Okay, okay...so I am one of the countless immigrants who came to < xml="true" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" prefix="st1" namespace="">America in my adulthood.  This happened about half a decade ago.  

I am not an American citizen by birth. I came from the Philippines -- a developing nation (hmmm...I refuse to say "third world"; just developing...slowly). 

I grew up in Manila and lived there until my mid-30s.  It was there that my character was molded, where I developed friendships, formed values, standards, a way of life that conformed to the Filipino socio-cultural-political system.   Migrating was quite an uproot for me.

As soon as I arrived, I keenly observed and learned the differences in the way of life here vs. the one I left behind.  For months, like a sponge, I would soak up all that is presented before me.  I knew that if my adjustment was to go well, that I needed to pick up fast. < xml="true" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" prefix="o" namespace="">

In early 2003, a few months after I arrived, I started to write in a journal out of boredom.  These notes were transmitted to friends and relatives in email.  I noted ways of life and systems that I found different from my original country. 

At first, I shared these observations just for information and if applicable, bring some amusement.  Over time, I started to draw conclusions, form opinions and musing over the list that I was generating periodically.  However, I wouldn't want to start a political page where just about every human on the Net shares an opinion.  So I decided to just publish my observation on this page for a larger audience's amusement and to provide a useful source of information primarily for those coming here from my country of origin.

I am reflecting my journal entries on this site. Hopefully, it would bring entertainment at the least, and at most, relevant information to help one get settled in quickly.  That is, quicker than me :)

Welcome to my so-called American life. Stay tuned.

"If you make a habit of buying things you do not need, you will soon be selling things you do."

                                                            -- Filipino Proverb