amo mi independencia (i heart my independence)

4th of july fireworks

the 4th of july fireworks have long disappeared from the manhattan skyline but somehow the sense and feeling of personal independence is still at an all-time high. (is that a cheesy intro or what!? jeez, what was in that white castle mozzarela sticks junk that i just ate?! i guess, simply put, what i really mean to say is) the past weeks have been filled with a great sense of freedom.

mile 41 of 78

july 8th saw me joining the annual tour de cure — a bike ride through manhattan and new jersey that seeks to raise funds for the american diabetes association. in practically a day, i had managed to raise the minimum $150 to join the ride (thanks to loving friends and family held at gunpoint) and so by as early as 7am i was in battery park, the designated starting area. we were off by 730 making our way all the way up north over the george washington bridge into jersey—which proved to be quite a hilly ride. the downhills were a great blast but the uphill climbs were short of torture what with that 90+ degree weather. inspite of feeling lost in those long stretches of highways not knowing where to turn, i had managed to find my way back to the starting point thanks to this other cyclist (who really looks the part unlike me) who seemed to know where he was going. by the time the whole ride was done, i had managed to bike 78 miles (that's 125km for you in the more logical metric system). the sense of self pride was at an all-time high. i had pushed myself as i hadnt for a while—gaining a sense of freedom from one's own limits. i didn't need to walk my bike up the hills. and i didnt need to get picked up by the tour vans to be ferried back to the starting area, thank god.

mc carren pool party

this summer here in new york has been great for going to all sorts of events. with such a variety of things to do and see comes the sense of freedom to do whatever you wish (and usually at no cost). ive been to the neighborhood pool party where every sunday this summer they have some indie bands from all over the country playing. great way of basking in the neighborhood hipsterdom while enjoying an ice cold brooklyn lager under the burning sun.

bbq in prospect park

another new great summer discovery is prospect park. its a nice 30 minute bike ride from the apartment and a perfect place to be bike-training in the weekend. also perfect for a weekend barbecue as they have designated areas scattered all over. first saturday of july saw me with 4 other officemates practically eating $130 worth of food (well we did have tons of leftovers) which proved to be a blessing in disguise coz it was the day before my bike tour.

brooklyn philharmonic

another prospect park treat is their summer long lineup of free concerts and movies. i got to see the brooklyn philharmonic orchestra. it was a nice $3 suggested donation treat. nice chill atmosphere, classical yet accessible music, and a nice clear sky as backdrop. they have more shows coming up and hopefully i get to see a few more.

hablo un poco español therefore estudio español

lastly, and perhaps the biggest sense of freedom booster, my spanish classes have been a great source of joy. somehow, there's something really gratifying about struggling with yet discovering new territory. who would have thought that looking at elementary level pictograms to learn words all over again would be such fun. slowly but surely, my spanish is improving. well at least, id be comfortable enough to be ordering food for my trip to peru. and enough to be talking about the weather. and obviously, enough to post a blog entry with a title in spanish. muy bien!

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my next big bike ride happens tomorrow. might be tougher though. aside from covering new york, connecticut and washington, i've been nursing a bad stomach the past 2 days. we'll see how it goes. hopefully those rest stop porta-potties are well-stocked. or else, it's uhoh with a capital U for me.