
Group time 2, originally uploaded by joeytoofresh.
There was a time when most of my days were spent participating in Filipino community events. Since finishing up undergrad, my involvement has waned. Not because I wasn’t interested, but because I wanted to explore other things. I also felt pressured by old acquaintances and peers to be involved in certain ways and that turned me off. I don’t think being Filipino is defined by how involved I am. It encompasses so many more things than that.
Lately, I’ve been in an introspective mood. My life in Brooklyn is pretty permanent now and it’s interesting to see just what communities/niches I find myself gravitating to. The Filipino community is one of them. And even if I am not heading off to the next protest or gathering petitions as I did before, I would like to think there are ways to express and enjoy a huge part of who I am.
Thanks to FiRE (gotta love the acronyms) – http://www.firenyc.org/ – I’ve found a group of people to connect with. This past Saturday, I hosted my first FiRE event. They have monthly brunches, but this time they decided to do an evening affair so I volunteered my place. It was fun meeting new people and making connections without any pressure or pretense. It’s a great thing to see in NYC. I hope to do it again.
Enjoy the pics…