It's my first ever thanksgiving celebration! Zen and I started the day with a mass at 9:00 A.M. in the Newman Center, Iowa City. We were invited by "Tito Leo" Lim a week earlier to celebrate with them, so we drove seventeen miles north to Swisher, IA. We left Coralville twenty minutes before 2:00 P.M., and we were at the Lim residence by the top of the hour. We had an interesting exchange of life stories with the Lim's while having some snacks. A while later, I was helping them prepare the turkey (my first again) for the early dinner. There were just five of us, but we had so much fun, and our hosts were so hospitable that we didn't notice it was almost 9:00 P.M. We met the Lim couple for the first time during a Filipino-American get-together early this year only, but our celebration seemed to be like a gathering of long lost relatives and was itself a cause for thanksgiving.

For four winter-spring months, we were able to survive Iowa often taking the bus, riding our mountain bikes, and occasionally hitching with friends.  We searched and waited patiently for the right car.  A fuel-efficient compact four-door sedan preferrably manufactured by Toyota, Mitsubishi, or Honda was on our mind.  Alas, an MBA student from the University of Iowa was graduating and selling his car.  He got it as a certified vehicle from Toyota dealership in 2003 and only used it for 20,000 additional miles in two years.  This was how we got hold of Cori.

Cori's our 2000 Toyota Corolla CE.  We bought it with the engine and chassis in excellent condition.  Our only rant was that the previous owner seemed to have no time to clean the car.  I had to vacuum, wash, detail, and wax the car inside-out the next day.  Hard work paid off, and the car deserved the new look.

As with other Filipino customs, we brought the car to the Newman Catholic Student Center to be blessed by a priest friend Fr. John Stecher.  Car blessing's uncommon here in Iowa, and the event drew a couple of spectators from the center.

Cori was generally stock when we got her :

All-aluminum 1ZZ-FE 1.8L 4-cylinder In-line 16-valve DOHC Engine with VVT-i Technology
EPA-certified Low Emission Vehicle (LEV)
125 hp @ 5800 RPM
125 lb-ft @ 4000 RPM
4-speed Automatic Overdrive Transmission
Fuel Type/System: Gas/SEFI
Hercules Ultra Plus IV 175/65R14 81S Street Radial Tires
Color: Silver Stream Opalescent
ZZE110 Chassis
Air Conditioning
Radio/Cassette Player
Power Windows
Power Door Locks
Manual Remote Exterior Mirrors
Driver and Passenger Side Airbags
Child Safety Door Locks
Split-folding Rear Seats
Cruise Control
Tilt Steering Wheel
Automatic Headlights
Daytime Running Lights
Splash/Mud Guards
Interval Windshield Wipers
Rear Window Defroster

Click here to see what has happened to Cori since we had her.

From Manila Philippines, we had an hour stopover at Nagoya Japan. The flight from Nagoya to Detroit Michigan took about ten hours. I was able to sleep in the 747, though not deeply, and was able to watch an inflight movie, "Bourne Supremacy." The long travel wasn't that bad, especially with Zen along with me.

The immigration officer at Detroit was nice to us, and our entry into the US was straight-forward. It was the first time I was able to see real snow! We took a plane to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and from the plane's window, I could see dirty white snow covering the whole landscape below. I also noticed the high-rise buildings of Chicago through the opposite window. At the airport, we were picked up by Zen's friend and classmate, Fedik.

We reached Coralville, Iowa around 3:00PM (Central Time -06:00 GMT), and Fedik dropped us off at the apartment. The temperature outside was seven degrees Fahrenheit at that time. Armed with heavy jackets, gloves, and bonnets, we walked to the grocery which was about ten minutes away. The ice was about six inches deep. We then walked back to the apartment with three to four grocery bags in each hand.

Zen prepared our dinner, which was rice and canned "sisig". I cleaned the dishes afterwards. Zen was so exhausted, she was in bed around 7:00PM. I still wanted to write some email, but my eyes were closing on me, and I was asleep shortly thereafter.

I woke up around 1:30AM local time with my stomach growling. I just ignored it and was able to return to sleep. I got up at 6:00AM, and that's another day...