Migrated

About thirty minutes flying in to Los Angeles, you are greeted by an aerial view of rocky terrains, deserts, (what looked to me as) solar farms, countless swimming pools, and block after block of gray little boxes. Trees are spaced every few blocks, unlike back home where there are lush landscapes of green not too far from the city. Here, it is a sprawl of concrete from coast to inland. The good thing though is that every thing seems a lot cleaner or at least, a lot more organized. But then again, these are just first impressions.

The drive from LAX was seamless, freeway after freeway. On the road, my mom put the radio on KIIS FM, which is not a surprise. I suddenly remembered my good old days as a radio disc jockey. The station I worked for received Top40 samplers from KIIS FM; Philippines inevitably was an avid importer of American hits. In fact, stations like KIIS guaranteed worldwide airplay for songs simply because they are closely followed by radio stations from the rest of the world. Somehow it came full circle for me at that moment, being in the land of the Global hit maker. I then asked my mom what she considers driving music. Apart from listening to KIIS, she was in to a lot of old stuff, not surprising. But Top40 was what kept her awake during her commutes.

Welcome to America, Kim.

Here’s the soundtrack of the ride to my new home. I have to say, yesterday’s weather was perfect. It’s true what they say that’s it’s always sunny in California.