There are many important occasions today, and it's good that it's Saturday, too. Although it is a thoroughly busy day for me... as I am traveling from the US to the Philippines as I write this blog post. In fact, I am currently standing on a loooong queue that is snaking around the Tom Bradley International Terminal of LAX... that is not moving! There's a huge variety of anxiety-triggers along the queue: "late again?", "when do they start checking us in?", "can we make it to boarding at this rate?", "man, I have a connection in Manila! Will I make it at this rate?"... and what have you!
After missing a flight the day before... and after walking (thrice! Long story... not worth discussing.) from Terminal 7 of LAX to Tom Bradley with three pieces of huge check-in luggage balanced on a squeaking cart (well, can you blame it, given the weight of my luggage?), a carry-on, and a backpack, and with that heat outside, and the LA smog that made my eyes water, plus I am really hungry... I cannot listen anymore to all the complaints around me. So, after conversing and commiserating with my fellow frustrated passengers, I decided, I have to do something productive... and happy.
So, I switched on Spotify, opened my ever-reliable favorite Playlist... put on my wireless earbuds... and voila, here I am... in this safe virtual haven of mine. Let's go!
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Everything happens for a reason
Yep, I missed my flight the day before because of that Health Pass online Form that one person insisted I needed to fill out before I can be checked-in and be given a boarding pass. Apparently, she was misinformed... but, by the time someone made a clarification, my luggage did not have enough time to reach the plane even if I can still sprint to my gate! So, I returned to my sister's home, and spent most part of the morning getting re-booked for my flights today. Thankfully, the Department of State's Travel Agency that was assigned to handle the travel plans of Humphrey Fellows like myself was very efficient that everything was taken care of in only a couple of hours. I then spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon taking delicious catnaps... and listening to music in between.
The truth is, I wasn't feeling too well yesterday as I had my COVID-19 second booster shot last Wednesday evening. I wasn't feeling well the following day, Thursday, but I couldn't take a
rest because I had to pack and re-pack my luggage. Ten months of being in the US had me 'amassing' stuff - mostly books... and shoes - lots of them! Nope, I do not plan to make excuses... 'cause I have none! Anyway, the extra day of stay gave me time to recuperate... and be ready for the long journey home today - a blessing in disguise.
It was a beautiful day, too! It was a bit warm, but it was sunny, and the sky was clear and very blue - pretty, and perfect for some Namjooning! And so, in the late afternoon, as my brother-in-law went to play golf, my sister and I decided to take a walk around the neighborhood so I can admire the place one last time. I love the old huge trees that lined the streets, almost forming a natural canopy above our heads as we walked. The shade they provided made the warm air a bit cooler, keeping the heat radiated by the asphalt road in check. So, it was quite a comfortable walk.
These last month that I was in my sister's place in Boise City, ID, I walked almost everyday. First of all, I walked to the Boise State University campus... walked leisurely around the
campus and beyond after work, and then walked home. I typically complete more than 10,000 steps daily, which is usually equivalent to, at least, 7 km. The place is nice and safe, so I enjoyed every minute of my walk! Also, I loved looking at the houses around. They are most definitely not as HUGE as the houses in, say, Texas! However, they are dainty and lovely... making the village where my sister lives very pretty, indeed. People are so friendly, too. Many of them let me take a photo of their home, and even chatted a bit about the neighborhood, especially when they learned that I am a visiting scholar at Boise State. Perhaps, that is another thing that I love about this place - people's sense of community, and sense of pride of what their community has to offer.
My sister and I decided to eat dinner at one of our favorite Asian restaurants in the village. We took a different route on our way there just to explore the village. We saw interesting things
around the neighborhood. My favorite was a mini free library at the front yard of one house. There were a couple of comfortable seats provided, and there were a few more spares in the barn just directly at the back of the free mini library. Anyone in the neighborhood can come and read, and anyone can donate books as well. It is a very good idea, really. In fact, I've seen one like this at the Anne Frank Memorial at downtown Boise.... which I'll write about in the (near) future.
My sister and I did not have our 'usual' at the Asian resto... we ventured to something different. We usually ordered ramen or pho but, this time, I ordered their special noodles... which was truly special - lots of veggies, shrimp and beef. It was delicious... and I finished it all! The long walk gave me appetite, and I loved it! My sister opted for something with rice, and se loved it, too.
On our way back to my sister's house, we decided to walk some more at a park nearby. It was, actually, a dog park. So, there were many people walking and playing with their dogs... and there were some more playing tennis and basketball. It was quite busy... but not crowded - there was enough space for everyone. My sister and I decided to take camp at the
picnic area... I was so full and happy that I decided to lie down... and just enjoy the fresh air, and the peace and quiet while I bonded with my sister. We talked about our immediate and long-term plans... and things that we are not planning just yet. It was a very good talk, which I did enjoy. This is another thing that I love about this place... there are many amenities that are found in big cities, like New York City (NYC), for instance... MINUS the huge crowd, the noise, the stench, the security and safety threats, and the lack of privacy. Ah... perhaps, it's my age. I used to enjoy the sight and sound of NYC... but, these days, I go there primarily for business. Then again, times have changed tremendously... and so did NYC! Given the choice, I'd rather go to Boise or in Upstate New York... and even in rural Pennsylvania - hmmm... uhm, perhaps, I won't go that far! I do love Pittsburgh though! It's cosmopolitan and lovely with a fair amount of intellectual vibes about it... but not as chaotic as NYC, or Philadelphia!
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Oh, and about special occasions...
July is a special month for me because, uhm, its my birth month! CANCER month! Yes, indeed, I'm a crab! Proud of it, too! I can identify with many crabs in this life... such as the late Princess Diana
and his son, Prince William, as well as the brilliant, Tom Hanks, and the eternally youthful and innovative, Tom Cruise. Let's not talk about Elon Musk though... because we want to talk happy and good, right? He's a great engineer though... I give him that.
Anyway, speaking of Tom Cruise... I found out on Instagram (IG) a few days ago that he is an ARMY. Well, in the IG post, he sang the first two lines of "Butter" - and with gusto, too. Hahaha... and speaking of ARMY, the fandom make July even more special for me because the 9th of July is ARMY's birthday! Having officially joined the fandom lately, I feel happy that I can celebrate my own birthday with ARMY's birthday. Yaay!
So, when my sister and I reached home, at the suggestion of my brother-in-law, we went to harvest ripe raspberries at the backyard. And because, I didn't have cake to commemorate the special ARMY day, and it was too late to bake one, I opted for ice cream - Ben & Jerry's. Fortunately, I still had one of my favorite flavors, the Americone Dream, which was "vanilla ice cream with fudge-covered waffle cone pieces and a caramel swirl" (credit: description is from B&J's website). So, I had a proper ARMY birthday celebration commemorated with ice cream topped with fresh raspberries - straight from the backyard garden!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ARMY! đđ
And to celebrate this occasion, let's dance to one of my favorite 'old' BTS songs, "Anpanman"... because, heaven knows, I need a hero right now!
I chose this because this is one of the first BTS songs that caught my attention four years ago... the rest is history. Also, the graphics in their background has the most semblance to Hobi's Jack-in-the-box album cover, which we are also celebrating these days! Hobi is awesome in this video... and in this one, too, which is another live performance of Anpanman.
Alright... the queue is moving - FINALLY! Outta here... for now.
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IMAGE CREDIT: All photos in this post are mine - I took them, and processed them, solely for this post.
VIDEO CREDIT: The owner of the video is indicated in the video credit, BangtanTV. Thanks, YouTube, for the video link.
Footnote:"Namjooning" - per BTS explanation, it is the "act of living as Kim Nam-Joon. This includes taking walks through parks, admiring nature, hanging out with crabs, and having fun with friends" (Reference: Click here.). Kim Nam-Joon, also known as "RM" (short for, originally, "Rap Monster"), is the leader of the South Korean group, BTS.
