Wednesday, June 21, 2006

pleasantville

My trip with Roomie to Columbus Ohio for our friends' wedding allowed us, well me to visit the state for the first time. The outdoor wedding took place at a rose garden, and it was hot, humid, and windy at times.

During the five days in Columbus, I discovered: the beauty of the lush and verdant trees all over the place; the seemingly laid back attitude of the people, in the parts we visited; quite a few numbers of same-sex parents (well about two or three, I mean you don't even see that much in SF in one day!); the streets and highways were wide and not crowded: awesome; its size seemed manageable so you can get around in a fairly short period of time, not like huge-ass Houston; I could see myself living there?

I kept referring to an area of the Columbus riverfront as River Seine-like, like the one in Paris, France. The locals at the wedding reception reacted with amusement at my visitor's "innocence," and they probably thought I was crazy for the comparison. Still, I was charmed with the place.

My sister and her family live two hours to the south, in teeny Patriot. She said it reminded her of my birthplace of Malaybalay, and when I saw it with my own eyes, I believed. Trees all over the place gave the place an amazing charm. This was true country. We passed by an Amish buggy, bales and bales of hay, corn fields, and more green scenery.