V is for Visitors

This weekend, my relatives from LA and Manila took a 7-day East Coast tour. Being the resident New Yorker, I became the de facto tour guide before they went on the official bus tour. Which is just swell - my Tita Josie hosted me last Christmas, and I was only too happy to show them around Manhattan, if only for a day.

After turning up too early (again. story of my life.) - their plane was delayed for a couple of hours out of LA - I had to cool my heels in a Starbucks on 34th St (damn. donut. singular.) and for about another hour more at the food court of the Manhattan mall (Starbucks kicked me out when they noticed I was pretending to drink from my tall empty coffee cup). For my final waiting turn, I was standing for about 20 minutes on the corner of Canal St. and Broadway, trying to look like a dude not be messed with (leather jacket, shades), but the Dillard's shopping bag in one hand (stuff to send back home to Manila) was a little on the soft side (at least it wasn't pink-ish).

Then I spotted a minivan that disgorged my long-awaited kin. Sauntering up to them, I burst out, "You Californians are always late!" Silence and stares followed. Shit, I took off my shades. Then they finally got it. Hugs all around, in the middle of noisy and crowded Chinatown on a Black Saturday. Damn, I should work on my timing.


Meet The LAkers: Uncle Ed, Arvin, Tita Josie, Erin, Tita Jem, Aljon

After having brunch at the usually-packed , my two younger male cousins Aljon and Arvin took to me quickly, even though this is practically the first time we've ever shared any face time together. Erin of course, rolls her eyes at my corny jokes already. She got shut out actually because we dudes were discussing sports. Of course, the boys were impressed by my encyclopaedic portfolio of NBA lore ("Talaga, kuya? Detroit Piston dati si Rodman??"). I keep getting thrown off by the fact that they speak Tagalog, because most of the cousins I've met in recent months always had the American teenage accent.

Getting through the packed streets of Chinatown took a lot more time than I expected (what is this? Easter Sunday at the Vatican? Nope, its tourists-meet-merchants on Easter Weekend). Finally getting to a subway station, we made the purchase for a Metrocard day pass for each of them, one card at a time. As to how the MTA managed to not think of the possibility that people might purchase several cards at one time, I don't know. What I do know is NuYorkers are totally pissed at them anyway for the recent price hike and increasingly crappy service.


Shepherding the flock through Times Square

Kin went nuts upon getting out at Times Square. Decision was made to go there instead of stopping by South Street Seaport for a peek at the Brooklyn Bridge because they wanted to catch a play. Moron that I am, I wasted time sitting around prior rather than looking for tickets. So when we got there, of course the Majestic Theatre box office (Phantom of the Opera) only had $200 premium matinee seats, and TKTS had nil. We ended up settling for (not that its a huge step-down) for, tada ... The Producers. Its not Nathan Lane/Matthew Broderick, but Richard Kind and Alan Ruck ain't chopped liver either. The first act was a lot livelier than the second. Babe for Delphi: Angie Schworer (playing Ulla). Celebrity sighting (while loitering around theater row): Luis Guzman.


Ok, this is actually illegal. I could have been thrown out of the theatre for this.

Scampering out of 44th St to catch an alleged 5.45pm mass at an uptown church (St Thomas More on East 89th), we actually made it in record time, even stopping by for Starbucks (caffeine overload for me) and banana loaf bread. Then, turns out, the Easter vigil is still 8pm. We visited a neighbor of theirs, but one who has seemingly not in tune with the other residents of New York City, a.k.a. anyone not from the Upper East Side. Good thing I was in tune with my Tita Josie and resolved to scramble out of there before she ordered Chinese and we'd end up making a mess out of Tita Lulu's posh condo.


Dahan-dahan, baka makabasag ka. Walang tatawa. Walang gagalaw.

After escaping from the ivory tower, we went back to Times Square to get some grub (obviously, any inclination for religious services has now been thrown out the window). They never believe me that Bubba Gump is always full. So was Red Lobster. Didn't bother with Virgil's. John's? Full. Chevy's? 45 minutes. So we ended up at ... Yoshinoya. Stuffed ourself full with beef and chicken bowls. Thank God for koboy kamag-anaks.


Bright lights, big city, big smiles, big people

And then we all parted at 34th St Penn Station around 9pm. Squeezed as much hoops talk as possible with the 2 boys. Hugs and hugs again. They were staying out in a Wyndham in Newark so its not convenient to stay late or spend more time. Their East Coast tour kicks off at dawn on Easter Sunday - ending up at Boston a week later. At least for one day, they brought the California weather with them - great day!

I had to go back to where I started this morning - Manhattan Mall - to do some jingle bells. And then went to find an R train for long trek back home.