From Rice Fields to the Concrete Jungle

            My name is Reylyn Krizzel Aloag Roldan, but you can just call me Reylyn. I was born in Quezon City, Philippines on July 29, 1995. To help you understand, the capital of Manila is like New York City; it is made up of different “boroughs.” Just as Brooklyn is to New York, Quezon City is to Manila. Another comparison I want to point out is the weather. Yes, I know that the Philippine Islands are located in the tropics and that New York simply does not match up in terms of great weather. Although this is indeed true, the Philippines also has its downs. Just like the American East Coast experiences hurricane season, the Philippines also has a tropical storm season of its own. Because the waters are much warmer in the Pacific, these storms are called typhoons, which have stronger winds and heavier rainfall. Can you see where I am going with this? If not, I’ll just tell you. You see, typhoon season starts around May and by the end of July, it is at its peak. So now, do you see the connection I’m trying to make? My goodness, the trip to the hospital must have been terrible. Well actually, my parents have confirmed this assumption already when they recounted my birth story to me. One good thing did come out (no pun intended) from all of this though. ME!

Bored yet? Hopefully not, so please bare with me. WE DIDN’T EVEN GET TO THE BEST PART! When you read the first sentence of this essay, did you wonder, “Wow, she has a really long name!” C’mon, don’t lie. We’re all friends here. Okay, I’ll just assume that you agreed with me since I’ll forever be incapable of knowing your response at this very moment in time. If you haven’t realized yet, I’m basically talking to no one except this paper. Gosh, you must think I’m crazy. But that’s okay! We’re all a bit crazy, right? So going back to my name. The reason why my name is so long is because in the Philippines, we consider our mother’s maiden name as our middle name. Pretty cool, eh? For me, my Filipino middle name is Aloag (Al-oh-huag). The history of my surname is even cooler. The Roldan name originated from Scotland and Spain. According to Google, I even have family crests from both countries. Following the guidelines of history books which the public education system has bestowed upon me, I am certain that my genealogy traces all the way back to Spain. Plus, the influence of the conquistadors was definitely inevitable. Although I highly doubt that I am a descendant of the Scottish line, it’s still quite cool to ponder about. You know what they say: anything is possible!

I bet you had enough of me already. My life can be a bit dull sometimes. So moving onto the real story. I currently reside in New York City, more specifically in the borough of Staten Island. I know you’re probably like, “Hahahahahaha, you’re from the dump!” Jokes on you because I’ve already heard it only about a hundred times. Staten Island is seriously not that bad; it’s the suburbs of the city. So if you plan to raise kids in an urban setting but without all the corruption that the city has to offer, Staten Island is the best place to do it. I promise, your kids will turn out perfectly normal. C’mon, look at me. I’m great! But fair warning, there will be occasional teasing when they grow up. Don’t worry though; it will build their character and make them a tough nut to crack. On the bright side, it definitely won’t be as bad as Long Island kids. Ooh, shots fired. If you’re from LI and reading this… sorry not sorry!

So how did my family get to the greatest city in the world? The same way everyone else in the United States did (excluding the Native Americans, of course) – through hard work and dedication. My family wasn’t born into wealth. In fact, it all started in the farmlands of the northern provinces of the Philippines. Coincidentally, both sides of my family are from there and neither knew what kind of future lied ahead. Funny how fate works, right? Anyways, my grandparents from my dad’s side were from a province called Ilocos Sur (Ee-loh-kos Soor). My grandmother has three other siblings, all of whom are women. The oldest, Felicitas, was striving to be a biochemist, which was a profession unusual for women to pursue. She was the first to leave the province and earn her degree in a college in Manila. Now this achievement was massive back then. She was actually the first woman to ever receive such degree in all of the northern provinces. She was and still is a big deal back in Ilocos. In a way, she’s kind of my idol in a sense.

Upon graduating from college, she decided to take a leap of faith and go to America. Airplanes weren’t that popular in the Philippines in the 1960s, so my great aunt had to cross the ocean the old fashion way – by boat. She first settled in Hawaii for a year or so until she earned enough money to settle in the mainland. Like most Asian immigrants coming to the United States, she entered through California. Now how she arrived in New York, I completely have no idea, but if I have to guess she probably used her brains to do it. Using her biochemistry degree, she was offered a research job in Rutgers University where she worked for about five years. Remember when I told you she was a big deal? Well, her “big-dealness” spread amongst the biochemistry community. Columbia University asked her to work in their lab, and she accepted. It was during her time as an instructor in the biochemistry department in Columbia where she met her husband, Elias Naum Bobrow. To make their love story even more cliché, he was actually her student. Mind-blowing, eh?

Of course by this time, my great aunt already accumulated a large sum of money. She used that money to bring the rest of her family: her sisters, my grandmother, my three uncles, and my father. The cycle of hardships continued once they all settled here. My grandmother worked two jobs, one at Carnegie Hall and the other at INC. My grandfather, on the other hand, worked in a Sheraton Hotel. My father and uncles were job-hopping, ranging from McDonalds to JFK Airport. For a while, they lived in a small apartment in Woodside, Queens. Overtime, my grandparents and their children saved enough money to buy a house in Staten Island.

So let’s go a few years back and return to the motherland. It was in the late 70s when my parents met in college in Metro Manila. Unlike most college dormitories in the United States, various colleges shared dormitories in the Philippines. Both my parents were studying accounting in their respective colleges, and once again fate worked its magic and brought them together. Now that I think about it, does that mean that I’ll meet “the one” in college, too? OMG, that’s scary to think about. Where were we? Right, my parents’ love story. After a year together, my mother gave birth to my eldest brother, Ray. A few years later, my brother, Ralph, was born. And you already know that I came after him. Oh, fun fact of the day! All our names start with “R.” My mother’s name is Rosalina and my father’s is Reynold. Speaking of my father, he left for America after my first birthday. It took nearly seven years for our family to be reunited. SEVEN! Can you believe that?

I came to America when I was seven in May of 2003. Similar to my family members who came before me, I experienced a major culture shock. Language was definitely my biggest barrier. Ironically, the older members of my family knew more English than me when they first came to the States. I guess it was because of their education; my grandmother was a teacher and she passed her knowledge to her sons and husband. Another big difference was definitely the weather; we only knew one season in the Philippines – summer! So moving to the United States, and experiencing my first snowfall was a life milestone. Should we talk about food next? It’s true when they say that everything in America is BIGGER! The portions are simply incomparable. Some types of food definitely took time getting used to. I remember I wasn’t that fond of mustard when I first arrive; I thought it tasted disgusting. Both my mindset and palate eventually changed, and I’m now more open to try different kinds of cuisines. And NYC is the best place to do it!

This essay is getting too long. How did I even write so much? Wow, it’s almost midnight. I should really wrap this up, so here’s the jist of it. Although change can sometimes be frightening, it can also be very rewarding. If my Aunt Felicitas did not muster enough courage to move to America, my family wouldn’t be here right now. I wouldn’t be here right now. The most important advice I have ever gotten came from my grandfather on the day of my high school graduation. He said to me, “Don’t ever forget where you came from. Remember all the sacrifices and hardships we’ve made to get you where you are now. Always remember.” I carry these words with me everyday and for the rest of my life. Saying thank you isn’t merely enough to convey my gratefulness for everything my family has done for me. Because of this, I am letting my actions speak for themselves. Just like them, I too will work hard to not only provide for my future family but for them as well. And in the words of Ray Bradbury, sometimes we have to jump off cliffs and build our wings on the way down. This is truly the best way to live.