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Featured Speech of the Week
This site area is created to give special publicity to our member who was voted as the Speaker of the Day. It is published here to highlight the key strong points of the speech in which the speaker was able to meet speech's objectives.

Trips
Rosette Hizon
Date presented: February 22, 2002

Have you seen the star-studded movie Ocean’s Eleven? If you did, the movie showcased the three grandest casinos in Las Vegas. These are the MGM, the Bellagio and the Mirage. As I was watching the movie, I couldn’t help but smile because memories of my trips there came flooding to me especially at the latter part of the movie where Brad Pitt and the whole gang disbanded in front of the Bellagio. I have been standing there in the spot that they were in last year, also admiring the grandeur of the fountain, swaying as if dancing, with an opera song.

The first time I set foot at the airport of Los Angeles, I breathed a happy smile. I said to myself, thank God we made it safely. It was winter then and the chill wind that greeted us outside the arrival area was enough to make me quiver inside, it’s a good thing I was wearing a suit. While riding the shuttle bus that will take us to the connecting flight for Orange County, I said to myself, so this is the United States of America. There were birds (I think they were gulls) flying above us and I couldn’t help but smile again because I didn’t see any bird flying at our airport here.

While on our way to the apartment complex at Aliso Viejo, the freeways were so wide. I couldn’t help but compare again the highways that we have here. The scenery was even more beautiful; you could see the sparkle of the leaves of the trees beside the road that were swaying at the gush of the wind. What I wonderful sight it was. I just couldn’t forget the excitement I felt at that time as what one would normally feel during trips far across the globe.

Orange County was a beautiful place. The newly declared city, which is Aliso Viejo, is very clean and I love driving around the area just to relax. Trees were sprayed at the sides of the road and there was this hill near the apartment complex, which I really like. Then spring came. I was so amazed by the beauty of the flowers that were starting to bloom and the scent of fresh grass. I love flowers so much and everytime I jog around the area with a friend of mine, I usually stop and smell them. My favorite hill at that time boasted of white, yellow, red and purple colored flowers. How amazed I was with the grandeur of the place, then I thanked God again, for His creation, and how I marveled with its beauty.

I usually drive to my Aunt’s place at San Diego every time my local friends at AV have no plans. Before reaching her place, the city itself boasted of lagoons and terrains. I didn’t mind the traffic I always encounter at Del Mar because of the scenery that relaxed my eyes. The water at the lagoons sparkled with the rays of the sun and the weather was so perfect, not too chilly and not too warm. I usually turn-off the air conditioning inside my car, roll down the car’s window and just feel the wind as it touched my face. My Aunt was joking about my complexion because the first time she saw me, I was so pale and then slowly, I was developing a slight tan. I replied that I had finally acquired the so-called “California tan”. During my last days at San Diego I always go to La Jolla just to watch the sun set. It was such a perfect sun set: different shades of colors gracing the sun’s horizon, sea gulls flying along the coast, sea lions lying in the sand and the waves of the sea spraying its beautiful shores. I have this favorite bench there in front of the marvelous tranquil sun set. People just go there and stare at that wonderful God given scenario.

The first time I went to Las Vegas, it was still winter and it was so cold at that time that my ears hurt. I remember telling Edith how much my ears hurt because of the chilly wind outside the hotel we stayed in. Las Vegas itself, as you have seen in the movies, is very lively, with the whole city being bathed with lights. No wonder it’s called “The City that Never Sleeps”. We strolled along Vegas’ strip and admired the hotels sprawled across it, there was a replica of the Eiffel Tower which they call the Paris Hotel, the famous Bellagio with the awesome fountain in front, the Mirage with their own design of a huge falls near the entrance, the MGM Hotel and Casino with their huge golden lion sign, the Hotel shaped like a Pyramid called the Luxor with s huge Sphinx in front and many more. Farther North of the strip was the well-known Hard Rock Café with their huge guitar sign that graced their entrance. I have several trips to Las Vegas after that just to watch concerts and because I didn’t like to gamble, I found the place suddenly boring.

San Francisco was a different place. The Golden Gate was not really gold but almost maroon in color. I have a friend who lived at the bay area and she told me that the reason why it’s called the Golden Gate is due to its almost golden shade during sun set. Eventhough it was summer at that time I went there, I have to bring my jacket with me because of the chilly wind. Pier 39, is famous for its huge crabs and clam chowder soups. There were street performers and people, including us, stopped to watch them made fun of themselves. In contrast to the description I got from my brother who was there two years ago, I find the places there neat. The roads there were not as wide as what LA and San Diego have and the motorists were not that courteous either.

My Chicago experience was also worth my while. My friends there filed for a week’s vacation just to tour me around the city and it was such a busy city, like Los Angeles. The problem I had there was the sharp wind almost tearing up my face whenever we stroll along its Downtown. I went to its famous Sears Tower and upon reaching its rooftop, I saw the beauty of the whole city. Rich in its basking light, almost majestic.

Whenever I look at the videos and the pictures I brought with me from those trips, I always have this warm feeling that I have been to places I only see in magazines and in the movies. Although I was dead-broke when I got back here in Manila, the experience was really worth it!

I thank Fluor for giving me an opportunity to be assigned halfway across the globe and God for these wonderful experiences.

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