Apr 25, 2019, limawix (503) and James DJ
Invitation Accepted
Back on Nov-13, 2017. I found a picture of my Manila cousin (in our 40k++ collection of family photos.) The photo must have been at least 25 years old. I attached and emailed the photo, and with a few email exchanges a bond was rooted, firmly.
As expected, Junior arrived in the evening of LAX on Apr 9 with the family. What we did not expect were adult gentlemen instead of 4 boys. So here we go with all the J’s: Junior, Jocy, John, James, Jade and Josh.
The short 14-days vacation (Apr 9 to 23) sealed a special bond between our families. By the last day of their stay. I felt uncomfortably uneasy to let go. Somehow, I feel a bit of pinch in my heart seeing the family leaving California. John-John have a hard time too, as he asked “When are they coming back?” I am pretty sure Rene and Matthew felt a bit of something deep inside.
DJ Family USA Vacation – Apr 10-22, 2019, by James DJ
It has been a long-awaited vacation for everyone in our family, William, Jocelyn, John, James, Jade and Josh. For me, I’ve always wanted to go the US for many years. Finally, on April 9, 2019, we went to the airport to check-in our luggage at NAIA Terminal 1 around 12 AM. Everyone was sleepy and had nowhere to sit in the airport lobby because of the crowd that were ahead of us. We all sat in carts with our luggage and bags to wait until we can finally check-in our bags. Someone from the China Eastern airline started to create the line for the check-in area after an hour. My dad walked to that area and just sat there. My mom followed after. Soon after some other family started to fall in line as well. After a few minutes, me and my siblings also started to line up with our parents. After just 30 minutes or so, everyone started to line. This was funny to me because we were the first ones in line for the check in. We had to wait for another 2 hours in that line since the check in time was around 3:00 AM. Once we’ve checked in, we went to the airport lounge to rest for a while. However, the lounge was still closed during that hour and the guy told us to come back at 8:00 AM. We were sad since our flight was at 6:00 AM and it would have been our first time to try out an airport lounge as a family. My brother, John, went to the waiting area near our gate. The five of us just ate near the airport lounge since there was a food stall there. After an hour of eating, we passed by the lounge again and saw some light in the area. Josh went up to check if it was open. It was. Finally, we went up to get some rest to rest and eat. We boarded an hour after. However, the plane was delayed for another 45 minutes because of some plane issue we did not know.
The first flight was 3 hours and we had a layover in Shanghai (PVG) for 11.5 hours. We had our lunch in that airport. It was a very long layover. When we go there, the first thing to do was to go to the restroom since Mama always needs to go. After which, I was already looking for the wifi kiosk to get some wifi passwords. During most of the time we were there, we just slept and watched series or read books to pass by the time. We also had our lunch there with some Peking duck and rice curries.
After the layover, we had our long flight to Los Angeles (LAX). For our flight, we had two (2) meals. I was amused because they even gave us a menu for the meals that will be available for us to choose from. For most of the flight, we were all asleep. My brother, John told us not to sleep for more than four (4) hours during the flight so as not to be jet lagged when we get to LA. I don’t think I only slept for four hours. It was hard not to sleep during the flight.
We arrived in LA on April 10, 2019. Uncle Walden, Auntie Rene, Matt Matt and John John greeted us at the arrivals. A “pakilala” type of situation amongst both families happened. It was a very enjoyable moment to finally know our relatives from the US that we’ve only heard about from our parents. It was also overwhelming to be in the country that I’ve always wanted to go to. This day was dedicated to unpacking, knowing each other and getting settled in to Uncle’s and Auntie’s huge house. My brothers and I had our own room and parents also had theirs. There’s plenty of space for everyone. From the beginning, John John was very kulit and cute. Always being playful with his cousins. He is quite a funny and amusing guy to tag along with. We started our trip itinerary immediately on the next day where we booked for the San Francisco Tour for April 17 to 19. We almost didn’t get the seats since it was already spring break and vacation for a lot of people. We were transferred to another agency called C Tours. After that we went to LACMA, Griffith Observatory and the Grove in the afternoon. In the evening, we went to the much-awaited NBA game at the Staples Center that I have been looking forward to. The game was between Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Clippers. It was a season finale game night. The crowd was intense in supporting their home team. I felt bad for the opposing side, Utah Jazz, because everyone was booing at them every time they got a shot. It was quite an experience to watch a live NBA game that we normally just see online or on televisions. We ate our dinner during the game. We each had Mcdonald’s burger and fries. The game also went into overtime because they tied at the end of the fourth quarter. We were lucky and unlucky because the game ended late but we were able to watch more. After the game, we went outside and it was very cold and windy.
For most of the days in our trip, we went to the common places to go to in Los Angeles such as Hollywood and Beverly Hills and experience the different stores and restaurants such as In n Out Burgers and Panda Express. We joined the Dolby Theatre tour and also entered the Madame Tussauds. We also joined the Hollywood tour around Hollywood and Beverly Hills. It was a two hour tour around the area. The tour showed us the many houses where a lot of celebrities and famous athletes lived including houses of Bruno Mars and Manny Pacquiao. On April 12, 2019, Papa, Jade, Josh and I went jogging in the morning to have some exercise. This was early in the morning so we saw the sun rise on that day. They also went to the gym in Uncle’s house after the jog. The gym also has a sauna and steam place which was very cool. The gym was beside their swimming pool which also had a garden beside it.
Before going to Las Vegas, we met with Uncle Walden’s siblings as well in a Chinese restaurant. We had the opportunity to talk with them about each other’s lives. Uncle William, Uncle Ton Ton and Auntie Sally was there to join us. It was a great way to know each other. Uncle William gave us advices on some business ventures we can go into. We learned a lot from them. After our lunch with the Uncles and Auntie, we went to Las Vegas with Uncle Walden, Auntie Rene and cousins. It was quite a long drive. Thankfully, we go there safely considering it was already late and dark on the roads. The hotel, Palace Station, that Uncle booked for us was beautiful. We had a good night’s rest. This was perfect because the next was dedicated to the outlets store and Vegas Strip. But before all that, we were taken to a brunch buffet in Bellagio. The place was beautiful and we had so many options to choose from. I had so many long-legged crabs.
Our family inside the Bellagio (2).
We had our dinner at Shake Shack. The last was a bit long. It was a funny experience. We weren’t waiting for too long for our food since we just ordered the burgers for everyone. A few minutes later, someone who works for Shake Shack came over to our table (which was outside the place) and apologized for the delay of the food. She apologized with five more free fries and burgers for our next visit. What a delightful experience. After the burgers, we went on to walk around Vegas strip until we got tired. The next day, we went over to another place, the W Life, for another big buffet. Thinking of it now as I write this, I want another buffet. The food options were too much for just one visit.
After Las Vegas, we went on to use our GO Los Angeles Cards that gave us access to 30+ attractions around LA for any 3 days within a two-week period. What was shocking to us was the price for the Uber. It was definitely higher than what is charged in the Philippines. However, the service is far better. I was in charge of the Uber rides and I made mistake on one of our rides. I had placed a credit card as the payment option. However, I still told Mama to pay in cash with tip. I only remembered this when we went down from the car and was already going to the Universal Studios when I booked for another Uber. My mom got angry so my brother gave her $70 (even tho we only paid $60) so she wouldn’t get mad anymore. I gave my brother $40 out of guilt that I didn’t check ahead. After a long walk to Universal Studios, I told that story to my girlfriend and she told me that I can report the incident to Uber to refund the credit card payment within 30 days. I filed the report to Uber and after a few hours, we go the refund back. What an experience. Anyways, one day was spent for Hollywood and Beverly Hills. Another day was for Warner Bros Studios and Universal Studios. The last was spent on Santa Monica Pier. It was a very “sulit” card for its price and its inclusions. The Universal tour was amazing with all the effects and animations. I was smiling for most of the tour because of awe and amazement. We were also able to try the famous Butterbeer from Harry Potter’s butterbeer. It was delicious. After the Hollywood trip, we had our dinner at In n Out and I think this was the best burger I tasted in the US. Hopefully, I get to try more burgers in the future. We also went house hopping. We went to the big house with the elevator. The elevator was amazing to try. We all tried it out including Mama who was very hesitant to go out. Auntie Rene went up with her so she managed. We also went to Uncle Chak chak’s house which was also huge with the Olympic swimming pool and two grand pianos. Our cousin Justin played for us a sample song with her piano. She was a good pianist. I wish I also had that musical talent.
After using the GO LA Card, we went for our tour to San Francisco which was for 3 days. This was from April 17 to April 19. We got to downtown SanFo and see the Golden Gate Bridge and its many islands. We also passed by the famous Lombard street. On the last day, we got to see Yosemite Park and Falls. In the park, there were also trunks of trees that were huge that I can stand on them and still be bigger than me. At the falls, the wind was blazing such that we were being pushed away from it. On the other side of the falls, one could see the rainbow beneath it. I was wearing four (4) layers of clothes and my siblings wore just three (3).
The day after the tour, we went to San Diego with Uncle Wishing and Auntie BayBay. Uncle Wishing rented a huge van for us. He was a funny uncle. No wonder our cousins liked him. He had all these stories about his life just like Uncle Walden and Auntie Rene. I think the Lima siblings have all sorts of stories that I wish we all had the time to hear. We went to a Mexican place called Lolita’s for lunch. We went to Old Town, San Diego. We needed to go the restroom so Uncle Wishing got us in to his work place to use one. The Mount Solenad was also one of our stops where pictures of veterans and their stories were found. It was a great place to get a 360-view of San Diego and see the giant cross at the same time. We also went near the shore line to see the magnificent sun set in San Diego.
We had dinner at Texas Roadhouse with Auntie Wilma family. There was a box filled with peanuts when you enter the place and you can eat them while waiting for your turn. It was amusing to just throw the peanut shells to the ground while waiting for our seats. The bread was the best. It was sweet even without the butter cinnamon spread and very hot and soft. I should’ve eaten more. We also went to Auntie Wilma house for a visit. Lauren played for us some music with her piano and singing skills. She played for us a piece from the Greatest Showman and a Yodel song. We were all in awe at how great she was. It was a live performance and she did it amazingly. She is very talented. The next day was mostly shopping at the Outlets for our family. Before the shopping, we passed by Pho Ever restaurant for lunch. Going the outlets, we had to split up since we wanted to start shopping. Uncle Walden and his family went to the flower fields beside the outlets. When we got back to Arcadia, we had to go for our last-minute shopping for “pasalubongs” back home. We went to the 99 cents only store, Dollar Tree and Walmart to buy the things that we need. There are so many items there that are so cheap. I was overwhelmed by the amount of options to choose from. We had to start packing that day since we were leaving the next day. The next day was also for last minute shopping at Costco, Sam’s and TJ Max. Our family fixed our stuff and prepared our luggage for the flight back home. The boxes needed tape so I went with Auntie Rene to buy some more from the 99 Cent Only Store. However, they didn’t have the refill in stock so we had to go to Daiso to buy them. We went back to finish up. We had a total of twelve (12) check in luggage with 6 of them as “balik bayan” boxes. My mom cooked us dinner before we left. They bought the ingredients from the 99 Ranch Market. She cooked us “Buto Buto” with Water cress and tortang giniling. We had to hurry cause Uncle Chak Chak was arriving very soon after the dinner. Uncle Chak Chak brought another van so we can all fit and go to the airport. He arrived around 8 PM. They brought us the airport just in time for the check-in. The line took quite some time. What amused me was the fact that our luggage didn’t pass the x-ray before going in the airport and both uncles and auntie went with us to check in the bags. This was unusual for us. Our luggage got in with no problem. After this, it was time for us to part ways. We took our photo and said our prayers before leaving.
Some comments from my family: Papa said: “Our US trip was indeed a vacation of a lifetime for me with my family. Even in a short period of time we were able to travel more locations compared to our last trip. God is really good that we were able to go some places even on a “tipid” budget thanks to Ahya Walden and Achie Rene. Also, thanks to Ahya Wishing for letting us stay in his house in San Diego. If not for them, maybe, we cannot go to more places on this trip.” Mama said that she was just very happy to be with us being happy in the US trip. It was quite an experience for her to be in such a big and beautiful house. It was like living like a millionaire for two weeks. Her favorite destination was the Universal studios even though she’s gone there before but it wasn’t like this one. She was fond of the outlets even though her sons bought more stuff than her. Ahya John said he was disappointed that we weren’t able to go to more places. We had a lot of down time that we weren’t able to fully utilize the time there. He said we just ate, drank and slept. He wants to see more of the US. Jade said that he was happy that we went on the trip even though his board exam was coming up the coming week. (Side note: Jade Passed the board exam after the 2 week vacation. Congrats, Jade!) He was not able to study as much as he wanted to during the trip but it was a fun experience for him. He liked jogging in the morning with us and going the mountains of Yosemite and the one near Beverly Hills. He wants to go back the Buffet at M Resort and Spa because there were so many great options there. Josh said he’s just very happy to go the US and see the houses of our relatives. He really wanted to go to Arrowhead and see what all the fuss was about but we didn’t have enough time. He loves the In-n-out burgers too.