6th Month Today

Yep... it's been six months since I got to the US of A. Has it really been that long??? I feel like it has but not really... DUH! That made NO sense. Anyhoo, I thought I'd make a list sort of thing of stuff I miss, I've observed, seen, learned or whatever so far...

I miss:

• our Philippine mangoes (Mangoes here can't hold a candle to what we've got back home)
• going to Greenhills every week (I've been at it since I was maybe two years old)
• our grilled/inihaw food restos (There's good sisig at a Bergen Mall though)
• super text messaging, sending out hundreds upon hundreds of SMS each month (It's ONLY starting to pick up here, where the hell have they been in the last five years???)
• super telebabad on cell phones
• dirty street food (fish balls, kikiam, ice cream, green mangoes w/ bagoong)
• local bazaars (but the flea/antique markets here are interesting too)
• local bakeries like Red Ribbon for the ensaymadas, Becky's Kitchen for lemon bars, brownies and this SUPER sweet chocolate/coffee bars
• greenbelt for movies, bar & resto hopping w/ shiny happy friends 'til almost daylight
• satisfying my ridiculous mozarella panini & spinachi cravings at Cibo
• snail-paced traffic
• reading Inquirer every single morning
• hired help (I know, I know, it's such a spoiled bratty thing to say buy I admit I REALLY miss it which is considered a luxury in this part of the world)
• dirt cheap DVDs, music cds, softwares
• knowing malls & stores like the back of my hand
• knowing everybody
• speaking & hearing Tagalog
• pretty consistent weather
• the beach
• making the square hand signal when asking for the bill
• custom made clothing once in awhile due to creativity bouts
• the familiarity of EVERYTHING
• Belo (it gets addicting!)
• trusty salons / spas I can just go to when I'm pissed or just feel like getting pampered
• Divisoria & 168 Mall for ridiculously cheap goods

Now, I

• drive (ANO!?! ME? driving??)
• make my own money from a part time thing which I adore for now
• do my own laundry
• still DON'T / CAN'T cook
• get lost on the road
• actually need maps to find places (may sari-sari store sa kanto just won't work here)
• can't wear flip flops year round
• haven't gotten seasonal clothing down squat (but it's exciting!)
• can go to the City that easy (I love it!)
• wear whatever I want and not get looked at w/ raised brows (not that I cared much before anyhow)
• all the more know that I'm an ant in this GIANT world
• thought I'd die because of the change, (Hell no!)
• STILL get lunatic at the thought of shopping
• know I'll continue to have bouts of good, so-so & really bad days
• sometimes still get bulol when I use English that it's ridiculously not funny (hehe ;) )
• say "Hey! How are you?", "Hoy are you doing?" , " How's it going?" instead of "Kumusta?" or "UY!"
• actually check the weather forecast daily to figure out what I should wear

.... I still have ALOT to put down. They're just escaping me at the moment. I'll add them up as as I remember them.