A small piece of heaven in a place that often feels like hell

The City of Philadelphia is a tough city to live in. In Philadelphia the crime rate is astonomical,over 400 murders for 2006 and for this year already there has been at least one murder a day, the city is very dirty, only 2% recycle, the traffic is horrible,and the people are often quite harsh. Even though I love living here these characteristics of the city start to take a toll on your psyche. Just the other night I found a restaurant that makes all of my Philly woes disappear. The restaurant is called Manila Bay, and it is a small, beautiful place that offers me the comfort foods that remind me of home, and of lolo. The food is amazing, with offers of tocino, lumpia, pancit, bistek, chop soy, adobo(but it will never be as good as lolo's), laing and much much more including the ever so good San Miguel beer and all the entree's are priced between $7-$9, very affordable even for a poor lowly corps member like myself. It was so nice to not only eat Filipino food, but it was nice because I brought my roommate Emily with me and she got a taste of Filipino food for the first time and she loved it. It was so nice to be in a restaurant the served up comfort foods, it made getting through a City Year work week in Philadelphia bearable.

Turning 23

Today, after much celebration the night before,I am 23. I am not too sure how I feel about this number. There is a part of me that is really bitter. Now, I know 23 is not old by any means and that I still have my whole life in front of me but there are things that I have not yet accomplished such as being graduate school, being fluent in a language (yes yes yes I know that I brought that one upon myself so please no comments), I have not saved the world yet, I do not own a car, and I havent been to China. Even though I have not accomplished these things there is so much I have learned and accompished so far:

1. I have my college degree
2. I managed to escape college without any piercings or tatoos
3. I have travled to several different countries
4. I have learned how to bite my tongue and not argue with my mother because no matter what I will never win
5. I have learned that when an aunt is gracious enough to house me I need to put the alcohol down
6. I am a proud older sister to a wonderful younger brother who has inspired me to do the work I am doing now
7. I have learned that in college when you have to pay for laundry there are several different ways to wear your underware before you have to wash them (yes gross I know)
8. I learned the hard way that pizza boxes should never go into an oven to bake
9. I have had the honor of having my lolo and lola help raise me and be a wonderful influence in my life
10. I have a father who loves me and spoils me and is the calming voice in my life
11. I am the oldest grandchild on the Silva side and I have countless wonderful and adorable cousins whom when I see always make me smile and laugh
12. I have learned that no matter who makes it, Nonnies mashed potatos and Lolos Adobo are always better and I, nor anyone else, can never replicate them
13. I know how to rig a toilet to flush by using a really long shoe lace
14. I have learned that when sitting in a class and we are studying the cardiovascular disease Angina I should not laugh out loud almost hyisterically, because I am that immature
15. I have learned that you are never too old to love Harry Potter and the Chronicles of Narnia
16. I have learned that being half Filipino is one of the most amazing things ever
17. Finally, I have the most wonderful family, amazing friends, and a future ahead of me that is big and bright and holds endless possibilities.


So I guess being 23 isnt all that bad.