Musings from Manila: Coming to Life

It's one thing to go out and walk around through a new city in a new country and feel you're the subject of the One of These Things is not Like the Other song on Sesame Street. It's another to go out and walk around in the area where you were born and raised and feel the exact same way.

In metro Manila this would be due to my seeing others stare at me while I was out and about. Here it is like some surreal dream, where all the faces I've ever seen in movies have suddenly come to life. For my first two weeks back, every other person I saw had a face I recognized from somewhere; though I couldn't tell precisely where.

And, of course, everything and everyone was bigger, louder, taller, etc. as compared to just a few weeks prior.

This was all most evident at the Covington, KY Oktoberfest, September 12th and 13th. I went there with my longtime friend, Dennis. We've known each other since we were both seven years old.

The surreal dream was coming to life during a festival, of all things. Now I know what Edson was feeling when we would go to places like New York City and he would exclaim, I feel like I'm in a movie! Even though I was there, I still felt like I was watching; not really a part of it all.

Of course, I took pictures to share.

Rides for the kids:

Lots, and I mean LOTS, of crafts:

(There were more crafts then food, whatever that was all about.)

Balloon fun!

What festival is complete without balloons? Let's face it; what beer is for adults, balloons are for kids!

And of course, what is most important: Good food...