On the last eve of this 4th of July weekend, there sits a lump in my throat as the pop of fireworks reverberate around our neighbourhood. God Bless America is blasting on TV, the screen splattered in sprinkles of red and blue as Washington DC and NYC ring in this Independence Day. I am overcome with gratitude and awe.
You see, I’m in the final stages of becoming an official American Citizen. Just a few weeks late of the nation’s 235th birthday and on the doorstep of the celebration of my own 29 years, I will be swearing my oath of allegiance to this incredible country.
I am Philippine by birth, and Canadian in upbringing. We came to Canada as immigrants when I was 5 years old. Opportunity, warmer skies and the American Dream brought our family south.
Blessed by the love of relatives left behind, my parents arrived on this continent with nothing more than a few thousand dollars, sheer determination and an unwavering innocent hope for a better life. Like millions of others who came before us seeking work and equal opportunity, our dreams of stability and prosperity were realized. America (and Canada) did not care where we came from or the colour of our skin. It did not care what brand of English we spoke – broken or accented. It did not care what food we ate, how we dressed or what God we chose to love.
While studying America’s history in preparation for my citizenship interview, I was overcome with admiration and amazement. The establishment of democracy, the bill of rights, the systems of checks and balances in government; all of it is simply remarkable. The overwhelming show of American pride that once perplexed me as a Canadian means so much more to me now as I come to terms with what it means to be a citizen of this country.
I have a few more weeks to go before it all becomes official. Maybe then I’ll have the wisdom, clarity and presence of mind to express my feelings in more detail. Today, I am content with not having the words. Today, I am just very grateful to be here.
A smattering (finally) of the last week in Southern California.
This is Mister Incredible, being smothered by Miss Magnificent :p
I love Minnie’s shoes!
DJ hangin’ with Jesus on Hollywood Boulevard
This is how we lost our grocery money for the next three weeks
Sin city
We’ve been here just a few days and already, the cold rainy weather from the Bay is becoming a distant memory. Too bad the warmth won’t last long because we’re heading to Vancouver this Thursday. Ack! But, the last few days have been great. We hit Disneyland and California Adventures for a day. I haven’t been back in years! Disney feels so much smaller than I remember. But what a magical place it must be for little kids who get to meet Mickey and visit Goofy’s house! Just so cute!
Traffic here is crazy. The sheer volume of cars going up and down highway 5 is just shocking. THIS is why America can’t ween itself off oil. This is car country. You can’t do anything without a car! And as liberating as it is to have the freedom to go anywhere and be anywhere at a moment’s notice, I do miss the days when I could walk everywhere in London. I’m sure there are walking cities in America, like NY, but North Americans really have designed their cities for space in mind. Cute little old neighbourhoods and efficient public transport are pretty hard to come by in the major cities in California.
It’s been nice spending time with family. DJ and cousins and being home eating Filipino food have all been so good. We’re heading to LA tomorrow to ride the beaches and ogle the posh neighbourhoods of the rich and famous. And then Vegas for two nights and then Vancouver. =) Cold, rainy, cozy, beautiful Vancouver.
Anyway, that’s the update for now. It’s been hard trying to find the time to write these days so please be patient! I’ll be back in full form in a few days, with some down time in Canada.
Today I stepped into a Wal Mart for the first time in over 6 months. And it felt like heaven. EVERYTHING you could possibly want is in there – in all sorts of shapes and sizes! Every kind of shampoo, tampon, toothbrush, cleaning material and even food! Goodness! Such a shock considering how hard it is to find simple items, like toothpaste, in London. I was so overcome that I couldn’t buy a thing. I’ll ease myself into it and make a list next time.
Oh the economic machine that is America. You really learn to appreciate it when you’ve been away.
