got my meal ahead from the the other passenger. When I check my meal, it is fruits, orange juice, egg, potato and spinach. i didn't touch the spinach because it didn't smell good. When the flight attendant, start her round to serve food, she noticed that I am not touching my food and ask me if I like it. I said no and ask her if she sould replace it with something else. She said that she'll check if there are extra after she have served everyone. By the way, I have no seatmate. I am not sure if the flight is not fully booked or there are people who resched their flight. Minutes passed and she's nowhere in sight so I decided to eat the potatos and egg. I am almost done eating when the flight atendant approach me handing me an omelet saying there's a spare one and I could have it.
It was around 11 am (Japan time) when we landed in Nagoya and I don't want to deplane. I'll be seating in the same seat on the same plane on my way to Detriot anyway, why would I bother to get out of it. Thought of pretending to be asleep playing on my mind just to have an excuse from not stepping out. That won't work, I think so I lazily get my heavy knapsnack and try to smile on my way out as the flight attendants saying adieu.
While walking to the next gate when we wil wait to board to the next plane,I have a chit-chat with a couple of American exchange students wearing PUP PE shirt. They explained that they were sent to Manila on a Christian mission. They ask me if am heading back to the States for school. Hehehehe.
I met Gladylyn (a fellow 77 GSI employee) in Nagoya. Since we have timw to roam around the airport to check some Japanese stuffs. She bought a smoked squid.
We boarded on the time around 1 pm (japan time) and I am seated at the same seat but this time I am seated beside a Japanese exchange student going to US. The flight is long and tiring though I am doing nothing except sleep, watch movies (She's the Man starring Amanda Brynes and Aquila and the Bee - an inspirational movie about a black kid winning a spelling bee comptetion). As usual, my food was served ahead because of the request I have done. Food were not so great when you have medical condition. With that, I'll never do another special request again. Here are some items about the flight:
- the japanese girl seated beside can't understand and talk English well. When food is served and she is asked to choose between two meals, she just nod and accepts whatever is given to her.
- I pulled another "I-did-not-like-my-food" stint to get extra food but I failed. Though I got warm milk
- I got hungry during the flight and ask for the some mini-pretzels snack. This time, it is a success.
- When we are on top of the Rocky Mountain, I was at the tail of the plane watching from the window.
- I was reading a comic book Power Mark while on the plane.
We reach Detriot airport at around 1 pm EST. Glad and I decided to split so we weren't be interviewed by the same immigration officer. It will be easier that way. So I went to the queue of some Japanese. It seems like m,y choice of line is not good. It took them longer time to be interviewed. When my turn came, I am no smiling anymore. I answered very briefly. When I was asked why would it take 2 months for me to learne the system, I irritably answered, "I dunno.. I am not the one setting the timeline. It's my boss." When it is time to take my picture, the immigration officer told me that it will not hurt to smile.
From the immigration officer, i went to the carousel to get my luggage and proceed to custom officer booth. Still irritated from lack of sleep, when asked if I have food in my luggage, I reply, "None. Why would I bring food on a business trip?". The custom officer just smile at me and instructed me to proceed to the check in area. I checked in m baggage and look for Glad who, despite of a little problem with he immigration office (her name is not listed in the database), still got ahead of me.
Our flight is delayed by an hour so Glad and I decided to check some stores/shops. We called 77 Software office to inform them about the flight delay. The flight to Newark is quite a bumpy ride. I was seated beside a doctor whom I asked a couple of questions on medical stuffs and how a real doctor similar to the doctors I saw in Scrubs, House, Grey's Anatomy and other series. On my left is a huge man who is a resaercher who watched "White Man Can't Jump" in his portable dvd player.
We arrived Newark airport at 4 pm EST. The sum is still high and the weather is the same as in Manila minus the humidity. My New Jersey adventure begins.
New Jersey - it is not what I think it is...
I rode with Miss Che and Sir Elmer from the airport to the staffhouse. While on the car, Sir Elmer was on the phone talking angrily. My first conversation with him is not a good experience. I find him mataray. The few minutes in the car with him didn't change my first impression. Later on, when he's done with his issues, he calmly talked to me explaining that since all the staff houses are full, I'll be staying in a separate house. I'll be staying with a Filipino family and since I don't drive, I'll be on a hatid-sundo basis. He also explained that it will just be my sleeping quarters for most of the time I will be staying in the staffhouse.
When we arrived at 77 Software office. I was surprise to learn that the office and the staffhouse is in one building. The ground floor was the office and the staffhouse is on the second floor. Also the surrounding is not what I expected. I was thinking that New Jersey is like New York with buildings, busy streets and fast-moving people. I am wrong- very wrong. The place is a suburb no different from San Ramon (in California).
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