Summer Destinations
March 1, 2004 | 12:00am
Aren't you excited that it's summer again? I am - it's my favorite time of year. Hours of free time to float around in, out-of-town trips, the beach, eating, relaxing, sleeping, spending time with friends and family-basically being able to do all the fun things that you haven't been able to do during the busy school or work year.
My best summers involved friends, family, hot weather, great food and a lot of fun-and even some out-of-school learning.
Three memorable summer destinations:
PENANG
When: All my life, most summers
Where: Malaysia
What: An island town with a predominantly Chinese population. My mother's side of the family is Chinese and is from Penang.
Vibe: Laid-back, beachy, casual
Food: Amazing. Spicy noodles, seafood, beef, pork, chicken, mouth-watering sauces.
People: My hundreds of Chinese relatives, especially my Ah-Mah (my grandma)
Highlights: The beaches, Penang Hill (a sort of mini-mini Baguio), road-side hawker's food
Lesson: Take it easy, enjoy the simple things in life and love your hundreds of relatives.
NEW YORK
When: '95, '99, '00, `01
Where: East Coast, USA
What: To me, New York is creative, alive, warm, embracing of different cultures, innovative and dynamic. It's a big city population-wise, but because everyone lives vertically (in blocks of flats) the actual physical area is small enough to walk from one end of Manhattan to the other end in a few hours. It's made up of small, distinct areas like SoHo, Greenwich Village and the Upper East Side. This always makes me feel like I'm in a series of villages, not a huge, impersonal city.
Vibe: Exciting, creative, entertaining, motivating
Food: Everything under the sun-New York is a cosmopolitan city. I especially love deli sandwiches, a classic New York staple. The choice of bread and fillings is infinite and they fill the sandwiches up so full that you pretty much need to dislocate your jaw to eat them. But it's so worth it!
People: New Yorkers are the most varied group of people on this planet. They come from all over the United States, from hundreds of countries and with different cultures, customs and points of view. In New York, you never feel like a foreigner. The vast majority of New Yorkers are not born in New York. My favorite group of New Yorkers was my filmmaking buddies in my crew at the New York Film Academy. We were from the Philippines, Malaysia/Holland, Canada, Germany and Brazil-but that summer, we were all New Yorkers.
Highlights: It's hard to choose highlights for New York because there are so many. I especially liked the mid East Side, where we lived, SoHo, Greenwich Village, Chinatown (which is just like being in Hong Kong), Little India in Brooklyn, Broadway, Times Square, the UN, The Metropolitan Museum, The Museum of Modern Art, The New York Public Library and the New York Ballet and Symphony.
Lesson: Life is exciting and there is more than one way of living.
CROATIA
When: Summer after high school graduation
Where: Eastern Europe
What: A beautiful, Mediterranean country with gorgeous beaches. Croatia is a predominantly Catholic country and used to be part of the former Yugoslavia. It has some of the most beautiful beaches and little islands I have ever seen. It was badly affected by the Yugoslavian war in the early 1990s and when I went there, there were still bullet-riddled and bombed-out houses in certain places. That was a very sad experience. If you went there now you probably wouldn't see much evidence of the war apart from monuments to the deceased. Now it's a great tourist destination for people who love beaches and nature.
Vibe: Sunny, beautiful nature and beaches, a sense of history (old buildings, cobbled streets)
Food: Seafood, meat, vegetables Mediterranean. My absolute favorite was a squid-tomato dish eaten with potatoes that my friend's grandmother made for us.
People: I went with my best friends Yvana and Penny and Yvana's Croatian-American family. We had a blast! And Croatians are friendly, lively people.
Highlights: The beaches. Crystal-clear turquoise water, strange, colorful plants and fish in the water. Taking out a little boat and moving from little island to little island.
Lesson: For me, this summer was about the value of friendship. Penny and Yvana and I were already a tight-knit high school barkada, but we became even closer that summer, if that was even possible. We had so much fun and dozens of deep conversations about our lives, hopes and thoughts. I thought then that I would remember my summer in Croatia as one of the best times in my life, and I still do.
Whatever you are doing this summer, whether you are at home, on the beach or in another country, remember to make the most of it and relax and recharge yourself to face the next school or work year with a refreshed attitude. And you might make some unique memories too! Have a great summer!
My best summers involved friends, family, hot weather, great food and a lot of fun-and even some out-of-school learning.
Three memorable summer destinations:
PENANG
When: All my life, most summers
Where: Malaysia
What: An island town with a predominantly Chinese population. My mother's side of the family is Chinese and is from Penang.
Vibe: Laid-back, beachy, casual
Food: Amazing. Spicy noodles, seafood, beef, pork, chicken, mouth-watering sauces.
People: My hundreds of Chinese relatives, especially my Ah-Mah (my grandma)
Highlights: The beaches, Penang Hill (a sort of mini-mini Baguio), road-side hawker's food
Lesson: Take it easy, enjoy the simple things in life and love your hundreds of relatives.
NEW YORK
When: '95, '99, '00, `01
Where: East Coast, USA
What: To me, New York is creative, alive, warm, embracing of different cultures, innovative and dynamic. It's a big city population-wise, but because everyone lives vertically (in blocks of flats) the actual physical area is small enough to walk from one end of Manhattan to the other end in a few hours. It's made up of small, distinct areas like SoHo, Greenwich Village and the Upper East Side. This always makes me feel like I'm in a series of villages, not a huge, impersonal city.
Vibe: Exciting, creative, entertaining, motivating
Food: Everything under the sun-New York is a cosmopolitan city. I especially love deli sandwiches, a classic New York staple. The choice of bread and fillings is infinite and they fill the sandwiches up so full that you pretty much need to dislocate your jaw to eat them. But it's so worth it!
People: New Yorkers are the most varied group of people on this planet. They come from all over the United States, from hundreds of countries and with different cultures, customs and points of view. In New York, you never feel like a foreigner. The vast majority of New Yorkers are not born in New York. My favorite group of New Yorkers was my filmmaking buddies in my crew at the New York Film Academy. We were from the Philippines, Malaysia/Holland, Canada, Germany and Brazil-but that summer, we were all New Yorkers.
Highlights: It's hard to choose highlights for New York because there are so many. I especially liked the mid East Side, where we lived, SoHo, Greenwich Village, Chinatown (which is just like being in Hong Kong), Little India in Brooklyn, Broadway, Times Square, the UN, The Metropolitan Museum, The Museum of Modern Art, The New York Public Library and the New York Ballet and Symphony.
Lesson: Life is exciting and there is more than one way of living.
CROATIA
When: Summer after high school graduation
Where: Eastern Europe
What: A beautiful, Mediterranean country with gorgeous beaches. Croatia is a predominantly Catholic country and used to be part of the former Yugoslavia. It has some of the most beautiful beaches and little islands I have ever seen. It was badly affected by the Yugoslavian war in the early 1990s and when I went there, there were still bullet-riddled and bombed-out houses in certain places. That was a very sad experience. If you went there now you probably wouldn't see much evidence of the war apart from monuments to the deceased. Now it's a great tourist destination for people who love beaches and nature.
Vibe: Sunny, beautiful nature and beaches, a sense of history (old buildings, cobbled streets)
Food: Seafood, meat, vegetables Mediterranean. My absolute favorite was a squid-tomato dish eaten with potatoes that my friend's grandmother made for us.
People: I went with my best friends Yvana and Penny and Yvana's Croatian-American family. We had a blast! And Croatians are friendly, lively people.
Highlights: The beaches. Crystal-clear turquoise water, strange, colorful plants and fish in the water. Taking out a little boat and moving from little island to little island.
Lesson: For me, this summer was about the value of friendship. Penny and Yvana and I were already a tight-knit high school barkada, but we became even closer that summer, if that was even possible. We had so much fun and dozens of deep conversations about our lives, hopes and thoughts. I thought then that I would remember my summer in Croatia as one of the best times in my life, and I still do.
Whatever you are doing this summer, whether you are at home, on the beach or in another country, remember to make the most of it and relax and recharge yourself to face the next school or work year with a refreshed attitude. And you might make some unique memories too! Have a great summer!
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