By Hazel Toquero

Editor’s note: This is part of our continuing series, appearing Tuesdays, on Filipinos abroad. If you are a Pinoy expat or a child of the diaspora, we’d love to hear about your experience. E-mail us at editorial@pinoycentric.com.

I live in a quiet neighborhood in the Bronx where most of my neighbors are Indians and Hispanics. I made sure that it is far from the South Bronx, which is not an ideal area to rent a house or apartment because of congestion and safety concerns.

My place is close to the train going straight to Manhattan and very accessible to bus lines. I only walk five blocks to walk to the bus stop and I feel safe especially when days are shorter during winter.

It was not hard to find my new place. The only difficult thing was shelling out the usual one-month security and deposit as required by most landlords in New York City. My place is rented at $950 plus utilities, which is considered reasonable by most New Yorkers. It is a one-bedroom apartment and a small living room/kitchen and dining room.

I am not making my home yet in New York, though I plan to in the next two years. Real estate is very expensive here, and my meager salary as a teacher is not yet enough to obtain a good rate for a down payment on a house. Since I live alone in a small apartment, I made sure I only bought useful appliances like a microwave oven, a vacuum cleaner, and a blender.

I am not so much into cooking so my kitchen is rather bare. I love to invest in “luxury” but useful items like a laptop, an entertainment system, and game consoles like the Wii, which is how I relax after a day’s hard work.

Starting from scratch
I had nothing on me when I arrived in New York in August 2004.

The first place I settled in together with other Filipino teachers was infested with rats and roaches, but we had to sacrifice because going back to the Philippines unemployed was out of the question.

I rented one of five bedrooms, which was the size of a balikbayan box. There was only a small closet, a tiny window and a cramped space for a mattress. I was in tears because I only had my suitcase and an airbed that deflated as soon as lay on it.

Together with my friends, we scavenged for old furniture every Friday night from the garbage piles of our neighbors. This was the way we survived during the first year since we did not have the money to buy new beds or tables. I was fortunate to have supportive flatmates and they were a source of strength when work was becoming too difficult to me.

I have always been an OC housemate, and I just hate dirty bathrooms. My roommates called me “Clorox Queen” because I like to disinfect the whole place. Because my cooking skills were limited to burning and not cooking, I willingly took on the job of cleaning and the occasional throwing of garbage every Tuesday and Friday nights. I hate doing the laundry, and it was especially inconvenient during the winter and summer months, when we had to walk six blocks with a cartful of clothes to a local laundromat. Making the most of our time, we did our lesson plans while waiting for the clothes to dry.

When they decided to get their families back home, the place became too small for us. Being the only single person, I decided to move out, finding a place just a few blocks away from my Pinoy friends.

I work from 8 a.m. to 2:45 p.m., but after school, I relax by watching TV or playing Wii.
When the weather is good, I go to Manhattan, usually at 14th Street Union Square and hang out at Strand Bookstore or Barnes & Noble, where I can read books to my heart’s content.

Saturdays are spent going downtown for window shopping or going to the park during the spring or summer. Sundays are the best since there are always good sales in Best Buy or Circuit City. My boyfriend and I like to collect DVDs and CDs so these are the places we frequent.

Keeping house
I used to be a pack rat but since my place is so small, my design philosophy leans toward the minimalist. I love the color red, so most of the fixtures in my place are in this color. I bought the essentials like a dining set, two gaming chairs for the living room, and a futon bed. Most of my furniture comes from Target, which sells items at very good prices. My favorite piece so far is the futon bed, since it has hidden drawers where I can store some stuff.

For most of my life back home in the Philippines, I was used to having things done for me like cooking, laundry, and even fixing my room. I was dependent on the househelp. When I arrived in the States, it took me a while to adjust to doing things on my own.

I have learned so much since I started working in New York. I used to be a people pleaser, but now I have learned to say no, especially to unreasonable requests from relatives. I have learned to choose my battles, especially in school, where I am one of only four Asian teachers. I am now more assertive and decisive in my actions. I keep in mind that I am basically alone in New York City thus I need to decide for myself or I will lose in this rat race.

I am more pro-active now as evidenced by my Website, and I have also become more mature. Gone are my barhopping days, which I used to do back in the Philippines. My friends say that New York is the place to be, but when I pass by clubs, I find myself shrugging my shoulders and looking forward to getting some sleep. Perhaps I have passed that stage of finding the “social thrill” or maybe I am more cognizant of the value of each dollar I earn here.