A Place Called HOME for Refugees

My blog entries are usually about the latest things I have discovered as a Filipino living in the United States. I often feel displaced, still not quite certain of where it is I truly belong. Hence the name "K's Apartment" - it's the only place where I can link my two homes in one space - in my apartment.

My feeling of loneliness or longing for a place I can call home, however, pales in comparison to what refugees face. Because of war, families are plucked from their homes in order to escape death or torture, only certain of one thing: they cannot look back.

The cause and effect of war.

As a literature student, I was required to read The Honey, The Locusts by Philippine author Lina Espina-Moore. The novel talked about the difficulties of war during the Japanese invasion in the Philippines, and how innocent civilians were forced to participate in war themselves - not because they wanted to, but because they had to in order to survive.

Just recently, I also watched the movie Persepolis, which tells the tale about a young girl and the circumstances she had to undergo during the Iranian revolution. In order to escape all the turmoil, her parents send her to study in Austria, where she learns to become independent and strong, but still longs for her chance to return to Iran - her home.

Lately, I have been reading about the state of refugees in different countries. To be honest, I didn't know where to begin when I started thinking of what exactly I should write about. Sadly, there are too many refugees out there. There are too many displaced individuals. Too many people who are forced out of their homes and into the worst of living conditions all because of war. I continued to dig deeper in order to find something more specific to write about, and finally decided to write about something that is always in the news for one big thing or another: the war in Iraq.

Search for the issues.

If you try to do a Google search on the Iraq war, you will get casualty reports, the cost of the war, the latest news on military strategies, and the latest development projects. But nothing about Iraq refugees or displaced Iraqi citizens shows up. While people talking excitedly about the most recently developed armor, or the newly deployed military vehicle, the underlying issue is unfortunately forgotten. Have we all forgotten why the US claims it set foot in Iraq to begin with? Bush called it "nation-building" efforts in 2001. What good is a nation, though, if all of its citizens are displaced?

It is only if you dig deeper that you find stories about Iraqi refugees who have turned to prostitution, and about Iraqi translators who flee to the United States in order to avoid persecution only to be turned away by the US government.

Time to wake up, people!

Refugees International calls this issue "the largest humanitarian

and displacement crises in the world."

I was trying to look for pictures of Iraqi refugees in order to strengthen my point here, and came across this website called The WE. Now I haven't read through this website enough to say whether I agree with everything in it, but the site posts several newspaper articles with their corresponding photos. It is definitely something for all of us to read through in order to get a better understanding of what exactly is happening to the people of Iraq as a result of this war.

To illustrate briefly:

What can we do about it?

The truth is, there are actually a lot of things you can do help refugees all around the world. It all starts with getting to know the facts. Once you have educated yourself, find one cause that you can see yourself committing to. Look for organizations, see what initiatives they're taking to alleviate the situation, and find out how you can contribute.

To get everyone started, take a look at the following sites:

Refugees International
http://www.refugeesinternational.org/

UK Refugee Services
http://www.redcross.org.uk/TLC.asp?id=81617

Lutheran Refugee Services
http://www.lirs.org/

Aotearoa-New Zealand Refugee Services
http://www.refugeeservices.org.nz/

United States Committee for Refugees and Immigrant Children
http://www.refugees.org/

Church World Service Immigrant & Refugee Program
http://www.churchworldservice.org/Immigration/index.html

Women's Commission for Refugee Women & Children
http://www.womenscommission.org/


Additional Links/Resources

http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/protect?id=3b8265c7a

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Refugees

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statelessness


Any questions or suggestions?
Please do not hestitate to leave me a comment, here... in my home.

-Kk

Apple Picking in Granite Springs, NY

It was a pleasant surprise to find out that there was another Filipino in my office - and one who graduated from the same University as I did! Eileen and I never met in college because she is two years my junior, so it was definitely fortuitous that we met at work in New York City, of all places.

A few months ago, Eileen and I brought our husbands to a small get-together, and Vic (Eileen's husband) and Javi hit it off instantly. Even if they had only met, it was as if they grew up together in the same neighborhood in Manila.

So the four of us have been going out to a few places - Momofuku in Manhattan, a tour of their neighborhood in Scarsdale and White Plains, and the latest one - Stuart's Fruit Farm in Granite Springs, NY!

Here's a map of Javi's and my route to Scarsdale, where we met Eileen and Vic, and then our route to Granite Springs:

The scenery on the way was quite beautiful! This was definitely another great way to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city, as well as spend time with great friends.

When we finally got to the Farm, we were greeted by bushels of apples:

We all joked about how we would just buy these (above) so we wouldn't have to exert any effort in actually picking the apples!

But the four of us were there for a purpose! To PICK apples! So off we went, up a pretty steep hill, to get to the trees.

However, true to the nature of being Filipino, Eileen and I stopped to take pictures first!

Ok seriously, we knew had to get to work! So here is Vic, trying to pick his first apple:

Did it pass Eileen's inspection??? ;)

Here's Javi, picking one, too:

I took a shot of a kid trying his luck at his own juicy red:

And Javi took one of another kid trying to get her own apple:

How many apples are in this picture? Can you tell me?

After a few hours, we were finally able to fill our 1/2 bushel bags, and headed back down that hill. Here's a picture of the two long-lost friends before our descent:

Back at the shop, Javi bought dressing, while Vic bought cider for his mom and brother:

While Eileen was also buying her microwaveable popcorn on a cob, I took a few more shots of the farm:

I will end this string of photos with what I believe is the most picturesque of all of them:

If only, Eileen and Vic, and Javi and I can live in a town like this while working in Manhattan. With a beautiful setting like this, and great neighbors like Eileen and Vic, who wouldn't enjoy getting up in the morning everyday?

Presenting: Noel's Movie Trailer!!!

Hello, All! I am still alive, but have not been wanting to look at a computer screen whenever I get home - hence, the hiatus. But since I have very exciting news for everyone, I MUST make an entry.

My amazingly talented brother-in-law can finally show us the trailer of the movie he has been working on for the past 2 years. And I am more than proud to present it here in my blog!

Noel did the backgrounds, the 3-headed monster, and the Mom. Check-it-out!



And here is the movie's website: http://www.therpgmovie.com/. Click on the arrow on the notebook, then click on each character, and you'll see them come to life!

The website isn't complete yet, and the movie isn't set to come out until next year, so Javi and I have a few more months to wait in suspense before it finally comes out. When it does, I'm throwing some sort of celebration!

Holly Makes a Change

I've mentioned my friend Holly in this blog several times before, mainly because she is the inspiration for me starting a blog in the first place! So now it's time to devote an entry to her and use this as an opportunity to promote her blog, Gonna Make a Change.

It isn't very often that I meet someone for the first time and know that the two of us are going to get along. (Case in point, Patti ;) ) But the minute I met Holly, I already knew she was cool!

Perhaps it's because both of us love Literature, but I honestly believe it is more because this is the impression Holly makes with everyone she meets. Holly is extremely personable, and she definitely goes out of her way to make the people she is with as comfortable as possible. This is what I've observed of her, whether it be engaging in a meaningful discussion with high-level speakers at a conference, or chatting with a bunch co-workers over lunch.

And now, Holly is using her fantastic personality to make a difference.

She established her blog earlier in the year in order to share her experiences with a non-profit called Mayan Families Guatemala. She and her husand Michael visited Guatemala shortly after publishing her first few entries, where they met the two young ladies they are sponsors of.



The couple fell in love with Latin America, and Holly was so enthused to return that she made plans to go back within less than a few months! This time, she wanted to be prepared, and had "blog cards" made (I refuse to call them business cards because business connotes office work... blah!).

Holly knew she would meet fellow travelers, and was excited about the prospect of making friends with them and promoting the work that must be done to help the less fortunate. Her second trip to Latin America took her specifically to Tlaquepaque, which is an enthralling town that excites the eye with its vibrant colors, and lures the traveler in with its rich culture...

... not that I've ever been there! ;-)

But Holly's ability to painstakingly write every interesting detail about the places she's been and experiences she's had makes her readers feel as if they were actually there themselves.

Holly is also a very thoughtful person. Javi and I had just moved into a new apartment when she visited Guadalajara. So when she came across a little store that sold household decorations, she was kind enough to buy us a precious little housewarming gift.

The crafts shop in Guadalajara

All the way from Guadalajara, Holly's thoughtful present made it to our New York City kitchen ;)
And now, everytime I see it, I not only look forwad to the opportunity to make it to Guadalajara myself someday, but am also reminded that every day, in some way, we can all make a change.

http://gonnamakeachange.blogspot.com/

Notes:

• Guatemala is a Latin American country, separate from Mexico.
• Guadalajara is a city, and Tlaquepaque is neighboring a village. They are both in the state of Jalisco, in Mexico.

Labor Day Weekend at Port Jefferson

Sipping a smoothie at Toast Coffee House

What do you do on the last long weekend of summer? Javi and I had been searching online for out-of-state travel options, but couldn't seem to find the right place that would also fit within our budget. It's a good thing, though, that Holly suggested we go somewhere within New York, but outside of the city. Great idea, Javi and I thought... why hadn't we thought of that?? Why go far when there is so much to discover in our own state?!

So Javs and I looked for places that we could travel to without a car, and came across the website of Danfords Hotel and Marina in Port Jefferson, Long Island. The hotel looked promising on the website, and the reviews on TripAdvisor were pretty good, so Javi and I booked an overnight stay.

Javi and I left for Penn Station Sunday morning, boarded the LIRR (Long Island Rail Road), and rode until the last stop (Port Jeff). We had to switch trains halfway through, but the whole train ride took a total of only 2 hours. Once we arrived at the Port Jeff train station, all we had to do was cross the street to Island Wide Taxi.

The taxi ride consisted of 5minutes driving down Main Street, and as we got farther away from the train station, more and more little shops started to pop up. The busier the village got, the closer we were to the marina. Before we knew it, we were right in front of the Danfords Hotel.

The front porch of our hotel

Below: The hotel lounge room at night

We arrived at Port Jeff at about 12:00 noon, so naturally, we were hungry for lunch! Here's a view of the port from the Steamroom:

What is the Steamroom, you may ask? It is a casual restaurant that serves cheap and delicious seafood! Here are a couple of shots of Javi with his oysters and lobster:

If you're going to check-in to the Danfords, keep in mind that check-in time is at 4pm. Since Javi and I had about 3 hours to go before we could actually see our hotel room, we decided take a better look at Main Street on foot.

What we saw was a quaint little town of artisan shops that sold everything from religious decorations, to pet accessories.

I was able to even buy my sister a locket at a shop called Pattern Finders (picture below). The lady at the store was such a sweetheart, and took so much time and effort into fixing the locket neatly into its box, and then tying a purple ribbon around it.

I wasn't the only shutterbug on this trip. Below are a few photos of sites that caught Javi's eye:

Below: Port Jefferson Village Center, where they hold art exhibits, car shows, and even weddings. Mary Anne was the nice lady who gave us a brief background on the town, including information about the Dickens Festival, which is held every first week of December.

Here's a video I found featuring the Dickens Festival:



Finally, after having walked through Main Street AND East Main Street, it was 4pm. We checked in and because we were so exhausted from walking in the heat, Javi and I took a little nap in the room. When we woke up, it was time for dinner!

During our day walk, we had noticed a Spanish restaurant called Costa de Espana. Although its main entrance was along another street, we decided to enter through the more interesting way (to the left of the picture, where the trees are, there's a stairway that goes down to the restaurant):

Javi was so excited because he loves Spanish food and always has to see if the cooking is at par with the food his family would have when they used to have dinner with his Abuela. A particular favorite of his is the Paella at the old Alba's restaurant in Manila. So as expected, Javi had Paella Valenciana (seafood), while I had Pollo al Ajillo (chicken with garlic).

When asked if Costa de Espana's paella met his expectations, he replied "It's okay... but I still miss Alba's." Yeah, okay... he tells me this after he practically finished the entire casserole that night! :P

Here we are after dinner. Special thanks to the waiter who insisted that he get the poster behind us as a background!

So to end this entry, here are 3 comments on our overall experience:

1. Port Jeff is a lovely village with friendly people and a lot of history. It reminds me of how the fictional vilage, Stars Hollow, is depicted in the TV series, Gilmore Girls.

However, unless you have a car, you can't really explore the rest of the county, which they say is quite scenic. If you don't have a car, a day trip is most recommended, as you can explore the town (the important part of it, anyway) in even half a day.

2. There is a ferry that offers to take folks to Bridgeport, CT. I was told by a colleague of mine who lives several minutes away from Bridgeport to NOT go there, as Bridgeport is not at all safe, nor is it a scenic place to explore.

3. For those of you who are interested in visiting Port Jeff for a day or two, check out the Port Jefferson Village Center website at http://www.pjvillagecenter.com/, as they normally have weekend events. Case in point: next Sunday, they're having a car show!

All in all, it was a great experience to get away from the city for a couple of days. Because of its small-town charm, Javi and I may go back again for a day trip this time, or maybe join in on the Dickens Festival this year... I just wonder how weird Javi and I would look in those costumes!