Meeting up after 30 years

on the Brooklyn Bridge

July 4 weekend was pretty exciting because I met up with Auntie Mae, who is an old friend of the family and whom I hadn't seen in almost 30 years. She was a student of my mom's at Southwestern University in Cebu. I remember her as an active, friendly person who led an exciting life. She competed in the Miss Southwestern University pageant and won. Then she went on to compete in Miss Philippines. I distinctly remember snorkeling with her around a huge rock not too far from shore and her getting me to look at a jellyfish. I was about 11, and I was terrified--a sign of a sheltered upbringing.


Auntie Mae started medical school in Cebu but decided to leave the program and joined Cathay Pacific in 1982. She's been a flight attendant based in Hong Kong since. We'd completely lost touch until ... Facebook! haha! When my cousin, Grace, was in town in April, I met her sister-in-law, Joyce, who also works for Cathay Pacific. Through Joyce, Auntie Mae became friends with Grace on Facebook, then with me. She put in for a swap in order to fly to New York. It was definitely surreal seeing her again. She took the gf and I to dinner in Brooklyn Heights. Then the next day, we walked across the Brooklyn Bridge to Lower Manhattan to catch the ferry to Governor's Island. A nice day hanging out with her and her colleagues.

With the girls from Cathay Pacific.